The Department of Education have given instruction that all schools are to remain closed for the rest of this week. Therefore Citywest ETNS will remain closed until 2nd March. We expect to reopen on Monday 5th March.

Please note: While the school is closed, there will be no activities at the school - Kidorama is closed, after-school activities cancelled, evening classes and meetings cancelled. Please share with those who use services at our school but do not have children attending our school. Thanks.

We have been having difficulty with our portable PA system for a couple of months and cannot seem to figure out what the problem is. Sometimes, when we plug the microphone into the system, it works, and other times, it is patchy or doesn't work at all.
​At first, we thought it must be a problem with the microphone itself or the cable we were using to connect it. But replacing both the mic and the cable was not enough to solve the problem.
​Now, we think there must be a loose connection within the PA system itself. Unfortunately, the system is just out of warranty. But maybe there is somebody in our school community who knows enough about electronics to take a look and hopefully sort this out?
​If you think you might be able to help us get to the bottom of this problem, please drop in to Nicola in the office, or drop us an email to let us know, and we can arrange to let you have a look at it.
Thanks!

The permit-only car park is for those with parking permits only and at the times specified on that permit only.

Please try to be off our school campus by 8.40am each morning. Being on a shared campus, the shared campus agreement is that our families have use of the car park in the mornings up to 8.40am. Between 8.40am and 8.55am, the children attending Citywest and Saggart Community National School arrive. From 8.55am, the children attending either Kidorama Academy or Care and Cuddles pre-school arrive.

When these times are not adhered to, that causes backlog and increases stress levels for all. We understand that anyone can have a day when things don't go to plan and you end up late. That's ok. That's understandable and one or two families a day is manageable. Just please try to make it in by 8.40am MOST days! Thank you.

​Please be aware of the dangers your children may be facing online.  There have been many warnings in the media recently about a game called ROBLOX.  This game allows children to chat online with others anonymously.  Click here for an article from TV3 warning parents about this game in particular.  Please read about this game, chat with your children about it and ensure that they are adequately supervised while online.  

As you know, we have already had professional support in to talk with children, staff and parents about this topic. However, the internet is constantly developing and there are new dangers every week.

#BeinCTRL is a new initiative of Webwise, which is a great organisation for supporting parents and schools in keeping our children safe online. Please check it out and stay vigilant.

Remind your children of the golden rule for digital interactions that make them feel uncomfortable: Stop, Block, Tell.

And as for everything in life, model what you want your child to do:

• If you don't want them on a device all day, get off your own device and do something else.
• If you don't want them on social media, get off it yourself. Save your social media time for when they're in bed.
• If you want them interacting with only people they know, do the same yourself.
• Don't want them sharing photos of themselves online? Guess what, don't share photos either!
• Worried about what information they share? Be vocal in your own choices and thinking on it - if a survey or question pops up on your screen, talk it out, get your child to help you decide whether to answer and why/why not.

Children copy what we do, not what we say, so let's walk the talk ourselves!

As you may have read in the media, a number of Educate Together schools received letters from the Department of Education last week, advising them to place a cap on enrolments. You can read Educate Together's response here.

These schools are just like ours - hard-working, equality-based, providing choice of provision for the community they serve and going from strength to strength. They feel victimised by this move and are looking for support in pushing back on this instruction from the Department of Education.

​Educate Together is a strong community and these schools would like to know that they are not alone and that they are supported.

​New Ross ETNS are holding a meeting on Thursday 8th February at 7.30pm in their school. They would like to see many there in solidarity and support.

​If you can make it along to that meeting, that would be wonderful. If not, perhaps you can make your support felt in other ways e.g. drop them an email, share their posts on social media or speak to your elected representatives about this attack on equality-based schools.

The first round of offers for places in our school for September 2018 were sent today, 1st February 2018. Many thanks to those who responded promptly, whether accepting or declining the school place, as it allowed us to send a further 8 offers in the afternoon.

Offers have now been sent to the following categories:

• ​All those who applied for a 4th class place
• For Junior Infant places:
  
  • All those who have siblings in the school, will turn 4 by the end of March and were pre-enrolled by 31st January 2018
    
  • All those who had pre-enrolled by 5th September 2016
  • All those who will turn 4 by the end of March and were pre-enrolled by 14th September 2016
    

​As you can see, we are actively managing the waiting list and doing our best to let families know as soon as a place arises for their child. Further updates will be posted here to our News page. An email update has been promised to parents as follows:

• ​8th February for the Junior Infants waiting list
• 1st May for all other waiting lists
  

​Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.