Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
I hope you all had a lovely summer. As we are fast approaching our return to school, please find an update below with regards to access to our school, hot meals and Aladdin Connect among other things.
Access to the school
If you have passed the school over the summer, you will see that the largescale works have been ongoing. We are delighted to have a new Drop Off/Set Down area to the front of the school along with a new yard including a basketball court.
I have attached a two videos below to go through how access and exit will work on a daily basis. If you have any difficulty playing the videos, you can access them on the school bell on the school website here – https://goodcounselgns.ie/category/school-bell/.
Please note that BAM construction will have traffic management in place to facilitate the movement of traffic when the schools reopen.
Opening Times
School gates open; 9.00am
School Starts; 9.10am
Please note that supervision will not be provided before 9am.
Collection Times
Junior Infants; 12 noon for the first 7 school days.
Senior Infants; 1.45pm
1st and 2nd Class; 2.45pm
3rd to 6th Class; 2.50pm
What to bring to school
All books and copies will be provided here in the school. Your daughter may bring stationary to school but we will have some here available for the girls who need them as well.
Your daughter needs to bring;
A school bag
A small lunch box with a healthy snack for morning break
A drink (no fizzy drinks allowed)
New pupils
We are delighted to welcome the new pupils starting in our school this week and we hope that they enjoy many happy years with us here in Good Counsel. If your daughter is starting with us and is not in junior infants, please bring her to the gate on her first day and we will look after her from there!
Junior Infants
A gentle reminder to Junior Infant parents that the incoming junior infants will start school a little later @ 9.30am on their first day (Thursday). Ms. Hall will collected them from the yard at this time and bring them to their new classroom!
Hot Meals
We are delighted to have Mrs. Michelle Grant on board as the Hot Meals Operative for Fresh Today. Hot Meals will be provided to all pupils throughout the year starting on Thursday. Login information has been sent out by Tracey our Secretary at the end of the last school year. If you need to get your login details, please contact Tracey here in the office via email or phone – secretary.ferrybankgns@gmail.com or (051) 832984
Please note that you need to have your options selected for Hot Meals by Thursday @ 5.00pm for the following school week. If you have yet to make any selections, your daughter will receive the default meal which is chicken curry and rice.
The girls on their first day of school will be provided with a lunch box for their hot meal. When they finish their meal in school, they will put whatever is left over in their lunch box and bring it home. Parents will be able to see what they have eaten from what is left in the lunchbox. Please ensure that your daughter’s lunchbox is empty and clean and that she brings it to school the following day and every other school day.
Aladdin Connect
We have begun using Aladdin Connect in Good Counsel this year. Aladdin Connect is a school software that enables the school to communicate with parents and families. Some of the features include the noticeboard where we will send out notes and general information, online payments, absence reasons, homework, permissions, report cards etc. We will send out further information regarding Aladdin Connect and how to use it throughout the year.
Login details have been sent out via email and many parents and families have logged in. If you have yet to do this, you are kindly asked to login as we will be communicating via Aladdin Connect going forward. This also means that notes will no longer be sent home with the girls but will be sent directly to you via Aladdin Connect.
Uniform
The Good Counsel uniform consists of;
Royal blue tunic or skirt
Yellow blouse
Royal blue jumper
School tie
White/Navy socks or tights (no leggings are allowed)
Flat shoes
P.E. Gear (on P.E. days only which will be given by the class teacher)
Blue Tracksuit
Yellow polo shirt
Rubber soled runners
Pupils are expected to be neatly presented at all times. Please ensure that your daughter is wearing the correct uniform coming to school.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday,
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
