Information Note - Back to School (Tuesday, 30th August 2022)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I hope that you have enjoyed a fun-filled summer break with your friends and family. We have been busy preparing for this year’s return to school and we are very much looking forward to welcoming your child back for the 2022/2023 academic year. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new Junior Infant class, to new pupils who have joined us this year and to new staff members also.

I hope that this Information Note answers any questions you may have about our return on Tuesday next, 30^th August. Please read it carefully and discuss any changes or new routines with your child. Most of the information here is common practice now in Golden National School but I am mindful of new entrants/parents who may not be familiar with procedures and arrangements from the previous academic year.

Allocation of Classes & Staff

GAA Complex

The Department of Education has sanctioned Golden N.S. to continue our occupancy in the two spacious classrooms in the GAA complex from the beginning of this academic year. These two rooms will be occupied by Mr. McCarthy (5^th& 6^th class) and Mr. Hennessy (3^rd and 4^th class).

School Building

1^st & 2^nd class (Ms. Ryan) will be located in the school building along with Junior and Senior Infants (Ms. O’Brien).

Two of the three classrooms located at the front of the school will again be utilised as Special Educational Teaching (SET) rooms by Ms. Kelly and Ms. Corbett. The third room is currently under development to create a sensory area/space for our pupils.

Reopening date – Tuesday, 30^th August 2022

Junior Infants

As this is an exceptional time for our new Junior Infants, the start time for their FIRST DAY ONLY will be brought forward to 09:00 a.m. to allow sufficient time and space for children and parents/guardians. Their schedule for the initial two weeks is outlined below.

• 09:00 - 12:00 p.m. (Tuesday, 30^th August) 
• 09:30 – 12:30 p.m. (Wednesday, 31^st August to Wednesday, 14^th September inclusive)
• 09:30 - 14.10 p.m. (Thursday, 15^th September onwards)

*Please refer to your Welcome Pack received during Induction in June if you require any further information*

Senior Infants – Sixth Class

Our normal timetable, starting at 09:30 a.m., will apply to Senior Infants and all other classes from Tuesday, 30^th August. Senior Infants will finish at 02.10 p.m. from the start with all other classes finishing at 03:10 p.m.

Class Routines

*Please note: To settle back into the new school year, children will partake in an Induction morning with their teacher in their classrooms on our first morning back.

Junior & Senior Infants (Ms. O’Brien)

Junior and Senior will enter and exit through the external door of their classroom at all times. Ms. O’Brien will accompany the children to and from the classroom for assembly (exception made for their first morning at 09.00 a.m. where parents can bring their child to the classroom door if they wish). Infants will use the same cloakroom located at the back of their classroom.

1^st & 2^nd Class (Ms. Ryan)

1^st and 2^nd class will assemble in the Astroturf area where they will be collected by their teacher. The children will enter and exit their classroom through the external door by Harry’s Garden at all times. Ms. Ryan will accompany the children to and from their classroom for assembly.

3^rd & 4^th Class (Mr. Hennessy)

3^rd and 4^th class pupils will walk along the pedestrian crossing from the ‘School Zone’ to the main door of the GAA complex. Mr. Hennessy will accompany the children to and from their classroom in the GAA complex for assembly and break times.

5^th & 6^th Class (Mr. McCarthy)

5^th and 6^th class pupils will walk along the pedestrian crossing from the ‘School Zone’ to the main door of the GAA complex. Mr. McCarthy will accompany the children to and from their classroom in the GAA complex for assembly and break times.

Booklists, Pencil Cases & Labelling

Our new Book Rental Scheme is now in place for 2022/2023 academic year. A Booklist for each class level is available at https://www.goldenns.ie/parent-area/book-lists/. Your child has also received a hardcopy for your convenience. You’ll notice that each Booklist consists of two sections, a top and bottom section. 

Top section: This section outlines a list of physical and digital resources that the school will provide at a specified cost for each class grade. This figure was due by Friday, 17th June 2022 via Aladdin Connect epayments which has been received in full by the majority. Thank you for your assistance with this new scheme.  

Bottom section: This section outlines a list of workbooks, copybooks/folders and stationery that parents will need to arrange for their child/children in preparation for our return to school on Tuesday, 30th August 2022.

All children are required to have their personal belongings and items for school labelled accordingly.

School Bags & Lunches

• All books, copies and stationery are to be brought in your child’s school bag on their first day back
• School bags can be used to carry lunch boxes, homework packs, coats etc. from the second day onwards
• Discretionary time (approximately five to ten minutes) will be allocated in advance of both break times for children to eat their lunches in class
• Where possible, children are asked to keep any rubbish in their lunch boxes to dispose of at home each day
• Please adhere to our Healthy Lunch Policy. Fun-size treats are welcomed on Friday’s only.

Homework

Homework will not be assigned initially. The focus for the beginning of the academic year will be on the wellbeing of children and allowing them to re-adjust to school life and routine following the summer break.

School Uniforms/Tracksuits

Following a survey in June 2022 amongst our parent community, the school uniform will consist of our school tracksuit only. Therefore, our formal uniform previously worn on Tuesday and Thursday will be phased out from September 2022. Pupils can still wear their formal uniform if they so wish, particularly if they don't have a second tracksuit top as of yet.

If you have a school tracksuit half-zip top ordered, you can collect it from the school office on Monday next from 01:30-02:30pm. Another order will be placed with O'Neills in Term 1 if you wish to purchase an additional tracksuit top for your child/children. 

From September 2022, all pupils will wear their school tracksuit from Monday to Friday each week. This informal uniform will strictly consist of the following: 

• O'Neills grey/green school tracksuit top (ordered via school office)
• Sky blue plain collared t-shirt (non crested with no branding)
• Plain navy tracksuit bottoms or shorts (only navy in colour permitted)
• Comfortable footwear

Drop-off/Collection

The new drop-off/collection routine has worked extremely well over the last two years. Well done to everyone for adjusting seamlessly. There are just a few points to note in the interests of everyone’s safety.

In the morning:

• Parents/Guardians are asked to park for a brief time in a marked lay-by area or in an available parking space where their child/children can safely enter our ‘School Zone’ before accessing the Assembly area
• Those who wish to park their car and walk their child to our ‘School Zone’ may do so without causing congestion for arriving cars
• To provide safer access to the School Zone, children are asked to walk along the GAA track inside the wall rather than walking alongside parked or moving cars. There is an access point to the track behind the GAA goalposts
• Your child is only permitted to enter for Assembly from 09:20a.m. where a supervising teacher will be on duty

In the afternoon:

• Parents/Guardians are asked to physically collect their child from the School Zone
• The supervising teacher and/or class teacher will release your child/children to you as you approach the entry point to the Astroturf area
• Children must return to the Astroturf area at the end of each school day with their teacher to maximise safety
• Again, to provide a safer return to your car, children are asked to walk along the GAA track inside the wall rather than walking alongside parked or moving cars
• Please ensure to collect your child on time at their allocated finish time each day.

Parking in the GAA Grounds:

• You are asked to park in an allocated parking space only in the GAA grounds.
• Disabled bays and double yellow lines are not permitted as they pose a risk to oncoming cars or persons walking
• No car should be parking up at the front of the school, except in emergency circumstances
• Markings for lay-by parking are for parents to safely drop off their child in the morning
• To safely access our School Zone, children and parents are asked to cross via the pedestrian crossing markings or to walk along the GAA track

Assembly Area (Astroturf & School Zone):

• Parents/Guardians are not permitted to enter our Assembly area in order to avoid congestion

Communication/Contact

There will be no access to the classrooms for parents. Parents and staff are asked to communicate via phone call, email or Aladdin app.

If you need to collect your child during school hours, please update your Aladdin app or inform the office/class teacher in advance where possible.

Calendar

Please see School Calendar for 2022/2023 academic year attached. It is also available on the homepage of school website.

Welcome Back!

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all in our school community the very best for a healthy, happy and successful academic year.

Back to school can be an anxious and challenging time for children, parents/guardians and staff. If you have any concerns, please contact the school and we will do our very best to ease any of your worries. Ní neart go cur le chéile.

If you need clarification or further detail on any aspect of this notice, you can contact me directly by email at principalgoldenns@gmail.com.

Is mise le meas,

James McCarthy

Principal