News

Best of luck Girls

This Saturday, a group of girls from Killeigh will travel to Limerick to represent Ireland in the community games All Ireland soccer semi-final (and hopefully final). We wish them every success and hope they have a great weekend. We are all very proud of the girls.

Parents Association AGM

The Scoil Shinchill Parents Association AGM will take place on Monday evening 3rd October at 7.30pm in the school GP room. 

This will our first face-to-face Parent’s Association AGM in 3 years and we are looking forward to having as many parents as possible on the evening. Our meeting should last no longer than one hour.

Scoil Shinchill has always enjoyed the support of a very active Parent’s Association. Over the years, we have worked with the school community to organise sponsored walks, cake sales, a very successful tractor run, book fairs, Christmas parties, sports days, and other events, all for the benefit of our children and in support of the school staff and Board of Management. We also support the school with policy reviews, schoolbook sales and other elements of school life.

We really look forward to welcoming people onto our Parent’s Association committee, especially parents who may not have had the chance to get involved before. It is a very positive and fulfilling experience being part of a Parent’s Association and we strongly encourage parents to get involved.

Scoil Shinchill Parent’s Association is affiliated to the National Parent’s Council (NPC).

Back to school message


Dear Children and Parents

Welcome back to Scoil Shinchill for what we hope will be a return to what we know as ‘normal’ following over 2 years of Covid-linked disruption to the lives of everyone. It has been a testing and difficult time for everyone.  

 Go raibh maith agaibh

A sincere word of thanks to all parents who supported our protocols and measures to keep everyone safe. Thanks to everyone who was so understanding and supportive when receiving the dreaded call  to take children home when symptoms of the virus were evident, and for acting in the greater interest by ensuring they were Covid -free before returning to school.

 Thanks to all our teachers and SNA’s who covered for colleagues affected at different times during the pandemic, and to the many substitute teachers and SNA’s we employed during the year when available. Thanks to our Secretary Stacey Deering for her extraordinary efficiency and calmness and to Brendan Lynam, Helen Purcell and Linda Tuite for all their work in keeping the school and the grounds clean and safe over the past year.

Thanks to our Board of Management and our Chairperson Fr. John for their support, understanding and appreciation of the measures we had to take to keep everyone safe. Thanks too, to the Parents Association who have always supported in every way possible over the past year, and for many years before that. Our biggest ‘ Míle Buíochas’ is reserved however for our wonderful pupils who reacted so positively to all the rules over the past 2 years. Children were acutely aware of the need for precautions and were a great support to the staff in maintaining the safety of everyone in Scoil Shinchill.

 

Covid-19

 

We are very conscious that Covid -19 is still prevalent in society and all over the country, people are still testing positive. We are asking all families to remain vigilant and to test children presenting with symptoms. We encourage contacting your family doctor when concerned, so that a PCR test can be arranged, and to only return your child to school when they have a negative test of when they are better, always adhering to HSE guidelines.

 

 

Safety in the mornings and evenings

 

We encourage all school users to be extra conscious of their own safety and that of others at morning drop-off and evening collection times. Be especially careful in the mornings when crossing the road too or from school. Be aware of buses moving in the drop off area and note that they need to move to keep schedules which may involve other school’s transport arrangements. Please keep the bus parking areas clear of traffic from 9am-9.20am and from 2.50pm-3.15 pm to allow safe parking and the children the chance to embark and disembark safely.

 

New Staff and pupils

  

We welcome new people to our school staff for 2022/23.  

Ms. Katie Quinn is teaching in our Síolta senior class having filled a number of teaching roles in the school over the past year. Ms. Elaine Gleeson, who previously taught with us some years ago, is back with us teaching 4th and 5th classes.  Mr David Mullery  has joined us and is teaching 6th class. Ms. Sarah Walsh joins our SEN teaching team. Ms. Orlaigh Keyes, Ms. Jes Thornton and Mr. Cathal Guinan all join our SNA team.

We also welcome a total of 33 new pupils to our school. We hope that each and every person enjoys working , studying and playing in our school and that you experience the  kindness and goodwill that has always been synonymous with life in Scoil Shinchill.

We look forward with optimism to a positive and happy school year. Let’s hope 20222/23 is great for everyone!

 

Le meas

 

Damian White (Principal)

National Ploughing Championships

Tuesday 20th to Thursday, 22nd September the National and World Ploughing Championships take place in Ratheniska, Co. Laois. The Gardaí have contacted us to say that the traffic through Killeigh village will be particularly heavy from 8 am to 10 am each morning and have asked us to open later for teaching on those three mornings. Consequently, we will not begin normal teaching instruction before 10:30am on each of those mornings and we are asking the children not to come to school before this time. The School Roll on those three days will only be taken after morning break.  All bus transport services covering the school run have been informed and will have children at school for 10.30am on each of the 3 mornings.

 

If families are under extreme pressure because of normal work or domestic commitments to bring children to school on those days at the normal time, please phone or email the school and we will arrange supervision until formal instruction begins at 10:30 am. We ask however, that insofar as families can manage, the children delay their arrival until 10:30 am on Tuesday to Thursday next week.

 

Damian White

Principal

Team Hope Christmas shoebox appeal

Team  Hope are doing the Christmas Shoe Box Appeal again this year. The leaflet and form can be downloaded here.

Shoe Boxes are to be delivered to Dealz in Tullamore by 8th November.

The school will not be collecting shoe boxes in school this year.

Congratulations

Congratulations to our past pupil Ger Crowe who captained Tullamore to glory yesterday in the Offaly Senior B hurling final. Well done Ger.