As a qualifying school Carrigaline Educate Together National School is able to benefit from massive savings on Microsoft software products through

www.software4students.ie

For example Microsoft Office Professional (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher) can be purchased for 83.95 EUR instead of the retail price of 550 EUR.

To avail of the offers just register an account with software4students.ie by referencing Carrigaline Educate Together National School as the institution name (step 3).  This offer is open to all parents of children currently enrolled in the school.

There are of course alternative Office Suites available for download, including the very popular OpenOffice.org which is compatible with the main Microsoft Office products and be downloaded for free.

If you have any questions please get in touch with software4students.ie or the school.

Everyone is invited to our monthly coffee morning which will be held next Wednesday, 17th December, 2008.  There is no need to book ahead, or even to be on time! Just come along any time between 10:30-12.

And as always, small children are very welcome! This is a very relaxed and informal way to get to know your fellow parents and enjoy a coffee and a chat.   Hope to see you there!

The CETNS Parent Association will host a party to celebrate the end of our first term. The theme of the party will be ‘New Beginnings’ and it will be in the school on the last day of term, Tuesday 23rd December, 2008 from 10-11:30am (clean-up 11:30-12).

All children, their parents and brothers and sisters are invited. Mel and Christine have been preparing the children to sing a song and any parents who play musical instruments are invited to bring them along as there will be a chance for the parents to entertain the children in return! Val Davin will lead the children in Mini-Music and Sue Fiessler is working with Mel and Christine to help the children to make decorations for the party.

All parents are being asked to bring something to eat or drink and also a small gift from each child who comes to the party (including brothers and sisters). The gifts should be wrapped, suitable for either a boy or a girl, and should cost no more than €5. The children will put their gift into a big bag at the start of the party and at the end they’ll choose one from the bag to take home. This is a fun way to celebrate the way we each bring gifts to the community, and also receive gifts from each other.

The Party Sub-Committee members, Mary O’Mahony, Livia Groza and Sinéad Campbell-Brookes are busy organising the event – please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions…

The Carrigaline Educate Together National School Parent Association elected its first committee at a meeting on Wednesday 10th December, 2008. The Committee members are:

• Chairman: Mary O’Mahony
• Secretary: Val Davin
• Treasurers: Donal O’Driscoll and John McGinley
• Board of Management Parent Representatives: Susanne Fiessler and Toufik Messabih

The committee members can be reached at: pa@carrigalineeducatetogether.ie
While the Committee is responsible for the running of the Parent Association, all parents can join in.  There are be lots of ways to get involved and be a part of the life of our school, so watch this space!