Dear Parents and Students,

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 1st Year Vaccinations

Vaccinations for 1st Year students will take place in GCC next week on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 March. Please click on the link below to view a letter from the HSE to parents.

GCC 1st Year Vaccinations – HSE Letter to Parents

GCC Activities of the Week Monday 3 to Friday 7 March 2025

Please click on the link below to view the activities for next week Monday 3 to Friday 7 March  2025.

Activities of the Week (Monday 3 to Friday 7 March 2025)

GCC Upcoming Calendar Events – February 2025

GCC Cat 4 Assessments

GCC Calendar Amendment – Cineáltas Half Day Training

Parents are again reminded that the Department of Education have given permission to schools to close for a half day to support staff engagement with the introduction of the new Cineáltas anti-bullying policy. The school is proposing the date of this meeting will be Thursday 13 March from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Classes for all students will finish at 12.30pm on the day.

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.

TIMMS 2023 Summary Flyer

GCC Teaching & Learning Week March 2025 

We are delighted to announce that GCC will be holding a “Teaching and Learning Week” from Monday 10 to Friday 14 March. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of our Teaching and Learning week, teachers are invited to volunteer to open their classroom doors and invite other teachers to drop in and see something they are doing with one of their classes.

A teacher might have an excellent lesson starter, revision game or way of explaining something difficult that you think other teachers might like to see. A full timetable of open-door classrooms will be advertised around the school the week before our teaching and learning week begins. We will also be running our second GCC Teachmeet as part of our whole school staff development day on Friday 14 March.

Discover Cork Schools’ Heritage Project 2025

Congratulations to GCC students Dean Horgan [1st Year Rang Roisin] and Sophie Murphy [5th Year Rang Siobhan] who both received first prizes in the Discover Cork Schools’ Heritage Project 2025. Dean won 1st prize in the Junior Certificate Individual category with his project entitled The Story of Angela Keohane while Sophie came first in the Leaving Certificate Individual category with her project entitled The Story of Glounthaune.

Both students are to give a speech at the awards ceremony in the City Hall on Monday 3 March. Well done to all our GCC students who submitted projects for the competition and our thanks as always to Ms Josephine Reeves for supporting the students and promoting the competition in the school.

Important Information Online Marking at the 2025 Certificate Examinations

Please click on the link below to view information on the subjects being marked online in this years Leaving and Junior Certificate. We have been asked by the State Exams Commission [SEC] to bring this information to the attention of the teachers of the relevant subjects and of the candidates taking these subjects as it provides information about what to expect in the examinations.

Important Information Online Marking at the 2025 Certificate Examinations

School Health Programme – Sharing of Data and Information with the HSE

Please click on the following links to view important letters from the Department of Education:

HSE Note to Parents

Department of Education: Letter to Schools on HSE Schools Programme

Letter from CMO to Cliodhna O’Neill, Department of Education, Monday 13 January 2025

2025 Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle Examinations

Parents and students are asked to note that the timetables for the 2025 Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle examinations have been published on www.examinations.ie.

The suite of timetables can be accessed under the Examinations 2025 Banner on the home page.

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)]