Dangan NS Parent Newsletter

• 25th May - School Tour Week (see below)
• 1st June - Bank Holiday Monday (School Closed)
• 4th June - Dangan Student Fun Day!
• 17th June - 6th Class Graduation
• 19th June - Summer Holidays begin at 12pm (Infants & Siblings & Bus Kids -11:45am)

It’s that time again — our PA Meeting is just around the corner, and we’d love to see you there!

Gentle Reminder: We kindly ask that one Class Rep from each class attends — your presence really helps keep everything running smoothly.

Everyone Welcome: Curious about what’s coming up next year? This is the perfect chance to get a sneak peek at plans for 2026/27.

A special shout‑out to 1st and 5th Class parents — your input is especially valuable as we prepare for your big celebrations.

We’re looking forward to a seeing you there— the kettle will be on.

Supporting Your Primary School Child to Build Healthy Friendships and Relationships.

What to Expect: You’ll learn practical strategies for developing your child’s communication skills and insights to foster meaningful conversations, helping to build their confidence and resilience in relationships.

Choose a time to suit you: Session Dates and Times:

• Monday 25th May - 10am & 7.30pm

• Tuesday 26th May - 10am & 7.30pm

• Wednesday 27th May - 10am & 7.30pm

• Thursday 28th May - 10am & 7.30pm

• Friday 29th May - 10am

How to Join: All sessions are virtually via Zoom, and details will be provided upon registration.

To register click this link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/hKFyaEyjKT

Congratulations to our Second Class pupils who made their First Holy Communion on Saturday. It was a truly special occasion, and the children did themselves and the school proud. Ms. Wall was delighted with how well the boys and girls participated, all the preparations paid off!

A sincere thanks to Ms. Wall for her dedication and the effort she put into preparing the children for this important sacrament, she has worked tirelessly with the children to ensure that every child felt prepared and ready for recieiving this sacrament. We're also very grateful to Fr. Martin, and to everyone whose support contributed to the success of the day. Thanks to Jane and the choir members who made the occasion even more special with their lovely music.

Finally, a big shout-out to the 1st Class parents and members of the Parents Association who gave so much of their time and effort to make the Communion celebrations so special. Thank you also for the incredible work that went into baking the beautiful treats and preparing the hall and school for the class celebrations following Saturday’s First Holy Communion.

Your time, dedication, and attention to detail helped make the day truly memorable for all the children and their families.

Our Annual Student Fun Day has become one of the highlights of the school year at Dangan N.S., and we are delighted to continue this wonderful sixth-class-led initiative again this year. Over the past three years, the boys and girls have given such positive feedback about the day, which has been lovely to receive.

Children come to school as normal on Thursday, 4th June. The day begins in their own classroom before they move from room to room every 30–40 minutes, taking part in a variety of fun activities organised and supervised by teachers and led by our sixth-class pupils. Activities include face painting, Kahoot quizzes, target throwing, a jumble sale, and much more. It is always a fantastic day filled with fun, laughter, and teamwork throughout the school.

As part of the day, we will also hold a jumble sale, and we would greatly appreciate any donations from home. Items such as fancy dress costumes, books, clean teddies, jigsaw puzzles, board games, and toys in good condition (with no missing pieces) would be very welcome. Donations can be sent into school from this Friday onwards.

We are very much looking forward to another memorable Fun Day for all the children!

A huge thank you to our talented mammy, Gemma, who runs her company DEER Creations, for designing the wonderful 6th Class hoodies.

The children absolutely love them, especially the addition of each child’s signature on the back. It is such a special keepsake that they will treasure long after they finish their time at Dangan.

Thank you for creating something so meaningful and memorable for them all.

Last Saturday morning, we were delighted to welcome our new Junior Infant pupils and their parents to Dangan N.S. for our Enrolment Morning. It was a wonderful opportunity for the boys and girls to visit their new classroom, meet their teacher, Ms. Ford, and spend time playing and getting to know one another before starting school in September.

While the children explored and played, parents enjoyed a cup of tea in the hall and heard all about life in Dangan N.S. It was such a warm and positive morning, and we are already looking forward to welcoming the boys and girls back to officially begin school with us on 26th August.

A special word of thanks to all of our staff who gave up their Saturday morning to come and meet our new pupils and parents. Thank you also to our Parents Association for speaking to families about the fantastic work they do within the school community and for providing refreshments on the morning.

Finally, sincere thanks to the pupils of Dangan N.S. who came in on Saturday morning to give tours of the school and help welcome our new pupils and parents. So many parents commented on how warm, friendly, and welcoming our pupils were, which was wonderful to hear. The positive feedback came as no surprise to us, as we are very fortunate to have such kind, caring, and wonderful children in Dangan N.S.

The cold lunches being offered for this final month is a short term measure. I can assure you that there will be a much greater variety on offer when children are selecting meals from the hot meals menu in September. I am confident that the nutrional profile of the meals will be also be higher...if you would prefer your child not to recieve a cold lunch option at this time, please select this option on the app. Many thanks.

As part of this review, the Department is seeking the views and experiences of students, parents/guardians and school staff across primary and post-primary schools. Your school’s participation is important in ensuring that the policy reflects the lived realities of school communities and supports positive wellbeing outcomes.

We are therefore requesting your assistance in circulating an online survey to the following groups within your school community:

Students: Click here to complete the student survey

Parents / Guardians: Click here to complete the parent/guardian survey

School staff: Click here to complete the school staff survey

General Public: Click here to complete the survey

The survey has been designed with accessibility in mind, and you can change how things look or sound to make them easier to use. Accessible options include Easy read (student only), Irish Sign Language, Read Aloud, Theme Contrast, and up to 10 separate languages (English, Polish, Ukrainian, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, Irish, Simplified Chinese, Lithuanian, Romanian & French) .

The survey is designed to gather feedback on current wellbeing practices, identify strengths and challenges, and inform future policy development. All responses will be treated in confidence and used solely for the purposes of the policy review. Surveys are open until 2 June 2026

We would appreciate it if schools could support engagement by sharing the survey link through existing communication channels, such as school email systems, newsletters, school websites or other appropriate platforms.

The Department recognises the significant work already being undertaken by schools to promote wellbeing and greatly values the time and perspectives of school communities. Your cooperation will make a meaningful contribution to shaping the future direction of wellbeing policy in education.

If you have any queries in relation to this survey or the policy review, please contact wellbeing_policy@education.gov.ie

Congratulations to all of our Dangan N.S. pupils who took part in GK Stage School’s production, A Sky Full of Stars, over the weekend. It was wonderful to see such a huge number of Dangan pupils participating in the shows and performing with such confidence, energy, and enthusiasm.

The performances were outstanding from start to finish, and every one of the boys and girls involved should be incredibly proud of themselves. A special well done also to Gráinne and all of her team involved for putting together such a wonderful production!

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.

As part of our PE Curriculum this month, both 2nd and 4th Class have been developing their orienteering and outdoor adventure skills through a variety of fun and engaging activities. These lessons encourage teamwork, communication, problem-solving, map-reading and physical activity, while also helping pupils build confidence in navigating their environment.

4th Class have been thoroughly enjoying the Outdoor and Adventure Activities strand in PE. Recently, the children focused on map reading and directions during an exciting orienteering activity around the school grounds. Pupils worked together to follow clues, use directional language and navigate different checkpoints around the school, all while developing their observation and teamwork skills.

Meanwhile, 2nd Class have also been embracing the Outdoor & Adventure Activities strand this month, and they focused on the fundamental skill of walking. The class kicked things off with a scavenger hunt and a range of fun walking activities, encouraging the children to explore their surroundings while practising movement, listening and cooperation skills. The pupils are looking forward to taking part in many more enjoyable outdoor activities throughout the final weeks of school!

Best of luck to our Girls Camogie Team as they take on Boyerstown in the Cumann na mBunscol Division 3 Final! 🏑

Throw-in is at 12pm in Kiltale Pitch. Wishing every girl on the panel and their coach, Ms Fitzgerald, the very best for the semifinal, go out and enjoy every minute! 💙💛

Well done to Brazil, who were the eventual winners of our Minor World Cup today. After a total of 15 games throughout the competition, they came out on top and went through the competition undefeated. Hard luck to Belgium, who narrowly lost the final on a scoreline of 2–1. Earlier today, they had a fantastic victory in the semi-final over Australia. A big thanks to all our helpers and organisers, in particular to our Active Reps and Aoife for their commitment from the very beginning. Next up is the Senior World Cup, which will commence on Wednesday.

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.