Principals Newsletter September 2026

Carysfort N.S. – Back to School Newsletter

School Year 2026–2027

A very warm welcome back to all our pupils and their families. We are delighted to begin another school year at Carysfort N.S.

We have had a wonderful start to the term, with a lovely air of excitement around the school as the children settle in their new classes. We are especially delighted to welcome our new Junior Infants and all pupils joining Carysfort in other classes this year.

It is an exciting year for our school, with our building work almost complete and the Safe Routes to School work completed over the Summer.

Thank you, as always, to our parents and guardians for your continued support and commitment to your children’s education and to our school community. We wish every family a very happy and fulfilling school year ahead.

Communication

Aladdin Connect is our main platform for school communication. All parents/guardians should have the Aladdin Connect app installed and notifications enabled.

Please check the app regularly, as whole-school messages and class updates are shared through the Noticeboard section.

Parents can contact their child’s teacher through Noticeboard → Contact Teacher.

For urgent messages during the school day, please contact the School Office directly on 01 288 5803.

Please also check our school website regularly for news, upcoming events and important information.

Attendance & Tusla

Regular and punctual attendance is important for children’s wellbeing, learning and sense of connection with school. We have systems in place to support families experiencing difficulties with attendance, and we encourage you to contact your child’s class teacher at an early stage if you have any concerns.

• If your child is unable to attend school, please record the absence through Aladdin.
• Schools are legally required to notify Tusla when a child has been absent for 20 days. Parents will receive alerts at 10 and again at 15 days of absence.
• For early collection, please notify the school through Aladdin.
• Children may not leave the school grounds independently during the school day, nor may they leave after arriving at school in the morning.
• Children should remain at home when unwell or recovering from illness.
• Please notify the Principal of any significant health information that the school needs to be aware of.

Conduct & Behaviour

We are very proud of the respect, kindness and courtesy shown by our pupils at Carysfort N.S. and we continue to promote positive, inclusive and respectful behaviour throughout our school community.

Children are expected to:

• Treat others with kindness, respect and consideration.
• Care for school property and our shared environment.
• Work positively with others and take responsibility when mistakes happen.

Behaviour is managed in accordance with our Code of Behaviour, with children and adults working together towards positive outcomes with patience, fairness and understanding.

Our Bí Cineálta Policy is fully implemented this year and available on our school website and in the school entrance hall.

Mobile Phones & Smart Devices

Following consultation with our Parents’ Association, Carysfort N.S. has introduced a revised Mobile Phone and Smart Device Policy.

Personal mobile phones, internet-connected watches and devices capable of taking photographs or recording audio or video are not permitted for use on school grounds.

We recognise that some children may need to carry a mobile phone for travelling to or from school. In these circumstances, the phone must be:

• Completely switched off.
• Placed in a clearly labelled bag or pouch.
• Handed into the School Office on arrival.
• Accompanied by a signed parental consent form.

The phone may then be collected from the office at the end of the school day.

This system has worked very successfully in our school, and we are very proud of our commitment to the Generation Free: No Smart Phone Code.

Healthy Eating & Wellbeing

Our Hot School Lunches, provided by Nourish and Green, are in operation in Carysfort N.S.

When providing additional food for your child, please remember:

• Balanced and nutritious food is encouraged as part of supporting children’s wellbeing.
• Portion sizes should be manageable, particularly for younger children.
• Crisps, sweets, popcorn, chewing gum, sugary drinks, cereal bars, muffins and pastries are not permitted in school.
• We have several pupils with serious nut allergies. Nuts and products containing nuts are strictly prohibited.
• Children should not share food or lunches.

Our Healthy Eating Policy is available on the school website.

Sacrament Preparation

Pupils preparing for First Holy Communion and Confirmation must provide our chaplain, Fr Peter O’Connor, with a copy of their Baptismal Certificate.

Further information regarding sacramental preparation will be provided in due course through the parish of St John the Baptist.

Traffic & Safety

The safety of our pupils is our highest priority. We ask all parents, guardians and minders to help us keep the area around the school as safe as possible.

Please:

• Drive slowly and cautiously in the vicinity of the school.
• Do not block gates or double-park.
• Do not stop or pull in at the school entrance to drop children off.
• Use the footpath at the main gates.
• Dismount bicycles and scooters when entering the school grounds.
• Walk, scoot, cycle or Park ’n’ Stride whenever possible to support our active travel ethos.

Please note:

• Parents may not park on school grounds unless there are exceptional circumstances and prior permission has been obtained from the Principal.
• Families availing of The Club facilities may not park in the school grounds in the morning or afternoon
• Smoking and vaping are not permitted on school grounds.
• Dogs are not permitted on school grounds.

Our Road Safety Charter is available on the school website.

Parent–Teacher Communication

We welcome communication between parents and teachers and value our partnership with families.

To avoid disruption to teaching and learning, parents should contact their child’s teacher through Aladdin → Noticeboard → Contact Teacher to arrange a mutually convenient time to speak or meet.

Teachers will respond to queries as soon as reasonably possible; however, teaching and supervision of children must remain their priority during the school day.

For urgent matters, please contact the School Office directly.

We will hold class introduction meetings from Tuesday, 15th of September to Thursday, 24th of September, providing parents/guardians with an opportunity to meet their child’s class teacher(s). Further information will be sent shortly.

Individual Parent–Teacher Meetings will take place during the week of November 9th.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We are delighted to offer an excellent range of after-school activities this year, including:

French • Spanish • Drama • Sewing • Chess • Homework Club • Art • Hockey • Sport • Hurling • Football • Irish Dancing • Exploring TEC • Basketball • Yoga • Guitar • Piano • Science • Athletics

Activities begin this week and next.

A full timetable, including provider contact details, is available on the school website. Please contact individual providers directly with any queries relating to their activity.

Please take note of the designated collection/exit point for your child’s activity.

The Club

The Club operates Monday to Friday during term time and provides pre- and post-school care for children enrolled in the service.

The Club operates independently of the school. Please contact The Club Manager directly regarding queries, places or enrolment at theclubcarysfort@gmail.com.

Practical Reminders

Carysfort is a large, busy and ever-growing school! To help us maintain a safe environment for our pupils and minimise disruption to the school day, we ask that:

• All visitors report to Reception, sign in and wear a visitor lanyard while in the building.
• Parents and minders collecting children from after-school activities wait outside at the designated collection point.
• Parents/minders do not wait in school reception areas during after-school activities.
• Mobile phones are not used by visitors inside the school building while waiting for an appointment.

Thank you for helping us keep our school safe, calm and focused on our pupils.

Parents’ Association

We are very fortunate to have an active and supportive Parents’ Association.

Through their fundraising and voluntary work, the PA provides many valuable additions and opportunities for our pupils. The Association also hosts information evenings, organises celebrations and supports many school events throughout the year.

All parents are encouraged to get involved.

Please note: Individual concerns relating to your child or the operation of the school should be communicated directly to the relevant teacher or the School Office rather than through the Parents’ Association.

Homework

We value our partnership with parents in supporting children’s education and see homework as an important link between school and home. Homework provides opportunities for children to practice and consolidate skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

Our Homework Guidelines are available on the school website. If you have concerns regarding your child’s homework, please contact the class teacher directly.

School Uniform & Tracksuit

The Carysfort N.S. uniform and tracksuit are available from O’Farrell Schoolwear, Lenehan’s Parade, 7 Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan.

Junior Infants–1st Class

• School tracksuit may be worn every day, Monday–Friday.

2nd–6th Class

• Tracksuit on P.E. days.
• Formal uniform on non-P.E. days.
• Tracksuits may be worn when attending after-school sports.
• From November to February, pupils may wear the tracksuit every day.
• Formal uniforms are required for formal occasions including choir performances, school photographs, sacraments and representing the school.

6th Class

• Pupils may wear their 6th Class hoodie daily with either their tracksuit or formal uniform.

All Classes

• Pupils may wear the school tracksuit on Fridays.

Formal Uniform – no brand required

• Navy trousers, pinafore or skirt.
• Royal blue jumper or cardigan.
• Blue polo shirt.
• Navy socks or tights.

School Tracksuit

• Royal blue tracksuit top with school crest.
• Plain navy tracksuit bottoms/skort.
• White polo shirt.

Footwear & Jewellery

P.E. runners may be worn with both the tracksuit and formal uniform.

Please note that branded tracksuit bottoms and leggings are not part of the agreed Carysfort N.S. uniform. Crocs and Ugg-style boots are unsuitable for P.E. or active play in the yard.

For safety reasons, children should not wear large items of jewellery such as long earrings, chains or rings to school.

Looking Forward to the Year Ahead

Finally, I wish all our pupils and families a very happy and productive school year.

I look forward to meeting many of you at our class introduction meetings and at the many school events and celebrations that will take place over the coming months.

Thank you for your continued support of Carysfort N.S. and for working in partnership with us to make our school a happy, safe and positive place for all our children.

Warm regards,

Fiona Collins
Principal
Carysfort N.S.