St Patrick's & St Joseph's
Glenullin/Garvagh
Takes the hand, stretches the mind, touches the heart
St Patrick's & St Joseph's Schools

September's Newsletter

13 Sep 2016

 

ST PATRICK’S AND ST JOSEPH’S

FEDERATED PRIMARY SCHOOL

 

5 Churchtown Road

Tirkeeran

GARVAGH

BT51 5BA

(Tirkeeran Site)

Tel: 028 2955 8039

Fax: 028 2955 8039

 

Logo 2 Feb 12

 

37 Glen Road

Brockaghbuoy

GARVAGH

BT51 5BD           

(Glenullin Site)

Tel: 028 2955 8641

Fax: 028 2955 8641

 

 

 

Principal:  Mr Aidan Rafferty

www.stpatricksandstjosephs.com

 

8 September 2016

               

Dear Parent/Guardian

 

Welcome / Fáilte to all our pupils, back for the new academic year. 

 

A special welcome to our Primary One pupils:

 

Emma Boylan, Finian Bradley, Nellie-Rose Bradley, Aoibhín Close, Aoife Farren, John Higgins, Rona Kearney, Odhrán Kelly, Michael Leadon, Caitlin McFadden, Jacob McIlvar, John Joe McIlvar, Alfie and Barry Mullan-McNicholl, Bronagh McNicholl, Niamh McNicholl, Ellie Mae Mimnagh, Oisín Mullan, Grace Niblock, Josie O’Connell, Senan O’Kane and Rory Sheenan.

 


 

 

Collection of Children from NEELB Bus

 

It is important to note that, according to the NEELB Transport policy, our school bus driver cannot let children off the bus unless a responsible adult is there to collect them.

 

Monday After School’s Club – Glenullin site

 

 

Monday

After School’s Club

 

 

12 September-

17 October

 

Sewing with Mrs Ball & Miss McCloskey

12- 26 September with P6 & P7 (3 weeks)

3 - 17 September with P4 & P5 (3 weeks)

 

 

Glenullin site

 

 

24 October –

5 December

(6 Mondays)

Tin Whistle with Miss McCollum for P4 & P5. Tin whistles cost £2; please send money in advance if tin whistle required.

Pupils must be collected promptly at 4.00 p.m. 

 

 


P7 Pupils – Transfer

 

Anyone who is considering entering their child for an external entrance examination should please note the cut off dates in the accompanying list of dates.

 

Allergies / Medical Needs

 

A number of children within the school are allergic to nuts and or eggs.  As an anaphylactic reaction to these foods can be potentially life threatening we ask that all parents ensure that no nut products (e.g Kinder eggs/ bars) or egg (such as egg sandwiches) be brought into the school.

 

Any parent who has a child requiring any  medication during school hours (this includes Calpol and asthmatic inhalers) must always fill out the appropriate forms available from the school office prior to the child taking or bringing the medication to school.

 

A reminder for parents whose child has agreed medication stored in the school that the onus is upon the parent to ensure that the medication is always within its expiry date.

 
Whole School Assembly

 

The Whole School Assembly on Friday 30 September will be led by P7 in the Glenullin site.  It will commence at 9.15 a.m. and everyone is welcome

 

Uniform

 

Thanks to all for your continued support of our uniform policy.  Please remember that, for footwear pupils are asked to wear trainers – shoes are not part of the school uniform.  NB: Please mark all sweatshirts and coats with your child’s name and class.

 

P.E. Uniform

 

On P.E. days it would be appreciated if girls could wear trousers or shorts below their skirts, and have long hair tied back.  Any standard trainer is the recommended footwear, shoes should not be worn.  Football tops are not viewed as necessary and the ordinary white polo top is all that should be worn.

P.E. days are as follows:

            P1 – Tuesday                          P5 – Friday     

            P2 – Wednesday                      P6 – Friday     

            P3 – Wednesday                      P7 – Monday

            P4 - Tuesday

 

 

Song and Irish for the Month            

 

As Tipperary have beaten Kilkenny by nine points in the Liam McCarthy cup final we feel this song is appropriate. Slievenamon is a 721 metre mountain situated northwest of Carrick on Sur in County Tipperary.

 

Song for the month:                 ‘Slievenamon’ 

 

Irish for the month:     

Dia duit  - Jeea ditch  :  Hello ( when speaking to one person)

Dia is Muire duit  -  Jeea is Mura ditch  :  Hello ( response to one person's greeting)

Dia daoibh   -  Jeea deeve  :  Hello ( to greet more than one person)

Dia is Muire daoibh  -Jeea is Mura deeve  : Hello ( response to more than one person's greeting)

Slán go fóill  -  Slan go foil  : Goodbye/ See you later

Go raibh maith agat  -  Gura maith agat  : Thank you

 

Colours in Irish can be accessed fromhttp://ccea.org.uk/curriculum/gaeloideachas/piaschand then click on Language and Literacy.

 

           


 

Grammar for the month       

 

‘Yous’ and ‘Youns’    No such word!                 X Incorrect

You (singular) and You (plural)                      ü Correct

 

I seen                           X Incorrect

I saw                           ü Correct

I have seen                  ü Correct

 

 

Health Promoting School

 

As part of our Healthy Breaks Policy children are encouraged to eat fruit and or bread products from Monday to Thursday.  Friday is a treat day when they may bring anything of their choice.  Each child is also asked to bring a bottle of water (sports top) to school each day which they are allowed to sip during class.  We would ask that the bottles be labelled with the child’s name.

 

School Dinners and Free School Meals

 

School dinners currently cost £2.50 per day.  Please make cheques payable to the Education Authority.

 

The number of pupils who are on the free school meals’ register affects the school budget.  If you are in any doubt as to whether you are entitled to free dinners please complete a Free School Meals’ form which is available from the office in the Tirkeeran site, even if you do not wish your child to actually take dinner.

 

Notice Boards

 

Notice Boards are provided on each site to:

  1. Highlight pupils or past pupils achievements outside of school.
  2. Include local notices and important dates for the children, for example gaelic, camogie or music information.

Anyone who wishes to include any information, please submit to Mrs Bradley, the school secretary.

 

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

 

A coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support will be held in the Garvagh Community Building on Friday 30 September from 10 – 12 noon.  Admission £3, everyone welcome.

 

McNicholl School of Irish Dancing

 

McNicholl School of Irish Dancing recommences for children of all ages on Friday 9 September at 4.00pm in Glenullin GAC.  All newcomers welcome.

 

 

New Staff

 

We extend a warm welcome to Mr Murphy in P7, Miss McCloskey in P5, Miss Coyle in P4 and Miss McCollum in P3.

           

 

 


 


 

8 September 2016

                                              

‘Boomerang Lunches’

 

 

Dear Parent/Guardian,

                                    As part of our Eco- Schools programme, we have a ‘Boomerang Lunch’ policy in school.  The aim is to greatly reduce waste from lunches and to encourage pupils and family to rethink about the way they prepare and package lunch and snack foods.

The ‘Boomerang Lunch’ programme works on the idea that all items of lunch are returned to their source.  All pre-packaged waste from your child’s lunch will be returned home in his/her lunchbox.  This includes any packaging, plastic bags and wrapping.  ‘Boomerang Lunches’ will enable parents to see what their child has eaten during the day and will provide parents with first-hand knowledge of the eating habits and preferences of the child.  By bringing home the leftovers, you will see what has been eaten and what has not.  Hopefully this will increase what pupils eat and reduce food waste.

Having just received our Eco- schools ‘Green Flag’ for the fourth time, we hope that you will support us in this initiative. 

 

Thank you for your support.

Miss R Coyle (Eco- Schools Coordinator)


 

‘Boomerang Lunch’ – Frequently asked question

 

What can I do to ensure my child doesn’t come home with a messy lunchbox?

The easiest way to do this is to send all food items in sealable, reusable containers.  Therefore, the only items returning in the lunchbox will be in sealed containers ready to be washed and used the next day.  If you choose to send disposable containers such as yogurt pots and juice boxes, your child will be encouraged to place the empty container in their lunch boxes.  Please mark all lunch boxes and containers with the pupil’s name and class.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

SONG OF THE MONTH

SEPTEMBER 2016

 

Slievenamon

 


 

 

 

 

Dates for Term One

 

Mondays

5 September –

17 October incl.

 

Swimming for the P5 class

Thursdays

8 September –

on-going

Each class will, in turn, visit Garvagh Library on a Thursday morning. 

P7 – Thursday 8 September

P6 – Thursday 15 September

P5 – Thursday 22 September

P4 – Thursday 29 September

P3 – Thursday 6 October

P2 – Thursday 13 October

 

Friday

9 September

Closing date for application for AQE entrance examination

 (Dalriada, Ballymoney and Coleraine Academical Institution)

 

Mondays

12 September –

7 November incl.

Additional numeracy and literacy classes for P7 pupils with               Mr Rafferty from 3.10 – 4.10 pm .

 

Monday

After School’s Club

 

 

12 September-

17 October

 

Sewing with Mrs Ball & Miss McCloskey

12- 26 September with P6 & P7 (3 weeks)

3 - 17 September with P4 & P5 (3 weeks)

 

 

Glenullin site

 

 

24 October –

5 December

(6 Mondays)

Tin Whistle with Miss McCollum for P4-7.

Tin whistles cost £2; please send money in advance if  a tin whistle is required.

The Friday

Website Reporter

16 September –

7 October

Friday 16 September – Meabh Boylan & Oisin Bradley

Friday 23 September – Willie John Bradley & Theo Brolly

Friday 30 September – James Francis Burns & Rhiannon Comer

Friday 7 October – Keira Culleton & Eamonn Hasson

 

Friday

 23 September

Closing date for application for GL Assessment examination

( Dominican College, Portstewart and St Mary’s Magherafelt)

 

Friday

30 September

 

Whole School Assembly led by P7 at the Glenullin site commencing at 9.15 a.m.  Parents welcome. 

 

Tuesday

4 October

School photographer in the Tirkeeran site at 8.30 a.m. -uniform format this year.  Each child will be photographed individually.  If any family group photographs are required please send a written note to the school with the oldest child on the day. Other family members are welcome to come along to be photographed.

 

Thursday

6 October

Information Sheet 2

 

Mondays

24 October –

12 December incl.

 

Swimming for the P6 class

Friday

28 October

Whole School Assembly led by P6 at the Glenullin site commencing at 9.15 a.m.  Parents welcome.

 

Monday - Wednesday

 

31 October –

2 November  incl.

Hallowe’en holidays

Wednesday

2 November

9 am – 5 pm

 

Parents, Teachers’ Meeting at the Glenullin site.  Parents will have an opportunity to view lost property and collect any items belonging to their child/children at this time.  Any property remaining will be given to charity or sent for recycling.

 

Thursday

10 November

Information Sheet 3

 

Thursday

1 December

Information Sheet 4

 

Friday

2 December

Whole School Assembly led by P5 in the Glenullin site commencing at 9.15 a.m.  Parents welcome.

 

Monday

19 December

Christmas Show in Glenullin Hall at 7.30 p.m.

 

Tuesday

20 December

Mass in Glenullin site at 10.30 a.m.

School closes at 12 noon for Christmas Holidays.

 

Wednesday

4 January

School reopens.

 

Mondays

9 January –

19 June 17 incl.

Swimming for the P7 class


 


 

 

 


8 September 2016

 

 

Safe Guarding Children / Child Protection Policy

 

Dear Parent / Guardian

 

Detailed below is a summary of the contents of our Safe Guarding Children Policy.

 

Our policy includes:

  • The principles upon which the policy is based.  The first being that

‘The child’s welfare is paramount and overrides all other consideration.’

  • The context in which it is set
  • The procedures which all staff must adhere to and staff’s four main areas of responsibility are;
    • Prevention
    • Recognition of the four types of child abuse i.e. Physical, Sexual, Emotional or Neglect
    • The response by staff
    • Referral procedures for staff.
  • A Code of Conduct which all staff must adhere to
  • A record of staff training in this area
  • The names of the teachers and Governors with responsibility for safe guarding children,
    • Overall responsibility                           Mrs Catherine Ball & Mrs Claire McCloy
    • Deputy                                                Mrs Laura Heron
    • Chairman of the Board of Governors  Mr Michael James
    • Governor with Safe Guarding children responsibility - Mrs Anne Marie McKenna.

 

Please note that a full paper copy of this policy is available upon request from the office on the Tirkeeran Site and an online version is available on the school web site.

 

Yours sincerely

Aidan Rafferty

Principal


 

 


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