The Following News Bulletin was sent home with children on Wed December 6th
Bag-Packing
Our Bag Packing is a very valuable fundraiser and we have been very lucky to receive such a prime slot again this year in Dunnes Stores, Nenagh. As always, any of our fundraising activities are always directed back into activities, resources and facilities for the children. To this end we are very grateful to all those who have volunteered to give up of their time to help. Unfortunately, however we may have to cancel the 2nd days bag packing due to lack of numbers available to help.
We recognise some people have volunteered for the Saturday and thank them for doing so and we also acknowledge how busy a time of year this is for everybody. However, losing this slot will have a significant effect on the success of this fundraiser and will unfortunately be reflected on what we can provide for the children going forward.
As a possible solution it would be great if we could cover bag packing until 1 or 2 pm we would be happy to accept a resubmission of the timesheet overleaf, stating as such until Monday December 11th. If not, we will pull Saturday altogether so we are asking people to see if they can recruit people from within their families (over 18) to give us an hour somewhere between 9am and 1 pm. on Saturday. There are also slots still available on Friday to be filled.
Service Dog
The school have applied for and have been extremely fortunate to be chosen to receive a service dog. Our aim in applying for this programme was to enhance the holistic happiness and wellbeing of children who may struggle emotionally with the rigours of everyday school life. The school went through an application process consisting of a school visit to assess our suitability and we are delighted to have been chosen to receive one of these service dogs which should be with us (though currently only an 8-week-old puppy) in the coming weeks.
The dog, provided by My Canine Companion which is a registered charity, comes named based on his/her litter. They will immediately undergo training which will involve the principal being offsite with the dog twice a week initially for 4 weeks and then reducing to once a week for 8 weeks. The breed will be a poodle cross to minimise any allergy issues that may arise. We are thrilled to receive this gift and know that while he will be on school grounds initially for 3 days a week he will alleviate some of the stress some children experience around the challenges school may present them with. To aid the dogs training as a service the dog, the routine and rules around the dog, their petting, feeding and walking are quite strict as directed by the service providers. We would also request that other dogs not enter the school grounds while our ‘Canine Companion’ is on duty.
Christmas Liturgical Service
This year we have chosen a liturgical service to mark our Christmas celebrations. This takes place on Thursday December 21st in the church at 12:30. Parents are welcome to attend and while buses will run at the normal time children can go home at the conclusion of the service. The service will consist of some Christmas hymns and carols, procession of symbols, prayers of the faithful and readings detailing the story of Christmas.
The school will close for Christmas Holidays on Friday December 22nd and will re-open again on Monday January 8th.