IMPORTANT INFO
Located in the heart of Athlone, Co. Westmeath, our large, mixed national school is a welcoming and inclusive community where every child is encouraged to learn, grow, and flourish. Rooted in a strong Catholic ethos, we place great importance on respect, kindness, and caring for one another in all aspects of school life.
Led by our Principal, Mrs. Orla Fogarty and our Deputy Principal, Mr. Shane Kenny, our school is committed to providing a high-quality education in a supportive and nurturing environment. With 16 mainstream classes and 2 special education classes, we strive to meet the needs of every pupil and ensure that each child feels valued and supported.
Our dedicated staff team includes a full-time secretary (Pauline), a part-time caretaker (Derek), 8 full-time Special Education Teachers, 1 shared SET teacher, and 13 Special Needs Assistants. Together, they work collaboratively to support both the academic progress and personal development of our pupils.
We place a strong emphasis on pupil wellbeing, recognising its importance in helping children to feel happy, confident, and ready to learn. This is complemented by our commitment to fostering a sense of social responsibility, with pupils regularly engaging in fundraising initiatives for a variety of charitable causes.
We are also deeply committed to integrating digital learning and technology across the curriculum. Our pupils benefit from access to a class set of iPads and Chromebooks, supporting interactive and engaging learning experiences. Alongside this, we place a strong emphasis on internet safety, with regular lessons and guest speakers helping pupils to develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
Physical activity is a key part of school life, and pupils have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sports, including tennis, basketball, swimming, rugby, GAA, soccer, and Rinka, to name but a few. These activities promote teamwork, resilience, and a lifelong appreciation for healthy living.
Our school grounds and facilities reflect our commitment to providing a rich and engaging learning environment. These include five school yards, a fully equipped library, an outdoor classroom, a walking track, and a small football pitch, with an additional pitch currently under development. We are also proud of our pizza garden, which offers pupils unique, hands-on learning experiences.
At the heart of our school is a strong sense of community. We value the partnership between pupils, staff, and parents, and work together to create a positive, supportive, and respectful environment for all.
Homework:
Homework is part of a continuous learning process and in Coosan NS we regard homework as very important in the learning process.
We wish to make you aware of the following-If a child is ill and misses school for a length of time, the class teacher may provide the class homework on request. If, however, a child misses school for a length of time, through holidays, class homework will not be provided.
Allergies/ Medication:
The school generally advocates the self-administration of medicine (i.e inhalers) under the supervision of a responsible adult, exercising the standard of care of a prudent parent. It is important therefore, that parents ensure that class teachers are made aware (in writing) of any medical condition suffered by any child in their class.
The daily rolls are now tabulated using a computerised system. Any child who is not in class before 10.30 am will be marked absent, unless a written note has been sent to the class teacher the previous day.
Children collected from school before 3p.m:
We are aware that children must attend medical/dental appointments etc. and may have to leave school early occasionally. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, requires that these appointments are recorded on our daily roll.
With this in mind, any child being collected early from school must be signed out by the parent/guardian collecting the student and signed in on return.
School Insurance and Child Safety:
Please note that the children are supervised from 9.20am to 3.00pm each school day. While of course the school grounds are open to the pupils, the school cannot accept responsibility for children arriving before the official opening of the school or remaining on the school grounds after school.
Time Keeping: The majority of pupils in our school are punctual in the morning. Classes begin at 9.20am sharp. It is quite disruptive when children arrive after this time. This is unfair both on pupils and teachers. Your co-operation with the school uniform and healthy lunches was and is appreciated. We hope for the same support with punctuality. School finishes at 3pm and at 2pm for Junior and Senior Infants.
Spare Clothing Pack:
A word of thanks to parent(s)/guardians who sent in spare clothing in case of an accident. This has been a successful initiative. If your child has used the clothing, please replace same.
If you have not sent in spare clothing, please do so in January. In September, we proposed that each child brought a compact labelled pack into his/her class teacher containing spare tracksuit bottoms, underwear and socks. These packs are stored in a press in the classroom.
Should your child need to change during the school day this year, his/her spare clothing will be used. Any child without a spare pack receives a phone call to parent(s)/guardian(s) to bring in clothing on the day or bring the child home.