SCOIL COLM NEWSLETTERVolume 2, Issue 3December 4th 2011

Principal: Ms C Ní ChianáinDeputy Principal: Mr O’Donnell

Dear pupils, staff, families and friends, As we approach the festive season, I would like to like to take this opportunity to wish our whole school community a very happy Christmas and New Year. Our first term has been a very busy one. December is a particularly busy month as the school prepares for the Christmas Concert, Carol Service, outings and other school events. I would like to thank our teachers and staff members who not only make every effort to ensure that our pupils are getting the best possible education, but also give freely of their own time outside of school hours for the benefit of our pupils. A special word of thanks is due to our caretaker, Paddy Mooney, who has beautifully decorated our school for the Christmas period. I would also like to thank the volunteers who give some of their free time to the many successful projects that run in our school, such as the breakfast club, the school shop and the Parents’ Association. Without their support, these projects could not run and I very much appreciate their efforts. Thank you all for your continued support of Scoil Colm and we look forward to seeing our pupils in January for the start of a new term. Kind regards, Claire Ní Chianáin

SCHOOL CLOSURES:Friday, 21st December: School will close at 12.30pm and remain closed for the Christmas period.

SCHOOL WILL RE-OPEN ON MONDAY, 7TH JANUARY AT 8.50AM.

CHRISTMAS CONCERTScoil Colm are proud to announce that our Christmas Concert will be held in our school hall on Wednesday, December 19th at 12.30 sharp! This will involve all classes in the school. There will be carol singing, a nativity play and the highly anticipated Broadway production of 'Alas in Blunderland!'. We are offering a reduced price of €2 to see this once in a lifetime show!! Please come along as this star studded show is showing for one day only!

Thank you to John and all at RB Wallace for the spectacular Christmas tree at the front of our school.

Page 2 of 4 Students’ Page Scoil Colm Newsletter

LAUNCH OF NEW SCHOOL WEBSITEwww.scoilcolm.scoilnet.ie

Our school has a brand new website, which was designed for us by Ciarán Maune. Our new website contains up-to-date news about our school and includes Information for Parents, Information for Pupils, a calendar of events in the school as well as a photo gallery, school policies, newsletters and links to useful sites. There is also information about our school, where you can find out everything from the history of our school to how to contact us.

To launch the website, there will be a Website Quiz for our pupils. All the answers to the questions in the Quiz will be on the school website. Good luck!!

Page 3 of 4 Students’ Page Scoil Colm Newsletter

Room 6 Boys at the Dragon’s Den and The Ark

Boy’s from Miss Clarke’s with their Granny Projects

Congratulations! Congratulations to Robert, Room 7, whose winning entry will be included in the 2013 Dublin Bus Calendar.

ENROLMENT FOR SCHOOL YEAR

Enrolment has now begun for second class places in the next school year. Information can be found on our website www.scoilcolm.scoilnet.ie. Please ensure that enrolment forms are returned to the school as soon as possible.

SHOEBOX APPEAL: Scoil Colm sent 25 gift filled Team Hope shoeboxes to needy children in Africa and Eastern Europe. For most of these children, it will be the first present they will have ever received. A huge THANK YOU to all who helped to fill a shoebox!

Page 4 of 4 Parents’ Page Scoil Colm Newsletter

Coffee Morning 2012We would like to thank our pupils and their parents and families for the taking part in the fundraising Coffee Morning. We raised €770.Ms Murray’s Fifth Class in Room 7 won the fancy dress prize, with Ms Timb’s Fifth Class coming a close second. Well done to everyone who dressed up. Thank you to all those who bought tickets and contributed.A Big Thank You to all the volunteers who helped out on the morning and brought in food, the staff, Parents’ Association, parents and pupils. A special word of thanks is due to Miss Caulfield for organising the event. There was a great atmosphere and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed it.We would like to acknowledge our kind sponsors of our Coffee Morning. We couldn’t do it without their help. We would like to thank the following businesses for their sponsorship of the food and beverages and who kindly gave prizes or donations:Easons, Ashleaf S.C., Glanmore Foods, Java Republic Coffee Company, RB Wallace Ltd., Smyth’s toy store Naas

Reminder for Parents: To ensure the safety of our pupils, they are not permitted to be in the school yard before 8.40am. Thank you.

8:40

Copper CollectionEvery Thursday, Ms Gilheaney holds a copper collection. If you have any loose change at home, send it in to us for our collection. Thank you.

Christmas Carol ServiceThis year, our carol service will take place on Monday, 10th December at 1.15pm in the school hall.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS:As a result of the Croke Park Agreement, we are obliged to keep you updated with meetings and training which took place outside of school hours:

Between August and December 2012:• A full planning day was held.• Monthly staff meetings.• School Development Planning meetings.• Continuous Professional Development in Child

Protection/Stay Safe and First Aid.I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, parents and other members of the community at Scoil Colm for the many hours of their own time which they give voluntarily to activities that enhance school life for our pupils, such as training teams, supervising pupils, after-school programmes and clubs, accompanying pupils to events/matches, attending training courses, etc. Their contribution is very much appreciated.

C Ní ChianáinPrincipal

Thanks to Brown’s Butchers on Old County Road, and Smyth’s Toy Store who kindly donated to our Christmas raffle.