Dublin Steiner School Community

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW CAN I CONTACT MY CHILD'S TEACHER?

All teachers and staff at Dublin Steiner School pay close attention to the development and needs of every individual child under their care.

There are two scheduled parent/teacher meetings during each school year, for in-depth discussion of progress. The first meeting will take place before the mid-term break in October, and the second during the last (summer) term.

If you need to arrange further meetings with your child's teacher, please email admin@dublinsteiner.com to facilitate this.

We ask that parents avoid using drop-off or pickup times for discussions with teachers beyond what is immediately relevant to that day's needs, as the teachers need to share their attention between all children during these times.

What are the dropoff and pickup times?

The Kindergarten morning begins at 8:50am and ends at 2.30 pm.

The Primary School starts at 8:50am. Bridge Class finishes at 1:40pm (with an option to extend the day until 2.40pm with Sibling Hour), while the primary grades from Class 1 upwards finish at 2:40pm.

What should I do if I am late for school?

It is extremely important for the children to arrive at school on time. The 'breathing out' time first thing in the morning allows the children to ready themselves for the rhythms of the day. Late arrivals cause disruption for the whole class, both staff and other children.

If you will be late to drop off due to a scheduling issue (for example a doctor's visit) please email admin@dublinsteiner.com the day before.

If you are late to drop off unexpectedly, please call the school landline only when you arrive at the door.

If you are running late to pick up your child, please call the school landline as soon as possible to let us know.

what if my child is unwell?

Your child's health is important to us all. Each morning we pay special attention to how each child is doing. If your child develops symptoms of illness during school, we will contact you.

Please keep your child at home if s/he has:

  • A fever (or has had one during the previous 24 hours)
  • Diarrhoea (or has had during the previous 24 hours)
  • Thick nasal discharge which is green or yellow
  • A constant cough
  • Vomiting
  • Symptoms associated with a communicable disease – reddened eyes, sore throat, headache
  • Impetigo
  • Chicken pox
  • Head lice
  • Pinworms

It is vitally important that you inform the school of any ongoing medical condition that your child may have. Please also inform the school if your child has a contagious illness. This will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and your child will not be identified should other parents/guardians need to be informed.

There is no need to notify the school if your child is absent due to a non contagious illness. A note stating the dates missed and a very brief reason (eg unwell, head cold) given to the teacher upon the child’s return is fine. All such notes and doctor certs are kept by the school in case your child is absent for more than 21 days, at which time the school is obligated to notify Tusla.

AM I EXPECTED TO help out by volunteering?

In a word, yes!

Like all other Steiner Waldorf schools worldwide we strongly encourage parent participation and support in the everyday running of our school. The school will from time to time ask parents for help with specific issues, such as events, fundraising and garden maintenance. While this support is not mandatory, we depend on engagement from all families to secure the future of our school.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE A CONCERN OR A COMPLAINT?

If at any time you have a concern about your child's educational experience at Dublin Steiner School, the first step should be a conversation with their teacher. You can request a meeting by emailing admin@dublinsteiner.com.

If your concern is not resolved after this meeting, you can request a meeting with the school leadership, using the same email address. In the unlikely event that school staff are unable to address your concern, you can contact the school trustees by emailing trustees@dublinsteiner.com.

If you would like to make an official complaint, the procedure is outlined in the school complaints policy.

HEY! I have a question that hasn't been answered

Hopefully it should be covered in our extensive School Handbook, which is available to read here (pdf).

HOW TO SUPPORT US

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