NEWS & UPDATES FROM SCHOOLDAYS

NEWS & UPDATES FROM SCHOOLDAYS.ie  Countdown to Christmas begins All schools, primary & secondary, close on Friday 21st December which will be the final day of the school term. All schools re-open on Monday 7th January 2013. Plan you Christmas school holidays with our special Christmas Holidays Section on Schooldays.ie where you will find: Suggestions for some great family breaks over the festive season Information on Kids camps around the country Updates on festive family events around the country Craft Ideas, Recipes, Decorations and lots more Visit our Christmas Section for lots of ideas Make the most of Parent Teacher Meetings Many of you will be attending Parent Teacher Meetings over the next few months for updates on your child's progress.  The time allotted to each parent at these meetings is understandably quite short so it helps to do a little a little advance work to maximise this valuable time. Ensure you get the most out of the meetings by reading our pointers on how to plan for the meeting.  We have also made available our Parent Teacher Meeting planners to download for both primary and secondary level.   How to make the most of Parent Teacher Meetings A chance for your child to win an iPad Mini! McCarthy Insurance Group has teamed up with Schooldays.ie to offer one lucky child the chance to win a new iPad Mini for Christmas by designing a Christmas Card to send to McCarthy Insurance Group Customers.  2nd prize is a €150 voucher for Smyths and 3rd prize, a €50 Smyths voucher. The competition is open to primary school children with entries being submitted through the Schooldays.ie website. Find out how to enter this great competition here Communion & Confirmation Preparations If you have a child preparing for Communion or Confirmation this year, make sure to visit our Communion/Confirmation section for more information on the sacraments along with information on a range of suppliers of communion outfits, gifts and celebration ideas.  Check out our fab new competition for a €150 voucher for a communion dress for Yvonne Harrington Dress Designer Visit the Communion/Confirmation Section on Schooldays.ie Competitions - Enter to win some great prizes on Schooldays.ie! Yvonne Harrington, Dress Designer - Win a €150 Communion Dress VoucherSimplicity is the key to Yvonne Harrington communion dresses. All dresses are lovingly designed using the finest fabrics such as silks, embroidered tulles, silk organza and chiffon which are hand finished using exquisite trims, embellishments and hand covered buttons.  Youth Connect - Win one of ten iConnect Cards The iConnect student id card is the only dedicated Second-Level Student ID and Discount Card brought to you by YouthConnect and the ISSU. The card provides second level students with access to a huge range of discounts all around the country. Clarion Hotel @ Dublin Airport - Win a 2 night family break We’ve a great two night Family Break to give away at the Clarion Hotel at Dublin Airport. This fantastic prize includes 2 nights B&B for 2 adults & 2 kids, horse riding lessons at Kilronan Equestrian Centre and a family day pass to the Aqua zone Water Park at the National Aquatic Centre. Visit our Competitions Page Reminder: You can Buy, Sell or Give away on Schooldays.ie Christmas can be an expensive time and with even less money around this year we are all looking for ways to spend less over the Christmas season.  Don't forget we have a special section on our Boards on Schooldays where you can Buy, Sell or Give Away your unwanted goods or alternatively post in a thread if you are looking for specific items.  To participate, visit our Discussion Boards and post in the categories available towards the bottom of the page.  Visit Schooldays.ie Discussion Boards Latest News Stories on Schooldays.ie Primary schools 'remain chiefly denominational' Almost a third of teens sleep with mobiles under their pillows Schools 'must increase their efforts to tackle bullying' Quinn calls for crackdown on pupil absence Study finds 5-year-olds worry about being fat Greater parental involvement 'needed to tackle bullying' TG4 launches new Irish language Apps for Pre-Schoolers Share your views on your School Take a few minutes to assist other parents by sharing your views on your child's school - take part in our 'Parents School Feedback' initiative. Find out more about this initiative and how to take part