Lurgybrack

Letterkenny

Co Donegal

Tel/Fax (074) 9125455

              Web:  lurgybrackns.town.ie

e-mail:  lurgybrackns@gmail.com

Date: 13/03/2020

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As you are all aware, our school has been instructed to close until Monday 30th March. Children were assigned work yesterday which they can complete over the course of the school closure. I stressed to all the pupils when I visited classes yesterday that this is not a holiday, but rather an unscheduled closing so it is important they continue to engage with school work. The children were also reminded of the importance of the good hygiene routines which they have been observing so well at home and in school.

Along with the work which was sent home by your child’s teacher, there are lots of enjoyable and educationally valuable activities which you can carry out with your children over this period of time. Below is a list with some suggestions for activities children could carry out, website they can access and general advice for the next few weeks (point 6 is especially important as this website has endless resources and activities);

1) Don’t worry about progression on new topics. The best thing you can do is take out their maths book and go over old topics. Especially tables!!! Pick a topic every few days and print out a few worksheets for them to do.  Revision is best here A great site for math revision is Topmarks and IXL. .https://www.topmarks.co.uk/

https://ie.ixl.com/

 2) Join Mathlethics. This is a website packed full of maths games. Children can play against each other and work on all the skills that they will have already covered this year!!

https://login.mathletics.com

 3) Pick out the next 2 reading comprehensions in their English reader. Listen to them read. Get them to do the topics in a new copy for home. Have a read over it yourself when they’re done. Spend a week on each story. 

 4) Read, Read, Read. This is the best time for kids to read as much as they can. Pick a good book. Download a summery for yourself. Most books have book club type questions for each chapter online. Have a chat with the kids about the books. 

 5) If your children are older, there are some excellent websites for coding. I use scratch when coding with the kids. There’s loads and loads of tutorials online https://scratch.mit.edu

 6) Twinkl are offering a free month to parents. This website is incredible. It is full of printable for everything from pre schoolers upwards. You will find so much here

https://www.twinkl.ie. Use the code IRLTWINKLHELPS

 8) Scoilnet Primary is another website with a wealth of worksheets and topics for researching. 

https://www.scoilnet.ie

 9) Take 20 mins the night before to have stuff ready. Write the list out and let them at it. Don’t over load them. As a teacher the maths would be the most important in my eyes. They can catch up on the rest.  Keep them practicing their tables over and over!!!!

 Some further links to educational sites and resources will be posted on our school website.

As well as the suggestions listed above, I would encourage you to consider the following enjoyable and educationally valuable activities.

Children could prepare a small project. Pick a country, animal, famous person, historical event etc. Compile the information in written form or digitally using https://prezi.com/  or PowerPoint. I will be awarding a prize for the best project completed in each class

Baking/Cookery

Art

Board Games & Jigsaws

Card games

Watch TG4 to aid your child’s fluency in Gaeilge

Outdoor games and activities

Finally, I would like to assure you that the staff of the school are committed to covering the full Curriculum is all of our subject areas.  We are confident that we will have sufficient time over the remainder of this school year to achieve this. I would kindly ask you not to work ahead in any subject areas, but rather stick to the revision work already sent home and the many fun and educational activities listed in this letter.

Further communication from the Department of Education will be posted on our school website and communication via the texting service will continue when required.

I thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this letter. I wish you and all our pupils the very best. I ask God to bless us all and keep us safe and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Le gach dea ghuí,

Annraoi Cheevers