Plan For The Next Few Weeks - Letter to Parents/Guardians

27th Mar 2020

St John the Baptist BNS - THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

27 March 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We want to support you at home with your son’s education, but we don’t want to be a nuisance and we certainly don’t want to put anybody under pressure. These are extraordinary times and every family’s circumstances will be different. Therefore, what we will suggest are only guidelines that we hope will be of some use.

We obviously believe that our boys must see learning as important and a bit of ‘work’ should be done each day. But it’s likely that the informal learning opportunities your family creates will be the deeper and more authentic learning.

Children all learn differently and you know your boys best so, ultimately, our weekly ‘work’ package contains - predominantly - suggestions for creating as many meaningful possibilities for learning as your circumstances will allow.

Every Sunday night, a work package from your son’s teacher will be posted to our website - www.cashelbns.ie. It will contain a message from teacher along with curriculum and other suggested activities. The first package will be on the website on Sunday night 29 March and the next one will be on Sunday 19 April (if we’re not back to school the following day) and every Sunday thereafter.

In truth, though, what your boys probably need more than anything right now is to feel comforted and loved. To feel like it’s going to be ok. Don’t sweat over trying to fill every hour with educational activities. Don’t worry about them regressing educationally. Look after them and look after each other. And if that means doing none of the work package, then don’t do any of the work package! You can’t learn, after all, if you don’t feel happy & safe.

Reading and exercise, though, shouldn’t be an option! Try and make time for these every single day. 😀 We’re here to help in any way we can until we all come out on the other side of this.

Slán tamall and best wishes & love from us all to you and the boys.

St John the Baptist BNS, Cashel

P.S. We are continuously sharing and updating useful teaching and learning resources on our padlet board (https://padlet.com/principal69/jid3caaqen1c) which you can access through our website. Our Twitter account (@cashelbns) is also tweeting & retweeting updates as we come across them. Also, if you haven’t done so, don’t forget to email me at principal@cashelbns.ie with your son(s) name if you’d like access to the free digital library! Over 70 students now, reading hundreds of books. Keep it up!