October Newsletter 2026
Welcome
We are very pleased to welcome Ms Rebecca Foster to Ballybay Central this month. Ms Foster is teaching 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes while Ms Brown is on maternity leave. We very much appreciate Ms Burns and Ms Donaghy filling in for the last number of weeks. Congratulations to Ms Brown and her husband on the safe arrival of baby Katie.
School Photographer
The school photographer will visit Monday 12th October. Individual and family photographs will be taken. Class photographs will be taken of Junior Infants, 6th Class. There will be a whole school photo also. Please ensure full school uniform is worn on the day, including ties and jumpers. There is no obligation to purchase photographs.
New Email Addresses
All parents should have received an Aladdin message this week with new email addresses for teachers. Each teacher’s email address is listed below:
mrspatton@ballybaycentralns.com - Infants & 1st class
msfoster@ballybaycentralns.com - 2nd, 3rd & 4th classes
mrspepper@ballybaycentralns.com - 5th & 6th classes
mrsboyle@ballybaycentralns.com - Special Education Teacher
msmillar@ballybaycentralns.com - EAL Teacher
Please use the relevant email address for your child’s teacher if you wish to contact them. Previous email addresses that contained junior room, middle room or senior room in them are no longer being used or monitored.
The main school email address ballybaycentralns@gmail.com will primarily be used for office admin. Please be cognisant of the fact that teachers are teaching during the day and may not see emails from parents until after school or before school the following day.
Active School
We were delighted to receive our Active School in June – thanks to Ms Brown, Active School co-ordinator, and different committee members for ensuring we remained active over the last two years. Dessie Ward, Breakthrough Performance and County Monaghan footballer will raise the flag on Friday this week.
We are currently taking part in an Active School Challenge, Run Around the EU! Every day the children in each classroom run/walk laps of the school – each lap equates to 1km. Each classroom has chosen a country in the EU to run to by adding up the total distance ran/walked by everyone. Make sure to wear runners to school while taking part in the challenge. Uniform is worn Monday-Thursday and PE clothes on Friday for football with Euan.
Student Council Elections
Plans are currently underway to form our new Student Council Committee for this school year!
As in previous years, there are 8 places available on the Student Council. Pupils from 2nd to 6th Class are invited to put themselves forward for election.
Pupils will hear more about the election process on 5th October, with the Student Council elections taking place on 12th October.
The work of our Student Council benefits everyone in our school. In previous years, Council members have helped to organise fun days and other enjoyable activities for pupils. They have also organised fundraising events, which enabled us to purchase new equipment for our school yard.
We hope that this year's Student Council will continue this great work by organising more fun occasions for our pupils. It is also hoped that another fundraiser will help us to purchase even more equipment and resources for the school.
We look forward to hearing the pupils' ideas and to electing our new Student Council!
Hot Lunches
Please check with your child/children if they are happy with their hot lunch order. If lunches are going home uneaten (children bring the Fresh today box home so parents can see if it is being eaten) please either change the order or choose no meal option. The lunches cost money and shouldn’t be wasted or thrown in a bin. If you are having difficulty with the Fresh Today app or lunch order please contact Fresh Today directly office@freshtoday.ie or by phone 043 3347568. Changes to an order must be made before 5.00pm Thursday each week for the following week. If your child/children don’t wish to receive school lunches at all please let me know so as I can remove them from the order or let Fresh Today know.
INTO – Industrial Action
The INTO (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation) recently balloted its members for industrial action upto and including strike action and the vote was overwhelmingly approved by members. We have been notified that INTO members will participate in a work stoppage/strike action on Wednesday 14th October and if necessary again on Wednesday 21st October. We are hopeful that these work stoppages will not go ahead but if they do, the school will be closed on those dates. You will be kept updated over the coming weeks via Aladdin regarding school closures for strike days.
Insurance & Voluntary Contribution
Many thanks to those parents who have paid Insurance (€5 per child) and Voluntary Contribution (€30 per child/€50 for 2 or more children). This money is due now. Please transfer payment for both to the school bank account for both to the school bank account – see details below –
- 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.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH PAYMENTS INTO SCHOOL
If you have paid either of the above and the other is outstanding you will receive a receipt from Mrs McBride when both payments are made.
School Closures
School will be closed from Monday 26th October to Friday 30th October inclusive for midterm break.
School will also be closed the following Monday, 2nd November for staff training.
School will reopen Tuesday 3rd November.