Dear Parents,
Thank you for your continued support of the structures and protocols we have put in place here in school. As we enter the final week of term, it is important we continue to reinforce the basic steps that will help prevent the spread of Covid infection in the school. As case numbers nationally and locally continue to rise we will continue to follow Public Health advice and you will be informed of cases as is deemed appropriate by the HSE.
1st Year Enrolment September 2021
A reminder please that the closing date for receipt of applications to 1st Year September 2021 is next Friday 23 October. All applications after this date are treated as late applications. This means, for example, if you have a child already attending the school, your child currently in 6th class will go to the end of the waiting list for available places. With over 300 applications already for next September it is essential that, if you are applying for a place, the application is submitted on time to give you the best opportunity to be offered a place. Please access the school website to complete the online application form. Information is also provided on the application process.
Feedback from Survey of Parents of First Year Students
Many thanks to all of you who completed the recent short survey, which has given us an insight into your perceptions of how your children are settling into First Year in our college. We are pleased to read that students have adapted very well to their new routines, are enjoying their new subjects and the opportunities of making new friends, and are establishing good relationships with their teachers. The main areas highlighted by you that we can focus on for further improvement are addressing the weight of the school bags, and a review of the use of Google Classroom. We have decided to address these areas with our staff over the next few weeks. We appreciate the time you have taken to communicate your opinions and suggestions, as we continue with our planning to ensure a happy, safe and positive educational experience for your sons/daughters.
Staggering of Breaks and School Finishing Times
As part of our Covid response plan the school arranged for the staggering of morning breaks for 1st Years and 2nd Years as well as staggering the finishing times for 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th years. This arrangement we indicated would remain under review. Having successfully completed the first (and longest) term of the school year, our students, in particular our 1st years, are well settled into the routine of school and our online purchasing system for the school canteen is now well established. Therefore, we believe it is appropriate to discontinue the staggering of break times once this term is completed. This will come into effect on our return to school following mid-term. The procedure, whereby finishing times for year groups are staggered, will continue when we return after mid-term. This, as previously stated, will be kept under constant review. The current finishing times are:
Monday to Thursday
1st Year and 2nd Years will finish at 3.40pm
4th Year and 5th Year will finish at 3.45pm
3rd Year and 6th Year will finish at 3.50pm (normal finishing time)
Friday
1st Year and 2nd Years will finish at 12.50pm
4th Year and 5th Year will finish at 12.55pm
3rd Year and 6th Year will finish at 1.00pm (normal finishing time)
School Office
We continue to have high volumes of parents coming to the school without prior arrangement with the school office. In an effort to minimise footfall in the school, and in line with DES advice, we are again asking parents to not come to the school office unless a prior appointment has been made.
October Mid-term Break
A reminder to parents that the school will closed for the October mid-term break from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October inclusive. Parents are asked to note that the school office will be closed during this period.
We hope you have a nice weekend.
GCC Senior Management