WHAT SCHOOL DO WE PROVIDE DROP OFF AND COLLECTION TO?
We provide a Drop off and Collection service, for children attending St Ciaran’s Primary School in Hartstown. Our creche is located at a convenient 5-minute walk from the school.
Children enjoy walking together to and from school. Children are always supervised by staff walking to and from school, and adult/child ratios are adhered to.
We feel strongly about the importance of instilling healthy lifestyle practices from an early age and walking to and from school is of great benefit to children’s mental and physical health and well-being.
WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMME?
The objective of the Afterschool programme is to provide a safe, exciting, relaxing environment that is reinforced with love, encouragement and praise.
Our teaching is based around the ideas of Aistear and upon the principles of Síolta. Verbal communication regarding the After schoolers’ well-being and progress is given daily and formal meetings can be arranged, and are encouraged, between parents and your child’s key teacher.
Children are treated equally and as individuals. Our team is a positive role model and provides a fun learning experience so that each child has the opportunity to reach their true potential. We believe children thrive on ‘Praise’ and our Afterschool children are praised at every opportunity.
WHAT SORT OF ROUTINE CAN YOUR CHILD EXPECT?
Children begin arriving from 7.30am for breakfast club. They have a designated area where they can store their change of clothes. As they will be playing outdoors, partaking in arts & crafts, baking etc, we encourage them to bring casual comfortable clothes to change into on days that they are in full uniform for school.
Children are offered breakfast choices of porridge, Weetabix, cereals and toast. We provide all drinks including milk, unsweetened juice and water. After schoolers will then have free play until it is time for them to leave for school at approximately 8.45am.
Younger children are collected from outside their classrooms, while older children will meet at an agreed location within the school grounds, which promotes independence and self-reliance.
Dinner is served at approximately 2.45pm and is a well -balanced, nutritious hot meal, containing fresh wholesome ingredients, while also being appealing to children’s tastes.
After clearing away dinner qualified staff will supervise homework.
Once homework is complete children part-take in a range of fun activities including outdoor games and free-play, art & crafts, construction, board games, quizzes, baking, imaginative and role play.
Activities are child lead and our aim is to ensure that after a busy day in school, where there are lots of rules and regulations, that After schoolers feel relaxed, comfortable, at ease and that they have plenty of choices while in the Afterschool Club.
There is a comfy area in our classrooms, where children can simply relax or read a book.
Tea-time is at approximately 4.45pm and again children will have choices between a variety of fruits, crackers and sandwiches with a range of toppings and fillings.
WILL MY CHILD’S HOMEWORK BE SUPERVISED AND COMPLETED?
Homework is supervised by qualified staff and while our goal is to ensure that homework is completed during ‘homework time’ at the creche, we do implement a cut off time of 50 minutes for the older children.
After this time period the child has usually become over tired and lacking concentration and is unlikely to benefit from continuing the homework. Parents are informed if your child has not finished their homework and can choose to write a note for the teacher or complete the homework at home.
Junior and Senior infants are given one on one time for their homework. We encourage parents to check your child’s homework in order to stay abreast of your child’s progress.
WHAT SORT OF MEALS WILL MY CHILD BE OFFERED IN OUR AFTERSCHOOL CLUB?
When it comes to meals our objective is to support children’s development of lifelong healthy eating patterns, skills, behaviours and attitudes. We have developed and implemented a healthy eating policy, using the Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-school Services, which will ensure the integration of healthy foods and drinks into meals, snacks, curriculum, celebrations and play.
On arrival to our creche children are offered a range of breakfast choices, including porridge, Weetabix, non-sugary cereals and whole-wheat toast. Drinks are available on demand to children throughout the day. Fruit is also available to the Afterschool children as required.
We serve the main meal at approximately 2.45pm when all Afterschool children arrive back from school. Meals are prepared using fresh ingredients. All our meals are assessed by a dietitian passionate about children’s nutrition.
We use a three-week rotating menu, which is adjusted seasonally, and provides a wide variety of nutrients and vitamins. We adjust meals to suit children’s dietary and cultural requirements.
Tea-time is around 4.45pm and we offer a variety of choices including crackers with a choice of toppings, whole-wheat bread sandwiches with a choice of fillings. Included on the tea-time menu we have waffles and berries, pancakes and berries, fruit and yogurts.
We offer parents advice on Do’s and Don’ts for fussy eaters, healthy portion sizes and alternatives to traditional treat foods. We are passionate that food is never used as a ‘Treat’ or a ‘Threat’. We support good nutrition and healthy habits not just at mealtimes but also through our curriculum.
Our goal is to support children’s health and well-being by providing well balance, wholesome daily meals and snacks and encouraging both children and parents to develop a lifelong healthy eating patterns, skills, behaviours and attitudes.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS A DAY OR WEEK OFF SCHOOL?
During days off, mid-term breaks and school holidays parents can book Afterschool children in for full days. Parents can expect an email two or three weeks in advance of the break from school. Parents will be asked to formally book a morning place for your child via email.
We endeavour to make these days as fun as possible for children and we have outings to the Millennium Park Playground, Hartstown Park, the cinema, playcentres or bowling. Parents are asked to pre-sign an outings permission form and we ensure that we adhere to staff/child outings ratios. We do not charge parents any extra for trips to the cinema or play centres.
OUR GOAL FOR THE AFTERSCHOOL CLUB
The goal for the Afterschool Club programme is to provide a safe, comfortable and interesting environment for school age children. We endeavor to support children in completing their homework so that when you collect your child after a busy day in work, there is more time for the fun stuff.
Our aim is to provide fun filled activity in a relaxed yet stimulating environment, to promote independence, support friendships and to help school age children to continue to develop social-emotional skills, confidence, self-awareness and self-care.
If you would like to speak to one of our management team and or arrange a tour of our premises, then you can call us on 01 8225693 for our Hartstown branch or on 01 8220515 for our Huntstown branch.
Tir Na nÓg Childcare Afterschool Club Hartstown, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15.
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