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Newsletter 19th June

Reports & Booklists
School reports for this year and booklists for next year will issue in the coming days. Please note that while there is still a charge for various items such as the use of Aladdin, pupils personal accident insurance etc. (detailed in booklists), the cost of books and copies will be covered by the publicly funded ‘free books’ scheme so the total amount will be less than in previous years.

Superstars Summer Camp
Takes place from Thursday 29th June to Wednesday 5th July. Please return forms immediately as places are limited. Thank you.

Donations
A big thank you to members of the school community who have volunteered assistance of various forms during the year but wish to remain anonymous. If any of you have any uniforms in decent condition that will not be needed in future, we can make good use of them if you wish to donate. Thank you.

Amber Flag
The Pieta Amber Flag Initiative recognises the individual efforts of schools and other groups to create healthy, inclusive environments that support mental well-being. We raised ours recently!

Cúl Camps
GAA summer camp being held in Ballylinan again this year.
Details and booking.

Thank You
As my time in Ballylinan draws to a close, there are many people that I would like to thank. Firstly, all the pupils I have worked with here who have provided me with so many fun and educational moments. The pupils here are the best behaved and most kind and considerate of all the pupils I have taught – take a bow! Thanks to the members of the Board of Management who volunteer their services for the good of the school; to you parents who support the school and who have been so good to work with; to those who give their time to the Parents Association; to those of you who have had kind words for me recently; to the ancillary staff of the school for all their work that’s done so well; to members of various local sports clubs and community groups for their help and encouragement; to Fr. Shelley and the dedicated people of Arles Parish.

I especially want to thank all the staff of the school (past as well as present) for their superb work and for all the dedication and exceptional care and attention that they give to your children. The positive, supportive and fun atmosphere in this school is simply a joy to behold. It has been an honour to serve as principal in Ballylinan and I will take with me so many of my happiest memories. I would like to warmly congratulate Mrs. Hurley on her appointment and wish her every success. The school will be in very good hands and I know that you will continue your very valued support in the coming years.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Summer Arrangements
Remember that school closes on Wednesday, 28th June for the summer holidays (12:15 for Infants and 12:30 for all others). We reopen for all pupils on Wednesday, 30th August. See our 2023/24 Calendar.

Thank you for your support as always,

John Threadgold
Principal

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Newsletter 18th May

First Communion
Well done to the pupils of 2nd Class and a big thank you to everyone who played a part in preparing them and for making the ceremony a special occasion. We hope that everyone had a lovely family day.

Don’t be Mean Behind Your Screen
Was the title of an internet safety talk for parents held in the school recently. It certainly gave everyone who attended plenty to think about. Please be aware of how your child is active online. If you weren’t able to make it, we hope to hold further information sessions in the future.

Presentation
Marie Kelly on behalf of Tesco Portlaoise recently presented the school with a cheque for €578 from their community fund. A big thank you to those involved.

Preschool Places
Contact Classy Kidz at 089 2161320 or email annblake@outlook.ie if you have any queries.

Easter Raffle
The total collected for our Easter Raffle & Cake Sale was €2205.38. Thank you all for your wonderful support as always.

Cumann na mBunscol Quiz Team
Well done to Orla, Devin, Zach and Liam for making it through against stiff competition to represent the school at the annual table quiz in Portlaoise this week. They enjoyed themselves and got to show off their considerable general knowledge. If you see them, ask them a question!

Incoming Junior Infants
Our new pupils (with their parents) will be visiting us on the afternoon of Tuesday, 30th May for an introduction to the school.

Calendar 2023/24
School will reopen for all pupils after the summer holidays on Wednesday, 30th August.

New Principal Appointed
The Board of Management has confirmed that Mrs. Aileen Hurley has been appointed as incoming principal. Mrs. Hurley is currently deputy principal and has been teaching in Ballylinan since 2005. She will officially take over at the beginning of the coming school year.

Upcoming Closures
Please note that school will close at 2 p.m. for all pupils on Monday, 29th May so that staff can receive first aid training.  Further staff training for the Primary Language Curriculum will now take place on Friday, 2nd June so school will be closed for pupils on that day.

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Newsletter 29th March

Confirmation
Well done to the pupils of 6th Class on making their Confirmation last Saturday. A big thank you to everyone who played a part in preparing them and for making the ceremony a special occasion.

Quiz Teams
Well done to our four quiz teams who made it through to the final of the St. Abban’s Quiz. They may not know all the answers but they obviously know lots of them!

Uniform Matters
We’re all proud of our school and our uniform and we have been making an extra effort this week to ask the pupils to wear theirs. There has been a big improvement so well done and thank you all.

If you have a genuine reason why your child can’t wear their uniform on a particular day, just let their teacher know and we will be understanding if it is an exception.

A reminder that our uniform is as follows:
Green jumper/cardigan, white shirt, grey trousers/skirt/pinafore.

Our tracksuit is available through the school and is to be worn with a white polo shirt on P.E. days only. Replacement navy legs (plain only) may be purchased in any shop. In warm weather, plain navy shorts of an appropriate (knee) length may be worn. Grey, tailored knee-length shorts with the main uniform are also acceptable. Football shorts etc. are not acceptable. We recommend practical footwear, preferably in a dark colour.

The use of hair dye is not permitted during term time and we encourage pupils to tie up their hair. Earrings should be neat (no large loops etc.) and fake nails or nail extensions are not permitted. We discourage the wearing of other jewellery for health and safety reasons and because it can get lost or damaged.

Here are examples:

Standard Uniform:

Tracksuit:

Warm Weather:

Standardised Tests
These will take place in the last term for pupils in 1st – 6th classes. It is important to note that they are not exams; they help us to track your child’s progress and to inform us how the children in our school are progressing generally. Teachers gather information about your child’s learning all the time and these tests are part of that process.

Spelling Bee Champion!
Congratulations to Devin McEvoy on winning the Laois section of the Spelling Bee Competition. He will represent Laois in the Leinster final which will take place in May. The best of luck Devin!

Super Stars Summer Camp
As in previous years, our fun-filled activity camp (run by teachers) will take place from Thursday 29th June – Wednesday 5th July. Details to follow.

Seachtain na Gaeilge
Bhaineamar taitneamh as na gníomhaíochtaí éagsúla a bhí againn i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge. Féach ar Instagram: ballylinanns

Inside Out Day
The Amber Flag initiative is run by Pieta House which recognises the efforts of schools (and other organisations) to create healthy, inclusive environments that support mental wellbeing. Inside Out Day aims to raise awareness of children’s mental health and to remind us that how someone looks on the outside doesn’t always reflect how they are truly feeling on the inside. We are asking our pupils to wear something inside out this Friday.

Cake Sale
We will be holding our Cake Sale tomorrow, Thursday 30th March, in the school. All proceeds will go to UNICEF and Pieta House. See separate notice on Aladdin for more details.

Easter
We will close for the Easter holidays this Friday, 31st March at 12:15 for Infants and 12:30 for all others. We reopen after Easter on Monday, 17th April.