Corpus Christi GNS is an all girls primary school in Drumcondra, Dublin 9. It caters for children aged 4 years to 12 years old. It was set up 1931 under the trusteeship of the Holy Faith Sisters. The school was established to serve the growing local population and catered for very large classes in its early years. In 1964 an extension incorporating toilets, a cookery room and another classroom was added to the school. In 2007 a prefab was added to provide additional classroom space. For many years the school catered for girls and for boys up to first class. Most of the boys would then transfer to the local boys' school. In 1995 a decision was taken to enroll girls only and the last of the boys left in 1998.

The Holy Faith sisters continued their involvement with the school until 1999 when the first lay principal was appointed to the school. The school operates according to the rules for National Schools and class size is determined by the annually published schedule of the Department of Education and Science.

Much has changed since the early days at the school. All the classrooms are equipped for the digital age and we have the latest technology in terms of interactive whiteboards in each classroom.

Board of Management

Staff

Curriculum

Dates for your diary

Practical Information for Parents

Uniform read

Board of Management.

The school is run by the Board of Management .The Board is made up of 8 members: 2 Parents representatives, 2 Community representatives, 2 members of the teaching staff (one of whom is the Principal) and 2 Patron's nominees. The Board of Management has a four year term. A new Board will take office in December 2011. The current members of the Board of Management are as follows:

Mrs. Margaret Barry Chairperson

Mr. Austin Barrett Community nominee

Mr. John Conlan Parents' nominee

Ms. Clare Galvin Principal

Ms. Eithne Kennedy Community nominee

Monsignor Lorcan O'Brien Patron's nominee

Mrs. Louise Thompson Parents' nominee

Mrs. Kathleen Walley Teacher's nominee

Our Staff
At present there are 18 teachers on staff including the principal. We have 14 mainstream class teachers and three special education teachers. We also have 4 special needs assistants, a school secretary and a part time caretaker.

Curriculum
The following subjects are taught in line with the revised primary school curriculum. Your child will be learning in the following areas and subjects:

1. Language: Gaeilge & English.
2. Mathematics: Mathematics.
3. Social, Environmental & Scientific Education (S.P.H.E): History, Geography & Science.
4. Arts Education: Music, Visual Arts and Drama.
5. Physical Education (P.E): Physical Education.
6. Social, Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E): Social, Personal and Health Education.

There are national guidelines regarding the amount of time to be allocated to each curriculum area. A range of after school activities is available and includes Spanish classes, French classes, tin whistle classes and camogie. A homework club is also available in the school. Details are available at the school.

Dates for your Diary - Term One

School re opens: August 31st 2011

Friendship Week 3rd - 7th October 2011

Parents meeting to elect
Board of Management nominee. 25th October 2011

Polling Day (school closed) 27th October 2011

Accord Visit to 6th class 24th November 2011

Parent/Teacher meetings. 23rd and 24th November 2011

Practical Information for Parents

Opening and Closing Times

· The school building opens for the reception of pupils at 8.50a.m.

· School finishes at 1.30p.m. for Infant classes and at 2.30p.m. for all other classes.

· The Board of Management does not accept responsibility for supervising pupils who arrive before 8.50a.m.or who remain after 2.30p.m. It should be noted that your child may not enter the school before 8.50 a.m. Children remain the responsibility of their parents/guardians until that time.

The School Day

Junior and Senior Infants: 8.50a.m. - 1.30p.m.

First to sixth class : 8.50a.m.- 2.30p.m.

Morning break: 10.45a.m.- 11.00a.m.
Lunch Break: 12.35p.m.- 1.00p.m.

Calendar

Each year a calendar is issued to all parents outlining the closures for the year ahead. It is also available on the school website

Punctuality and Attendance.

The children are expected to be punctual and to attend school everyday. Good school attendance is crucial to your child's progress. We ask that you are on time picking up your child daily. Infant Teachers have other duties to perform and small children's trust is shattered if they are left wait when every other child has been collected.

If your child is absent for any reason, please send an explanatory note to the teacher on her return. If at all possible, appointments for your child (dentist, doctor etc.) should be arranged outside of school time. The school has a statutory obligation to report all absences of 20 days or over the Educational Welfare Officer. Roll call is normally taken at 9.50a.m. and any children not in school by then will be marked absent.

Safety Issues if collecting a child early.

On rare occasions it may be necessary to collect your own child or another child early from school. The following safety points must be kept in mind:

· Send an explanatory note to the teacher detailing the reason for early collection and the time you expect to collect her.

· All visitors must report to the secretary's office on arrival.

· All children must be signed out by the adult collecting them. The signing out book is available in the secretary's office.

· Parents should never go to the school yard to collect a child during play time.

· If another adult is collecting your child you must let the teacher know in advance. The school will not release a child to another adult unless there is parental permission to do so.

Meeting the Teacher

Formal Parent/teacher meetings are held once a year. However if you have any concerns about your child's progress please arrange an appointment to talk to her teacher.

Lost Property

All coats, books , tracksuits and uniforms must be marked with your child's name. Please check with the school secretary for lost or mislaid items.

Text a parent
The school has a text-a-parent facility which is used to issue reminders of school events and in case of emergency closures. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the school has up to date contact details.

Mobile Phones

Pupils are not allowed to have mobile phones powered on in school or on any school trips. If a pupil breaks this rule the phone will be confiscated and must be collected from the Principal by the child's parent.

School Uniform

The school uniform and tracksuit is supplied by Lynch's Drapery on Philipsburg Avenue, Marino, Dublin 3. The school colours are green and yellow. The school tracksuit, yellow collared tee-shirt and runners are worn for P.E. twice a week. The uniform is worn on all other days. The pupils must wear their hair tied back at all times. The items of jewellery permitted include a watch, a plain ring and stud/sleeper earrings.

Junior and Senior Infants: The infant classes wear a school smock over their own clothes. Parents should make sure that the children can manage their own clothing. Try to avoid buttoned cuffs, belts with buckles etc.

First to sixth Class: The uniform for the older children is as follows:
· Green stripped blouse
· Green cardigan/jumper with school crest
· Green pinafore or skirt for the older girls.
· Green/white socks ( tights may be worn in Winter)
· Flat shoes (no runners or sandals)

What happens if?

1. My child is sick in school?

When the teacher/Principal feels that a child is not well enough for school either as a result of becoming sick or an accident the Parents/Guardians will be contacted immediately. In the event of a serious illness/accident an ambulance will be called and the child will be brought to hospital. It is school practice to contact parents if the child has fallen and injured her head in any way.

2. My child gets head lice/chickenpox or some other infectious illness?

Head lice are regular visitors in all schools! So check your child's hair regularly (i.e. at least once a week) for head lice. Lotions and shampoos are readily available from your local pharmacy. Please report head lice or infectious illnesses to the school so that we can alert others.

3. My child needs medication?

It is the policy of the school not to administer medications to children. The school will be happy to facilitate Parents/Guardians who need to give medication to their child. The only exception to this is when a young child may need emergency medication and an arrangement has been made with the Principal. Pupils are not allowed to bring non prescription medication to school (cough medicine, paracetemol etc.)