Dear Parents and Guardians,                                                                                     23. 9. 2011


We hope you and your family had a relaxing and fun-filled summer holiday
and that all batteries are now recharged for the new school year ahead,
starting on Thursday September 1st. We are delighted to inform you that in
the past two months, significant refurbishment has been carried out in our
school. The twenty-four permanent classrooms, the administration block and
the G.P. Room were reconstructed with new electrical and plumbing services,
ceilings and floors as well as painted and decorated.

Parallel to this work, the construction of the new classroom block and gym
commenced and will continue over the next school year. However, as a result
of this building, access and space around the school and church car park
will be severely restricted for the duration of the building programme. In
an effort to enhance the safety of our pupils and all involved in the
school, our Board of Management has put some special measures and
recommendations in place and we ask for your patience and co-operation in
these challenging circumstances. The following are the key points
1 The school can only be accessed through the main school entrance.
2 Parents are asked not to park in front of the school – this will be a
drop-off zone only. Drivers who wish to walk children to their classrooms
must park away from this zone.
3 Parking in the vicinity of the school is limited. Please consider walking
to school when safe and possible to do so. This could be greatly
facilitated if parents could make local/neighbourhood arrangements for
“walking buses”.
4 Due to severe lack of space, we ask parents of pupils in first classes
and higher not to accompany children beyond the front door if possible.
Staff will be on hand to provide supervision.
5 Infant pupils MUST still be collected from the classroom door at 1.30p.m.
Parents of pupils in first to sixth classes should wait near the railing at
the front of the school to collect their children.
6 Pupils will not be allowed enter the school grounds before 8.35 each
morning.
7 Pupils are not allowed to re-enter after school closes each evening.
8 Bicycles cannot be brought to school.
9 Parents and pupils are asked to accept the directions of parents, SNAs
and teachers readily – these people are giving their time voluntarily.
On Thursday, September 1st we ask that
1 All children from Senior Infants to Sixth classes walk directly to their
classrooms from 8.35a.m..
2 Parents of latecomers must bring children to the main school door.
3 Parents of all new Junior Infant pupils do not come to school before
9.30a.m..
We are acutely aware of the considerable demands this period will place on
our school community. Without doubt, the project will bring some short-term
inconvenience and frustration. With the co-operation and patience of all,
this can be minimised. Our reward will be greatly enhanced facilities,
offering more and better opportunities for our pupils and our community.

We thank you for your co-operation and we look forward to welcoming all our
pupils back on Thursday. We wish you all a happy and fulfilling new school
year.
Yours sincerely,

Tommie O’Malley Denis Courtney