Dangan NS Parent Newsletter

• 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)
• 1st June - Bank Holiday Monday (School Closed)

The Parents Association is kindly seeking donations of food for the Second Class Holy Communion, which is taking place next Saturday, 16th May, at 11 a.m.

Food can be dropped into the school on Friday or on Saturday morning before the Communion from 10 a.m. onwards. Any of the following items would be greatly appreciated:

• Food for adults: Baked or Bought Goodies (cakes, buns etc.)
• Food for children: sweets, and jellies.

All donations will be grately appreciated.

This year, our school has made great progress with the Agree to Agree Project through ongoing consultation with parents, pupils, and staff, as well as attendance at a number of mentor meetings hosted by Navan Education Centre throughout the year.

We are now in the process of developing our Agree to Agree Internet Use and Device Agreement to help support the safe and responsible use of digital technologies within our school community.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Maureen Griffin to the school on Thursday, 21st May, to see how the process is progressing and to provide us with her invaluable insights and guidance. Many thanks to our parents, pupils, and staff for their valuable contributions and support so far.

"Supporting Your Child to Build Healthy Friendships and Relationships," an informative session designed to equip you with the tools and insights necessary to guide your child through the complexities of friendships and social interactions.

Event Details:

• Dates: Monday, 11th May to Friday, 15th May
• Location: Online via Zoom
• Cost: Free

Session Highlights:

• Understand what makes a healthy friendship and why it's important.
• Learn to identify signs of unhealthy relationships to better guide your child.
• Gain practical communication strategies that your child can use.
• Discover ways to foster positive social skills in your child from an early age.

To Register: click on the link below and choose the session that best fits your schedule.

School tour information has now been issued, and payment can be made online. The children are very excited and are really looking forward to the tours. If you are already aware that your child will not be attending, we would be grateful if you could please let us know at your earliest convenience.

I am pleased to announce that Lunch Bag will begin providing cold meal options for children from Monday 18th May.

The official launch day will take place this coming Wednesday. From Wednesday onwards, the lunch bag will provide information on how to sign up and register your child to avail of the daily cold lunch options will be made available to all families.

As the current grant approval is specifically for hot school meals, cold meal options have not been approved as a long-term arrangement. However, we have received approval to provide a cold meal option in the short term. Hot School Meals will hopefully be up and running in the new school year.

We are still in search of the following materials for our new outdoor kitchen...

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 (short cut offs)

If you have any of the above materials and would be happy to donate to the school please let us know or send them in. Thank you so much for helping us make play times special!

In an effort to give you the parents a glimpse into the teaching and learning happening across the classes here at Dangan, each newsletter will feature one class and share some of the activities, skills, and ideas being explored in that specific classroom. Of course, you can see whats happening in your childs class on our school website here. Just click on the classes tab and selcet your child's class.

In First Class, Ms Hargadon and the boys and girls have been developing their STEAM skills through Lego lessons. They explored functional elements and building ramps, while learning about concepts such as energy, forces, and gravity. All of this is taught through the playful themes and stories of the Lego League lessons. Our Lego resources were purchased through the successful awarding of the META Grant in 2024, and they are now used annually by all classes.

Well done to the boys and girls on their fantastic effort in the Peader Lehane competition. Our first outing was away to Kildalkey where both sides tried their best but ultimately faced much stronger opposition. Today the students played Boardsmill NS which was a much more even contest. Both Dangan teams played a brilliant second half and showed excellent grit and determination! Well done to everyone on the determination and energy they have shown over the previous few weeks. And a big thanks to all our parents who came and supported our wonderful teams!

Data published by Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) shows that one in five children in primary and post-primary school are missing a month or more of their school year. The 2023/24 report indicates that while non-attendance is decreasing it is still significantly greater than pre-pandemic levels.

Our Statement of Attendance Strategy reflects the school’s strong commitment to encouraging regular attendance as an important part of our ethos and policy. Good attendance helps children to become fully involved in all aspects of school life, and we encourage both parents and pupils to give attendance a high priority. Please find our School Attendance Strategy here on the school website.

Thank you for all your continued support for our Lotto Fundraiser. This fundraising initiative has enabled us to purchase our two sensory pods, which have proved to be an invaluable resource for the boys and girls in our school. If you are registered with the lotto, you are in with a chance to win the amazing prizes below on May 21st.