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

• Teachers' Strike: Wednesday 29th November 9.00am - 12.00 noon

  Tue 21 Nov 2023

  Given that there has been no progress toward a resolution to the ongoing teachers’ pay dispute, the constituent members of the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council, (NITC), today informed the Managing Authority of their intention to instruct members to engage in strike action beginning 00:01 on Wednesday 29 November 2023 and ending at 12 noon on Wednesday 29 November 2023.

  Read the full NITC PRESS RELEASE (pdf)

   

  INTO’s Northern Committee Chairperson, Caoimhin MacColaim instructs members to engage fully in our strike action on Wednesday 29 November 2023:

   

  https://www.into.ie/ni/campaign/teachers-pay-campaign/?_gl=1*1c1w3rn*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTU0NDEzMDQ3OC4xNjgxODMwMTIw*_ga_V3S1J2P1JB*MTY4MTgzMDExOS4xLjEuMTY4MTgzMDI1Ni4wLjAuMA..

   

  

• STRIKE ACTION: 16th November.

  Thu 16 Nov 2023

  STRIKE ACTION: 16th November.

  The support staff in our school are invaluable to the learning, development and safeguarding of your children and should be paid fairly for the essential and very challenging jobs that they do.

  

• STRIKE ACTION: THURSDAY 16th NOVEMBER (UPDATE)

  Mon 13 Nov 2023

  13^th November 2023

  Dear Parents/Guardians

   

  STRIKE ACTION: THURSDAY 16^th NOVEMBER

  Members from the four non-teaching trade unions, UNISON, UNITE the UNION, NIPSA and GMB are being called to take part in strike action this week in relation to a trade dispute linked to the EA Pay and Grading Review.

   

  Having completed a Risk Assessment, I and the Board of Governors have determined that strike action will lead to the following disruption to the school on Thursday 16^th November between 9.00am – 11.00am: It is anticipated that:

  • EA home to school transport (yellow bus) may be affected and parents may have to transport their children to and from school.
  • There will be no Breakfast Club.
  • There will be no Crossing patrol during the morning and we ask that parents escort their children across the road.
  • There will be no office staff and the phones may not be answered until 11.00am

  In addition, the following services will be disrupted throughout the day:

  • School meals will not be provided, therefore, all children should bring a packed lunch;
  • There will be no supervision between 2.15pm and 3.00pm, children who normally use this service should be collected at 2.15pm
  • Some Classroom Assistants will be on strike throughout the day and no other member of staff can undertake duties normally completed by those on strike.

   

  Clearly, this is a difficult situation, which will cause disruption. I ask you, however, to be understanding. Strike action is very unusual and taking the step of strike action is not something that any member of the school staff undertakes lightly. Those on strike will have thought long and hard about their decision and will also lose pay for the period that they are on strike.

   

  The staff in our school are invaluable to the learning, development and safeguarding of your children and I, along with the Board of Governors, feel strongly that they should be paid fairly for the essential and very challenging jobs that they do.

   

  Yours sincerely

   

  Mr Peter Cush

  Principal

• Industrial Action: 16th November 2023

  Fri 10 Nov 2023

  Members from the four non-teaching trade unions, UNISON, UNITE the UNION, NIPSA and GMB are being called to take part in strike action next week in relation to a trade dispute linked to the EA Pay and Grading Review.

   

  The strike action is anticipated to lead to significant disruption to EA home to school transport (yellow bus), school meals, cleaning services, crossing patrol, office staff and the availability of Classroom Assistants in the school on Thursday 16th November. 

   

  We are awaiting advice from the employing authority and will inform parents as early as possible next week about the implications for St Colmcille's PS.

   

   

   

• CORE Kids: Halloween Camp - booking form below

  Thu 12 Oct 2023

  Hi All.

  CORE Kids Halloween Camp @ Carrickmore Youth Centre.  

   

  Booking Link - CORE Kids Halloween Camp 

  https://bookwhen.com/halloweencamps/e/ev-soyq-20231030100000

   

  COURSE DATES

  •  Mon, 30 Oct '23   10am – 1pm GMT
  •  Tue, 31 Oct '23   10am – 1pm GMT
  •  Wed, 1 Nov '23   10am – 1pm GMT

   

  (full cost of camp is £37.50)

• Healthy eating resources to support parents

  Wed 04 Oct 2023

  Dear parents

  Please use the link below for information about healthy breaks and lunches.

   

  https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/healthy-lunches/

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  

• RSE in Schools- Departmentof Education Information for parents

  Mon 25 Sep 2023

  Dear parents

  Please read information from the Department of Education regarding RSE in schools. A copy of DE information sheet for parents in available in: Key Information / Policies.

   

  The Department of Education has informed us of been ongoing activity on social media and public demonstrations against the teaching of RSE in schools, resulting in the circulation of misinformation. This campaign is clearly upsetting for parents and carers and does a disservice to the thousands of teachers who work hard every day to deliver a quality education for all our children and young people, including teaching them about RSE. The protests appear to stem from a misperception that the recent changes to the statutory curriculum at Key Stages (KS) 3 and 4 signal a wider redrafting of the RSE curriculum which, it is claimed, has the potential to harm children and young people particularly those in primary schools. This is clearly not the case, as I have previously outlined, but will do so again for clarity.

   

  If you require any additional information, please don't hesitate to contact me.

   

  Kind regards

  Peter Cush

  Principal

• Book Fair coming to St Colmcille's on Friday 29th September

  Mon 25 Sep 2023

  Travelling Book Fair:

  The Travelling Books Book Fair is here from Fri 29^th Sept – Fri 6^th Oct.

  Books can be purchased on Thursday 5^th October.

  Please use this link to see the books available:

  https://bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/travelling-books/the-books/ready-to-read

   

   

   

   

  

• Culture Night

  Mon 18 Sep 2023

  Friday 22nd September is culture night in Fermanagh & Omagh DC. There are two activities in Carrickmore. Everyone welcome. 

   

  6.30 pm -7.30pm Patrician Hall

  Drop in for a taste and chat to learn more about and celebrate the different cultures living within the local community. Sample a variety of foods, stories and traditions from our neighbour’s who originate from countries such as Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia and more. Come along and bring a friend. Everyone welcome. 

   

  7.00pm – 8.30pm Pairc Colmcille; An Charriag Mhór

  The Story of PW Nally and The Nally Stand A bilingual (Irish and English) talk and discussion on the life and story of Patrick William Nally from Co Mayo and the history of The Nally Stand. This will include a tour of the actual Nally Stand that was originally in Croke Park stadium in Dublin. Everyone welcome.

  

• Adoption Training "Let's learn together!"

  Thu 07 Sep 2023

  Adoption Training "Let's learn together!" in St colmcille's PS on Tuesday 19th September from 6.30pm to 9.00pm. Please feel free to come along and gain an insight & practical tips to help address the challenges which children face as a result of early trauma.

   

  Feel free to contact the school for more information.