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

• Use of Face Masks on school buses: Update

  Wed 26 Aug 2020

  The Department of Education has revised the guidance regarding the use of face coverings on school buses. The revised paragraph now reads:

   

  It is mandatory for all pupils aged 13 and over to wear a face covering on public transport. It is also strongly recommended that all pupils regardless of age should wear a face covering on all buses, trains or taxis for the journey to school where it is appropriate for them to do so and they are able to handle them as directed.

   

  Kind regards,

   

  Education Restart Programme

• Restart Programme Update

  Tue 25 Aug 2020

  Dear parents

  Please follow this link for an update about the procedures in place for the restart programme next week.

   

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

   

• Minister of Education's letter to parents - 13th August 2020

  Wed 19 Aug 2020

  Please click this link to read the minister of Education's letter to parents / guardians dated 13th August.

   

  https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/useful-information/

   

• UPDATE: Sacramental celebrations, Restart & SEESAW updates

  Fri 14 Aug 2020

  Please see information below regarding dates for First Holy Communion for Primary 5 /Rang a Cuig children and Confirmation for Year 8 students.

   

  Restart programme

  Following the Minister of Education's revised guidance the school will be opening for all children who are able to attend. 

   

  Primary Seven and Rang a Seacht children will be in school from Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th August from 9.30am - 2.30pm. Children are asked to bring a packed lunch and won't need to bring a school bag. Other year groups will start from 1st September. Teachers will inform you about your child's start date. Further details will be circulated next week. 

   

  Please remember to log into Seesaw for your children's new classes as teachers will be sending you information about the arrangements for the restart programme.

   

   

  

• Restart programme -update

  Wed 05 Aug 2020

  Dear Parents / Guardians

   

   I hope you are keeping well and making the best of our so called summer. You will probably be aware that the Minister of  Education wrote to schools this afternoon outlining a revised policy for reopening schools for all children in the autumn term. We will be opening the school on 1st September for the majority of children. Primary 7 and Rang a Seacht will commence on Monday 24th August.

   

  We all want children back in school as soon as possible and this news is welcomed but if we are to keep everyone safe there are a number of issues which remain priorities:

  • Preventing virus spread- hand hygiene, mask wearing, ventilation, and cleaning routines are more important with full classes.
  • Bubbles- children will stay in class bubbles throughout the school day. If a child gets Covid 19, only children and staff in that bubble will go into a fourteen day quarantine.
  • School transport - if class bubbles have to be protected then it would be obvious that children should be brought to school in cars at staggered times.
  • School Meals- children will have break and lunch in their classrooms.
  • Social distancing- the Minister has abandoned the requirement to limit the number of children in each room based on the size of the room and one metre per child yet requires staff to maintain two metres between them and children. The Minister needs to address this dilemma. 

   

  A copy of the Minister's letter  is available on this website / New and Events / Newsletters. He also indicated that further information will be issued next week. We will keep you updated about the implications of this information. God bless and continue to keep safe.

   

  Yours sincerely

   

  Mr P Cush

  Principal

• First Holy Communion preparation

  Wed 05 Aug 2020

  Dear parent/ guardian

   

  Please find below a link to a First Communion video resource produced by the Diocesan Pastoral Team. The video listed is part one of a series of videos exploring the Mass. The first video examines the gathering, the introductory rite and the penitential rite.  Three further videos will be published on the same web page in the coming days.  
  
  https://www.armagharchdiocese.org/holy-communion/  
  
  We encourage you to share this with your children as they prepare for the upcoming First Communion ceremony.   
  
  Please look out for the future episodes in this series which will be released soon.  We hope that these resources will assist as you prepare students for the reception of the sacrament.
  
  I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who were involved in scripting, filming and producing these videos. Their efforts to prepare these resources is essential in a time when gatherings are limited and schools, in particular, are under great pressure to prepare for reopening.
  
  God bless,

   

   

   

  Michael Router

  Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh

  

• Remote Learning Feedback - Summary

  Thu 23 Jul 2020

  Remote Learning: Feedback from parents

  This summary can be viewed as a Word document in:

  News & Events / "Newsletters".

   

   

   

   

   

  

• Confirmation Friday 28th August.

  Wed 08 Jul 2020
  We are pleased to report that the Primary Seven and Rang a Seacht children will be confirmed before they transfer to Post-primary education.

   

  Due to the current restrictions as a result of Covid 19, there will be two ceremonies for confirmation; the first at 1.00pm & the second at 3.00pm on Friday 28th August. further details will be circulated later.

   

  Hopefully this will suit children and families. If for any reason this doesn't suit, please contact the school.

  

• Summer School for Primary Five & Six & Rang a Cuig & Rang a Sé

  Thu 02 Jul 2020

  Please follow this link for information about the Summer School for Primary Five & Six  & Rang a Cuig & Rang a Sé children.

   

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

   

• July Update

  Thu 02 Jul 2020

  Dear Parents / Guardians

   

  I hope you are keeping well and are looking forward to your summer break in this truly historic year.  We'd like to thank you for bringing the children to the school last week to speak to the staff when the collected their annual reports, books and packs. We  really appreciated the chance to say good bye before the holidays.

   

  We’re all aware that the children have missed so many activities over the last term but we're particularly mindful that our Primary Seven and Rang a Seacht children who have lost their final months in the school. We were therefore, delighted to arrange a special Leavers' Mass on Friday 26th June and the Drive-in Leavers' prize giving ceremony on Monday 29th June. The mass can still be accessed on the parish website and photographs from the Prize-giving ceremony are on the ‘Welcome’ page on our website.

   

  As you may know, the Department of Education had issued guidance detailing reopening arrangements and the special measures that need to be in place to deal with the ongoing threat of COVID-19. These specific measures deal with issues like social distancing, the utilization of space within the school building, advice on pupil attendance, pupil and adult hygiene, additional cleaning routines, catering, school transport, workforce planning and communication with parents. Staff and governors have discussed the implications of this guidance and the interim plans will be under constant review as the guidance changes. 

   

  To comply with the guidance, classes must be limited to fifteen pupils per class each day and these children will be kept in ‘protective bubbles’ with separate break and lunch times. Initially, children will be at school for two days each week and be supported remotely for three days. Children in families will attend on the same days. We hope that DE guidance will be relaxed early in September so that full classes can resume.

   

  Teachers will communicate with you at the beginning of August with specific details about starting times, finishing times and details about catering and school transport. This Re-opening guidance is extremely complex and it will mean that there will be many changes to school routines and arrangements compared to before however we are all bound to adhere to them strictly for the safety of everyone.

   

  Key dates

  • Week beginning Monday 6th July: Miss McElduff will forward information to Nursery parents about the arrangements for their children
  • July – August: DE has provided online support for Primary Seven & Rang a Seacht children. The details of this programme will be sent to these parents.
  • Monday 20th to Friday 31st July: Summer School for Primary Five & Six / Rang a Cuig & Sé pupils (Sept  2020 classes).

  We have secured funding from DE to provide a summer school for up to 30 children each week. Specific information will be sent to these parents.

  • Week beginning 3rd August: Teachers will send details about starting times, finishing times and details about catering and school transport.

  • Monday 24^th August: Primary Seven & Rang a Seacht children programme commences
  • Week beginning Monday 31st August: Children throughout the school will be phased in.

   

  Finally, have a lovely summer break with your children, God bless and continue to keep safe.

   

  Yours sincerely

   

  Mr P Cush

  Principal