September Letter

Scoil Mhuire

Milford

Co. Donegal

074 91 53494

086 1894920

milfordns2016@gmail.com​

Principal: Sharon Peoples

Deputy Principal: Sharon Cannon

21st September 2020

Dear Parent/Guardian

We are back three weeks now and it feels like we were never away (in a good way). I am extremely happy with how everything is running in the school. The children are responding so well and showing a great degree of maturity in following all our procedures and guidelines. We thank them for "bouncing in" on their first day with typical enthusiasm, getting us off to a great start and boosting staff morale. We are “rolling up our sleeves” and getting on with school life and we ask you as parents/guardians to continue to follow the rules when dropping off and picking up as the safety of the children is paramount.

New Staff Members

We are delighted to have Mr. Ken Fox, Miss Eimear Doherty and Mrs. Claire Claydon join the staff. We trust that they will feel at home among us and we look forward to their input to our Scoil Mhuire team.

First Day

We extend a special welcome to our 25 Junior Infants. The first day at primary school is one of life's memorable milestones for both parents and children and we know there were a tough few moments, when you left your child in our care but please be assured your little ones are in the safe hands of Mrs. Cannon. They have settled in so well and have completed their first week of full days last week. I am sure they enjoyed a well-deserved rest this weekend.

Book returns:

Unfortunately, Ms. Boyce is still missing a number of books that were handed out during the lockdown. Please make sure that they are returned to the school as soon as possible. A lot of these books are sets and unless we have a book for each individual child we cannot use the set.

Drop Off/Pick up

We continue to be very happy with the manner in which pupils arrive and depart the school grounds, made possible by your diligent cooperation and adherence to our specified schedules.

The current arrangements will continue for the foreseeable future i.e.: surnames A-L, may "drop off" anytime between 9.15 a.m. and 9.22 a.m. and those with surnames beginning with M-Z to "drop off" anytime between 9.25 a.m. and 9. 32 a.m. Please do not arrive after this cut-off time as it is disruptive to class time. We expect all pupils to be seated in class by 9.32 a.m.

We ask that pupils who walk to school should not arrive before 9.15am and those who travel by car, should wait in the vehicle until their appropriate entrance time.

The evening "pick up" arrangements remain unchanged at 2.45p.m. and 3.00p.m. Please remind your children not to run and wait until they see you before exiting the gate. Also please continue the practice of wearing a face mask when you're collecting your children.

Road Safety

The road outside the school is extremely busy before school begins and again at 3.00 pm. In the interest of child safety and to help with traffic flow it is essential that the "Keep Clear" area outside the school is respected. Please pass on this vital information (that this is designated a "no parking" zone) to anyone who transports your child/children to or from school. Can you also remind your child/children of the importance of looking left and right before they cross this very busy road and to stay on the footpath where possible.

The sniffles

If your child has a runny nose and you deem them to be fit for school, then it is appropriate that they should attend. We are very aware that "the sniffles" often occur when pupils return to school and we have no difficulty in managing that. However, if you think your child has symptoms of Covid 19 please keep your child at home and having sought medical advice follow all the instructions.

Covid 19

If your son/daughter has been told to isolate/ awaiting Covid 19 test results: You should not send in your child or any of their siblings into school. In this instance, we request that you inform the school about the situation. But please be discreet to avoid rumours and possible hysteria about testing.

Book Rental

Our book rental scheme has been a huge success this year, due to the prompt payment of bills by parents/guardians, for which we are very grateful. The obvious benefits of the scheme will become more apparent when you receive the full list of books and resources available to your child. This information will be forwarded to you in due course by each class teacher.

Homework

As a staff we have decided to give homework from Monday 21st September. Homework teaches students to work independently and develop self-discipline. It encourages them to take initiative and responsibility for completing a task. We feel that the children have settled back really well and would benefit from the completion of assignments at home. Homework allows parents to have an active role in their child's education and helps them to evaluate progress. The homework will be in the format of spellings, tables, mental maths and reading.

School Bags

In keeping with Covid 19 guidelines we will continue to pursue our policy of not having school bags at school. From today each pupil will be provided with a homework zip folder. If you feel that your child is having difficulty carrying this folder, lunch box and water bottle then they can bring a small drawstring bag which can be hung on the back of their chair.

Uniforms

On behalf of the staff, I wish to thank you all for having the children so well prepared for their return to school. The children are presenting themselves very well in their full uniforms, please keep this up. Can I remind all parents/guardians that tracksuit bottoms/leggings with logos are not permitted. Hoodies are also not permitted. Children must bring a coat to school every day.

The staff appreciate the effort you have put into getting uniforms ready, labelling items, ensuring the children have healthy lunches, tying back hair, getting the children to and from school on time.

Work completed over the summer:

The school building has been given a major overhaul during the summer. We have painted both the outside and inside, including all classrooms and hallways and new notice boards have been erected. Mrs. Cannon and Ms. Gallagher’s rooms have had new floors laid. The staffroom has been painted and a new kitchen and floor installed. In addition to these projects, and to manage the safe return of our pupils we put in place hand sanitisers throughout the building, added floor markings and displayed posters (related to Covid-prevention).We also made sure that handwashing/drying facilities were up to standard. Indeed the school was a very busy place during all the summer months and great credit is due to our Caretaker Cathal who worked endless hours and to whom we are very grateful.

Parents: Thank You

During the summer we also got help with various tasks from a number of parents. We wish to sincerely thank the following people for their help:

Hugh Law, Aidan Cannon, Ian Gallagher, Brendan Mc Ginley and Conor Mc Nulty.

Milford Band

The Board of Management greatly appreciate and acknowledge the €1000 donation made by Cathal Hagan and Bernie Nash following the closure of St. Garvan’s Youth Band’s bank account.

MOWI

Thank you to MOWI for providing us with sponsorship in the purchasing of our new notice boards for Miss Doherty’s classroom.

Parents’ Association

One of the pleasant surprises for pupils on their return to school this year, was that each one got a brand new chair. This was made possible by the generous donation of €3,000 from the Parents' Association, for which we are very grateful. We also thank those who contributed to recent fundraisers.

Absence Notes

The school is obliged to seek absence notes. Parents/guardians can now upload an explanation for their child’s absence via the Aladdin app or you can send an explanatory note with your child to school.

Head Lice

Please check your child’s hair for head lice on a regular basis. If your child has long hair, where possible, please have it tied or clipped back (boys and girls).

Allergies/Medication

Please inform the school of any allergies which your child may have and any prescribed medication which they may require during school time. It is essential that our records in relation to this are kept updated.

Cycling:

5th class were to begin their cycle safety course in the school two weeks ago but unfortunately due to reasons beyond our control the facilitators were unable to come to the school. Hopefully they will start tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd September.

A warm and sincere thanks to each parent/guardian for your interest, support and practical cooperation as we navigate together through unchartered territories. We are all learning as we go and the current challenging circumstances require patience and perseverance. But I really feel that the children are happy to be back at school and delighted that a little bit of normality has been restored. Remember, the school is just a phone call away and while we cannot have face to face meetings anymore we still want to hear from you and need to know how we can best support your child. If you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to get in contact.

God Bless

Sharon Peoples