P7 LEAVERS ASSEMBLY Yesterday we celebrated and said goodbye to a great group of P7 children. All of the children were presented with a Lockdown Leavers Plaque in appreciation of their personal growth and achievements at St Colmcille’s PS. There were balloons, ice cream, a leavers video, leavers jackets and speeches by the teachers. The presentation was held in the main yard due to current restrictions and guidelines. Our P7s will be missed by all in St Colmcille’s and we wish them all the very best for the future- no doubt they will all go on to great things. Please view photos/ video on our website and social media account of our lovely celebration.

Issue No. 1 June 2020

Email: saustin015@c2kni.net Tel No: 028 4461 4177 Website: www.stcolmcillesps.co.uk

RETURN TO SCHOOL Please see our Return to School Note on the Home Page of our website. I am aiming for a full return to school in August 20 and have outlined precise arrangements that will encourage that to happen. It is impossible to finalise arrangements before the 17th August due to the fluid nature of the ongoing pandemic. If answers to your questions have not been addressed please phone the school office for further clarification.

CASHLESS SYSTEM In August we will be introducing a new cashless service titled School Money. Parents will be able to download a free app and pay for all of their school related bills e.g. dinners, trips, afterschool clubs, school events remotely. An overview of each week will be presented and parents just have to tick and select the options they wish to purchase for their child. This will be a very user friendly system for parents, it will prevent needless queuing at the secretary’s office and will eliminate the need for detailed envelopes with instructions for the school secretary. It will also improve financial practices at the school and keep the school community safe from a potential spread of Covid19 through circulating money. Parents will receive a text in August 20 with the download, and a parental user guide will also be supplied. St Colmcille’s office staff will be on hand to assist and we will accept cash payments for the month of September for any parent encountering difficulty with the new system. I believe parents will be extremely impressed with our easy to use new cashless system!

NEW PRIMARY 1 PUPILS We are greatly looking forward to welcoming our new Primary 1 pupils. Their first day at school is Thursday 27th August at 9.15am. We encourage parents to watch the Tour of the School & P1 Class of 19/20 videos with their children on the St Colmcille’s PS Downpatrick Facebook page to increase familiarisation and generate enthusiasm for their new school.

MRS MURRAY’S RETIREMENT Mrs Marian Murray is due to retire at the end of August. She has worked in the school for over 20 years and has been a huge asset. Her dedication and love of the children under her care is unparalleled. She is a gifted teacher who had a hugely positive impact on the holistic development of all children within her various classes. In the First Term she will be invited back to school for a special presentation. I will be guided by her wishes in relation to the format of the presentation and will inform the school community in due course. Mrs Murray will be greatly missed by all in St Colmcille’s and her many years of wonderful service are greatly appreciated. We wish her a happy retirement and many years of health and happiness.

NEW PUPILS We have enrolled many new pupils in the school in Term 3. I encourage parents and children to make our new pupils and families very welcome.

     

                                                                                             

   

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS We are very proud and pleased to be able to offer a diverse range of additional support to ensure pupils achieve their full potential. These include Nurture Group, Talkboost, Speech & Language, Literacy & Numeracy Withdrawal, Maths Recovery, Reading Partnership and Counselling. Mrs Dempsey (SENCo) or your child’s teacher will be in touch with you if they feel your child would benefit from accessing these services.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Monday 24th- Friday 28th August P2-7 Pupils Return to School (8.45am-12.30pm) Thursday 27th August P1 Pupils Begin (9.15am- 11.15am) Monday 31st August Bank Holiday (School Closed) Tuesday 1st September All Pupils Attend (Normal School Hours) Monday 26th – Friday 30th October Halloween Break (School Closed) Friday 18th December School Closes at 11.30am Monday 21st December- Tuesday 5th January Christmas Holidays (School closed) Tuesday 5th January Parent- Teacher Meetings (School Closed) Wednesday 6th January Pupils Return to School  

ZOOM LESSONS AND HOME LEARNING Many thanks to parents for facilitating Zoom Lessons and emailing Home Learning photographs over the past few months. It has been so wonderful to see what the children have been learning whilst at home and their teachers thoroughly enjoyed engaging with them via Zoom!

SUMMER REVISION Teachers have updated online platforms Literacy Bug Club, Mathletics and Purple Mash with activities should any parent wish to complete revision work over the summer months. Next year’s Curricular Outlines will be placed on the website under the parental section of the website so that parents are informed of the requirements of next year’s curriculum.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA Please continue to stay up to date with the latest St Colmcille’s events and information via our website www.stcolmcillesps.co.uk and social media page. Our social media will temporarily cease from Monday 13th July to Monday 10th August. I can be contacted on saustin015@c2kni.net in the event of an urgent request during this time.

SCHOOL CLOSURE School will be fully closed from Monday 13th July until Monday 10th August. School staff deserve a well earned break and an opportunity to regenerate and prepare for the new term. I can be contacted on saustin015@c2kni.net in the event of an urgent request during this time. I would like to take this opportunity to you wish you all a relaxing summer break. Stay safe during the holidays and we look forward to welcoming the children back in August!