Thursday Newsletter 11/05/2023

Dear Parents and Guardians/A Thuismitheoirí agus a Chaomhnóirí,

Home Base Summer Programme

If your child fits the eligibility criteria below and you are interested in some home based tuition in July please click here to read more information and complete this application form (click here to access) and return to the school office as soon as possible and by 31^st May 2023 at the latest. When returning this form, let us know if you have a tutor in mind or would like help in finding one. One significant change this year is that a tutor can work with up to 3 children at a time, which is great for peer development.

Eligibility Criteria: For the purposes of the Home-Based Summer Programme students with complex special educational needs are defined as:

Any student enrolled in a special school or a special class – primary and post primary
Students presenting with the most significant needs in mainstream classes in primary and post-primary schools who are accessing the highest level of the Continuum of Support (School Support Plus). This will include a small number of students with enduring needs which significantly affect their capacity to learn, to function independently and to participate in education. These students require highly individualised and differentiated learning programmes that are significantly different to their peers. These students may present with the following:

Significant needs with physical and/or sensory functioning (including students who are Deaf or have severe to profound hearing loss and students who are blind or have severe to profound visual impairment).
Significant needs in cognitive functioning and independence/daily living skills (including students who have moderate to severe OR significant/profound learning disability).
Significant needs in social communication, social interaction combined with rigid repetitive patterns of behaviour.
Students with Down syndrome.
Students with severe OR significant emotional behavioural needs to the extent that these behaviours of concern are impacting on a student’s ability to learn, to function independently and to participate fully in school life.

Autistic Students are eligible for this Programme.
Children in the above categories entering primary school and Early Intervention ASD classes in September 2023 are also eligible for the programme.

Next Steps include the school submission of interested applicants by 9^th June; sanction by the Department; Grant claim forms completed; the trickiest bit can be finding a tutor so the quicker you submit your interest the better.

PTA Table Quiz

A big shout out to Lisa and her highly capable team for a hugely well organised and successful fun table quiz last Saturday evening. Many obscure questions were answered, laughs had, prizes won and way over the expected funds raised. The event was forecast to raise around €1800 and instead a whopping €2900 achieved. This will be hugely helpful in supporting the reconfiguration of AET spaces as we reach full capacity and also with the production of a whole school piece of art to commemorate our 20^th anniversary.

Coding

Junior Infants loved using scratch for coding last Friday. Thank you to our parent volunteers for your time and to Sylvia and Oisín for organising it. Sorcha

Amazing start to the week with a coding session. Massive thanks to Steve, and thanks to Parents Lauren, Neil and Michelle for coming in to help. Great fun, Dee

And more!

This week 6^th class visited the Botanic Gardens to explore some of the tropical plants that they have. We have been learning about The rainforest and we are very lucky that we were able to see some of the incredible species of plants native to The Amazon Rainforest just a quick walk away! Thanks Glynn who led us in a very interesting tour, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Pádraig

Yesterday the 5^th Class children practised their language skills in Irish by creating a ‘siopa’ and buying items that they liked. They chatted to the shopkeeper and used their new vocabulary to count out the right amount of money and give change. Niamh

Grace’s 1st class visited the tadpoles in Maeve’s 4th class.

2nd Class explored cause and effect in the Outdoor Classroom. We designed and made boats or rafts from found objects and then tested to see if they would float. We explored why they floated or sank and predicted what would happen when a play person was floated on the boats. Jill

Free Food Waste Caddies – Promoting Green choices

As part of Green Schools we have been offered free food waste caddies for families. These are the small plastic containers to hold compost waste for your brown bin. Please email Nicky ([email protected]) between now and next Thursday, if you would like one and we will give it to your child to bring home. Maeve

Cathal & Patrick in 4th class and James in 1st class competed in the Swords open judo competition last weekend representing Cabra Judo Club against the most competitive players from all over Ireland. The competition is the biggest in the Leinster region and was attended by hundreds of Judo players from clubs as far away as Cork, Kerry and Belfast. James won silver in the under 34kg category and Patrick won silver in the over 46kg category while Cathal competed well in the u34kg category.

Upcoming:

19^th May 2023 School Closed for Primary Language Curriculum training.

Sports Day

Senior – Thursday 1^stJune
Junior – Friday 2^nd June

Art Day – Friday 9^th June

School Tours

ALC Green – 31^st May to Dublin Zoo
Junior Infants – 13^th June to Newbridge Farm
Senior Infants – 30^th May to Newgrange Farm
1^st Class – 24^th May to Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park
2^nd Class – 1^st June to Squirrel Scramble
3^rd Class – 25^th May to Squirrel Scramble
4^th Class – 30^th May to Navan Adventure Centre
5^th Class – 7^th June to Flynn Park Adventure Park
6^th Class – 31^st May to Flynn Park Adventure Park

School Calendar for Academic Year 2023/2024

Reminder:

Please arrive to school on time as many classes are doing circle time and other learning activities at 8:40am, coming in later than this disrupts the whole class learning and means your child is missing out.