To all Parents/Guardians.
We hope that you all had a good midterm and had an opportunity to rest and relax with your family. Once again, some updates that are particularly relevant to our boys and to you, their parents. Our 1st Year boys have all settled in so well, and as a staff we regularly comment on what an exceptional group of students they are. They are so mannerly and respectful and so kind to each other. They are a credit to you, their families and of course to us as a College.
Formative Assessment Report for 1st year students (November 13th)
Next week, the school will issue what is referred to as Formative Assessment reports to all 1st, 2nd and 5th year parents. The report will be issued through our online administration system, VS ware. All parents will receive an e mail from the school notifying them that the reports are now live on VS ware to view and print. The report issued is a Comment Only Report and will not include any grades or percentages.. This report is one of the initiatives in our Assessment for Learning programme.
How is this Report Different to Others?
This report has no numeric result and no grade. It has the level at which your child is sitting the subject, it has a teacher AfL(Assessment for Learning) comment for each subject, and it has the level of effort your child is applying in that particular subject.
Why is there no Result or Grade?
In AfL (Assessment for Learning) the focus is on providing the student with feedback on their learning. This feedback should help to inform, guide and shape future learning experiences. Effective formative feedback is given without results as research has shown that students who were presented with grades and comments felt that the grade cancelled out the beneficial effects of the comments. The comments in this report are intended to help the student with the direction they need to move in to improve their learning and ultimately their results. Teachers have based their comments on various AfL assessment techniques which have been carried out in their classrooms since our return in August/September. The comments provided by your son’s teacher will help to guide and support him, in the areas that he may need to improve on between now and the Christmas tests. A more detailed explanatory letter has been attached to this e mail, to further describe Assessment for Learning as an assessment strategy.
1st Year Retreat (Friday November 12th)
All 1st year students will be going on their annual Retreat /Bonding Day next Friday November 12th. Our first year students come from many different primary schools and from different cultures. We feel as a school that it is really important to help the boys to bond with their peers and assist first years to make new friends within their year from the different primary schools. So far this year, each group has been taken out of class for bonding games to help them to form new friendships. This trip will create an environment to help and support new friendships to form within the year group. As a Diocesan school, we also place an emphasis on providing opportunities for the students to develop their faith/ spirituality. As it is a retreat, there will be a prayer service and spiritual dimension to the day as well. The information letter (hard copies have been distributed to all 1st years) and
permission slip needs to be signed and returned to your son’s class tutor on or before November 11th along with a fee of €5. The €5 will cover the cost of the bus.
1st Year Vaccinations (Friday December 3rd)
The HSE will run a vaccination clinic here in St Munchin’s College on Friday December 3rd . The students will be receiving their Tdap and HPV (first dose) vaccines on that date. Below is the link to the information booklet on these vaccinations – this leaflet was also included in the pack which you as parents received with the consent form.
https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/schoolprog/tdap/leafleteng.pdf
Motus Learning (current 1st year students who attended Scoil Ide last year)
If your son is currently in 1st year and formerly attended Scoil Ide, this notification is part of the research you consented to last April.
Your child recently carried out the final questionnaires and collection of the last saliva samples on Monday last. Just to remind you, this research is investigating the effects of the Motus program on secondary school transition from primary to post primary and is being carried out by the University of Limerick alongside Motus Learning. Thank you again for all your help with the research. As promised, please find the first-year parent webinar link below, which will take place on Wednesday 24th November:Motus Learning is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Motus Learning’s November Parent Webinar
Time: Nov 24, 2021 07:00 PM Dublin
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81518105161?pwd=dERkTjg3Q0cxVXRhaml3RFpFbDdlUT09
Meeting ID: 815 1810 5161
Passcode: 205090Please also take a look at our website www.motuslearning.com
|
Christopher Shum PhD Student (12135011) Teaching for Inclusion (iTeach) Lab Member Health Research Institute Member |
- Every student should have a clean mask coming to school everyday
- Students need to have a mask that they can pinch on the bridge of their nose and one that is positioned under their chin
- Students must be wearing their masks appropriately at all times while inside the building. The only time that students are permitted to be mask free inside the building is in the canteen at lunch time (for a max of 10 minutes).
- The majority of our students eat outside where they can fully remove their masks throughout lunch time, while socially distancing.
- Students are not permitted to eat and drink on the corridors.
Staff Meeting (all students)
This term’s staff meeting will be held next Tuesday, November 9th, from 2.30-4.30pm.
All classes will finish at 2.20pm. For those students attending after-school study, it will take place from 2.30-4.30pm in the usual centres.
November Remembrance Mass (Friday November 26th)
This year, we will hold our annual November Remembrance Mass on Friday November 26th at 2.00pm in the College Chapel. Fr. Derek Leonard will be the main celebrant and all 1st year students will be invited to participate. We would also like to invite any student and their families who have suffered a recent bereavement to join us on the day. The college will host teas & coffees in the school canteen after the mass for any parents, grandparents or friends in attendance.
Children First Awareness Week
Children First Awareness Week took place this week from 1st – 7th November 2021. Children First promotes the protection of children from abuse and neglect, by setting out what individuals and organisations need to do to keep children safe, and how to deal with concerns about a child’s safety or welfare. Society has a duty of care towards children, and everyone should be alert to the possibility that, children they are in contact with, may be abused or at risk of abuse or neglect. As a school we are particularly vigilant in relation to the detection and reporting of child neglect, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. We take very seriously our role as mandated persons (mandated persons are people who have ongoing contact with children and families and who because of their qualifications, training and experience are in a key position to protect children from harm). We regularly undertake in house child protection training to ensure that we as teachers are all clear on the procedures and protocols to follow in the event that a report of child abuse needs to be made to the DLP (Designated Liaison person). In addition, we are always alert to the fact that a child could disclose sexual and or physical abuse at any time to a member of staff and thus ensure to regularly engage in CPD that reminds us of the protocols that we must follow in such circumstances.
Concussion in Rugby (all students who play rugby)
Concussion in rugby is an issue all players, parents and coaches need to be mindful of, a new head guard has been brought to the market that has been shown to substantially reduce instances and impacts of head injuries. A Zoom information meeting will be held to talk through the science, after this, parents can make an informed decision if they would like to purchase one of the head pieces, if you would like to participate in the Zoom meeting or be updated on how to purchase one of the head guards please send an email to;
sobrien@n-pro.com and you will be added to the contact list for Zoom information meeting.
Additional information in relation to the headguard, has been added as an attachment to this e mail.
The Active Consent Programme (TY’s, 5th & 6th Years)
Parents & Guardians are the most powerful and primary source of values and knowledge for their children. However, many of us struggle to equip our children to explore and develop their independence in a social context where they may encounter sexist banter, sexting, sexual bullying and a rising number of sexual assaults. The Active Consent Programme based in the School of Psychology in NUIG has been working for over ten years with young people aged between 15 and 24 years, to develop important resources to support our children. In St. Munchin’s College, our RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) teachers (Ms. O’ Sullivan Glynn and Ms. Darcy) have engaged with the Active Consent Programme and undertaken the training provided to ensure that the information taught in RSE class is relevant, up to date and targeted at specific year groups. Well taught RSE provides essential tools for life, strengthening young people’s ability to make conscious, satisfying, healthy and respectful choices within their relationships and to stay safe both on and offline. The Active Consent Programme is running 3 parent seminars that they are inviting you, as a parent to attend. The seminars will go through course content and share with parents why and what information will be delivered to your son’s in RSE class, then, if you wished, you could continue the conversation and discussion at home.
Here are the links for 3 parent seminars (parents / guardians of TY’s , 5th and 6th Years) planned for November and an invite is also attached. Parents must sign up themselves and Eventbrite will send you a reminder and the zoom link.
11.11.2021
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/active-consent-parent-guardian-seminar-tickets-203726400147
18.11.2021
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/active-consent-parent-guardian-seminar-tickets-203759328637
30.11.2021
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/active-consent-parent-guardian-seminar-tickets-203762116977
Vex Robotics Program (Sponsored by Dell Technologies) (TY Students)
This year the school under the tutorship of Ms Orla Hayes have been accepted into the Vex Robotics Program for Secondary Schools. The Vex robotics programs are based on well-established STEM learning principles.
The programs consist of functional teams lead by a program manager- these teams are Materials, Build, PR, Engineering, Programming teams. This is a virtual package and forms a new module for TY students- 2 Hours per week for 12 weeks plus events (full day).
Teams are required to build and code robots to the brief spec. They then compete against other schools in Regional Finals in Dell Raheen, National Finals are held in CIT Cork and the World Finals in Kentucky.
Timeline of events:
September- January (They would work in their teams to build, program, practice driving etc… )
November-December (They submit a short Video of their project for review by Vex competition team)
January (This is the highlight, when teams will compete with/against each other to win competition (this takes place in Dell) Raheen- Regionals, leading to National finals in Cork)