School Days Newsletter

Happy New Year to all from Schooldays.ie School Calendar February Midterm- Post-Primary schools close from 11th - 15th Feb* incl. Primary schools will close from 14th to 15th Feb* with an option to close for 3 extra days.  Easter School Holidays 2013 - All schools are closed from Monday 25th March and will re-open on the 5th of April*. CAO closing date is Friday 1st February 2013 The Junior & Leaving Certificate exam timetables have been published – visit the School Calendaron our website for details. *NB changes to these dates may occur as part of contingency arrangements to make up lost school time - read more Visit our February  Mid-Term and Easter School Holidays Sections School Inspection Reports Our database on Schooldays.ie has been updated in the last two weeks to include a further 155 Inspector Reports from the Department of Education. To check on updates for your school,  visit the 'Finding a Secondary School' page or 'Finding a Primary School' page on our site.  When you have located your school, use the school menu which appears on the left to review the information.  Engineers Week Irish children are encouraged to embrace their inner engineer and take part in the Engineers Week across Ireland from Monday 25th Feb – Sunday 3rd March. Hands-on activities will take place at venues across the country Find out more about Engineers Week The Birds & Bees ! Planning to have that 'birds and bees' conversation with your child sometime soon?   Check out some of our tips from VHI on how to approach the conversation responsibly.    There's also some useful tips for a follow-on conversation with an older child. How to approach the 'Birds & Bees' conversation with your child Countdown to this year's Leaving Certificate Examinations begins With the Leaving Certificate Timetable now published and the CAO closing date imminent, the next few months are a pressurised and important time for Leaving Certificate students. Visit our Leaving Certificate Resources page for information on important dates, revision supports and Career Guidance resources. Visit our Leaving Certificate Resources here First Holy Communion & Confirmation Preparations Many primary students in 2nd and 6th class are preparing for the sacraments of First Communion & Confirmation in the forthcoming months. Visit our special section on Schooldays.ie to find out more about what is involved in preparing for these sacraments and to help you source Communion & Confirmation outfits. Visit our Communion & Confirmation Section on Schooldays.ie Afterschool Activities Now's the time to book those afterschool/weekend classes. Music, art, drama, tennis, footie - there's plenty to choose from.   Check out our Afterschool Activities Finder Competitions: Last year we gave away over 100 prizes, from Family Breaks in top hotels to passes for exhibitions & shows, tickets to movie premiers and products to help with parenting. We have lots of great new competitions on the way for 2013 so keep a close eye on our competition page.  Our first competition this year is from.... The Sisters - Win a €100 voucher towards your childs (boys or girls) communion outfit Latest news stories on Schooldays.ie Your Children: Two-thirds of 13-year-olds enjoy their education Impact of potential tax on child benefit revealed Four out of five smartphone apps for kids 'could record data' Parents to be allowed further leave to care for young children Study finds 25% of children live in jobless homes Primary pupils 'should be encouraged to study science' Cyber bullying affects 17 per cent of children Growing Up in Ireland study provides insight into teen life