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Special Educational Needs Policy

Special Educational Needs Policy

Introductory Statement

This policy replaces the existing policy on Special Educational Needs (SEN). We felt it necessary to review practice at this stage to reflect the changes that have evolved as we have implemented the New Model and progressed to using online systems for planning and recordkeeping.

This policy was reviewed by the SEN team in consultation with the Principal and class teachers.   The PCSP Guidelines provided a scaffold for this policy.

The school currently has the following provisions to cater for children with Special Educational Needs:

  • 5 SET  & 1 Part-time
  • 6 Special Needs Assistants

Guiding Principles

It is the policy of the school to accommodate children with special needs to the best of its ability.  We want all children particularly those with disabilities to feel that they are a valued part of the School Community. 

Rationale

The rationale for this policy is to ensure compliance with The Education Act (1998), The Education Welfare Act (2000), The Equal Status Act (2000), The Disability Bill (2002), and the E.P.S.E.N. Act (2004).

Relationship to School Ethos

Cloonakilla N.S. is dedicated to the spiritual, emotional and intellectual development of each child (Mission Statement) and the SEN policy is in keeping with this.

Aims and Objectives

  • To ensure all children gain access to a broad and balanced curriculum and have opportunity of access to an appropriate education.
  • To develop positive self-esteem and positive attitudes about school and learning in these pupils.
  • To develop an appreciation of the benefits of education.
  • To enable these pupils to monitor their own learning and become independent learners.
  • To set out the whole school approach to teaching and learning re pupils with Special Needs.
  • To develop a partnership with parents/carers.
  • To use all resources efficiently and equitably so that these children develop as learners, engage meaningfully with the curriculum and develop the skills and competencies necessary to lead an independent life.
  • To enable all pupils with disabilities in the school to share with their peers as complete an educational experience as possible.
  • To support and nurture the development of exceptionally able students and to provide opportunities for enrichment and extension

Roles and Responsibilities

Board of Management (BOM)

It is the policy of the Board of Management of Cloonakilla N.S. that in so far as possible, and in co-operation with the Department of Education and Science (DES) and the Health Executive (HSE), to integrate children with special needs into the school. Where special and exceptional requirements are deemed to be necessary, the Board will endeavour to comply, where possible, to meet these needs. The Board will ensure that all necessary accommodation and equipment are provided.

Principal

The Principal has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of provisions, working closely with the S.E.N. team and class teachers.

SEN Co-ordinator

The SEN co-ordinator will co-ordinate the implementation of the SEN policy in consultation with the Principal and the In School Management team.

The school will follow the Continuum of Support process.

Class Teachers

Class teachers will monitor and evaluate the needs of their pupils through on-going observation and assessment , communication with parents and outside agencies.

In 1st to 6th class standardised tests will be administered in English and Mathematics at the end of the school year (1st to 6th) and 1st class will be tested in October.

Pupils scoring at or below the 12th percentile will be given priority for  Learning Support.  Other children experiencing difficulties will be offered support depending on the availability of resources. Parents’ permission will be requested for Learning Support.

Where a teacher or parent have concerns about the academic, physical, social, behavioural or emotional development of a child the school will follow these guidelines:

  • The teacher should meet with parents as early as possible to pool their information about the child. Cognisance should be given to the fact that it usually a difficult time for the parents, and this meeting should be of a supportive and encouraging nature.  A support file will be opened for the pupil.
  • Stage 1, Classroom Support, should be implemented. The teacher should administer screening checklists and profiles for children in infants and first classes. Norm referenced tests will be administered to older children and behavioral checklists will be used where appropriate.  A plan for extra help within the normal class should be drawn up and reviewed with the parents.
  • If concern remains after two school terms, the SEN team should be consulted with a view to moving on to Stage 2, School Support. The child with learning difficulties should be referred for Learning Support after securing parental permission. If further diagnostic tests reveal that the child would benefit from supplementary teaching an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be drawn up involving the Learning Support Teacher, the Class Teacher and the parents.  The Individual Education Plan (IEP) will co-ordinate the work of all three.

If significant concerns remain after a school term, it may be necessary to implement Stage 3, School Support Plus. With the permission of the parents, the school will formally request a consultation and, where appropriate, an assessment of need from a specialist in respect of the child’s learning difficulties (mild/ moderate behavioral problems or serious emotional disturbance/ behavioral problems). Such specialist advice may be sought from psychologists, pediatricians, speech and language therapists, audiologists etc.

If  a pupil is over 8 years of age and is not making progress in literacy after significant interventions it may be appropriate to consider an exemption form Irish.

(See Assessment Policy)

In consultation with the relevant specialists, the SET and the class teacher should then draw up a learning plan and  identify any additional available resources that are considered necessary. The parents will be fully consulted throughout this process. Regular reviews will take place with the necessary adjustments being made to the plan.

Special Needs Assistant (SNA)

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) will

  • Share information about the child’s talents, strengths and needs.
  • Support the implementation of targets relating to the needs of the child.
  • Provide feedback which will contribute to monitoring and reviewing the child’s progress.

Special Education Needs Team (SEN)

The SEN co-ordinator will lead the SEN team in consultation with the Principal. [Appendix 2 Year at a Glance]

The SEN team will co-operate with the staff and parents in supporting children with learning needs.  They will be responsible for diagnostic testing and will develop IEP’s for each child selected for supplementary teaching in consultation with class teachers and parents.

They will work with The Assessment Co-ordinator to administer a range of assessments. Diagnostic tests administered in our school include the Jackson Get Reading Right, Phonological Awareness Test (Robertson & Salter), Aston Index, WIATT , N.N.R.I.T., Jolly Phonics Assessment Kit, Math’s Recovery Assessment Tests and Reading Recovery Observation Survey including British Ability Scales Reading Test, Letter Identification and Word Writing Test.  We may also administer the Schonell Reading and Spelling Test.

The SEN Team will monitor and record progress towards achievements of learning targets.

Parents

Parents will keep the school informed about the needs of their child.  They will be involved in the planning process and will support the school in the implementation of their child’s IEP. Parents may request a review of their child’s IEP in accordance with the EPSEN Act, 2004.

Children

Children where appropriate will monitor their own learning and be involved in the planning process.

Facilities and Resources

The Mainstream School has five resource rooms.  The school has ample resources for Special Needs aids which are stored in the resource rooms.

Enrolment

It is the policy of the Board of Management to accommodate children with special needs to the best of its ability and in line with the Department of Education and Science rules and regulations.

Differentiation

Access to the schools broad and balanced curriculum is achieved for most children by differentiation of class work by the class teacher.  The class teacher will liaise with the Learning Support / Resource Teacher and provide interventions that are additional to and different from those provided under the normal school curriculum to support those with difficulty in literacy and numeracy and those who are exceptionally able. The school makes every effort to ensure a balance between withdrawal and in-class tuition.

Early Interventions

The triggers for early intervention will be:

  • The child makes little progress even when teaching approaches are directed at identified areas of weakness.
  • The child is slow to develop literacy and numeracy skills.
  • The child has social difficulties (communication, relationships etc.)
  • The child has emotional/behavioural difficulties which do not respond to behavioural management techniques.
  • The child has physical difficulties.

If the strategy of differentiated support does not work, the class teacher will inform the parents that their child’s needs might be better served in a small group with a support teacher.  The Class Teacher and the Support Teacher will differentiate the curriculum with realistic targets being set.  The Support Teacher will implement an educational plan for the child either as part of a small group, as part of the whole class or on an individual basis.  Where progress is such that the child is no longer giving cause for concern the child will revert to the class curriculum. 

The Literacy Lift Off programme will be offered to pupils in First class and Senior infants on a rolling 6 week intervention basis throughout  the year.

The Reading Recovery will be offered to children in Senior Infants and First Class where there are concerns around emergent literacy. At present the school has two Reading Recovery Teachers and places for 8 pupils on the programme.

Individual Educational Plans

Purpose of IEP

  • To focus on the particular learning needs of the child.
  • To set learning targets in relation to these needs.
  • To identify areas of strength in the child.
  • To have ongoing assessments and re-evaluation of the child’s progress.

IEP will include:

  • Child’s details, assessments and background information.
  • Personnel involved in the development and implementation of the IEP.
  • Learning strengths.
  • Learning needs.
  • Recommendations from outside agencies including NEPS, HSE, Sp &L OT and others where relevant.
  • Priority learning needs.
  • Specific learning targets.
  • Appropriate teaching strategies to achieve the targets.
  • Suitable resources to achieve the targets.
  • Class teacher involvement
  • Home involvement.
  • Review date.

See attached template.

There will be two instructional terms in the year – September to January and February to June. Targets will be set in September and reviewed in January. Following the January review new targets will be set. These will be reviewed in June.

The SEN teacher has responsibility for the co-ordination of the IEP. Parents and teachers participate in the preparation of the IEP. This is facilitated through meetings co-ordinated by the relevant SEN teacher.  Class teachers will meet with relevant SEN teacher. Following this the SEN teacher will meet with parents. When plan has been drafted it will be signed by parent, SEN teacher and Principal (For Low Incidence pupils only). Parents will receive a copy of the IEP and a copy will be kept in the school.

All reviews and IEPs for pupils will be completed on Aladdin so that they are fully secure and also available for all staff concerned. Hard copies will be printed off for parents.

In addition to the online records a hard copy file will be maintained for School Support Plus pupils. Reading Recovery files will also be maintained in hard copy.

School Support files and EAL files will move to being fully on line on a phased basis.

.

Inclusion

The goal of inclusion is to enable all pupils to belong within an educational community that values their individuality.  This school attempts to promote inclusion through:-

  • Modifying activities.
  • Allowing all children participate in oral work.
  • Allowing all children the opportunity to participate in group work.
  • Providing appropriate tasks and practical work.
  • Providing a supportive environment for all pupils.

SEN Tracking within the school:

  1. A current list of SEN supports-  Classroom support, School support or School Support Plus – will be maintained by the SEN co-ordinator.  Each class teacher and SET  will hold a copy for his/her class.

In June  list of SEN supports for the new year for  each class will be updated (Classroom support, School support or School Support Plus) in consultation with class teacher and SEN team.

A hard  copy will be  placed in the Assessment Folder for handover to the new teacher.

  • Class tracking system. (New June  2021) 

A summary SEN interventions will be maintained for each class to track interventions throughout their school life.  In June  a hard copy will be included in the  Assessment Folder for handover to new teacher.

Communication

The school communicates with the following as required:

  • Educational Psychologists.
  • Health Service Executive.
  • Special Education Needs Officer.
  • Speech and Language Therapists.
  • Occupational Therapists.
  • Social Workers.
  • Visiting Teachers
  • REIS

Timetabling – Inclass/Withdrawal

Timetabling for Resource and Learning Support is done through a collaborative approach between SET Teachers, Class teachers and Principal.  Due recognition is taken of the specific needs of each child.

Monitoring

The school will evaluate the effectiveness of Special Needs Provision through monitoring standards reached, case samples from children, the views of parents, staff feedback and continued levels of intervention.

Child Protection

In light of the Children First Act 2015 and the new Child Protection Procedures for Primary Schools 2017 the following amendments were added.

  • If a teacher is engaged in one to one teaching with a child there will always be a glass panel in the door and the teacher will keep a table between him/her and the child.
  • There will be an open door policy for pupils with complex behavioral issues.
  • The SEN teachers will call to the door of classrooms to collect and return children from infants to second.

Ratification and Communication

This policy is to be circulated to:-

  • All teaching staff and Special Needs Assistants.
  • Policy will be available to parents.

Implementation

This policy will be implemented in the school year 2021-22

Review

The policy was reviewed in March 2021

Ratification

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management in April 2021

________________                                                            ______________________

Chairman, Board of Management                                     Date

The Amber Flag Easter News!

The children from the Amber Flag Committee have been very busy this term!

  • During school closures we held our Amber Flag meetings on Zoom with Mrs Cronolly…we met on Fridays and discussed our plans for promoting mental health and wellbeing at Cloonakilla NS and each week we finished off with a Guided Mindfulness activity.  
  • We have been planning for whole-school wellbeing “Change Your Perspective” photography competition for senior classes. This has been sent out on SeeSaw and the closing date for entries is Friday the 16th of April. 
  • The Board of Management has bought us a new Buddy Bench, so we now have two fabulous Buddy Benches in the junior yards. The Amber Flag Committee recorded a video to show children from Junior Infants to 2nd class how to use the Buddy Benches appropriately. 
  • We have put a poster  in each junior classroom about the Buddy Benches 
  • We finished our application  and sent to it to Pieta for new Amber Flag award.
    Stay positive!
    The Amber Flag Committee 2020/2021

Amber Flag Christmas Books for Welbeing

As Christmas is just around the corner, why not think about giving a feel-good book as a welcome gift to your family and friends. This list of books promoting mental health and wellbeing comes a selection, many of which are recommended by Children’s Books Ireland. More information is available on www.childrensbooksireland.ie

We hope you enjoy these recommendations…this is not an exhaustive list and of course there are many fantastic books available in your local bookshops, online and from the wonderful resource that is our local library.

Happy reading and be well! Happy Christmas,

The Amber Flag Team 2020/2021.

For Very Young Children (aged 0-4):

Feeling Great! By Ailie Busby (lift the flap book for little learners)

ABC of Feelings by Bonnie Liu (alphabet and feelings all rolled into one book)

I Am: A Book About Feelings by Alice Melvin (helps young children to verbalise feelings)

Red Red Red by Polly Dunbar (helping young children to deal with overwhelming emotions)

Minfully Me: Where is Happy? By Louise Shanagher and Rose Finnerty (Using our internal tools to promote positive mental health)

Mum’s Jumper by Jayde Perkin (a story for small children about dealing with grief and loss)

Dare by Lorna Gutierrez (simple poetry about being your best self)

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (Funny and touching story about Ferdinand the bull who is not like all the other bulls)

While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar (very topical book about Tortoise and Hedgehog who find ways to have fun while social distancing)

For Children Aged 5-8:

A Zebra Named Zion by Ben Smith (colourful book about a zebra learning to manage sadness)

The Girl With The Parrot On Her Head by Daisy Hirst (picturebook about friendship and loss)

Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival (How do you make a friend? What do you say? This is a lovely book, particularyly for children transitioning from preschool into primary, or children wjo have difficulty making friends easily)

Little Tree – A Story for Children with Serious Medical Problems by Joyce C. Mills (using the analogy of a tree in a storm, this story is inspiring for children whose lives have been altered by serious injury or illness)

Gringer the Whinger by Jane Landly and Sheena Dempsey (funny book about emotions)

Fox and Goldfish by Nils Pieters (a child appropriate picturebook about death, aimed at opening up discussion with trusted adults about dying and loss)

Cad a Tharla Idir Mamai agus Dadai? Jennifer Moore-Mallinos (leabhar deas Gaeilge faoi caidreamh agus mothuchan)

Look Up! By Jung Jin-Ho (a little girl looks out at the world from her wheelchair – a story of friendship and connection)

The Boy in the Jam Jar by Joyce Dunbar (a little boy dealing with hearing loss and his hearing aids is an inspirational tale)

When Sadness Comes to Call by Eva Eland (picturebook with suggestions for dealing with sadness, such as listening to music or going for a walk)

Child of Galaxies by Blake Nuto (powerful book about the infinite possibilities of life)

For Children Aged 9-12:

My Feel Good Book: 90 Ways to Feel Confident and Happy to Be You! By Francoize Boucher (Colourful, interactive feel-good book)

Mindful Kids: Dyslexia and Me by Amy Rainbow (book/workbook for children about how dyslexia affects a child)

Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho-Yen (fictional story about London boy, Ade, dealing with his mother’s depression and the loss of his home)

Not My Fault! By Cath Howe (a book about sibling rivalries)

My Friend the Alien by Zanib Mian (a book challenging discrimination, about a boy who befriends an alien)

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf (Alexa and her friends want to befriend the new boy in their class and learn about his life as a refugee from a war-torn country)

The Boy With The Butterfly Mind by Victoria Williamson (an interesting read about a boy with ADHD)

Cen Chaoi a Bhfuil Tu? Go Maith o Anke Kranedonk (Sceal e seo ata trom ach tabhachtach a leamh faoi na dushlain a bhaineann le tinneas le linn na hoige)

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel (Steve suffers with anxiety and the new baby in his family is very sick – how will he cope?)

When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten (a fictional story about grief and anger)

For Children/Teens Aged 13-16:

Car Wash Wish by Sita Brahmachari (a sweet story about a boy with Asperger syndrome dealing with grief and the arrival of a new baby in his family)

Knock Knock by Pauline Burgess (troubled Belfast teen, Ben, spends time in a summer camp and uncovers a family secret)

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan (fictional tale about seventeen year old Bobby who cares for his mum, who has Motor Neuron Disease)

Choose You-Become the Unique, Incredible and Happy Teenager You Choose to Be by Dr Sharie Coombs (A book for teenagers who want to take control of their emotions and improve their wellbeing)

It’s Not Ok to Feel Blue and Other Lies by Scarlett Curtis (contributions from a number of inspirational people, including celebrities, who open up about how they have managed mental health difficulties in a positive manner.

6th Green Flag Global Citizenship & Energy

We celebrated and raised our 6th Green Flag Global Citizenship & Energy on Thursday 22nd of October. Our caretaker, Gerry Doyle, Ms Gately and the Green Schools Committee raised the flag and all classes had an opportunity to visit the site of our new flag, in their own class bubbles, where one child  tied a green balloon around the flag pole to symbolise their cooperation and help over the last two years. All classes watched a production by the Green Schools Committee and 4th Class created a video called ” A Trip Down Memory Lane” showcasing all the themes of our Green Flag. Our current 5th class project work was on display in the hall.  A big well done to the Green Schools Committee for all their hard work over the past two years. 

Click on the slideshow below to see our Infant classes participation in the 6th Green Flag celebrations!

The Green Schools Committee raising the 6th Green flag Global Citizenship & Energy!

Children representing their classes tying a green balloon around the flag pole to symbolise their cooperation and help over the last two years.

Maths Week 2021

The children in all the classes had a very busy Maths week! They explored many different stands of the Maths curriculum. They did maths trails, played board games, games online, learned coding using Beebots and Scratch. They also used plenty of concrete materials, did quizzes and baked some cakes.

Walk to School Week 2020 (with a Twist)!

How well do you know your 2-5km radius zone? Whilst we can’t run our annual week-long, walk to school call to action event this year, we have an idea to celebrate Walk to School Week 2020 with a twist! We are asking students and families to take a walk into the great outdoors and discover what their 2-5km has to offer. 

From May 11-15th, 2020, Green-Schools Travel is inviting students, teachers and families nationwide to join us in ‘Getting to know your 2km zone’. As part of the #GreenSchoolsStayHome project we have weekly activities to inspire fully exploring your 2-5km zone, and we will ask if students have valued the time and space that they have been granted as part of the lockdown restrictions.

Click on the image below to find out more!

Active Home Week April 27th-May 3rd 2020.

All  our families in Cloonakilla N.S. school  participated in the “Active Home Week” challenge.

The aim of this challenge was to get our recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day. We asked the children to find four different ways of being active every day, adding up to 60 minutes of activity each day and to record their activities in their Active Home Week Challenge Chart.

Watch this space as the different classes share their experiences in photos and diary form!

Our Fifth Classes were very active this week!

Our  Second  Classes  have been very active during the school closure. During active schools week they perfected their running techniques by watching videos and then practising the skills taught. The children have been running outside and some children have even been running on treadmills. The children have completed physical activity challenges every day – eg. How many jumping jacks can you do in a minute? They have also created and completed their own obstacle courses. Other children have been busy on bouncing on trampolines and on pogo sticks. Lots of children have been dancing too!

Our Junior Infant Classes were also very active! Here are some of them in action!

Active Home Week April 27th-May 3rd 2020.

Click on the image below to enter the Active Schools website with challenges and resources for Active Home Week.

February Newsletter 2020

February Newsletter 2020

Dear Parents,

Please find below details of forth coming events in our school and events we took part in.

Catholic Schools Week

We celebrated Catholic Schools Week from Jan 27th-31st. Mrs Cronolly introduced the programme each morning with a thought for the day and all classes partook in various activities which focussed on the Catholic ethos which permeates our school. During assembly 2nd-6th class children were afforded an opportunity to reflect on the theme for this week which was “Living in harmony with God’s creation”. A prayer service was also held during assembly. Fr John visited 2nd and 6th classes. They are preparing to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation so we remember them in a special way in our thoughts and prayers this year. 4th class made St Brigid’s crosses to mark St Brigid’s Day on Feb 1st.

Dates for your Diary

Non Uniform Day: March 13th

Do This in Memory Masses: Wednesday, 12th February @ 7.30pm & Wednesday, March 11th @7.30pm, Wednesday 1st April @ 7.30pm & Saturday 13th June @ 6.30pm.

Enrolment Ceremony for Confirmation: Tuesday 18th February at 7.30pm,

First Confessions: Wednesday, 25th March @ 6pm in Ss Peter & Pauls Church

The Sacrament of Confirmation: Thursday, April 23rd @ 11am

New Infants Induction Evening: Thursday, April 2nd @ 6 -7.30 pm

First Holy Communion: Saturday, May 9th @11am

School Closures

Midterm break: Thursday & Friday 20th & 21st   February

St Patricks: Monday & Tuesday 16th & 17th March

Easter Holidays: Monday, 6th April to Friday, 17th April

N.B.  Cloonakilla N.S. will close at @ 12.30 on Friday, 28th February for teachers’ in-service training in the New Primary Language Curriculum.

Sacramental Preparations

First Holy Communion

The children have been attending Mass as part of the “Do This in Memory Programme”. This is a very important part of your child’s preparation for the sacraments and attendance is required. Preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion will commence in school after the midterm break. We thank you for your support and participation.

Confirmation

6th class have been invited to attend the Confirmation Programme “Exploring our Faith” in Ss Peter & Paul’s Church on Tuesday, 18th February @7.30pm.  The programme will continue on Thursday February 27th, Thursday March 5th, Thursday March 12th at 7.00pm to 8pm.

School Self Evaluation

Year 2 of Our School Improvement Plan (2018-2020) is being implemented throughout the school. As already outlined we hope to increase our literacy levels with particular emphasis on Guided Reading and Comprehension Strategies. Please continue to read with your children at home and try to establish it as part of your daily routine. While improving your children’s reading skills it also helps instil a love of reading which is something your children can take with them into their adult lives.

Mrs McCabe is currently being trained as a Reading Recovery teacher. Mrs McCullagh presently implements the Reading Recovery Programme in our school. This programme is a literacy programme designed for children aged approx. 6 years who are struggling with reading. It involves a 20 week programme of daily one-to-one lessons for 30 minutes. It aims to reach age appropriate levels at the end of this 20 week period. We are fortunate to have 2 Reading Recovery teachers in our school as early intervention increases a child’s success in reading.

R.S.E. Programme

4th/5th/6th classes will attend a “Growing Up” talk presented by Fiona Fallon on March 23rd and 24th. You will be furnished with details nearer to the time.  The talk will deal with the sensitive areas of the R.S.E. Programme. It is important that parents communicate openly with their children about these issues as it is a challenging time in their lives and we all need to support them as best we can.  Class teachers will cover the relevant sections of the RSE Programme dealing with body names/changes/growing up etc. Parents are notified in advance of these classes so it gives you an opportunity to address those issues with your child.

Stay Safe Programme

The Stay Safe Programme is currently being taught in Jun Infants, 1st, 3rd and 5th classes. This is a personal safety skills programme which seeks to enhance children’s self protective skills by participation in lessons on safe and unsafe situations, bullying, inappropriate touch, secrets, and the dangers of communicating with strangers. It is very important to encourage your child to discuss the content of these lessons at home. Parents can learn more about this programme at www.staysafe.ie. Our children’s safety both in the real and virtual world is a priority for us all. Please check your child’s online activity at regular intervals to ensure their safety.

STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics)

STEAM, from an educational perspective is concerned with the aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics in the school environment. This initiative is being incorporated into a select number of primary schools. Cloonakilla N.S is thrilled to have been nominated again to participate in this initiative alongside local company Teleflex. The focus once again will be on ‘Engineering-in-a-Box’. The aim of this programme is to create a fun and challenging environment for children to both enhance and develop a knowledge of engineering. Both 5th classes will participate in the programme commencing Tuesday, February  11th  for a ten week period.

Maths Games at Cloonakilla

Children from Ms Ryan’s 1st class and Ms Connaughton’s 6th class have been taking part in our school Maths Games initiative. Every Monday, for a six week block, the 6th class pupils teach the 1st class a simple fun maths game, based on the maths curriculum for 1st class. The 1st class pupils then take the new game home to play with their families instead of maths homework for two nights during that week. The pupils from 1st class and their families have shown great engagement and enjoyment during the project. The 6th class have shown their leadership qualities and have been very patient while teaching the younger pupils – they are a credit to their families! Thank you and well done to all involved. Pupils from Ms Kilmartin’s 1st class and Ms Kiely’s 6th class will take part in this initiative after the midterm break.

Debating at Cloonakilla NS:

This year, our 6th class pupils are taking part in the Athlone Primary Schools Debating Competition run by Cllr Aengus O’Rourke and Athlone Drama Festival.  Aengus visited our 6th classes in January to speak to the children about the importance of public speaking to develop their confidence and to help them in their day to day lives as well as when they progress to second level education.

There are 13 schools participating in the competition. Each school will hold its own internal debating trials, a team will be chosen and that team will then go on and compete against other schools in a knockout format.

Our internal knockout was held on 30th Jan and the successful team comprised of Jay Maloney, Craig Kilmartin, Matthew Keegan and Jacob Kilmartin – well done boys! They were competing against a very eloquent team comprised of Rachel Murphy, Roqibat Idris, Abi O’Meara Fox and Ruby Rose O’Leary. The girls provided stiff competition and it was a close result.

For the next phase of the competition, our school team will debate against Scoil na gCeithre Maistri, here in Cloonakilla NS, on Wednesday 19th of February at 10am. The winning team will go onto the next phase of the league.

Parents are welcome to attend and support the team. 

World Book Day

World Book Day will be celebrated on Thursday, March 5th. Special activities will be held in all classes to mark this event and to promote further interest in reading. Please take a few minutes out of your busy schedules at home to mark this occasion with your children. Book tokens will be distributed to all classes so this is an opportunity for the children to purchase a book of their own choosing.

Library Visit

3rd Classes will visit the Aidan Heavey public library on March 20th for a reading by illustrator / storyteller Alan Nolan.  Alan is the author of Death by Chocolate and other very amusing and illustrated titles.  Children will have the opportunity to join the library if they so wish.

Poetry Competition

Children from 5th / 6th classes are busy writing poems to enter in this year’s Strokestown Poetry Festival.  The competition is open to all students attending a primary school in Roscommon.  We wish them well in their endeavours.

Spelling Bee

The annual Eason’s Spelling Bee county final took place on Monday February 10th in the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon.  Following a very competitive in- school competition Lauren O’Brien from Ms Kiely’s 6th class emerged as our school representative.  Lauren competed at the county final on Feb 10th     and came 4th.   Well done Lauren!

Art/Texaco Art Competition

Congratulations to all the winners of our in-school Art Competition.  We now have 24 new pieces of art work framed and on display brightening up our corridors.  So well done to all our artists!

4th classes have taken part in the Texaco Art Competition.  Their art works are currently on display in the school library.

Sport

Basketball

Basketball training for 5th & 6th class boys and girls has been on-going with Ms Kiely and Ms Connaughton at lunch time. Well done to all who participated in basketball training. A panel of players has now been selected and we are training for upcoming games.  On Monday, 2nd March, our basketball panels will travel to The Hub in Castlerea to compete in the Roscommon Primary School blitz. Our group includes Cloontuskert N.S, Castlerea N.S, Creggs N.S. and Boyle N.S.  We are also entering the Athlone Basketball League. On a monthly basis we will play local Westmeath schools, including Coosan, Moate, Cornamaddy and the Gaelscoil.  Participation in these basketball competitions promises to be fun and enjoyable, as well as promoting social interaction and a healthy lifestyle through team sports.

Soccer

The Spar 5 a-side will take place after the Easter holidays.  Training for the 5th and 6th class boys and girls has been ongoing since December.  Mr Kilbride is coaching the boys and Ms Martin and Ms Kilmartin have been training the girls.

Cumann na mBunscol

The training for the Cumann na mBunscol boys and girls will commence shortly with the competition taking place in May, initially against Ballybay, Summerhill and Cornafulla.  Mr Kilbride and Ms Fallon will be coaching the respective teams. The Cumann na mBunscol Sports Table Quiz will take place in March.  Also, a few lucky boys and girls will be selected to represent Cloonakilla in the mini 7’s in April, where they will be in with a chance of playing at half-time in a Roscommon Championship game in the summer.

Tag Rugby

Buccaneers RFC in conjunction with Connacht Rugby are holding a 10 a side tag rugby blitz on Thursday 26th March for 5th and 6th class boys and girls in Buccaneers RFC from 11 to 1pm.  There will be a training session in advance of the blitz.

Active Schools Flag

Our Active School Flag Committee are:

Brian Finneran and Szymon Sckozen (6th class)

Marianne Molloy and Rachel Akahomen (5th class)

Christina Waldron and Grace Meares (4nd class)

Isla Walsh and Chloe O’Callaghan (3rd class) and

Davy Warde and Alex O’Brien (2nd class).

  • Well done to Aoibhinn Feery (3rd class), Saoirse Dunne (3rd class) and Orla Donohue (5th class) as they represented our school in the All Ireland Schools Swimming competition on Sunday, February 9th.  It was held in the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.  The girls all got PB’s and Aoibhinn came 6th in her category.  They thoroughly enjoyed taking part in such a huge competition.  We’re very proud of you all.
  • A special word of thanks to all of the teachers who are helping out with coaching at lunchtimes.  Due to recent inclement weather conditions the pitches are not playable at the moment but hopefully they’ll be back in action very soon.
  • Cube Initiative: To kickstart the new year and to promote our Active School Walkway we held a competition to see which class could “earn” the most cubes during break-times. 1st to 6th classes took on the challenge with great gusto and Ms Finnegan’s 3rd class emerged as winners.  It was super to see everyone doing their talking as they were walking.  A total of 2849 km was walked during the 10 days of monitoring.  Well done everyone!
  • In December all children who returned their “Active Month” activity chart were entered into a lucky dip for some surprises delivered by our hardworking Active Schools Committee.  The children were required to complete physical exercise as part of their homework.  It proved very popular.
  • Cycle Right: course took place with both 6th classes during December.  The course provided practical cycle safety and skills to promote competent and confident cyclists for the future.  A word of thanks to Noel Feely of Roscommon Partnership for facilitating this worthwhile workshop.
  • Tug of War – Development Officer Cathy Sherrin will visit our school on Monday, 24th February.  3rd to 6th classes will participate in a workshop on tug of war he skills and techniques.  The children are looking forward to using these news skills on Sports Day later on this year.
  • Volunteers needed – are you involved in a career based on exercise?  We are looking for volunteers to come and share their ideas with the children during National Active Schools Week which takes place in May.  Please contact the school if you are interested in helping us out.

Yoga and Mindfulness

As part of staff wellbeing a four week yoga/ mindfulness course was organised for staff after school recently.  Avril Mullally conducted the course and it proved to be a very worthwhile exercise.

Ms Donnelly is currently running a series of yoga classes for 5th class girls.  Studies have found that this age girls tend to drop out of sports so we are encouraging them to keep as active as possible to reap the benefits in their future lives with increased confidence and self-esteem.

Green Schools

We are in the final stages of working towards our green flag, Global Citizenship and Energy.

The Green Schools committee have been very busy recently reinforcing all of our previous themes.  Litter picking has commenced daily on the yard, with all classes helping out to make our school a green space. The Green schools committee have reminded all classes to remain energy conscious and reduce their rubbish in their classrooms. Well done to the Green Schools Committee who continue to work very hard.  In March, we will have a Green School Awareness day. All classes will view an Energy PowerPoint, revising our theme. The Green Schools Committee will also show a PowerPoint to each class reminding everyone of all the hard work we have done over the past year and a half, working towards our green flag.   

We will have our An Taisce National Spring Clean Day on the 2nd of April in our school. This is a nationwide anti-litter campaign, which will take place during the month of April. Our whole school will get involved to clean up around our school and surrounding areas.

We will have a speaker visit our school in April from the SEAI (Sustainability Energy Authority of Ireland) who will carry out a workshop with the Senior Classes. This workshop will revise our energy theme while looking at issues surrounding energy on a global scale. It will focus on Climate Change, the most serious environmental problem of our time and is intrinsically linked to our energy use.  Our WOW Days will commence at the start of the summer months.

Book Fair

Our school book fair was a huge success.  We sold €3,612 worth of books and as a result received 220 new books for the library.  We also have €500 credit for Tara Book Company which will go towards the purchasing of novels for Guided Reading.  Many thanks to all who supported the Book Fair.

Sensory Room/Garden

Our Sensory Room provides many of our children with a calming space away from their busy classrooms.  It provides the children with an opportunity to engage their senses in a safe and comfortable environment.  Visits to the Sensory Room are closely supervised by SNAs.  Work on our Sensory Garden will begin this summer.

Non-Uniform Day

A non-uniform day will be held on Friday, March 13th.  Children will be encouraged to wear green on this day as it marks Green Schools Awareness Day and it also coincides with the end of Seachtain na Gaeilge. All monies raised will go towards our new sensory garden.

Junior Infant Enrolment

Our Junior Infant Enrolment will be completed this week. All successful applicants have been notified pending return of required documents by Feb 14th.  Incomplete applications will render the application null and void.

School Photographs

County Photos visited the school on January 31st. Proofs have been distributed and all orders/monies should be returned to the class teacher by Monday 17th February. The photographer will revisit the school on Monday 27th of April for Confirmation photograph for 6th class. Communion photograph will NOT be taken of First Communicants in school this year due to lack of interest.

Hoodies

In keeping with Cloonakilla N.S tradition, our 6th class students have received their new personalised school hoodies which they can wear in lieu of their school uniform jumpers.

Delphi Adventure Centre School Tour

The 2nd instalment of monies for the school tour to Delphi is due by Wednesday, 19th February.  An alternative tour has been arranged for those not attending Delphi.

Parents Association

The Parents’ Association would like to thank all who attended and supported the Table Quiz on 7th February. Thank you also to all who helped on the night and helped to make it a success.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Parents Association for all their hard work in organising this event.  All monies raised enhance school life in Cloonakilla and for this we should all be very grateful.

Kind Regards,

Mary O’Rourke,

Principal

Climate Action Week 14th – 18th October

Climate Action Week 14th – 18th October

We celebrated Climate Action Week and raised awareness in our school about Climate Change. The Green Schools Committee worked very hard in the lead up to Climate Action Week, coming up with ideas and activities for all the classes.

We had a wonderful week. All classes watched a PowerPoint about Climate Change.

Juniors, Seniors and 1st Classes planted wildflowers with Mr. O Leochain. We had a guest speaker from the AIT. Chris Mc Cormack spoke to all the children in 6th Class about Climate Change and the effect it is having on our earth.

We had an art competition for 2nd and 3rd classes.

Both 4th classes made their own wonderful projects at home based on Climate Change. They were excellent! 4th Classes showcased their projects to all the other classes in the school. They explained thoroughly what each project was about and all the others classes learnt a lot from their projects.

            Climate Action Week was a great success!

We had great fun learning about Climate Change, raising awareness about Climate Change and taking action to combat Climate Change. A big thank you to the Greens Schools Committee for all their hard work! Remember everyone “A Green Space is A Better Place”