Care Week 2020

Care Week

This is Care Week in St Angela’s – a week when we focus on building positive relationships and give very thoughtful consideration to how we interact with others and build each other up in positive ways. Never was a week like this more important than during this time of uncertainty and lockdown when we can feel isolated from others in more significant ways than ever before.

We ask you as parents to talk to your child each day about the simple message they have received from school on each particular day. Wouldn’t it be a very powerful thing if you could reinforce the theme of the day in your home that evening e.g. Thoughtful Thursday etc. so that we are all on-board reinforcing the simple messages about how it is so important that we look after others and that ultimately helps us to look after ourselves too.

I take this opportunity to thank the staff here for all the work they do to promote wellbeing and positive relationships.

Social Media and Apps

If we were to ask one favour we ask you to take the opportunity this week to discuss with your daughter how much time she is spending on screens. This is time less spent with the family. While ICT was a saviour for many of us during lockdown we have to remember that nothing beats face to face human interaction. Children are really adept using social media and various communication apps but it’s really important to remember that they need us as their parents to guide them as to the correct use of them. For more information on apps please visit webwise here. Maybe it’s a conversation you might have with the parents of your children’s friends – perhaps limit the use of the phone/device for this week to a certain time or take time out to see and discuss how your child is engaging with this media. We know that increasingly children are interacting with these platforms from a younger age and while they are technologically able, they need our common sense parenting. Sometimes they just needs someone to say ‘No’ for them!

Parent Teacher Meetings

I know teachers have been and will be in contact with you regarding Parent Teacher Meetings this year. Each corridor e.g. Infants / 1st & 2nd / etc. have a common approach. Please remember to keep the lines of communication open at all times and contact the office on 0949022902 or email on info@stangelasns.ie if you wish to make an appointment to speak to a teacher.

School Opening Times

Finally, we ask people to remember that school begins at 9 am. This year we have agreed to open the doors at 8.50 am on wet days but we see children being left unaccompanied at much earlier times than this. Please be advised that the school cannot take any responsibility for pupils before this time and we ask you to not to leave children unaccompanied on the school premises.

Exciting things happening

I continue to be amazed by the wonderful things happening in school despite the restrictions. If you don’t already please follow our Twitter feed on @stangelasns or have a look at our weekly slideshow on our web site www.stangelasns.ie. The innovation that’s happening in classrooms is phenomenal. There is a huge variety of exciting things happening and children are benefiting from really exciting work and also being enabled to lead it! We recently blogged about Science week. You will be hearing more about projects work, media work, Creative Schools, microbits and more!!!

Covid-19 Updates

Encourage all your children to maintain the good habits of hand washing/sanitising/sneeze and cough etiquette, no unnecessary gatherings and social distancing. If your child has any symptoms of Covid-19 you should ring your GP for advice and please keep us informed.

While I know that this is not easy it is wonderful what can be achieved by a collective effort.

Let’s keep it going.

Please share any photo or good news story from ‘Care Week at Home’ with your daughter's teacher on Seesaw.

Thanks again as always. Team work makes the dream work.