AOIBHINN BEATHA AN SCOLÁIRE

SCHOOL DAYS ARE HAPPY DAYS

Dear Parents/ Guardians and Pupils,

A week has now passed since the beginning of this new reality. I hope you are all keeping well in these strange times and adjusting to life at a different pace.  Our health and wellbeing, and that of our families, friends and community must take priority over everything. It is incumbent on us to ensure that we follow the advice of the HSE and expert groups, who will guide us through this unprecedented challenge.

For our pupils, it is important that a new routine is developed. Teachers have set out work from the class curriculum to be completed. Pupils should complete some of this work each day, interspersed with periods for fresh air, exercise and play. For our younger pupils, parents can help them with tricky words, sounds, and some revision of handwriting every day.  Short, regular sessions are more effective than long sessions.  Please read with your child to develop vocabulary and imagination.  And remember, children learn most from playing, so make sure there is plenty of time for playing – indoors and outdoors – every day! The older children should spend a couple of hours daily on the class work set out for them by their teachers. It is also important to get lots of fresh air and exercise to enhance physical and mental wellbeing.  Please take time to read for pleasure.  This is an excellent opportunity to spend plenty of time curled up with a good book.  Lots of reading will develop your imagination, your creative writing skills, your spelling and, best of all it will transport you into another world.  

Additional work will be provided by teachers periodically should our school closure extend beyond 29th March.  It is envisaged that a short plan of extra work for the week prior to the Easter holidays will be provided if required. 

However parents/ guardians, remember you are not expected to re-create school at home. Children may be feeling anxious and if they’re finding it difficult to keep up with structured learning, they can learn other life skills at home through cooking, baking, physical exercise and play. While, your daughter’s teacher will provide you with a plan of work to provide a period of structured learning it is of course voluntary. The links to websites provided in this message are a resource to dip into and avail of when, and if required. Be kind to yourselves – you may be trying to work from home, provide childcare while maintaining a learning environment for children – we are in an unprecedented situation, for which we did not have the luxury of time to plan and prepare. As we continue to do our best in the situation we find ourselves in, we need to remember that this will pass and normal life will resume.  Book publishers Folens, CJ Fallon and Educational Company are making text books online available to parents at no cost – see links at end of message.

Our Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, addressed the nation on 17th March and encouraged us to foster a spirit of kindness where we support and help one another. My message to all our pupils, as they adjust to a new routine, separated from friends and classmates – remember our school motto of  Kindness, Courtesy and Respect. Show kindness to your siblings who are working beside you, help out at home where you can and have fun with your family.

I trust that our girls will soon be back in school with us and we can look forward to getting back to normal. In the meantime I hope that the work provide by teachers, along with the additional resources and links attached will be of benefit to you and help maintain some sense of routine in these unusual times. 

To you, the parents/ guardians and pupils of Presentation Girls’ School, I wish you well. Take care of yourselves and each other. 

Le gach dea-ghuí,

Cora McGorry

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