Dear Parents,
The school year has almost drawn to a close and we are all looking forward to the summer holidays. Thank you parents so much for your support and cooperation throughout this year. We are extremely proud of your children’s achievements and their efforts to learn since last September. A sincere “Thank You” to our school staff for their dedication, positive attitude and incredible efforts.
Some notices…
Uniform Tomorrow: Tuesday is a normal uniform day for all classes. Pupils may wear their summer uniform, PE uniform or brown uniform.
Summer Closing Times for tomorrow, Tuesday, 25th June 2024
- 11:55 am closing for Junior and Senior Infants
- Noon closing for classes 1st – 6th.
Medication collection: June
Any medication that has been held in school this academic year (inhalers, spacers, medicines etc) will be sent home on the day of the holidays.
Medication drop off for next school year: August 2024
If your child requires any life saving medication to be stored in school: EpiPens, Asthma Inhalers, Buccal Midozolam.
Orla Murray will be accepting medication from 1- 1:45pm on August 28th, in Room 3.
Please ensure that all medications are in date on that day, and will remain in date for the entire school year.
On August 28th, a parent/ guardian will be required to sign a new file, detailing the dosage of the particular medication for your child. Please email in advance if there are any changes to the dose of meds your child may need, so that the files can be updated in advance of meeting with Ms. Murray. Please mail orla.murray@milfordns.ie directly.
Graduation: Congratulations to our 6th Class pupils who will celebrate their graduation from primary school this evening. They have been a wonderful class and we will miss not seeing them in September. We wish them the very best in all their future endeavours. To the parents who will no longer have a pupil in Milford NS, thank you most sincerely for all your support, generosity and commitment to our school down through the years. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
Well Done!
Well done to all the boys and girls who participated in extra-curricular activities this year, and who represented the school in so many events. A huge “Thank You” is due to the staff who give so much of their time after school.
Not every child can achieve the highest heights in sport, drama, art, music or academia. But every child is unique and individual in personality and abilities. Congratulations to all those who greeted us with a warm smile this year, with a lovely “slán” on the way home and a willingness and enthusiasm to engage with daily tasks. You have brightened the days of everyone around you. You are truly the Milford success stories and you make us very proud!
Class Allocation: Class allocation and the new class compositions in 1st, 4th and 6th Classes for next year will be published on Aladdin in July. Our reasons for this approach are as follows:
- There are a number of staff vacancies that need to be filled in advance of September. The recruitment process of staff is ongoing. We would prefer to let all parents know their child’s teacher at the same time, as opposed to publishing blank spaces for some classes, SNAs and SETs. We intend to let parents know this information by 20th July.
- There will be new class compositions in 1st, 4th and 6th Classes next year. We have tried a number of ways of announcing the new classes in the past and it still leads to upset for children during their last day(s) of term. We would like the pupils to finish out the school year on a happy note and to celebrate the achievements that they have had with their class.
In relation to the mixing up of classes, quite a number of factors go into the forming of a new class. We endeavour to balance the classes in relation to gender, ability, additional learning needs, friendships, pupil behaviour patterns and how they interact with one another. We consult with the staff who have worked with the children and also take into account the feedback from pupil surveys that have been carried out throughout the year. We also organise playdates with the younger classes to see how the children interact with each other in different learning environments. Our experience of mixing up the classes continues to be very positive. While apprehensive on the first day of school, pupils tend to settle into their new class relatively quickly. They also continue to play with some pupils from their ‘old class’ on the yard along with their new classmates.
Booklists: As you may already know, the government announced that the scheme to provide free school books, workbooks and copy books to primary school children will continue for next year. This means that you will not have to purchase school books and copies for your children. The books are on loan and have to be returned at the end of the school year.
There will also still be fees to be paid to the school in September for art & craft, photocopying, insurance, digital licences etc, unfortunately all of these costs have increased significantly over the last few years. Your child’s booklist will be shared with you in a separate message and will also be available to view on our school website. A huge thank you to Ms. Emma Dolphin who is coordinating the booklists in our school.
School Uniform Reminder for Next Year: The uniform consists of a brown crested school jumper or cardigan, cream shirt or blouse and brown gymslip, skirt or trousers. Black or brown shoes should be worn with the brown school uniform. This uniform is worn from 2nd Class to 6th Class.
The school track-suit is worn on PE days. It is dark blue with a pale blue stripe and is crested. A light blue polo shirt may be worn underneath. Runners may be worn with the track-suit. If possible, runners with a light-coloured sole should be worn to prevent marking of the gym floor. The track-suit is the only uniform necessary for Junior Infants, Senior infants and 1st Class.
School Reopening: The scheduled date for school to reopen is Thursday, 29th August at 8:55am. Junior Infants will begin school on the same day at the later time of 9:30am.
Swimming: Swimming will take place in Terms 2 and 3 next year for 1st – 6th Classes. Further details will be circulated during the autumn term.
Homework Club: Milford Homework Club is accepting applications for places in Milford Homework Club starting September 2024. Homework Club is available for children from 1st – 6th class. The club runs in term time from Monday-Thursday 2:45 – 4:15 pm. If you wish to make an inquiry or book a place please email mnshomeworkclub@gmail.com
Milford Kids Camp Summer 2024: There are a limited number of spaces still available on Milford Kids Summer Camp. The camp is running this week from Wednesday 26th – Friday 30th June 9:30 am to 2:30pm. Please contact milfordkidscamp@gmail.com for further information or queries.
Morning Club: The Rise and Shine morning club are taking names for the 2024/25 school year. The club is facilitated by Ms. Emma Dolphin and Ms. Geraldine Mitchell and runs from 7:50am – 8:45am. If you have any queries or would like to put your child’s name down please contact emma.dolphin@milfordns.ie.
First Holy Communion: The date for the First Holy Communion ceremony for next year is set for Saturday, 10th May 2025. Father Koenraad has asked us to remind parents/guardians to have a copy of their child’s baptismal certificate ready for collection by the end of September 2024. Children who were baptised in the parish church (Our Lady Help of Christians, Milford) do not need to present the certificate.
Families intending to leave: If you think that your child may not be returning to Milford N.S. in September 2024, please let us know as soon as possible. It helps us to have early notice to help plan for the following year. Thank you very much.
Finally, on behalf of us all here at Milford School, I wish parents, children and family members a well-deserved and enjoyable summer break, and I hope that everyone will return safely and in good health on Thursday, 29th August.
Gaoth an tsonais libh uile!
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Diarmaid Moore
Principal
