Practical Information
1 School times
The school day begins at 8.50am and ends at 1.30pm (Junior and Senior Infants) & 2.30pm (First to Sixth classes).
For the first day of school only, Junior Infants start at 9.30am. For the first two weeks, they finish at 12noon. Thereafter, the normal infant day applies.
Morning supervision is provided from 8.40am-8.50am (mainly to facilitate our school buses and to help the traffic flow.) No child should be dropped at school before 8.40am.
An optional supervision/activity session (1.30pm-2.30pm) is available to the Junior and Senior Infants who use school buses or infants with siblings in 1st-6th class. The activity leaders are employed by the school’s Board of Management and a charge is payable, (€15 approx/week.) See school newsletters for further details.
2 Clothing
The children wear comfortable, casual clothing that they can manage on their own (i.e. for some children Velcro fasteners may be more appropriate than laces; elastic waistbands may be better than buttons and zips, etc.)
Playtimes, as well as art and other activities, cause wear and tear to clothing.
Sweaters and jackets without nametags are seldom returned to their owners. Our Lost and Found cupboard (on the ground floor hallway) is emptied at the end of each term.
There is no school uniform.
Long, dangling earrings are not suitable for school. They present a significant risk of injury if snagged while running on the playground, etc. Chains and necklaces (worn outside clothing) present the same risk.
The children should not wear (or carry) make-up to school. It could become a major distraction in the classrooms.
3 Footwear
The children wear runners/trainers or non-slip shoes to school.
Wearing unsuitable boots, sandals, heels, etc. would mean that the child couldn’t participate in a range of daily activities (PE, dance, playground games, etc.)
Heelies/wheelies, high heels and steel-capped boots are not permitted.
4 Lunches
The children bring packed lunches to school.
They need balanced, healthy lunches each day. (Look out for the overall sugar and fat levels!) They need to be able to open, close and/or peel the lunch by themselves. (Please choose suitable containers and practise at home.) They need to provide their own spoons.
The children are asked not to share their lunches, and to take uneaten lunch home with them (so that parents are kept informed of their child’s eating.)
Chewing gum, sticky sweets, fizzy drinks, high-sugar drinks, chips and crisps are not allowed. (If you need to agree a treat with your child, please choose one of the following: scone, plain bun/cake (no icing,) brack, plain biscuits, one small bar.)
The children need to be able to talk about their food allergies. Nuts are not allowed in the infant classes.
A school milk scheme (sponsored by Gorey Town Council) runs each year from November - March.
5 Medicines
Please request a copy of our Administration of Medicines policy for details regarding inhalers, prescription medicines and life-threatening medical conditions, (or visit the policies section at www.goreyeducatetogether.ie)
In general, the children may not carry non-prescription medicines to school (including cold remedies, pain relief tablets, cough syrup, etc.) Parents can visit their child during the school day to administer these or other medicines.
Please remember to update your child’s medical record yearly. Use the Contacts/Medical form.
6 First Aid
We clean cuts & grazes using water and apply plasters. (The children need to be able to talk about their allergies.) We supply ice-packs for bumps and bruises. Parents should always double-check cuts or bruises when the child gets home.
We contact parents regarding the more serious injuries.
The school is equipped with an Automatic External Defibrillator (sponsored by Gorey Heart Safe) and a number of staff are trained in its use.
7 Traffic arrangements
Mind that child! Drive with extreme care on school grounds. Keep clear of pedestrian crossings.
Mornings: Set-down only on the school grounds. (However, there are a very small number of visitor parking spaces to the left of the school building.) Morning supervision (8.40am-8.50am) is provided for children being dropped off. (Otherwise, drivers may find some parking along Kilnahue Lane.)
1.30pm pick-up: For the first two weeks, new Junior Infants are collected from the classrooms (at 12noon.) Otherwise, all Infants are escorted to the front of the building. Drivers entering the school grounds should only leave their vehicles for the few seconds it takes to collect younger children from the teachers.
2.30pm pick-up: The children are escorted to the front of the building. No stopping or parking in the area reserved for school buses. Drivers entering the school grounds should only leave their vehicles for the few seconds it takes to collect younger children from the teachers.
8 School buses
There are five bus routes at present, covering a large area (see maps on school notice boards.) Free transport is not available to families living close to the school, (including most parts of Gorey town.)
There is one morning drop-off (between 8.40am and 8.50am) and one afternoon pick-up (at 2.30pm.)
The school forwards requests for tickets to the School Transport Section, Bus Éireann, Waterford. (See primary school transport scheme at www.citizensinformation.ie)
All decisions regarding tickets and routes are made by Bus Éireann and/or the School Transport Section, Department of Education & Skills.
The school’s Code of Behaviour also applies to time spent on our school buses. Unsafe and inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated and will result in permission to travel being withdrawn (temporarily or, in more serious instances, permanently.)
9 Transport grant
Families living more than 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) from the school and/or from the nearest school bus pick-up point may be eligible for a Department of Education & Skills grant towards their transport costs. (See primary school transport scheme at www.citizensinformation.ie)
Payment is made retrospectively. We circulate an application form each year during June. Parents should return completed forms to the school before the end of June.