I hope you and your family are keeping safe and well.

 

We are finishing up the 2020/21 academic year here today. Our Leaving Cert students finished their exams last week, our new First Years got a chance to visit us this week, while all our other students have had their June holidays already and are hopefully enjoying themselves or are busy working.

 

We want to thank everyone in our school community for their cooperation and support throughout this past year. With perseverance, purpose, and patience we prevailed.

When we take time to reflect, we can appreciate all the little things and all the big things, curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular, that make up life in our schools.Sometimes we do not realise we are living through history, we are just doing our best, one day at a time, working hard and trying to have some fun along the way.

 

As it stands, we will be returning to the new school year more or less as we left off in May, following Covid protocols. We will be guided by the latest Department of Education advice and will do all we can to keep those in our care safe and well.

 

Calendar & Dates

Monday 30thAugust	Leaving Cert, Junior Cert & First Year students return. Full day 9am -3.50pm. Buses Run.
Tuesday 31stAugust	Second & Fifth Year students return.
Thursday 2ndSeptember	TY & LCA students return.
October Mid-term	Week 25-29thOctober inclusive.
Monday 29thNovember	No School - Discretionary Day.
Christmas Holidays	School closes Wednesday 22ndDecember. Re-opens Thursday 6thJanuary 2022.
February Mid-term	Week 21st- 25thFebruary inclusive.
Friday 18thMarch	No School - Discretionary Day.
Easter Holidays	11thApril - 22ndApril inclusive.
Dates for Parent Teacher Meetings & Training Days will be confirmed in September.

 

iPads & Book Rental Scheme

Our students may choose to use an iPad or avail of our book rental scheme again this year.

Relevant information is available onwww.glenamaddycs.ie.

We continue to use iPads as a learning tool. iPads may be ordered from Galway Compu b on (091) 755222 and collected at school with together with the hard-back books in late August.

The annual book rental fee is €130 which is payable online through a link which will be sent to you by text from the school office in early August. This link will bring you to the fees page where you will find what monies are payable.

No books can be issued without payment. Separately, workbooks & materials for Music, Art & the practical subjects may be purchased from the relevant teacher.

Book Rental Details and Collection Dates
1st& 5thYears	Collect Monday, Tuesday Wednesday 23rd, 24th, 25thAugust 10am - 2pm.
2nd,3rd& 6thYears	Students have most of their books already. Pay €130 annual book rental fee online through the office in August.
TYs & LCAs	Necessary books & materials will be available to rent or purchase in school or from the relevant teacher.

School Uniform

Our students wear the school uniform well. The uniform is available from Dympna McDermotts on (094) 9659087. Students may wear any brand of black leather shoes. Runners are not allowed.

PE Uniform Update

Due to ongoing Covid restrictions, students may wear PE gear on PE/Games Day.ThePE gear/uniform will consist of a plain black or navy tracksuit bottoms, top and runners.

We are conscious of and want to avoid peer pressure regarding designer labels, trends, and the associated costs. To this end we are looking at the possibility of introducing an online PE Uniform Shop where all students and parents can order and purchase from a range of Glenamaddy Community School standardised PE gear.

We would like to introduce this standard gear as a core part of the school uniform for incoming First Years. We will keep you posted of developments.

We ask for your support in ensuring compliance with our school uniform.

 

Family Contribution

The Board of Management asks all families tocontribute the following to the cost of integral student service online via the link on the school website. Your contributions will be gratefully appreciated, as they will directly benefit your children and their school. Families may avail of the School Insurance Scheme.

• One student - €60 family contribution + €10 insurance                   
• Two students - €90 family contribution + €20 insurance
• Three or more students - €120 family contribution + €10 insurance per child

 

Business/Computer Fetac Level 5 Course

Would you like to join our Fetac Level 5 Business/Secretarial course incorporating Computers, iPads, Accounting, Marketing & Communications? Tuition times & days are flexible & we cater for all levels.  Please contact the school (094) 9659315 for details.

 

School Policies & Code of Good Behaviour

Each year the Board of Management approves the policies which govern the school. The policies of the school include the Code of Good Behaviour, Anti Bullying Policy, Homework Policy, Admissions Policy etc. are available onwww.glenamaddycs.ie. We ask parents to read the Code of Good Behaviour with their children. For our code to work, the support & cooperation of parents, staff & students is vital. It is a condition of entry to Glenamaddy Community School that all parties sign the Acceptance of the Code of Good Behaviour printed in the School Journal.

 

Promise of a Sunny Day with Definite Certainties of Rain

This time last year we were bolstered by Heaney’s promise that ‘if we winter this one out, we can summer anywhere’.

Perhaps you might consider some of poet, Paul McCarrick’sPromise of a Sunny Dayin Galway, all be it with definite certainties of rain.

 

Galway is the promise of a sunny day with definite certainties of rain,

wrapped in another promise of a longer November evening,

all trapped in a magician's pocket on Shop Street who promises

you the world but gives you wrong directions to the Claddagh.

 

Until we see you back in school, I hope you got some natural vitamin D and a few freckles.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

James Duignan                            Eileen Gildea

Principal                                       Deputy Principal