St Marys CBS Portlaoise Open Night 1 1 St. Marys CBS Extra - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SLIDE 1

St Marys CBS Portlaoise Open Night

2nd October 2019

SLIDE 2

• St. Mary’s CBS Extra Curricular

Activities

1 1 1

Activities: Ø GAA Ø Soccer Ø Basketball Ø Athletics Ø Rugby Ø Film Club Ø Debating Ø Cookery Club Ø Art / Photography Club Ø Green Schools Ø Amber flag Ø Chess Club Ø Music/Trad Group Ø Science Club Ø Debating Ø Student Leadership Ø Meitheal/Treoiri/ Student Council Ø Zambia Immersion Programme Ø Foreign trips After School Activities are an important part of life in St Mary’s CBS. They provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities which complement the academic curriculum, allowing students to take advantage of all the facilities available at the school. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in these activities.

SLIDE 3

• St. Mary’s CBS Extra Curricular

Activities

1 1 1

Benefits of these Activities: Ø Holistic development of each individual Ø Social skills Ø Relationship building Ø Higher self esteem Ø Enhanced School Spirit Ø Healthy lifestyle Ø Productive breaks Ø Lifelong connection to their school and place of learning – disconnection leads to dropping out and withdrawing from school life and friendships Ø “From each his best” is our motto

SLIDE 4

Scholarship opportunity:

1 1 1

This scholarship aims to facilitate the holistic development of our students by rewarding students who drive to achieve academic excellence in conjunction with their sporting careers. The Scholarship will cover the cost of an iPad, ebooks, printed books and their uniform for their First academic year. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of: ü a completed application form ü an assessment of ability at sports ü an appropriate academic test More information will be made available on the school website and app.

SLIDE 5

St Mary’s CBS

• Boys Voluntary Secondary School.
• Trustees: Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST)
• Catholic Ethos.
• Founded: 1847
• Current Building: 2010.
• Board of Management
• Parent’s Council
• Student’s Council / Meitheal / Treoiri / Class Captains
• Staff of 65 Teachers & 6 SNA’s
• 800 Students (2019-20)

SLIDE 6

A Day in St Mary’s CBS

Mon - T Mon - Thur hurs: s: 8.55 am to 1.15 pm 1.55 pm to 4.00 pm Fri: ri: 8.55 am to 1.15 pm All students must stay on school premises during lunch Students can bring their own lunch or buy lunch from Rafters on site - hot dinners, sandwiches, soup etc. Activities are organised for students by members of Meitheal, Treoiri and the Student’s Council All classes are now 60 minutes

SLIDE 7

Our Uniform

• V-neck black pullover with school crest
• Mid-grey shirt
• School Tie
• Plain grey trousers (not cord or canvas)
• Black shoes or boots (with black soles only)
• No black runners
• Black School Jacket / School Hoodie
• No body piercing jewellery
• Natural coloured hair appropriate for school.
• All available from SHAWS in Portlaoise

SLIDE 8

Our School Facilities

• 5 Science Labs
• Home Economics Room
• Sewing Room
• Art Room
• 3 Woodwork Rooms
• 2 Metalwork Rooms
• Computer Room
• Technical Graphics Room
• DCG Room
• Multimedia Room (language lab)
• 2 Guidance Counsellors’ Offices

Demonstration Room 2 Lecture Rooms General Purpose Area (GPA) Religion / Meditation Room Library Resource Area 33 Classrooms 7 Learning Support Rooms Shared Sports Facility with Scoil Chriost Ri Full Gym Suite 2 Full sized pitches (shared) 6 Hard Courts Full WiFi throughout

SLIDE 9

School Care Team (who meet weekly)

• Year Head – Mr O’Laoire
• Additional Education

Coordinator – Ms A Kenny

• Career Guidance & School

Counsellors

Ms C Phelan,

Ms C Brennan Ms McEntee

• Home School Liaison –

Mr N Donlon

SLIDE 10

Your Information Pack tonight contains the following:

• Copy of this presentation
• School Brochure
• SEN leaflet
• Wellbeing Brochure
• Extra-curricular Brochure
• TY Brochure

SLIDE 11

Programmes

• ffered
• New Junior Certificate.
• Transition Year.
• Traditional Leaving Certificate.
• Leaving Certificate Vocational

Programme (LCVP).

SLIDE 12

First Year Subjects

Ev Every ryone

• ne T

Takes 1 10 C Cor

• re Subje

Subjects: ts:

• English
• Irish
• Maths
• Science
• History
• CSPE
• Geography
• PE (non exam)
• SPHE (non exam)
• Religion (non exam)
• Wellbeing (non exam)

SLIDE 13

Choose hoose 3 3 Option Option subje subjects ts

• French
• Spanish
• Music
• Metalwork
• Business Studies
• Art, Craft, Design
• Home Economics
• Technical Graphics.
• Material Technology (Wood)

SLIDE 14

Which 3 subjects?

• Subje

Subject C t Choic hoice F Form

• rms will be

s will be se sent out whe nt out when y n you ha

• u have a

accepte pted the d the of

• ffer of

r of a a pla place in 1 in 1st

st Y

Year r

• Take tim

time to spe to speak to pa to parents/ nts/br brothe

• thers/

s/olde

• lder stude

r students e nts etc tc a about subje bout subjects ts

• A Eur

Europe

• pean La

n Langua nguage is still r is still requir quired f d for m

• r many 3

ny 3rd

rd Le

Level C l Colle

• lleges/

s/Cour

• urse

ses

• Ma

Make c choic hoices ba s base sed on futur d on future c career c r choic hoices, subje , subjects lik ts likely to be ly to be ta taken a n at Le t Leaving C ving Cert, t, subje subjects tha ts that stude t student ha nt has a s an n aptitude ptitude or inte

• r interest in.

st in.

• Do not pic
• not pick a

a subje subject just be t just because use y your frie

• ur friends a

nds are doing it doing it

• Fill in Subje

ill in Subject C t Choic hoice f form

• rm fr

from

• m 1

1 to 9 to 9 in or in orde der of r of pr preferenc nce

• Ev

Every e ry effor

• rt will be

t will be m made de to giv to give y your f

• ur fir

irst 3 st 3 choic hoices b s but no gua ut no guarante ntee c can be n be giv given. n.

• If

If se sele lecting W ting Woodw

• odwor
• rk, Me

, Meta talwor

• rk or
• r Art ple

t please se be be inf inform

• rmed the

d there is a is a €30 a additiona dditional c l cha harge f for

• r

mate teria rials ls. .

• Stude

Students a nts are e expe xpecte ted to pr d to provide vide ing ingredie dients f nts for the

• r their H

ir Hom

• me Ec

Econom

• nomic

ics c s cook

• oking c

ing cla lasse sses. .

SLIDE 15

Religion and Physical Education

• RE is a core subject on the school curriculum and an integral part of the

ethos of the school. All students are expected to participate in RE.

• In line with their legal rights, parents of students of a non-Christian Faith

may request that their son not participate in RE / Services. The practice in such cases is that the student remains in the classroom under supervision. He is expected to study his own religion during this time. If a parent decides to withdraw a student, it is the parent’s responsibility to organise supervision for the student while the programme is being delivered.

• Students who are not practicing Catholics but who do not practice another

faith must fully participate in RE class/services

• All students must participate in PE.

SLIDE 16

The Application Process

• Applications must be submitted before 12

noon on Fri Oct 18th .

• Successful applicants will be offered a

place for September 2020 by post from Mon 11th Nov.

• Acceptance of this place must be submitted

to office by Tues 26th November 12 noon.

• Parents will then be informed by post of the

time of their son’s assessment Test on Jan 18th.

• A pack of information and important forms

to be returned will also be sent out at this time.

• In line with GDPR, we only request certain

information about your son after the place has been accepted. But his place is not secured until we have receive this information as it is pertinent to enrolment.

SLIDE 17

Completed Applications MUST be submitted to office by 12 noon on Friday 18th October – after this is considered LATE.

SLIDE 18

When you accept the place for your son..

• You will be
• u will be poste

posted a d a pa packet inc t including luding

• Subje

Subject C t Choic hoice f form

• rms

s

• Book
• ok R

Renta ntal a l applic pplication if tion if y you a

• u are inte

intereste sted d

• Wrig

riggle le Inf Inform

• rmation f

tion for the

• r the iP

iPad d

• Por
• rtla

tlaoise

• ise C

Credit U dit Union inf nion inform

• rmation

tion le leafle let t

• AEN

EN F Form

• rm to c

to com

• mple

plete te and bring on F nd bring on Feb 1 b 12th

th if

if y you ha

• u have c

conc

• ncerns a

rns about y bout your son'

• ur son's le

s learning ne rning needs ds

• The

he tim time slot y slot your son will sit his Entr

• ur son will sit his Entranc

nce Exa Exam a at on Sa t on Satur turda day 1 y 18th

th J

Janua uary ry

• Fur

Furthe ther inf r inform

• rmation a

tion about the bout the Sc Schola holarship ship, the , the c crite riteria ria a and the nd the da date te of

• f the

the Exa Exam whic which will ta h will take pla place in J in Janua uary ry

• You will be
• u will be in

invite vited to the d to the Fur Furthe ther Inf r Inform

• rmation Ev

tion Evening on ning on F Febr brua uary 1 ry 12th

th , 2

, 2020

SLIDE 19

Incoming 1st Years

• Assessment Test – Saturday 18th January 20
• All classes will be Mixed Ability
• And be organised into 5/6 class groups
• Information Night for Parents / Guardians

before classes begin in August

• Meitheal will help with the first years’ day

to day adjustments into secondary school life

• Induction Day before school begins is a grea

ice-breaker

• Coffee Morning for Parents / Guardians in

October

• Parent Teacher meeting on 12th February for

further information

SLIDE 20

What

• pportunities

can a 1st year look forward to in St Mary’s CBS?

Stude Student Le nt Leade dership : ship : Me Meithe itheal l Treoiri

• iri

Stude Student C nt Counc

• uncil

il Cla lass C ss Capta ptain in The he onc

• nce in a

in a lif lifetim time oppor

• pportunity

tunity to be to be se sele lecte ted to g d to go to Za

• to Zambia

bia in in TY or 5 TY or 5th

th y

year to w r to wor

• rk in a

in an n

• r
• rpha

phana nage f for 2

• r 2 w

weeks s T Tom

• mas D

s Dunne unne a and D nd Danie niel Whe l Whela lan n to spe to speak to pa to parents on the nts on these se topic topics s

SLIDE 21

Transition Year

• ffers amazing
• pportunities

for a young person in our school

• Our Transition Year Programme was

described as ‘excellent’ in a Subject Area Inspection a few years ago.

• Students are encouraged to avail of

all opportunities to experience life in the Legal, Medical, Journalism, Acting, Sporting, Engineering and

• ther career areas
• Gaisce awards the students with

the Bronze President’s Medal after a school year of raising the bar for themselves and achieving various goals

• Work experience once a week is a

valuable life lesson

SLIDE 22

Technology in Education

• All students & teachers have access to Microsoft 365 – this is the basic tool in

enabling your son to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

• All students receive their own email address, password and their own OneDrive

account for storing their documents throughout their Junior Cycle.

• Internationally, education is moving away from set texts and using the content

which teachers always created – new technology allows for this. Students will in future be assessed on their e-portfolios which they must create, using IT.

• While other schools require all students to purchase a tablet, we leave it up to

parents to decide based on their own budget, etc.

• However, as a

s a le learning tool rning tool, there is nothing to compare for everything a teacher can provide to their student in a in addition to the ddition to the te text book xt book.

SLIDE 23

Our iPad Programme

• Our objective has always been to prepare
• ur students to meet the challenges of IT

in the workplace and in further education.

• 1:1 devices (such as iPads) allow

students to access educational content that 2 computer rooms in even a ‘State of the Art’ school can never provide.

• We are expanding the emphasis, which in

the past was on e-books, to other shared learning platforms, such as Edmodo and Microsoft 365 and building in more training from the day students receive their device.

• All of this year’s 1st years this year have

already received a 2 hour workshop in Digital Learning – basics in using Word, Emails, storing files etc.

• Digital Citizenship / Safety is also a part of

their Wellbeing Course.

• Mr Paul Cahillane is our IT and iPad

Coordinator

SLIDE 24

What is the cost of an iPad Education Package?

• Depending on the subject choices which your son makes, the entire package is between €700-

€800

• This includes the iPad itself which costs €400 approximately
• Wriggle support for 3 years
• iPads are now sent straight to the homes of the student during the summer.
• The loaded ebooks on the iPad for his subjects (including the 3-year license for the books)
• The management profile which limits the non-educational apps and images from being

accessed.

• A physical set of books is also provided by the publishers in addition to the App and ebooks- so

if a physical set is at home and the ebook is on the iPad, you have the best of both worlds.

SLIDE 25

If you wish to ease the cost of an iPad

• Portlaoise Credit Union is
• ffering a ‘Student Loan’

at a rate of 6.5%

• This can be paid over 12 months
• r less
• Savings can begin sooner or

later to lessen the pressure

• Further information can be had

from Portlaoise Credit Union.

SLIDE 26

Another choice is Book Rental

• Book Rental MUST be applied for before

May 28th 2020

• It will not be possible to accommodate

parents for book rental after this date.

• Money MUST be paid before this date in
• rder to be catered for.
• First Year Book Rental costs €250. It does

not cover copies, additional equipment such as art material, Technical Graphics,

• ther subject materials, workbooks etc.
• 2nd Year will be €80 (2ndyears receive new

English, Irish, Maths, French and Spanish- as required)

• Mr Cyril Mulligan is Book Rental

Coordinator

SLIDE 27

Entrance Test on Saturday 18th January 2020

• Two sittings:
• 8.30am to 11.00am
• 10.45am to 1.15pm
• Your assigned time will be sent to you when you have accepted a place
• Entrance Test is computer based – CAT 4
• Provides information on how best a student can learn and reach his full

potential.

• Individual reports provided for the school and the parents
• Cost €30 – payable on or before Saturday 18th January-this covers the cost
• f various assessments during 1st year

SLIDE 28

Entrance Test Time

• The assigned time may ONLY be

changed for extreme cases -If you are unable to make the assigned time you have been given, you must inform the office by 1pm on Friday 17th January at the latest.

• If people don’t show at 8.30 and too

many arrive for the second time slot, it creates a lot of problems with having enough PC’s available for that sitting.

• Your cooperation is appreciated.

SLIDE 29

February 12th Incoming 1st Year Parents Night

• On that evening, the Additional Educational Needs

Department will meet parents in LR1 for those who wish to bring their son’s learning needs to our attention (1:1)

• The AEN Form in all parents/guardians’ Pack should be

filled out and brought to this meeting. (sent in November)

• Any Reports/Assessments etc. (copies of) available should

also be brought (eg: OT, Speech & Language)

• If the student had access to an SNA, assistive technology,

the visiting Visual or Audio teacher, etc. in primary school you should take this opportunity to speak with us

SLIDE 30

Tim imeline line f for the

• r the A

Applic pplication tion Pr Proc

• cess

ssr Applica pplication ion

• Closing D

losing Date te f for A

• r Applic

pplications tions – Friday 18th October 2019 at 12 noon

• Of

Offers poste s posted d to parents / guardians by Monday Nov 11th

• Receipt of Acceptance Forms from those accepting places by

Tuesday 26th November by 12 noon.

• Entr

Entranc nce Exa Exams s – Sat 18th January 2020

• Inf

Inform

• rmation N

tion Night ight for all those who have accepted places – Wed February 12th at 7.30 pm

• This same night is also for those who wish to speak to the Additional

Educational Needs Team about their son’s learning needs

SLIDE 31

What else can I say?

• We pride ourselves on the care we show all our students
• We will work with you as parents to help your son reach his full

potential

• If and when he is going through a difficult time, as all families and

people do, we work with his home and any outside agencies in order to support this student both in and outside of school

• Our purpose is to send a young man out into the world who has

learned respect, the value of working hard, how to overcome and become stronger through the difficulties of life.

SLIDE 32

What else can I say?

• Before Wellbeing became an ‘Area of Learning’ for the new Junior

Cert, St Mary’s CBS were already there.

• We ask you to entrust your son to our care for the next five to six

years and we will always do OUR BEST to help him find and reach his

• wn potential.

SLIDE 33

Tha hank nk y you f

• u for liste
• r listening a

ning and w nd we a are look looking f ing forw

• rward to

d to the the ne next 5 xt 5-6

• 6 y

years s w wor

• rking with y

ing with you a

• u and y

nd your son.

• ur son.

SLIDE 34

'From Each His Best'