Good afternoon to all members of the Ballinteer ETNS community!
It has been another busy week in the school and there is even more to follow next week.
New Student Council
The pupils of 1st to 6th class recently elected their new Student Council for 2023-2024. At this week’s assembly, we presented our new representatives with their pins of office. We look forward to the council using their voices in the year ahead to advocate for their classmates with a view to improving our school.
Say cheese!
Massive thanks and well done to our PTA volunteers and photographers who coordinated taking photos of almost every single child in the school on Thursday. Thanks to the outstanding organisation skills, patience and good nature of our volunteers, this herculean task was managed with the minimum of interruption to our regular learning activities. Thanks to all involved.
PTA AGM upcoming – get involved!
All parents in our school are automatically members of the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The PTA will be holding its annual general meeting on Monday, 16th October at 7:30pm in the school hall. I would encourage as many parents and guardians as possible to attend. We will have a guest speaker before the meeting’s official business begins to discuss effective communication and boundaries in parenting, both of which enable the healthy growth of self-esteem.
After the talk, the PTA will be voting on its revised constitution (to be shared by email early next week) and to elect new members to its committee. The committee has an important role to play in the governance and management of the PTA but we also need as many parents as possible to be involved in sharing ideas and time to improve our school. Parental involvement can take many roles such as: supporting your child’s class teacher by sharing your expertise, organising coffee mornings or intercultural events, arranging guest speakers, policy review with the school management, fundraising activities, and more!
The school would really appreciate your attendance on the night. The PTA belongs to everyone and the more voices we can hear from, the more ideas we can generate and the more action we can achieve.
Updated Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment
The Board of Management completed its mandatory review of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment at its last meeting on the 27th of September last. This document can be found at the noticeboard at the school reception and it is also available at this link. On Monday, a hard copy will be provided to every member of the school staff for ease of reference. This annual process is a requirement under the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023).
Health and Safety Audit (October 2023)
The school’s annual Health and Safety Audit was conducted by me, the Chair of the Board of Management Colette Kavanagh, board member and parent SJ Schramm and caretaker Jim Doyle on Thursday, 6th October.
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is returning to Ballinteer ETNS next week! Pupils will have a chance to browse the books and stationery on offer in the hall, class by class, on Thursday and Friday next week. They can then complete a Wish List to bring home – and then the negotiations shall begin! The book fair is cashless again this year. We will provide full details and instructions early next week so that parents and guardians can make an online payment if they wish to do so. Purchased items will then be made available to pupils in the school shortly thereafter.
Parent Welcome Mornings
A reminder that Parent Welcome Mornings will take place from Monday to Thursday next week. We hope you can join us.
Wishing you all a pleasant weekend.
Best wishes, Paul O’Dwyer, Principal