14th August 2025

Dia duit gach duine,

I hope everyone is enjoying a lovely summer. The return to school is just around the corner. Preparations are now well underway. Teachers are working hard planning and are busy organising their workspaces for the new year. Let’s go!

I want to provide you with some quick reminders and updates:

• School reopens for all pupils on Wednesday 27th August Calendar
  • Classes Senior Infants to 6th start at 9am.
  • Any new pupils joining Senior Infants to 6th come to the school at 9.15am on Wednesday so we can direct you to your new class.
  • New Junior Infants are in school from 10am to midday on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I will share guidelines specific to Junior Infants in the next few days.
• ‘Drop and Go’ and ‘Park and Walk’ will work as before from day one. The green gates will open at 8.50am every day. No parents to pass the green gates please. Children will line up with their classmates on yard and enter their classrooms all together at 9am with first lesson commencing immediately.
• School Bus: There will be a new company running the school bus this year. We are delighted to be working with Philip Barrett and his driver Jeff. The route will run as before collecting and dropping at SuperValu Johnstown, along Metges Road at Priory, Millbrook, Cois Glaisín, Limekiln, Baker Hall and Academy Street. This is a private service and costs €30 per child per week two-way, €20 per child per week one-way or €50 for two children in the same family per week. Preference will be given to two-way passengers. If you are interested, please fill in this form:

School Bus: https://forms.office.com/e/s2nAnNRfCc

• Class Teachers: pleased to announce we begin the school year with a full complement of staff. I am delighted to welcome back Meghan Byrne, Aoife Gavin, Ciara Hughes and Barbara Tully. These teachers have all worked at the school previously. New to the team, I warmly welcome Lauren O’Brien, Charlotte McLoughlin, Aoife McCluskey, Emma-Jane Blake and Áine Carr. We welcome you to the community and we look forward to working with you all. See below the complete list of class teachers for 2025/26:

*Junior Infant parents will receive a text shortly to let them know which class their child will be in. 

Year 24/25	Year 25/26
Incoming Pupils	Múinteoir Rachel Junior Infants*
Incoming Pupils	Múinteoir Ciara Junior Infants *
Múinteoir Niamh D Junior Infants	Múinteoir Gráinne Senior Infants
Múinteoir Ciara Junior Infants	Múinteoir Ruth Senior Infants
Múinteoir Gráinne Senior Infants	Múinteoir Aoife G 1st Class
Múinteoir Ruth Senior Infants	Múinteoir Ailis 1st Class
Múinteoir Ailis 1st Class	Múinteoir Laura 2nd Class
Múinteoir Aoife 1st Class	Múinteoir Meghan 2nd Class
Múinteoir Laura 2nd Class	Múinteoirí Maria & Edel 3rd Class (jobshare)
Múinteoir Meghan 2nd Class	Múinteoir Niamh D 3rd Class
Múinteoir Emma 3rd Class	Múinteoir Sarah 4th Class
Múinteoirí Maria & Edel 3rd Class	Múinteoir Aoife Mc 4th Class
Múinteoir Sarah 4th Class	Múinteoir Charlotte 5th Class
Múinteoir Angela 4th Class	Múinteoir Niamh H 5th Class
Múinteoir Niamh H 5th Class	Múinteoir Wilma 6th Class
Special Education Team	Múinteoirí Karen, Angela, Catherine, Lauren, Barbara, Emma-Jane & Áine

• Free School Books & Your Child’s Direct School Costs 2025/26

As part of the Free School Books Scheme, all schoolbooks, workbooks, copybooks, classroom resources, shared books, photocopying, and Art & Craft materials will be provided free of charge to every child in Irish primary schools.

However, there are some additional costs not covered by this grant.

Your child’s annual school costs for the 2025/26 school year will be €52 per child, which covers:

• €7 – Irish Public Bodies (IPB) Student Personal Accident Insurance (more info)

• €10 – Text-a-Parent & Aladdin communication tools

• €35 – School Tour*

*The €35 school tour fee covers the cost of your child’s annual school tour in May 2026. Due to significant increases in bus transport costs we are taking a different approach by collecting for the school tour at the start of the school year to allow for early planning and booking. Thank you for your continued support in helping us provide a rich and well-organised school experience for all our pupils.

Ard Rí CNS is a cash-free school, and we are proud to maintain the highest standards of financial compliance. Way2Pay is a Bank of Ireland online payments application. If you have not paid already, a Way2Pay bill for the €52 Student Direct Costs will be raised on your account shortly. Please note that there is an option to pay these costs in installments if required.

• Each child will require a well-stocked pencil case:

• Extra Curricular Activities: We are delighted to bring you a range of extra-curricular activities again this year:

Creative Keyboards are now enrolling for keyboard classes at Ard Rí CNS starting September 2025. For all info and bookings: click here

Primary Pals Homework Club for Junior and Senior Infants will run from 1.40-2.40 and Primary Pals Plus will run from 2.40-3.40, Monday to Friday. For all info and bookings please call Jana on 0863445115

Study Mates Homework Club for pupils 1st to 6th will run from 2.40-3.40 Monday to Thursday. For all info and bookings please email Niamh and Angela on [email protected]

• Enrolment has been very strong this year. There are still places available in some classes. As explained before the summer our teacher allocation depends on pupil numbers. If you know of any one looking for a school place or if your child will not be returning to school with us please email [email protected].

• Our school uniform supplier is Geoghegans, Trimgate Street, Navan. For full information on our uniforms: click here Our Parent Association also makes pre-loved (second-hand) uniforms available. LABEL EVERYTHING!

I will be back in touch in the coming days with more information.

Go raibh maith agaibh,

Darragh