Category: Newsletters

Happy New Year to you all. We are pleased that our pupils are returning tomorrow. However, please remember the following public health advice:

If your child has symptoms of the virus, or lives in a household where someone has received a positive or “detected” test result either on a PCR or an antigen test then they should not attend school. We have been asked to remind all staff and children that if they have been told by the HSE that they are a close contact of a case of Covid-19, they need to adhere to the advice on the HSE website in relation to restricted movements and testing.

We have had almost universal compliance with public health guidelines that all staff and pupils from 3rd Class upwards wear face coverings. This is to continue for the time being. Thanks so much to everyone for your cooperation. All these measures contribute to keeping the school up and running.

Please complete the ‘return to school declaration’ on the Aladdin app when asked to do so. This serves as a reminder to parents that we are not living in normal times when it comes to illness in school.

Many of you are experiencing staff shortages in your workplaces. Schools have been under serious staffing pressure since last September and the situation is extremely difficult. We have managed to keep classes open every day this school year so far. Our priority is for this to continue, but we have to say this cannot be guaranteed and there is a possibility that a class may have to be sent home if there are no staff available. We assure you that this will only be as a last resort. We will try everything in our power to keep all classes open at all times as we have managed to date. We hope that if we can get through the next few weeks, things may improve somewhat.

Please remember that while we are very fortunate to have a warm, spacious school we must keep the building well ventilated so windows are open more than normal. An extra layer of clothing may be necessary.

We are very grateful to parents for informing us of positive cases (including over Christmas). This helps us to keep relevant people informed and to manage the virus in the school as best we can.

Please remember that books are to be brought back to school tomorrow.

Let’s hope and pray for a better 2022 for us all.

John Threadgold 
Principal

Gaeilgeoirí na Seachtaine
Tá na páistí ag déanamh iarracht níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid i rith an lae. Féachaigí!

Covid Update
Thanks again to the children from 3rd – 6th Classes for their wearing of facemasks. We have had pupils either testing positive or being a close contact (typically of a family member) in the past week. We continue to be particularly grateful to parents who inform us of a positive case. Please continue to be vigilant, we really appreciate your support.

Flu Vaccine
The HSE is advising that your child can get the flu vaccine at your GP or pharmacy until the start of February 2022. It’s available as a nasal spray and there is no charge. If you’re interested, visit www.hse.ie/flu .

Admissions to Ballylinan N.S.
Please note that applications for the 2022/23 school year will be open from Thursday, 13th January to Friday, 4th February 2022. Further information on how to apply will be issued closer to the time. If you are aware of anyone who may wish to enrol a child for next year, please let them know these dates. Thank you.

Christmas Food Appeal
Many thanks to you all for your generous support of our recent food appeal and to Ms. Goff for organising.

Sending Books Home
As on previous occasions and as a precaution, we are planning to send home books this Friday. We DO NOT have any inside information; we expect to be open next week and also to reopen after the holidays but experience tells us – unfortunately – that it’s best to be prepared.

Christmas Panto
We are treating the pupils to a performance of the ‘Red Riding Hood’ (The Helix Panto Online) tomorrow (Thursday 16th December). We want to make it a special occasion. The children can wear their Christmas jumpers or something festive tomorrow and we’ll have some treats for them too!

Nollaig Shona
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody associated with the school – but especially you the parents – a very happy and peaceful Christmas. As always, we are aware of some especially difficult family circumstances and will be keeping you in our prayers.

The school will close for the Christmas holidays at 12:15 for Infants and 12:30 for all others on Wednesday next, 22nd December. The children don’t have to wear their uniform on that day; they may wear something festive if they wish. We are scheduled to re-open on Thursday, 6th January 2022. Other planned closures are detailed on the school website.

Thank you all for your support as always. Nollaig shona daoibh go léir.

John Threadgold
Principal

Admissions to Ballylinan N.S.
Please note that applications for the 2022/23 school year will be open from Thursday, 13th January to Friday, 4th February 2022. Further information on how to apply will be issued closer to the time. If you are aware of anyone who may wish to enrol a child for next year, please let them know these dates. Thank you.

Road and Online Safety
Garda Robbie Foran spoke recently to 4th, 5th & 6th Classes about the importance of staying safe when online and also about staying safe on the road. This is particularly important when pupils are cycling or walking home. Now that the evenings are dark, you could also ensure that your child wears a highly visible coat or jacket.

Advent Friends
As in previous years, each child in the school has been allocated an “advent” or “special” friend in the lead up to Christmas. We are asking that children should be particularly kind to the person without letting them know that they have been chosen. No cards or gifts are required; the pupils will make cards in school.

Covid Update
What can we say that hasn’t already been said? We are managing as best we can with quite a high level of pupil and staff absence in the past few weeks, mainly due to disruption from Covid. I would like to again thank the overwhelming majority of our pupils (and their parents) in 3rd-6th classes who have been wearing face coverings as required by the Department of Education. We wear them to help to reduce the transmission of the virus, especially to our elderly or vulnerable families and friends. It’s not so much something we do for ourselves, rather it’s a generous thing that we do for each other. A small but important Christmas gift, if you like. Thank you all.