Dear Parents and Students,
GCC WSE-MLL March 2025
As advised in our update last Friday, GCC will undergo a Whole School Evaluation – Management, Leadership and Learning [WSE-MLL] inspection by the Department of Education the week beginning Monday 24 March. Please see below the planned schedule for the inspection visits:
Thursday 20 March – Preliminary Meetings
- Introduction of the inspection team to school staff at the 11.35am break
- Meeting with GCC school management
- Carrying out student surveys [2nd & 5th Year students]
- Tour around the school
- Meeting with our GCC Board of Management at 4.30pm
- Meeting with our GCC Parents Council at 6pm.
Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 March – Classroom Observations
- Classroom Observations
- Meetings with key staff
- Meeting with student focus groups on those days also
Thursday 3 April – Feedback Meetings
- Feedback meeting with GCC school management @ 11am
- Feedback meeting with GCC school staff @ 2.30pm*
- Feedback meeting GCC Board of Management @ 4.30pm
*Please note the feedback meeting with GCC school staff will necessitate an early school closure on Thursday 3 April. Classes will finish for all students @ 1.10pm on the day.
Parent surveys:
Please click on the link below to view a letter and a link which we have been asked to distribute to parents for the online survey which they will access using the school roll number. This survey is available to parents next week during the week prior to the in-school evaluation week and will close at 5pm on Friday 21 March 2025.
76064F_WSE-MLL_PostPrimary_parentletter_onlinesurvey
GCC Cineáltas Parent Survey March 2025
Further to our Cineáltas half training yesterday Thursday 13 March, please click on the link to complete the Cinealtas parents survey. Parents, staff and students will be given an opportunity to give their input and we will collate this information and reference it in our policy.
GCC Cineáltas Parent Survey March 2025
GCC Celebrating Student Success
We are so proud of our students in GCC. This week we are acknowledging a group of girls who have had some sporting successes of late:
- Fia Comerford (Finnian) was part of the All Ireland winning U14 Cork School Girls team who beat Waterford recently in the SFAI Interleague final.
- Emmy Newman Vaughan (Cathal), Ruby-Lou Keane (Aine) and Layla Spillane (Cillian) were winners at the U16 Irish and British Championships DNC last weekend in Manchester.
- Niamh Fennessy (Finnian) and Kacey Harris O’ Brien (Donnacha) were selected to represent Cork in the U-14 Camogie Championship this year
GCC Transition Year Students – Eco-expo Friday 21 March
Transition Year Students from our Green Schools will be holding the Eco-expo on Friday 21 March to showcase the wide variety of initiatives ongoing throughout the year. They are also organising the collection of batteries and small electronic devices from our first and second year students as they visit the various project stands. In other news, our Young Environmentalists are in the semi-finals of the competition which takes place next Wednesday 19 March in the Cork Waterworks. GCC has enjoyed major success regionally and nationally in the Young Environmentalists programme in recent years and we wish our students the best of luck and continued success next week.
Information on Healthy Habits HSE Health Promotion Cork and Kerry
Please click on the link below to view the Healthy Habits booklet from the HSE Health Promotion Department. The aim of this booklet is to support parents, with trusted sources of information, to practice the healthy habits in the home that you/your staff teach the children through SPHE/RSE in school. This booklet will be shared with parents today via our weekly update on the school website.
Post Primary Healthy Habits 2025 Cork Kerry HSE
National Voter Registration Day
Parents and senior cycle students are asked to note that there is a national campaign running encouraging everyone to register to vote. We have a presidential election in the Autumn of 2025 and National Voter Registration Day will take place on Wednesday 30 April.
Only Irish citizens over 18 can vote in a presidential election but anyone living in Ireland can vote in local election so it would be good to get those students registered too. Students aged 16 or 17 can pre-register to vote and their name will be added to the register when they turn 18. Our TY students could do this. It should only take a few minutes online if students have their PPSNs and Eircode.
GCC Activities of the Week Monday 10 to Friday 14 March 2025
Please click on the link below to view the activities for next week Monday 17 to Friday 21 March 2025.
GCC Activities of the Week Monday 17 – Friday 21 March 2025
GCC Upcoming Calendar Events – March/April 2025
| Monday 17 March | St Patrick’s Day | School Closed |
| Saturday 29 March | GCC TY European City Tour 1 – Barcelona | 29/3 – 2/4 |
| Saturday 5 April | GCC TY European City Tour 2 – Barcelona | 5/4 – 9/4 |
| Friday 11 April | Easter Holidays | 14/4 – 25/4 |
GCC Senior Choir Feis Maitiú Winners 2025
We would like to congratulate our GCC Senior Choir who were crowned Feis Maitiú winners last Wednesday 5 March under the outstanding guidance of our GCC Music teacher Ms. Ann Mannix. Music and singing are very much part of the fabric of GCC, and the school has had a long and successful association with the Feis Maitiú awards. Our thanks to Ms. Mannix, Ms. Gilbert and all the staff in our school who continue to promote Music in the school.
GCC Cork ETB Award Winners 2025 – Leaving Certificate Class 2024
The annual Cork ETB awards ceremony took place last Friday night, 28 February. The event acknowledges the outstanding academic achievements of students in Cork ETB schools and GCC had over 30 students recognised. We want to congratulate our students on their achievements and acknowledge the support of their parents as well as our teachers who consistently provide high-quality opportunities for our learners. We also want to acknowledge the role of our SNA and ancillary staff in facilitating a learning environment where students can achieve to their maximum. The guidance, knowledge and support provided by all in our school community is instrumental in their success.
Please click on the links below to view the GCC Leaving Cert Awards Booklet as well as some photographs from our GCC gathering in advance of the awards ceremony itself.
Glanmire Community College Leaving Cert Awards Booklet March 2025
Photographs – Cork ETB Awards Friday 28 February 2025
2024 GCC Junior Cycle Students receive their Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) Certificates
Congratulations to last year’s 3rd Year students who were presented with their Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) certificates today Friday 7 March. The JCPA captures student achievements in a number of assessment elements undertaken over the three years of junior cycle, including the grades in the state-certified final examinations at the end of the three years. It also reports on students’ achievement in Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) in subjects and short courses. The JCPA also includes reporting on Wellbeing. Please click on the link below for more information.
Thank you to our GCC teachers, SNA’s, parents and support staff for your encouragement of our students throughout the Junior Cycle programme.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a26b9-junior-cycle-profile-of-achievement-jcpa/
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
GCC BOM Meeting
Please click on the link to view the Agreed Report from our GCC Board of Management meeting last Monday 3 March 2025:
Agreed Report for the GCC BOM Meeting Monday 3 March 2024
Spotlight on GCC Alumni – March 2025
In our continuing focus on the stories of some of our GCC graduates, please click on the link below to view the latest contribution from 2006 GCC graduate Dr Kathyrn Fahy. Kathyrn has a PhD in Physiotherapy with a specialisation in Sports Physiotherapy and Shoulder rehabilitation and has worked with both national and international athletes from the Women’s National team (Football) qualifying for their first ever world cup, to Thomas Barr and the relay team with their first ever world and European medals.
However, her greatest achievement was a fine day in Croke park last July when Clare and Cork played out one of the best All-Ireland Hurling Finals in the history of the GAA and Kathyrn stood proudly on the winning side as physio to the Clare team alongside her amazing medical team Michelle and Shane. Kathyrn is just a few short weeks into a new journey in Doha working as a specialist physiotherapist in the world leading specialised sports and orthopedic hospital. Please click on the link below to read more:
Dr Kathyrn Fahy – GCC Alumni 2006
GCC Cat 4 Assessments
TIMSS 2023
Parents might recall that GCC participated in the TIMSS 2023 study back in March/April 2023. TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) is one of the world’s largest studies of student achievement. It assesses mathematics and science achievement at both primary (Fourth Class) and post-primary (Second Year) levels.
Please click on the link to view a summary flyer of the findings for Ireland from TIMSS 2023 which we have been asked to share with school staff and parents who may be interested.
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.
Department of Education ESD Newsletter Issue 18 – March 2025
Please click on the link to view the Department of Education’s latest ESD Newsletter:
We hope you have a nice St Patricks Bank Holiday weekend.
GCC Senior Management [Ronan McCarthy (Principal), Patrick O’Mahony (Deputy Principal) Caroline Byrne (Deputy Principal), Seamus Kennefick (Deputy Principal)]