Kilmacrennan NS Practices, Procedures and School Information Policy.

Administration of Medicine

The school has an Administration of Medicine policy. Please contact the School Office for this in the event of a request to administer medicine at school.

Attendance

Please note that school authorities are obliged to inform the National Education Welfare Board of cumulative absences of pupils in excess of 20 days.
It is school policy to inform parents by letter when their child has missed 10 and 15 schooldays in any year.

Board of Management

Kilmacrennan NS is governed by an eight-person Board of Management; Fr Chambers, Chairperson,  Maeve Sweeney, Betty Connors, Graceann McGarvey, Kevin Doherty, Michael McBride, Siún Gallagher and John Devenney are Board members.

The Board of Management conducts an Annual School Report and this is circulated to parents and posted on the school website.

The four-year term of the present Board will end by November 2027.

Book Scheme

The school operates the School Book Scheme for pupils whereby textbooks and copies are provided to the pupils free of charge. Details of the lists and books are posted on the School Website.

Child Protection Information

The Board of Management of Kilmacrennan has adopted and implements fully and without modification the Department Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 as part of the overall Child Safety Statement.

The Board of Management has appointed John Devenney, School Principal as the Designated Child Protection Liaison Person and Mr O Donnell as the Deputy Liaison Person.

All parents receive a copy of the Child Safety Statement and Risk Assessment Policy upon the enrolment of their child. It is also posted on the school website and is available upon request.

Emergency closures
In the event of an emergency closure of the school, staff, parents and pupils are informed at the earliest opportunity. This may take the form of announcing the closure via school web-text service. We request that we have up to date mobile contact numbers. On occasion, closures are announced on local radio. If feasible, a notice is placed at the school indicating the closure and the reason for same explained.

In the event that the children are at school when the closure is affected, the school will seek to contact parents/relations/neighbours, as indicated on the enrolment form.

First Communion/Confirmation
Communion is for pupils in Second Class each year. It is normally held in April/May of each year. Confirmation is held annually in Sixth Class.  participate in the Sacrament. The date is set by the Bishop.
School Uniforms are worn for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Green School 

Kilmacrennan School participates in the Green School programme. We attained our Sixth Flag in the 2023/24 schoolyear and are currently engaging with the programme again this year.

Healthy Eating Guidelines

Our school participates in the Hot Dinners Scheme whereby a hot dinner is provided daily at main lunch time; 12.15pm for Junior to Second Classes, and at 12.45pm for Senior Classes. Pupils/parents select their dinner choice online by 5pm on Thursday of each week(for the following week’s food order). Pupils are to provide their own (non-fizzy) drink.

Pupils are to provide their own snack and drink for the mid-morning snack.
We seek to help all those involved in our school community, children, staff and parents, in developing a positive and responsible attitude to eating and to appreciate the contribution that good food makes to health.

A healthy lunch/snack box includes a piece of food from each of the first four shelves of the food pyramid. Suggestions include:
•Bread, rolls, scones, pitta bread, tortillas, pancakes, crackers, crispbread, wheaten or soda bread, cereal bars.
•Fruit or veg such as apples, oranges, banana’s, grapes, raisins, celery or carrot sticks, tubs of fruit in juice.
•Ham, chicken, turkey, cheese, tuna, jam, peanut butter fillings.
•Yoghurt, yoghurt drinks, cheese slices, strings, rice cakes, pasta/rice salad in tubs.
•Fizzy drinks are not allowed. Milk, water, diluted juices or fruit juices are recommended. Please note that glass bottles or cans are not permitted; and that popcorn (on grounds of classroom tidiness!), ‘winders‘, ‘smartie bars‘, chewing gum, crisps, chocolate, peanuts etc are not permitted.
We request that you seek to impress upon your child upon the importance of Litter Awareness and the importance of litter reducing strategies. To this end, lunch boxes or reusable plastic sandwich bags should be used. Furthermore, we will encourage each child to take home his/ her own litter daily. Children will be expected to adhere to the school’s ‘Green Policy’.

Homework Policy
Homework is generally given from Monday to Thursday nights only. Homework diaries are used from 1st to 6th Class.
Homework diaries are to be signed every night.

Intimate Care/ Toileting Policy

This document is available upon request.

Mobile phones
The use of mobile phones by pupils is not permitted in the school. Pupils will be permitted access to the school phone in the event of an emergency and parents will be permitted to leave a message for a child, via the school secretary, in the event of a parent urgently needing to convey a message to a child.

Out of School Activities
On these occasions pupils are expected to exhibit the highest possible standards of behaviour, adhering to the Code of Behaviour (see under School Policies)

Parent’s Association
Parental interest and involvement, through the Parent’s Association, is encouraged. There is an active Parent’s Association in the school.

Parent Teacher contact/meetings
Formal Parent- Teacher meetings are held in the school each year. Resource/ SET pupils P-T meetings are held termly, or more frequently if required.

Other P-T meetings can be scheduled via the School Office.

End of Year reports and test results, if applicable, are posted to parents’ in June of each year.

Parking
Please note that the school car park is reserved for staff and bus parking only. Parents are requested to use the public road and/car park opposite the school for parking. Pupils should at all times be escorted to and from the school gates by a parent/guardian. We request that you adhere to road markings and exercise caution in relation to speed, pedestrian crossings etc.

Polasaí i Leith labhairt na Gaeilge
Cuirtear an bhéim ar an Ghaeilge mar theanga labhartha sa scoil agus déantar gach iarracht an Ghaeilge a úsaid mar theanga chumarsaide na scoile.

Policies
Copies of school policies are available for viewing in the school office. The BOM welcome submissions or suggestions regarding these policies.

School Times

The school gates open for pupils from 9am to 9.20am each morning. We do not accept responsibility for pupils arriving before the designated opening times, whether by bus or otherwise.

No pupil should enter the school grounds until invited to by a teacher/ SNA at the school gate (Even if there are already staff present in the school/ school grounds).

We request that all parents/ an appointed adult, other than those of bus-going pupils, accompany their child to/from the school gates at all times.

Pupils are expected to line in class groups/ pods etc in specific yard zones. We do not allow playtime/ running/ sports etc during pre- or post-school assembly times.

• The pupils are called to class at 9.20a.m.
• The roll is called at 9.40a.m.
• Classes for Junior and Senior Infants end at 2.00 p.m.
• Classes for other pupils end at 3.00 p.m.
•No responsibility can be accepted for pupils outside of designated school times.

School Uniform
The school uniform is as follows:

Maroon Sweatshirt with School Crest, White Polo shirt and grey trousers/skirts.

All pupils must wear the school uniform. All items of school uniform and swimming togs should have child’s name on them.

– Crested school uniform sweatshirts and non-branded tracksuit bottoms are available from County Seat, Main Street, Letterkenny. The white polo shirts, skirts and trousers are available in local department stores.  Shoes or runners allowed.

– Children are not to wear jewellery, with the exception of watches. Earrings are not permitted though the wearing studs is permitted. Children are not to wear any head-gear in the classroom:  hats, caps, head-dress, costumes  etc in the classroom.

Sports Day
It is tradition for the school to hold an Annual Sports Day in May/June each year.

Swimming Rules
As part of the PE Programme, swimming lessons and activities are provided to pupils in the school at various times over the course of their schooling. The course is normally of 6 week duration.

Transition to Second Level
Over the past number of years, the school has engaged in involving 6th class pupils in a transition programme to second level schools. This takes slightly different forms each year, depending on the secondary school to which the children are transferring. Generally the programme involves the children visiting particular schools and/or teachers from the secondary school calling to our school to debate the issues involved in the progression from primary to secondary school. Furthermore, most post primary schools host an information evening at which both parents and 6th class pupils are encouraged to attend.

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