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Scoil Muire agus Padraig
Swinford, Co Mayo
Tel (094) 9251481/9251231
Fax (094) 9251231
E-mail: scmp@iol.ie
17th August 2011
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
On behalf of the Management and staff of the school I wish to welcome back our students as they embark on another school year. I especially welcome First Years and want to reassure every pupil that they are an important and valued partner in education in this school. I hope that each student finds fulfillment in themselves and attains academic success which will allow them to progress into further education or career path of their choice. May I draw your attention to the following information which will ease the transition of your child back to school.
School Re-opening:
Wednesday August 24th: First Years return 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Thursday August 25th: First Years and Fifth Years return 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Friday August 26th: Fifth Years and Transition Years return 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.
Monday August 29th: All year groups return. Class as normal.
ASD Unit will re-open on this day also.
Monday September 5th: P.L.C. and Repeat Leaving Certs Return
Please note that School Bus service will not operate until Monday 29th August so please arrange transport for your son/daughter for 24th, 25th & 26th August.
School Day:
Begins 9.00 a.m. Lunch 1.05 - 1.40 p.m. Ends 3.35 p.m.
I am enclosing a copy of the School Calendar for 2011/12. I am appealing to all parents and guardians to plan holidays to coincide with school holidays. May I also remind you that if your child is absent for more than 20 days in a school year we are obliged to inform the National Education Welfare Board of this matter.
School Calendar 2011-12:
Oct 31st - Nov 4th (incl) Mid-term Break
Dec 23rd - Jan 6th (incl) Christmas Holidays
Feb 13th - 17th (incl) Mid-term Break
Apr 2nd - 13th (incl) Easter Holidays
June 1st Summer Closure
June 6th Public exams begin
N.B. Information on dates for Parent/Teacher meetings, Retreats, Class Masses, Mock Exams, Christmas tests etc will be sent to you towards the end of September.
We have a fully functioning canteen in place which will provide breakfasts and dinners (hot and cold) for students at a very reasonable and affordable rate. Our Junior students (first years, second years and third years) must stay in the school at lunchtime everyday. No Junior students will be allowed leave the school grounds at lunch time or at any time during the school day. We are confident that the quality of food on offer will be such that it will provide a good service to the student body. Senior students may also use the canteen but they may still go down town at lunchtime if that is their wish. Again I want to reiterate that Junior students will not be allowed down town.
As was the case last year we are going to insist that all our students wear black shoes (not trainers or runners). This is in keeping with the code of dress for the school. We have enforced this last year in the interest of health and hygiene and the proper development of the foot and we feel that this rule is worthwhile.
First Years: With First Years Wednesday 24th August is the day where they are given a general introduction to the school and they will be divided into class groups. They will finish at 1.00 p.m. All that a first year student requires on Wednesday is a biro and copy. It is general school policy to divide the first year classes into groups according to alphabetical order.
We have found from experience that this will:
1. Prevent the formation of cliques.
2. Get students to meet and become familiar with others they haven't met before.
3. It helps the development of their social skills.
4. It makes their integration into second level education easier.
Books: You should already have a book list. Most books may be obtained second-hand from other students or bought new through the school bookshop. All books must be paid for at the time of purchase. The book-shop will be open every day from Monday 29th August to give students a chance to purchase their books. Every student in the school must be equipped with his/her full range of books by Friday, 16th September. Those who are entitled to a book grant will obtain a full or partial refund before Christmas. Requests for a grant must be made on the application form available from the school office.
N.B. Grants are paid only for books bought in the school bookshop or on production of a receipt of purchase from another book-shop.
Lockers: Lockers will be assigned to the students who require them. The cost of renting a locker for the year is €8.00 (non refundable) payable at the office. Please encourage your child to take responsibility for his/her possessions. Books, schoolbags, coats etc. should have your child's name clearly marked on them. Each students who is assigned a locker is expected to purchase his/her own lock and key.
Journal: Every student must have a school Journal purchased from the Main Office for €10.00. This must be signed every night by parent or guardian. Anything which the parents should know will be recorded in the Journal by staff members. Likewise, parents should use the Journal to write requests for their child/children to leave during school hours, explain absences etc. It is imperative that parent(s)/guardian(s) keep a close eye on their childs journal and make sure it is signed each night. Please ensure that you indicate your acceptance of the Code of Behaviour by both you and your child signing the Journal at the bottom of page 15.
LEAVING SCHOOL DURING SCHOOL HOURS: Students are to remain on school grounds from 9.00 to 3.35 p.m. Senior students only are allowed to leave the school grounds at lunchtime.
Leaving the school grounds at any other time between 9.00 a.m. and 3.35 p.m. is forbidden and should only be necessary in extreme circumstances. If however, your son/daughter must leave school during the day YOU SHOULD WRITE A NOTE IN HIS/HER JOURNAL AND MAKE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SCHOOL EITHER IN PERSON OR BY PHONE. FAILURE TO MAKE THIS CONTACT WILL RESULT IN YOUR CHILD NOT BEING ALLOWED TO LEAVE. The student signs a book in the office both on leaving and returning to school. This procedure should overcome the problem of students forging notes etc. which highlights the need for parents to check the journal every night. If at all possible could you please arrange medical/dental appointments etc. outside of school hours.
Administration Charge: We find it necessary to charge an administration fee in order to finance the running costs of the school every year. The range of fees required are:
€105.00 if you have 1 student in the school.
€180.00 if you have 2 students in the school.
€210.00 if you have 3 or more students in the school.
This fee must be paid at the main office before your child's return to school. A receipt will be issued on acceptance of payment. Thank you for your co-operation.
The timetable for parents to come to the office is as follows:
1st, 2nd & 3rd Year parents Monday, 22nd August.
TY, 5th, 6th & LCA parents Tuesday 23rd August.
Repeat students on their return to school.
School will be opened from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm.
If for some reason parents are unable to pay these charges please talk to myself or Mr Cawley and some arrangement will be worked out.
Mobile Phones: Section 6(1) of the school Code of Behaviour clearly states that mobile phones, MP3 and iPods must be switched off at all time in the school. There are sound educational reasons underpinning this. In the event of a breach of this rule it clearly states that a student will have his/her phone confiscated for a period of 30 days. It was discouraging last year to have some parents demanding the return of their children' phones when their children were blatantly flouting the rule. Phone are only confiscated when there is reason to do so and defending your childs wrong doing only compounds the problem.
If you urgently need to contact your child I would ask you to phone the school office and we will relay whatever you wish to communicate. Likewise if your child wishes to contact you he/she may do so by going to the office who in turn will contact the home.
Personal Accident Insurance; The student body of the school is covered by the schools Public Liability Insurance Policy. It is school policy that every parent/guardian take out a personal insurance policy on behalf of their child/children. This 24 hour cover will cost €8.00 per child for the year and it is to be paid at the main office. It is compulsory for every child to have this Insurance.
School Bus: There is a charge of €1 per student for the use of the school bus for school related activities during the school day.
Parents Council: A thriving Parents' Council exists and we would encourage you to attend meetings where matters of common interest to parents are discussed. It also leads to greater communication between the home and school and this can only be of benefit to the students. There is usually one Parents Council meeting each term. Please make a special effort to attend these meetings.
You will receive other relevant information during the year through announcements to students, by letter and newsletters which are issued periodically and of course through reports on your son/daughter. However, if any problems arise or if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us either by calling in person or by phone. If you wish to meet myself or any member of the staff it is essential to make an appointment by phone.
May I take this opportunity to wish your child every success during the new school year. May I also remind you that the School Journal must be in his/her possession at all times.
Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and co-operation in the past. Scoil Muire & Padraig continues to enjoy great success in so many different areas. This is in so many ways due to your help. The management and staff look forward to your childs return over the next couple of weeks. May the new academic year be a successful one.
Yours sincerely
Mary Quinn
PRINCIPAL