A Message to the School Community

June 2020

We have come to the end of the School Year 2019/2020. It has been the most bizarre of years. It started off being as busy as usual but the sudden, unprecedented closure came as a shock to us all. However, I want to thank all of those involved, in particular the teachers, for keeping the education and wellbeing of their pupils to the forefront of their minds and work. I would also like to thank the SNAs, Martha, and our caretakers, Eugene and Tony. Without them working away in the background, the school and its organisation would have ground to a halt.

Thanks so much to you, Parents and Guardians, for your active engagement in your child’s school work. It cannot have been easy and I know as the weeks went on, particularly with the fabulous weather, the levels of motivation dropped somewhat. Many of you were working from home, caring for older people, younger children and even new babies and trying to deal with your children’s school work. Some of you, I know also, are front-line staff. So I wish to extend my gratitude to you all and hope that you will have a break and a rest at some stage over the official holiday months.

I know that some of you will be worried about the progress and development of your child since last September. While we are aware that some children will have found it easier than others to work without their teacher, and will have progressed well. However, I can guarantee that all children will be treated with patience and understanding when they return. Each child will have experienced this closure differently. Most children will have taken it in their stride, but others may be quite anxious about returning to school after being off for so long. All teachers and staff in our school work hard to ensure a happy and safe environment where each child is free to learn and develop at his or her own pace. This will continue, with additional focus and understanding, when we return in September.

During the last week of August we will issue guidelines for the safe return of all to school. We will be led by the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and our Patron, the Archbishop of Dublin.

Parents, if you have any concerns about your child please contact me in the office or be sure to contact your child’s teacher. All teacher’s emails are on the website.

In the meantime keep safe and well.

Sincerely,
Áine Dillon