This document outlines topics that will be discussed at a meeting for parents of students starting Senior Infants. It includes information about the Home School Community Liaison officer, Parents Council, attendance policies, golden rules, rewards and sanctions, curriculum details, homework, blogs, fundraising and other school activities.

1. Welcome to
Senior Infants!

2. Outline of Meeting
• Welcome, Explanation
• HSCL
• Parents Council
• Attendance and Punctuality
• Ethics/ Assembly
• Golden Rules/ Yard
• Rewards and Sanctions (Class and Yard; Student of the Week,
Work of the Week)
• Timetable
• English/ Maths/ Team Teaching
• Timetable
• Homework (Examples)
• Class blogs
• School Play
• AOB (Fitness, Lunches, Crazy Hair Day, Fundraising, GAA)

3. HSCL Officer - Eoghan
• Visiting parents/guardians in their
homes.
• Organising courses, talks or
meetings for parents/guardians in
the school.
• Involving parents/guardians in
their children‟s education.
• Encouraging closer ties between
teachers, schools and the
parents/guardians;
• Encouraging parents/guardians to
participate in classroom projects
with teachers, such as Shared
Reading/Literacy Programmes,
Maths for Fun and Science for
Fun.

4. Parents Council
• Requesting Class Reps for every
class in the school.
• Not already a member of the
Parents Council.
• Main duties involve messaging
parents about events etc.,
organising contact details, linking
in with the Parents Council on
fundraising issues.

5. Attendance and Punctuality
• NEWB - National Education
Welfare Board. Child‟s
attendance record is forwarded
here if they are absent for 16
days or more where these days
are not classified as certified sick
days.
• Therefore, holidays during term
time are not recommended. Work
will not be given by the teacher to
a child that is missing for this
reason.
• Punctuality - School starts at
8.30 AM. Singing on Friday. Roll
is taken in the morning; late
students are recorded.

6. Ethics and Assembly
• Ethics Calendar – Some of the main
events in the school year.
• We cover 4 strands in the Ethics
curriculum – Moral and Spiritual, Justice
and Equality, Belief Systems and Ethics
and the Environment.
• The Friday Assembly is an opportunity
for the school to come together and
talk about our work in the Ethics
curriculum.
• Friday assembly is an important part of
the school day. We would ask that once
assembly begins that you leave the yard
and let the children stand in the líne on
their own and listen to their peers
presenting their work.

7. Student of the Week/
Work of the Week
• Student of the Week – A student
that has worked exceptionally
hard in class or who has been a
role model for the Golden Rules.
• Work of the Week – We want the
children to be more aware of how
important the quality of their
work is. „My Best Work‟ folders
will be introduced after midterm
and this will inform the teacher‟s/
child‟s selection for their „work of
the week‟

8. Golden Rules
• We listen and we don‟t interrupt.
• We are gentle. We don‟t hurt others.
• We are honest. We tell the truth.
• We are kind.
• We work hard. We don‟t waste time.
• We look after property. We don‟t damage things.
Class rules are based on these Golden Rules.
Yard rules are also based on these rules.

9. Yard Time
• Class teachers are not usually with their
class during this time.
• Yard is a time where the children engage in
independent, self initiated free play.
However, the children are still expected to
follow the Golden Rules.
• If anything particularly serious (a fall, a
cut, a disagreement) happens on yard, the
teacher who is supervising that yard will
inform the class teacher. However, we also
do have to depend on the kids to tell us if
they have a problem/ injury.
• Yard Book – 3 strikes
• 1st Time – Verbal Warning
• 2nd Time – 5 minute time out
• 3rd Time – 10 minute time out, meeting
with class teacher and/or Sinéad.

10. Rewards and Sanctions
• Atmosphere of respect and fairness
• Golden rules apply in class and yard
• Specific class rules- good listening, good looking, feet on floor, lips
zipped etc.
• Rewards
-Praise and encouragement.
-Paula‟s Class:
• Groups: Table with the most stars on Friday gets first pick of
toys at Golden Time.
• Individual: Clipchart – when a child gets to the top of the chart
they get to pick a prize from the prize box.
-Karl‟s Class:
• Individual: Smiley Faces/ Happy Grams
• Class: Golden Time on Friday = Play or „Film Fridays‟

12. What‟s Team Teaching?
• The children are placed into
different groups of 6-10 children.
These children will work with the
support teachers 3-5 times a
week in the areas of English and
Maths.
• Small groups allow for more
concepts to be taught etc., and
for the children to achieve
success in their work on a more
regular basis as the work in these
groups is based on the ability
level of the children.
• These teachers may also give
homework to their groups.

13. English… so far
• So far we have revised the letter
sounds with the children, with an
emphasis on dictating simple
words that the children must try
to write themselves.
• We are beginning to refer to the
letters name as well as the sound
it makes. E.g. “H” – it‟s called H
but makes a “huh” sound.
• We have taught all the new
vocabulary from the first new
reader. The reader will be going
home next week.
• We have revised the words of
dolch lists 1 & 2.

14. English… what next?
• Jolly Grammar – Book 1
• Dolch List 3
• „Ella goes to the Airport‟
• SAILS readers to be sent home
after midterm again until it is time
for the next reader‟s wordbags to be
sent home.
• Handwriting is very important this
term – neatness etc.,
• Reading with your children –
Independent and guided.

15. Maths
We are building on last years work. Concepts
that where introduced last year get added to
and developed. E.g. using the language of
ordinal number , last year the children
learned about the terms “first” and “last” ,
this will be explored and they will learn to use
“ second” and “ third” etc.
This spiral approach to the maths curriculum
is evident in the space and shape strand,
measures strand and algebra strand.
Many of the children have advanced beyond
the Senior Infant Curriculum. However, we
must still revise the curriculum again before
we move beyond it to ensure that the
children can apply the Senior Infant
curriculum to all of their Maths Problems.

16. Homework Tips
• Quiet space – desk, chair, light,
no distractions
• Have materials ready – pencils
pared etc.,
• Not late at night!
• Homework should only take 25
minutes; set a timer for the
children if needs be.
• Check the work – quality is
important

17. Homework
• The written homework will be handwriting or
Maths. This may change over the year but we
will let you know in advance.
• Quality of homework.
• Homework may be given from support
teachers.
• Reading of word bags is homework (Examples).
• Reading of the reader is homework; also can
you please sign your name or initial when you
have listened to your child‟s reading (Fluency
etc.,)
• If homework is taking longer than twenty/
twenty five minutes, please let us know and we
can look into it together.

18. Blogs and Contact Details
Please keep an eye on the blog. We
will try to change and update them
regularly with news , information and
resources that may help you at home.
We always appreciate when you or
your child leaves a comment.
It is not always appropriate to talk
to us out in the yard in the mornings,
so if you need to make an appointment
to see us you can email us at the
following addresses
belmayneetpaula@gmail.com and
belmayneetkarl@gmail.com .

19. School Play
• December
18th – The
Helix
• One night
only!
• €10 approx.

20. Fitness and GAA
• Junior Infants – 1st Class
= timed obstacle course.
• 2nd Class – 6th Class =
Bleep Test
• Results will be recorded
in Fitness Booklet
• GAA with Neil on
Fridays. Children are
encouraged to go to the
Trinity Gaels GAA club
every Saturday at 11 for
fun games and GAA skill
development.

21. Fundraising
• Crazy Hair Day = almost
€400.
• More fundraisers to
come to help fund the
school.
• Mel is in charge of
fundraisers if you have
any ideas etc.,

22. Lunches
• Healthy eating policy.
• Children should eat their
own lunch.
• Sandwiches, milk and
fruit are provided each
day.
• Strictly no peanuts in
school.
• Birthdays