Dear Pupils, Parents, Staff and members of our Community,
The following is a report on the work of the BOM of Lucan East ETNS for the past year. We will give a brief synopsis of the year’s event and the successes and challenges for the school. Some of the highlights of the year include:
Sept: The school opened its doors to eight classes and 16 teachers, 3 special needs assistants and 227 children. We were using all our rooms and planning permission went in for our extension was well underway. The school bought a database system which tracks attendance and helps with the general running of the school. Tom Costello started as our Home school community liaison teacher. The school started new initiatives in maths in the infants and older classes. We put a plan together for our learn together curriculum which is followed in al ET schools. Our after school activities got up and running and we also continued work on our school garden. The board also agreed how important it was for parking for infants to be given priority and that older children should just be dropped without parking. The board supports the idea that all students should walk where possible given the fact that the majority of children come from neighbouring estates.
Oct: The board gave permission for Catholic religion and Arabic classes to take place in the school. Alan O’Donoghue was elected as parents rep to the BOM to replace Seyi Adetutu.
Nov: Artists attended the school in November as part of our project to work with the children. The green schools committee got up and running
Dec: The school was hit by bad weather in December and the board acted on the best health and safety advice available and in line with our sister school Griffeen Valley ETNS. We started a new transitional employment scheme with the Clondalkin clubhouse. Holly Smith joined the BOM as community Rep. School Calendars were sold. Planning permission was granted to our new extension.The board discussed a number of design flaws which occurred in the old building and agreed to push for them to be resolved in the new phase of building. A very successful series of winter concerts were held and all the children performed beautifully.
Jan: The board were updated on plans for a new second level school which will be opened by the VEC in partnership with Educate Together. The school is set to open in 2014. The school took part in a cross country competition in Adamstown and in Griffeen as well as taking part in Santry sports later in the year.
Feb: The teachers started to work extra hours outside of school under the Croke Park agreement which is the agreement between public sector unions and the government to encourage more savings and efficiencies in the public sector. The school purchased as scanning machine for library books and other book rental books. The board agreed to extend the book rental scheme and this has been done especially in the older classes. Work began on our new building.
Mar: We celebrate “Seachtain na Gaeilge” We paid a visit to our neighbours in Gaelscoil Eiscir Ríada. The PTA held a very successful shamrock fundraiser.
Apr: The board started to look into a system of social credits which would reward volunteers in the school along with the other Educate Together schools in the area.
May: The school facilitated a photographer to come to the school. This service was availed of by many Junior Infant parents.
June: We had a very successful sports day and summer fair which were great days for our community. The board of management recognised the need to use our new special needs outreach area. The board agreed that a class for children with specific speech and language difficulty would be very beneficial to the area as the closest other class is over in Tallaght. The board will also look into other options like a class for children with physical disabilities or a class for children with Autism. The board also agreed to Esker ETNS coming to the school while their prefabs are made ready in Adamstown.
BOM: The BOM met 7 times from Sept ’10 to June ’11. The following are the members of the Board of Management: Fionnuala Ward (Chairperson and Patron Nominee), Eddie Fox (Principal), Jenny Byrne (Teachers’ Representative), Alan O’ Donoghue (Parents’ Representative) Margaret Callan Bergin (Parents’ Representative), Holly Smith (Community Representative) and Jide Sofoluwe (Community Representative).
Representatives of the BOM also attended ET National Forum meetings, the ET AGM and other ET events.
School Committees: The school has many different committees that help in the running of the school, the BOM interact and support all of these committees and are very grateful for all the work people put into these voluntary groups. It is wonderful to see, that even though parents, teachers, staff and pupils are so busy with other aspects of their lives that so many give so freely of their time.
PTA –Some of the achievements of the PTA this year include:
Coffee Morning/Mother and toddler group – Held on the 1st Wednesday each month. Parents get to meet and have a chat over a morning tea/coffee.
Healthy Eating Weeks – We had 2 healthy eating weeks this year where the children were encouraged to try different fruit and vegetables of platters which were prepared freshly each morning by the PTA members.
Gardening Day – The school grounds were tidied and benches around the school were painted. We also got our raised beds area up and running.
School Photos – A photographer was asked to come into the school to take photos of the children. A number of parents purchased these photos.
T-Shirts for Santry – The PTA sponsored the t-shirts for the students running at Santry. These t-shirts will be kept in the school for future years.
Text a Parent
Optional School Tracksuit – The optional school tracksuit, polo-shirts and fleeces were sold again this year. The supplier came to the school in June.
Sports Day – Members of the PTA help out on these
Fundraising Events
Shamrock Sale
School Calendar.
Summer fun day
Monthly car boot sale
Health and Safety
- New Health and Safety signs erected around the school and its environs.
- Eddie and Fionnuala attended ET Health and Safety training on behalf of the Board at Marino College.
- New fencing erected around the basketball court.
- Fire Drill completed in twice per term
- Frequent Health and Safety Inspections carried out in school and its environs.
- Emergency evacuation chairs secured for school. Staff trained in the use of these chairs.
Green committee:
A plan was designed for a school garden.
Gardening day.
Students Council:
Plans were made to set up a student council this year
Extra-curricular Activities: The after-school programme is continuing to develop. Currently we have:
- Drama
- Art x 2 days
- Knitting and Sewing
- Homework Club x 2 days
- Sport x 2 days
- Music
- Science
We also have drama for the infant classes and Irish dancing for children organised by teachers outside of the school. The classes are organised by teachers and are subsidised by the school.
Staff Training:
The Professional Development Fund is funded by the BOM this year the board helped to fund staff members undertaking Masters research in special needs and literacy. The board hopes to expand this fund in future years.
Other areas:
Communication: We set up a weekly enewsletter which is sent out by email every Friday. This cuts down on paper and means that parents are kept up to date with happenings in the school.
English classes for Parents
Maths for fun: parents working on fun maths activities with children. This involved a four week training course followed by six weeks working with the children.
Chess with the older classes and visits by Newbridge ETNS and Esker ETNS to play chess.
Finances
As always the funding we received from the government did not cover all the costs of running the school and we are so grateful to parents and the PTA for all the fundraising efforts that helped us pay all of these costs.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the BOM for all their hard work over the last three years on behalf of all the students and parents in the school. There will be a new BOM which will sit for the next four years starting in November
Fionnuala Ward (Chairperson and Patron’s Representative)
Eddie Fox (Principal and Secretary)
Jide Sofoluwe(Treasurer and Community Representative)
Margaret Callan Bergin (Parents’ Representative)
Alan O Donoghue (Parents’ Representative)
Jenny Byrne (Teacher’s Representative)
Holly Smith (Community Representative)