Dear Parents,
Welcome to Holy Child Junior School. We thank you for entrusting your child to us and assure you of the highest academic and social standards for your childs formative years.
The school has been in existence for over sixty years now, and we feel we have made a very worthwhile contribution to the people of Whitehall/Santry. We now find our former pupils are returning to us with their children which is the greatest compliment of all.
This booklet has been devised to deal with the many questions that arise over the first year of your child's school life. We hope you find it of help to you. Please feel free to contact the school at any time if the information you require is not in this booklet.
Thank you.
Mairead O'Shaughnessy. N.T. B.A. H.dip.Ed.
Principal.
Holy Child Junior School is housed in the bottom half of a large 2 storey building between Larkhill Road (front) and Glenaan Road (rear). All children must enter and leave Junior School from Glenaan Road, where special barriers are erected to ensure childrens' safety. Children proceed through grey gates into Junior School yard and then into school itself through cloakroom entrances at either end of yard.
Children then line up in individual lanes in the cloakrooms where their teachers await to bring them to their classrooms. Parents are asked not to enter cloakroom lanes as this causes congestion.
The building itself is a handsome well-maintained one with, high ceilings, wooden floors and large bright well-ventilated classrooms thus creating a very healthy atmosphere for the pupils, particularly those with asthma or bronchial problems. Thanks to our industrious Cleaners and Caretakers a high standard of hygiene is maintained inside and out. The large playing area with mural ensures plenty of room for letting off steam in a happy playful way. A selection of games on the surface of the yard re-inforces mathematical and literacy concepts while at play.
The grey gates are locked before children enter the yard at 12 noon. The teachers supervise the yard in rota each day 12 - 12.30pm.
Mrs. Nora Brennan Room 11 is the Deputy Principal and holds full responsibility for school in Principa'ls absence. Our staff at present consists of nine teachers and Principal. Mrs. Audrey O'Rourke is our School Secretary in Room 1.
Starting school brings about a big change in the lives of young children. Up until now they have spent most of their time in the sheltered security of the home or among small groups of peers in playschool. Soon they will have to spend the day with many other children. They will have to get used to the large school building and to seeing and mixing with a few hundred children in the playground. Happily, for most children, this transition from home to school goes smoothly. You, as parents, can do much to help your child with this transition and to ensure a certain measure of necessary independence.
a) Help your child to have a positive attitude towards school. If you threaten the teacher on him/her you cannot expect your child to be happy in school. Don't let older children frighten then with horror stories.
b) Make sure your child gets enough sleep. For beginners the school day is long and tiring and they would need to be asleep before 8 o'clock each night.
c) Ensure that your child has a good breakfast to start each day and plenty of time to eat it. Hunger can cause children to be sleepy and lacking in concentration. This makes it hard for them to enjoy school.
d) Buy clothing which is easy to
fasten. Encourage your child to put on/take off his/her own clothing
without assistance and to tie laces/velcro. Please ensure all removable articles
of clothing are clearly marked. Initials are not sufficient. Loss/misplacement
of clothing can cause your child unnecessary anxiety.
e) Teach your child to repeat his/her name and address and to know his fathers' and mothers' christian name. Also help your child to recognise his/her own name among others. This can make it easier for him/her to find his coat and other belongings.
f) Teach your child to use the toilet properly and to wash/dry hands after using toilet. He/she should be able to use tissue for nose correctly and dispose of tissue correctly e.g. in the bin.
g) Teach him/her 5/6 most popular Nursery Rhymes (marvellous for speech, pre-reading, rhythm etc.)
h) Buy the correct size of school bag for child. The workbooks can measure 12” x 8” so many bags are too small. Make sure your child can open and close bag easily by him/herself.
i) Lost property - 2 baskets are provided at either end of the school, please check for same.
At a time (usually late May/ early June), convenient to school we ask you to bring your child along to meet his/her new teacher and classmates. Parents are asked to pay an enrolment fee on this day. This will be offset against the price of child's books. A book grant is available for parents in straitened circumstances. The amount is determined by the DES. Please consult Principal for same. On the welcoming day you will receive your child's book list and may ask any questions not already dealt with here.
A small carton of milk plus bun or sandwich is supplied by the Corporation each day. This is eaten at 10.30am. Fruit is supplied on 2 days i.e W.ednesday and Thursday. This school promotes a "Healthy Lunch" policy therefore no crisps, fizzy drinks, pop-corn, chewing-gum etc. are allowed. Please ensure your child does not have large sweets or pieces of fruit which may choke him. Yogurts and petit filous are best left till Senior Infants and 1st class.
Children are encouraged to drink pure juice in cartons (no glass bottles please), a sandwich or roll, small oranges etc. Please peel large oranges before placing in lunch box.
School uniform for boys consists of royal blue jumper, white shirt, blue tie and grey trousers. Uniform for girls consists of royal blue jumper, white shirt, blue tieand grey pinafore. These can be bought in any chain store. Good sturdy safe school shoes are essential. Runners must be worn on P.E. days. Uniform is obligatory on all days except P.E. day.Please ask your class teacher for details of same.
Should the weather be exceptionally hot, t-shirt and shorts or dress may be worn if Principal allows.
All articles of clothing must be clearly marked with child's name. No responsibility will be borne by school for coats, jumpers etc. lost or mislaid, see paragraph on lost property.
Please leave “theme” clothes at home e.g. Adidas
, Man.Utd. etc. These are expensive items and may be lost or stolen.
Punctuality is the responsibility of parents. Where a child is frequently late for school parents will be notified.
The official opening time of the school is 9.05am. Children should not be on the premises before this time. There is no supervision provided for children before this time when the school insurance cover commences. The Board of Management is not responsible for children left on the school premises before or after official school times.
In very inclement weather school doors may be open to let children/parents in before 9.05am. Children must be supervised by parents or some responsible adult. Between 9.05am and 9.15am is assembly time. All children are expected to commence work at 9.15am sharp.
Infant classes finish at 1.50pm each day. First class finish at 2pm.
Parents are requested to wait outside in the yard to collect their children from the relevant exit doors. Parents are asked not to congregate on corridors outside classroom doors. In winter time or very wet weather parents may enter and wait in the lobby at the very end of the school..Please do not come to collect your child before 1.50 unless he/she has a medical appointment of which we have been informed.
Children who are not collected on time are sent to wait outside Principals office. Parents/Guardians will be phoned if necessary.
Children may not be sent to the class of an older brother or sister in the Senior Schools, except in exceptional circumstances and only with the prior approval of the other Principals.
Many children now travel to school on public transport e.g. mini-buses and C.I.E. Responsibility for childrens' safe arrival and departure on these buses rests solely on the parents. When engaging a mini-bus for your child please ensure that it arrives at school on time. This has not always been the case in the past. Children have arrived in as late as 9.40am, through no fault of their own, thus disrupting classes and losing a lot of valuable school time themselves.
Children are not supervised by teachers as they go to and from these buses.
Parents are requested not to drive into the school yard at any time. Do not park opposite the entrances to the school nor on the sidewalk in such a way as to block a child's view of on-coming traffic.
Please re-inforce your child in road-safety habits. Tell them to obey the Lollipop lady or man implicitly.
Be aware that Glenaan Road is a one-way system from 8.30am to 9.30am each morning Monday to Friday. Entry to Glenaan Road is from the "green" side.
If absent from school for more than three days a written explanation should be brought to the teacher on the day of return unless the parent calls in person. If a child is going away on holidays during the term the school should be notified in advance. If a child has to leave school early or be absent for part of the day, a written note must be given to the class teacher. If a note is not received the child will not be released unless:
a) The parent calls to the Principals office for permission to take the child from school.
b) The parent phones the school (the school may ask for confirmation of this by returning the call).
If a child is to be hospitalised for any length please notify the school in advance.
Children may not be collected from class at any time during school day without first consulting Principal or Deputy-Principal.
Please be aware that school absence is now monitord by the National E ducational Welfare Board. A child who misses 20 schooldays or has a continuous pattern of non-attendance must be reported to the NEWB. This body will then contact the parents involved. Continuous late arrival is regarded as absence.
Children are expected to go to the yard unless a written excuse is provided to the teacher/principal. The yard is supervised at all times. Children who for one reason or another cannot go to the yard are sent to sit outside the Staff Room door, where they may play with suitable material, read books etc.
Children are expected to behave properly in the yard and not hurt or fight with other children. Failure to comply with school rules may lead to child being kept in.
For Junior Infants the first weeks in the yard can be quite upsetting so please prepare your child well for the experience. Children will be introduced gradually to the yard.
Any infectious illness should be notified to the school without delay.
If your child feels unwell in the morning before school please do not send him/her in. It causes a lot of disruption to both teacher and class as a sick child is an upset child and really wants his/her mother.
Medication of any sort cannot be given by the teachers in school. If your child needs inhalers etc. please ensure he/she knows how to use them.
If you do not wish your child to take part in P.E. or the yard for medical reasons please inform teacher in writing.
Any medical problem associated with your child should be discussed thoroughly on enrolment. Please make sure it is noted on enrolment form.
This is a most difficult and recurring problem in all schools. Please fine comb your childs hair each week after bath time to ensure a clean head. More time and money is spent on trying to eliminate this problem. Constant vigilance is the only protection as the infection can go around the class endlessly, if all parents do not tackle the problem at the same time. Some lotions and shampoos on the market can be very severe and should not be over-used. A fine comb is still the best method of ensuring a healthy head. Bone/ivory fine combs are the best and will keep their shape.
First Class Girls only (first class boys examined in Boys School) have their eyes and ears examined in school. Referrals if necessary are to the local clinic.
Each Eastern Health Board Clinic has certain tests available on certain days. Please contact Clinic personally.
It is most important that Eastern Health Board forms are returned correctly and promptly to school.
The school has a well-stocked library to which children are brought by their teacher. Senior Infants and 1st Class children may "borrow" a book each Tuesday and return it the following Tuesday.
Room 15 is our Language Development room which aims to promote the childrens' language, speech, comprehension, through carefully constructed "play", through drama, sound studio, graded exercises etc. Children call room 15 the "playroom" and you will see why when you visit it.
We have a large General Purpose Room equipped with up to-date P.E. equipment. P.E. is regarded as a very important part of the curriculum. Here the children develop skills which hopefully will encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle later on.
Our fully equipped Computer Room was opened on
December 4th 1997. All classes attend instruction in I.T. weekly.
.
Irish Dancing takes place at 2pm each Friday in Rooms 6 & 7 with Mrs. Crean. In the case of an early closure dancing commences at 12 noon.
Speech and Drama takes place on Mondayand Thursday 2pm - 2.40pm. On early closing days Speech and Drama is at 12 noon.
We hope to be in the position to offer Ballet classes again soon.
Junior Infant children have the option of getting their photograph taken in full uniform during 1st or 2nd term. Parental permission is obtained in advance and there is no obligation to purchase.
All children attend Drama classes weekly.
On Thursdays Madame Biollay -Kennedy instructs all classes in French.
S.E.S.E. conduct wonderful Science -based workshops with our pupils. on a yearly basis.
Whitehall Colmcille GAA clubhave been involved in coaching skills in our school before and hope to resume very shortly again.
A fire-drill is conducted at least once a term, sometimes confined to Infant School, sometimes in conjunction with Senior School.
Our School chaplin visits all classes on a rota basis.
It had been the practise of this school to mount a concert every second year to allow children an opportunity to engage in stage work and display their talents. Thisiwas usually a very enjoyable event and promoteed great co-operation between parents and school. Last concert was our Millennium (2,000) extravaganza in The Helix .Less formal shows are presented at Christmas i.e. Nativity Play and end -of - year by individual classes and by the Speech and Drama teacher.
Each year children may be brought to a farm, puppet theatre, show etc. Adequate notice is given beforehand and written parental permission obtained. Some parents may be asked to go along as volunteer helpers. In any event our Classroom Assistant and teachers provide total supervision. Only reliable insured companies are engaged by the school for these trips.
In the week before St. Patricks Day Mrs. Crean supervises a Ceili for all classes to celebrate our National Feast Day. Parents are most welcome to come along and take part if they wish.
For the past number of years Santa has visited our Annual Christmas Party, with balloons, sweets etc. We hope he continues to do so.
We hold one formal Parent /teacher meeting a year outside of school hours.As this is a Junior School most parents see teacher on a daily basis. If you wish to discuss your child's progress in depth please ring or call to school for an appointment. This enables the teacher to have a progress report ready for you. It also ensures minimum disruption to her class. The Principal will arrange supervision for the class so both teacher and parent may talk in privacy. Should either teacher or parent have a problem regarding child's progress both are free to call on Principal at an appointed time.
Be assured of our interest in your child's emotional and academic progress at all times. Likewise we depend on you to inform us of any problem e.g. illness, death, marital strife which impinges on child's emotional well being.
The principal means of communicating with parents is still through a letter or note sent home with your child. Please check your child's bag daily for same. Copies of important notices may be found in both toilet blocks and on corridors. Occasionally we may have to phone you so your Euro application fee is used for that purpose.Should you change house or phone number don't forget to tell us.
It is essential that your child-minder (if you have one) is familiar with all aspects of school routine, so please give them an opportunity to read this booklet. Better still take an extra copy and leave it with her.
The school is managed by the Board of Management which consists of a Chairperson nominated by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Principal, a teacher representing the staff, a nominee of the Patron i.e. (Archbishop), two parents' representatives i.e. a father and mother of pupils currently enrolled in the school. These representatives may not be husband and wife.
This core group of six then nominate a further two members from the local community. These members may or may not be parents of children currently in the school. The Chairperson may be contacted through the school.
At the request of the Board of Management a Parents Association was formed two years ago. The Parents Association meet once a month usually on a Friday morning in the school. Any Parent of a child currently enrolled in the school is automatically a member of the Parents Association. To be a member of the Parents Committee one must attend the monthly meeting. The Chairperson of the Association is MrsYvonne Lombard who can be contacted by leaving a message in the school Secretary’s office. She will then contact you. Every parent is urged to support their association.
.
HOLY CHILD
INFANT SCHOOL
LARKHILL
Principal:
Mairead O'Shaughnessy
Deputy Principal:
Nora Brennan
School Phone No.01 8375870
School Fax No. 018377384
E-mail larkhill.ias@eircom.net
