Parents and guardians of First Year information meeting (zoom) - Thursday, 16th September 2021 7: 15 p.m - 8: 15 p.m. Simon Carey - Principal ...

Parents and guardians of First
  Year information meeting
           (zoom)
         Thursday, 16th September 2021
              7: 15 p.m. - 8: 15 p.m.
             Simon Carey - Principal
       Louise O’ Sullivan - Deputy Principal
            Daniel Boland - Year Head

Principal
•   If this is your eldest child, you are very welcome to the St. David’s family -
    we will take good care of your daughter(s) and/or son(s) You have made
    a great choice in St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School,
    Greystones - well done

•   Journey of a First Year student

•   Guidance

•   Covid - 19

•   School Building
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St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary
                     School
•   We are a Catholic, voluntary secondary school, founded by the Holy
    Faith Sisters in 1906, here in Greystones, and now part of the Le
    Chéile Schools Trust

•   An academic secondary school, with 95% entry into Third Level, in
    2020, and expectations to achieve same or higher for L.C. Class
    2021

•   Holistic development of all children - academic, spiritual, social

Journey of a First Year
•   Vital year - the foundation to their success

•   As a parent/guardian, you have a huge responsibility to support
    your child to achieve their best, academically

•   Monitor your child’s academic performance

•   Support us here in school and trust us

•   Supervise your child’s class and homework

•   Encourage her/him to read as this assists in all areas of learning

•   Know who your child is/are friend(s) with

•   Limit online/computer games

•   Have boundaries e.g. time to come home at, time to go to bed

•   Punctuality - be slow to write a note!

•   Read our Code of Behaviour

•   Zero tolerance for interruption of teaching and learning

•   Social media - can be a tool for and of bullying

Guidance and study
•   Healthy meals

•   Exercise e.g. fresh air

•   Early to bed

•   Ensure homework is done - this includes written work, learning material, reading,
    taking notes, revision

•   Encourage reading in bed

•   Some apps are very useful for relaxation e.g. Mindshift & Paci ca

•   School Guidance Counsellor is Ms. Brady. Her email address is guidance@stdavids.ie

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Covid - 19
•   All First Years have a tutor class, which commences at 8: 45 a.m. - 8: 50 a.m. and students
    must be in this classroom by 8: 45 a.m.

•   First Year base classes are within a zone of ve classrooms so as to reduce mixing

•   Five base classes in First Year with classes 1.15, 1.20, 1.21, 1.22 & 1.23 meaning they are
    based in rooms 15, 20, 21, 22, 23 (on their timetable they are down as 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E)

•   Approx. 65% of First Year classes are based in one classroom per week for the following
    subjects: English, Gaeilge, Mathematics, History, Geography, SPHE, CSPE, Well-being,
    Religious Education (18 classes in total out of 28 per week)

•   The remaining 35% of classes take place in the same room in the First Year block or in
    speciality rooms such as Visual Art, Home Economics, Engineering, Construction, Graphics
    and foreign languages (Francais and Espanol)
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•   All students follow a one-way system in creative block (rooms 28 - 43) and walk
    on the right, within a two way system in main school building (rooms 6 - 27)

•   No lockers for First Year students. Storage boxes permitted underneath desks
    for books and equipment

•   Every classroom has hand sanitisers and paper towels which are used to clean
    all tables and chairs when students change classrooms

•   Every First Year student has been assigned seating, alphabetically, in every
    class. This is placed on the tables of the base classes too (used for contact
    tracing by the H.S.E in the event of a con rmed case)

•   First Year toilets are upstairs in the First and Second Year zone of the school
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•   Parents and guardians are not permitted into the school without
    appointment

•   If your child has covid-19 symptoms, we ask that you follow H.S.E.
    advice and keep your child(ren) at home. If symptoms persist or
    worsen, contact your G.P.

•   Please email the school info@stdavids.ie to inform the school your
    child will be absent from school or is late for school

•    Compulsory wearing of face masks by students - plain black or plain navy
     at all times, except when eating and outdoors with P.E. A student is
     permitted to wear a visor in the event they email school con rming medical
     need such as asthma, learning dif culties or anxiety concerns

•    P.E - students are permitted to wear their sports gear for the full day or
     day(s) they have P.E. as there are no changing rooms in operation during
     covid-1

•    Break-times: restrictions in place so as to reduce mixing of different year
     groups - First Years allowed out to base classes and meet for little break
     and lunch times - full supervision rosta in place by teacher

•    Full review of all measures to be carried out at end of September 2021
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School policies (Covid - 19)
• School policies are all available on the school website in the parents
  section. These policies are:

• Covid - 19 school policy
• Covid - 19 Response Plan
• Covid - 19 Risk Assessment & Plan

• Procedures in place, for suspected cases, as per DES and Dept of Health
  guidelines

School Building
     • The main school building, containing rooms 6 - 27, library, dining area,
       sta room and main o ce complex refurbished fully (except dining area,
       library, rooms 15 & 16 - these will be renovated next summer, 2022)

     • Creative Block consisting of rooms 28 - 43 (Labs, Home economics
       rooms, Visual Art, Engineering, Construction Studies, Computer Science,
       etc) will be fully refurbished next summer, 2022

     • New sports arena - construction work ongoing, early 2022 completion
     • New three storey extension (connecting main school building and creative
       block) - construction ongoing, late 2022 completion
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Who to contact with concerns?
Chain of command within the school
• The principal and deputy principal will not be dealing with day - to - day matters. As a
  school, we have fantastic people who will work with you:

• S.E.N = resource@stdavids.ie
• Year Head (deals with the day - to - day issues for your child such as concerns, bullying,
  disciplinary matter, etc.) = dboland@stdavids.ie

• Well-being and mental health concerns = guidance@stdavids.ie
• Lates = school secretary info@stdavids
• School charges = nance@stdavids.ie
• Areas pertaining to subjects and teaching = individual teacher itself
• Parents Association = toibinsighle@gmail.com
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Pastoral Care for your child(ren)
• Year Head - Mr. Boland
• Tutors - Mr. Gardiner (1.15), Mr. Geoghegan (1.20), Mr. Greaves (1.21), Ms. Brady
  (1.22), Mr. Hallissey (1.23)

• Principal - Simon Carey
• Deputy Principal - Louise O’ Sullivan
• Guidance Counsellor - Ms. Brady
• S.E.N coordinator - Ms. Noone (in charge of First Years)
• School Secretary - Celina Purcell
• School care-taker - Liam Murtagh

CAT4 (assessments)
•   All First Years will sit their entrance assessments in school next
    Wednesday, 22nd September 2021 from periods 1 - 4 in class

•   Our S.E.N team, Guidance Counsellor, and First Year, Year Head will
    supervise

•   Students will be based in their base classes for duration of day

•   Reports will be emailed to you in mid-October 2021 by school
    secretary, Celina

Deputy Principal
•   School uniform

•   School year, 2021 - 2022

•   School holidays & closure

•   School reports & assessment

•   Curriculum & Junior Cycle

•   Other areas

School Year, 2021 - 2022
• First Year assessments (CAT4) September 2021 (within school)
• First Year Study Skills workshop (September 17th 2021)
• Induction workshops for First Years (September & October 2021)
• Relationship & Sexual Health workshop - TBA (October 2021)
• First Year November Assessments (Monday, 22nd November - Friday, 26th November 2021)
• Wednesday, 22nd December 2021 - Christmas Concert via zoom
• First Year Parent - Teacher Meeting- Thursday, 20th January 2022 (4: 15 p.m - 6: 45 p.m)
• First Year February assessments (Monday, 14th February - Friday, 18th February 2022)
• Sports Day (Friday, 29th April 2022)
• First Year Trip (May 2022) - T.B.A
• First Year Summer Assessments (Monday, 30th May - Friday, 3rd June 2022)

•   Due to restrictions on groups, other events planned throughout the year are curtailed. We are
    working to provide group activities once social distancing is adhered to. We will keep you informed

School uniform
•   School uniform remains as is:

•   School jumper (if cold in class, students are permitted to wear their school hoodie. Once
    class ends and they move around the school, they remove their hoodie)

•   School trousers or school kilt

•   School shirt or blouse

•   Black shoes

•   Due to covid-19, on the day or days of P.E, students are permitted to wear sports gear, as
    there are no changing rooms open

•   If a student does not have any aspect of their school uniform, they will be sent home

School holidays & closure
• Friday, 1st October 2021
• Halloween mid-term: Monday, 25th October - Friday, 29th October 2021
• Monday, 29th November 2021
• Christmas: Wednesday, 22nd December 2021 - Wednesday, 5th January 2022
• February mid-term: Monday, 21st February - Friday, 25th February 2022
• St. Patrick’s weekend - Thursday, 17th and Friday, 18th March 2022
• Easter: Monday, 11th April - Friday, 22nd April 2022
• Monday, 2nd May 2022 (Bank Holiday)
• School year ends on Friday, 3rd June 2022

School assessments & reporting
• There will be one parent-teacher meeting this academic year, 2021 - 2022. Due
    too continued restrictions due to covid - 19, this meeting will be online via zoom
    on Thursday, 20th January 2022 from 4: 15 p.m - 6: 45 p.m
• You will be issued three school reports on vsware and these dates are
    Wednesday, 15th December 2021; after February whole-school assessments
    on Wednesday, 16th March 2022 and Summer reports, Friday, 17th June 202
• On-going assessments by teachers throughout the year within classe
• Three main whole-school assessments for First Years: Monday, 22nd
    November - Friday, 26th November 2021; Monday, 14th February - Friday, 18th
    February 2022 and Summer, Monday, 30th May - Friday, 3rd June 2022
•   You will be issued four school reports online via vsware. Please ensure you receive your username and password by mid-October.
    If not, contact the School office by email info@stdavids.ie

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Curriculum & new Junior Cycle
•   New Junior Cycle is now implemented in full for your child(ren)

•   It is the single biggest education reform for junior cycle (First - Third
    Years) since 1994

•   Shifts how we teach all of our subjects; types of assessments used;
    removal of formal grades (A, B, C); streaming in most subjects now gone
    (higher or ordinary level)

•   Introduces well-being as official subjects within the curriculum

•   Project work formally part of all subjects in Second & Third Years (CBAs)

New Junior Cycle
•   All subjects, except Gaeilge, Mathematics and English, are taught at common level

•   Gaeilge, Mathematics, English are the only subjects streamed (Higher level or Ordinary level)

•   Grading for all subjects now in six categories:

•   Distinction = 90 - 100%

•   Higher Merit = 75 - 89%

•   Merit = 55 - 74%

•   Achieved = 40 - 54%

•   Partially Achieved = 20 - 39%

•   No grade = 0 - 19%

Key areas

•   Exemption in Irish

•   Religious Education as an academic subject

•   Special Education Needs

•   School journal

Year Head

•   School policies

•   Pastoral care of your child

•   Challenges for First Year students

School policies
•   Lates

•   School uniform

•   Mobile phone

•   Bullying

•   School text service and school website

•   Vsware

•   Attendance

•   Extra-curricular programme

•   School journal

Pastoral care of your child
•   As Year Head, I have the pleasure of working with your son(s)/
    daughter(s) every day

•   The school journal is a vital resource for the school and home

•   Please contact me with any concerns pertaining to your child
    dboland@stdavids.ie

•   Class tutors are: 1.15 Mr. Gardiner, 1.20 Mr. Geoghegan, 1.21 Mr.
    Greaves, 1.22 Ms. Brady and 1.23 Mr. Hallissey

Challenges your child faces
•   Transition from primary to post-primary school

•   Going from 1 teacher per day to 10 or 11 teachers (quite often they love it)

•   Time-table

•   New subjects

•   Increased responsibilities & expectations

•   Now the youngest student

•   Homework and study

Social Media

•   Qustodio (android phones)

•   Parental settings built into your phones (apple)

•   Google wi (for the tech savvy parent)

•   Some examples for you to be aware of
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
     Thank you all