An overview of who we are
Our Mission Statement
Citywest Educate Together National School (commonly known as Citywest ETNS) is a national school funded by the Department of Education and Skills and run in accordance with their Rules for Primary Schools. It is also a member of Educate Together and therefore follows and supports its ethos.
In Citywest ETNS, every child will learn in a positive, safe, inclusive, democratic, co-educational setting that is committed to enabling and supporting each child to recognise their gifts and to achieve their full potential, while at the same time preparing them to become caring and active members of a culturally diverse society. By cherishing difference, respecting ourselves and others and living the Educate Together ethos, we support each other to become the best we can in school and in life.
History
Our school opened in September 2012 following years of work by a determined group of parents. We will always be thankful to those parents for their persistence and hard work.
In the first year, 2012/13, we had 27 pupils in Junior and Senior Infants, all in one classroom.
In our second year, 2013/14, we had 95 pupils in 4 classes - two Junior Infant classes, one Senior Infant class and one 1st class.
In our third year, 2014/15, we added three Junior Infant classes to make a total of 159 pupils.
By our fourth year, 2015/16, we had a total of 220 pupils across classes from Junior Infants to 3rd class, including a class for children with ASD.
In our fifth year of existence, 2016/17, we had just under 290 pupils in classes reaching up as far as 4th class.
In our sixth year of existence, 2017/18, we had 350 pupils enrolled across 15 classes from Junior Infants to 5th class and in mainstream classes and a class for children with autism.
In our seventh year of existence, 2018/19, we had 382 pupils enrolled across 16 classes, spanning the full range of primary education and including one class for children with autism.
We will be staying at the same level for our eighth year of existence in 2019/20 before reaching the full capacity of our school in September 2020 at just over 400 pupils across 18 classes - two of each mainstream class and two classes for children with autism.
To reach the maximum size of the school in just eight years is pretty extraordinary and we are so thankful to everyone who placed their faith in us and made this happen!
Our current building is our temporary accommodation. We expect to move into our permanent accommodation, just across the road from our current campus, during the early part of the 2019/20 school year. In the meantime, we are very happy with our current accommodation.
School Policies
Relevant school policies are available on our website. Policies change over time.
By sending your child to this school, you agree to support and abide by all school policies.
School Day
Citywest ETNS opens to receive pupils at 8:30am. Children should arrive between 8.30am and 8.40am in order to start lessons promptly at 8.50am. We like to ensure that each child gets as much as they can from the school day. In order to do this, it is essential that children are punctual on a daily basis.
Junior and Senior Infants finish school at 1:10pm. For safety reasons, Junior and Senior Infants should be collected from the classroom door or reception hall at 1:10pm. For your child’s sense of security, it is important that he/she knows in advance who will be collecting him/her and that they are collected promptly.
All other classes finish at 2.10.
Children who arrive after 8.40am or are collected before school finish time should be signed in or out by the parent or guardian. This is for Health and Safety reasons and so that we know who is in the building in case of emergency.
Neither staff members nor Board of Management can accept responsibility for any child before 8.30am or after 2.10pm. No child should be on the premises unsupervised at any time.
Staffing - September 2019
Principal Caitríona Hand
Deputy Principal Anita Collings
Assistant Principal Martha Whelan
Secretary Nicola McClurg
Administration Assistant Romy Marting
Caretaker and Cleaner John McManus
Cleaner Larysa Khudenko
Junior Infant teachers Ruth Maxwell and Laura Mannix
Senior Infant teachers Aisling McNamara and Sarah Cunningham
1st class teachers Deirdre O'Connor and Martha Whelan
2nd class teachers Shane Smith and Mary Treasa Barry
3rd class teachers Orla Traynor and Sarah O'Tierney
4th class teachers Eldon Hilliard and Trisha Carroll
5th class teachers Sinead Scully and Stephanie McNicholas
6th class teacher Stephen White
Support teachers Andrea Maher, Anita Collings, Claire Healy, Sandra Doody, Emer Wall and three more teachers yet to be appointed
Teacher for the Class for children with autism Leonie Jones
Additional Needs Assistants Marie Murphy-Bohan, Emma Coyle, Linda Daly, Romy Martin, Tara Rubotham, Siobhan Naughton, Louise Maguire, Dorothy Donnelly and Jasper Wood
Morning Bus Escort Avril Cox
Afternoon Bus Escort Dorothy Donnelly
Visitors to the school
All visitors to the school should report to the office on arrival. If you need to drop in your child’s lunch, bag or sports gear, please drop it into the office as this will ensure the least disruption for everyone.
Yard
There are two play breaks each day, at which time, weather-permitting, the children go outside to play. If it is a wet or particularly windy day, the children will be playing indoors.
We pay particular attention to yard play. Children are helped to find friends and are encouraged to play suitable games.
School Lunch
Before or after going out to play, the children are allowed approximately 5 minutes to eat at first break and 10 minutes at second break, while doing an easy activity such as listening to music or to a story.
Please give your child a small snack for little break and a little more for big break. Sweets and fizzy drinks are discouraged and a healthy diet is encouraged. For health and safety reasons, do not give crisps or chewing gum or glass bottles to your child.
We recommend this great guide published by Safe Food for healthy lunch ideas. It includes a section to stick up in your kitchen in case you ever get stuck for ideas!
Absent Days
When a child is absent, a written note of explanation should be given to the teacher. Schools are obliged to report to the Education Welfare Board if a child is absent in excess of 20 schools days. For further information about attendance and TUSLA, see TUSLA's website.
Uniform
There is no school uniform. Children should be dressed in suitable and comfortable clothes and shoes. We encourage children to wear clothes that make them feel good. Creativity and self-expression are encouraged.
Your child should wear a tracksuit and non-slip runners for P.E. for their comfort and safety. Children will be notified of their P.E. days by their class teacher.
Home-School Communication
Most of our home-school communication is via e-mail or posted on our website. From time to time, we will send letters or newsletters home with your child. For urgent messages, we will send a text. In order to ensure that you are kept up-to-date with all the goings-on in school, please remember to regularly check e-mail and website, school bags and phones. It is also important that you let us know as soon as any of your contact details has changed.
Faith Formation
Faith formation does not take place during the school day at Citywest Educate Together NS.
We do, however, allow use of a room for after-school faith formation classes organised by parents.
Meetings
Individual parent-teacher meetings take place once a year, usually in February. Should you need to meet with your child’s teacher at any other time, please phone the school stating the purpose of your meeting and we can arrange a suitable time. Meetings will generally be held outside school hours if possible. We encourage parents not to bring children - pupils or siblings - to the meetings.
Medical
If your child has a medical condition, please advise the principal and class teacher. If you have information that would help us help your child, please inform both principal and class teacher. If your child has a serious allergy or needs medication during school hours, it is important that you contact the teacher and principal before your child comes to school. Medications are not permitted on the premises without prior approval.
Home Learning
Junior Infants pupils are encouraged to read books, including picture books, and to play word and number games with their parents/guardians. Discussion is very important for all children. We encourage independent thinking and try to emphasise activities which will build self-esteem, self worth and confidence. A good attitude to homework is worth fostering. It will benefit the child and almost certainly benefit the parents/guardians if the child learns to take responsibility early for her/his own little tasks.
Most important is to include your child in daily activities such as
- organising the home: setting the table, tidying the bed, etc.
- helping with cooking and baking: measuring, mixing, etc.
- problem-solving: dividing a packet between a group, resolving conflict, construction toys, etc.
- independent, child-directed activities: time when the child chooses the activity and guides what happens
- decision-making: include the child in some decision-making such as which T-shirt to wear, which piece of fruit to bring for lunch, whether to have supper or bath first, etc.
If you are finding home learning time difficult, please discuss this with us earlier rather than later as it is most important that positive attitudes to learning are developed.
Parking and Access
Please be considerate of our neighbours when accessing the site. Please also be aware that we share the school site. Citywest and Saggart Community National School opens at 8.50am and finishes at 1.30pm for Infant classes and 2.30pm for older classes. Once we have settled into school life, please try to have vacated the car park by 8.40am in the mornings and by 2.20pm in the afternoons and to be tolerant and patient with other parents, guardians and carers from both schools.
We encourage families to walk to school. Guidelines for the car park and school access are available here.
Moving to Second-level Education
A group of hard-working and innovative parents are petitioning for a Second-Level Educate Together school for Citywest. We hope to see their dreams become reality sooner rather than later.
We are a feeder school for Kingswood Community College.
IMPORTANT
Citywest Educate Together National School (commonly known as Citywest ETNS) is a national school funded by the Department of Education and Skills and run in accordance with their Rules for Primary Schools. It is also a member of Educate Together and therefore follows and supports its ethos.
In Citywest ETNS, every child will learn in a positive, safe, inclusive, democratic, co-educational setting that is committed to enabling and supporting each child to recognise their gifts and to achieve their full potential, while at the same time preparing them to become caring and active members of a culturally diverse society. By cherishing difference, respecting ourselves and others and living the Educate Together ethos, we support each other to become the best we can in school and in life.
History
Our school opened in September 2012 following years of work by a determined group of parents. We will always be thankful to those parents for their persistence and hard work.
In the first year, 2012/13, we had 27 pupils in Junior and Senior Infants, all in one classroom.
In our second year, 2013/14, we had 95 pupils in 4 classes - two Junior Infant classes, one Senior Infant class and one 1st class.
In our third year, 2014/15, we added three Junior Infant classes to make a total of 159 pupils.
By our fourth year, 2015/16, we had a total of 220 pupils across classes from Junior Infants to 3rd class, including a class for children with ASD.
In our fifth year of existence, 2016/17, we had just under 290 pupils in classes reaching up as far as 4th class.
In our sixth year of existence, 2017/18, we had 350 pupils enrolled across 15 classes from Junior Infants to 5th class and in mainstream classes and a class for children with autism.
In our seventh year of existence, 2018/19, we had 382 pupils enrolled across 16 classes, spanning the full range of primary education and including one class for children with autism.
We will be staying at the same level for our eighth year of existence in 2019/20 before reaching the full capacity of our school in September 2020 at just over 400 pupils across 18 classes - two of each mainstream class and two classes for children with autism.
To reach the maximum size of the school in just eight years is pretty extraordinary and we are so thankful to everyone who placed their faith in us and made this happen!
Our current building is our temporary accommodation. We expect to move into our permanent accommodation, just across the road from our current campus, during the early part of the 2019/20 school year. In the meantime, we are very happy with our current accommodation.
School Policies
Relevant school policies are available on our website. Policies change over time.
By sending your child to this school, you agree to support and abide by all school policies.
School Day
Citywest ETNS opens to receive pupils at 8:30am. Children should arrive between 8.30am and 8.40am in order to start lessons promptly at 8.50am. We like to ensure that each child gets as much as they can from the school day. In order to do this, it is essential that children are punctual on a daily basis.
Junior and Senior Infants finish school at 1:10pm. For safety reasons, Junior and Senior Infants should be collected from the classroom door or reception hall at 1:10pm. For your child’s sense of security, it is important that he/she knows in advance who will be collecting him/her and that they are collected promptly.
All other classes finish at 2.10.
Children who arrive after 8.40am or are collected before school finish time should be signed in or out by the parent or guardian. This is for Health and Safety reasons and so that we know who is in the building in case of emergency.
Neither staff members nor Board of Management can accept responsibility for any child before 8.30am or after 2.10pm. No child should be on the premises unsupervised at any time.
Staffing - September 2019
Principal Caitríona Hand
Deputy Principal Anita Collings
Assistant Principal Martha Whelan
Secretary Nicola McClurg
Administration Assistant Romy Marting
Caretaker and Cleaner John McManus
Cleaner Larysa Khudenko
Junior Infant teachers Ruth Maxwell and Laura Mannix
Senior Infant teachers Aisling McNamara and Sarah Cunningham
1st class teachers Deirdre O'Connor and Martha Whelan
2nd class teachers Shane Smith and Mary Treasa Barry
3rd class teachers Orla Traynor and Sarah O'Tierney
4th class teachers Eldon Hilliard and Trisha Carroll
5th class teachers Sinead Scully and Stephanie McNicholas
6th class teacher Stephen White
Support teachers Andrea Maher, Anita Collings, Claire Healy, Sandra Doody, Emer Wall and three more teachers yet to be appointed
Teacher for the Class for children with autism Leonie Jones
Additional Needs Assistants Marie Murphy-Bohan, Emma Coyle, Linda Daly, Romy Martin, Tara Rubotham, Siobhan Naughton, Louise Maguire, Dorothy Donnelly and Jasper Wood
Morning Bus Escort Avril Cox
Afternoon Bus Escort Dorothy Donnelly
Visitors to the school
All visitors to the school should report to the office on arrival. If you need to drop in your child’s lunch, bag or sports gear, please drop it into the office as this will ensure the least disruption for everyone.
Yard
There are two play breaks each day, at which time, weather-permitting, the children go outside to play. If it is a wet or particularly windy day, the children will be playing indoors.
We pay particular attention to yard play. Children are helped to find friends and are encouraged to play suitable games.
School Lunch
Before or after going out to play, the children are allowed approximately 5 minutes to eat at first break and 10 minutes at second break, while doing an easy activity such as listening to music or to a story.
Please give your child a small snack for little break and a little more for big break. Sweets and fizzy drinks are discouraged and a healthy diet is encouraged. For health and safety reasons, do not give crisps or chewing gum or glass bottles to your child.
We recommend this great guide published by Safe Food for healthy lunch ideas. It includes a section to stick up in your kitchen in case you ever get stuck for ideas!
Absent Days
When a child is absent, a written note of explanation should be given to the teacher. Schools are obliged to report to the Education Welfare Board if a child is absent in excess of 20 schools days. For further information about attendance and TUSLA, see TUSLA's website.
Uniform
There is no school uniform. Children should be dressed in suitable and comfortable clothes and shoes. We encourage children to wear clothes that make them feel good. Creativity and self-expression are encouraged.
Your child should wear a tracksuit and non-slip runners for P.E. for their comfort and safety. Children will be notified of their P.E. days by their class teacher.
Home-School Communication
Most of our home-school communication is via e-mail or posted on our website. From time to time, we will send letters or newsletters home with your child. For urgent messages, we will send a text. In order to ensure that you are kept up-to-date with all the goings-on in school, please remember to regularly check e-mail and website, school bags and phones. It is also important that you let us know as soon as any of your contact details has changed.
Faith Formation
Faith formation does not take place during the school day at Citywest Educate Together NS.
We do, however, allow use of a room for after-school faith formation classes organised by parents.
Meetings
Individual parent-teacher meetings take place once a year, usually in February. Should you need to meet with your child’s teacher at any other time, please phone the school stating the purpose of your meeting and we can arrange a suitable time. Meetings will generally be held outside school hours if possible. We encourage parents not to bring children - pupils or siblings - to the meetings.
Medical
If your child has a medical condition, please advise the principal and class teacher. If you have information that would help us help your child, please inform both principal and class teacher. If your child has a serious allergy or needs medication during school hours, it is important that you contact the teacher and principal before your child comes to school. Medications are not permitted on the premises without prior approval.
Home Learning
Junior Infants pupils are encouraged to read books, including picture books, and to play word and number games with their parents/guardians. Discussion is very important for all children. We encourage independent thinking and try to emphasise activities which will build self-esteem, self worth and confidence. A good attitude to homework is worth fostering. It will benefit the child and almost certainly benefit the parents/guardians if the child learns to take responsibility early for her/his own little tasks.
Most important is to include your child in daily activities such as
- organising the home: setting the table, tidying the bed, etc.
- helping with cooking and baking: measuring, mixing, etc.
- problem-solving: dividing a packet between a group, resolving conflict, construction toys, etc.
- independent, child-directed activities: time when the child chooses the activity and guides what happens
- decision-making: include the child in some decision-making such as which T-shirt to wear, which piece of fruit to bring for lunch, whether to have supper or bath first, etc.
If you are finding home learning time difficult, please discuss this with us earlier rather than later as it is most important that positive attitudes to learning are developed.
Parking and Access
Please be considerate of our neighbours when accessing the site. Please also be aware that we share the school site. Citywest and Saggart Community National School opens at 8.50am and finishes at 1.30pm for Infant classes and 2.30pm for older classes. Once we have settled into school life, please try to have vacated the car park by 8.40am in the mornings and by 2.20pm in the afternoons and to be tolerant and patient with other parents, guardians and carers from both schools.
We encourage families to walk to school. Guidelines for the car park and school access are available here.
Moving to Second-level Education
A group of hard-working and innovative parents are petitioning for a Second-Level Educate Together school for Citywest. We hope to see their dreams become reality sooner rather than later.
We are a feeder school for Kingswood Community College.
IMPORTANT
- Please label all coats, hats, gloves, lunch boxes and drink bottles
- Please make sure the school has all contact numbers for you in case of emergency and that the office is informed of any change of address or contact numbers.