LETTER TO PARENTS FROM MR MCHALE (PRINCIPAL)

17th December 2003

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s)

On behalf of the Board of Management and staff of St. Patrick's De La Salle Boys National School may I wish each and every one of you a happy peaceful and Holy Christmas. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everybody who supported us during the last term to ensure that our school was a happy place for your children.

Christmas Activities

The school is a hive of activity as we prepare for the Christmas. The junior classes are preparing their Nativity plays and looking forward in anticipation to Santa's visit on Friday. There will be multi showings of the plays involving Junior and Senior Infants and Second class (check homework notebooks). The choir under the direction of Mrs. Orla Uí Dhomhnaill participated in the Choral evening on Wednesday 10th December and will be singing carols in the General Hospital on Friday 19th December at 1.00pm.and in Supervalue on Saturday 20th and Monday 22nd from 3pm. to 5 pm. I would ask you to support us in this worthy venture. There will also be a Junior Carol Service in the school hall on Monday 22nd at 11.00 and for the Seniors at 1.00 p.m.

Drama

The sixth classes under the guidance of Mr. Devaney are currently rehearsing for the Nativity Play with St. Angela's National school which takes place during the 10 a.m. Mass on Christmas morning. We look forward to seeing you there.

Parent's Association

My sincere thanks to parents who contributed to the successful Annual Card Game and also to Tom Duffy and the Parents' Association who organised and directed it. Our thanks also to the Parent's Association who organised a very successful bag packing day in Dunnes on Saturday 6th December. Our congratulations to the teachers and the parents who motivated the pupils to such a high standard on the day.

New Board of Management

The new Board of Management met last week. The members are Mrs Una Lydon, Chairperson and Patron's representative. Rev Canon Paddy Curran P.P Patron's nominee. Mr John King and Mrs Rita Joyce, Parent's representatives. Mr. Aidan Crowley and Mrs Muriel Fahey, Community representatives. Mrs Joan Regan, Staff representative and Dr. Vincent McHale, ex officio representative. We look forward to working with them and the Parent's Association during the coming years to further improve our school.

Staff Congratulations

Our congratulations are extended to Mr. Seamus Devaney and Mrs Mary Galvin who were conferred with a Diplome Francaise in the GMIT and to Miss Caroline Lane who was recently conferred with a M.Ed. in Education.

School closes at 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 23rd December and reopens at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday 7th January 2004.

May the Peace and Joy of Christmas be yours.