glenbeg ns booklet for junior infants

8/19/2019 Glenbeg NS Booklet for Junior Infants

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Glenbeg National SchoolGlenbeg, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford Telephone: 058 !"##

$%&ail: glenbeg.ia'(eirco&.net

)oo*let+or arent' of -nfant'

Starting School

Welcome to Glenbeg N.S.Some General Information for Parents of New

Infants Starting in Glenbeg N.S.

FOREWORD


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Fáilte romhat agus roimh o !háiste chuig ScoilNáisiunta an Ghleann "heag.

Starting school will be the first big change in the life of your child. Up to this he/she has felt safe and securewith you in the home and family but now is facing thewider world of classroom and school. This may seem abig step for someone so small but most childrenmanage it without any great fuss or stress - and infact take to it like ducks to water.

However, it is also a time when parents and teachersshould take special care to ensure that the transitionfrom home to school is as smooth as possible. f thechild!s first e"perience of school is one of happyinvolvement, a very good foundation will have beenlaid for fruitful school years ahead.

t is important too, particularly during the first year,that parents understand what the aims of the schoolare, as many may be e"pecting too much in the wayof academic achievement.

#e know from e"perience that parents are veryan"ious to help in any way possible. #e have,therefore, included some ideas for the home, whichshould stimulate the child!s interest and nurture adesire to know more.

#ith these aims in mind we have put together thislittle booklet as a general guide for parents. t dealsbriefly with the period before your child comes toschool and the introductory stage in $unior nfants.

#e trust you will find it helpful and that your child willbe happy and fulfilled with us.Glenbeg School

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% few facts about our school&• 'lenbeg (.S. is a ) teacher school *+ mainstream

earning Support. situated appro" 0 milesfrom 1ungarvan town.• 'lenbeg (.S. was opened on 2) th (ovember 344

as a teacher school5 it became a 2 teacherschool in the 324!s 6 04!s5 a 0 teacher school in

3705 a 8 teacher school in 24445 a + teacherschool in 2448 and a ) teacher school in 2447.

• The enrolment for 24 8-24 + is 07 pupils.

Staff &9rincipal& :s ;atherine ice-9rincipal& :s Sandra ;larkeTeachers& :rs ;aitriona #helan-?arrett

:s (icola ;ostin:s 1ebbie ?rett:s ?r@d ?reathnach

Secretary& :rs %nn :ac(amara*We also have a part-time resource teacher and special needs assistant.

"oar of #anagementThe ?oard of :anagement provides opportunities for apartnership of parents, teachers, 9atrons! andcommunity representatives in the task of schoolmanagement.

Parents$ %ssociation#e have a very interested and helpful 9arents! %ssociation in the school that regularly fundraise forthe school. (ew members are always welcome.

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Punctualit& an %tten ance9upils are e"pected to be punctual and to attend

school every day. 'ood school attendance is crucial toyour child!s progress.

National E ucation Welfare "oar '()S*%+n accordance with the Aducational #elfare %ct the

school has a duty to report any child who has missed24 days or more in one academic year to the (.A.#.?.The 9rincipal has no discretion in this.9arents/'uardians are now obliged by law to provide awritten e"planation on their child!s absence to theschool.

School o!ening an closing times+• 3.44 - &84pm *$unior and Senior nfants• 3.44 - 2&84pm * st - )th ;lass

Please note that Junior Infants will finish school

at 12 noon for the first two weeks of September. As we feel that by this time the children will beaccustomed to their new school surroundingsand will be ready for the longer day.

"rea, times &1uring the school day the children have two breaks 6• 4&84 6 4&+4 a.m. *%m SBs• 2&04 6 .44 p.m. *%m Bn

"oo,s+#e operate a ?ook Cental scheme in the school tokeep down costs and to minimise the number of booksto be bought by parents. Unfortunately this doesn!tcover all books especially in the $unior classes. % listof the books to be purchased will be posted to all


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families in $une along with notification of the School;alendar for the coming year.

School )niform+• 'rey pinafore / skirt / trousers• #ine Dumper• 'rey shirt. #ine tie• School Tracksuit *available in Shaws or :onica!s• 'rey or white polo shirt

Please ensure that all &our chil $s clothes areclearl& labelle - as this will !re ent greatconfusion es!eciall& for the Infant classes.

/ealth& *unches+#e have a very successful EHealthy Aating 9olicyF inour school and ask that children do not bring sweets,chocolate, crisps or fi==y drinks to school for lunch.9lease find enclosed a copy of the South AasternHealth ?oard!s 'uidelines for Healthy unches with a

few added suggestions that we find work for ourschool and develop good lifetime habits in ourchildren.

Gur school is a Nut Free school. #e ask that pupilsdo not bring nuts or food containing nuts to school forlunch, this includes 9eanut butter, (utella, etc. as weha e chil ren with a serious nut allerg& in theschool. #e cannot have nuts in school at an& timeincluding Halloween.

Rec&cling+Gur school has particular interest in caring for theenvironment and recycling. #e have received the'reen


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• no cartons or tinfoil in school please• all leftover food to be brought home for recycling.

%ssessment+Iour child!s teacher will continually make informalassessment throughout the year.


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• 1eveloping their oral language and e"pression.• Shar!ening their senses , especially seeing,

hearing and touching.• 1eveloping !h&sical co1or ination especially of

hand and fingers.• A"tending their concentration s!an and getting

them to listen attenti el& ....• earning through !la& 6 is the most enDoyable and

effective way.• 0o1o!erating with the teacher and other children.•

9erforming tas,s b& themsel es .• Wor,ing with others and sharing with them.• 'etting each child to acce!t the general or er-

which is necessary for the class and school to workwell.

"EFORE 2O)R 0/I*D S(%R(SIou should ensure that your child is as in e!en entas !ossible physically, emotionally and socially. f pupils can look after these areas they will feel secureand confident and settle in readily. t would helpgreatly if your child is able to-• "utton an unbutton a coat and hang it up.• )se the toilet without hel! and manage pants,

buttons.• %lso encourage !ersonal h&giene and

cleanliness. Iour child should know how to flush

the toilet and wash hands, without having to betold.• Use a tissue when necessary.• Share toys and playthings with others and Jtake

turns!.• (i & u! and put away playthings.• Cemain contentedly for a few hours in the home of

a relation, friend or neighbour. f children had this

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e"perience, then separation from parents whenthey start school will not cause any great an"iety.

•

Wear 34elcro$ shoes , $unior nfants cannotmanage laces.• Iour ;hild should already be able to manage

opening his/her own lunchbo".

Pre!aring for the "ig Da&The child!s first day at school is a day to remember forthe rest of his/her life.2ou can hel! to ma,e it a reall& ha!!& one.• (ell them about school beforehand, casually,

and talk about it as a happy place where there willbe a big welcome and they will meet new friends.

• Don$t use school or the teacher as a threat . E f you behave like that for teachershe!ll murder youF, though said light-heartedly canmake some children very apprehensive.

• Iour child will like to have the new uniform or

trac,suit an a new bag when school begins.These help them to identify more readily with theschool and other children.

• 9lease ensure that all items of School uniform arelabelled, including books and pencils.

Iour child!s books will be taken up on the first day of school and the teacher will hold on to them until suchtime as they are needed. This minimises books gettinglost. 9lease have your child warned of this fact5 incase they think they will never see their books again.%ll books/copies must be marked with your child!sname and readers must be covered. Iour child willonly feel important if he/she has something in theschool bag, so perhaps you could buy a copy orcolouring book which could be used at home.

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!he )ig $ay

0oming in...#hen you arrive at the classroom, be as casual as&ou can . He/she will meet the teacher and the otherchildren.

Hopefully, they will be absorbed in the newsurroundings. So having given assurance you will beback to collect him/her, wave goodbye and ma,e&our getawa& without ela&.

Going /ome• ?e sure to collect &our chil on time . ;hildren

can become very upset if they feel they areforgotten.• Keep out of view until they are released.• f at any time the collecting routine has to be

changed ensure you tell the child and the teacherthrough a note. Amergencies can also arise so aphone call to the school will ease an"iety.

/%ND*ING (/E )PSE( 0/I*Dn spite of the best effort of both teacher and parents

a small number of children will still become upset. f your child happens to be one of them don!t panic.9atience and perseverance can work wonders.

A Word of Advice• (rust the teacher . She is e"perienced and

resourceful and is used to coping with all kinds of starting-off problems.


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• (r& not to show an& outwar signs of &ourown istress. Sometimes the parents are more

upset than the child and are the main cause of his/her an"iety.• #hen you have reassured him/her, leave as fast as

possible. The teachers can distract and humourhim/her more easily when you are not around.

• ;heck back discreetly in a short while. Iou willinvariably find that calm has been restored.

• 2ou must be firm from the start. Aven if a childis upset you must insist that they stay. He/shemust never feel that he/she is winning thepsychological battle of wills.

%s (ime Goes On...• School begins at 3.44 am. To ease the child into

the school routine we have a policy where $uniornfants come in at 3.44 am and go home for the

first two weeks at 2.44pm *so no big lunch, Dust a

small snack at 4.84 . %fter the two weeks they gohome at .84 pm. 9lease make sure that yourchild is collected at .84.

• Get him'her into the habit of being in gootime for school from the beginning.

• ;hildren need plenty of rest after the effort ande"citement of a day at school. Iou should ensurethat they go to bed early and have a good night!ssleep.

• #hen he/she has settled in and hopefully, looksupon school as a Ehome from homeF, continue toshow interest in daily adventures. 'ive an ear if they want to tell you things - but don!t pester yourchild with uestions.

• :ind that you take some of his/her stories with apinch of salt.

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• f his/her progress is slow do not compare him/heradversely with other children while he/she is

listening. *oss of self1esteem can be er&amaging to chil ren.• ?e careful too about criticising teachers in the

child!s presence. Cemember that the teacher is theparent figure while at school and for the child!sown well-being it is important that he/she has agood positive image of teacher.

• This last caution applies to your child!s image of the school as well. S chool is alwa&s 5thegreatest6 1 whate er its faults.

• He/she is not going to be a model of perfection allthe time - thankfully. Iou should try to havepatience with his/her shortcomings and praise forhis/her achievements.

• ;hildren often EforgetF or relay messagesincorrectly, so !lease- chec, &our chil $s bageach night for notes.

• #e operate a Te"t-a-9arent messaging system.9lease make sure that we have your up to datemobile number for at least one parent so that youare assured of receiving all messages from'lenbeg (.S.

• n $une, you will receive a list outlining the booksand other bits and pieces your child will need forthe coming year.

SO#E I#POR(%N( %RE%S OF E%R*2 *E%RNINGDe elo!ing the 0omman of S!o,en *anguage

t is important that the child!s ability to talk is asadvanced as possible. t is through speech thatchildren communicate their thoughts and feelings,their needs and desires, curiosity and wonder. f theycannot e"press these in words they will tend to remainsilent and will often withdraw from the learning


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activity of the class. This can be the first sign of failurein the school system and must be remedied, if at all

possible. This is why a lot of attention is given tolanguage development in the first years of school.2ou 0an /el!....• Talk to your child naturally and casually about

things of interest that you or he/she may be doingat home, in the shop, in the car etc. Cememberthat all the time children are absorbing thelanguage they hear about them. t takes them awhile to make it their own and to use it for theirown needs.

• Try to make time to listen when they want to tellyou something that is important to him/her. ?utdon!t always make him/her the centre of attention.

• %nswer genuine uestions with patience and in anade uate way. %lways nurture her/his sense of curiosity and wonder.

• ntroduce her/him gently to the ideas of #hyL

HowL #henL #here/ fL etc. These demand moreadvanced language structures.• He/she will have his/her own particular favourite

stories that he/she never tires of hearing. Cepeatthem over and over again and gradually gethim/her to tell them to you.

&I#S! S! PS I" # A$I"G %bility to read is the foundation for all future progressin our school system. However, learning to read is agradual process and a lot of preparatory work must bedone before a child is introduced to their first reader.

#e very deliberately do not rush or push children intoreading. #e get them ready for it over an e"tendedperiod. Ceading is something to be enDoyed. t should

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never start as a chore for the small child.


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• :atching/Sorting - obDects of the samesi=e/colour/te"ture/shape etc.

• Gdd Gne Gut - difference in si=e/colour etc• Understanding of these concepts comes very

uickly for some children.


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school encourage them to use them at home. Use littlerish phrases or words now and again. ;hildren

are delighted to find out that their parents are intotheir new code as well. f they must learn rish, letthem enDoy it and master it to the best of their ability.Use the simple words 6 SlMn leat,


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Other %reas of the 0urriculum

;hildren in Dunior infants learn a lot through manyother activities, which do not need any elaborationhere. Their general developments are enhancedthrough %rt O ;raft, 9.A., :usic, (ature and throughCeligious Aducation. ;hildren!s moral and socialeducation is covered right through the school day e.g.kindness to others, sharing with them, saying we aresorry, being aware of 'od through the beauty of nature etc.

$o*s $on*ts1o be kind and helpful 1on!t hurt people!s feelings1o be gentle 1on!t hurt anyone1o isten 1on!t interrupt1o work hard 1on!t waste people!s time1o be honest 1on!t cover up the truth1o look after property 1on!t waste/damage things

Social s,ills are er& im!ortant.#e encourage good manners at all times,please/thank you, addressing teachers properly, beingcourteous to fellow students and teachers. t isimportant to ask your child whom he/she played withat school and to ensure he/she isn!t alone, alsoencourage mi"ing rather than being dependent on onefriend.

Rough beha iour is totall& iscourage in the!la&groun . Iou have already been given a copy of our School Cules and ;ode of ?ehaviour 9olicy.

P%R(ING (/O)G/(SWho is the "oss7?it by bit the child will get used to the generaldiscipline of the classroom. He/she will get tounderstand uickly that in certain important matters

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an instruction from the teacher must be obeyedpromptly

Eas& Does ItThere are lots of ideas and suggestions in this littlebook as to how you can help your child. #e are notadvocating that you do % of these with her/him in asystematic way. ?ut if you find from time to time thatshe/he enDoys a fun approach to certain aspects of learning then we would say - give it a go - butremember don!t overdo it.

Our /o!e#e are offering this 'uide to 9arents as a littlepractical help in dealing with the education of theirchildren at the very early stages. #e will be veryhappy if you dip into it from time to time and findsomething in it of value to you and your child.9lease read the nformation ?ooklet. t tells you allabout school life in 'lenbeg (.S. f there is somethingyou are not sure of or Dust don!t understand pleasecontact us.

5(8s #aith leath na hOibre6.

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glenbeg ns booklet for junior infants

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