Welcome to Knocknacarra NS

Virtual Tour, Entering through the Hall and on to Infant Classroom.

Have a look at our Virtual Tour which we produced to help our new Junior Infants become familiar with the school.

Glimpse into the Junior Infant day

 

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

We extend a warm welcome to you and your child to Knocknacarra NS. It is our aim that your child will be extremely happy in our school and will achieve his/her full potential by being happy, sociable and respectful in our school’s pleasant and stimulating learning environment. There is a strong sense of community and a high level of co-operation between staff, pupils, parents and visitors.

Knocknacarra NS is a happy and safe place where every child matters. We hope that your child will have many happy years with us. We have a wonderful staff and you will be assured of our full cooperation and commitment. We look forward to working in partnership with you in order to give your child the best possible start in life.

Should you have any query or concern at any stage, please feel free to come and talk to us.

Our school caters for all classes from Junior Infants up to Sixth Class, for boys and girls.

Knocknacarra National School has a Catholic Ethos as outlined in the Catholic School’s Schedule displayed in the school foyer. A spirit of prayer promotes an atmosphere of kindness, appreciation and forgiveness. As outlined in our Enrolment Form, we follow the Grow in Love programme (Veritas) for Religious Education.

Principal Fiona Keane            Deputy Principal Eilís Dwyer 

School Secretary: Sinéad Muldoon

Accounts Administrator: Sandra Mc Grath

Caretaker: Alan McHale

Parents' Association
We have a very active Parents’ Association in Knocknacarra NS. The Committee meet regularly to support and organise many school activities. The AGM of the Parents Association will take place each September / October.
School Day

Junior & Senior Infants        8:30 am to 1:10 pm

First – Sixth Classes              8:30 am to 2:10 pm

School Uniform
Junior & Senior Infants

School Tracksuit:
Ocean Blue Sweatshirt (with school logo)
White Polo T-Shirt
Navy Tracksuit Pants (no stripes)

We advise you to chose footwear with Velcro for Junior Infant Children, if possible, as laces and buckles are too difficult for younger children to use independently.

First – Sixth Classes

PE – School Tracksuit:
White Polo T-Shirt
Navy Tracksuit Pants (no stripes)

Girls: Check Pinafore or plain navy trousers*, Check tie, White Shirt, Ocean Blue Cardigan (with school logo)                                       *Girls can wear either a pinafore or navy trousers; girls should have a pinafore for special occasions.

Boys: Navy Trousers, Check Tie, White Shirt, Ocean Blue V-Neck Jumper (with school logo)

Ocean Blue Sweatshirt (with school logo)

Children are requested to wear runners on PE days.

NB Please label/mark your child’s name on all of their school clothes before they start school.

The school uniform is available from:
The National Schoolwear Centre, Liosbán, Galway. 091 755515 &
Anthony Ryan Ltd, Shop Street, Galway. 091 567061

Admission/Dismissal

School begins at 8.30a.m. each morning. Please see details of our drop and go system here.

Please adhere to our Pedestrian Entrance Policy, if you are arriving to school through the Pedestrian Entrance at Doire Geal/ White Oaks Estate. Children may only arrive by bicycle or on foot if accessing the school through this gate. Our Policy states that children arriving by car must be brought to school through the main Entrance Gate. This policy follows from our commitment to the residents of Doire Geal/White Oaks Estate.

Curriculum and Textbooks
Curriculum

A Curriculum Meeting will be held for each class during September each year.

At this meeting your child’ class teacher will introduce you to the Curriculum for that class and provide you with practical suggestions for helping your child with homework.

Textbooks

We place a strong emphasis on Active Learning Methodologies in Knocknacarra NS. As a result children purchase very few textbooks.

Our School Plan or Pleann Scoile is made up of several policies which assist the smooth running of our school. Some of these policies are outlined in this Information Overview.
Homework
Junior Infant children will be assigned Homework from October onwards.  Homework will be given from Monday to Thursday only and not at weekends. Infant classes will be allotted homework which will take no more than 10 to 15 minutes each evening. Click here to see our Homework Policy.
Procedure for notification of a child’s absence from school
Parents are required to inform the school in writing of the reason for their child’s absence. The school is required under the obligations of the Education Welfare Act 2000 to record and report children’s absences to the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB). We are obliged to report to the NEWB when a student has been absent for 20 days.
Healthy Eating Policy
Healthy Eating & Drinking Policy:

Please ensure that the outside of your child’s lunch box is clearly labelled/ marked with their name.

We operate a Healthy Eating & Drinking Policy in this school. Milk and/or water are the only drinks allowed in school, as part of our cooperation with the School’s Dental service

Crisps and fizzy drinks are not  allowed for school lunches.
The 4Cs are not allowed: Chewing Gum, Crisps, Chocolate Bars, Candy
We strive to be an environmentally friendly school and create as little rubbish as possible. Children are requested to take home all used lunch wrappers, cartons, crusts etc. in their lunch box.  This can also act as a good indicator of how much they have eaten at snack time.

To see our Healthy Eating Policy please click here.

See also the following suggestions and tips for Healthy School Lunches:

Healthy Lunch Box to Grow Learn and Play Part 1

Healthy Lunch Box to Grow, Learn and Play Part 2

Lunch Ideas Galway Nutrition

Code of Behaviour
This policy aims to promote a happy and a safe school environment for all pupils, teachers and parents in order to ensure optimal conditions for effective teaching and learning. Click here to see the full text of this policy.

We have the same 6 Golden Rules throughout the school:

  • I will be polite; I will say excuse me and thank you

  • I will show respect and kindness; I will share, help others, take turns.

  • I will listen; I will put my quiet hand up to talk out.

  • I will respect property; I will keep my place tidy.

  • I will be safe; I will walk indoors and be gentle at all times.

  • I will work hard; I will do my best at everything I do.

 

Child Protection Policy

The Staff, Parents and Board of Management of Knocknacarra NS have developed and agreed this policy in line with the current recommendations and guidelines relating to Child Abuse Prevention and Child Protection Guidelines. See the full policy here. This policy addresses the responsibilities of the school in the followings areas:-

Prevention – curriculum provision

Procedures –  procedures for dealing with concerns / disclosures

Practice – best practice in child protection

There is an obligation on school personnel to record and report any suspicion of neglect/emotional, physical or sexual abuse in accordance with the procedures set out by the Department of Education & Science Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures.

Birthdays
In the interest of being fair to all children in the school, we ask that any arrangements for children’s birthday parties (distribution of invitations or gifts etc.) be made outside of school only. We feel that this will eliminate the possibility of disappointments or upsets among the children. We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to this guideline.

Our Vision for St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NS

is for a school:

  • Which is a happy and safe place in which to work, teach and learn
  • Which has a palpable culture of respect for all individuals and is welcoming towards parents and visitors to the school
  • Which has a dynamic and vibrant community atmosphere where there are high expectations in terms of learning and behaviour
  • Where all children, staff and parents are valued and feel good about their contribution to school life
  • Where there is an emphasis on the physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, cultural and moral development of each child
  • Where everyone is encouraged to achieve their full potential through diligence
  • Where the catholic ethos is evident in our environment, daily interactions and activities in the school

Fiona Keane – Principal

Eilís Dwyer – Deputy Principal