Posted on , updated on by Dave


Springdale  Newsletter

January 2018

Happy New Year!!

Stella O’Malley

Stella O’Malley, author of Cotton Wool Kids and Bully-Proof Kids, will give a talk on ‘Raising Happy Kids in an Anxious World’ on Monday 22nd January at 8pm in the school hall. This event will be hosted by the PTA. Further details will follow.

AFTER  SCHOOL  ACTIVITIES

After school activities will commence in the week beginning the 15th January. A letter has been sent out with further details. Swimming is for the children in Ms. Quinn’s and Ms Ince’s classes this term and starts on Friday 19th January.

Clothes Collection

Need a post Christmas clear out of your wardrobe??

Our next clothes collection is on Wednesday 24th January … so you have plenty of time to gather any clothing/linen/curtains/shoes/bags/belts you no longer use. Bags can be left into school any time from Monday 22nd until the morning of Wednesday 24th.

Coffee Morning

Wednesday 24th January is the third Wednesday of term and the date of our next 6th class Coffee Morning. Details will be on posters around the school and school closes at 1.15 on the day.

Health Matters

The flu is doing the rounds at the moment so we would ask you to help us to prevent it spreading in the school community. Please provide your child with tissues if/when required and remind them of the importance of hand washing. Please read the attached guidelines from the HSE. In accordance with these guidelines we advise children to bring in towels for their personal use.

As the winter vomiting bug is still widespread, we remind parents that the HSE guidelines advise that children should not attend school for 48 hours following their last symptoms.

We have many vulnerable people in the school community and we need to do our best to protect them.

LOST  PROPERTY

Lost Property has piled up in the front hall. Please ensure that you have your child’s name on all of his/her belongings. Unclaimed items will be added to the clothes collection

RETIREMENT

After over 35 years in Springdale NS, Ms Susan McKee has announced her retirement. Her last day of teaching will be Wednesday   31st January.

Digital School!!

One of our New Year’s Resolutions is to become a digital school. As part of this initiative we plan to say goodbye to crumpled paper newsletters at the bottom of schoolbags. We hope instead to keep parents informed through e-mail. An e-mail sent to parents prior to Christmas highlighted the number of e-mail addresses which need to be updated. Please inform Ruth in the office if you have changed your e-mail address since last providing one to school.

P  A  R  K  I  N  G

I’m sure you don’t need reminding but …… no parking is allowed outside the school gates, on the zigzag/double yellow lines or on the grounds of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Please remind minders, grandparents etc. of this. Abuse of parents/ staff members who try to enforce parking restrictions will not be tolerated and Gardaí will be informed. Parking restrictions are for the safety of all the children in our care.

Enrolment

Application forms for 2018 will be issued shortly.

Healthy Eating Policy

Another aim for this term is to adhere to our Healthy Eating Policy. This policy is available to read on our school website.

Reminder

School tracksuits are available to order in the office:

Hoodies:                   €15

Sweatshirts:               €12

Polo Shirts:               €9

Bottoms:                  €8

Quick Dry T-Shirts:      €6.50

Sweatshirt, bottoms, t shirt  €25

Hoodie, bottoms, t  shirt €27

Sweatshirt, polo, bottoms €27

 Be aware of the symptoms of flu:

Flu usually presents with sudden onset of fever (temperature over 38º C/100 ºF) and cough or sore throat. Other symptoms can include runny or stuffy nose, limb or joint pain, headache, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Prevent spread of flu by doing the following at all times:

  1. Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Hand drying facilities at school must not be shared between people with the exception of electric hand dryers and roller towels (of the type that allows for a clean section to be pulled out for each use). Students may be asked to bring in and use their own individual towels.
  2. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of tissues immediately as household rubbish in the normal way. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
  3. Do not share wind instruments. Avoid sharing pencils, crayons, pens, toys/objects where possible and, if sharing them, clean them before passing them between students.
  4. If you have symptoms of flu, you should not attend school.
  5. If you have suspected flu, you should remain at home for 5 days from when symptoms began.
  6. If you are at higher risk for complications from flu, get the seasonal flu vaccine.

Persons who may be at higher risk for complications of flu include:

  • Those with chronic respiratory, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease, immunosuppression (weakened immune system whether caused by disease or treatment), diabetes mellitus, haemoglobinopathies
  • Children with any condition (e.g. cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injury, seizure disorder or other neuromuscular disorder ) that can compromise lung function, especially those attending special schools/day centres
  • Those with Down syndrome
  • Those with moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and intellectual disability
  • Children under the age of 2 years
  • People aged 65 years and older
  • People on medication for asthma
  • Those who are severely obese (BMI≥40)
  • Pregnant women