Dear Parents,

The school year will end tomorrow Thursday 30/6/2016 at 1200 for all children. We wish all our school community a peaceful and joyful well-earned holiday. 

The School reopens for the children on Friday 26/8/2016 at 0900.

Fingal County Library Service will run the Summer Stars Reading Programme for children in all library branches during the summer holidays from July to the end of August. The Summer Stars programme is a free programme and we would be delighted to welcome all children and their families to join in. We are very happy to work with teachers and families to encourage children to continue reading and writing and to participate in our range of storytelling and other fun activities during the summer months.

Each child who registers for Summer Stars at their local library joins in the fun of reading lots of exciting books during their summer holidays. They will receive their own Summer Stars Reading Card to record their progress along the way and a library reward stamp will be added to their reading card at the library after each book read. Children will be encouraged to continue reading throughout the programme. Fun rewards will be provided along the way. At the end of the challenge, all children who participate are invited to attend an award event at which they will be presented with their award certificate.

Children and families will also have access to fun reading activities on the Summer Stars webpages at www.librariesireland.ie/summer-stars/. The resource includes lots of fun activities, games, talking ebooks, stories, reading tips, book suggestions and funny interviews with children’s authors and other celebrities.

Events for children will also be held in libraries during the summer. Further information is available from www.fingal.ie or on www.librariesireland.ie.

Dear Parents

We would ask for your continued prayers for Ms. Geraghty who is still in hospital following her serious accident last weekend. The family have been moved by the outpouring of prayers and support offered by the whole Tyrrelstown community. The children and staff have been praying for her at a staff prayer service and at the whole school assemblies. We will try to organise a prayer service for parents and children this week.

We think of her family and loved ones at this time.

Vivienne Bourke

Principal

The following account was written by one of our students, Klaudia, who is a member of our girls GAA team .

  On Tuesday the 19 of April 2016 St. Luke's Girl's GAA Team played a match against Lady's Well. This  was one of the most important matches of this school year. All of us were nervous as we got out of the bus. We still remember our last match against them and they promised to get revenge. Our team tried to smile to make our loyal supporters think that everything was okay. We were loud in the bus to hid that we were really nervous. We began our usual warm up which was really silent.

  Ms. Brennan and Ms. Barrete called us to discuss our positions and to wish us good luck. Also for the first time we were told to pick team captains. Melissa and Brianna became our joint captains for this match. All of us put our hands in and shouted St. Luke's before we entered the battlefield.

  The match has begun. Lady's Well slapped the football towards our goal but we were ready and the ball  came towards the opposite goal like a boomerang. Our team rushed in to score as they got kicked, tackled and tripped. All of us failed to score while our legs hurt. Finally we got a free. Melissa took this free and changed it to beautiful point. This was the first score of this battle. After it we scored another two wonderful points. We all could now see hope and we started to celebrate victory in our minds. Lady's Well took this opportunity and attacked. Our marvelous goal keeper Tayra tried to protect the goal with all her might. Unfortunately they scored one goal. It was a draw. The referee blew his whistle for half time.

 All of our magnificent subs who cheered us on during this match congratulated us as we jogged in. We discussed our positions again and we were sent back onto the pitch. The referee threw up the ball but this time the ball went closer to Lady's Well's goal. The forward, half forwards and midfielders passed the ball to each other in order to score. All of our attempts failed. We were starting to get fouled more and  all the frees went to waste. We started to loose hope but we tried till the last minute. The ball kept on going towards our goal and coming back. Klaudia scored the last and deciding point of this battle which left some of our players injured. The game was still on St. Luke's team still kept on trying to score but we failed to.

     The referee finally blew the whistle this was the end. We ran towards our subs and coaches and started to celebrate as we won the FINAL!!! The one against one of the strongest teams in the league. We were so chuffed about it. The trophy wasn't as big as we expected it to be. We were proud that we won and that we go to St. Luke's National School. We will remember this day till the end.

Please see link to Ceremony of Light 11/4/2016

https://vimeo.com/162484665

What is the Census?

On Monday, 4^th April 2016, a new Traffic Management system will come into operation at the schools. Please note that staff from both schools will be supervising the car park to ensure that access is granted only to authorised vehicles.

We have requested the help of the Gardaí to establish the new system. Our primary concern is the safety of pupils and staff. In order to protect them and to ensure that there is no delay in getting everyone to school, we will be trying to keep traffic moving.

It is very important that car journeys to the school be kept to a minimum, and should only be done when there is no other alternative. The first preference is that children should walk to school where possible.

Please refrain from entering the school car park.To do so would only cause traffic congestion. The exit gate may be closed if a safety issue arises, e.g. cars coming into the car park that should not be there.

We anticipate that this will not be an easy change to implement. We thank everyone who has cooperated with us in the past and also for your continued cooperation.

Please see link below to Irish Traditional Music Session for the children in the school !

https://vimeo.com/158665168

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome back after the midterm break. We have an exciting few weeks ahead before the Easter holidays.

Easter is a festival and holiday celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead after His Crucifixion. The week before Easter is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Maundy and Last Supper, as well as Good Friday, commemorating the Crucifixion and death of Jesus. The Easter Season begins on Easter Sunday and lasts seven weeks ending with the coming of the fiftieth day, Pentecost Sunday. Eastertide represents new life and Christ’s triumph over death. It is a time of great hope for all. We wish everyone a very Happy Easter holiday.

CARI Training

SPHE is part of the curriculum for all classes in St. Luke’s. We feel strongly about protecting the children from inappropriate sexual behaviour, language and gestures. Educating all children on acceptable language and behaviour is important. We believe that it is important for parents to communicate and use appropriate language with their children at home too, so that children are not misinformed by other children. We have arranged for a therapist from the CARI Foundation to come to speak with all parents on 5th April, 2016 at 7.00 p.m. in the Community Centre. The CARI Foundation helps and supports both parents and children. The therapist from CARI will discuss appropriate sexual language and behaviour for all age groups and will give you guidelines on how to talk to your child/children about such matters in the home in an age appropriate way. The training is for parents of children from Junior Infants to 6^th Class.

Magic Show Fundraiser

On Tuesday March 8^th, a special guest, Carl the Magician, will be visiting the school. He will do three magic shows during the school day. We would ask children to bring in whatever amount of money they can afford to bring. All money raised on the day will go directly to the Saving Dylan Charity. Dylan has been diagnosed with a rare and fatal condition called Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency (MSD). His parents are hoping to raise €2 million euro and raise awareness of this devastating illness. We would like to thank Carl for volunteering to do the shows.

Quiz Team Success

We wish to congratulate the quiz team at St. Luke’s on their success at the recent Blanchardstown Credit Union quiz. The team was trained by Ms Brennan and Ms Geraghty. The children and teachers worked really hard and we are delighted and proud of their representation of St. Luke’s on the night. Congratulations to them all. We hope to participate again in next year’s quiz.

Parent Volunteers needed

We are asking for some parent volunteers to help in the Church on Thursday 21^st April for one hour from 11:45am-12:45pm. We would love to give some tea and cakes to the families of children who come to the Church to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. We will supply the tea and cakes, we just need some parents to help to run the kitchen for that one hour. If you are unable to help out on that date perhaps you could help out on Saturday May 7^th from 11:45am to 12:30pm in the Church to give tea and cake to the families of children who are celebrating their First Holy Communion. If you are interested in helping out, we would really appreciate any help you can give. Please give your name to our secretary Kate on 01-8856015 and we will call you back to inform you of the details.

Seachtain na Gaelige and 1916 centenary celebrations

For the next week and a half we will celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge at St. Luke’s. Seachtain na Gaeilge is a week when we celebrate Irish culture, language and history. This year is 2016 and the whole nation of Ireland celebrates the centenary of 1916. As it is such a special year, we have many events planned for the children during this special time. We would encourage you to ask your children to sing the national anthem, or use their Gaeilge in the home. Perhaps they can talk to you about some of the things they are learning in school about Irish history or culture. On Friday 11^th March we will have some traditional Irish musicians visiting the school. It will be a very special occasion. If your child can do Irish dancing it would be lovely for them to wear their costume or do a few dance steps on the day. We will have a flag raising ceremony and read the Proclamation on March 15^th which is Proclamation Day.

Dental Hygienist

The dental hygienist visited the school last week. The children learned about how to brush their teeth properly and about a healthy diet for teeth. Please encourage your child to brush their teeth twice a day. Children under 7 years should be supervised whilst brushing.

Cinema Night

Ms Geraghty and the Student Council have organised a Movie night for children and parents on Thursday 10^th March in the school from 5:45pm-7:30pm.  Tickets cost €5 each or €10 per family. “Night at the Museum” will be the movie that is shown. Popcorn and a drink will be included in the ticket price and there will be a shop selling sweets on the night too. All money raised will go towards our new school library. Tickets are on sale in the school now and also on the door on Thursday night.

Disco run by the Parents Association

The Parents Association will run three discos for the children on Wednesday 16^th March in the school hall. The first disco will be for Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd classes and will run from 12:15pm until 1pm. The second disco will be for 4th, 5th and 6th classes and will run from 1:15pm until 2:00pm. The admission charge will be five euro. All proceeds will go to the Parents Association.

Meetings with Principal, Deputy Principal and teachers

If you wish to speak with any staff member at the school we would ask you to make an appointment at the school office. Small amounts of information can be passed from parent to teacher in the line each morning, but if a longer conversation is required a meeting can be set up by the school secretary, Kate on 01-8856015.

Emergency Contact Details

If you have changed your telephone number or moved house please remember to let us know. It is vital that we have emergency contact details for all children. Also, if you are not receiving text messages, please contact Kate, our secretary, to rectify this.

Dates for your diary

March 9^th 2016 7pm: First Confession for 2^nd Class, St. Luke the Evangelist Church.

March 9^th 2016 7pm: Meeting for parents of children enrolling in Junior infants in September 2016 in Tyrrelstown Community Centre.

March 17^th – April 1^st 2016: Closed for Easter holidays.

April 5^th 2016 7pm: CARI Foundation Training

April 11^th 2016: Ceremony of Light, St. Luke the Evangelist Church

April 21^st 2016: Sacrament of Confirmation.

May 2^nd 2016: Closed for bank holiday.

May 7^th 2016: Sacrament of Holy Communion.

June 6^th – June 10^th 2016: Closed for mid-term break.

June 30^th 2016: Last day of term.

Kind regards

Vivienne Bourke

Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It has been a very busy few weeks here at St. Luke’s. Catholic schools week is over and we would like to thank all of the grandparents who visited the school on February 3^rd. It was lovely for the children to hear stories from the past and they were very proud to see their grandparents at school. We would ask you to continue to pray for Father Seamus who is still unwell. Monsignor Eoin Tynne and his pastoral team, Colette and Conor, have been very busy settling into the Parish. We thank them for a great night held on February 2^nd for parents of Confirmation children. We support them and wish them every success as they spread the Word of God and reach out to the community.

Lent and Ash Wednesday

This Wednesday 10^th February will be Ash Wednesday. Ashes will be given to Catholic children in the school who are in 2^nd class up to 6^th class. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer.

Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolise the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Basketball Training

The school basketball teams will begin training this Wednesday February 10^th. The training is for 5^th and 6^th class children. We would like to thank our energetic coaches Ms Burke, Ms Geraghty and Ms Ni Lorcain for their dedication and their kindness in giving their free time to coach the children.

GAA Training

Training for 5th and 6th class girls GAA teams recommenced this month. The Dublin 15 League will be starting after the Easter holidays. We would like to thank Ms Brennan and Ms Barrett, who are expert GAA stars in their own right, for their marvellous coaching and dedication. Again none of these sports would succeed in school without teachers giving their free time. We really appreciate their kindness.

Cricket Training

Cricket training has begun during the school day at St. Luke’s for 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes. The children will compete in the Dublin schools cricket tournament to be held in May.  

School Library

The Student Council of St. Luke’s, assisted by Ms Geraghty, would like to announce a book drive for our new school library. If you have any books, in good condition, which are suitable for primary school aged children, we would be delighted if you would donate them to the school. Please leave any book donations with Kate in the office.

Polling Station

In connection with the forthcoming General Election, to be held on Friday 26^th February, we have been asked by the Office of the Dublin County Returning Officer to close the school on February 26^th to facilitate the use of Tyrrelstown Community Centre as a polling station. We make this request for the health and safety of the children at the school.

Disco run by the Parents Association

The Parents Association will run two discos for the children on Friday 12^th February in the school hall. The first disco will be for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd classes and will run from 3pm until 3:50pm. The second disco will be for 4th, 5th and 6th classes and will run from 4:00pm until 5:00pm. The admission charge will be five euro. All proceeds will go to the Parents Association.

Meetings with Principal, Deputy Principal and teachers

If you wish to speak with any staff member at the school we would ask you to make an appointment at the school office. Small amounts of information can be passed from parent to teacher in the line each morning, but if a longer conversation is required a meeting can be set up by the school secretary, Kate on 01-8856015.

Rainy days

During rainy mornings we will open the gates and the front door of the school at 8:50am. Children will be allowed into the classrooms, directly, where they will be supervised by teachers. We would ask parents not to enter the building but to drop their child at the front door. On a rainy day it is very busy at the door trying to get children safely to their classrooms. We thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

Children and yard time

If your child is well enough to come to school, we would hope that they are well enough to go out to play in the yard. All children attending school will be sent outside to play at break times, unless they have written parental permission to stay in.

Emergency Contact Details

If you have changed your telephone number or moved house please remember to let us know. It is vital that we have emergency contact details for all children. Also, if you are not receiving text messages, please contact Kate, our secretary, to rectify this.

Administration of Medicines

We are updating our medical procedures here at St. Luke’s for the safety and wellbeing of all children. If your child has medical needs, please ensure your teacher is made aware of them. If your child needs to take any medication, we will need a note from your GP stating the amount and frequency required and the need for it to be administered during the school day. If we don’t have the GPs letter we can no longer administer medication to your child.

Dates for your diary

February 10^th 2016: Ash Wednesday

February 12^th 2016: School disco Parents Association

February 15^th – February 19^th 2016: Closed for mid-term break.

February 26^th 2016: Closed for General Election Polling Station.

March 9^th 2016: First Confession for 2^nd Class, St. Luke the Evangelist Church

March 9^th 2016: Meeting for parents of children enrolling in Junior infants  in September 2016

March 17^th – April 1^st 2016: Closed for Easter holidays.

April 11^th 2016: Ceremony of Light, St. Luke the Evangelist Church

April 21^st 2016: Sacrament of Confirmation.

May 2^nd 2016: Closed for bank holiday.

May 7^th 2016: Sacrament of Holy Communion.

June 6^th – June 10^th 2016: Closed for mid-term break.

June 30^th 2016: Last day of term.

Kind regards

Vivienne Bourke

Saint Luke’s N. S.
Tyrrelstown
Dublin 15.
Newsletter January 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome Back
It is with great pleasure that we welcome everyone back to school for the new year. We would like to wish all parents, staff and students a happy, healthy and safe New Year for 2016. We are delighted to announce the arrival of Monsignor Eoin Tynne to the school and parish. Monsignor Tynne has taken up his new role at St. Luke the Evangelist Church. We welcome him, congratulate him and wish him every success in his new role. Father Seamus has been unwell lately and we send him our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Please keep Father Seamus and Monsignor Eoin Tynne in your prayers. It is a very difficult and challenging role that they do, and they dedicate themselves to the community whole heartedly.

Thank you
We wish to extend our gratitude to all of the parents who helped us before the Christmas holidays with the Christmas room and the school disco. The children had a fantastic time. We really appreciate your kind support and efforts. As always, the Parents Association will need new volunteers for the new year. If you have any spare time, even on an ad-hoc basis, we would be delighted if you could come and lend a hand. All of the work that is done is loved by the children and helps to create a warm and fun environment in the school.

New Enrolments at St. Luke’s
If you have a child who will be four years of age this year and would be eligible for a school place we would be delighted if you would fill out an enrolment form with the school secretary Kate. Please notify us if your child has any special educational needs.

Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week 2016 will run from the 31st January - 6th February. The theme for this year is “Catholic Schools: Challenged to Proclaim God’s Mercy.” On Wednesday 3rd February we will celebrate Grandparents day as part of our activities.

Special Educational Needs
If your child has any special educational needs and you think that they may require the help of an SNA or additional resource time, we would urge you to arrange a meeting with your class teacher and the principal as a matter of urgency. The deadline for applying for additional support is 29th February 2016 with the NCSE. We would need to have all up to date paperwork submitted in advance of the deadline.

Head Lice
In most schools head lice is a recurrent problem. We at St. Luke’s would like to stop the head lice cycle by asking parents to partake in “Bug Busting Fridays” with us. Every Friday night we would ask that you shampoo your child’s hair with a regular shampoo and then condition it. Leave the conditioner in the hair. Then using a special head lice comb we would ask you to check your child’s wet hair for any lice or nit eggs. Rinse the comb to dispose of the lice. Then rinse the hair and check again with the comb to ensure all lice and eggs have been removed from the hair. Please sign your child’s diary to say that you have checked their hair on Friday evening. Together we can combat the head lice problem in our school.

Lunch Boxes
We are a Green Flag school here at St. Luke’s and we are extremely proud of our ‘green’ achievement. We would ask that all parents ensure that their child uses a lunch box every day for their food. Any food not eaten, or any food wrappers will be returned home in the lunch box at the end of the day.

Hand Washing Routines
We would like to remind parents to speak with their child about good hand washing routines. A good hand washing routine can stop the spread of infection in the Winter months. Some of the common infections we can help prevent by regular hand washing include: Colds and flu, runny noses and chest infections, many tummy bugs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, MRSA, eye infections like conjunctivitis, food related bugs that can be spread when cooking or barbecuing food.
Many of these infections are common in children, so parents and teachers should make sure that children wash their hands regularly.

Emergency Contact Details
If you have changed your telephone number or moved house please remember to let us know as it is vital that we have emergency contact details for all children. Also, if you are not receiving text messages, please contact Kate, our secretary, to rectify this.

Dates for your diary
January 6th 2016: First day of second term.
January 31st – February 6th 2016: Catholic schools week.
February 15th – February 19th 2016: Closed for mid-term break.
March 17th – April 1st 2016: Closed for Easter holidays.
April 21st 2016: Sacrament of Confirmation.
May 2nd 2016: Closed for bank holiday.
May 7th 2016: Sacrament of Holy Communion.
June 6th – June 10th 2016: Closed for mid-term break.
June 30th 2016: Last day of term.

Kind regards

Vivienne Bourke

Principal

 Please see link to Picture Collage of the Christmas Concerts in St Lukes NS December 2015. Many thanks to Ms Clare Clifford for shooting the events & compiling the collage.

https://vimeo.com/150166786

Mr Neary

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Seasons Greetings

The festive season is truly upon us. Here at St. Luke’s we can feel the excitement building amongst the children and the staff.   It is so nice to see that the true spirit of Christmas is alive and well in the children.  They have been busy coming up with charitable ideas to help others in the community.  Please speak to your child about the true meaning of Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus and the joy of the Holy Family.    Children may enjoy visiting the Moving Crib on Parnell StreetinDublin.  It is a Nativity Play told through handcrafted moving figures,which is a longstanding Christmas tradition in many homes.  Admission is free.

Dublin Bus Art Competition

Sarah Geraghty, a 5^th Class student in Mr. Mc Keown’s class,  has won the Dublin Bus 2016 Calendar Art Competition.   Her picture will feature in the 2016 Dublin Bus Calendar.  We are so proud of Sarah for her efforts and congratulate her on her success. As a result of her win, every child will receive a free calendar and Dublin Bus has agreed to lay on two free buses to help with school tours throughout the year.  Thank you Sarah!

Sam visit to St. Lukes

On Monday 30^th November we were thrilled to welcome the Sam Maguire Cup to St. Lukes. The children gathered in the hall for the huge celebration ofDublin’s All Ireland football win.   Ciaran Kilkenny brought Sam, made a speech and took some photos with St. Luke’s GAA team.   He gave every child a postcard featuring the 2015 Dublin Football team. Photos are on the school website.   It was a great occasion.

New Parent Nominees on the St. Lukes BOM

We are delighted to announce that we have two fantastic parent nominees on the new St. Luke’s Board of Management. Mary Egan and Dare Adetuberu have agreed to volunteer on the board. They have taken to their roles with great energy and are already helping with a number of school projects.   We welcome them and are grateful for their support.

Cyberbullying awareness

Children face tremendous challenges when trying to ascertain appropriate internet etiquette.  One of the tools we have as parents and educators is to inform and train children about appropriate internet usage on social media sites and applications.  The school has taken the initiative of bringing the Community Gardai from Blanchardstown to the school for training on safe internet usage.  The training will take place for senior classes in mid December and will be followed by a parents training course in Spring 2016. Please ensure that you are always aware of what your child is doing on the internet.  Be conscious of what sites they are visiting when they are on their phones, Ipads and laptops.

Fit Steps Classes

Sandra Molloy has kindly volunteered to teach Fit Steps dance classes to the children during their PE time.  Fit Steps is a dance class like Strictly Come Dancing. The children have really enjoyed Sandra’s classes so far.  We would like to thank Sandra for giving her time to the school.  The classes have been a tremendous asset to the children.

Christmas Concerts

Christmas is a wonderful time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We are delighted to announce that we will hold our Christmas concerts this year in the school hall on Tuesday the 15^th of December.   The children will sing a song or recite a poem and they will be delighted to see their loved ones there. The schedule of performances will be as follows:

Tuesday 15^th December 2016

12:50pm – 1:40pm Junior Infants and Senior Infants

2:00pm – 2:40pm 1^st and 2^nd  Classes

3:00pm – 3:40pm 3^rd and 4^th Classes (Children supervised in foyer before performance)

4:00pm – 4:40pm 5^th and 6^th Classes (Children go home at 2:40pm then return to school at 3:45pm)

Santa visit to the school

Santa will visit the school on Friday 18^th December. Children may wear their own clothes that day. We would ask any parents who have some free time on Thursday 17^th at 7pm to come to the school to help the Parents Association to set up the Christmas room.

Disco run by the Parents Association

The Parents Association will run two discos for the children on Friday 18^th December in the school hall.  The first disco will be for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd classes and will run from 3pm until 4pm.  The second disco will be for 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes and will run from 4:15pm until 5:30pm.  The admission charge will be five euro. Each child will receive a goody bag and all proceeds will go to the Parents Association.

Money for Maths Resources

We would like to thank all of the parents and students for their donations on non-uniform days this year.  We have managed to raise money for the Dylan Finglas charity and for vital Maths resources for the school. Numeracy will be the focus of the School Improvement Plan going forward and we will continue to purchase maths resources for use in all classes throughout the school.  These resources will enable children to have fun with numeracy in a practical, hands-on manner.

New Enrolments at St. Luke’s

If you have a child who will be four years of age next year and would be eligible for a school place we would be delighted if you would fill out an enrolment form with the school secretary Kate.  Please notify us if your child has any special educational needs.

Dates for your diary

December 15^th: School Christmas Concerts

December 17^th: Parents Association need help setting up Christmas room 7pm.

December 18^th: Santa visits the school

December 18^th: Disco in the school hall

December 22^nd: Last day of term.

January 6^th: School Re-opens.

Kind regards

Vivienne Bourke

Principal

Please see links to The Irish Tricolour presentation in St Lukes NS

https://vimeo.com/147712390

https://vimeo.com/147712655

Please see link to video of Sam in Saint Lukes NS below

https://vimeo.com/147826319

Please see link below to see progress of new Le Cheile Secondary School

https://www.flickr.com/gp/131823121@N07/75Ly05

Please follow link to see pics of Sam in our school !!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/131823121@N07/eZ3uc8

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome back

Welcome back after the mid-term break. We hope that everyone is feeling well rested. We have another jam packed half-term ahead. In the Catholic Church, November is referred to as the month of the Holy Souls. We remember our faithfully departed and we also celebrate our Saints. November the 1^st was All Saints Day and November 2^nd was All Souls Day. November is a month that is filled with Saints Days including November 1^st on which we remember particularly Saint Valentine. In 1836, Fr. John Spratt, an Irish priest and famous preacher, was given many tokens of esteem following a sermon in Rome. One gift from Pope Gregory XVI were the remains of St. Valentine and "a small vessel tinged with his blood." The Reliquary was placed in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, and has remained there until this day. This was accompanied by a letter claiming the relics were those of St. Valentine. Please remind children to pray for the souls of the faithfully departed in your family prayers each night.

Friends for Life Programme

The ‘Friends for Life’ programme is a school-based positive mental health programme. The World Health Organisation cites ‘Friends for Life’ as the only evidence-based programme effective at all levels of intervention for anxiety in children. The programme helps students to develop effective strategies to deal with worry, stress and change and teaches the skills required to reduce anxiety and promote resilience. It is beneficial for all students, irrespective of their anxiety level. St. Luke’s run the programme over ten weeks with the 6^th class students commencing this term.

Christmas Concerts

Christmas is a wonderful time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We are delighted to announce that we will hold our Christmas concerts this year in the school hall on Tuesday the 15^th of December. The children will sing a song or recite a poem and they will be delighted to see their loved ones there. We are trying to give enough notice so that parents can make arrangements which will enable them to attend. The schedule of performances will be as follows:

Tuesday 15^th December 2016

12:50pm – 1:40pm Junior Infants and Senior Infants

2:00pm – 2:40pm 1^st and 2^nd  Classes

3:00pm – 3:40pm 3^rd and 4^th Classes (Children supervised in foyer before performance)

4:00pm – 4:40pm 5^th and 6^th Classes (Children go home at 2:40pm then return to school at 3:45pm)

Zumba night for Dylan

Two-and-a-half-year-old Dylan Finglas has Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency (MSD) which is a "clinically devastating" condition. The kind hearted students at St. Luke’s are constantly trying to raise funds to donate to Dylan’s charity and we are immensely proud of their efforts to date. This Friday night 6^th November there will be a “Saving Dylan ZUMBA Fundraiser” which will be hosted by Z&K Fitness. It takes place in the Tyrrelstown Community Hall and begins at 7:30pm. Donations can be made at the door on the way in. We would urge everyone to take part if possible.

Photographer

Our school photographer will come to the school on November 18^th to take photos of the new junior infant children. These photographs capture the new children in their earliest days at primary school and give families a lovely keepsake. Photographs will need to be paid for in advance. Letters will be sent to junior infant parents next week. Please return completed envelopes as soon as possible.

Parents Nominee Board of Management

We will need all parents to partake in a vote to choose a male and female parent nominee to sit on the St. Luke’s Board of Management. If you are interested in the role please come and speak to the principal. An election will take place in the school over the coming weeks. The new board needs to be established before the end of November.

Parent Teacher Meetings

Parent teacher meetings will take place on Tuesday the 24^th and Wednesday the 25^th of November after school. Your child’s teacher will send a letter home in the coming weeks with an appointment. This is a wonderful time to get some one-to-one time with the class teacher. Please notify us if your child has any medical or behavioural needs.

Science Week

Science Week takes place next week from 8^th-14^th of November. Please look for events and activities to bring your child to in Dublin which will display Science in a fun and exciting way. Children will partake in scientific activities in the school next week to mark science week.

Rainbows

We would like to inform you that a new Rainbows group will commence on Tuesday 10th Nov at 5.45pm – 7pm at Mountview Family Resource Centre, 11 Whitechapel crescent, Mountview, Dublin 15. The programme is for children whose parents have separated and who are experiencing difficulties because of the loss of or the separation of one or other parent or guardian . For more information please contact Margaret Mc Loughlin, Co-ordinator, Mountview Family Resource Centre on 01 – 8206171.

New Enrolments at St. Luke’s

If you have a child who will be four years of age next year and would be eligible for a school place we would be delighted if you would fill out an enrolment form with the school secretary Kate. Please notify us if your child has any special educational needs.

Head Lice

In most schools head lice is a recurrent problem. We at St. Luke’s would like to stop the head lice cycle by asking parents to partake in “Bug Busting Fridays” with us. Every Friday night we would ask that you shampoo your child’s hair with a regular shampoo and then condition it. Leave the conditioner in the hair. Then using a special head lice comb we would ask you to check your child’s wet hair for any lice or nit eggs. Rinse the comb to dispose of the lice. Then rinse the hair and check again with the comb to ensure all lice and eggs have been removed from the hair. Please sign your child’s diary to say that you have checked their hair on Friday evening. Together we can combat the head lice problem in our school.

Dates for your diary

November 18^th : School Photographer

November 24^th and 25^th : Parent Teacher meetings

November 9^th -14^th : Science Week

Early-mid November : Elections for Parents Nominees to the Board of Management

December 15^th : Christmas Concerts

December 22^nd: Last day of term. School closes at the normal times.

Kind regards

Vivienne Bourke

Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thank You

Thank you to all of the parents who attended our Meet and Greet sessions in September and October. It was lovely to see so many of you there. As mentioned at each meeting, please don’t forget to ensure that we have your up to date contact information. Thank you to all of the parents who joined us for the opening meeting of the Parents Association. We are always happy to have volunteers.

Morning Line Up

We have had a few incidences of parents coming into the junior classrooms in the mornings and bringing their child to their seat and taking off their coat for them. These visits usually cause other children to get upset as they wonder why their parents aren’t coming in. Please ensure that you say goodbye to your child at the line. The children are learning how to do these basic things for themselves, such as hanging up their coat and settling into class. It is important that they become independent and are allowed to settle into the school routine.

Halloween Celebrations

Halloween is a big celebration for the children every year. They love to dress up and scare each other and the staff! The Parents Association work very hard to create a “Spooky” room each year in the school. The children love the excitement of the surprises and scary games they play in the spooky room. Every class will have a chance to visit the Spooky room on Friday 23^rd October. Children are welcome to dress up in their scary costumes on that day. If each child could bring in €1 we will use the money raised to buy much needed school resources. We would like to thank you for your donations for the Dubs day and Irish Flag day.

GAA

Our 5^th and 6^th class girls GAA team, coached by Ms. Brennan, Ms. Barrett and Ms. Reynolds are through to the semi finals of the Cumann na mBunscol league. This is very exciting news for the school and we will follow their success over the coming weeks.

Our 5^th and 6^th class boys GAA team, coached by Mr. Lynch and Mr. Mc Keown are through to the quarter finals of the Cumann na mBunscol league. We will also follow their success over the coming weeks and keep you all posted.

A big thank you to our team of GAA coaches, teachers all of our players. Please continue to support them in their efforts.

Parents Association

The Parents Association have been busy planting beautiful flowers in the front yard. We really appreciate their efforts. They help to make the school a nicer place. This month they will be looking for help to set up the Halloween “Spooky” room on Thursday evening 22^nd October at 7:30pm. Please give your name to Kate, our secretary, if you can spare a helping hand or carve a pumpkin or two!

Rainy Days

On wet mornings and afternoons we have special entry and exit strategies in place for the children. On a wet day, the gates will open in front of the school at 8:45am. All Junior and Senior infant children will go into the school hall with their parents. They will wait there, with their parents, until their class teacher comes to collect them at 9am. All other children will be allowed to stay in the lobby until 8:55am. No parents are to stay in the lobby as it becomes overcrowded very quickly. At 8:55am the children in the lobby will be allowed to go to their classrooms.

On a wet afternoon all Junior infant, Senior infant and 1st classes will be dismissed from the school hall. All other children will come out through the front school door. We would ask that parents do not wait in the lobby on wet days, as the lobby gets overcrowded easily. We would really appreciate your co-operation on this matter. We have the children’s health and safety in mind at all times.

Basketball

Our school basketball teams will commence training after the mid-term break. Training will begin for 4^th Class after the mid-term up until Christmas. Training will begin for 5^th and 6^th Classes after Christmas. The teams will train towards playing in the Dublin Mini League which takes place in the Oblate Hall, Inchicore, in June 2016. We would like to thank our basketball coaches – Ms. Burke, Ms. Geraghty, Ms. Ni Lorcain and Ms. Mc Gearty. They give their coaching skills and time on a voluntary basis and are a tremendous asset to the sporting life of the school.

PE in the Yard

If you are collecting your child in the afternoon, and have to wait in the yard, we would ask that you do not interrupt any PE classes that may be going on in the basketball courts. Some parents accidentally walk across the yard and disturb the children whilst they are in full swing. Please be mindful of the children at these times, as many PE lessons occur in the yard in good weather.

Dates for your diary

Thursday 22^nd October 7:30pm – Parents Association need help setting up the Spooky Room

Friday 23^rd October – Halloween Dress up Day

Monday 26^th – Friday 30^th October – Midterm break

Kind regards

Vivienne Bourke

Principal