School Hours
Children are welcome to assemble in our yards from 9am, where they will be supervised by members of staff. Our school day starts at 9.15am and ends at 3pm. Infants should be collected at 2pm in the blue yard. As these are our official hours of opening, the Board of Management does not accept responsibility for children on the premise outside of these times.
Aladdin Connect
The Aladdin Connect app is our main form of communication within the school. All urgent messages will be sent via the app so it is essential that you have this downloaded and registered with the school. We ask that you explain any absences or requests to collect early through this app. Reports, payments and parent teacher meetings will all be available through the app.
Hot Lunch and Healthy Snacks
At St. Anne’s we have a healthy eating policy in place for all. We are privileged to be able to provide hot lunches each day for all our students. These can be selected in advance by parents through the Lunch Bag app. We cannot facilitate the swapping of lunches due to various intolerances and religious beliefs so ask you to please select a lunch that your child will eat. A snack for small break must be provided by you or can be ordered through the Lunch Bag app. Our school is a nut free zone due to a number of serious allergies throughout the school so we ask that you do not send nuts in any form onto the school premises. On Fridays the children are permitted to bring a small treat. Frubes, popcorn, crisps, lollipops, sticky bars or chewing gum are not allowed.
School Year
Each year the calendar is published following the guidance of the Department of Education’s standardised calendar. The 23/ 24 calendar can be found here.
Attendance
Children should attend school each and every day they are healthy and well. A digital message of explanation should be forwarded on the Aladdin App if a child is absent from school. Late Arrivals/Early Leaving can also be logged on the Aladdin App when pupils need to leave school during school hours. We are required by law to inform the Education Welfare Board (EWB) in the event of your child being absent in excess of 20 days. All teachers retain a record of absences and will inform the Principal when a sum of 10 days absence upwards is reached. This monitoring assists us to link with the parents at this point to remind them of the regulations in this regard and to be mindful of this shared responsibility. The Education Welfare Officer is kept informed of these patterns.
Security
As part of our child safeguarding measures we have a range of security measures in place. The school gates are on a timed lock, opening only for arrival and discharge times daily. All school doors are opened by passcode or fob by a member of staff. If you need to visit the school for any reason, please enter by the front door and check in at the office.
School Uniform
The school uniform consists of:
BOYS: Navy Trousers, Blue Shirt, Striped Tie, Navy V-Neck Jumper with embroidered crest.
GIRLS: Navy Pinafore / Skirt / Trousers, Blue Shirt, Striped Tie, Navy V-Neck Jumper with embroidered crest. Navy or white sock or tights.
FOOTWEAR: Suitable footwear – shoes with uniform and runners with tracksuit.
There is also a special P.E. Tracksuit and T-Shirt which must be worn to school on P.E. days for comfort and safety / tour days and at teachers discretion.
Parents are asked to ensure that children come to school in full correct uniform to match the day’s events.
Please put names on all items, also on lunch boxes, flasks, etc. The school accepts no responsibility for the loss or damage of personal belongings.
Special Education
In St. Anne’s, we are lucky to have a skilled, experienced team of Special Education Teachers. These teachers provide a wide range of supports to students who are experiencing learning difficulties or need help with social or emotional regulation. Some children also require assistance from our dedicated team of SNA’s. Please see our Special Education Needs Policy to learn more about how these resources are allocated. If you have any concerns about your child’s learning, please contact the class teacher who will be best placed to offer support and advice.
Personal Safety and Bullying
We take our responsibility for the safety of your children very seriously. A parent/guardian or other appointed person must collect children promptly each day from their designated exit. Children in the senior classes who have permission to walk home must provide written permission of this before it will be allowed.
Bullying is defined by the Department of Education as “unwanted negative behaviour, verbal, psychological or physical conducted by an individual or group against another person (or persons) and which is repeated over time”. Bullying is not tolerated in St. Anne’s. If you feel your child is being bullied, it is important to keep a record of any incidences that occur. Make the teacher/principal aware of your concerns and we will follow the steps in our Anti Bullying policy. It is important not to encourage your child to “fight back” as this will only escalate the situation. Department of Education Policy can be found here.
Homework and Homework Club
Homework is an important part of the child’s education.
- It is a form of revision of work done in school; it helps to consolidate work done in school It fosters initiative and develops independent learning skills.
- It develops a habit of study, which is so important later in Second and Third Level.
- It is a link between school and home, strengthening the education partnership between parents and teachers.
Homework Club is available from 2nd to 6th classes inclusive. It’s scheduled from September through to the end of May from 3pm to 4pm, Monday to Thursdays each week. A nominal charge applies to this service.
Alternatively, arrange a time for your child to do their homework each night. Peace and quiet are essential for good homework. Check and sign homework each night. Homework is given four nights a week, Monday to Thursday, and can include “Active Homework” at times. If homework is consistently undone,
Home School Community Liaison and School Completion
St. Anne’s was lucky to be awarded DÉIS status in September 2022. As part of that we now have a HSCL Co-ordinator and a School Completion Officer in the school. Caoimhe is our HSCL and Michelle is the Co-ordinator for the School Completion Programme. More information can be found here.