St Patrick’s P.S.
and Nursery
Castlederg
73 Castlefin Rd
Castlederg
Co Tyrone BT81 7EE
Tel 028816 71458 Fax 028816 79821 email:[email protected]
October 2013 Newsletter
Midterm Break
The school will be closed on Thursday 31st October 2013, Friday 1st November 2013
and Monday 4th November 2013 (staff training).
Breakfast Club.
P1 children can now attend breakfast club. Breakfast club runs from 8.20am until
9am. Children can receive a hot breakfast at a reasonable price i.e. juice and toast 45p.
Pupils are not permitted to attend school before 8.20am.
School Dinners/Healthy Eating
The price of a school dinner is now £2.30. This money can be paid daily, weekly or
monthly. If you are paying for dinners in advance it is helpful if you write the child’s
name, class and amount enclosed and place in an envelope for the class teacher.
Children can also purchase a healthy break from the canteen at break time.
It is vital that no child brings nuts or nut products to school as a number of our
pupils are at risk from nut allergies.
The school operates a healthy eating policy so the children must bring a healthy break
to school i.e. fruit, water for break time. Sweets, crisps, sugary or fizzy drinks are not
permitted at break time. Also children should not be bringing two or three items to eat
at break time. We also encourage healthy lunch boxes so treats and sweets etc should
be kept to a minimum.
Curriculum/Extended School Activities.
 Mrs. Norton’s Primary 6 class are busy attending swimming lessons in
Riversdale leisure centre. Please ensure swimming money is paid up at the end
of the lessons.
 P5 and P6 are currently taken part in Tyrone GAA gaelic football coaching
scheme with Conor.
 Stefan Deery IFA is teaching fundamentals PE to P1 and P2 on Monday
mornings.
 P3 and P4 have participated in a team building programme with Paul Diamond
on Wednesdays. They will participate in a final fun day with our partner
schools Drumnabey and Edwards PS in Edwards PS on 7th November 2012 in
the Derg Valley Leisure Centre.
 Primary 1 to Primary 6 are being taught Spanish this year as part of the DE
Modern Primary Languages Project
 Primary 2 and Primary 7 will be also learning Irish with Miss Mc Glinchey.
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Mrs. Norton’s P6 have been busy as they visited the Castle Site for a cross
community event funded by Strabane District Council.
Community based police officers have hosted seminars on firework safety for
P5 P6 and P7.
A group of our nursery parents have attended workshops with members from
the WELB early years team.
P3 Pupils will visit the Folk Park on the 8th November 2013 to learn about life
and school long ago.
Community Relations and Equality and Diversity
In the last academic year we have extended our cross community programmes to
include Nursery P1, P2 and P3 pupils. P1, P2 and P3 will work with the pupils from
Edwards and study wildlife, birds and minibeasts this term and the Spring term 2014.
P3 pupils from both schools will study birds on Tuesday 19th November 2013 on our
school site.
We hope to open our wildlife garden in November and pupils from P5 from our
school and Edwards PS will help plant out our wildlife boxes in November.
School photographs
Please return any outstanding money or photographs by Wednesday 30th October
2013.
Any parent who wishes the school photograph to be retaken can contact Alan Coulter
photography directly.
After schools clubs
Art, Irish and Gaelic Clubs will finish at Halloween midterm. Sports club will
recommence after the February Mid-term. Music and Zumba after school clubs will
be offered after the midterm break holidays.
Homework club will run until Thursday 13th December 2012. Any child in P4 to P7
can stay for these clubs. The clubs will run from 3.15pm until 4.30pm. The children
must be collected by 4.30pm. Children can buy a snack at cost price at this club.
These clubs are completely free.
Halloween Hooley
This year we plan to hold another Halloween Banquet/Hooley on Wednesday 30th
October 2013 before midterm. Children in Nursery, P1 to P7 can wear fancy dress on
this day (however it must be suitable for a primary/nursery school.) No scary masks
please as the infants can be frightened. There will be prizes for the best costumes. The
children will learn all about traditional Halloween customs and will be read lots of
spooky Halloween stories and finally they can feast at our ghastly Halloween banquet.
Remember no nuts or treats sent in on this day please!
This year we are fundraising for a new nursery/ infant playground at Halloween
and Christmas. We ask that the children complete sponsor sheets as best as they
can for a Halloween treasure hunt or a spooky sponsored walk on Halloween
Hooley day. Please give what you can as our target contribution is £3500.
We will also be hosting a coffee morning and cake sale before the Christmas
period.
All proceeds again will also go to this worthy cause
Dates for Christmas
Instead of our annual visit to Derry for the Panto this year to keep costs down - Tom
Sweeney Musician will visit the school on Wednesday 18th December 2013 and the
Foyle Film Festival Big Cinema will visit the school on Thursday 19th December
2013 – the cost will be £3 for both events and we will have a tuck shop on the day for
the children.
Provisional dates for the Christmas shows are
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Tuesday 10th December 2013 Nursery
Wednesday 11th December 2013 P1 P2 and P3
Christmas Dinner Thursday 12th December 2013
Christmas Mass on Friday 13th December 2013.
Could parents please notify Mrs. Traynor of any changes to contact details or medical
details held by the school. I would also appreciate if parents could please forward a
note or written explanation or contact the school by telephone or email if your child is
unable to attend school.
If at any time you have a concern please arrange an appointment to speak to myself or
Mrs Mc Glade Vice-Principal. Mrs Mc Glade is also the designated teacher for child
protection.
Soccer Success
Congratulations to our boys soccer team and our girls soccer team who won the
Strabane District indoor soccer competitions – the first time a school in the district has
done the double – a first time win for our boys and the 3rd year running our girls have
won this competition. Also this was the first year in 9 years that all the boys on the
school team were playing on local soccer teams. (St Patrick’s FC) with 2 girls also
playing regularly. Well done boys and girls (pictured below).
And finally well done to all our P1 pupils for settling in so well!!
Thank you Brian Mc Gurk Principal