Junior Infants

2018/19
 Welcome
Today’s presentation is a
general information meeting
about Junior Infants.
First of all a huge welcome to
Junior Infants and Belmayne
ETNS.
The children are settling in
really well!
The first few weeks have been
about helping the children to
settle into school life and into a
routine.
They’re a fantastic group of
children.
 Welcome
- Parent / Teacher meetings take place
in February. Reports will be sent home
before the meeting.

- If you have any questions, we will take

them at the end.

- If you have any specific questions

relating to your child, please arrange
a meeting or contact us by email
- belmayneetjessica@gmail.com
- belmayneetmarial@gmail.com
 Who’s who in Belmayne!
Principal - Sinead

Chairperson – Carol

Home School Liason Teacher – Colum

- There as a support between home
and school life.
Contact Number: 0852842401
School number: 01 8296980
belmayneetcolum@gmail.com.

Class reps – If interested please email Jessica or

Maria.
 Staff working with Junior
Infants.
Junior Infant Teachers –
Jessica and Maria

Junior Infant Support Teacher – Mel

Special Needs Assistants – Elaine,

Michelle and Caterina
 Class Blog
- Here you will find information about homework, class news and
photographs of our class activities.

- Follow the link to this here:

http://belmayneetjuniorinfants.blogspot.com

- Useful tips for helping your children at home.

- Please check regularly for updates.

 Independence
- It is important that children learn to become as independent as possible this
year.

- Please teach them how to button and zip up coats, school bags, hats, scarves,
gloves.

- If children can’t tie laces, please opt for velcro shoes.

- It’s recommended that all children have a spare change of clothes in their
bags in case of any accidents. If children are given clothes from the school
please return these.

- Put their names on everything!!

- Opening and closing lunch boxes, bottles (spillages), packets etc.

- Hygiene and toileting.

- Please teach the children to pack and unpack their own bags. Some children
may need bigger bags.
Junior Infant Timetable
 Learning through themes.

September: The Home/The Classroom

October: The Post Office/Fancy Dress Shop/Pumpkin Café
November: Garda Station/Train Station
December: The Clothes Shop/The Arctic/Santa’s Workshop
January: Construction Site/Café/Supermarket
February: Outer Space/Space Station/The Garden Centre
March: The Flower Shop/Fairy Tales
April: The Beach
May: The Vet/The Dentist
June: The Farm/The Airport
 Aistear

 Play based integrated learning time every

day.
 Theme based, all play has a purpose.
 Structured play at stations ,role play, art,
blocks, sand/water/malleable, small world.
 This is an essential part of early childhood
education and helps to develop their
communicative, social and emotional skills.
English – Oral Language
English – Reading and Writing
 Jolly Phonics
- Jolly Phonics is a programme designed
to help children to learn how to read
and write.

- The children are taught the letter

sounds first, through stories, songs and
actions.

- Every week the children will learn 2

new sounds.
 Gaeilge/Irish
- The Irish language is one of the three core subjects and the language is
valued and used throughout our school.

- Irish is taught by all teachers in all classes every day. We also use Irish
informally throughout the day e.g. “Dún an doras!”

- We greet each other on the corridors, in the yard and in the classrooms
in Irish.

- We are using the Bua na Cainte Irish programme and the children
seem to love it, so be sure to ask about Niamh, Oisín and Teidí.
 Maths
- We are using the Ready, Set, Go maths programme this
year.

- It incorporates the strands of number, Early Maths

Activities, algebra and data through hands on learning.

- We will also be using the Planet Maths programme and

learning time, length, capacity, 2D & 3D shapes, weight
from the measures strand.
 Learn Together

1. Belief Systems (Sikhism, Judaism etc)

2. Moral & Spiritual/Mindfulness
(Values etc)
3. Equality & Justice
4. Ethics & the Environment
5. The Hidden Curriculum (learning
through positive practices and
modelling of behaviours)
 S.P.H.E
• Covers a range of themes relating to the child’s social, personal and health
education such as:
• Myself
• Myself and others
• Myself and the wider world

• Specific lesson to be aware of. Children will be taught correct terminology

so would be good to be open about this.
 PE
• PE Tuesday and Thursdays
(weather depending)

• Please wear appropriate

clothing and footwear
 Homework
• Check the blog for homework every Monday
http://belmayneetjuniorinfants.blogspot.com/

• New homework policy – all parents had an

opportunity to contribute

• JI/SI
- 15 – 20 minutes per night
- Reading (sounds, tricky words – reader later
on in the year)
- Maximum 1 writing task daily
- Oral Language Discussion Sheet

• If homework is a struggle and is taking longer

than the recommended time please contact us
• Learning homework is as important as written
homework
• We can see the progression when work is put in
at home
Homework and how you can help
your child at home.
- Ask your child what sound they learned at school today. Revise over
previous sounds. Look at their sound copy with them, you can ask
them to “read” their pictures out to you.

- You can ask them to sing the song they learned in school and you can
practice the song and actions together – links to the songs will be on
the blog.

- You can ask them to tell you about the activities they covered that day
and some of the words they might have learned in school.

- You can ask them to trace over the letter in their sound book or draw
it in the air together.
 Seating

• Change seats monthly

• Good for social skills sitting

beside new people every
month
 Behaviour Management
• Positive reinforcement - praise,
stickers, prizes, reward chart

• Individual reward system -

Student of the Week
• Whole class reward system – Table
of the Week

• Based on the Golden Rules

- We listen, we don’t interrupt.
- We are gentle, we don’t hurt
others.
- We are kind and helpful.
- We are honest, we tell the truth.
- We work hard, we don’t waste
time.
- We look after property, we don’t
damage things.

• Whole school behaviour plan – 3

chances then time out
 Manners/Respect
• Management and staff – looking for an
improvement in manners and respect
on a whole school level e.g. greetings,
please and thank you, holding door,
standing back for adults, giving
opinions respectfully, listening to and
respecting other’s opinions

• Looking for support and reinforcement

in these areas at home
 Positive Mental Health
and Wellbeing
• Mindfulness in class to promote
positive mental health

• Mel (in class) – friendships and

relationships, emotional awareness,
resilience, mindfulness and mindset

• Programmes (SPHE) – Stay Safe

(Senior Infants) and Walk Tall (5th
Class)
 Alan – School Counsellor
• Mentoring role - one day per week
• Parent/Teacher referral
• Will not work with children to target
educational diagnoses that need more
directed support

• Can only access a number of students

for a number of weeks - limited
provision
• Children may need outside support
such as grief counselling/additional
support that can be accessed in the
community/privately – Alan would give
guidance
 New Child Protection Guidelines
• If teachers have any concerns, we are
obliged to report to Tusla

• We have no choice in this, our role is

to report and not judge

• If a child makes a disclosure, we do

not ask any leading questions
 Anti-Bullying Policy
• Strict guidelines around bullying

• Encourage children to report repeated

bullying behaviour to a teacher
immediately

• We work with children to change their

behaviours, if no improvement is seen
suspension may follow
 New School
• Date – end of January/mid February
• Half days for moving – won’t know
dates until closer to the time
• Money/Fundraising/Costs
- IT for each classroom/support room
€5000 (per room)
- Canvas cover (rainy days) €10,000
- Library €15,000
- Hall (kitchen, PE equipment, benches,
chairs) €20,000
• 2 basketball courts, all weather pitch,
outdoor classroom
 Communication
• Emails - try our best to respond as soon as
possible, not after 5pm.
• Any concerns or issues please get in touch by email
or arrange a meeting . All children are unique and
develop at their own pace.
• Class WhatsApp groups are for clarifying queries
based on the class group/general information.
• Mutual respect between teachers and students
and we expect the same between teachers and
parents when it comes to communication. Come to
us if there is a problem.
 Attendance and Punctuality
• School starts at 8.30
• Children to be in the line at 8.30.
• Please stay with your child until the class teacher
collects the class.
• Lessons begin straight away. A lot is covered early
in the morning so it’s crucial that children are in on
time.
• If parents are running late they must bring their
child to the office and secretary will bring your
child to his/her classroom.
• Please email, send a note or inform us at drop off
or collection time if your child will be absent or
has been absent
 Attendance and Punctuality
- School does not encourage taking holidays during
term time as work will not be covered again

- As per school policy, we do not give work if children

are on holidays

- 15 days absent – you will be informed in writing

- 20 days absent- reported to NEWB (National

Educational Welfare Board)

- Poor punctuality can be very disruptive when children

are settling into morning routine

- If late please drop your child at the office – parents

should not be dropping children directly to
classrooms
 Other Information
• Message Cue – please sign up (updated
regularly with important information)
• GDPR – Aladdin is the system used to
log data about children. Paper files are
scanned, uploaded and then shredded.
• Support Staff – down two teachers
due to teacher shortage. Most at need
children will be the priority for now.
• Lunches – please contact companies
directly if any problems (Glanmore
Foods) Please remember the Healthy
Eating Policy
• Nut-free lunches because of allergies
in the school - inform us of any
allergies
• Calendar on school website
 Other Information
• Fiona has resigned her position
• Gearoid has stepped up from his role
as Assistant Principal and is currently
Acting Vice Principal for the year –
• Joe has stepped into Acting Assistant
Principal for the year.
• You cannot hold the VP role and HSCL
role - so Colum is now HSCL and has
replaced Gearoid
 Thank you!

Lastly, thank you for helping both class

groups settle in so well.

Your support and co-operation with the

homework and school life in general is hugely
appreciated!