It has been a very busy start to Term 2 here at South Lee.

As we settle back into routines after the winter break, this newsletter brings together a few updates and reminders on topics of interest, rather than sending multiple separate emails.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and cooperation. We’re looking forward to the term ahead, it is going to be a busy one as we continue all the wonderful learning, activities and events it will bring, in particular as we prepare for our first whole school show which will take place on the evening of the 23rd & 24th March. We will be reaching out for help and support with this in the coming weeks. This is our first big show and it is a big undertaking, we look forward to collaborating with you on it.

School attendance and punctuality is correlated with better learning outcomes and a stronger sense of community and happiness for children in school.

Below is an explainer that outlines processes and terminology around attendance and punctuality for families - please read for detailed information.
There are two mandated reporting mechanisms for attendance where attendance is reported to TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency.
I will be submitting the mandated School Attendance Report that is due in January for the September to December period (see the explainer for more details).
I wanted to ensure that you are familiar with this process ahead of this submission. The reports are not something to be concerned about in themselves. While attendance is hugely important there are also very valid reasons for children to miss school and this is understood.
If we are concerned about attendance we will reach out to you.
Please ensure to inform the school of absences and submit a reason for the absence on Aladdin.
We would like to remind families of the importance of punctuality. Arriving on time helps children to settle into their day calmly, avoids disruption to learning, and supports positive routines and wellbeing. We appreciate your support in ensuring that children arrive at school on time each morning. Please note that we record minutes late on Aladdin.
Read the full explainer below for more details.

School Office Hours & Aladdin

We would like to gently remind parents and guardian(s) to please use Aladdin Attendance Notes to notify the school of any student absences, late arrivals or early collections.

At present, many of these messages are coming through the school office email or by phone, which can make it difficult to track and share the information efficiently. Using Aladdin allows all attendance information to be stored in one central place. We monitor this system each morning and notify teachers accordingly, and teachers also have direct access to this information when taking attendance. This greatly supports accurate record-keeping and smooth communication during the school day.

We would also like to clarify school office hours. The school office phone and email are monitored each morning when Yvonne is in school from 8.30am to 12.00pm. We do our best to check messages/answer phones and emails outside of these hours where possible; however, during the remainder of the school day this is not always possible.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Every School Day is a New Day

On 12th December, the school was closed to facilitate mandatory staff training on the updated Child Protection Procedures (2025). This training is a legal requirement for all schools and ensures that we are fully up to date with our responsibilities in safeguarding children.

As part of this work, schools have a mandated responsibility to report certain concerns to Tusla (Child and Family Agency). We understand that the idea of a report to Tusla can sound worrying, so we want to take this opportunity to explain what this means in practice.

Reporting to Tusla is not about blame or punishment. It is a protective and supportive process, designed to ensure that children and families receive help at the right time. In many cases, reports lead to advice, guidance, or additional supports for families rather than any formal intervention.

Schools are required by law to pass on concerns when specific thresholds are met; even when we do not have all the answers. This responsibility helps ensure that concerns are assessed by the appropriate professionals, rather than being held by schools alone.

Below is a short explainer outlining when, how, and why schools make reports to Tusla, to help demystify the process and support shared understanding.

Safeguarding children is a shared responsibility, and we value open, transparent communication with families around this important work.

The Newsletter with Clubs for Term 2 was released on the Friday of the Winter Break. For anyone who may have missed it, I am including it here again. Please contact the club providers directly for more information.

We would like to gently remind parents of our agreed mobility plan, which is a requirement of the college campus to meet health and safety standards.

The college has recently contacted us to express concerns about safety on the campus and the increasing pressure on limited parking spaces for staff.

We encourage you to park and stride to avoid entering the campus. However, If this is not possible, and in the interest of safety and to ensure the smooth running of the campus please note:

There is no parent parking in or around the school at morning drop-off time.
The limited spaces close to the school are strictly reserved for school staff. When these are used by parents, it results in our staff having to park in College staff spaces, which creates further difficulties across the campus.
If you need to park, please use the lower car park beyond the crèche only and walk your child to the school gate.
A “drop and go” one-way system is in place.
If you enter the college grounds to drop off, you must exit via the lower gate past the crèche onto Tramore Road. Reversing and turning is not allowed as it is dangerous for children arriving and causes congestion on the driveway.
Please drive slowly and carefully when entering the college gates and while driving through the campus.
We have received concerns about cars travelling too fast down the driveway and through the grounds. This is a shared campus used by crèche children, primary school pupils, third-level students and staff, and everyone’s safety depends on considerate driving.

At collection time, we are increasingly concerned about the risks created by congestion, multiple cars reversing into areas where children are walking or being collected. These situations place children and adults at unnecessary risk.

We are asking for everyone’s cooperation in following the mobility plan carefully. These arrangements are in place to protect the safety of all members of our school and campus community, and to prevent an accident before one happens.

Thank you, as always, for your understanding and support.

We are so delighted to share that work has begun on a new outdoor soft play area at the rear of the school. Every new play area makes a meaningful difference, and we are very excited to see it taking shape.

As a developing school that has experienced significant growth and change while in temporary accommodation, we are constantly adapting, evolving and reflecting on how we can continue to improve the school experience for our students. We are working in the background to ensure the lovely ideas generated by our Student Council, past and present, come to life - we have ordered new yard equipment and look forward to its arrival, which will allow us to begin creating new yard layouts to further enhance play opportunities and the overall yard experience for our students.

All of this was made possible through your generous donations last year. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and for helping us to create richer, more engaging play spaces for our children.

Swimming

Aoife's and Marian's Classes are well into their swimming block.

Swimming for 2nd, 3rd & 4th Class begins on the 26th February and runs for 4 weeks! Please check the Aladdin app for permissions and payments.

Upcoming School Holidays

Bank Holiday on Monday 2nd February - School Closed
Mid Term Break on 19th & 20th February - School Closed

Yoga

Junior Infants, Senior Infants, First Class and Marian & Aoife's class (once they finish up with swimming) have all started yoga for this term. Thank you to Karen for creating such a fun and safe environment to learn about our feelings as part of our Wellbeing Curriculum. Please check Aladdin Payments to settle your yoga fee. Thank you!

Change of Date for Book Bonanza / World Book Day 2026

We would like to let parents know about a small change to the school events calendar that was shared at the start of the year.

Our Book Bonanza Day, which was originally scheduled for Friday 6th March, will now take place on Friday 24th April 2026. This change is due to the very busy period of preparations for our Matilda school production in March, and we feel April will be a more practical and enjoyable time to hold this event.

The official World Book Day date is 23rd April, we will mark it with all classes on Friday 24th April 2026.

As part of our efforts to balance fun school events with the practical realities for families, we are also trying to stagger dress-up days so that they take place every second year. This is to give parents a break from the demands of costume-making and to ensure that our engagement with book culture goes beyond a single day, focusing instead on reading, storytelling and a love of books throughout the year.

More details about Book Bonanza / World Book Day will be shared closer to the time.

Parents & Guardians Newsletter

January 2026

Attendance and Punctuality Explainer for Families.pdf

School Office Hours & Aladdin

Child Protection Explainer for Families (1).pdf

After Schools Clubs

Swimming

Upcoming School Holidays

Yoga

Change of Date for Book Bonanza / World Book Day 2026

Term 2 Term 2

🟩 Attendance & Punctuality Explainer 🟩 Attendance & Punctuality Explainer

School Office Hours & Aladdin

🟩 Child Protection 🟩 Child Protection

Clubs Clubs

School Mobility Plan and Parking Arrangements School Mobility Plan and Parking Arrangements

Yard Yard

School Closed Monday 2nd Feb and 19th & 20th Feb School Closed Monday 2nd Feb and 19th & 20th Feb

Swimming

Upcoming School Holidays

Yoga

Change of Date for Book Bonanza / World Book Day 2026