Dangan NS Parent Newsletter

• 4th & 5th May - Monday & Tuesday - School Closed
• 8th May - Staff Training in the new Primary Curriculum Framework (Children not in school)
• 16th May - First Holy Communion
• 19th May - Staff Meeting (Children going home at 12pm)
• 23rd May - New Junior Infants Enrolment Coffee Morning 10am
• 25th May - School Tour Week (see below)
• 2nd June - Bank Holiday Monday (School Closed)

First Holy Communion – 1st Class Parents; We are looking for volunteers to help with preparation and on the day of the ceremony. Please fill in this form if you are able to help out https://forms.gle/vzhxedWkpqzDzBL79

All Parents - Closer to the time, we will be looking for donations of baked ot bought goods for the children to enjoy after the ceremony. All donations will be grately appreciated.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is preparing a new Statement of Strategy to cover the period 2027- 2030. The new strategy will serve as a framework for the NCSE’s work in the coming years, structured around its vision for a world-class inclusive education system for Ireland.

The National Parents Council (NPC) wants to hear from you about what NCSE’s future goals, objectives and actions should be.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/4vPuLUa00w -

Statement of Strategy of the NCSE

The feedback gathered will help inform the ongoing preparation of the new strategy to cover the period 2027- 2030. By sharing your views, you are helping to ensure that parents’ voices are heard and reflected in decisions about your children’s education.

Thank you so much to the Parents Association for our new outdoor kitchen built by the Men's Shed in Trim. We are looking to paint it and add a few things the children can play with. We are also going to build a few panels, like a big marble run, for the outdoor space too. If you have any of these materials that you'd be happy to donate to the school please let us know or send them in:

1. outdoor wood paint in bright colours (doesn't need to be a full tin)
2. paint brushes
3. wood screws and nails
4. hooks
5. pots and pans
6. a big box with lid for outdoor storage
7. Gutters

Thank you so much for helping us make play times special!

School Meals Update

Unfortunately, we are still awaiting an electrical upgrade from ESB, and at present, no specific timeframe has been given as to when these works will be completed. As a result, we have not yet been able to successfully roll out the school meals as planned.

We sincerely apologise for this delay and understand the inconvenience it may cause. Please be assured that this situation is outside of our control, and we will proceed as soon as the necessary works have been completed.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Unfortunately, the recent wet weather over the Easter period has stalled progress on the works. In addition, as heavy machinery is required to access the pitch, the project has had to be postponed for the time being.

For health and safety reasons, it is not possible to carry out the necessary excavation work while the children are present in school.

We appreciate your understanding and patience, and we will provide further updates as soon as works are able to resume.

The school will be conducting standardised testing next month, and we would like to encourage all children to ensure they are present on the designated testing dates so that they do not miss the tests.

It is important to note that these tests are just a snapshot of your child's academic progress. We value your child's overall growth and development, which is why we use various assessment methods throughout the year to gain a comprehensive understanding of their abilities. Standardised testing is just one component of this larger assessment process.

I would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. Kelly, all of the staff and the children on the Active Schools Committee for organising such an amazing Active Schools Week for the boys and girls here at Dangan. It was truly a fantastic experience and a wonderful way to kickstart the final term of the school year.

The week was packed with activity and fun from start to finish. On Monday, the children enjoyed rugby sessions with Katie from Navan RFC, along with station-style activities where the teachers led a variety of games that are firm favourites with the boys and girls. Tuesday brought Mix-It-Up Sports, an athletics-based session delivered in a fun and engaging way, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

On Wednesday, we welcomed Gráinne Kennedy Stage School, while Park Celtic led the classes in soccer on the astro—both of which were a big hit with all classes. Thursday was another very active day, with GAA sessions as well as more station-style activities led by teachers. In the afternoon, the much-anticipated staff versus Sixth Class dodgeball matches took place, which were hugely enjoyable and created a fantastic atmosphere, with all the boys and girls cheering enthusiastically for both teams!

We finished the week on a high with our annual Sports Day on Friday, including the ever-popular parents’ races in the afternoon. A sincere thank you to all the parents who were able to join us.

Active Schools Week was a huge success and really highlighted just how special our school is. The energy, enthusiasm, and participation from the boys and girls throughout the week was incredible, there truly aren’t many schools as active as Dangan during this special week!

It was also lovely to see the children engaging so positively with their Active Schools homework, bringing the spirit of the week beyond the classroom.

Well done to everyone involved for making it such a memorable and enjoyable week.

More photos and details of Active Schools Week can be found in the news section of the school website here.

As our final term is now under way and we keep our fingers crossed for being outdoors and having good weather, we would be very thankful for any donations of unwanted PE equipment i.e. footballs, goals, skipping ropes etc. that are still in great condition. Please contact the office if you have any donations.

Well done to our two basketball teams in their second match against Kildalkey! Although the matches didn’t go their way it was a great day out for everyone involved and both teams represented Dangan with pride! Well done everyone!

If your daughter would be interested in giving rugby a try then please complete this form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc121wU6v5uaAkaOcDRlbLvsq2We556dfBNl12tf8hrnMQr2g/viewform to confirm her attendance at this years Give It A Try training! Some of the girls seemed to really enjoy the rugby sessions during active schools week and we'd love to see them at the training in Navan!