It has been wonderful to welcome everyone back to South Lee for another school year.

This year marks a particularly special milestone for our school as, for the first time, we have children right the way from Junior Infants to 6th Class – a full school community and another exciting step in South Lee’s journey.

It has certainly been a busy start! Across the school, children have been reconnecting with familiar faces, building new friendships, getting to know new teachers and staff, and finding their way back into the rhythms and routines of school. For some children, that transition happens quickly, while for others it takes a little more time, reassurance and support. We are very proud of the many different ways our children have navigated these first few weeks.

A huge thank you to our staff for the care, patience and thought they have put into supporting each child as an individual, and to our parents and carers for working alongside us as everyone settles into the new year.

There is a real sense of life and energy around South Lee again, and we are looking forward to all the learning, friendships, experiences and memories that the year ahead will bring.

Visiting Secondary School

This year brings another exciting first for South Lee as our very first 6th Class begins preparing for the move to secondary school. Over the past few weeks, we have been delighted to welcome representatives from a number of local secondary schools to meet with the children, tell them about their schools and answer their questions.

Choosing a secondary school is a big step, and we want our pupils and families to feel informed and supported as they consider the different options available to them. These visits give the children an opportunity to hear about different schools, ask questions and begin thinking about what might suit them best.

As the year progresses, we will continue to support our 6th Class with this transition, both practically and emotionally. Moving on from primary school can bring a mixture of excitement, curiosity and uncertainty, and we will be here to support the children and their families in whatever way we can as they take this next big step.

We hope our 5ht & 6th Class students enjoy visiting the many Open Days taking place this week and next, and that these visits help them get a feel for the different schools and the opportunities available to them.

Please note the updated School Calendar

New Primary Curriculum – School Closures

The following school closures are to facilitate staff training in the New Primary Curriculum:

2nd November
22nd January
25th May

There will be one further closure for this training during the school year. The date has not yet been confirmed, and we will let families know as soon as this has been finalised.

Updated school-calendar-2026-2027.xlsx - 2026-2027 School Calendar.pdf

South Lee has places!

Please Spread the Word!

Enrolment at South Lee

We would be very grateful if you could help us spread the word about South Lee by sharing our enrolment poster in your workplace or with family and friends. We currently have places available in most classes and, as a developing school, growing our enrolment helps us to retain our teaching staff and continue building our school community.

We are holding an Open Day on Friday 25th from 9.00–10.00am for families of children starting Junior Infants in the 2027/28 school year. We would love to welcome prospective families to come along, meet us and see our school.

Admissions for Junior Infants and our Autism Classes for 2027/28 open on 1st October.

Applications for places in our other classes can be made throughout the school year, and places may be offered where there is availability.

Every share really does help – thank you for supporting and helping to grow our South Lee community!

Child Safeguarding Statement – Parent/Guardian Review

The safety, wellbeing and protection of every child in South Lee is at the heart of everything we do. Our Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment sets out the measures and procedures we have in place to safeguard children, identify potential risks and respond appropriately to child protection or welfare concerns.

As part of our review process, we are inviting parents and guardians to share their views. Your feedback is an important part of helping us reflect on our safeguarding practices and identify any areas that may need further consideration.

We have included a copy of our current Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment, along with a short Parent/Guardian Review Form. We would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to review the statement and complete the form, it will only take a few minutes.

We have also included a link to the Department of Education's information for parents and guardians on child protection in schools for anyone who would like to learn more.

Thank you for working with us to ensure that South Lee continues to be a safe, supportive and welcoming school for all of our children.

open_in_new

After School Clubs

It is wonderful to see Clubs up and running again. The newsletter is here in case you haven't had a chance to sign up.

PGA

Parent & Guardian Association

Our wonderful PGA held their AGM last week, marking the beginning of another year of bringing families together and supporting our school community.

A very special thank you goes to Caroline Davitt, who has served as Chairperson over the past number of years. Caroline has been a wonderful support to South Lee, giving so generously of her time and energy to organise community events, support school activities and fundraising, and help build the strong sense of community we are so fortunate to have. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has contributed.

We would also like to sincerely thank all of our outgoing and continuing PGA volunteers for the many hours they have given to the school. So much of the work of a PGA happens quietly in the background, and we are very appreciative of everyone who has played a part.

Our new Class Reps have now been appointed – welcome, and thank you for volunteering! The PGA committee will be formally elected in the coming weeks and the new committee will introduce themselves once this process is complete. There is still an opportunity to get involved, so if you have been considering putting yourself forward, please do!

And remember, the PGA is for all parents and guardians. You don't need to hold a committee position to get involved, volunteer at an event or bring an idea forward. Your Class Rep is also there to help bring ideas and suggestions from your class community to the wider PGA.

At its heart, the PGA is about strengthening the partnership between home and school, creating opportunities for our families to connect, supporting school initiatives and, most importantly, helping to build the warm and inclusive community we want for all our children.

The first PGA event of the year will be our Sponsored Walk on Sunday, 25th October – more details to follow soon but please save the date!

New parents, please let us know if you have not connected with your parent group as yet and we will try and organise to swap your details with the relevant groups!

Research Survey....seeking participants

A team led by Aoife Neary, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University College Cork (UCC) has been commissioned by the Ombudsman for Children's Office to conduct a project entitled CLEAR: LGBTQ+ Children's Equality and Rights. This research explores how well the rights of LGBTQ+ children and young people under 18 in Ireland are being met under the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child. This study has ethical approval from UCC Social Research Ethics Committee.

They know from recent research with primary school staff in Ireland that some children are aware and/or open that they are LGBTQ+ whilst in primary school. They have asked us to circulate the attached flyer to parents/guardians and staff in your school community.

As you will see from the flyer attached, it is a call out for parent/guardian participation in a one-hour interview or a short three question survey.

If interested in participating in an interview, parents/guardians are invited to contact the team directly at theclearproject@ucc.ie.

If parents/guardians choose instead to take the survey, all information and consent/assent forms are embedded at the survey link.

This research is a unique, high level opportunity to have the voices of LGBTQ+ children and young people and their parents/guardians heard nationally through the Ombudsman for Children's Office.

Thank you in advance for any time and support you are in a position to give to this.

Upcoming Industrial Action

Parents and guardians may be aware of planned industrial action across the public service in the coming weeks, including action involving staff working in schools.

Following ballots of their members, Fórsa industrial action is due to begin on 30 September, while INTO members in primary and special schools will begin a work to rule from 5 October. The action forms part of a wider public-service campaign relating to pay and working conditions.

During the initial work-to-rule period, staff will continue to carry out their normal contracted duties, but some additional duties and activities outside of contracted hours may be affected.

We know how committed our staff are to the children in South Lee and to our school community. We also recognise and respect the right of staff to follow the directions of their respective unions during this period.

A national day of strike action is also currently proposed for Wednesday, 14 October. We will communicate directly with families once we have confirmed information about what this will mean for our school.

We appreciate that industrial action can create uncertainty for families and thank you for your understanding. We will keep parents and guardians informed of any developments that directly affect the school day, children or school activities.

One Day Together

ETHICAL EDUCATION MATTERS

One Community. One Movement. One Day Together.

At Educate Together, we believe a great education is about more than results. While Ireland's recent PISA performance is rightly a source of pride, our true measure of success is whether every child feels safe, valued and able to participate fully in school life. That's why we're inviting you to join One Day Together – a nationwide celebration of equality-based education and a vital fundraiser for our work across 118 schools.

South Lee will mark this event on: Friday, 23rd October 2026.

You can also support and share the official campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/one-day-together-2026.

Best of Luck to our South Lee Footballers!

Sciath na Scol

Best of luck to our very first South Lee Sciath na Scol football teams, who are taking to the pitch for their first ever football matches today! They have a busy week ahead, with a number of matches taking place over the coming days.

A huge thank you to Marian for all the work that has gone into getting our teams up and running – organising fixtures, supporting the children and making sure everyone is kitted out and ready to represent South Lee.

We are so proud of all our players and hope they enjoy every minute of this South Lee first!

South Lee Abú! 💚🏐

South Lee Newsletter

22/09/2025

Visiting Secondary School

Please note the updated School Calendar

New Primary Curriculum – School Closures

Updated school-calendar-2026-2027.xlsx - 2026-2027 School Calendar.pdf

South Lee has places!

Please Spread the Word!

Child Safeguarding Statement – Parent/Guardian Review

South Lee ETNS Policies

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/policy-information/child-protection-in-schools-information-for-parents-and-guardians/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

After School Clubs

Clubs

PGA

Parent & Guardian Association

Research Survey....seeking participants

Upcoming Industrial Action

One Day Together

Best of Luck to our South Lee Footballers!

Sciath na Scol

Visiting Secondary School

Please note the updated School Calendar Please note the updated School Calendar

New Primary Curriculum – School Closures

South Lee has places! South Lee has places!

Please Spread the Word!

Child Safeguarding Statement – Parent/Guardian Review Child Safeguarding Statement – Parent/Guardian Review

After School Clubs

PGA PGA

Parent & Guardian Association

Research Survey....seeking participants Research Survey....seeking participants

Upcoming Industrial Action Upcoming Industrial Action

One Day Together One Day Together

Best of Luck to our South Lee Footballers! Best of Luck to our South Lee Footballers!

Sciath na Scol

Please note the updated School Calendar

South Lee has places!

Child Safeguarding Statement – Parent/Guardian Review

PGA

Research Survey....seeking participants

Upcoming Industrial Action

One Day Together

Best of Luck to our South Lee Footballers!