The school day

The school bell rings at 9:10am to signal the start of school. School finishes for infant classes at 1:50pm, while 1st-6th classes finish at 2:50pm. 

The school gates will be opened at 9am. For insurance reasons, children are not permitted access to the school grounds before 9am. There will be no lining up on the yard. From 9am, children may walk directly to their classroom. 

Children availing of the school buses will gather in the school hall at the end of the day and will be walked to the bus by a member of staff.

 

School Year 2023/2024 while the building of our new extension takes place:

In the interests of safety, we would appreciate your support in staggering the dismissal of pupils at the end of the day according to the collection plan below:

• 1:50pm - Junior & Senior Infants
• 2:40pm - Families with surnames beginning A-K
• 2:50pm - Families with surnames beginning L-Z, children getting the school bus, children attending afterschool services, children of teachers/SNAs

Please use the door beside the staffroom (red building) if you are dropping a child to school late or collecting a child early. The school office is located across from this door and our secretary, Teresa, will be able to help you, walk a child to their class, drop a lunch to a child etc.

 

The Rolla (roll call)

The school day begins at 9:10am and the children are required to be in their classrooms not later than 9:20am. As per our Attendance Strategy Statement and in line with the Rules for National Schools, the rolla (roll call) will be called within forty minutes of the commencement of class (i.e. 10am). A pupil will be marked either present or absent at the time of roll call and there will be no provision for adjusting the attendance record on Aladdin where a pupil subsequently does not complete the full school day or arrives after the roll call. If your child arrives late, even in circumstances where you advise the teacher in advance of an appointment, the child will be marked as late and the reason will be recorded on Aladdin, e.g. Late as he/she had a dentist appointment. 

Pupils arriving to school late should be walked to the school office (the red building along the main road) where the secretary will greet them and ensure that they get safely to their classroom.

 

Permission to leave school early

Parents wishing to collect a pupil during school hours for reasons medical or otherwise should send a short message to the class teacher using Aladdin outlining the reason and stating the time of the appointment. The child/children should be collected from the secretary's office.

Please use the door beside the staffroom (red building) if you are collecting a child early. Teresa’s office is temporarily located across from this door and she will be able to help you.

Pupils cannot be released from the classroom to be met at the school gate because teachers have no way of knowing whether the pupil's escort has arrived on time or not.

 

Pupil Absences

A reason for all absences must be recorded on Aladdin. Parents are reminded that under the provisions of the Education Welfare Act (2000), principals of all schools are obliged by law to inform the authorities in the case of any pupil who misses 20 or more days during the school year, for any reason. Missing time from school is a significant factor in educational performance.  Pupils, however, should not be in school if they are unwell.

 

Illness

Pupils who are ill should stay at home until they are well enough to attend school. In case of infectious illnesses, the school should be notified without delay.

If a child suffers a fall or injury or becomes ill in school, parents will be contacted by telephone. It is essential that the school has your home and work numbers, as well as that of a responsible person in the locality chosen by you to act on your behalf in an emergency.

 

Uniform

Our school uniform consists of our navy crested jumper, navy tracksuit bottoms and a grey polo t-shirt.

The school tracksuit can be ordered from https://schoolwearhouse.ie/product-category/scoil-naomh-molaise/

 

Parent-Teacher Communication

If you wish to meet your child’s teacher, you are asked to make an appointment. An appointment system ensures that teaching is not interrupted and that classes are not left unsupervised. Day-to-day communication with the teacher can be made through Aladdin. Formal parent-teacher meetings will be held in November. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office on 071 9163419 if you need to get a message to your child or his/her teacher urgently.

 

Lunches

Pupils are encouraged to eat nutritious food and their lunches should be as healthy as possible. One small treat is allowed on a Friday only. Please see read our Healthy Eating Policy.

Please note that our school is a ‘nut-free zone’. Due to the very serious nature of the allergies of some of our pupils, nuts and products that contain nuts are not permitted in the school.

 

Birthday Party Invitations

We kindly ask that party invitations are not distributed in school.  

 

Parking

Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to use the car park across from the Church or the car park behind the school. Please do not park in the bus area (along the main road).

Please do not stop at the back entrance of the school to drop off or collect children. We have a collective responsibility to ensure the safety of the children when coming to and leaving the school grounds.