Parent’s Association Newsletter No 1, June 2020.
A very big welcome to all the parents, students and teachers, from the Parent’s Association (PA) in our first Newsletter. It has been a very strange year, that’s for sure. The last few weeks have been difficult on so many levels for all the students, parents and teachers in the school.
We hope you enjoy reading about the work that the PA has done this year.
Every year the Parent’s Association, through discussions with teachers, students and the Student Council, pick a few ideas that we fundraise and purchase for the school. Last year we funded new books for the library, new bean bags and got new cushions and blankets for the new couches.
This year the PA have:
- Organised a Clothing Collection and a new company that will accept donations in addition to the school collections, We Buy Used Clothing on Main St in Leixlip. Bags can be dropped in again, once the shop reopens.
- Purchased 5 new picnic benches and funded the paint and wood to repair the older benches.
- Sourced a new couch, blankets and cushions for the Counsellor’s Office
- Organised the First Year Disco
- Organised the 2nd Year Movie Night
- Supported the school in the recent School Extension Campaign to highlight the need for the school refurbishment and extension. The PA were involved in meeting the Taoiseach and other candidates in the recent election to discuss the lack of progress on the project and to get buy in from the candidates. Indeed, the PA were complimented on the campaign as the support from the school, parents and students and parents in Scoil Mhuire was obvious on the doorsteps. A huge thank you for all the support and for giving the campaign such a high profile.
- Organised a Bingo Night in the Lord Lucan Pub in February.
I would like to thank the Student Council, Cinnires and the teachers for their help selling tickets for the 1st Year Disco and the 2nd Year Movie Night that the PA organised this year. I would also like to thank the teachers who volunteered to supervise on the night. From these types of events the PA fund the 1st Year Stay Awake Night, which unfortunately didn’t happen this year. These events are a great way for students to make new friends and settle into secondary school.
We held a Bingo Night in February in the Lord Lucan pub, but the event was unfortunately very poorly supported on the night. There were only 3 parents from the school there on the night to support the event. For all the PA who put so much work into the event it was very disheartening. To organise raffle prizes and spend so much time organising was disappointing. Luckily the pub rallied behind us and made it a good night, but I can honestly say that each of us could not understand the lack of support from the parents. We would very much appreciate your support at future events, and we will look at other types of events next year that parents and students may prefer to attend.
We were unable to hold the Monster Easter Raffle in April with all the fantastic prizes that we had, but we plan to run this early in new school year. Two of our newer parents did a fantastic job getting sponsorship prizes and I would like to thank them both Melissa and Sheena for all their hard work.
There are some school staff who I would like to thank on behalf of the PA:
- Bernadette the school receptionist for helping to support the PA events.
- Rita for looking after the PA funds, everything is accountable.
- Deirdre for her help with the First Year Book Marathon Cards.
- Tommy the Caretaker for all the help in organising the furniture and moving all the bags of donated clothe for the PA.
To all the numerous teachers and students who helped on the different events or supported a fundraiser or bought tickets or brought in clothing donation I would like to give a huge thank you from the PA. Without your help and support we wouldn’t be able to run the different events or create the library chill out zone to give a cheque to the school to fund new projects.
I would like to thank Ms Fitzgerald, Mr Mc Cabe, Ms Bligh, Mr O’Connor and Mr Mc Guire and all the other teachers who attended the PA meetings and supporting the different events run by the PA this year.
I want to thank the fantastic team of parents who helped this year and supported the work we achieved this year, especially those who are finishing up with the school and the PA this year. I would like to thank Sharon Byrne for all her help at the different events over the past few years. You will be missed for your help and humour when we needed it the most.
Thank you to Judith Cheng for all her work on the Accounts and Rachel Duggan for all her work as Secretary.
If any parents would like to join the PA or help out at the different events or sponsor a prize at an event, please contact us on stjoeyspa@gmail.com. Without the help and support of new parents every year, we cannot help at the different events and fundraise for new equipment which directly benefits our students.
I would like to extend an invitation to the new Student Council and new Cinnire Team to talk to the PA at the AGM in October and bring some ideas from the students in terms of what the PA can do for the student body.
I know that it has been a difficult end of year for the students, teachers and families due to the closure of the school and the restrictions during lockdown. It has been a stressful time for learning and completing schoolwork. It has also been a very stressful time for exams students, especially the 6th Year Students with all the changes and new procedures and uncertainty. This wasn’t the end of year that the school and the PA had hoped for the 6th Year students with the Graduation Ceremony and Awards Day to complete your time in St Joseph’s College.
To the 6th Year Students, may the next stage in your lives be filled with endless possibilities and new beginnings.
On behalf of the Parent’s Association, I would like to wish all the students, parents and teachers a lovely, safe summer and we hope to see you all next September.
Stay Safe.
Patricia Mc Guire
Chairperson