March Newsletter

A chairde,

We are more than halfway through the school year and things have flown. Covid restrictions have lifted, and we are all now experiencing a new way of dealing with the pandemic.

We thank all parents, children and staff for all their help over the past two years supressing the virus and your continued support to be keep cases out of the school.

There is some important information in this newsletter regarding changes to our Covid Plan and upcoming events in school.

John Britton

School Closure:

The school will be closed on the 17^th and 18^th March 2019 for St Patrick’s Day and the new Bank Holiday. School will also be closed from the 11^th to the 22^nd of April inclusive for the Easter holidays. May the 2^nd and 3^rd will also be school holidays (the 2^nd is a Bank Holiday, and the 3^rd is a discretionary day in lieu of the new Bank Holiday). Please see the Calendar on the school website for up-to-date information.

Covid-19 Guidelines:

Following on from the changes to the Covid-19 Guidelines for primary schools from the 28^th of February a number of changes have been recommended by the Department of Education. As a result, the following changes will or have been made:

• Children from 3^rd to 6^th class no longer need to wear facemasks but may do so if they wish. Masks will still be made available from the school.
• School opening time will return to 9:20am from Monday the 7^th of March. This means that there will be no access to the school yard until 9:20am when the doors will open to the school. I would ask all children waiting to remain behind the wall.
• School Closing Time will return to 2pm for all Infant classes and 3pm for all classes from 1^st to 6^th class from Monday the 7^th of March.
• Yards time will continue to be split as it gives the children more space to play in.
• If children are household contacts, they no longer need to isolate at home as long as they are not symptomatic.
• However, it is imperative that parents remain vigilant to any symptoms of Covid-19 in their children and keep them at home if they are showing any symptoms. They can return to school providing they are symptom free for 48 hours.

  Children who have Covid-19 must self-isolate for seven days and can return to school then providing they are 48 hours symptom free. They must wear a facemask for days 8 – 10.

  Stay Safe:

  This is a reminder to all parents that the Stay Safe programme will be taught to all children in Junior Infants, first, third and fifth classes during the whole school year.  This programme touches on lessons dealing with Feeling Safe and Unsafe, Friendship, Bullying, Touches, Secrets and Telling and Strangers.  I would encourage all parents to find out about the programme at: www.staysafe.ie/teachers/resources.htm.

  Parents Association

  The Parent Association have organised an information seminar for all parents on the topic of ‘Support your Child with Mental Health and Wellbeing’. This will be facilitated by the National Parents Council and will centre on boosting your child’s self- esteem and resilience.  It will be discussing the importance of open communication with your child, the importance of quality family time and for parents to ask what’s going on in your child’s life.  This talk is free of charge and will take place in the hall in the coming months. Parents will be notified once it is booked.

  Seachtain na Gaeilge:

  The period of the 7^th to the 16^th of March is designated as “Seachtain na Gaeilge”, although it is in fact “Coicís na Gaeilge!”  Staff and pupils will be making a special effort to speak as much as possible in Irish and pupils will learn extra songs and poems in their native tongue. We will be having a whole school assembly at the end of the period where classes will sing songs and poetry.

  Football Training:

  Football Training for boys and girls from 5^th and 6^th classes will begin next Monday from 3-4p.m.  All pupils are welcome from these classes.  The first matches in the North Leitrim/South Donegal Cup will be taking place next month.

  Cillian McGloin from Leitrim GAA will begin coaching the Senior Classes in the school from next Thursday.

  Upcoming Events:

  Mac Active

  James Mc Dowell is doing a ‘Fundamentals Movement’ set of lessons with the Junior Classes for the next 6 weeks.

  Water Explorers

  The Senior Classes are taking part in a Large Water Explorers Program over the next few months. They’ll be producing a project on the native sea animals and getting to go on seashore surveys and dissecting a squid.

  SEAI

  All classes from Senior Infants to 6^th Class will have a workshop from SEAI in the coming weeks. It will be about sustainability and energy conservation.

  Confirmation:

  The Service of Light Mass is in St.  Aidan’s Church, Kinlough on Sunday the 27^th of March. Confirmation will take place on the 30^th of April.

  Congratulations to all the 2^nd Class Students who celebrated their First Confessions last week and we wish them well in their Communion on the 21^st of May.

  Collection for Ukraine

  There is a collection of supplies for Ukrainian refugees in Poland this weekend in Kinlough Community Centre on Friday the 4^th of March from 7 – 9 pm and Saturday the 5^th of March from 10am – 1 pm. The delivery is being organised by the Polish Community in Bundoran and Donegal and they plan to send trucks to Poland in the coming week. The main priorities are: first aid supplies, blankets and foods with a long expiry date e.g., formula milk for babies, instant soups, dried fruit and bars and dried food. Clothes are no longer required except for socks, hats and gloves. Please see Melvin Gaels Facebook Page for more information.

  Swimming

  Swimming begins on Wednesday the 9^th of March for 5^th Class and Mrs Rooney’s 4^th Class. This is our first time to facilitate swimming classes in school and we hope it works well. The cost is €60 and can be paid online. I would also ask for more male volunteers to help supervise from 3^rd to 6^th classes. Please contact the school if you can volunteer.

  Student Council News

  This term we are focusing on raising money for our wonderful school. We have decided to run an ‘Easter Raffle’.

  We are planning on creating chocolate hampers to endeavour to have one hamper per class. We are asking you to donate chocolate or Easter Eggs which you can give to your child to bring into school. Raffle tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks. We hope this will be a successful initiative.

  We are also having a Lá Glas on the 16^th of March. Each child can wear something green to school and bring €2 per child. The money raised will be going to UNICEF to support children suffering in the war in the Ukraine.

  Achievements

  Michaela McGloin, a graduate from Four Masters Academy last year, worked on a short story during lockdown last year and this story will be published in a new book called “Christmas with Covid”. Congratulations to Michaela

  Congratulations to Keefe Dolan, 6^th Class and Céalagh Mc Gloin, 5^th Class for coming 3^rd and 1^st respectively in the 2km Walk in the Connaught Indoor Championships recently.

  New Equipment

  Loads of new outdoor toys and equipment has been purchased for our school and the students in the Infant classes have been enjoying using it this week. The 5^th and 6^th Class Students are operating a Friendship Squad to help the Infants classes.

  Lent and Bóthar:

  Once again, we will be asking pupils and staff to donate to the third World Charity called “Bóthar” which sends live animals to families in Africa.  The thinking behind the charity is that of the old proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach him how to fish and you feed him for life.”

  We would encourage all children to donate some money weekly to this worthy charity during the Lenten period

  School website and e-mail address

  Please feel free to look at our new school website at www.fourmastersns.ie and if you need to email the school at secretary@fourmastersns.ie.

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