August 2024

Dia dhuit gach duine,

I want to bring you all a few more updates before the last weekend of the holidays.

School Lunches

Ard Rí CNS is a nut free school. The Health and Safety of our pupils is top priority. The serving of food can pose a risk of allergic reactions. We now have a considerable number of children allergic to both tree nuts and ground nuts throughout the school. Our Health and Safety Team will be running an Allergy Awareness campaign throughout the school this September. No nuts or nut products in your child’s lunch box please.

To learn about our Healthy Eating Policy click here

The Lunch Bag provide every pupil with a free hot school lunch every day through the National Hot School Meals Programme. If you already have a Lunch Bag account you can proceed to order lunch for your children. If you are new to the school you can download the Lunch Bag app and we will give your child a code on your first day to get you started. Hot lunches will commence for pupils in Senior Infants to 6th Class from the first day. Junior Infants will get their first hot school lunch when they begin full school days on Monday 9th of September.

Class Allocation

I am pleased to announce we begin the school year with a full compliment of staff. I am delighted to welcome back Ciara Hughes, Emma Bathe, Lucy Walsh, Cathy Clarke and Niamh Kenny to the team. These teachers have all worked at the school previously. It is great to have them back. New to the team, I warmly welcome Meghan Byrne, Aoife Gavin and Eve Connolly. We welcome you to the community and we look forward to working with you all.

See below the complete list of class teachers for 2024/25:

*Junior Infant parents will receive a text shortly to let them know which class their child will be in.

Year 23/24	Year 24/25
Incoming Pupils	Múinteoir Niamh Junior Infants*
Incoming Pupils	Múinteoir Ciara Junior Infants*
Múinteoir Niamh Junior Infants	Múinteoir Gráinne Senior Infants
Múinteoir Rachel Junior Infants	Múinteoir Ruth Senior Infants
Múinteoir Angela Senior Infants	Múinteoir Ailis 1st Class
Múinteoir Laura Senior Infants	Múinteoir Aoife 1st Class
Múinteoir Wilma 1st Class	Múinteoir Laura 2nd Class
Múinteoir Gráinne 1st Class	Múinteoir Meghan 2nd Class
Múinteoir Ailis 2nd Class	Múinteoir Emma 3rd Class
Múinteoir Ruth 2nd Class	Múinteoir Maria+Edel 3rd Class (jobshare)
Múinteoir Maria+Edel 3rd Class	Múinteoir Sarah 4th Class
Múinteoir Jack 3rd Class	Múinteoir Angela 4th Class
Múinteoir Sarah 4th Class	Múinteoir Claire 5th Class
Múinteoir Claire 5th Class	Múinteoir Wilma 6th Class
Múinteoir Catherine 5th Class	Múinteoir Cailín 6th Class

Special Education Team

Múinteoir Catherine Múinteoir Karen Múinteoir Catherine Múinteoir Cathy Múinteoir Lucy Múinteoir Eve

New Junior Infants

You will receive a text shortly to let you know which class your child will be in.

Your child’s first day at big school is on Wednesday 28th of August. We will meet you all at the school gate at 10am. We will hold a little welcoming ceremony and all children will say goodbye and walk to the classroom independently with their teacher.

We invite all parents to visit their child’s class when everyone is settled in on Friday 30th of August at home time (12pm). We look forward to welcoming you all on Wednesday.

Junior Infants are in school from 10am to midday on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

If, for any reason, your child will not be coming to Ard Rí please let us know immediately.

Let’s go Ard Rí! Let’s go…

Darragh

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August 2024

Dia duit gach duine,

I hope everyone had a lovely summer. The return to school is just around the corner. Preparations are now well underway. Teachers are working hard planning and are busy organising their workspaces for the new year. Let’s go!

I want to provide you with some quick reminders and updates:

• School reopens for all pupils on Wednesday 28th August. Classes Senior Infants to 6th start at 9am. Any new pupils joining Senior Infants to 6th come to the school at 9.15am on Wednesday so we can direct you to your new class. New Junior Infants are in school from 10am to midday on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I will share guidelines specific to Junior Infants in the next few days.
• ‘Drop and Go’ and ‘Park and Walk’ will work as before from day one. The green gates will open at 8.50am. No parents to pass the green gates please. Children will line up with their classmates on yard and enter their classrooms all together at 9am with first lesson commencing immediately.
• School Bus: We are currently trying to put a new school bus service in place. The Ard Rí CNS school bus is a private service, paid for by parents. Our ambition is the bus will collect in Athlumney, Johnstown Village, Johnstown and Baker Hall. Please fill in the following form if you are interested in the service: https://forms.office.com/e/s2nAnNRfCc
• We are putting the final touches on recruitment and teacher allocation. I will provide finalised plans for teacher allocation in the coming days when all details have been confirmed.
• This year we open our 15th classroom at Balreask Old. Despite making all the required applications to the Department of Education, a project to deliver additional classrooms, plus some upgrades to existing rooms, has fallen significantly behind target. We have come to an interim arrangement with our good neighbours at Navan Tennis Club to rent the top floor of their beautiful clubhouse. Third Class- Rang Maria and Edel will be taught in this space until the new classes are delivered. We invite the parents of the children to visit the space at 2.30 on the first day, Wednesday 28th August. Although a little bit unconventional, I am confident it will make an excellent learning environment.
• If you have not already done so; please make €15 payment for Aladdin and Accident Insurance as soon as possible. You will receive a Way2Pay link shortly. All school books and copies are now provided through the Free School Books Scheme and will be in your child’s room ready to go on the first morning.
• School uniform is available through Geoghegans, Trimgate Street. Your child will need a good size school bag, a well stocked pencil case, a lunchbox for a healthy lunch and a reusable water bottle. LABEL EVERYTHING!

Extra Curricular Activities:

We are delighted to bring you a range of extra-curricular activities again this year.

• Creative Keyboards are now enrolling for keyboard classes at Ard Rí CNS starting September 2024. For all info and bookings: click here
• Primary Pals Homework Club for Junior and Senior Infants will run from 1.40-2.40 and Primary Pals Plus will run from 2.40-3.40, Monday to Friday. For all info and bookings please call Jana on 0863445115
• Study Mates Homework Club for pupils 1st to 6th will run from 2.40-3.40 Monday to Thursday. For all info and bookings please email Niamh and Angela on [email protected]

Enrolment has been very strong this year. There are still places available in some classes. As explained before the summer our teacher allocation depends on pupil numbers. If you know of any one looking for a school place or if your child will not be returning to school with us please email [email protected].

I will be back in touch in the coming days with more information.

Go raibh maith agaibh,

Darragh