Author: Mrs Hurley

Forecast Weather Event
We are naturally aware of the forecast and keeping the situation under constant review. If there are any changes to normal school opening times or activities during the coming days we will communicate this to you as early as we can. We will send you a text and all announcements will also be posted on the school website www.ballylinannationalschool.com . Please check the site if you are looking for the most up-to-date and accurate information. Thank you.

Communion Visits
This only applies if Fr. Shelley was due to visit you at home: visits due this Thursday evening (1^st March) and the following Thursday (8^th March) have been postponed.

Tin Whistle
Both tin whistle groups on Wednesday this week; none on Thursday or Friday.

Quiz Season
Very well done to our teams who qualified for the final of the St. Abban’s Quiz which is due to be held on Thursday 8^th April in Killeen Hall at 8 pm.

Enrolment 2018/19
These are almost finalised for next year. If you have not returned the form you received, please do so immediately. Thank you.

Vision & Hearing Checks
These will be held on Tuesday 13^th & Wednesday 14^th March for Junior and Senior Infants.

Zim Day (Friday 16^th March)
Our Annual Fr. O’Shea appeal for Zimbabwe will be held on Friday 16^th March. As in other years the day will consist of cake and jumble sales and will conclude with a monster raffle. Tickets for the raffle will go on sale for the children to buy on Monday 12^th March.  They will cost 50c each. We are asking for toys, books and games that your children no longer use but that other children might like and be anxious to buy. These can be brought to the school from Monday 12^th March. We are also calling on all the bakers and bun makers in Ballylinan to bake for us. These goodies and treats are always in great demand.  We know that we can depend on your support and that our cake stall will be very well stocked. The money raised from Zim Day will be donated to the Franciscan Missionary Union and will be used to help the children attending Assisi High School, Nharira, Chivhu, Zimbabwe, providing resources for their educational needs.

First Penance
The children of 2^nd Class will make their “First Confession” tonight (Tuesday). It’s a gentle, quiet ceremony; one of the nicer ones. Thanks to their teachers and all who helped them to prepare. Thanks also to the Parents Association for organising refreshments afterwards. Choir members please remember that you are needed tonight to carry on the tradition of supporting others!

Mid Term
School will be closed on Thursday and Friday of next week (15^th & 16^th) for the mid term break. Normal closing times (2 pm and 3 pm) on Wednesday 14^th.

Homework Club
Continues as usual though please note the following: No homework club this Wednesday (7^th February). Next week: Monday and Tuesday only.

Tin Whistle
As normal this week, no tin whistle next week.

Quiz Season
Well done to the team that represented us in the Athy/Portlaoise/Abbeyleix Credit Union Quiz recently: Amy Fitzgerald, Aisling Brennan, Eoin Dunne and Alan Behan. They came 5^th which was a fine performance in a large quiz. More quizzes to come!

Enrolment 2018/19
Parents who have already given their child’s name to the school should have received an enrolment form. Please return the form promptly as it will help us to prepare for next year.

Grandparents Mass
Thanks to everyone involved in our Grandparents Mass last week. We would prefer to have had it in the school but there are now so many of us that we thought the church might be a better option and it seems to have worked out well!

Cycle Safety
4^th Class have almost completed their course for this year; they have learned lots of ways to help them to be safer cyclists!

Community News
Arts & Crafts in Ballylinan Hall on Saturdays from 2-4 pm. Contact Gertie Lynch 087 – 130 0165. Cost €10 per child.

Safer Internet Day (Today, Tuesday 6^th February)

 Note that users must be at least 13 to register for an account with most social networks and messaging apps.

Ask your child about what social networking services they use.
Start on a positive footing by asking them to describe the things they like about it. Ask if you can see the profile. But don’t be surprised if your child is reluctant to show you – children can see social networking as a parent-free zone where they communicate with friends.

In order to open up the channels of communication with your child over their social networking use, don’t be too critical of their online experience or habits to date. It’s not always their fault if there is something inappropriate on their profile.

Sometimes a teenager won’t tell a parent about a bad experience they have had online because they fear that you might solve the problem by keeping them off their favourite social networking services. However, if they feel they can talk about their online habits with you, without judgement, or the threat of being disconnected it will lead to more honesty in the long run.

Ask your child what privacy settings they have set up on their profiles.
Encourage them if they are public, to amend the setting to private so that only friends can see what they post. But also let them know that even with the tightest privacy controls, content posted online can be easily copied and shared with audiences they can’t control.

It’s a good idea too to talk about your child’s friends list.
“Friends” is the catch all term for any contacts on social networking sites. Sometimes, in their desire for popularity, teenagers become too relaxed about who they’ll accept as ‘friends’. Teenagers should review their list of online ‘friends’ regularly, so they are sharing their information only with people they trust.

Be sure to put emphasis on the fact that they should NOT reply to any unwanted or unsolicited messages.

Although it may seem obvious, often scam artists or predators use message which draw responses from young people. So it’s good to make sure your child knows how important it is to ignore them.

Further advice and more details on www.webwise.ie .

 

Catholic Schools Week
Pupils Patrick Buggy, Emily O’Rourke, Finn Kelleher and teachers Ms. Brennan and Mr. Threadgold represented the school in Carlow Cathedral recently for the launch of Catholic Schools Week 2018.

Grandparents’ Mass
Grandparents Mass will be celebrated this Wednesday 31^st January at 1 pm in Ballylinan Church (please note venue and time). Parents & guardians and of course grandparents in particular are welcome!

 All children will be leaving the church first when finished and returning to the school.

If weather and circumstances allow, it would be helpful if people can remain parked at the church and walk up to the school. It will ease traffic congestion and it’s a nice short walk!

The Parents Association are kindly providing refreshments afterwards in the school for adults.

All infants must be collected from their classrooms on the day.

All other children can be collected from their classrooms after refreshments or in the usual way at 3 pm.

Homework Club
There will be no homework club this Wednesday (31^st January).

Enrolment 2018/19
Parents who have already given their child’s name to the school will receive an enrolment form this week. Please return the form promptly as it will help us to prepare for next year. If your child is due to start school in September and you haven’t already let us know, please contact the school office immediately at 059 – 862 5195. This is important as it looks like we will have quite a large group starting in September.

Thank you for your support as always.

 School Calendar
The last few are on sale in Centra, price €7. Thanks to all who supported our calendar by placing an advertisement for their business.

Catholic Schools Week  (Jan 29^th – Feb 2^nd)
Two teachers and three pupils will represent the school in Carlow Cathedral tomorrow (Wednesday) at the launch of Catholic Schools Week 2018. 

A reminder that Grandparents Mass (including parents!) will be celebrated on Wednesday 31^st January at 1.30 pm (details to follow). Children will be able to leave immediately after the mass if collected. The Parents Association are kindly providing refreshments afterwards and are looking for volunteers to help out. If you can lend a hand please ring the school office and let us know. Thank you.

Homework Club
There will be no homework club this Wednesday (17^th January).

Opening Hours
Just a reminder re. the existing situation: the school opens to receive pupils each day at 9:15 a.m. As has been the case up to now, no responsibility is accepted by the Board of Management for pupils arriving before 9 a.m. Classes end each day at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. for Junior & Senior Infants). If a child is finishing at that time and being collected, parents should make their own arrangements for this and the person collecting them should be at the school not later than 3 p.m. (2 p.m. for Infants). The Board cannot accept responsibility for the children after that time. On the rare occasion where the person collecting has been unavoidably delayed, please let us know as is currently the case. Thank you for your cooperation and for your patience with regard to parking at the school.

Enrolment 2018/19
Parents who have already given their child’s name to the school will receive an enrolment form in the next couple of weeks. Please return the form promptly because we need to prepare for next year. If your child is due to start school in September and you haven’t already let us know, please contact the school office immediately at 059 – 862 5195.

Thank you for your support as always.