Dangan NS Parent Newsletter

I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year, I hope that 2026 has been good to you so far. Please take a moment to read the following updates.

• Tuesday 13th January - Parents Assocaition Meeting at 8pm
• Sunday 1st February - Communion & Confirmation preparation Mass at Dangan Church at 11:30am
• Monday 2nd February - St Brigid's Day Bank Holiday (School Closed)
• Tuesday - Wednesday 3rd, 4th & 5th February - Parent Teacher Meetings J.Infants & 4th Class
• Tuesday 3rd February - Granparents Mass at 11:30am at Dangan Church
• Wednesday4th February - Grandparents Visit (Mrs Prendergast, Ms Walsh, Ms Forde and Ms Payne's Class)
• Friday 6th February - Staff Curriculum Training (School Closed)
• Sunday 8th February - Peace Proms at the RDS
• Tuesday 10th February - Ceremony of Light (6th Class) at Coole Church 6pm
• Wednesday 18th February - Staff Meeting (School Finishes at 12pm)
• Thursday and Friday 19th/20th February - February Mid Term (School closed)
• Wednesday 4th March - Confirmation at 12pm in Dangan Church (TIME CONFIRMED)

A sincere thank you was extended to everyone who supported our St Vincent de Paul collection, which took place during the Christmas plays. Together, an incredible €703.57 was raised for St Vincent de Paul, an amazing achievement!

These funds went towards supporting families in need within our parish during the Christmas season.

The next Parents Association Meeting will take place tomorrow evening (Tuesday 13th) at 8pm. All parents are welcome to attend.

While the enrolment date for Junior Infants has now passed, we currently have a limited number of spaces available for the coming school year. We would appreciate if parents could share this information with any families who may be considering enrolling their child in our school next year.

We are pleased to inform parents that following a tender process, The Lunch Bag has been awarded the contract to provide school meals. They are currently aiming to commence the school meals service in February. We will continue to keep parents updated as plans progress, and we are hopeful that by the February midterm the children will be enjoying hot meals in school, with the added bonus of one less job for parents in preparing lunches! If parents would like to read more about our hot meals supplier, The Lunch Bag website can be found here.

This term, four members of our staff will be trained as Rainbows facilitators, allowing us to introduce the Rainbows Programme at Dangan. Rainbows is a free, school-based peer support programme that supports children who are experiencing significant life changes such as bereavement, parental separation, or divorce.

The programme provides a safe and supportive space where children can share their feelings, build coping skills, and understand that they are not alone. Sessions take place in small, age-appropriate groups and are designed to gently support children’s emotional wellbeing. Further details will be shared with parents when we are in a position to roll out the programme.

We are delighted to share that Men’s Shed will be working on creating a mud kitchen and other interactive activities for the soft play area in Mrs Prendergast’s class. We know the boys and girls will thoroughly enjoy these new additions, which will greatly enhance their play and learning experiences. We sincerely appreciate Men’s Shed for giving their time, skills, and support to this wonderful project.

We are currently awaiting one final quote before we can proceed with the development of the walking path on the back pitch. While this process has taken a little longer than we would have liked, we are hopeful to move forward very soon. We know this path will be very welcome and beneficial for all the boys and girls, helping to keep everyone active and moving, even during muddy and wet weath

We have a very busy term ahead with a lot of extra curriculum activities beginning over the coming weeks.

• Swimming: 1st & 2nd Class pupils have begun their 8 week term of swimming lessons at the Aura in Trim next Thursday 16th Jan. Swimming is an important element of the PE Curriculum and the children always really enjoy these lessons together!

• Hurling and GAA: We hope to have GAA coaching commencing this term with Paul from Meath every Wedensday.

• Ukulele:Mrs. Prendergast's, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Mollison's students are continuing their ukulele lessons with Josephine every Tuesday this term. The boys and girls always have a big smile for Josie and seem to really enjoy these lessons!

• Peace Proms Workshop: The boys and girls involved in the Peace Proms choir are working hard in preparation for their big show happening on Sunday February 8th at the RDS Arena.
  

Our 5th class students are taking part in the ESB Science Blast in the RDS. The students are investigating, "Do brain breaks help us to focus?" They will organise and display their results at the RDS on Monday 2nd of March where they will get an opportunity to talk to other schools from around the country about their investigation. This promises to be a great day out where they will get to see and learn from their peers from all around Ireland.

This term we will be teaching the Stay Safe programme in all classes as part of our SPHE curriculum. The aim of the programme is to reduce vulnerability to child abuse and bullying. The programme aims to give children the skills necessary to enable them to recognise and resist abuse / victimisation and teaches them that they should always tell (an adult that can help them) about any situation which they find unsafe, upsetting, threatening, dangerous or abusive. Here is a link to the website if you would like further information on the programme: https://www.staysafe.ie/

Catholic Schools Week & Parish Mission – Staff Update

While Catholic Schools Week begins on Sunday 26th January, the school activities we usually run during that week will take place the following week instead. This change is to allow us to link in with the Parish Mission which will run from the weekend of 31st January to Tuesday 3rd February.

Sacramental Preparation

• Fr Martin has asked that our 2nd class and 6th Class children preparing for the sacrament of First Holy Communion and Confirmation to attend Mass on Sunday 1st February at 11:30 a.m.

Grandparents’ Day

• Grandparents’ Day Mass: We would like to extend an invitation to the Grandparents of all pupils from First to Sixth Class to join us for Mass on Tuesday 3rd February at 11:30am at Dangan Church . While we hope to see many Grandparents in attendance, we understand if this is not feasible for everyone. On this day, we will be honouring all Grandparents, including those who are no longer with us.

• The Junior Infant and Senior Infant Pupils are planning something special for their Grandparents also, we will follow up with more information very soon.

Pupils in 2nd Class who are due to receive their First Holy Communion in May are kindly reminded to submit their First Communion Enrolment forms to Fr. Martin at the end of any Sunday Mass throughout the month of January. Fr. Martin requests that all enrolment forms be submitted by Sunday, 1st February. If your child was baptised outside the Parish of Dangan, Ms Wall kindly asks that a copy of the Baptismal Certificate be sent to her as soon as possible.

In January and February, our primary focus has been on the core value of "Feeling Safe." Over the next month each class will actively engaged in discussions during morning circle activities, encouraging children to reflect on how we contribute to a sense of safety in school and what behaviours might compromise that feeling for others.

A reminder to parents that all school policies and procedures are available to view on the school website. A number of school policies were reviewed and updated at the Board of Management meeting held in November. Many thanks to the parents and staff who contributed their time and input to these updates. These can be accessed at the following link https://dangannationalschool.ie/policies/

How Parents Can Help Make

Every School Day Count: (Advice from Tusla)

• Establish a good routine in the mornings and evenings so your child is prepared for the school day ahead.
• Make sure your child goes to school regularly and follows the school rules.
• Ensure your child arrives at school on time – not late.
• Arrange dental and medical appointments outside school hours when possible.
• Always inform the school if your child is absent due to illness – this should be followed up with a written note when your child returns to school.
• Take truancy seriously – if your child is not attending school as you expect they may be putting themselves at risk – Who are they with? What are they doing?
• Take family holidays outside term time.
• Talk to your child about school and take an interest in their school work (including homework).
• Attend parent evenings and school events.
• Praise and reward your child’s achievements at school.
• Always support school staff in their efforts to control difficult or challenging behaviour.
• Discuss any problems or difficulties with the school – staff are there to help and will be supportive

For more information on our School Attendance Strategy - Please click on the following link https://dangannationalschool.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DNS-Attendance-Policy-updated-Nov-2025-1.pdf

Kindly find our contact information provided below. For the latest updates on your child and their class activities, we invite you to stay connected through our school website.

Email: office@dangannationalschool.ie
Website: www.dangannationalschool.ie
Location: Clonmahon, County Meath, A83 HN83, Ireland
Phone: 046 955 7332
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/School/Dangan-National-School-110400390786882/