Paradise Place ETNS Newsletter

Some members of our Chess Club went to TU Dublin this week to meet up with other local schools and prepare for an upcoming Chess Tournament. We hear our 5th and 6th Class chess players did a brilliant job and are feeling very confident for the tournament in a few weeks time!

Our Junior Infant children have been learning all about the Dentist and looking after their teeth. They have been practising how to brush your teeth and taking turns being the dentist in the surgery!

Javelin-throwing was the theme of our athletics sessions this week!

Our 'Time to Count' programme continued this week in 3rd Class with volunteers from Bank of Ireland working on lots of fun Maths games with the children.

Giving children a voice and ensuring they have a role in the decisions that happen in our school is really important and while we have done this for many years, it is also one of the core part of our Educate Together ethos. Over the next few newsletters, we will introduce you to the different teams of children who lead different projects and themes in our school. This week, we are starting with the Student Council.

What is the Student Council?

The Student Council is a formal group of children who act as representatives of their classmates in

discussing school issues and ideas with Eadaoin, our Principal and staff. Students are elected to represent the views of all children and also to help improve the school. The School Citizen is Chair of the Student Council and each of our children's teams nominates two people to it. It meets once per week.

What is the role of the Student Council?

The Student Council provides a representative structure through which children can raise issues of

concern and undertake initiatives of benefit to the school and the wider community. Children have

a voice and a chance to make a contribution to their school. The roles of the Student Council are

• to co-ordinate the activities of our many children's teams
• to discuss issues that concern the students and bring ideas to Eadaoin
• to organise fun events, in conjunction with Eadaoin and staff
• to act as role models and leaders of the school
• to ensure that everyone has a voice and a way to be heard

Next week, it's Safer Internet Day on Tuesday. We will be reminding children about how to stay safe online. Webwise are running free webinars for parents/carers to help you support your child. We really recommend you to take a look.

This week in the news, I read a statistic that 71% of parents believe their children can self-manage their online safety. In our experience at school, I would say that there are no children, none at all, of any age, who can do that. Children need our guidance and support online. The online world has so much to offer us but it can also be scary, unregulated and target vulnerable young people. Get involved, talk to your child, find out what they are doing online and learn with them. But please don't think they can manage on their own.

Our aim is for every child to have attendance of 95%+.

This week has been a brilliant week! Attendance across the whole school has been over 94% - well done to everyone who has been at school every day this week.

There were so many classes with great attendance this week:

Carla's Class - 98.2%

Lorna's Class - 100%

Alannah's Class - 95.2%

Greg's Class - 98.4%

Sean's Class - 97.2%

James's Class - 97.7%

Super work - let's have another week just like it next week!

On Tuesday, 4th February, we had a meeting to elect a new parent nominee to the Board of Management. Two parents were nominated and I am pleased to let you know that following a vote, Kunle Ogundola, dad of Ayodeji in 3rd Class and Ayobamidele in Senior Infants was deemed elected. Thank you to the parents who attended the meeting and to the parents who put themselves forward.

Our friends at Step-by-Step are running a series of coffee mornings for parents in the Macro Centre - just a five minute walk from school over the next few weeks. It's a chance to meet other parents, make connections and get some informal support for your parenting journey. Text Paola to book a place or chat to Kate if you are interested.

Junior Infant parents and carers are invited to a workshop with your child's class teacher on Wednesday, 12th February at 1.00 p.m. in your child's classroom. The workshop will explain how the children are learning to read and write and how you can support their learning at home. It is really important that parents/carers understand these processes and that children get the same messages at home and at school, so please do come along and join us. It will just take a half-hour and you can take your children home afterwards. Thank you.

Ireland Reads is a campaign to get the whole country reading during February in the lead up to a national day of reading. The campaign aims to celebrate reading and all the benefits it can have for wellbeing and enjoyment. It is asking everyone to ‘Get lost in a good book’ during February and especially on February 22nd, Ireland Reads day. All families are welcome at the Central Library in the Ilac Centre to share a book on the day.

11th February - Safer Internet Day

13th February - Sean's 4th Class to Chester Beatty Library

17th - 21st February - Mid-Term Break - School Closed for one week

26th February - Alannah's 1st Class to The Ark Cultural Centre

4th March - 3rd, 5th, 6th Class to Science Blast at RDS

6th March - Parent Session - Reluctant School Attendance workshop

7th March - 5th and 6th Class to National Children's Choir Cluster Rehearsal

10th March - Andy's 4th Class to Fighting Words Writing Workshop

17th March - Bank Holiday - School Closed - St Patrick's Day

20th March - Parent Session - Emotion Coaching

Email: office@ppetns.ie
Website: www.ppetns.ie
Location: Paradise Place, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, Ireland
Phone: +353 1 8300 841
Twitter: @ppetns