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Insurance
24 hr accident and emergency cover with Allianz is provided by the school at a cost of
Healthy Eating
It is difficult to proscribe foods, as there are lots of variations, and it can soak up a lot of a teacher's time trying to differentiate between them, as well as implementing the healthy eating policy.
Instead, Oylegate N.S. suggests to choose from the following list of menu options:
Sandwiches, Wraps
Bread, Rolls, Pitta breads, Crackers, Pasta,
Pizza, Quiche
Vegetables, Salad, Vegetable sticks, Fruit, Dried fruit, Unsweetened pure fruit juice.
Cheese, Yoghurt, Milk, Fromage frais
Ham, Chicken, Turkey, Hardboiled eggs, Fish
Flapjacks, Plain buns, Brack, Scones
Water, Milk, Unsweetened pure fruit juice
Steps to a Healthy Lunch Box
Encourage wholemeal or wholegrain varieties of breads etc.
Use butter or spreads sparingly
Include a drink at lunch
Include salad vegetables in sandwiches and salad boxes
Include at least one piece of fruit at lunch
Encourage that milk, cheese or yoghurt is included as part of lunch
Encourage that meat, chicken, fish, egg or cheese is included as part of lunch.
Uniform
All children are obliged to wear the appropriate school uniform. This year (2018/2019) the parents council voted to make uniform compulsory but parents may choose whether their child wears the traditional uniform or the PE uniform.
The school uniform consists of grey trousers / skirt / pinafore, navy v-neck jumper/cardigan with crest, light blue shirt, red tie with a thin navy stripe, and black or navy shoes. Tights should be navy, if worn. The school does not insist on a particular supplier or make of clothing.
For P.E. Our school tracksuit top (which can be ordered from the school office) and navy tracksuit bottoms (Please avoid stripes etc) should be worn, with a light blue polo shirt underneath.
During hot weather, there will be an option of wearing the school summer uniform. This consists of a light blue polo shirt, three quarter length navy shorts/ mid-thigh shorts/grey skirt and white socks. Items of clothing should not bear any distinguishing marks of a sports organisation other than Oylegate - Glenbrien G.A.A. club.
Please label relevant items of clothing with your child's name and call to the school if an item of clothing is missing.
Children should bring a note in to their teacher if they are without an item of the uniform.
Complaints Procedure
INTO/Management Complaints Procedure
The INTO and Primary School Management reached agreement in 1993 on a procedure for dealing with complaints by parents against teachers. The purpose of this procedure is to facilitate the resolution of difficulties where they may arise in an agreed and fair manner. The agreement lays out in five stages the process to be followed in progressing a complaint and the specific timescale to be followed at each stage. Please note this is a non-statutory procedure.
Only those complaints about teachers which are written and signed by parents/guardians of pupils may be investigated formally by the board of management, except where those complaints are deemed by the board to be: on matters of professional competence and which are to be referred to the Department of Education and Skills; frivolous or vexatious complaints and complaints which do not impinge on the work of a teacher in a school; or complaints in which either party has recourse to law or to another existing procedure.
Unwritten complaints, not in the above categories, may be processed informally as set out in Stage 1 of this procedure.
Stage 1
A parent/guardian who wishes to make a complaint should, unless there are local arrangements to the contrary, approach the class teacher with a view to resolving the complaint.the parent/guardian is unable to resolve the complaint with the class teacher s/he should approach the principal with a view to resolving it.the complaint is still unresolved the parent/guardian should raise the matter with the chairperson of the board of management with a view to resolving it.
Stage 2
If the complaint is still unresolved and the parent/guardian wishes to pursue the matter further s/he should lodge the complaint in writing with the chairperson of the board of management.chairperson should bring the precise nature of the written complaint to the notice of the teacher and seek to resolve the matter between the parties within five days of receipt of the written complaint.
Stage 3
If the complaint is not resolved informally, the chairperson should, subject to the general authorisation of the board and except in those cases where the chairperson deems the particular authorisation of the board to be required:
a) supply the teacher with a copy of the written complaint; andb) arrange a meeting with the teacher and, where applicable, the principal teacher with a view to resolving the complaint. Such a meeting should take place within 10 days of receipt of the written complaint.
Stage 4
If the complaint is still not resolved the chairperson should make a formal report to the board within 10 days of the meeting referred to in 3(b).the board considers that the complaint is not substantiated the teacher and the complainant should be so informed within three days of the board meeting.the board considers that the complaint is substantiated or that it warrants further investigation it proceeds as follows:
a) the teacher should be informed that the investigation is proceeding to the next stage;b) the teacher should be supplied with a copy of any written evidence in support of the complaint;c) the teacher should be requested to supply a written statement to the board in response to the complaint;c) the teacher should be afforded an opportunity to make a presentation of case to the board. The teacher would be entitled to be accompanied and assisted by a friend at any such meeting;d) the board may arrange a meeting with the complainant if it considers such to be required. The complainant would be entitled to be accompanied and assisted by a friend at any such meeting; ande) the meeting of the board of management referred to in (d) and (e) will take place with in 10 days of the meeting referred to in 3(b).
Stage 5
When the board has completed its investigation, the chairperson should convey the decision of the board in writing to the teacher and the complainant within five days of the meeting of the board.decision of the board shall be final.Complaints Procedure shall be reviewed after three years.School Management or INTO may withdraw from this agreement having given the other party three months' notice of intention to do so. In this agreement 'days' means school days.
School Procedures (Please see Covid-19 Response Plan in the Documents section of this site for current practices)
The official opening time is 9.20am. There will be no supervision before 9.10. The bell goes at 9.20am, and classes should line up in the basketball court. If it is wet, children will be brought in from the bicycle shelter at 9.10 and supervised by a member of staff. The school closes at 3.00pm. There will be no supervision after 3.10. Children in Junior and Senior Infants leave at 2.00pm and should be collected by a parent or guardian.
Class times are as follows:
9.20 am Line up
11.00am 15 minute break.
12.30pm ½ hour lunch break.
2.00pm Infants’ Home time.
3.00pm Home time.
Punctuality
All students should arrive at school in good time each morning and acquire a good habit of punctuality.
Attendance
Each child to whom the School Attendance Act applies (those between the ages of 6 and 15) is obliged by law to attend school every day on which the school is in operation, unless there is a reasonable excuse for not attending. The school authorities are obliged to notify the School Attendance Officer when a child is absent for 20 days or more in any school year, even where the child’s parents have provided a reasonable excuse for the absence.
When a pupil is absent, a note to the teacher is necessary.
School Property
Pupils may not write on, deface or damage school property. Damage caused by them must be paid for. School equipment, books and property should be treated with due care. There are nominal book rental, photocopying and art supply charges each year.
P.E. & Activities
Boys and girls are encouraged to participate in all school games and activities. This promotes awareness of their health and an interest in a future, perhaps life-long, leisure activity. P.E. also helps improve concentration within the classroom. Where children wish to be excused from P.E. for health reasons they should bring a note from parents. For physical education, children should wear their runners and P.E. uniform.
Green Flag
The school must be kept tidy and free from litter, which is also part of the requirement to gain Green Flag status. Bins are provided in the classrooms and are emptied daily. Children are encouraged to keep the school litter free by taking any rubbish home and trying to not have too much packaging in lunch boxes.
Holidays
A list of holidays is drawn up at the end of the school year, and the school year is now standardised by the Department of Education. We are allowed some flexibility with a small number of days. A sheet, setting out the dates of the holidays for the year is sent to each home in the June newsletter. If there are any other unforeseen closures, curriculum days, or planning days, parents are notified by letter as soon as possible.
Families are asked to organise holidays around this calendar to avoid disruption to classes. Much of the revised curriculum now involves oral work, and this means children cannot be set work to take away with them: it must be done with the class teacher.
Books and Extra-Curricular Activities
Pupils will be given book lists at the end of the summer term. We are very conscious of the cost of schoolbooks and provide a rental scheme for most subject areas. Children are asked to buy their own workbooks for some subject areas.
Children are encouraged to read extra books. Each classroom has its own library and extra library books are purchased annually with school funds.
GAA coaching is provided after school with the help of parents and teachers. The school participates in the Rackard League, and has won a number of district titles recently. GAA and Tag Rugby coaching are also provided during school for the more senior classes.
Religious Education Programme