October Newsletter 2024
School Closure
School will be closed on Tuesday 1st October as teachers are required to attend an in-service training day for the new Primary Maths Curriculum in Monaghan Education centre.
Cash For Clobber
The annual clothes collection for Cash for Clobber will take place on Wednesday 6th November. Please let your family and friends know. This is always well supported each year and the money raised is used to buy resources for the school. All unwanted clothes, bed linen, towels, shoes (pairs) may be left into school after the October midterm break. NO DUVETS or PILLOWS please.
Photographer
The School Photographer will be in school on Tuesday 8th October. Photographs will be taken of Junior Infants, 6th Class, whole school and families. Please ensure children are wearing their full school uniform on the day, including ties. There is no obligation to purchase photographs.
Parents’ Association AGM
The AGM of the school’s Parents’ Association will take place on Tuesday 8th October at 8.00pm in the school hall. It is very important that parents support the school’s Parents’ Association, they make a valuable contribution to the school. A committee will be elected on the evening. There are generally 4-5 meetings per year mainly to plan events. Last year’s committee organised a very successful evening with Catherine McGregor and also co-ordinated refreshments following our Christmas show in Derryvalley. Members of the Parents’ Association provided a breakfast for all children following the walk to school in December and the school year came to a close last June with a very well organised Family Fun Evening. The Parents’ Association gave every child a selection box last Christmas, ice cream at Sports Day and they also assisted with the cost of buses for swimming and school tours which meant costs were reduced for each child. Without this financial support, swimming and tours would cost a lot more and perhaps wouldn’t be affordable by all. All parents are encouraged to attend the AGM next Tuesday and consider offering to help out for a year.
Healthy Eating Policy & Food Dudes
Please take note of the following food items that are recommended, not recommended and not permitted in school.
(Taken from the recently updated Healthy Eating Policy)
Foods which are recommended for snack include:
- Brown, whole meal Bread/Rolls, Pita Breads, Wraps, Crackers, Rice Cakes, pancakes
- Vegetable Salad (cucumber, sweet-corn, tomato etc.) Vegetable Sticks (carrot, celery, peppers etc.)
- Fresh Fruit (apples, mandarins, peaches, pears, plums, bananas, kiwis, oranges, melon, blueberries, strawberries etc.)
- Dried Fruit (raisins, sultanas, apricots etc.)
- Cheese, Yogurt, Fromage Frais
- Water, Milk
Salted popcorn
Foods which are not recommended:
- Any snack known to be high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, additives and preservatives e.g. chocolate spread, nuts (for young children due to a choking hazard), cereal bars, chocolate yoghurts etc
Foods that are Not Permitted
- Chewing Gum
- Sweets / biscuits /buns / pastries/
- Crisps
- Lollipops
- Fizzy drinks (carbonated drinks)
- Sports or energy drinks
- Chocolate Bars / or any foods which contain chocolate
Parents are expected to support the school’s healthy eating policy
The full Healthy Eating Policy is on the website. The reasons for decisions made regarding food items were explained at the Parents’ Information Meeting. Children are not allowed to bring treats to school. Any item containing chocolate is not prohibited and children will be asked to take them home. It is not fair on children if some children are bringing chocolate items, biscuits, buns etc for lunch and others are not. Please be supportive of the school’s policy which has been ratified by the Board of Management.
Some children, mainly in the Junior Classroom are not eating their Fresh Today lunches – there is a lot of swapping of lunches (if children are absent there are spare lunches). Please adjust your child’s order to ensure they are receiving a lunch they like otherwise the food is being wasted. Funding received for school lunches last year was €35,000 approx.
The Food Dudes programme is commencing in school today. Pupils in the Junior Classroom will be given 4 different fruits and vegetables to taste over 16 days. Pupils in the Middle and Senior Classrooms will be given fruit and vegetables over 5 days in October. Following the free fruit and vegetables all children are rewarded for eating a portion of fruit and vegetables each day – a chart system is used and when pupils reach a certain point on the chart they receive a small prize. The programme is being implemented in order to encourage children to develop a taste for fruit and vegetables.
Homework Policy
The recently revised Homework Policy is also available for viewing on the school website. Homework is an important part for children’s education and it is expected that all children complete all the homework activities they have been assigned each night. A good homework routine is important for children - these good work habits are vital for children as they move to Secondary school where they are expected to do more independent homework and study. If there is a genuine reason why homework hasn’t been completed on a particular night, parents must sent a note to school explaining the same and the homework will be completed in school the following day.
Insurance Money
This money €5.30 per child is now overdue. If you haven’t paid it please do so using the details below.
Payments should be made by:
- Online banking – IBAN IE20AIBK 9324 2601 2651 56 or
- Cheque/draft from bank or Credit Union
If using Online banking please put your name on the reference line so we know it’s your payment.
Mrs McBride will issue receipts of payment.
P.E. in the Park
Children in 2nd-6th Classes really enjoyed PE in the Park recently. The weather was fabulous for kayaking. We are so lucky to have such a facility beside us in Ballybay. Many thanks to Mark and Jimmy from Castleblayney Outdoor Adventure Centre and also Monaghan Sports Partnership for funding. The school also provided additional funding for the DEIS grant in order to ensure both activities were affordable for all.
Student Council
Congratulations to Amy, Lisa, Luke, Amelia G, Amelia McA, Emily, Danny and Theodore who have been elected to this year’s Student Council. There was great excitement in school in the lead up to election day, all children delivered excellent speeches and made posters.
Advance Notice
On Wednesday 18th December the children will be performing in Derryvalley Hall. The details of the evening haven’t been finalised yet but keep the date free!
Mid-Term
School will be closed from Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November inclusive for mid-term break.