General Information

The School Day

8.50 a.m. School grounds open
8.55 a.m. School doors open
9.00 a.m. Class begins
10.45 a.m. - 11.00 a.m. Snack and play
12.40 p.m. - 1.00 p.m. Lunch and play
1.40 p.m. Home time for Junior and Senior Infants
2.40 p.m. Home time for all other classes

Pupils arriving /departing by bus and car are asked to use the community car park adjacent to the school. Pupils walking or travelling by bicycle may enter the school grounds via the pedestrian gate at the front of the school. Parents are asked to respect the no-parking area at this entrance as this is the school's main access point for emergency vehicles such as the fire brigade or ambulance.

School Uniform

Scoil Mhuire’s school uniform consists of the following:
-Navy crested jumper or cardigan
-Sky blue shirt
-Red and navy school tie
-Navy trousers / skirt / pinafore.
Please note track suit bottoms are not acceptable as school trousers.

Our school crested jumper/cardigan and tie are available from:
The Fabric Centre, Park Street, Monaghan Town. (047 82062)
Please ensure that your child's uniform is clearly labelled with their name.

The school PE uniform consists of a navy sweatshirt, navy tracksuit bottoms and a blue pole shirt. This uniform is only to be worn on PE days (Tuesdays and Fridays) and is not a substitute for the crested school uniform.

The children are permitted to wear navy jersey/fleece school shorts during periods of warm weather. These shorts are available from retailers like Dunnes. Please note: football or cycling shorts are not permitted.

Footwear is of parental choice however we do require that the children wear shoes that are secured to their feet i.e. not slip on pumps, as these are not safe for yard playtime.

Hot Food Meals Programme

Under the School Meals (Local Projects) Programme funded by the Department of Education, every child in Scoil Mhuire, Magherarney is provided with a hot meal for their lunch each day in school. 'The Lunch Bag' is our chosen provider. There is no cost to parents in providing this meal.
We ask parents to send a snack for small break and water for both breaks in their child's school bag daily.

Attendance

In accordance with the Education Welfare Act, the school authorities are obliged to notify the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) if a child has been absent for 20 days in any school year. The NEWB may then pursue this matter further, which may include a visit from an Educational Welfare Officer.
In the event of a child being absent through illness or for any other reason, an absence note should be completed on the child's return to school. There are blank templates at the back of the children's homework journal which can be used for this purpose.
When it is necessary for a child to leave school early, a note must be sent to the class teacher. Parents must call to the office and the secretary will collect the child from their classroom.

Homework

Homework is given in Scoil Mhuire to:

reinforce what the child learns during the day.
provide a link between home and school.
further develop a child's concentration skills and work ethic.

Parents are asked to check that their child has completed all homework given by the teacher and sign the homework journal nightly.

Contact with parents

Scoil Mhuire operates a Text-a-Parent system. It is essential that parents let us know if they change their mobile number so that our list can be updated.
The monthly newsletter which contains important information is emailed to parents at the beginning of every month. Again, please notify the school of any changes to email addresses throughout the year.
It is very important that Scoil Mhuire has a contact number of somebody who will be able to collect a child if the parent is not available. Emergency contact numbers must be valid and any change of phone numbers must be notified to the secretary immediately.
Parent Teacher Meetings are held in November for all pupils from 2nd class to 6th class. Junior Infants to 1st Class Parent Teacher Meetings take place in January. It is important that parents attend this meeting. However, should you wish to arrange a meeting with your child's class teacher during the year, please contact the school secretary to arrange an appointment.
At the end of the school year a formal report of a pupil's progress is forwarded to parents.

The Curriculum

The Primary School Curriculum celebrates the uniqueness of the child. It is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life: spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical.

The curriculum incorporates child centred principles. It identifies three primary aims of primary education:

· to enable the child to live a full life as a child and to realise his or her potential as a unique individual
· to enable the child to develop as a social being through living and co-operating with others and so contribute to the good of society
· to prepare the child for further education and lifelong learning.

The curriculum is learner-centred. It emphasises the importance of literacy, numeracy and language, while at the same time responding to changing needs in science and technology, social personal and health education, and citizenship.

The curriculum is presented in six subject areas comprising 11 subjects. The development and implementation of the curriculum in religious education in primary schools remains the responsibility of the relevant patron bodies.