Parents Association

Dear NPC Member

My sincere apologies, but there was a glitch with the first version of the survey I sent to you, please ignore the first link and use the one below.

We are currently running a Survey on School Costs, covering issues such as school book costs and voluntary contributions.

We would really appreciate it if you could complete this survey for each of your primary school aged children.

Please pass this email on to the other parents of children in your child’s school.

Click here to take the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S6PQ5KD (also available on the NPC website)

Many thanks

Michelle Davern

Meeting regarding School Buses

We had a meeting in the school on 13^th April regarding the school buses.

The main reasons for this meeting was to clarify the changes in the school buses, i.e. a fee of €50 for people living more than 2 miles from the school and the €200 fee if you live closer than 2 miles, and also to form a Sub Committee to deal with this issue.

There was a good turnout of over 40 people of whom 10 are now on the sub committee. This sub committee will deal with “the school bus issue” e.g. Liase with other affected schools (other amalgamated schools who have previously been covered by the CSR 1 mile rule), write to our local TD’s, leave a petition for parents to sign in the school etc.

Two things that came alight at the meeting was that some people were not aware that even though they have a medical card and are closer than 2 miles to the school they will have to pay the full €200 fee, however if they are further than 2 miles from the school and have a medical card they do not have to pay the €50 fee.

Again, it was stressed that the distance from your house to the school is not the most suitable road or the route the bus takes, but it is the shortest route, which will determine the 2 miles.

It also seems that a lot of people think this will not affect them because they live further than 2 miles from the school. On certain routes it might still affect people since there is also a change in the minimum numbers required for a route. It used to be a minimum of 7 pupils; this has now been increased to 10.

Example: If there have previously been 20 children on a bus route to school and only 5 live further than 2 miles from the school, there is a risk of this route not continuing. Not many people are willing to pay €200 per child for the bus, meaning that the 15 children that used to take the bus might not if they have to pay €200. This could mean that there will not be a bus on that route because there are not sufficient numbers, i.e. a minimum of 10.

No one at the meeting was willing to pay €200 per child to go on the bus, but most people were willing to pay the €50.

Some suggestions from parents also were to get on the local radio stations ie South East Radio get the local papers involved and arrange a walk from Campile to the school in protest and generally advertise the fact that this is going ahead as a lot of parents are still not aware of this.

The Sub Committee have arranged a meeting next Wednesday 20^th April upstairs in Whelans at 7:30pm to discuss the next course of action however all parents are welcome.

Please find latest Newsbrief by clicking Newsbrief 68

School Buses

We have all received letters from Bus Eireann regarding school buses for the new school year starting in September 2011. The application forms for the bus tickets were due in on March 31^st.

You may or may not be aware after reading the letter from Bus Eireann that a lot of the pupils in Scoil Mhuire will not be eligible for the €50 ticket per child as they live closer than 2 miles to the school. If these children want to take the bus to school it will cost €200 per child (a family maximum of €650).

In Campile the cut off point for the 2 miles is the post office, i.e if you live in the housing estates in Campile which are all less than 2 miles to the school it will cost you €200 per child to send them to school on the bus.

The reason why these students have been entitled to a free school bus previously is under something that Bus Eireann call “Central/Closed School Rule” (CSR)

This meant that where a number of schools closed and amalgamated into one new school, free transport has been provided for eligible student residing not less than 1mile from the new central school.

This refers back to 1979 when Aclare NS, Ballykelly NS, Horeswood NS and Killesk NS amalgamated to Scoil Mhuire.

From the start of the 2011/2012 school year the distance criteria will be applied nationally and pupils that are currently availing of free school transport under the CSR scheme and who live less than 2 mile from their school will not be eligible for school transport.

The Parents Association will write to local TD´s and members of the committee are also attending a meeting in Rathangan School about this issue. We will post any updates on this website.

If you are affected by these new rules we encourage you to personally contact your local TD with your concerns by email or post. Also feel free to email the Parents Association on scoilmhuirepa@gmail.com with your concerns, as it will be easier to deal with this issue if parents actually tell us what they think about it!

If you are unsure whether you qualify for the school bus for €50.00 or not please clock the shortest route from your house to the school, if its under 2 miles you will have to pay €200 in order to avail of the school bus.

Easter Raffle

Tickets for the Easter Raffle are distributed in the school this week. Each child will get a ticket with 5 lines @ €2 each. There is no obligation to sell all lines. Each seller will be entered into a draw for one big Easter egg.

The 1^st prize includes a Wash´n Blow-dry in Geraldine’s, Make-up by Trish Clancy and Dinner for 2 in the Brandon House Hotel.

These are the other prizes:

2nd Prize: Men’s Skincare Hamper (€50.00 value)

3rd Prize: €40.00 Voucher Coopers Clothing New Ross.

4th Prize: €30.00 Voucher Sam Mc Cauley’s New Ross

Please remember that the tickets need to be returned to the school on or before April 14^th! The draw takes place on Friday 15^th April.

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