Whole School Training for Staff and closing of school Friday 16th January 2015
Children working hard in Seolta
Hello Everybody,
I want to let people know about an important event coming up which will effect everybody in the school. By now everybody will be aware that we have a unit at our school called Seolta. This is for children who must cope with the condition of Autistic Spectrum Disorder as well as learn like all other children. Our unit caters especially for very young children hoping to give them a good start with learning.
Whenever a school opens a unit, staff are given training on the condition and on ways to help make the unit a success. The body who supply this particular training are the Special Education Support Service. They have made contact with the school and have arranged such training for the staff at our school on Friday 16th January. All staff will attend for this and this means that the school will be closed to pupils on this day. Parents are asked for their cooperation with this arrangement and be prepared for it with child-minding arrangements for the day.
The school will benefit from this training with increased knowledge on the condition being more widespread among the staff . Also, together we can make more informed decisions about the development of the unit and how best to include the children there in the normal activities of the school.
So, I hope this doesn’t cause undue problems for families and that parents have enough notice at this stage. The Board expects the unit to expand next year and it is a great support to the children and their families who attend the unit to know that as many as possible of the staff at the school are well informed about Autism. Many thanks to all those parents who have already donated useful toys and other equipment to the unit. It all helps.
Tomás