Parents Meeting Monday, September 29th

General Information Meet with teacher: Make an appointment through the office/secretary to speak to the class teacher at the end of the school day. Teachers cannot talk at the door at the start of school or at the end of the day as they must supervise the children. Studies show that when parents are involved in school children learn more, enjoy school more and behave better. You can volunteer to help in the classroom or with resource- making. You may need Garda vetting for some activities, such as swimming. You can listen to children reading; help with teaching stations; help with maths activities; help with art lessons. You could give a history or cultural talk to the children. You could share a song, poem or dance from another country.

Drop off and collection Drop-off time: Please leave children in the line in the front playground in the morning and do not walk to classroom door. You can drop children from 8.50am. Collection: Children are collected from the top gate in the front playground. Please be patient and wait for your child to be sent out. There are 180 children leaving at one time. Please come to the correct gate. On wet days children are allowed into the school from 8.50am and are collected from the top gate as normal.

PE PE: Please ensure your child wears the school tracksuit and runners on PE days. Children should not wear any type of jewellery. Hair should be tied back. An extra drink can be sent to school on PE day(s). Ms Regan: PE is Wednesday and Friday Ms Tracey: PE is Monday and Thursday Ms Dowling: PE is Monday

Lunch policy 1 The school day is short and we want children to receive the best education that they can. Diet plays a big part in a child’s behaviour. We promote a healthy eating policy in our school. The following are not allowed: biscuits, croissants/apple turnovers, crisps, chocolate (anything covered in chocolate or chocolate spread), sweets, fizzy drinks, chewing gum, nuts (due to allergies), popcorn or yogurts, including Frubes and Yops. An example of a healthy lunch: sandwiches, fruit, rice/pasta dishes, water, juices, milk, salad, tomatoes, vegetable sticks and raisins. All lunch rubbish must be taken home as part of the school’s Green activities and to cut down on the need for waste disposal by the school.

Lunch policy 2 Help the children: Give your child a lunch box he/she can open and close; peel oranges or apples at home; show children how to put straws in their drinks (remember: all rubbish goes home and drinks that are not finished may be spilled in the child’s bag). Please supply the school with a list of any food allergies your child may have. The school cannot accommodate cakes or treats for birthdays in school.

Medical needs Teachers do not personally undertake the administration of medication except in an emergency. Please ensure that the school is made aware, in writing, of any medical condition suffered by your child. Where a child is suffering from life-threatening conditions or allergies, parents should outline clearly, in writing, what should and what should not be done in a particular emergency situation, with particular reference to what may be a risk to the child. In the case of inhalers – please supply the class teacher with a spare inhaler in case of emergency situations. Please ensure your child can take the inhaler by himself/herself. If you child cannot take the inhaler himself/herself you must write a letter to the school authorising the class teacher or other members of staff to give the inhaler.

Coming to school Be on time each morning: Activity time is in the morning and this is vital to children’s language development, social development and enjoyment of school. Just 10 mins late each day is equivalent to one week of school missed. Collect your child on time: Children can become worried if a parent is late and feel devalued if left waiting. Unless to attend medical appointments, children must not be collected early. It’s important for the children to take off and hang up their own coats, and find their own seats and activities. Please make sure your child has a coat they can open and close by themselves, and has shoes they can open and close by themselves. If you are more than 10 minutes late or regularly late dropping or collecting your child you will be asked to sign the late book and/or meet with the principal.

Absence from school If your child is absent from school for any reason you must give your child a note to bring to the class teacher explaining the absence when the child returns to school. Even if you ring the school, you must still bring in a note.

Curriculum – General 1 The children will cover 11 subjects as well as Goodness Me, Goodness You: English, Irish, Maths, Geography, History, Science, Music, Drama, Visual Arts, SPHE and PE. These subjects are all integrated. Your child will be assessed on an ongoing basis, and work or tasks will be tailored to your child’s needs. Every so often your child will bring home worksheets or other things they’ve made in school. The children will be assessed using the MIST (Middle Infant Screening Test) in Senior Infants. Results are communicated to parents.

Curriculum – General 2 Workbooks The children will use workbooks in school and some workbooks may be sent home as a homework exercise. These books are for the teacher and may not be fully completed. Learning in Scoil Chormaic is not ‘book-led’. It is led by the curriculum and books are used to complement or reinforce learning as the teacher requires. There may also be incomplete pages due to absence.

Curriculum - SESE History: Throughout the year we may ask your child to bring in photographs of themselves – as a baby and more recently. We may ask your child to bring in old toys they no longer use. Guest speakers: We may also ask any interested parents or grandparents to come in and talk to the children about times past. Geography: We may ask some parents to come in to talk about their lives in other countries that they have lived in or perhaps, their employment. Help by talking about the weather and the seasons and the types of clothes we wear for the weather/seasons.

Maths & Irish Maths: Count with your child. The children count from 0-20 in Senior Infants with an emphasis on Count things in the environment, name and talk about colours, shapes, the size of things, how heavy or light things are, the time of day, talk about days of the week, whether their drinks are full or empty, any patterns they can see. The children learn addition and will be introduced to subtraction in the third term of Senior Infants. Gaeilge: If you have ‘Cúpla focal’ use them. Switch on TG4, listen to Radio na Life. Above all have a positive view of Irish and pass that on to your child. Children who learn a second language in early life are more likely to develop language learning abilities and to acquire further languages later.

Curriculum - English Oral language is the basis of all learning. Oral work at home: Talk about everything your child does, your child sees, name things, name emotions, question your child on choices/favourites, talk about books, pictures, posters, photographs, TV, sports games, activities, music... talk about everything! Pencil grip: Show your child the correct pencil grip and practice it with them. (See graphic.)

Curriculum – English - Jollyphonics Jollyphonics is an integrated programme that focuses on the relationship between letters and letter sounds. Oral language is central to this programme. Big book (Oral and sound introduction); Story; Action; Song/jingle; Writing; Letter sound (sound books); Blending; Tricky words.

Reading 1 Children begin formal reading in the third term of Senior Infants. Reading tips for home: 1. Choose a quiet time and place 2. Make reading enjoyable Make reading an enjoyable experience. Sit with your child. Try not to pressurise if he or she is reluctant. If your child loses interest then do something else. 3. Maintain the flow If your child does not know a word wait, allow for self-correction. It is better to tell a child some unknown words to maintain the flow rather than insisting on trying to build them all up from the sounds of the letters. 4. Be positive 5. Success is the key Parents anxious for a child to progress can mistakenly give a child a book that is too difficult. Remember 'Nothing succeeds like success'.

Reading 2 6. Visit and join the Library 7. Regular practice 'Little and often' is best. Teachers have limited time to help your child with reading. 8. Talk about the books There is more to being a good reader than just being able to read the words accurately. Just as important is being able to understand what has been read. Always talk to your child about the book; about the pictures, the characters, how they think the story will end, their favourite part. You will then be able to see how well they have understood and you will help them to develop good comprehension skills. 9. Variety is important Use picture books, hard backs, comics, magazines, poems, and information books.

Homework 1 Homework helps your child: - to reinforce knowledge and skills learned - to learn to work by himself/herself - to organise and manage his/her time Homework helps you: - to keep in touch with your child’s learning in school - to monitor your child’s progress - to notice any problems your child may be having and to help them - to learn from your child. Homework is not always written. Homework helps children to connect their work in school with the real world and to use information, knowledge and skills learned at school.

Homework 2 Homework: The children’s homework will consist of: 1. Workbook: This has reading, handwriting and sounds practice. The children may also be completing Maths homework (Wk 7). 2. Sound books – Double sounds 3. Word boxes – pre-reading activities to combine the letter sounds into words. The children will learn/read these words, with help from a parent. 4. Tricky words 5. Readers (Term 3): The children will practice their reading. Encourage the child to look at the picture for meaning and to use their Jollyphonics sounds. If a child does not know a word – tell them. Find a quiet place, sit next to your child, listen and help. (There is a fine of €5 for damaged or lost books.)

Get Involved Come to us if you have any ideas on how you would or could help out. Parents will be needed to supervise out-of-school activities such as the school sports day, trips to museums or concerts. Attend the Intercultural Day and any other concerts or performances by the children in the school. Teachers may ask for assistance in running in-class events, e.g. shared reading activities with the children, maths games (Maths for Fun), or Art activities. Get involved in the Parents Association. Donate books or toys to the school, if you have any and they are in good order. Intercultural Day: We may ask you to bring in and/or talk about cultural artefacts, photographs or pictures. More information from the NCCA… ‘The What, Why and How of Your Child’s Learning’….

In Scoil Chormaic, Parents have the right to Expect that their child(ren) will be safe in school Be treated with courtesy and respect Have access to information about their children’s performance and the educational programs and opportunities available to their children Be actively involved in the education of their children

In Scoil Chormaic, Parents are responsible for: Sending their children to school ready to learn Ensuring that their children attend school regularly and arrive on time Being aware of their children’s work and progress Keeping in touch with their children’s teachers and principal Attending important school meetings and events

Thank you