Dear Parents and Students,

Leaving Cert Oral Exams 2025

After an incredibly busy term, we would like to thank our students, staff and parents for their support over the last number of weeks and months. As the term finishes, it is particularly satisfying that the quality of all aspects of the educational provision we offer in GCC has been so clearly acknowledged during our recent WSE-MLL. We expect the formal report to be delivered to the school in May.

The Leaving Cert Oral Exams 2025 start tomorrow Saturday 12 April and will continue until next Thursday 17 April. We would like to wish all our 6th Year students (and their teachers) the very best in their individual exams.

It is important now that all in our school community staff take some time over Easter to rest and recover ahead of a very short final term. We look forward to welcoming students and staff back to school on Monday 28 April.

GCC Díograis 2025

Preparations for Díograis 2025 are well under way and we are looking forward to acknowledging and celebrating the hard work and dedication of our students on the night. This week, postcards have sent to any student who has been nominated for an award.  Finalists will be notified the week beginning Monday 28 April inviting them to attend on the night of the awards, May 8 at 7pm. The theme for this years Díograis Awards is ‘Together we are a Community-le Cheile’. A special thanks to Ruby Smithers, rang Aoife, for designing the art work for the postcards and programme.

GCC SEN Review 2025

In line with Department of Education guidelines we will be conducting our annual SEN review with students on Wednesday 30 April 2025. Students in receipt of Learning Support will be part of this process. The purpose of the review is to monitor student progress but also to plan and write targets for next year. Please note the allocation of Learning Support changes annually and is assigned to students based on need. Do not hesitate to contact the relevant SEN year coordinator should you require any additional information or feedback on the process.

GCC PASS Surveys

We wish to inform you about an upcoming assessment for our 2nd and 5th Year students, called
the Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS). The PASS assessment is conducted in the form of a survey, with students answering a set of questions in a timeframe of 20-30 minutes. It provides our teachers with a unique perspective on
how each student is thinking and their attitude towards school and learning. The assessment is based on a trusted psychometric measure and is widely used internationally. Please click on the link below for further details:

PASS – Letter to Parents

GCC Senior Cycle Religious Education [RE]

Glanmire Community College is a multi-denominational school and is open to all students regardless of their commitment to any particular religion or worldview. Religious Education (R.E.) is provided as a core subject and will follow the Religious Education specification developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). R.E. aims to develop students’ ability to examine questions of meaning, purpose and relationships. It achieves this through developing students’ understanding, respect and appreciation for the diversity of beliefs and values that exist in a healthy multi-cultural society.

All students in GCC are automatically enrolled to study the R.E. programme. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from the study of Religious Education on conscientious grounds. Parents have been texted today with a link to a short survey which you are kindly asked to complete by Friday 25 April 2025. The survey can also be accessed via the link below.

Senior Cycle Religious Education Survey

GCC Activities of the Week Monday 28 April to Friday 2 May 2025.

Please click on the link below to view the activities for next week Monday 28 April to Friday 2 May 2025.

GCC Activities of the Week Monday 28 April to Friday 2 May 2025

GCC Upcoming Calendar Events – April 2025

SUSI Information for Parent’s

SUSI Grant

SUSI is now open for applications (www.susi.ie). Income thresholds for full time undergraduate degrees is up to €115,000, and for PLC’s it is €58,470. SUSI are holding a virtual SUSI Information Event for parents and students. They’ll explore the types of funding available, look at the eligibility criteria, take you through the application process and their expert team will be on hand to answer your questions.

Date: Monday, 28 April 2025

Time: 7pm

Location: Teams Virtual Event

Places are limited so be sure to secure yours now by registering at events@susi.ie by 10am on Thursday, 24 April 2025.

GCC Anti-Bullying Policy Review 

Parents are asked to note that our new Cinealtas policy will be ratified by the GCC Board of Management at its meeting on Monday 1 September 2025. However, to be compliant with our bullying procedures, the current policy needs to be reviewed before the end of the 24/25 school year. Please click on the link to view our current anti bullying policy and please email our dedicated policyreview@glanmirecollege.com email by next Friday 11 April with any comments or feedback you might have. The review of the current policy will be completed at our next BOM meeting on Monday 28 April.

GCC Anti-Bullying-Policy.pdf

GCC Healthy Eating Policy

We would like to remind parents that as per our 2023 Healthy Eating policy, fizzy drinks are not allowed in the school. We have noticed some students with cans over the last while and we understand that some students may have forgotten and others may be unaware. We are asking parents not to provide students with fizzy drinks coming to school and students will not be permitted to consume fizzy drinks on school grounds if they have purchased them on the way to school.

GCC Summer Programme 2025

Access UCC Offers Easter Workshops for Secondary School students on the Autistic Spectrum

Access UCC’s Disability Support would like to invite you to attend a one-day fun workshop for second level students who are on the autistic spectrum.

• Tuesday 15 April for junior cycle students on the autistic spectrum (1st to 3rd year) from 10am to 4pm
  Please click here to book your place

• Wednesday 16 April for senior cycle students on the autistic spectrum (TY  to 6th year)  from 10am to 4pm
  Please click here to book your place

We will meet in the Assistive Technology Lab in the Boole Library at 10am. An agenda will be shared before the events.

For students we will have some fun activities throughout the day. Parents can attend an information session with UCC advisors who will outline the DARE process and current supports for students with disabilities in UCC. Current UCC students with disabilities will also share their experiences with parents and be available for questions and answers.

Lunch will then be provided for students followed by more fun activities in the afternoon finishing at 4pm.
(Students will be collected from the Mardyke Arena at 4pm)

For further information contact: Deirdre Madden deirdre.madden@ucc.ie            086 7922072

Don’t miss out on this unique experience. Register now and be a part of the Access UCC DS Easter School!

GCC European City Tour to Barcelona 

Our second group of Transition Year students head off to Barcelona tomorrow Saturday 5 April and will return next Wednesday 9 April. Please click on the link below for further details. We would like to thank our TY Coordinator Ms Imelda Manning and all our team of teachers for facilitating this memorable experience for all the students involved and we wish everyone travelling a safe and enjoyable trip.

Tourplan 2

GCC Ski Trip 2027

Please click on the link to view the application form for the GCC Ski Trip in 2027. Parents are asked to note the following please:

• Places are limited and if your application is successful two non-refundable deposits are required to confirm your place.
• We are not able to book a place on the ski trips we organise for any student who has not paid two deposits in full.
• Only students who have paid the GCC student activity fee in full will be allowed to travel.
• Students are not permitted to participate in both the GCC Ski Trip and the TY European City Tour.

GCC Ski Trip 2027 – Application Form

This will be the 4th GCC Ski trip since Covid and we are grateful to Mr Aidan Rees and the team of teachers for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students.

GCC Student Council

Please click on the link to view minutes of the most recent Student Council meeting which included the launch of the Student Council Anti-Vaping campaign for the school community. 

GCC Student Council Meeting Minutes 18 March 2025

Senior Cycle Redevelopment Information Note

Please click on the link to view the latest Senior Cycle Redevelopment Information Note from the Department of Education. This is the tenth edition in a series of Department of Education Senior Cycle Redevelopment information notes. These notes provide updates to school communities on the roll-out of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme.

Senior Cycle Redevelopment Information Note 10

Schoolbooks Grant Guidance for Post-Primary Schools 2025/26

Buying schoolbooks and classroom resources can be a costly expense for parents/guardians. In 2024 schools were provided with funding to buy schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle. From 2025 the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme will provide funding to schools to buy items for all students up to Senior Cycle. Please click on the links below for an explanation of how the scheme is run and provides answers to some frequently asked questions.

Letter from Minister to parents of students in Post-Primary Schools 202526

Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme 2025_26 A guide for Parents Guardians

Important information in relation to the Leaving Certificate Oral Examinations 2025

Please click on the link below to view Circular S88/24 which contains important information in relation to the Leaving Certificate Oral examinations 2025.

6th Year students and parents are asked to note that the Oral examinations in Irish and the Modern Foreign Languages in 2025 will be delivered by SEC appointed examiners in schools in the early part of the Easter holiday period from Saturday 12 April to Thursday 17 April inclusive.

Important information in relation to the Leaving Certificate Oral Examinations 2025

GCC School Gym

Parents and students are reminded that our GCC school gym is open Monday to Friday before school for 4th, 5th and 6th year students. Students can use the gym upstairs in the PE Hall every day from 8:00am until 8:45am and it will be fully supervised. Thanks you to our GCC teachers for providing this wellbeing opportunity to students.

We hope you have a nice weekend.

GCC Senior Management [Ronan McCarthy (Principal), Patrick O’Mahony (Deputy Principal), Caroline Byrne (Deputy Principal), Seamus Kennefick (Deputy Principal)]