Dear school community,                                                                                               2st February 2018

IMPORTANT ADVANCE NOTICES: 

School will close early on Wednesday 28th February at 12.30 for all pupils for Staff and BOM training.

Due to the roll out of the revised Primary School Oral Language Curriculum staff training the school will be closed on Tuesday 6th March for all pupils.

School will be closed for Mid Term on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th February. 

School photos will be taken on Wednesday 14th March this year. Further information to follow.

Please keep up to date with information from Wicklow Educate Together NS which is available through weekly newsletter, texts to parents, school wide notices, notes in bags, homework diaries & school website wicklowetns.com. Wicklow Educate Together N.S. is not on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media. For any queries, questions or feedback please approach your child’s class teacher in the first instance or the school office Fran or Lisa (0404 62786) email [email protected] Please contact Sinead school principal for any further clarification or information on [email protected] Please note that we will only promote school sanctioned events or those that benefit a registered charity in our newsletter.

School Attendance Strategy – The Board of Management is currently reviewing and updating the school attendance strategy.  The draft document has been uploaded to the policies section of the school website (https://wicklowetns.com/our-school/policies/). We would like to hear your views.  Please send in your comments to [email protected]  before the16th of February.  A copy of the document will be available in the foyer.

Headlice – To all parents/guardians, unfortunately the school is currently experiencing a multitude of classes with numerous reported cases of headlice. We implore all parents/guardians to check your child/children’s hair and treat headlice as a matter of urgency over the weekend so that every child in the school has been checked and treated if necessary prior to returning to school on Monday. We would encourage children with long hair to wear it tied back for the moment.

Garda Vetting – If you are considering volunteering some of your time to help at the school over the coming months please ensure you complete your Garda vetting as early as possible. Garda vetting is required in advance of any volunteer work including reading in class, literacy lift off, school tours, library volunteers, Interculture week etc. Please request a form from Lisa at the school office and once completed bring it to the school office with photo ID (passport/driving licence) and proof of address (utility bill, bank statement etc). If you have taken home a Garda vetting form, please return it to the school office as soon as possible with your ID.

Library – up and running!

Would you have 10min some days at 8:50? Are you Garda vetted for our school? As use of the Library increases it is great to see the children enjoying it. However, it is difficult keeping up with the volume of books which need to be returned to the shelves daily. If you would be able to help, please let Paula know. Thank you. 

Internal Road Closed – 9.30am – 1.00pm

9:30am to 1:00pm Daily – NO ACCESS FOR VEHICLES on part of internal road closest to building. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THE CONES.

This area is used as a playground during the school day. If you do enter this area during the school day, you will not be able to leave during a playtime.

Absence due to illness – if you child is unable to attend school due to illness you are not required to ring the school office. Instead please write a note in your child’s homework notebook/folder when they are returning to school.

What’s Happening In WETNS?

We have had a very busy January here at the school and the children have enjoyed a variety of activities and trips. We would like to share some of these with you and will continue to keep you updated throughout the remainder of the school year.

  • Literacy Liftoff – our Senior Infants are now in week two of the Literacy Liftoff programme and are enjoying this experience very much. Thank you to all the staff and parent volunteers who are coming together each day to support this great initiative.
  • RSA – the Road Safety Authority visited last week to present their road safety programme to the children. They will return shortly to meet the remainder of the classes.
  • The Maguires Traditional Music Band provided an impromptu concert here at the school last week for our 3rd– 6th class pupils. A really enjoyable experience for all the children.
  • Forest School – Brian’s 3rd class are experiencing Forest School this term. Alison’s 3rd class will be the next class to attend.
  • Fighting Words – our 2nd class children had a wonderful day in Glencree.
  • Lindsey’s Music Therapy – we are delighted to have this new programme here at the school this term for our ASD classes and some of our mainstream classes.
  • Reading with Jason & his dog – another new addition to our school this term.
  • GAA – the GAA continue to provide classes each week here at the school on a Friday.
  • Music Generation – the children continue to enjoy music lessons each week with the Music Generation team.

Interculture Week

We need you! – We have over 35 countries represented in Wicklow ETNS. Our main event of Intercultural Week will be our International Food day, on Thursday 22nd February.  If you cannot volunteer on the day, you still might be able to send in food/ objects to help us represent the wide range of nationalities in the school. Items which could be suitable for a stall include:            –              A traditional dish (particularly if you are not originally from Ireland).

Something easy to serve cut into very small portions.

–              Coins/ currency

–              Souvenir/ artefacts

–              Flags/ books

–              Language Posters

–              Photographs

–              Traditional Dress/ Costume

We will also include a stall for Ireland so please make contact with me if you would like to help out on the Ireland Stall [email protected] (or speak to me at 2.30 at the side gate for 4th, 5th, 6th classes)

Secondary School Junior Cycle – Please find attached an English and Irish version of the leaflet that was sent to schools recently entitled Junior Cycle Information for Parents of Primary Students.  The phone number to contact with queries relating to this is 01 8892291 or 01 8892343.

Extra-Curricular Activities Update

Reminder that term 2 extra-curricular fees must be paid in full by Friday 2nd February.

We have a small number of places left in a number of activities. If you are still interested in registering please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.

Homework Club – Our homework club runs from 2.30pm – 3.30pm Monday to Thursday each week. Cost per child per hour is €5.00. If you wish to register your child forms are available in the foyer or contact [email protected]

Breakfast Club – If you are registered for breakfast club and are using it on an ad hoc basis we would ask that you please email breakfast.club@wicklowetns 24 hours beforehand if you would like to book your child in on a particular day. We utilise this mailbox to plan our staffing levels & food supplies each day so please ensure you have booked in beforehand as our breakfast club is not a drop in service. Also, if your child/children are sick and will not be attending please email the mailbox to let us know. Many thanks

Our breakfast club is open from 7.30 – 8.50 Monday to Friday each week. Cost per child is €7.00 (including breakfast) for one child and €6.00 per child for more than one child. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in registering your child.

Mental Fitness – Dr Claire Hayes

Clinical psychologist, Dr Claire Hayes to come to Wicklow on the 19/2/18 to speak to teachers and parents within the area of mental fitness. It will be held in the Grand Hotel at 7:30/8pm and will last approx. 2 hrs. Further information about Claire Hayes can be found on the AWARE website.

Schools Climbing Competition at Awesome Walls – Awesome Walls will hold the 2nd annual Schools Climbing Competition on Thursday March 8th from 10am-2pm. WETNS fielded several teams of 4 at the inaugural event last year, with all of the children doing very well and even bringing home the Under 8s Schools Climbing Cup! Several teams will be going again this year. Entry is 20 euro per child, which includes a competition t-shirt; teams are comprises of 4 students in different age categories (6-7 years; 8-9 years; 10 + years). If your child has climbed before and would like to compete, please contact Eamonn at [email protected] by Thurs. 15 February. Please include the child’s age as of March 8th.

Please note that this event is not suitable for children who have not climbed before, and that parents will be responsible for taking children to and from the competition; there will be carpooling opportunities. For more information, please see: http://awesomewalls.ie/schoolscomp/

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION UPDATE 

Parent Teacher Association Constitution

Thank you to all who returned completed ballot papers. Your votes have been counted and the PTA Constitution has been passed by majority vote and has therefore been ratified by the Membership of the Parent Teacher Association. 25% of the Membership returned valid votes and therefore the quorum was met. The result was 114 YES to 33 NO.

PTA Committee Nominations

Thank you to all who returned PTA Committee Nomination forms and to those who have been willing nominees. New Committee Nominees will be contacted shortly.

Parenting Courses

The following NPC Parents Courses have been booked and will be held in the school for parents and guardians of WETNS. These courses will be funded by the PTA.

Thursday March 22nd 7.30-9.30pm “Supporting your child to build healthy friendships and relationships”

Monday May 21st 7.30-9.30pm  “Supporting parents to support their children’s mental health and wellbeing

St Patrick’s Weekend Bakesale and Coffee Morning 16th March

This year we will be holding a St Patrick’s Weekend Bakesale and Parents Coffee morning on Friday 16th March. There will be the usual baking homework goodies and coffee and tea for parents. There will not be a Valentines Bakesale as volunteering efforts for February will be concentrating on Interculture Week 19th to 23rd February.

Parent Teacher Association Annual General Meeting 22nd February 7-8.30pm

All parents and teachers are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Parent Teachers Association. The agenda will be as follows:

Tea and coffee 7-7.15pm

Outgoing Chairpersons annual report

Outgoing Treasurers Financial Report

Introduction of new Committee members

Any other business

Please send any other business items by email to [email protected] or by suggestion box by 8th February. This is to ensure that the content is appropriate to the business of the Parent Teacher Associatiom and therefore of relevance to all in attendance.

Where quorum for the AGM is not reached the meeting will be cancelled and the business of the AGM will be presented to all members of the Parent Teacher Association in written format by email or hardcopy offering a week after the original AGM date. The quorum requires that 20% of the PTA members attend to ensure that there is adequate representation at the AGM from within the PTA.

Lions Club Table Quiz to Benefit WETNS

The Wicklow Lions club in conjunction with the school’s PTA will be hosting a table quiz on February 28th at 8pm in Wicklow Golf Club. Tables of 4 cost €40. At the end of the table quiz season the Lions Club make a donation to WETNS proportional to our representation at the table quiz. Please show up to support! if you haven’t a full table, teams can be formed on the night. Last year the Lions Club donated €400 to WETNS.

Parent Liaison 2nd Class

We are looking for a volunteer to take on the role of Parent Liaison for 2nd Class. The PTA have prepared your Parent Contact List and it’s ready to go – just waiting for a Class Liaison!