St Marys CBS Portlaoise Open Night

2ndOctober2019

St. Mary’s CBS Extra Curricular Activities

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Activities:Ø  GAAØ  SoccerØ  BasketballØ  AthleticsØ  RugbyØ  FilmClubØ  Debating

Ø  CookeryClubØ  Art/PhotographyClubØ  GreenSchoolsØ  AmberflagØ  ChessClubØ  Music/TradGroupØ  ScienceClub

Ø  DebatingØ  StudentLeadershipØ  Meitheal/Treoiri/StudentCouncilØ  ZambiaImmersion

ProgrammeØ  Foreigntrips

AfterSchoolActivitiesareanimportantpartoflifeinStMary’sCBS.Theyprovidepupilswithawiderangeofopportunitieswhichcomplementtheacademiccurriculum,allowingstudentstotakeadvantageofallthefacilitiesavailableattheschool.Studentsarestronglyencouragedtoparticipateintheseactivities.

St. Mary’s CBS Extra Curricular Activities

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BenefitsoftheseActivities:Ø  HolisticdevelopmentofeachindividualØ  SocialskillsØ  RelationshipbuildingØ  HigherselfesteemØ  EnhancedSchoolSpiritØ  HealthylifestyleØ  ProductivebreaksØ  Lifelongconnectiontotheirschoolandplaceof

learning–disconnectionleadstodroppingoutandwithdrawingfromschoollifeandfriendships

Ø  “Fromeachhisbest”isourmotto

Scholarship opportunity:

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1Thisscholarshipaimstofacilitatetheholisticdevelopmentofourstudentsbyrewardingstudentswhodrivetoachieveacademicexcellenceinconjunctionwiththeirsportingcareers.TheScholarshipwillcoverthecostofaniPad,ebooks,printedbooksandtheiruniformfortheirFirstacademicyear.Scholarshipsareawardedonthebasisof:ü  acompletedapplicationformü  anassessmentofabilityatsportsü  anappropriateacademictestMoreinformationwillbemadeavailableontheschoolwebsiteandapp.

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)

A Day in St Mary’s CBS

Mon - Thurs: 8.55 am to 1.15 pm 1.55 pm to 4.00 pm

Fri: 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

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

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

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

Your Information Pack tonight contains the following:

•  Copy of this presentation

•  School Brochure

•  SEN leaflet

•  Wellbeing Brochure

•  Extra-curricular Brochure

•  TY Brochure

Programmes offered

•  New Junior Certificate.

•  Transition Year.

•  Traditional Leaving Certificate.

•  Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP).

First Year Subjects

Everyone Takes 10 Core Subjects: •  English •  Irish •  Maths •  Science •  History

•  CSPE •  Geography •  PE (non exam) •  SPHE (non exam) •  Religion (non exam) •  Wellbeing (non exam)

Choose 3 Option subjects

•  French

•  Spanish

•  Music

•  Metalwork

•  Business Studies

•  Art, Craft, Design

•  Home Economics

•  Technical Graphics.

•  Material Technology (Wood)

Which 3 subjects?

•  Subject Choice Forms will be sent out when you have accepted the offer of a place in 1st Year

•  Take time to speak to parents/brothers/older students etc about subjects •   A European Language is still required for many 3rd Level Colleges/Courses 

•  Make choices based on future career choices, subjects likely to be taken at Leaving Cert, subjects that student has an aptitude or interest in.

•  Do not pick a subject just because your friends are doing it

•  Fill in Subject Choice form from 1 to 9 in order of preference •  Every effort will be made to give your first 3 choices but no guarantee can be given. 

•  If selecting Woodwork, Metalwork or Art please be informed there is a €30 additional charge for materials.

•  Students are expected to provide ingredients for their Home Economics cooking classes.

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.

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.

Completed Applications MUST be submitted to office

by 12 noon on Friday 18th October – after this is

considered LATE.

When you accept the place for your son..

•  You will be posted a packet including

•  Subject Choice forms

•  Book Rental application if you are interested

•  Wriggle Information for the iPad

•  Portlaoise Credit Union information leaflet

•  AEN Form to complete and bring on Feb 12th if you have concerns about your son's learning needs

•  The time slot your son will sit his Entrance Exam at on Saturday 18th January

•  Further information about the Scholarship, the criteria and the date of the Exam which will take

place in January 

•  You will be invited to the Further Information Evening on February 12th , 2020

Incoming 1st Years

•  Assessment Test – Saturday 18th January 2020

•  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 great ice-breaker

•  Coffee Morning for Parents / Guardians in October

•  Parent Teacher meeting on 12th February for further information

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

Student Leadership : Meitheal Treoiri Student Council Class Captain

The once in a lifetime opportunity

to be selected to go to Zambia in TY or 5th year to work in an orphanage for 2 weeks

Tomas Dunne and Daniel Whelan

to speak to parents on these topics

Transition Year offers amazing opportunities 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 other 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

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 learning tool, there is nothing to compare for everything a teacher can provide to their student in addition to the text book.

Our iPad Programme

•  Our objective has always been to prepare our 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

What is the cost of an iPad Education Package?

•  Dependingonthesubjectchoiceswhichyoursonmakes,theentirepackageisbetween€700-€800

•  ThisincludestheiPaditselfwhichcosts€400approximately•  Wrigglesupportfor3years•  iPadsarenowsentstraighttothehomesofthestudentduringthesummer.•  TheloadedebooksontheiPadforhissubjects(includingthe3-yearlicenseforthebooks)•  Themanagementprofilewhichlimitsthenon-educationalappsandimagesfrombeingaccessed.

•  AphysicalsetofbooksisalsoprovidedbythepublishersinadditiontotheAppandebooks-soifaphysicalsetisathomeandtheebookisontheiPad,youhavethebestofbothworlds.

If you wish to ease the cost of an iPad

•  Portlaoise Credit Union is offering a ‘Student Loan’

at a rate of 6.5%

•  This can be paid over 12 months or less

•  Savings can begin sooner or later to lessen the pressure

•  Further information can be had

from Portlaoise Credit Union.

Another choice is Book Rental

•  BookRentalMUSTbeappliedforbeforeMay28th2020

•  Itwillnotbepossibletoaccommodateparentsforbookrentalafter thisdate.

•  MoneyMUSTbepaidbeforethisdateinordertobecateredfor.

•  FirstYearBookRentalcosts€250.Itdoesnotcovercopies,additionalequipmentsuchasartmaterial,TechnicalGraphics,othersubjectmaterials,workbooksetc.

•  2ndYearwillbe€80(2ndyearsreceivenewEnglish,Irish,Maths,FrenchandSpanish-asrequired)

•  MrCyrilMulliganisBookRentalCoordinator

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 of various assessments during 1st year

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.

February 12th Incoming 1st Year Parents Night

•  Onthatevening,theAdditionalEducationalNeeds

DepartmentwillmeetparentsinLR1forthosewhowishto

bringtheirson’slearningneedstoourattention(1:1)

•  TheAENForminallparents/guardians’Packshouldbe

filledoutandbroughttothismeeting.(sentinNovember)

•  AnyReports/Assessmentsetc.(copiesof)availableshould

alsobebrought(eg:OT,Speech&Language)

•  IfthestudenthadaccesstoanSNA,assistivetechnology,

thevisitingVisualorAudioteacher,etc.inprimaryschool

youshouldtakethisopportunitytospeakwithus

Timeline for the Application Processr Application

•  Closing Date for Applications – Friday 18th October 2019 at 12 noon

•  Offers posted to parents / guardians by Monday Nov 11th

•  Receipt of Acceptance Forms from those accepting places by

Tuesday 26th November by 12 noon.

•  Entrance Exams – Sat 18th January 2020

•  Information Night 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

What else can I say?

• Weprideourselvesonthecareweshowallourstudents• Wewillworkwithyouasparentstohelpyoursonreachhisfullpotential

•  Ifandwhenheisgoingthroughadifficulttime,asallfamiliesandpeopledo,weworkwithhishomeandanyoutsideagenciesinordertosupportthisstudentbothinandoutsideofschool

• Ourpurposeistosendayoungmanoutintotheworldwhohaslearnedrespect,thevalueofworkinghard,howtoovercomeandbecomestrongerthroughthedifficultiesoflife.

What else can I say?

• BeforeWellbeingbecamean‘AreaofLearning’forthenewJuniorCert,StMary’sCBSwerealreadythere.

• WeaskyoutoentrustyoursontoourcareforthenextfivetosixyearsandwewillalwaysdoOURBESTtohelphimfindandreachhisownpotential.

Thank you for listening and we are looking forward to the next 5-6 years

working with you and your son.

'From Each His Best'