Dear Parent / Guardian / Colleague / Board Member,

I hope you and those close to you are safe and well.

Update. – Special Schools have recommenced education on a part-time basis this week and Special Classes within Mainstream Schools are due to recommence on Monday week. Hopefully primary schools will follow suit as it’s no secret that the Department wants the education sector to resume without undue delay.

Cigire. – Yesterday I took a call from our Department Inspector in relation to the rollout of our Remote Teaching & Learning provision during this lockdown. She is very happy with the efforts the school, the staff, the pupils and their parents in ensuring that the pupils are continuing their education under the current circumstances. Maith sibh!

News Today. – Today, Friday 12th February, Miss Coleman and her Third class will feature in a Valentine’s Day Special on RTÉ 2’s News2day. Tune in to RTÉ at 4:20pm to watch and support our students. This morning we were informed that the RTE News at One will also broadcast this clip. Well done to Miss Coleman and her pupils on this. It is a great advertisement for our school and our pupils.

Centenarian. – We congratulate Dinny McGrath on his milestone birthday this week and wish him many more happy years. Dinny has three grand children in the school at present; Holly, DJ and James. While Dinny himself attended the Nire School, all his and his wife Anne’s children attended the Central school here. In fact since opening in 1972 there has never been a year in the intervening forty nine in which he hadn’t either a child or grandchild at our school. In fact 1997 was the only year to date that hadn’t a McGrath child from Knockaun Hill enrolled. Some record. The world has seen many changes since 9/2/1921 and Dinny has lived through all of them.

We congratulate our Treasurer Melissa Meehan and her husband John on the birth of a baby boy. I kindly ask you to include our junior infant pupil, Danny Norris and his family in your prayers as his treatment steps up in Crumlin Hospital these next few weeks.

Fun Quiz. – Thanks for your very positive feedback on our recent Fun Activity two weeks ago. I will forward a Family Quiz in relation to our school later this evening. Children may not know all the answers but with the help of parents and grandparents they may do well. Completed family entries may be returned to the school or emailed to ballymacns@gmail.com by Wednesday next we will be in touch with answers and winner in due course.

Reminder. – Our Remote Teaching & Learning will take a break on Thursday and Friday next to coincide with Mid Term Break. Classes will recommence on Monday 22^nd February. Enjoy.

Conclusion – These updates will recommence on Friday 26^th February. By then hopefully the return to school picture will be a lot clearer for all and sundry. Keep well and stay safe.

Le gach dea ghuí.

Michael J. O’Ryan – Principal