Green Flag Awards Ceremony: Hudson Bay Hotel, Athlone
Dear Green-Schools Committee,
An Taisce has great pleasure in informing you that your application for the International Green Flag award has been successful. Congratulations on all your hard work and achievement, we hope you can celebrate with us at an upcoming National Green Flag awards ceremony.
Great work and well done to all involved-
26th April 2017
Dear Parents
BULLYING/CYBER-BULLYING: INTERVENTIONS & PREVENTION
As part of our ongoing Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme in our schools, we have invited Mrs. Marion Flanagan to address you and the pupils in 5th class on the topic of ‘Bullying/Cyber-Bullying: Interventions & Prevention’.
These final years in Primary school are a crucial time in your child’s emotional and personal development. They are developing their own personalities and require support and guidance to enhance their personal self-esteem and confidence. They need to be aware of the consequences of exclusion and the importance of acceptance of difference. Marion will address difficult parenting issues, the sometimes negative influence of social media and the importance of encouraging independent and critical thinking.
The presentation will discuss the area of Cyber-bullying and Internet Safety as well as the traditional means of bullying which are still rampant and how parents can support the school to intervene and prevent such behaviours.
We have chosen 5th class to take part in this evening as we feel the lessons to be learned from this presentation need to involve our senior pupils. We are giving them the ownership of the lessons to be learned from Marion’s talk. We are requesting that each child and a parent/guardian are in attendance on the evening which will include a questionnaire for pupils, a power-point presentation and some relevant handouts.
VENUE: St. Brendan’s Boys School – Hall
Date: Wednesday 3rd May 2017
Time: 7pm
Tea/Coffee and refreshments will be served on the night.
Please fill out the information on the attached sheet and return it with your son to school tomorrow.
Kind regards,
_________________________________________
Richelle Treacy H.S.C.L.
Dear Parents,
we have been asked by an Garda Síochána to make you aware of an App that has been developed in recent times. The App is called LIVE ME.
This is a communication app and the children build up followers. However, this App allows people to see your child but your child cannot see who they are talking to unless they get to a certain level on it.
There are concerns around LIVE ME and the Guards are requesting that you are vigilant and check if your child is using the APP.
Also with this theme- we have rescheduled our INTERNET SAFETY talk with Marian Flanagan for WEDNESDAY 3RD APRIL for all parents- pupils in 5th class also invited.
Kind regards,
Niall Crofton
Principal Teacher
NEPS – National Educational Psychological Service
Parents/Guardians of 3rd Class pupils
5th April 2017
Re: Friends for Life Programme
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are planning to teach an evidence-based anxiety prevention and resilience building programme designed for use in schools. Designed by Dr Paula Barrett in Australia, the programme is designed to teach students the skills required to manage their thoughts, emotions and body responses to life stresses. The programme also seeks to develop self-esteem and teach coping skills in a simple and structured way. It is a positive, fun learning experience that does not require any clinical assessment or diagnosis and avoids labelling young people as anxious or different.
Friends for Life consists of ten sessions plus two booster sessions. During these sessions pupils are guided through a series of class-based activities which were built around the core themes of the programme. ‘FRIENDS’ is the only anxiety management prevention programme acknowledged by the World Health Organisation for its 12 years of comprehensive validation in schools and health clinics across several countries and languages. The programme meets many of the aims of the SPHE curriculum in terms of promoting physical, mental and emotional well-being in addition to providing pupils with opportunities for reflection and discussion. Your child may bring home worksheets which will inform you on the topics being covered in class and how you can reinforce the messages at home.
You can familiarise yourself with the FRIENDS programme at http://www.friendsresilience.org/friends-for-life-ages-8-11/
Please contact me if you wish to discuss the programme further or if you do not wish for your child to participate in the programme. The programme will be co-facilitated by Ms. Paula Doyle, Class Teacher and Ms. Helen Fitzgerald, Educational Psychologist, NEPS and will commence on Thursday 6th April 2017 during school hours. It will continue each Thursday for approximately one hour for ten weeks.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
__________
Niall Crofton
Principal.
