Holy Family National School,  

                                                                                             Rathmore, Co. Kerry.

                                   Tel. 064/7758492 Mobile:0861806018                                                            

                                                                                  e-mail hfnsrathmorekerry@gmail.com

                                                                                                    http://hfnsrathmorekerry.blogspot.ie

13thMay2021                                                                                                             

Dear Parents,

PARENTS COMMITTEE UPDATE

Quiz

A big thank you to our Parents Committee who organised a Virtual Quiz to replace our Easter Quiz held annually in the school. Thank you also to Donagh Hickey for the three beautiful hampers and congratulations to 

Joint First Winners: Sarah & Emily Moss / Alan & Eoghan O’Leary  

Joint Second Winners: Aoife & Áine Fitzpatrick / Clodagh & Tiernan O’Callaghan.  

The Quiz raised a total of €1500 (€520 in cash and €980 by card). New goalposts were added to our playground and our Sports Equipment has been topped up also so all classes can have access to suitable equipment for PE and lunchtimes promoting healthy lifestyles.

Outdoor Classroom and Sensory Trail

The funds raised are being invested in playground markings and an outdoor classroom and sensory trail. We require in the region of €10,000 to complete the full project. Thank you to the Special Education Team who have been researching and planning the area. Parents have helped out in many ways and we look forward to unveiling the first phase of the project in June. We wish to express our gratitude to all the parents and friends of Holy Family who have helped out to date.  If you are available to help with staining or painting some evening of the week of May 24th please let the school know.  

RETURN TO EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PARENTAL DECLARATION FORM

A student returning to school after being absent for any reason please complete the Return to Educational Facility Declaration Form on the right hand side of the School Blog. Alternatively you can bring a note to school using the wording of the official declaration we sent home previously.

DRESS-UP DAY – MARCH 26th

The children were delighted to dress up on the day of the Easter holidays, Friday March 26th.  It raised €400.   Thank you to all who supported it. We sent this donation to Epilepsy Ireland.  

FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION

As you are aware, present regulations do not allow us to go ahead with the First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies.  The current regulation says that First communion or Confirmation should not take place at present.  As we are not sure when this regulation will change we will make a final decision on June 8th and inform you that evening.  Thank you for your patience.  We hope to have First Confessions in our outdoor classroom in June.  The First Communion was due to take place on Saturday the 1st May. To mark the occasion the Second Class went on a local trail organised by Ms O’Mahony and Ms Casey. They learned a little about the Monks who lived in Rathmore from Fr Pat who joined them on the walk. They stopped in to the church for a prayer on their walk and caught their breath and cooled down with a nice treat at the Grotto on a beautiful Spring morning.

SCHOOL BOOK FAIR

Our school bookfair was held from Mon. 19th April to Mon. 26th April in our school library.  Unfortuantely because of Covid this year, parents were not allowed attend.  Thank you to all the children who supported our school book fair. It was a great success. Total sales from the Book fair came to €1893.10 and a total commission of €1351.26 was earned and this allowed our teachers to purchase wonderful books for their classroom libraries.  A special word of thanks to Ms Fitzgerald, Ms Cremin and the SNA’s who helped run the book fair and of course to the children who were so well organised and courteous at all times.

Vince Cooper / Colm O Brien

Kerry Games Development officers Vince Cooper and Colm O’Brien are visiting the school this term helping the children with their fundamental movement and skills development.  The children are really enjoying the visits and our coaches are nurturing the development of their hurling and football skills. 

GREEN SCHOOLS 

We were awarded our 7th Green Flag just prior to the first Covid closure. This was awarded due to the committees work on the theme of Global Citizenship and Energy. We will begin work towards our next Green Flag in September and the theme will be Global Citizenship and Marine. Thank you to Mr Dineen for leading this initiative. 

In conjunction with the National Spring Clean all of our classes will carry out a litter pick on the school grounds.  This forms part of our on-going efforts to look after the environment.  

SCHOOL TOURS

Schools are encouraged to minimise the use of buses for school tours this year, to keep it local and avoid long trips. We are arranging a fun filled day for each class including activities that support social distancing, promote physical activity and help positive wellbeing.

GRADUATION 

The following is some of the guidance that has been issued by the Department of Education in relation to 6th Class end of year activities; 

The final months of the academic year are a time of excitement and occasion for all children and in particular those children in Sixth Class, as they look forward with anticipation and celebration to the traditional rites of passage as well as ceremonies to mark the end of the school year.  The Department has advised it is not possible for schools to carry these out in the traditional format again this year but schools can continue to hold end of year graduation ceremonies for sixth class pupils and should maintain any such ceremonies within the existing pods and bubble structure. Schools will be in a position to hold this ceremony in the school and while there has been a further easing of restrictions, schools will not be in a position to facilitate the attendance of parents or other family members. 

We are exploring ways of marking the occasion remotely for family members to capture and celebrate a pupil’s time in school. The core objective of any decision for holding a ceremony, is that any activity is operated in a safe manner and must adhere to public health advice.

ROOF WORKS AND SOLAR PANELS

Mr Tommie Finnegan has commenced work on Phase 2 of our roof which is being carried out outside of school hours. The team are making good progress despite the poor weather and we hope they will have the remaining parts of the roof replaced in the next 3 weeks. We were delighted to be successful in our application for an upgrade to our solar panels.  Our new system will supply hot water all year round and also reduce our carbon footprint.

LEE STRAND

Once again we will be registering with Lee Strand for free homework journals for pupils from 1st to 6th classes. 

We are short about 220 tokens to make up the required amount.  

For each journal, we need 10 Green 100% renewable cap & Carton Mighty Mike tokens and only found on the 1 litre & 2 litre Lee Strand Cartons.  

(picture shown)  

Please do your best from now until June and even over the summer holidays to collect these tokens.  Thank You.

A big thank you to all the boys and girls who have brought in tokens during the year.

FEAST OF ST. BRENDAN

Next Sunday May 16, is the feast of St Brendan.  There is a particular way in which all in the diocese can mark the feast and it is suggested that parishes, schools, clubs, businesses and households put out a flag from the evening of Friday May 14 to the morning of Monday May 17.

As the freedoms we have in our lives increase, the flags can be a mark of our gratitude to those who worked in front-line, emergency and essential services in the difficult early months of this year and also an expression of thanks to those who are currently administering the vaccines to us all.

While many may wish to put up a religious or Papal flag or emblem outside their home, a county, parish or any similar flag is perfectly sufficient.  As we continue to limit our contacts, we do not need to go shopping for a flag, we can just fly one which we may already have available in our homes. 

MAY – THE MONTH OF OUR LADY

In keeping with our school tradition, we are reciting a decade of the Rosary each morning during the month of May in honour of Our Lady.  Pupils from Third to Sixth classes take turns each day to recite it over our intercom.  The Rosary is recited at the Grotto near Holy Family NS each evening at 8.30pm not just for the month of May but throughout the whole year. 

VICTORIA SOUTH INFIRMARY HOSPITAL 

Well done to the Fifth Class who sent some beautiful artwork completed with Mr McCarthy to Cork to decorate the Testing Centre. It certainly brightened up the area for the Frontline Staff and attendees. We offer a special word of congratulations to Angelika Gabryelska who was awarded a prize for her colourful contribution and appeared in the Evening Echo newspaper. 

SCHOOL UNIFORM

As we approach the end of the school year, it is important that children wear their proper school uniform, which includes black shoes.  As the weather gets warmer, children are in the habit of taking off their jumpers during breaks.  Please make sure that your child’s name is marked on the uniform jumper so that they can be easily identified.  Also if the weather is sunny please ensure that children wear sun screen coming to school.  We ask that children who wear shorts to school in the summer term wear ones similar to the school uniform and examples are on the school blog.

WELCOME BACK 

We welcome back Ms. Áine O’Donoghue who returned to school on Tues 4th May to First Class and we wish Ms. Maura Kelly a safe confinement as she commences her maternity leave.

OFFICE HOURS 

Should you wish to contact the school at any point Maureen and Aisling the school secretaries are in the office Monday, Thursday and Friday 9am -1pm and daily 3-5pm. Outside these hours it is best to ring the school/school mobile. 

SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICES

Please note that eye care, hearing and dental services are available free of charge to all primary school children.  If you need any information please contact the school.

SCHOOL BLOG

Please log in to school blog frequently where you will find links and information on Internet Safety, homework etc.  http://hfnsrathmorekerry.blogspot.ie/

NEWSLETTER BY EMAIL

If you wish to receive our newsletter by email, please send a confirmation email to hfnsrathmorekerry@gmail.com  

DATES TO REMEMBER

Closed Monday 7th June (Public Holiday)

Closing Friday 25th June for Summer Holidays

Calendar for 2021-22

School opens Monday 30th August 

Closed Monday 25th October to Friday 29th October (Mid Term)

Closed Wed. December 8th 

Closing Wednesday 22nd December to Wednesday 5th January, 2022 (Christmas holidays)

Re-opening Thursday 6th January, 2022

Closed Thursday 24th and Friday 25th February (Mid-Term)

Closed Thursday 17th March (Public Holiday) and Friday 18th March

Closed Monday 11th April to Friday 22nd April (Easter Holidays)

Re-opening Monday 25th April, 2022

Closed Monday 2nd May (Public Holiday)

Closed Monday 6th June (Public Holiday)

Closing Friday 24th June for Summer Holidays