Parents’ Association Meeting September 10th 2024

ENS Parents Association Minutes

 

Date: Tuesday 10/09/2024

Time: 7:30pm

Venue: ENS Staff Room

Minutes Taken By: Lorna Ganda

 

Meeting Attended By:

Lorna Ganda

Shayla Hilpert

Michelle Summerly

Saphina Nandawula

Brian Troy

Louise Ryan

Claire

Noelle Carew

Eileen Tobin

Nileptha Magallage Sergeant

Kat O’ Shea

Marcin Grochowski

 

Apologies:

Michael O’ Brien

Fiona Eason

Mariusz Cwirko

Agenda:

• Welcome & Apologies
• Open Comments
• Constitution Review
• Discussion: Intentions & Goals for year 24/25
• AOB

 

Welcome & Apologies

• Shayla welcomed everybody back after the Summer holidays to the new school year.
• Two new meeting attendees were also greeted to the meeting. This helped us establish that changing the meeting from Thursdays (all meetings were on Thursdays last year, except 1) allows for different people to be able to attend meetings and therefore we should mix up the days as often as possible.
• Apologies were read aloud (Fiona, Michael, Mariusz

Open Comments

• Stop & Go system needs to be highlighted for use in the car park (especially on wet mornings). Huge congestion in the mornings causing delays.
• School Buses: this is not up to the school. This would be up to the department/Bus Eireann. The school had a bus that they were subsidising leaving from the old school but it was not feasible.
• Plan to make the walking bus more attractive. Bring ideas to next meeting.
• Secondary school Open Days – PA will collect this information and share for parents via social media.
• County Photos: Booked for Tuesday 19th of November. Change this year; every class will get a class photo instead of only Junior Infants & 6th class as classes change, new pupils join, others leave etc.
• The new bus shelter needs to be highlighted on the ‘traffic tips’ for Drop & Go purposes.
• Bollards at the roundabout coming up to the school need to be replaced – an example of pupil friendly bollards (in the shape of pencils with rubbers on the top) was presented to the committee by photo as seen at another primary school. Co Council need to be contacted regarding this. ‘Safe Route to School’ is another organisation that can be contacted regarding those specific bollards.
• PA have contacted the local Garda community department asking them to come and speak to 5th and 6th class pupils about drugs & alcohol. We are waiting to hear back from them.

Welcome Package Feedback:

• Any feedback received regarding the Welcome Package was positive.
• Great interaction about the package on social media platforms from parents stating it was an ‘excellent idea’, ‘amazing’, ‘brilliant’.
• Parents with children in 6th class and parents who have had children finish in ENS said they got information from the package that they didn’t know before.

Constitution:

• The Constitution for the Parents Association is due to be updated this year.
• Committee Members were asked to read the constitution over the Summer and bring any amendment proposals to this evenings meeting.
• As the committee stands (without change to the constitution), there is 1 seat available to be filled at the next AGM.
• All proposals for change have been noted and will be presented for vote at the AGM.

Intentions & Goals:

• Infant Playground: The infant teachers approached the PA last year regarding playground equipment to suit a new pupil joining the school this year who is a wheelchair user. The PA did some research and came up with ideas that may suit children with additional needs. It is important to PA members that the chosen equipment is inclusive to all children in the school. The PA engaged with the childs’ parents also to get their input in choosing the equipment. We will work together to pick items from the equipment presented and approach the school management, BOM, and teachers with proposals to purchase the equipment that is chosen. Mud kitchen, musical/sensory equipment, 4 in a row and an accessible bench were the ideas presented.
• STEAM Fair – We are waiting to hear back from the teachers over the Creative Schools Project and will pass on any information received to the committee once we know more.
• The painting in the Sunshine room’s outdoor space has been approved. The school are dealing with this.
• Vision, Mission, Values: We would like to add these statements to our committee this year (by the end of the school year). The Parents Association are asked to present any ideas they may have for this by email or at any of our meetings. A survey to the parents was mentioned as a way of getting ideas from the wider school community outside of the PA Committee.
• Halloween Party: children dress up for the last day of school before their October midterm break, infants have the Halloween hobble and also attend the Halloween quiz so we feel that is enough for Halloween and there is no need to add an extra celebration.
• Christmas Market: was listed to address since this time last year. We agreed Christmas season is already busy enough so adding another huge project wouldn’t make sense.

 

AOB:

Subcommittees: A sheet was sent around for anybody to sign up to be part of a subcommittee they’re interested in. WhatsApp groups will be created for each subcommittee to facilitate communication for the topic at hand.

 

Next Meeting:

Our next meeting will be the AGM (Annual General Meeting) on the 15th of October at 7:30pm in the School Staff Room.

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