News

 Celebrating Safer Internet Day – Feb 6th, 2024!  

Join us in the global celebration of Safer Internet Day on February 6th. Let’s stand “Together for a better internet” for our children. (https://www.saferinternetday.org/)

In this digital age, our kids are navigating the online world like never before. While the internet is an incredible tool, we all share valid concerns about our little ones spending too much time online, accessing the wrong content, and interacting with individuals who may not have the best intentions.

National Parents Council has your back!

We’re thrilled to announce a series of FREE Internet Safety Information Sessions tailor-made just for you – the parents! These virtual sessions are designed to arm you with knowledge and skills to dive into your children’s online lives fearlessly.

Register now for free: National Parents Council Internet Safety Information session for Parents – Virtual February 2024 Survey (surveymonkey.com)

Mark Your Calendar for Feb 6th to 9th, 2024!

 Session Schedule:

• 10 AM and 7:30 PM: Feb 6th to Feb 8th
• 10 AM: Feb 9^th

Why Join Us?

• Gain valuable insights into your children’s online world.
• Equip yourself with skills to navigate the benefits and risks of the internet.
• Discover hints and tips for fostering effective, responsible, and safer internet use. 

At the end of each session, you’ll receive an exclusive template to craft an internet usage agreement with your children.

How to register?  Click here:  National Parents Council Internet Safety Information session for Parents – Virtual February 2024 Survey (surveymonkey.com) to register for this event!

Curious minds can find more details about the Internet Safety sessions here.

Let’s empower our children to be effective, responsible, and safe internet navigators together.

Dear Parents,

We hope this message finds you well. As your child prepares to make the important transition from Primary School to Post-Primary School, we understand the challenges that may arise during this period. To support you and your child through this process, the National Parents Council (NPC) is offering free online sessions, providing valuable insights and guidance.

Session Details:

• Dates: 29^th January to 2^nd of February 2024
• Platform: Zoom

Schedule:

• 29^th, 30^th , 31^st January, 1^st February: 10 AM and 7:30 PM
• 2^nd February 2024:  10 PM

Registration: To participate, please register for free by providing your information here : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPPP_Feb_2024

Session Topics: The sessions will cover a range of topics including:

1. Choosing a school for your child
2. Preparing your child for post-primary school
3. Subject choice
4. School policies
5. Home-school communication.
6. People you might meet in post-primary school.
7. Parent/Teacher meetings

Who Can Attend: These sessions are open to all parents of primary school children. We encourage you to share this information with anyone who may be interested. We believe that these sessions will provide valuable insights and support as you navigate this significant transition with your child. We look forward to your active participation in making this journey smoother for both you and your child.

Best Regards,

National Parents Counci

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope this message finds you well. The National Parents Council (www.npc.ie)  is excited to bring to your attention a unique opportunity for your child to contribute to the review of the EPSEN Act 2004. Researchers from the School of Education at University College Dublin (UCD) are conducting focus groups to gain insights into the experiences of children and young people, and we invite your child to be a part of this important initiative.

About the EPSEN Act 2004 Review: The Minister for Special Education and Inclusion, Ms Josepha Madigan, has tasked researchers at UCD with exploring children and young people’s experiences under the EPSEN Act, 2004. This legislation was introduced to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs receive the necessary support in schools.

Why Your Child’s Participation Matters: We believe that your child’s unique experiences can provide valuable insights that will shape the future of special education support. By participating in focus groups, your child will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about the EPSEN Act, 2004, and contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance educational support for all.

Details of the Focus Groups:

• Participants: Children and young people of ALL abilities aged 10 to 18 years
• Format: Four groups of 12-15 participants
• Venue: Three in-person groups and one online group
• Recording: Various methods such as audio recordings, note-taking, and worksheets

What to Do Next: If your child is interested in participating, we encourage you to reach out to the UCD EPSEN Research Team by emailing epsen@ucd.ie . Simply express your child’s interest in taking part, and the UCD team will guide you through the necessary steps.

Deadline: 24^th of January, 2024

We understand that some children may prefer not to be part of focus groups. In such cases, an alternative option is available – an activity pack will be posted to them, allowing them to contribute in a way that suits their comfort level.

Your support and your child’s involvement are crucial to the success of this review. Together, we can ensure that the EPSEN Act, 2004 continues to meet the diverse needs of all children. Further information can be found below.

·  Invitation to Child Focus Groups

·  Information sheet for Children

·  Information sheet for Parents/ Guardians

Thank you for considering this important opportunity for your child’s participation. 

Dear Parents,

“While the internet undoubtedly presents fantastic opportunities for children, it is equally clear that there are valid concerns about children spending too much time online, accessing inappropriate content, and communicating with people with intent to harm or exploit them. As parents our natural desire is to keep our children safe.”

Keeping this in mind, National Parents Council Primary is providing a batch of FREE Internet Safety Information Sessions specifically designed for parents!

Each virtual session aims to give you information and skills to be able to engage in your children’s online lives. It covers the benefits and risks of the internet and provides hints and tips for parents, helping children be effective, responsible, and safer Internet users. All the information you require is provided below.

At the end of the session, parents will also be provided with a specially designed template to enable them to work with their children to form an agreement for internet usage.

When: Sessions will be taking place online via Zoom from 13^th to the 15^th of December 2023. Schedules are listed below:

10am and 7:30pm: Wednesday and Thursday, the 13^th and 14^th December 2023
10am: Friday the 15^th of December 2023

To register, just fill in a simple form right here:‌ ‌Keeping your child safe on the Internet

For more information on the Internet Safety sessions, please click here.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Dear Parents,

Exciting news! The National Parents Council (NPC) is bringing back these interactive sessions just for you, focusing on Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE). Our first session, “Supporting your Child to build Healthy Friendships and Relationships,” is designed to empower you in guiding your primary school children towards forming and maintaining healthy connections.

Key Details:

• Session 1 Topic: Supporting your Child to build Healthy Friendships and Relationships
• When: December 4th (Monday) – December 7th (Thursday), with an additional morning session on December 8th (Friday) at 10 am.
• Time: Morning (10 am) and Evening (7:30 pm) sessions available
• Where: Online via Zoom

• Registration Link for Session 1: Register Now (Click here)
• Why Attend?
• Gain insights on supporting your child’s journey in building and maintaining healthy relationships.
• Learn effective communication skills crucial for fostering strong connections.
• Discover strategies to navigate challenges in friendships.

• RSE Session Highlights:
• 1^st Session: How to support children in building and sustaining healthy relationships and friendships.
• 2^nd Session: Active Listening Skills.
• 3^rd Session: “Making the Big Talk many Small Talks.”

• Who Can Attend? These sessions are open to ALL parents of children in Primary School. Feel free to share this opportunity with other parents.
• Limited Spaces Available: Our sessions are interactive, allowing active participation. As spaces are limited, registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Register Now: Session 1 Registration

• Stay tuned! You will receive an email with details about the remaining two sessions in the RSE Series. We look forward to your active participation in these engaging sessions!

Lots of wonderful creations from our Lego builders!

Some photos of the many fantastic creations in our weekly lego club during October & November!

Hello Parents,

‘While the internet undoubtedly presents fantastic opportunities for children, it is equally clear that there are valid concerns about children spending too much time online, accessing inappropriate content, and communicating with people with intent to harm or exploit them. As parents our natural desire is to keep our children safe.’

Register now for free: NPC Internet Safety Information session for Parents – Virtual October 2023 Survey (surveymonkey.com)

Keeping this in mind, National Parents Council is bringing a series of free Internet Safety Information Sessions specifically designed for parents! Each virtual session aims to give you information and skills to be able to engage in your children’s online lives. It covers the benefits and risks of the internet and provides hints and tips for parents, helping children be effective, responsible, and safer Internet users. All the information you require is provided below:

When: Sessions will be taking place online via Zoom from the 9^th to the 13^th of October of 2023. Schedules are listed below:

10 AM and 7:30 PM: 9^th – 12^th of October!

10 AM: 13^th October

At the end of the session, parents will also be provided with a specially designed template to enable them to work with their children to form an agreement for internet usage.

To register, just fill in a simple form right here: NPC Internet Safety Information session for Parents – Virtual October 2023 Survey (surveymonkey.com)

For more information on the Internet Safety sessions, please visit the training and resources section on our website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Parenting – the challenges and rewards

The St. Pius X Parents’ Association is delighted to welcome John Lonergan

Tuesday 3rd October 2023 @ 8pm in the PE Hall

In this 1-hour presentation, John discusses:

• accepting your child’s reality;
• the 2 most important measurements for parents/guardians;
• communication and the importance of chatting, listening and hearing;
• how to react when your child shocks, annoys, upsets or embarrasses you;
• problem solving – how to help and encourage children to solve their own problems;
• to glance at problems and star at successes;
• and the “four no-no’s” – what to avoid.

John Lonergan, a published author, served in the Irish Prison Service for over 42 years before his retirement in 2010. He was the Governor of Mountjoy Prison for over 22 years and Governor of the top security prison at Portlaoise for almost 4 years. Further details on http://www.johnlonergan.com

ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS WELCOME!

FREE ADMISSION!

On the 16th of June, there was baking magic in the air of the PE Hall!  Hundreds of entries for the competition, with each category showing off baking expertise and creativity of the pupils of the Boys and Girls of St. Pius X. There were hard calls for the SNA judges, but after careful deliberation 1st, 2nd and 3rd places were awarded and the bake sale began with a bang. 

A sea of boys and girls were in the PE hall scoping out and purchasing their favourite pieces before going back to class and taking a guess at the “Guess how many sweets” table, with sales going well over €3000, and almost all sales operations were handled by the 6th class boys and girls, a huge thank you for working so well to make this a success!  

A huge thank you is due to all the staff, especially the wonderful judges, and parents and of course the PA team;  and Natasha and Karen for all efforts that made it a fun and great fundraising event! 

Baking Category	1st – BNS	2nd – BNS	1st – BNS
Cookie	Sloane Van Aswegen – Jr. Inf	Alistair Martin – Jr. Inf	Joseph O’ Brien – Sr .Inf
Traybake/ Brownie	Art Mc Grath – 1st	George Own – 2nd	Paddy Lappin – 2nd
Cupcake	Sebastian Cronin – 3rd	James Quinn – 3rd	Darragh Ward – 3rd
Cake	Shane Tisdall – 5th	Max McCabe – 6th	Callum Nolan – 6th

Baking Category	1st – GNS	2nd – GNS	3rd – GNS
Cookie	Aoibhiann Ward – Sr. Inf	Robyn Dunne – Jr. Inf	Aleksandka Cvetkova – Sr. Inf
Traybake/ Brownie	Amelie Lyons – 2nd & Sadie Macken – 1st (JOINT)	Heidi Quinn – 2nd	Elodie Coffey – 1st
Cupcake	Lucy O’Callaghan – 3rd	Emelia DC – 4th	Sophie Coffey – 3rd
Cake	Alisha Walsh – 6th	Eva Linton – 5th & Cara Synott – 5th	Georgia Hallows – 5th