December Newsletter 2024

Dear Parents & Guardians,

I hope you are all keeping well. There is great excitement in the school as we approach the Christmas break. The children in school are doing so well & there is no doubt that Santa will be good to all the boys & girls in Kilchreest N.S.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Staff to thank you all for your help & support throughout 2024. I would also personally like to thank all the staff of the school for all their hard work & dedication to the children. We are so fortunate to have such fantastic teachers & SNA’s who are committed to ensuring your children receive the very best education with kindness & care. Thanks also to our school Secretary Christina, our Parents Association & all the members of the Board of Management who do lots of unseen work to keep the school running so efficiently.

Please find below a list of recent and upcoming events.

Christmas Concerts

There was great excitement last Friday 13th of December for this year’s Christmas concerts. The children all performed so well. We hope you all enjoyed it. The drumming performances by all classes were most definitely the highlight for the children. Thanks to Eimhín Craddock of Drumadore for teaching the children these past 6 weeks & being available on the day for the performances.

Thanks to St Thomas’ GAA & especially Richard Egan for the use of the hall. Thanks to the members of the Parents Council who helped to set up & decorate the hall on the Thursday evening before the concert. The Parents Council also paid for the bus to transport children to & from the hall.

Thanks to all the class teachers for preparing the children so well. Thanks also to all other staff members that helped in any way to help prepare for the concerts.

Art & Craft Group

As part of a lunchtime social group initiative, some of our children from 3rd to 6th class made Christmas cards and decorations. They were on sale at the Christmas Concert. Everything sold & the children made €173.50. The proceeds will go towards funding the next craft group which will take place next term. The children involved were delighted & thank you, as always, for your support.

Swimming

Swimming lessons for children from 3rd to 6th are going ahead in Kilcornan swimming pool in the New Year. They will commence on 8th of January & will run for 6 weeks. A separate letter with further details will be sent out with the children this week. Thanks to all the parents who have agreed to help with supervision.

Kilchreest NS Inter-School’s Fundraising Table Quiz

After an absence of a few years we will be running the Inter-Schools Table Quiz for children from 3rd – 6th class. The date has been booked for Thursday 23rd of January in St Brigid’s College Loughrea. We will need some help from parents to help run this. Further information will follow in the New Year.

Teachers Gifts

You are always so generous with gifts for teachers & they are very much appreciated. Teachers fully recognise that Christmas is an expensive time on families. Teachers do not expect gifts as they do not want to put further expense on you.

School Closures

• Christmas Holidays: Friday 20th December. School closing at 12:30pm. Buses will run as normal. School reopening Monday 6th January.
• Staff Meeting: Wednesday 15th January. Children go home at 1:45pm. Buses will run as normal.
• School In-Service Closure: Friday 15th of March. This is to facilitate Whole Staff Engagement with the New Primary Maths Curriculum & OIde Support with the New Primary Language Curriculum.

I would like to wish you & your families a Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at the above number or via e-mail should you have any queries in relation to any of the above.

Yours sincerely,

Francis O’Connor
Principal