General

We wish to congratulate the Kilmacrennan National School Debating team on winning the County Donegal Concern Debating League. The team will now represent Donegal in the National Series and look forward to defending the All-Ireland title won last year.

A Cultural Concert will be held in An Craoibhín, Termon on Thursday, April 7^th at 7pm. The school will participate in the event, with a number of pupils from 3-6^th participating. All are welcome to attend.

The Kilmacrennan NS 5K Run & Family Walk – as part of the Donegal Grand Prix Athletics Circuit – is scheduled for Thursday, May 5^th at 7pm. Anybody wishing to help out with organising the event (eg registration, stewarding, helping with refreshments, sponsorship prizes etc) is asked to contact Master O’ Donnell/ Monica McGranaghan/ Helena Roarty.

We will hold an Easter Draw in the school on Thursday, April 7^th. Prizes will include an Easter Hamper and Easter Eggs. Tickets are on sale in the school this week (One ticket for €2; three tickets for €5). The school will close for the Easter holidays at 12 noon on Friday, April 8^th and re-open on Monday, April 25^th.

The First Holy Communions are scheduled for Saturday, May 14^th at 12 noon.

Finally, Mrs Ferry’s Fourth Class undertook a Chick hatching project recently and were delighted to see two lovely chicks hatch in recent days. It really is egg-cellent news!

MARCH NEWSLETTER

Dear Parent/s

Our school has recently been busy on a number of fronts. We have moved two classes into our new modular buildings and we wish all well with the move. We also wish to thank Anne O’ Donnell for flipping over 200 pancakes on Pancake Tuesday. All classes in the school participated in World Book Day events in the school. Second, Fifth and the Solas Room pupils are undertaking a six-week swimming programme in the Aura Centre. Sixth Class pupils partook in the Sacrament of Confirmation and a lovely ceremony was enjoyed by all.

Our School Debating team have reached the County Final of Donegal Concern Debating League and we wish the team well in the competition.

The school will participate in the Healthy Eating ‘Food Dudes’ programme over the coming weeks. Pupils will receive an information leaflet in this regard in the coming days.

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge ar siúl sa scoil faoi láthair, and we are hoping to have a number of pupils participating in in-house class events in the School Hall on Wednesday, 16th March. The pupils are free to dress in St Patrick Day/ Green theme outfits on the day.

Some of our senior class pupils will also participate in a Termon GAA Seachtain na Gaeilge concert in An Craoibhín at 7pm on Tuesday evening, March 15^th.

As part of our PE programme, we have scheduled three gymnastics lessons (with qualified tutors) for all pupils in our school over the coming weeks. We respectfully request for a contribution of €5 per child to cover the cost of the three lessons, subject to a family maximum of €12. The classes are scheduled for Thursday, 24th, Thursday 31st March and Thursday, 7th April.

Letterkenny Pipe Band are seeking members from Fourth Class upwards and are to undertake the tuition of bagpipes and drumming at their Town Hall over the next number of weeks. Leaflets with the relevant information is available from the school. Milford AC club have also been in contact recently, seeking new members for the Athletic Club.

The Kilmacrennan NS 5K Run & Family Walk – as part of the Donegal Grand Prix Athletics Circuit – is scheduled for Thursday, May 5^th at 7pm. Anybody wishing to help out with organising the event is asked to contact Master O’ Donnell or Monica McGranaghan.

Finally, though many restrictions have been lifted, Covid 19 remains prevalent in our community and we are aware of a number of cases in the school. Please continue to monitor your child’s health and seek medical advice if you have any concerns. Antigen tests can also be ordered via the HSE website, quoting 17036p as our school roll number.

The school is closed on Thursday, 17^th March and Friday, 18^th March (Public Holidays).

Yours sincerely,

John Devenney.

First Holy Communions for Kilmacrennan NS are scheduled for Saturday 14th May @ 12noon.

Confirmations for Kilmacrennan NS are scheduled for Friday, 4th March @ 6pm.

Face coverings in Primary schools

NPHET has recommended the wearing of face masks/coverings by children aged nine years and above on public transport, in retail and other indoor public settings as already required for children aged 13 years and over.

They have also recommended that this is introduced for children in 3rd class and above in primary schools. They have advised that this measure is being introduced on a temporary basis and is subject to review in mid-February 2022.

Guidance on face masks/coverings in Primary schools

Wearing a face covering or mask does not negate the need to stay at home if symptomatic.

Wearing of face masks/coverings

Pupils from third class and up in primary schools are required to wear a face mask/covering.

The exemptions to this are set out below.

Face masks/coverings

Face masks/coverings act as a barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from travelling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the face mask/covering coughs, sneezes, talks or raises their voice.

Face masks/coverings are therefore intended to prevent transmission of the virus from the wearer (who may not know that they are infected) to those with whom they come into close contact.

Face masks/coverings must not contain any slogans/logos/images that may cause upset or be deemed offensive to any member of the school community.

Visors Face masks/coverings are more effective than visors.

In the limited circumstances where a face mask/covering cannot be worn clear visors must be considered.

Exemptions

A medical certificate to certify that a person falls into a category listed below must be provided to the school on behalf of, any person (pupil) who claims that they are covered by the exemptions below:

 any pupil with difficulty breathing or other relevant medical conditions

 any pupil who is unable to remove the cloth face-covering or visor without assistance

 any pupil who has special needs and who may feel upset or very uncomfortable wearing the cloth face covering or visor, for example pupils with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory concerns or tactile sensitivity.

Schools will be best placed to identify those children whose complex needs are such that the wearing of face covering may not be possible for them, and to discuss this with parents as required. In such circumstances a school may not require medical certification to provide an exemption to the wearing of face coverings.

In other circumstances where a medical certificate is not provided that person (staff or pupil) will be refused entry to the school.

Directions for effective use of face masks/coverings

 Information should be provided by schools on the proper use, removal, and washing of face coverings. Advice on how to use face coverings properly can be found here.

 All pupils should be reminded not to touch the face covering and to wash or sanitise their hands (using hand sanitiser) before putting on and after taking off the face covering.

 Face masks/coverings should be stored in a designated space, for example, in an individually labelled container or bag.

 Cloth face coverings should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again, or if visibly soiled.

 Face masks/coverings should not be worn if they are wet. A wet cloth face covering may make it difficult to breathe.

Pupils using school transport

Pupils from 3rd class and up on the primary transport scheme are required to wear face masks/coverings subject to the exemptions above.

Mixed classes in single rooms

Where there are mixed classes, e.g. 2nd and 3rd class in a single classroom, schools should note that only children in 3rd class and above, are required to wear face masks. As per previous advice, however, parents of other children who would prefer that their children wear a face mask are not precluded from doing this.

Provision of face masks

Parents should be advised that they obtain face masks for their children which fit properly and are comfortable for the child to wear. In the event that a child forgets, loses or damages their masks during the course of the school day, then the school should have a sufficient supply to replace the mask for the child in case a back-up face covering is needed during the day or where required on an ongoing basis.