September Newsletter 2025

Welcome

Welcome back to Ballybay Central School. It was great to hear the voices and laughter of children last week as we reopened for 2025-26 academic year. We hope you had a great summer and are looking forward to a new school year. We extend a special warm welcome to all our new pupils – Aaron, Abraham, Archie, Henry, Jeremiah, Lly B, Lily C, Machelle and Noah in Junior Infants, Elizabeth, Artem, Mark and Evelina in the middle and senior classrooms. There currently 66 children enrolled in the school.

Aladdin Connect

Aladdin Connect is the platform used by the school for communication with parents. At this stage every family should have signed up for Aladdin. It is important to have the app on your phone. Please ensure notifications for Aladdin are ‘on’ in your settings. By doing so you will receive instant notifications (just like a text). Messages are sent about school events, sudden closures or reminders for payments, meetings etc. Parents must also use Aladdin to inform school of pupil absences and the reason for absence. Slots for Parent Teacher meetings (held in November) are booked on Aladdin and the end of year school reports are also available on Aladdin.

If you change address of phone number or you wish to add an emergency contact number to your child’s profile you may do so on your Aladdin Connect.

Consent on Aladdin

Please check your Aladdin connect page to give or refuse permission for the following –

Consent for photographs to be taken of your child/children. Photographs may be used on the school website, newsletter, local newspaper etc. (Children are not named in photographs)
General School Activities – consent for children to participate in all school activities that take place outside the school grounds, in local park, hall etc.
Consent to walk to/or home from school – please note that staff accept no responsibility for children once they leave the school grounds.

It is important to complete the permission section on your Aladdin immediately. If you are unsure or are having difficulty with your Aladdin Connect please call into the office with your device.

Fresh Today School Lunches

Fresh Today are the suppliers of hot school meals in our school. Please ensure that your children like the lunches you order for them. Some children do not like their meals and don’t want to eat them. All children must bring a lunch box to school to put their cardboard container/packaging in to take home. If you are having difficulty accessing the app for Fresh Today you can contact them on 043 3347568 and they will help you. If you have mislaid your child’s password please let us know. Changes to lunch orders must be made before Thursday each week for the following week. If you do not wish to receive lunches for your child, please let the office know and your child will be removed from the system. There is an option to have no lunch some days by clicking ‘no meal’ for a particular day if you want to send a lunch with a child on that day.

Please remember the schools ‘Healthy Eating Policy’ when sending snacks/lunches. The full policy is available for viewing on the school website: www.ballybaycns.com – please take note of the following foods which are recommended, not recommended and not permitted:-

Foods which are recommended for snack include:

Brown, wholemeal 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

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)

Foods that are Not Permitted:

Chewing Gum
Sweets / biscuits/buns
Crisps • Lollipops
Fizzy drinks (carbonated drinks)
Sports or energy drinks
Chocolate**- (** including any items that contain chocolate)

Photographer

A photographer will visit the school in early October (date to be confirmed) to take individual/family photographs as well as Junior Infants, 6^th Class and a whole school group. Please ensure your child wears their full school uniform on the day. There is no obligation to buy photographs.

Bí Cineálta

Bí Cineálta is the new policy which prevents and addresses bullying behaviour which came into effect from 1^st September and replaces our anti bullying policy.

If you did not receive a hard copy of the policy and you would like a copy please contact the office. The policy is available for viewing on the school website.

Pupil Insurance

We have used this insurance cover for several years and we feel it is the best cover out there at the moment for school pupils. This year we will again purchase cover on a ‘compulsory’ basis whereby all pupils in school are insured for €5.30 per pupil where cover is limited to School Related Activities only. Please do not send cash to school – Payment for Insurance must be received by 30^th September.

Pupil insurance covers costs incurred if an accident happens on the school grounds e.g. doctor/minor injuries expenses.

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.

After School Activities

After school activities will continue this year generally on the last Tuesday of each month. These activities are free and juice and biscuits are provided. Junior Infants, Senior Infants and 1^st Class are from 2.00-3.00 and 2^nd-6^th class are from 3.15-4.15. More details with dates and activities for this term will be issued shortly.

P.E.

P.E. takes place every Friday for this term. We are looking forward to welcoming Euan back on Friday 12^th September for 6 weeks. Euan is an FAI soccer coach and the children love his sessions. Children must wear tracksuits and runners on Fridays for P.E.

Attendance

If your child is absent from school please fill in reasons for absences on Aladdin each day that they are off. It is the responsibility of parents to do this, not teachers. You may enter planned absences also (e.g. appointments etc). Please use Aladdin to inform staff of late arrivals and early leaving. Parents will receive a letter each term stating the number of days their child has been absent to date. When a child is absent for 20 school days plus in any given year, the education section in Tusla (TESS -Tulsa Education Support Service) is notified. This is a mandatory requirement for schools.

Staff

Junior Classroom Teacher Mrs Patton

Middle Classroom Teacher Ms Brown

Senior Classroom Teacher Mrs Pepper/Mrs Reyburn

SET Mrs Coyle/Mrs Boyle

EAL Teacher Ms Millar

SNA Pam Mullen

Secretary Mrs McBride

Caretaker Darren Gilliland

We congratulate Mrs Donaghy who was our EAL teacher last year on the birth of a baby boy in July.

School Calendar

A copy of this year’s school holidays is attached.

Ballybay Central National School

School Calendar 2025-2026

School Re-opens	Thursday 28^th August 2025
Mid-Term Break	Monday 27^th October – Friday 31^st October inclusive
Christmas Closing	Friday 19^th December at 12.00 (last day of school)
Re-opening	Monday 5^th January 2026
St Brigid’s Day	Monday 2^nd February
Mid-Term Break	Thursday 19^th February & Friday 20th February
St. Patrick’s Day Weekend	Monday 16^th March & Tuesday 17^th March
Easter Closing	Friday 27^th March at 12.00 (last day of school)
Re-opening	Monday 13^th April
Bank Holiday	Monday 4^th May
Bank Holiday	Monday 1^st June
Summer Holidays Closing	Tuesday 23^rd June

Additional closures for staff in-service/planning days will be forwarded to parents as soon as the school is notified by the Department of Education.

Board of Management

A position has become available on the Board of Management for a male parent representative. This position is from now until 30^th November 2027 as the current Board ceases then. A letter has been sent out to male parents; please check your child’s bag for it. The Board of Management meet 5 times per year. All parents will be asked to vote if more than one male parent is nominated for the position.