Dear Parent,

The new school year is upon us, and we’ve only one more sleep to go! We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a few important issues. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic is still rampant in the community, and this will continue to influence how we will operate for the foreseeable future. We will continue with pupil pods and bubbles, social distancing and enhanced hygiene practices, class group segregated play areas, separate entry and egress areas etc. Rest assured, the children adapt readily and these practices quickly become second nature to them. Staff will greet pupils at the school gates and familiarise all with the procedures over the coming days. Pupils from Junior to Second Class should enter via the Lower Gate, and Third to Sixth at the Upper Gate. We will advise from that point onwards.

It is important that you do not send your child to school if they are feeling unwell or are displaying symptoms, such as headaches, sore throats, coughs, runny or blocked noses, high temperature, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of sense of taste or smell etc. Please seek medical advice if you have any concerns, and follow HSE guidelines at all times.

The gates open daily from 9am. We do not assume responsibility for pupils before that time, and not until they have been transferred by a parent into our care. Pupils can arrive until 9.20am and should be accompanied to and from the gates by a supervising adult. Please note that the carpark at the school is for Staff and Bus Parking only. Parents may use the car park opposite the school.

The children transfer from their class line in the yard to the school at 9.20 daily. For the first few days, Junior Infants – if they wish to avoid the hustle and bustle of a busy yard – may arrive until 9.30am, and a staff member will bring them to their class. Unfortunately, parents are not to enter the school grounds unless by prior agreement or appointment but this can be arranged via the School Office. We do hope to allow individual parents to visit the Junior Infant classroom to see their child’s environment over the coming weeks.

Class ends at 12 noon for Junior Infants until Monday, 6th September and at 2pm daily thereafter. Senior Infants also go home at 2pm while other classes remain at school until 3pm.

Please ensure that all items of clothing, lunchbox, stationery etc are labelled with your child’s name and that this is refreshed regularly throughout the year. In the interests of fairness to all, we request that the official school uniform is worn at all time, and particularly request that any tracksuit bottoms should be of the darker grey variety, and to be non- branded. We also operate a Healthy Lunch Policy and there should be no sweets, crisps, chocolates, fizzy drinks, glass bottles etc. In the interests of classroom tidiness, we do not allow popcorn either. Please visit our Healthy Lunch Policy for further information.

We operate a School Book Rental Scheme in most classes, and respectfully ask that the fees are paid by Friday, 4th September.

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing you all, and, with a good forecast, it will be nice to see the children at work and at play. Indeed, we’ve added a new large tarmacadamed area to our upper yard over the summer months and I am sure we will all get good use out of it.

Feel free to contact the School Office if you have any queries,

Kind regards,

John Devenney

Hearty congratulations to our School Debating team who won the All-Ireland Concern Debating Final competition in June 2021. Read the report, as posted in The Donegal News newspaper.

ALL-IRELAND DEBATING SUCCESS FOR KILMACRENNAN SCHOOL

All-Ireland debating success for Kilmacrennan school

Posted: 9:57 am June 24, 2021

A DONEGAL village is celebrating after a team of primary school children won a new national debating contest that had over one hundred teams participating from around the country.

Fifth and sixth class pupils from Scoil Cholmcille in Kilmacrennan won the final of the inaugural All Ireland Concern Primary Debates, which is run by the humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide.

The champions successfully argued for the motion that “GM Crops are key to ending world hunger” in their word-clash with Scoil Bhride from Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny.

Concern Primary Debates was set up to encourage awareness of global issues through debates about serious world topics and to improve the level of debating skills amongst young people.

The Kilmacrennan debaters – Conn McGettigan, Sadie McGettigan, Orla Kearney and John Cannon (captain) – were praised by their school principal and debating mentor John Devenney, who said: “We are delighted with this victory for the school.

“There has been a strong record of participation in debating competitions here in recent years, which is thanks to our teachers who have been fostering this tradition.”

The hundreds of students who participated in the competition each get a medal for their efforts and the winning school is awarded with a large wooden wall map of the world while the runner up will receive an engraved plaque.

The debates took part online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concern Worldwide congratulated and thanked all participating pupils, their parents, teachers and wider communities.

“We applaud all Concern Primary debaters and those who supported them,” said Concern’s Head of Active Citizenship, Michael Doorly.

“Debating teaches us how to put our points across in a respectful, dignified, yet convincing way.

Any school that wants to participate in the next Concern Primary Debates competition can email debates@concern.net

We wish to warmly congratulate our School Debating Team on winning the 2021 Donegal Primary Schools Concern Debating Championship. John, Conn and Orla represented the school and came out as winners in a tense final against a school from Ballyshannon. We successfully opposed the motion that ‘Children Can Make a Big Difference to the Environment’. The team will now represent Donegal in the National Stages of the competition.

Indeed, the school is maintaining a proud record in this competition, claiming our third title in four years. Last year, Oisín, Damhán and John were 2020 County Champions but Covid restrictions meant that the National Stages weren’t held.

As part of the gradual phased return to schools, Kilmacrennan NS will open for pupils in Junior Infants, Senior Infants, First and Second classes only on Monday, 1 March 2020.

The target return date of pupils in Third to Sixth Classes is Monday, 15 March 2021. Online teaching will continue as normal for these pupils until they return.

A Return to Education Form will be required for each pupil returning. Class teachers will issue this information to their pupils.

Parental communication with the school should continue via phone or by email only.

Parents/siblings etc are to adhere to public health guidelines and not to congregate at the school gate.

Teachers will greet the pupils on the return to school and re-establish our Covid protocols – such as sanitising at entry and exit, segregated yard areas, class lining up areas, classroom pods and bubbles etc.

Please note that it is necessary to complete a Return to Education Form for each pupil upon returning to school

https://www.cpsma.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Return-to-Educational-Facility-declaration-form-Word.docx

Return to Educational Facility Parental Declaration Form