KNS January 2018 Newsletter

 

                                                                                      

                                                                                                         16^th January 2018

January 2018 Draft Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy new year to all (it’s still not too late to say it!) and welcome back everybody to KNS for the new term. Below is our latest news and some notices for the coming weeks.

Mr.Caulfield, Priomhoide

·        KNS Curricular Themes: As you will know, most months in KNS we have a whole school theme which, at whole school level, informs and shapes some of our curricular lessons and assemblies. (Eg. September’s theme was friendship, October’s theme was Harvest and Halloween and December’s theme was Christmas). The themes for January and February are Celebrating diversity in KNS. In February we will work on Anti Bullying and online safety too. The March theme will be Mi na Gaeilge agus Lá Fheile Padraig.  Noting our current theme, if there are any parents who would like to speak to a class group on the topic of their own family / cultural / national heritage, please contact the principal. The school will be sourcing speakers on the themes of multiculturalism and diversity too.

·        KNS Swimming: This school year our 1^st – 6^th class pupils (mainstream classes) will be going swimming in the new and modern Finglas Sports and Fitness Centre. In previous years our pupils swam once weekly for 6 weeks but as it’s now every second year, so that our pupils have a sufficient engagement with this important curriculum area, our pupils will go for 8 weeks. The cost will be €50 which covers bus transport and your child’s eight 1 hour swimming lesson with trained instructors. This represents very good value for money. As stated, swimming is a primary school curriculum subject area. Therefore, only in very exceptional circumstances may a child be exempt from swimming – eg. with a doctor’s letter / certificate. Lessons start on Thursday February 1^st.  Please submit €50 to the school by next Wednesday 24^th January in the attached envelope for your child to go swimming – clearly label the envelope too please. We are working on a swimming package for our pupils in our 2 special classes too – which will be issued soon.

·        Parent-Teacher Meetings: On Tuesday and Wednesday February 6^th and 7^th we will hold our annual parent-teacher meetings (for mainstream pupils, our special class teachers will contact parents individually for tailored arrangements). All parents are being allocated a 10 minute slot to meet with their child’s teacher/s. Your time allocation is attached to this newsletter. Please now confirm in person, by phone or via email (kilcoskansecretary@gmail.com) whether you will or will not be attending. If parents cannot attend at the allocated time it is parents’ responsibility to arrange an alternative time.

·        Sacramental Dates: (all in St.Margaret’s Church): 

o   2^nd class Sacrament of First Penance: Tuesday 17^th April at 7.30pm

o   2^nd Class First Holy Communion: Sunday 20^th May at 11am.

o   6^th Class Service of Light (preparation for Confirmation): Tuesday 20^th February at 7.30pm.

o   6^th Class Confirmation: Thursday 8^th March 2018 at 11am. Communion, Penance, Service of Light

·        Extra-Curricular Activities: The term 2 schedule of extra-curricular activities will issue by the end of January.

·        Parent Volunteers Requested: On an ongoing basis, we like to keep a list of parents who might be available from time to time to help in our infants – 2^nd class groups. In the past for example, we have had parents helping with reading (ongoing) and maths for fun. If you think you might be interested in helping with any such in-class activities (eg. For 25 minutes once a week for about 6 weeks) please email kilcoskansecretary@gmail.com or contact the school in person. All such volunteers are Garda Vetted.

·        Grandparents Day 2018 in KNS: This year we are going to have 2 Grandparents Days in KNS. On Wednesday 31^st January all Grandparents of pupils from infants – 2^nd class are welcome to call to KNS from 1-1.40pm, to hear a few songs and poems and to have a cup of tea with us all. On Friday 2^nd February, Grandparents of pupils from 3^rd – 6^th class are welcome to call from 2 – 2.40pm for songs, poems and a cup of tea! We will send more specific invitations to this event closer to the date.

·        Credit Union Quiz: Good luck to our 2 teams who will represent KNS in the upcoming Ashbourne Credit Union Quiz – scheduled for Friday 26^th January at 7pm in St.Declan’s NS.

·        And finally, from time to time in KNS local businesses drop in flyers etc. advertising after-school children’s activities, Easter / summer camps etc. It is the decision of the KNS Board that in order to support these local initiatives and where they may be of interest to children, they will be sent home with your child. However, the Board accepts no liability for any such non-Kilcoskan NS programs and parents who book onto them do so at their own discretion.