Parents Reps

A huge thank you to those who put themselves forward for the position of Parents Rep for a class grouping. This will be a great means of communication between school and home. See list below. A meeting will be held after the Halloween break to discuss how best to move forward with the new format. 

• Junior and Senior Infants - Laura Jones
• First and Second Class - Helen Browne and Cleo Griffin
• Third and Fourth Class - Jill Power and Cathy Nolan
• Fifth and Sixth Class - Lorraine Shanley

A huge thank you also to the other parents who put their names forward to volunteer throughout the year for various activities. We thank you for giving up your time and look forward to having you work with us in the school. 

Wicked Witches in the Senior Room

Spooky witches have landed in the Senior Room.......have a look....if you dare!!!

Credit Union Art Competition

This year all the pupils in the school entered the Wicklow Credit Union Art Competition. The theme this year was 'Set your Imagination Free!'. The pupils did a great job and fingers crossed there will be a winner in the bunch! See a few samples below!

Chess Tournament

As today was the final session with Seamus, he organised a tournament for all the pupils. Each pupil played 6 rounds, playing a new opponent each time. The pairings were worked out on a computerised system used for all competitions. The pupils had a great time and every pupil won at least one game. Seamus provided trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize and for best female competitor (in order to encourage more girls to take up chess as a sport). The top 10 received medals and everyone got a milseán for taking part. We were very proud of all the pupils taking part today, who have embraced chess, be it for the first time or as an improver. It has proven to be one of the most enjoyabe extra curricular activities we have done in the school, and as teachers, we could see the learning benefits as the pupils progressed, as well as a self esteem boost for some  pupils. Seamus has been an excellent teacher and has sparked a great interest in all the pupils in chess, and they have learned alot of skills in 7 weeks. We hope to have him back in the school again, and we will be keeping up the practice, so were ready for any competitions that might come our way. Look below to see photos of all the action!

BBKR Information

The future of BBKR community games.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In this week’s edition of the Wicklow people there was a great write up on the medals night presentation that is held annually to celebrate the community games achievements in our area. This is a night that many children look forward to and is a fun way of rounding up the games.

We hold our AGM after this night to help start the planning for the year ahead. An important role in this is that of Area secretary. This role involves liaising between the local committee and the county committee. It means attending a monthly meeting and being able to keep in contact with activity leaders and admin duties.  We are very lucky that we live in an area that has community games already established and activity leaders assigned to organise events for our children.

Currently we have no secretary and an area that has no secretary is not able to participate in community games. Unless we have someone who can take this on we will not be running the BBKR games for 2018. If you live in the Barndarrig, Kilbride, Brittas Bay, RedCross area and you feel that you would like to help out in this role we would like to hear from you. There will be people to help you in the role and support you throughout the year.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this as we appreciate that there are so many demands on people’s lives. Please have a think about it and if you would welcome the opportunity to find out more about community games this is the role for you. Contact Fiona on 087-24092321 for any information by Thursday the 19th of October.

Peace Proms Information

As both Ms Nuzum and Ms Greene's classes now embark on learning the songs required for the Peace Proms, below is some practical information for parents:

Dates for the Diary: 

Workshop - January 9th , Wed 10th and Thurs 11th in the National Sports Arena, Dublin.

(We will be notified as to which of these workshops we must attend nearer to the time)

Concert - February 3rd and 4th Simmonscourt Arena RDS, Dublin. 

Costs:

There are no costs involved in the process except for transport to and from the venues.

Tickets for Parents and Family Members:

These usually go on sale on November 1st www.peaceproms.com

Dress Code:

Choir Members will wear their school uniform to the workshop. All pupils must wear a plain white t-shirt/blouse/shirt (no logos) and dark bottoms e.g. uniform trousers/skirt and tights on the day of the concert. 

Further practical information for the days of the workshopand the concert will be posted nearer to the dates. 

Look what we've been up to the in the Senior Room!

The Senior Room pupils were off to a flying start this year. Everyone has settled back in well and enjoying their time in school. Chess lessons have been a very positive experience. Seamus is a great teacher and already the pupils have learned lots of information and tricks....its getting quite competitive!!! So far they have covered the theme of 'Ar Scoil' in Gaeilge, revised the physical Geography of Ireland, Addition and Subtraction and 2D shapes in Maths and the often forgotten Capital Letters and Sentences in English. The pupils also wrote brilliant Recount pieces about an adventure during the summer, and all pupils are putting a great effort into using their cursive writing in all their work.  They also had great fun doing portraits of each other in Art class. 

This year, because of the extra staffing, we are able to set up team teaching and in class support for Literacy and Numeracy. This is something that we have wanted to do in Scoil San Eoin for a long time but were unable to implement it due to lack of staff and high pupil numbers. Ms Fitzgerald is in the senior class three days a week for station teaching in Maths and Oral Language and for in class support in Maths one day. Ms Brennan is also undertaking to gain a Discovery Primary Science and Maths Award for the school, so is in the senior room for Science each week. This is fantastic for all the pupils and allows them to learn in a varied and more activity based way. 

Middle Room - First, Second & Third Class

Reminder - PA AGM

Reminder to all - The PA AGM is taking place on Weds 27/09 @ 7.30pm

All are welcome to attend!

Peace Proms RDS Dublin 2018

As part of our music curriculum this year, Scoil San Eoin are excited to take part in the annual musical education programme called Peace Proms. This was established not only to enrich pupils lives through exceptional musical experiences and performances but also to promote  peace, unity and tolerance through music.  Peace Proms is a free initiative which engages children and young people in music and enriches their lives through exceptional musical experiences and performances.

• Peace Proms celebrates culture and diversity and promotes peace, unity and tolerance through music.
•  There is no restriction on the number of children who can participate from each schools. Places are filled on a first come first served basis.
• Peace Proms is for everyone. Whether your choir is established or starting out, Peace Proms gives your choir the once in a lifetime opportunity to:
• Sing with a choir of up to 3,000 children
• Perform with a full symphony youth orchestra
• Work with one of the UK’s leading professional conductors – Greg Beardsell
• Perform at top venues e.g. the Echo Arena Liverpool, the RDS Dublin, the SSE Arena Belfast, the Hub Kilkenny and the Kingfisher Hall Galway.
• Develop vocal technique, presentation and performance
• Experience a variety of musical styles and genres
• The musical programme is tailor made to ensure it is fun and engaging for children, fulfils important educational requirements, is very rewarding to teach, and the end performance is an inspirational and thrilling experience for choirs, teachers, parents and audiences alike!

Peace Proms Involves
IN SCHOOL LEARNING: With their teachers, children learn up to 8 songs or medleys in different genres. Schools are provided with choir packs, and a rehearsal CD
REGIONAL WORKSHOPS: Each school participates in ONE regional workshop which usually takes place in December/January during school hours and is given by renowned conductor Greg Beardsell.
PEACE PROMS CONCERT: All schools perform with the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland and a host of top soloists in ONE concert which will take place in Spring 2018

Parental Consent Forms will be sent home with each child in the next day or so and these need to be returned to the office by Monday 25th. We urge parents to send them back, signed, asap as we must forward them onto the Peace Proms office to be checked. If they are late, we may loose our place in the initiative!

Parents Association AGM

The next Parents Association AGM is on Weds 27th Sept @ 7.30pm

First Aid Training - Monday 18.09.2017

We have a First Aid training course taking place on Monday 18th at 3-5.30pm (approx) which has been kindly funded by the Parents Association.There are slots available for 4 parents - 1 from each class grouping (Junior/Senior, 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th & 5th/6th) Parents who wish to accompany us on school tours or trips during the school year would be advised to partake in the training.

The purpose of the First Aid course is to train individuals in the skills necessary to recognise and provide first aid care for injuries and sudden illness until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over. We will also be undergoing training for using an Epi-Pen which would be a great help to anyone with allergies within their family.

This would be a huge benefit to parents and is free of charge.Please contact Mary in the office to put your name on the training list if you are interested.

The Community Centre Committee are also fundraising for a Defibrillator for the area at present. There will be follow up AED training for anyone interested by Pauline Nolan. This will also be free of charge. All details will follow but you can contact Jill Power if any further information is required.

Health & Safety Notice

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Firstly I would like to welcome you all back to another school year in SSE and hope you all had a lovely summer. This year the transition into the new year has gone extremely smoothly and I would like to thank parents for their cooperation in having the pupils set up and ready for the new year ahead, with books, uniforms, monies due etc. This means that the teachers can start straight into the curriculum at hand without any delays.

Due to our increase in teachers this year, all of the rooms within the school are being utilised and space is at a minimum. Thankfully, this is only a short term problem as our lovely new classroom is on the way!!

Therefore, for health and safety reasons, we ask that no pupil enters the school building in the morning until 9.10am when there is a teacher on supervision. Pupils who are dropped to school earlier than 9.10 must leave their bag at their line and remain outside.

On wet days, we ask parents to drop their child/ren off as close to 9.10 as possible, as there is now no general room for pupils to congregate/play games/computers in, and they will have to sit at their desks until class begins.

We would like to remind parents/guardians that pupils are not covered by insurance until 9.10. There will be a teacher on supervision duty from this time. Siblings of pupils are not covered by insurance on school grounds. 

Thank You

Linda Greene

Chess Programme/Lessons

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The middle and senior classes will take part in a Chess programme by a chess coach Seamus Duffy. He has taught in Primary schools throughout the country and has won Primary school competitions. He has also represented Ireland in the European Club Championships.

Chess has many educational benefits for the children - It helps to develop children’s critical thinking and reasoning, encourages them to plan ahead and teaches them that their actions have consequences. It also encourages problem-solving, sportsmanship and self-esteem, often allowing quieter children to shine and is great for concentration and patience.Our hope at the end of the programme is that we can organise a tournament and the children can partake in this, and that chess will become part of our wet-breaks with inter-class tournaments. 

As we are unable to take part in some of the usual activities this year, due to not having an extra classroom. we are looking at activities that can be done as a whole class where the tutor can come into the pupils classroom to complete the lessons. We would like all pupils to take part in this, as they have all the above mentioned workshops, and many more. We strive at Scoil San Eoin, to expose pupils to a variety of intra-curricular activities, to  reinforce curricular learning and give them a holistic education. 

The programme will be a 7 week program which commences on 14th/Sept/2017 and ends at Halloween.

The Middle Class (1st/2nd and 3rd) will be completing a time slot of 9.50-10.50 am each week and the Senior Class will be completing a time slot of 11.15-12.15 weekly.

The total cost of the programme is €25.00 per pupil. This can be paid in full to the class teacher or by epayment, or on a weekly basis (3.50) The school will supply the chess boards required.

We know that, like all the other workshops the pupils have been involved in, it will be of great benefit to them, and they will thoroughly enjoy it!

Mobile Library

There has been a change in the library system.

A letter detailing the rules and an application card for library membership has been issued to all children today.

All parents will need to fill out a card and return it for all children that would like to use the mobile library.

Regarding last year's old library cards if any children have one please return it.

Thank You! 

Teacher Contact Details

The below contact details are for all teachers at the school should you like to contact them or to request an appointment

Emails will not be checked throughout the day but will be checked before and after school.

• Ms Brennan (Junior/Senior Infants) - s.brennanredcross@gmail.com
• Ms Nuzum (1st/2nd/3rd Class) - anuzumredcross@gmail.com
• Ms Greene (4th/5th/6th Class) - lgreeneredcross@gmail.com
• Ms Fitzgerald (Learning Support Teacher) - sfitzgeraldredcross@gmail.com

Parents of Junior and Senior Infants

Thursday will be a very exciting and big day for our new Junior Infants.  Parents/guardians of Junior and Senior Infants may escort their child into the classroom on Thursday, if they wish, to settle them in and meet their new teacher. However, we ask that from Friday on that they walk their child to the line or let them walk in from the gate and do not enter the classroom. This will ensure that all pupils settle into the routine quickly and will alleviate any disruptions or upset to the pupils.  We thank you for your cooperation. 

New school year!

As the summer holidays draw to a close, I would like to wish all our past pupils the best in starting in their new schools. Our 6th class pupils are starting on the next stage of their educational journey and I'm sure they are very excited!! 

Scoil San Eoin opens back up on Thursday 31st August at 9.20.

We have two new teachers on staff this year. Ms Brennan who will be taking Junior and Senior Infants and Ms Fitzgerald who will be our Special Education Support teacher. We welcome them both to the school. 

We ask that all parents/guardians drop their children off at the gate or walk them to the line as usual. We ask parents/guardians not to enter the classroom in the morning as this is disruptive to both pupils and teachers and can make the transition back to school more difficult. If a parent/guardian wishes to speak to a teacher, we ask that they make an appointment through Mary in the office. 

Looking forward to seeing all the pupils on Thursday morning!!

First Class

Please ignore the second page of the book list for first class outlining copies and focus on the following:

FirstClass

Copies:

·       8 x 88 pages writing copies (Size A12)

·       1 x 80 page sum copy (Size 7mm squares)

·       1 x A4 Hard back writing pad for tests

PLEASE WRITE THE PUPILS NAME AND CLASS ON THEM, NOT A SUJECT.

Each Child must have:

·       A set of colours (Twistable/Colouring Pencils) not markers

·       6 x Pencils

·       2 x Erasers

·       2 x Sharpeners

·       1 x Foot long ruler

·       1 x Pencil Case

·       2 x Pritt Sticks

·       1 x set of Coloured White board markers

Ø  All extra pens/pencils etc. should be put into an extra pencil case/zip lock bag, clearly marked with the pupils name and will be kept in the classroom until such time as they need them.

Folders:

·       An A4 Level arch ring binder and set of 10 Subject Dividers (cardboard not plastic) Polythene pockets are optional

·       2 x A4 size plastic envelope folder

****** Please ensure that your child’s name is clearly scribed on the FRONT of all books, copies and on bags, coats, pencils cases, lunch boxes, school jumpers etc. ******

Great News!! SSE gets bigger and better!!

The BOM have just received confirmation that our application for an extension to the building consisting of an 80sqm classroom has been granted by the DES. This is fantastic news for SSE and will make school life for both pupils and staff much more comfortable and enjoyable. Construction work will not begin for some time until all of the usual paperwork has been completed and as you would expect there will be some disruption to school life during this time. However, some short term disruption will end in a very exciting and important new addition to the school.