Dear Parent / Guardian / Colleague / Board Member,                                                                                               

IMPORTANT: PARENTS OF JUNIOR INFANT PUPILS

Please find HSE Envelopes in your child’s bag today. Please read, complete and return to school on Monday. Rose will be in touch in due course.

Attendance:  Attendance this week is 93.5% the lowest since mid September. 95.3% year to date, with a figure of 94.4% for December so far.

Deputy Principal: Ms Lorraine Franey is due to commence employment with us as and from Monday 14^th December. Ms. Franey will be Deputy Principal and Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at our School. We thank Mrs. Byrne who acted in a temporary capacity these last five weeks.  We also thank Miss Denmead who substituted with us.

PTM’s:  Our PTM’s have concluded for this year. Thanks to staff and parents for their engagement. During the year we acquired a Zoom license for our school and all staff. This will be an excellent resource into the future. Thanks to those who chose to use it. If you have any concern about your child’s education, please email the relevant teacher as per address on our school website as a first port of call.

Christmas Mass: In advance of Christmas and during the season of Advent, Fr. Toomey has invited our 5^th and 6^th Classes to attend mass at Fourmilewater on Wednesday 16^th December for 11 am. Classes will be kept in their class bubbles and asked to sit in their pods in the church. All local schools are availing of this service with Fr Toomey that particular week.

Hurling All Ireland: Best wishes to our past pupils Jamie & Conor who are on the panel for this weekend’s All Ireland Hurling Final against Limerick. Best wishes also to past pupils Shane and Tom who are on the extended panel. It is a great achievement for the lads and their families, the Fourmilewater Club, our school and indeed the entire community. A Waterford victory would no doubt put a bright shine on an otherwise very dull year. Beir Bua!

Fundraiser:  Traditionally at Christmas we fundraise for Dungarvan and West Waterford Hamper Appeal. So to that end we kindly asked for pupils to bring a small donation today when we wore our blue and white or on the day of the Christmas holidays, when they get a chance to wear red and white. All donations would be greatly appreciated. We will pass on collected monies to the homeless and the needy. We are also very conscious that this year we didn’t get a chance to stockpile Christmas shoeboxes as we do each and every year in conjunction with the Parents’ Association.

Nire Valley Newsletter: Congratulations to the Newsletter Committee and all contributors for organising yet again an excellent publication, their 31^st in total. This was no mean feat for the year that was. The Committee always affords us ample space to promote our school and report on annual activities through word and photograph. As usual, a comprehensive account of school happenings is contained within. The publication is available in our local shop & Post Office.

Enrollment: We are taking enrollment applications for next September. The process will close into the New Year. If you or anyone you know is intending to send a child or children to our school please contact us without undue delay.

Reminder: School will close on Tuesday 22^nd December at 12:30pm. Hopefully a certain visitor will keep us in his diary despite all the Covid-19 restrictions.

Michael J. O’Ryan – Principal.