16th August 2024
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
I hope you and your family have been enjoying a restful summer break. As we prepare to welcome our students and staff back to school in the coming days I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some updates and reminders.
We warmly welcome the addition to Learning & Teaching at PCS of our second ASD class in the purpose-built specialist rooms housed in ‘T’ classrooms inside the main entrance.
Extensive renovation work was carried out on the Senior Boys’ Toilets in the main building. The facility is now fully refurbished, retiled and the cubicles have been replaced. These changes were in response to student voice and my colleagues and I look forward to seeing the new facilities treated with respect by the students as such.
Access to the school site will continue to be restricted to pedestrians, cyclists and staff vehicles only. Drop off and/or collection of students is not permitted within the school grounds. Your support of this Health and Safety measure is much appreciated and more vital than ever to protecting the wellbeing of our students and staff using the classrooms in the T Buildings. We are very grateful for the overwhelming support that this traffic-free site initiative has received from parents since its introduction in recent years.
Electric/motorised bikes or scooters are not permitted in the school grounds for health and safety reasons.
We continue to encourage students to walk, cycle or use public transport for their school journeys. Please be mindful of local residents’ access if you are parking, however briefly, along neighbouring residential roads for school purposes. Traffic management measures including double yellow lines are in place and should be observed by all members of our school community.
The return schedule for each year group has been shared and is available to view on the school website https://www.portmarnockcommunityschool.ie/?p=17644
First Year students should go straight to the P.E. Hall when they arrive at school on their first morning, Monday 26th August at 11.00am. First Years should wear their PE Uniform for the Induction Day Wellbeing activities. Lunch will be provided to First Year students on Induction Day. The day will finish at 2.30pm when students will go home.
Students in all other year groups should go directly to the Assembly Hall on their return date and time. Full school uniform including shoes (not runners) should be worn. Non- uniform jackets are not permitted. Students are expected to observe the School Appearance Policy in full at all times. Please refer to the letter that I sent to families in June and to the Policies section on the school website to avoid any confusion upon returning next week. We appreciate the ongoing support of parents in ensuring the continued high standards of uniform and appearance of our students.
For the first time, the Department of Education is funding this year the purchase of School Books for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students. An initial supply of stationery to start the school year will also be provided to every Junior Cycle Child. Please see below for the Stationery/ Core Learning Items that will be provided under the scheme:
Core Classroom resources
The following resources are the items which must be provided by schools for all
students in Junior Cycle years (where the items are required based on particular
subject choices and each school’s own individual requirements)
- 1 school journal per student per Junior Cycle year
- 12 copybooks (incl. equivalent hard back copybook or refill pad) per student
per Junior Cycle year
- 1 display A4 plastic folder per student per Junior Cycle year
- 1 plastic zip A4 folder/carry case per student per Junior Cycle year
- 1 set of ledgers/journals/cash books required for accounting/business studies
per student per Junior Cycle year
- 1 science copybook per student per Junior Cycle year
- 1 music copybook/manuscript per student per Junior Cycle year
- 1 set of grammar books per student (to remain assigned to that student for the
duration/remainder of the Junior Cycle)
- 1 maths formulae & tables/log book (to remain assigned to that student for the
duration/remainder of the Junior Cycle)
- 1 scientific calculator (to remain assigned to that student for the
duration/remainder of the Junior Cycle)
- Dictionary/(ies) (to remain assigned to that student for the duration/remainder
of the Junior Cycle)
The books are in the process of being delivered and set up on the bar coded tracking system that will be used to assign books to students on collection. I will be communicating again with Junior Cycle families on Monday to confirm collection times from Tuesday afternoon (20th August) onwards in relation to collection times for school books in the coming week. We would ask that an adult accompanies each child in order to help carry the books and stationery home. You will need to bring a box or bags to carry the books.
The school is reducing the cost of school journals for TY, 5th and 6th year students to €10 per student.
Payment for lockers and school journals (TY, 5th and 6th year students only) will be available through the Tyro School app. We will let you know as soon as the payment facility is open. Please look out for an email from Tyro with the link to set up your account and password.
For the health of our school community, packed lunches should never include food that contains nuts of any kind, this includes Nutella and nutrition bars, Kinder Bueno etc Please check ingredients if in doubt. For healthy eating purposes we continue to ask that students not bring fizzy drinks or energy drinks eg ‘Monster’ etc to school.
Voluntary Contribution
Many thanks to those families who paid the Voluntary Contribution (€100 single student/ €130 family) for last year 2023-24.
The contribution for 2024-25 will remain at this reduced rate in recognition of the financial pressures on families. I appeal to all families who can afford to pay the contribution to please continue to support the school in our provision of vital activities and services for our students in the coming year; all those ‘extras’ that are funded by the school but have become an integral part of the educational experience of our students including school library and librarian; school psychotherapist; buses and transport for off site activities and fixtures; a Studyclix licence for all students; the Accelerated Reader programme; Wellbeing events, speakers and activities; Variety Shows; Graduation celebrations; the School Musical; Senior Prefects; Student Council; and a range of different student supports that have become part of everyday life.
The school also relies on your Voluntary Contribution to provide vital activities and services for our students including Student Insurance. Your continued support of these services is greatly appreciated.
Increasing numbers of parents and students alike are voicing concern about the impact of overuse of mobile phones on their wellbeing. Given that we will not as teachers require students to use their mobile phones for learning purposes during the school day, no child needs to bring a mobile phone to school. If you and/or they choose to do so I would remind everyone that the school policy is for all mobile phones to be switched off throughout the school day and any student found using a phone in school must hand over the phone to the relevant Deputy Principal for the 24 hour confiscation period as outlined in our Acceptable Use policy. The policy applies to all students and all teachers are required to implement the policy. Please support the school in helping your child to manage their mobile phone use accordingly.
Wishing you and your families a lovely weekend and a positive start to the next academic year.
Kind regards,
Helen Tobin Principal
David Clarke Deputy Principal
Orla Molamphy Deputy Principal
Elaine Moran Deputy Principal
