Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in St Colmcille's PS

• Minister announces revised plans for reopening schools in January

  Thu 31 Dec 2020

  Dear parents

  I hope you and your families had a happy and peaceful Christmas and I wish you a safe, healthy and prosperous new year.

   

  This morning, Thursday 31st December, the Education Minister announced revised plans for the reopening of schools after the Christmas break. As a result of this revision, St Colmcille's arrangements for the new year are as follows.

   

  • Primary 1 - 7 & Rang 1 - 7 pupils will be taught remotely on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th January and will return to school for face-to-face teaching on Monday 11th January.
  • The school's Nursery and Naíscoil Cholmcille will open as usual on Thursday 7th January;
  • We will accommodate vulnerable children and the children of key workers on Thursday 7th & Friday 8th January.

   

  The Department of Education has provided clarification about the definition for key worker and vulnerable children (see lists below this letter) and the level of support provided.

  • A child of a key worker has been defined as a child for whom at least one parent is a key worker.
  • Children who qualify as vulnerable or key workers' children will be in school for 'supervised learning'. This is not face-to-face teaching; this is being supervised and doing the same activities as children who are at home.

   

  If you feel that you or your child falls into either of these categories and you would like to avail of support on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th Jan. please send an email to me at pcush286@c2kni.net before 10.00 am on Monday 4th Jan outlining:

  1. Parent's name/s
  2. Child/children's names and classes
  3. Reason for applying for key worker/vulnerable children support. e.g.

  • Parent is key worker because ......
  • Child has a Statement of SEN.

   

  We aim to ensure that children are supported with minimal disruption to their education while safeguarding our whole school community. Teachers will also be contacting you with specific information about the arrangements for their classes.

  Best wishes

   

  Peter Cush

  Principal

   

  Definition of key workers:

  • Health and Social Care.  This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector;
  • Education and childcare.  This includes pre-school and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response;
  • Public safety and national security.  This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles;
  • Transport.  This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response;
  • Utilities, and Communication.  This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, banking and waste disposal;
  • Financial Services - This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure);
  • Food and other necessary goods.  This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g. hygiene, medical, etc.);
  • Retail. This includes those workers who have been working throughout the pandemic in food retail, for example, and will now extend to those working in other retail businesses permitted to operate by the Executive  from June 2020;
  • Other workers essential to delivering key public services such as the National Crime Agency; and
  • Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.

   

  Vulnerable Children:  What is the definition of “vulnerable”?

  The term “vulnerable” encompasses those children who are in need of protection, or in need, as defined by the Children (NI) Order 1995. Children in need may include those:

  • A child who has an assigned social worker because he or she is a child in need, in need of protection (or on the child protection register) or is a looked after child.

  • A child in need includes young carers, children with disabilities, and children living in families where there is domestic abuse, substance abuse, and / or mental health difficulties.

  • A child who is receiving support from, or has been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

  • A child who has a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN), a child who is accessing EOTAS, or a child who normally accesses Education Nurture Units.

  • A child who is ‘on-the-edge’ of receiving support from children’s social services.

  • A child who is in need, including in need of protection, but whose need is not known to statutory services.

  • A child who is not known to statutory or voluntary and community support services but who is vulnerable because their family is under increased pressure due to Covid-19 related circumstances.

  • A child who has been placed for adoption.

• A massive £4,600 raised with £2,300 presented to St Vincent de Paul: WELL DONE EVERYONE

  Thu 31 Dec 2020

  Well done to everyone who participated in this year’s special event. We’ve now walked, ran, skipped or cycled around the coastline of Ireland multiple times to raise funds for St Vincent de Paul and school funds. A massive £4,600 was raised with a cheque for £2,300 being presented to SVP representatives; Mrs Marie Donavan and Miss Brigid Kerr and a similar amount going to school funds. We'd like to thank Mrs Donnelly for her imagination in organising of this event.

   

  

• COVID-19 update

  Fri 18 Dec 2020

  Dear parents
  The school's first case of pupil with Covid 19 was confirmed today, Friday 18th December 2020.

  We have informed all parents whose children have been identified as 'Close contacts' of the pupil.

   

  What is a Close Contact?

  Close contacts are people who had direct face to face contact within one metre of a person who has tested positive for any length of time, including a face to face conversation, being coughed on or having direct physical contact (skin-to-skin). People who spent more than 15 continuous minutes within two metres of the infected person are also close contacts.

   

  If your child has been identified as a close contact, please read the letter  using the link below.

   

  https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/covid-19-confirmed-case-letter-to-parents/

   

  Unfortunately, children who are close contacts should stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days from the last contact with the case, which is up to and including 25th December 2020. This is not the Christmas we had hoped for but we pray that we will all get through this difficult time.

   

  For more information, about Covid 19, please use the link below

  https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/covid-19/

   

  In the event that your child, who is a pupil at St. Colmcille's, should test positive for COVID-19 up to Sunday 20th December 2020 or if you have any concerns you would like to discuss about Covid 19, please email me at pcush286@c2kni.net marking your email 'URGENT COVID-19'  and I will make contact with you.  

   

  Wishing you and your families a safe, happy and peaceful Christmas, with God’s blessings for 2021.

   

  Peter Cush

  Principal

   

• Omagh Library: Christmas Rhythm & Rhyme

  Wed 16 Dec 2020

  Omagh Library presents Christmas Rhythm and Rhyme by Zoom on Wed 23rd December at 11.00am.

   

  Staff in Omagh Library would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy (and healthy) New Year.

   

  Unfortunately we will be unable to hold our traditional Christmas Stories and Rhymes this year but we can host a Christmas Rhythm and Rhyme via Zoom – for any parents / carers of under 4s who are interested in joining the fun please contact us for the zoom details.  It will take place next Wed, 23 Dec, at 11:00am.

   

  We are open again for book browsing as well as computer access, so please drop in and choose your Christmas reading from the plentiful supply of new books just in.  Or if you prefer, contact us for Book and Collect and we will gather together a bundle of books from the authors / genres you like.  Contact us by telephone 028 8244 0733, email omagh.library@librariesni.org.uk, or private message us on Facebook @omaghlibrary.

   

  

• Santa visits St Colmcille's on his sleigh

  Fri 11 Dec 2020

   

  There was a lot of excitement in the school today as Santa arrived on his sleigh which was towed along by a beautifully restored vintage red and white International tractor as his reindeer were having a rest.

   

  Santa parked in the garden in front of the Parochial House and the children went across in their class bubbles to meet him.

   

  Santa was brilliant, he spoke to the children in English or Irish depending on which class they were in. He called into the Nursery as well and even spoke with the Elf on the Shelf who told him how well-behaved the children were. He had a gift for each child and also two special presents for Orla McCartan and Francis Morris.

   

  We would like to thank the children for contributing to the Christmas jumpers appeal for Save the Children. We hope that parents enjoyed seeing the photographs of their children on Seesaw. We would also like to thank everyone for making this a special day for the children; all the staff, the school Meals Service, the Friends of St Colmcille’s, Rock Community Association, Brian Begley and Colin Keenan.

  

• Free Online Mindfulness Training for parents

  Wed 09 Dec 2020

  FREE ONLINE MINDFULNESS COURSES

  Four-week introductory courses exploring what mindfulness is and how it can support and help you in everyday life. Each session will introduce a different practice and touch on various aspects of mindfulness, such as the body scan and mindful eating.

   

  Monday 18 January 2021 10am-12pm for 4 weeks OR

  Monday 18 January 2021 7-9pm for 4 weeks

   

  Open to parents of 5-12 year olds in the Fermanagh, Omagh and Southern Health Trust.

  for more information please email: sharon@aware-ni.org

   

  Part of the Family Wellness Project 

  n partnership with Parenting NI

  

• December Newsletter

  Mon 07 Dec 2020

  A copy of the recent Newsletter is available at: News & Events/ Newsletters.

   You can use this link:

  https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/stream/newsletters/full/1/-//

• Mr Peter Weir, Education Minister visits St Colmcille's PS

  Thu 03 Dec 2020

  We were delighted when Mr Peter Weir, the Education Minister visited the St Colmcille's PS as part of his tour of the two schools in Carrickmore on Wednesday 2nd December.

  Mr Weir was taken around the classes and school grounds where he observed the:-

  1. arrangements for managing Covid 19.

  2. innovative teaching despite cramped classrooms and

      limited resource areas

  3. inadequate traffic management provision

  4. commitment to the Irish language from Naíscoil to Rang 7

  5. opportunities for outdoor learning

   

  He met with the Board of Governors' Development Sub-committee and discussed the school's successes, priorities and  the protocol for selecting schools for Capital works.

   

  Governors concluded that this was a very positive meeting and appreciated the candid manner in which Mr Weir addressed the issues discussed.