February School News

                                             4th February 2015 
A Thuismitheoiri / Dear Parents,
This is our monthly newsletter to keep you all in touch with the goings on in Kilcoskan NS. Things are motoring along nicely with our new school building project and as you will have seen, we are working hard to have our new school garden ready for use by Easter too.  Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for some more exciting developments! 
Is mise le meas,
Ciarán Caulfield, Priomhoide

• After-school-extra-curricular activities have started / are starting this week. This term I am pleased to say that we have lots on including football, chess, music, science club and hurling. Thanks as always to our super staff for providing these activities free of charge.
• Yard & Garden: We have some new yard games out for playtime this week. In our yard pupils can now play with: hula hoops, skipping ropes, plastic footballs, Giant Jenga, giant dominoes, ring toss, the tyre swing...or of course play with their friends. Our KNS Students’ Council are involved in the organisation of this and we’ll learn as we go with our yard games. In January all classes planted some trees in our garden and past-pupil parents have been invited to plant trees also. This month we hope to also lay our paths and develop the first raised beds...you might have noticed the 20 tonnes of topsoil in the garden already! 
• To help raise funds for our garden, last week we had our first Friday non-uniform day, which we’ll have on the last Friday of every month from now to the summer.
• Grandparents Day in 5th & 6th class: This Friday to celebrate Grandparents Day our 5th & 6th class pupils are inviting their grandparents into class from 1.40pm for a cup of tea, some poetry and to sample some class baking!
• Parent-teacher meetings are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday 10th & 11th of February.  Thanks to all who returned our parent-teacher meeting survey in January. We had 10 votes for PT meetings in term 1, 16 votes for term 2 and 17 votes for either term. Therefore, next year we will stick with term 2 for PT meetings.
P.T.O. -> Please Turn Over
• Food Dudes: To encourage healthy eating, this month from infants to 2nd class, all pupils are receiving daily fruit and vegetable treats. All who try them receive a prize – an introductory letter from the “Food Dudes” went out explaining this project last week. Our senior pupils will be having fruit tasting days over the next month too.
• Well done to our 2 school quiz teams who represented Kilcoskan NS last Friday night in St.Declan’s NS at the Credit Union Quiz.
• Our Green School Theme for this month is GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP. Expect lots of interesting lessons on global citizenship for the next few weeks. We also hope to have some speakers into our classes to talk about culture / multiculturalism in Ireland and the world today. We’ll also of course be keeping up our recycling and other environmentally friendly practises. We’re aiming for Green Flag number 6 for KNS!!!
• Walk to school: Next week (weather permitting) we’ll be starting a 2 week Green School “Walk to School Challenge”. From Monday 9th February, we’ll meet pupils daily at the Coolquay Lodge at 8.45am and the aim will be to get as many pupils walking to school as possible.  All pupils should be able to join us.
• Battery Collection: YES, we are collecting batteries again – it’s official! We’re aiming to collect all sorts of batteries (parents can even bring in old car batteries!) starting from tomorrow. We’re aiming to recycle 1 tonne of batteries.    
• Pancake Day and Lent 2015: On Tuesday February 17th we’ll be holding our annual Pancake Party in aid of the National Childrens Hospital.  All homes will receive a Trocaire collection box for Lent.           
• School heating: Prefab heating issues have now been solved with the addition of extra heaters. Thanks to those parents who helped with this.
• Punctuality: School starts at 9am for ALL pupils. Dropping your child to school late on an ongoing basis upsets the run of classes and puts your child at a disadvantage. Parents may not enter classes with their late children at any time. Parents must sign late children into the late-book at reception.
• Finally, school is closed on Thursday and Friday 19th and 20th February for mid-term break.