Reminder to Parents: The Parents Council are doing a church gate collection this Saturday (20th) and Sunday (21st) and are in need of volunteers. If there are any parents or students who can help can you please ring Liam Delaney on 0879611058

SAVE THE DATE: CONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE ECONOMIC, COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LAOIS

I am writing on behalf of Laois County Council to invite you to a workshop as part of Laois County Council’s work to bring forward three major plans that will shape the county for years to come.

The Council is working with local communities to co-produce three important plans. These are:

•             County Laois Local Development Strategy (LDS 2023 – 2027)

•             Laois Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP 2023 - 2028)

•             Local Authority Climate Action Plan (LACAP 2023 – 2028)

A summary of the aims, ambition and remit of each of these plans can be found on our consultation website at www.laoisconsultation.ie

To ensure that local people have every possible opportunity to input into the plans, we are running a range of consultation activities. These include an online survey, which can be found at  www.laoisconsultation.ie  .We are also holding 7 public workshops across Laois over the next month.

The dates, times and locations are listed below:

·          Mountmellick (Wednesday 17 May, 7:30pmMountmellick Development Association, R32 A0PK)

·          Abbeyleix (Thursday 18 May, 7:30pm Scoil Mhuire, R32 A566)

·          Virtual Consultation Event (Saturday 20 May, 11:00am)

·          Portarlington (Tuesday 23 May, 7.30pmPortarlington Library, R32 PY59)

·          Portlaoise (Wednesday 24 May, 11:00amTreo Nua, R32 C7DD)

·          Ballylinan (Thursday 25 May, 7:30pmBallylinan National School, R14 HK31)

As an important local stakeholder, your views and insight are invaluable to us. We would welcome and value your participation in whichever of our workshops is most convenient for you. If you are able to attend, I would be very grateful if you could RSVP to  lecp@laoiscoco.ie   or call 057-8664169/057-8674387.

Kind regards,

Suzanne Dempsey

Climate Action Coordinator &

A/Energy Officer

| Laois County Council |

| Áras an Chontae | JFL Avenue |

| Portlaoise | R32 EHP9 |

087-1336557

Supporting Transitions from Primary School to Post-Primary School - Webinar for Parents 23.5.2023

This information webinar in collaboration with the National Parents Council will explore some of the key elements in preparing your child for post-primary school.  For first time parents, the session in collaboration with the National Parents Council will give you an understanding of what secondary school is like.  We’ll look at ways in which parents can support their child through this time bearing in mind that going to First Year also coincides with adolescence for a young person.

The session will also give a brief overview of the Junior Cert and provide some website links where parents can keep on top of developments as their child moves forward.  Furthermore, we will briefly look at the structure of parent/teacher meetings, home school communication and people your child might meet in post primary school.

Date:               Tuesday 23rd May 2023

Time:               8 – 9.30 pm

Facilitator:       Helen Butler, National Parents Council

Register:             https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPPP-Laois-2023

ASD Parents Support Group Webinar with Guest Speaker Marie Byrne 17.5.2023- Changed to 16th May 2023

This Support group is for parents of primary and post-primary children with Autism. The aim of the group is to provide support, share ideas and a platform for parents to ask questions. 

This group will meet every 4/6 weeks.

Guest speaker on the evening is Marie Byrne, an experienced teacher & child & adolescent psychotherapist.

After many years as an advisor with SESS/NCSE, she returned from secondment to work in a special class for autism in 2019.  She has recently returned to study as a doctoral candidate  focussing on strength-based inclusive practice in schools.

She has a wealth of professional and personal experience of loving and living and working with people with autism and other additional needs and brings a neuro-psychotherapeutic perspective to her work in the area.  

Date:                    Wednesday 17th May 2023  Changed to 

Time:                   7-9pm 

Registration:      https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcodu2orjkrHt0v0WOZ6hFpxNju4oYUatvS

Facilitator:          Shaun Greville teaches in the Esker Centre, Ballinamere. Shaun completed 5 years secondment to the SESS and latterly the NCSE. He fulfilled the roles of Advisor and Assistant National Coordinator for the autism team with a focus on in-school support for teachers and both in-school and external CPD regarding autism. He has been teaching autistic students for over 20 years and creating and providing

Well done to some of our 2nd Yrs who completed their 25KM adventure walk on Friday in Glendalough as part of their Gaisce Bronze Medal Award.  The President's Award is a self-development programme for confidence and wellbeing through undertaking personal, physical and community challenges. 

Welcome back to St. Mary’s CBS Podcast! Today we are joined by Christy Bannon who talks about mental health! Christy talks about his own experience with his mental health, gives advice on what to do if you or someone you know is suffering, and his experience with SOSAD. Make sure to stick around to the end! 

If at the end of this podcast, there is anyone affected please make sure to confide in an adult, someone your trust, or the guidance team within our school.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kxnVjicL91cigy9Z2Xvkm?si=naOV7Jy-QzSM_axexWU1dA