End of year note – OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL BOYS’ SCHOOL

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I hope that everyone is safe and well. I am sure everyone is on a countdown to the eagerly awaited Summer holidays on Wednesday, June 30th. The following closing times will apply linked to starting times.

Start at 08.40 finish at 11.40 Start at 09.00 finish at 12.00
Start at 08.50 finish at 11.50 Start at 09.10 finish at 12.10

It is expected that schools will continue to operate with the current infections prevention and control measures in place to support their safe operation during Covid 19 when they reopen on August 31st. We are therefore planning to reopen and continue in line with our current Covid 19 Response Plan. These plans will be updated in August following Public Health Guidelines at the time and will be available to you all well in advance of opening. Needless to say we will have to be guided by public health advice and other agencies in what we do.

At this stage of the year we bid farewell to our sixth classes. It has been our privilege to have had the boys here for the last eight years. We will celebrate their Graduation with them on Monday June 28th. We wish them well in their Secondary Schools and in the years ahead. We thank Mrs. Quinlan, Mrs. Sheehan, Mrs. Behan and Mr. Geoghegan for all their assistance with the Graduation and Fr. John who will also join us.

Sadly, we say farewell to Mr. Cadogan, our Principal for the past 25 years and a member of the teaching staff for 43 years, who will retire at the end of June. We thank him for his many years of dedication in leading this school of excellence, for his unwavering enthusiasm, care and commitment to the whole school community. We wish him well in his future endeavours.
To mark Mr. Cadogan’s dedication we have a committee organising a virtual send-off. Many classes have recorded either a poem or song, some in English, some ‘As Gaeilge’. Some have performed a dance and others have created beautiful art work. Some members of staff have recorded messages of support and best wishes along with poems and words of wisdom. I wish to thank all those for their involvement in creating this video which I am sure
Mr. Cadogan will cherish dearly. We are organising a dinner voucher from the school community for Mr Cadogan and his family to enjoy while they watch his virtual send off from home. Please send in €1 if you wish to contribute to this voucher.

Holiday list 2021/2022
The holiday list for 2021/2022 is available on the website on http://olgc.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/Holiday-Schedule-2021-2022.pdf

Child Protection Statement and Risk Assessment
This policy has been ratified by the Board of Management at its meeting in June. A copy is available on the website and a hard copy is available on request from the office. The Code of Behaviour, Anti-Bullying Policy, Attendance and Absence Policy amongst others have also been updated and ratified by the Board and can be viewed here http://olgc.ie/wp/index.php/policies

New Entrants
Our Information Meeting for New Infants was held last night via zoom. It was lovely to see so many new faces along with many of you who are already a member of our school community. Booklists and tracksuit ordering is available via Aladdin. Please note the cut-off date for booklists is Wednesday July 21st. We look forward to welcoming the boys from Mrs. Whelan’s class in on Wednesday August 25th and those from Ms. Collins’ class on Thursday August 26th. Times will be confirmed closer to those dates. Thank you to Mrs. Behan, Mr. Curran and Mrs. Whelan for their attendance and help with the meeting.

Book Orders 2021/20212
Book orders remain open online up to midnight on Wednesday, July 21st where payment can be made via Aladdin Connect. New books ordered will be in the classrooms when children return to school on August 31st. Booklists are available on the school website if you are not ordering through the school. As previously explained books/stationery are only part of the booklists. It would be appreciated if book rental could be paid by midnight on July 21st to facilitate the distribution of books used in the rental scheme on the first day of term. If you have not paid book rental by then we will issue you with a full booklist. Please do not leave book ordering until the last moment in case there are “gremlins” in ordering on-line.

School Reports
Summer reports were issued on June 17th. These can be accessed through Aladdin Connect. Thank you to all the teachers for such thought and dedication. Please let us know if you have had difficulty accessing the report and we can organise a copy to be sent home.

School Uniforms
Our School Uniform in Junior and Senior infants is a crested tracksuit and light blue polo shirt which can be purchased in the school shop. Please see http://olgc.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tracksuit-prices-2021-2022.pdf for prices. From 1st class upwards the uniform comprises of a grey shirt, v-necked navy jumper, grey trousers, navy and grey tie, grey socks and black shoes. All items of clothing should be clearly marked. The crested jumper is optional. Many parents purchase an ordinary navy jumper and sew on the crest which is fine. In a uniform survey conducted a number of years ago parents reported that although the crested jumper was more expensive it tended to last/ “survive” longer. The crested jumper can be bought at https://www.uniformwarehouse.ie/. School tracksuit and school polo shirts are allowed on P.E. days only. All items of clothing should be clearly marked. For the new school year proper uniform must be worn by all pupils. A special thank you to Carol Berkery, Orna Larkin, and Jenny Simeoni who have run the uniform shop over the past number of years and for their, and your, patience and understanding while we moved this venture online. The sale of tracksuits will continue via Aladdin and you will be informed of a date(s) in August for collection.

Johnstown Parents’ Association (J.P.A.)
We thank the members of the Parents’ Association for their work and support of many school activities and events during the year. A special thank you for the recent donation of €1000 which will allow us to redesign our sensory room. This is a therapeutic, calming space with a variety of equipment enabling children to focus themselves so they can be better equipped for learning and interacting with others. The A.G.M. of the Parents’ Association will be held on Wednesday, September 22nd at 7.30p.m. Further details to follow in September.

Voluntary Subscriptions
Thank you to the Parents/Guardians who have responded to the annual Board of Management appeal. Without your financial assistance the school could not afford to continue to function. If you have overlooked payment and are in a position to do so, payment can be made online through Aladdin or by cheque, cash or standing order. Renewed thanks for your assistance.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone in our school community for their involvement, assistance and support during the year and for the extraordinary lengths so many people went to in the interests of the children during the pandemic. What everyone did was truly amazing despite the great challenges people often faced.

I trust that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Summer. A reminder to all families of the importance of water safety and safety on farms. I hope everyone stays safe and well in the months ahead. We look forward to seeing everyone back in school safely on August 31st.

Yours sincerely,

Michelle Cotterell
Acting Principal.

Download the PDF here.

Summer 2021 Newsletter

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School Year
The JPA would like to thank the board of management and all the staff in the Meadows, the girl’s and the boy’s school for their support, advice and the tremendous work done by the schools during lockdown. We are reminded of the opportunities provided for children to see their classmates over Zoom, the innovative ways to keep the children stimulated with various guest speakers, and interactive ways of learning as the children found their way during a very surreal time. As the schools re-opened the children received such a warm welcome from staff and it was reassuring for all families to see the extent of the measures taken to keep our children safe. The return to school was seamless for the
children and it is a credit to the schools for instilling such high standards during such uncertain times. A daily reminder of the care and thought by staff for children is evident when approaching the school gates and seeing the hug trees swaying in the wind, a beautiful symbolic way to enable the children to express their love for those they missed during lockdown.

Retirement of Principal Neil Cadogan
Students past and present will be aware of the indelible mark Principal Neil Cadogan has made on their educational journey. He has been a member of staff with the boy’s school for 43 years. We are indebted to him for his dedication and unwavering commitment to prioritise the boys and for promoting a person-centered ethos in the school. On behalf of the parents and guardians of all the boys we would like to sincerely thank Neil and wish him well on his retirement. A gift shall be arranged with the annual subscriptions given by parents to the JPA as an appreciation from all of us for Neil’s contribution and incredible leadership during his years of service. A comment page has been set up on the website jpaconnect.com for all who would like to leave messages for Neil before his departure.
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Save The Date
The Johnstown Parents Association AGM shall be held on the 22 nd September so we would encourage all of you to save the date and attend on the night. More details shall follow closer to the time. The guest speaker on the night is Fiona Foreman, an author, speaker, facilitator and trainer in the area of well-being and Positive Psychology.

Having spent many years as a primary school teacher, she is absolutely passionate about placing well-being at the heart of school life, and she has seen first-hand the great benefits of empowering children, teachers and parents to understand, value and enhance their own mental health. Fiona is the co-author of Weaving Well-Being, an SPHE
programme which is now widely used in primary schools. Fiona holds an M. Sc. in Applied Positive Psychology, the science of well-being, from the University of East London. This promises to be a very informative evening and we anticipate a big turnout having such a renowned speaker. Details for registering your interest to attend will be circulated in mid- September.
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Call for Class Reps
The role of Class Rep is an integral one. As Class Rep you are the link between the schools, parents and JPA. More information is due to follow on how to get involved, particularly for parents or guardians of children commencing in the schools in September. The JPA Committee meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.15pm (currently via Zoom) and a Class Rep from each class is asked to attend. This is important so that parents and students are evenly and fairly represented in decisions. The JPA would like to thank all the 6 th Class Reps for their assistance and help throughout the years.
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Bereavement Policy
The schools invite the JPA to review policies on an ongoing basis. The JPA proposed a bereavement policy with a flyer to be circulated to families who may require support. Parents have found it helpful to have meals provided for them so that they can be free to focus on important matters during this difficult time. Home cooked meals will be arranged to be delivered in a discreet manner to families. This will be incorporated into the critical incident policy of the schools and should you wish to avail of this service please do not hesitate to contact the schools for more information.
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Uniform Swap
As we come to the end of the term and break for the holidays the JPA have organised a link for parents to avail of for
uniform swaps. For more information log onto https://jpaconnect.com/2021/06/14/uniforms/
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Ice Cream Days
To compliment the fun activities that the schools have been busy organising for the children, the JPA have arranged ice cream days for the students and staff of both schools on the 23rd and the 24th June. This is a tradition that has always been much appreciated by the children and we are delighted to arrange such a treat to mark the break for the summer.
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6th Class Yearbook
The JPA came up with an idea for a keepsake which parents may wish to organise on an annual basis for students in their final year with the schools. It is a 6 th class yearbook. The girl’s school have organised something in the past which students greatly cherished. We wanted to share this idea with parents should they wish to organise something for their children when the time comes. For more information, please contact your Class Rep who will be able to provide you with an information sheet as to how to go about arranging one for your child’s class.
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Funds Raised by the JPA
The funds raised from August 2020 to June 2021 are as follows:

Get Active Fundraiser €2779
JPA Subscriptions €3580
Calendar Ads €1650
Sale of Calendar €3,300
TOTAL €11,309

Funding Proposal
The JPA are delighted to support the schools in any way that we can. This term we approached the principals to see how we could contribute financially to the schools. It is thanks to you that we can donate €1,000 to both the boy’s and the girl’s school. The girl’s school have identified the need for iPads which will be a huge benefit to the school and the
boy’s school wish to re-do their sensory room which is a therapeutic calming space with a variety of equipment enabling children to focus themselves so they can be better equipped for learning and interacting with others.
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If you would like to find out ways in which you could join the JPA or get involved in events throughout the calendar year, please do not hesitate to contact the JPA at jpaconnect@gmail.com

The staff having a coffee outdoors in the run up to Christmas provided by the JPA as a thank you for the fantastic work they do.
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Thank you all for your continued support in making a positive impact on the children’s school experience by enabling the JPA to assist the schools on your behalf. The JPA hope that you all have a lovely summer break. We look forward to engaging with you once again in September.

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You can download the PDF of our newsletter here.

Neil Cadogan’s retirement

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We would like to acknowledge the recent communication from the Board of Management of Neil Cadogan’s plans for retirement at the end of the current school year.

On behalf of all the parents, we would like to wish Neil all the very best and thank him for all that he has done for students past and present.

He will be dearly missed.

We have a facility to set up for people to leave a personal message of thanks and appreciation for Neil in the comments section if you so wish.

JPA Annual AGM Meeting – Wednesday 23rd September 2020 @ 8.00pm

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The JPA Annual AGM Meeting –

Wednesday 23rd September 2020 @ 8.00pm

The Johnstown Parents Association (JPA) Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 23rd September 2020 @ 8.00pm.  As a parent/guardian of a child in Johnstown you are member of the Parents’ Association.

Your ideas and support will be crucial in helping to make the Parents’ Association a success.  We are holding our meeting on Zoom and we would be grateful if you could;

  • Send any questions by email to us in advance of the meeting

We have a number of committee members leaving this year and we would welcome new members to join the committee.  The JPA Committee normally meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.15pm. All parents/ guardians are invited to attend and we will publish a list of meeting dates for 2020/2021.

Many thanks,

JPA Committee

JPAconnect@gmail.com

School Closure and Classwork

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JohnstownGNS School Homework.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE pdf icon TO OPEN THE CLASSWORK –

PLEASE DOWNLOAD IT AND PRINT IT.

 

JUNIOR INFANTS
SENIOR INFANTS
1ST CLASS
2ND CLASS
3RD CLASS
4THCLASS – Room 7
4TH CLASS Room 8
5TH CLASS
6TH CLASS
WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING:
Additional notes –
1 –

JPA AGM

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Tuesday 24th September 2019 Time: 7.30 pm

Venue: Johnstown Girls’ School Date:

Author of Weaving Wellbeing Fiona Forman announced for this years JPA AGM

Helping Children to Manage Stress and Strong Emotions

Johnstown Parents’ Association are delighted to inform you that we have organised for Fiona Forman author of ‘Weaving Well-being’ to speak to parents at our next Annual General Meeting.

Fiona is a regular media contributor on children’s well-being and has spoken on this subject at conferences at both national and international level. Fiona is passionate about the mental health and well-being of children and in helping them to achieve their true potential. Fiona has designed and implemented a well-being programme which has received immensely positive feedback. She has delivered talks to parents and teachers on Positive Psychology and its application to education. For further information: http://weavingwellbeing.com As this event is sponsored by the JPA and supported by the schools we hope it will be well attended by parents/guardians. To book your place, please e-mail jpaconnect@gmail.com.
If you have any suggestions for future talks/ training programmes, please e-mail JPA connect jpaconnect@gmail.com or contact us through our website, http://www.jpaconnect.com.

We would love to hear from you!

ff-weaving-wellbeing-24-09-2019Download

Hello to all parents!

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We would like to welcome everyone back to the new school year and a special welcome to the new parents joining the school.
We hope all the boys and girls have settled back in nicely. It’s going to be another fun & exciting year with all our events and new plans!!!
We would like to bring your attention to a very important event coming up:

Annual General Meeting.

The 2018 JPA AGM details are as follows:
Date: Thursday 20th September
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Johnstown Boys School

Please note:
As the majority of the committee members are leaving this year, your Parents Association needs you!

The following is just a brief idea as to what is involved with being a member:
– One evening a month for meetings
– Willing to help with organising the fun activities for the boys and girls
– Helping to support the school social events
– Enthusiasm and a team player

The JPA raises approximately €10,000 per annum which is shared between the schools.

These funds are paid towards:
• Ice Cream day
• Communion and Confirmation breakfasts
• School Graduation
• Easter Art Competition
• 6th Class Social
• School Donations

Without new committee members, none of this can happen. We encourage you all to come along to the AGM.

Best regards,
James, Paula, Lynne, Bernadette, Elaine, Siobhan, Caroline, Fiona, Gemma, Tim & Joe.

 

Volunteer?

A big thank you!

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As we come to the end of another school year, we would like to take this opportunity to extend a big thank you to all of our sponsors, who, every year, support the Johnstown Parents Association. Without this support, we would not be able to run all of the events, that are such an important part of what we do each year. Please offer them your support, in return, right through the summer months, and into next year.

We would also like to thank you, the parents, for your continued support and assistance. You too are an integral part of what we do.

To our teachers and SNAs, in both schools. Have a well-deserved break and thank you for assisting us through the year. Mrs Quinn and Mr Cadogan, thank you both for your assistance also and for being our Go-To people when we need the school’s support.

To both caretakers, Peter & Gareth, and to the school secretaries, Gaye, Muirghen & Anne, thank you for all your hard work, including the late evenings, and help, behind the scenes. So much of what you do goes unnoticed.

A special word to the children. Their welfare is top of all of our agendas, and they make what we do so worthwhile. To the boys & girls who are moving on to secondary school, we wish you well in the future. To those children joining the schools in September, welcome. We look forward to meeting you, and your parents in the new school year, and hopefully some of you parents will join us on the Johnstown Parents Association.

Finally. We hope you all have a great summer and we look forward to seeing you all in September.

 

The Johnstown Parents Association Team