Community School
One of the great things about Transition Year is that the students get to experience a whole range of activities and trips that would not happen otherwise.
On Friday 16th our TYs had a great trip to Spike Island – have a look at the photos below…
(click on any photo to open a slideshow)
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Students and teachers, you are all very welcome back to the start of a new school year. We all begin the new year with great hopes and expectations. It is our best hopes for you that all of you reach your full potential this year. We especially welcome our First Years who are coming to a new school. For some of you, it’s a big change as you are in a bigger school and for the first time in a while, you are now the youngest people in the school. We know that you will settle in soon and that you will make new friends and get the chance to experience new subjects. We would like to thank our senior school leaders who are members of Meitheal who helped the first years last week as part of the first year Induction Programme.
We congratulate our Leaving Cert class of last year on their results and we wish them well as they continue their education in the Engineering and Commerce classes in UCC and the CIT, in the many courses in the Further Education Colleges and we also wish those who have started in the world of work long and successful careers. For those of you who are studying for the Leaving Certificate, your journey continues in every class and in the supervised classes that are starting after school today.
It’s important for all of us that we get into good routines and habits right from the start.
By being on time and ready for class, you will learn something new every day. Pupil learning is important in our school.
Getting involved in school – wearing our full school uniform every day, living up to our school motto, Meas ar Gach Chraobh Respect for All, will ensure that you feel good about yourself and you help others to feel well also. Get involved in the clubs, before school, our Breakfast Club, during lunch time and after school. Keeping well mentally and physically, being fit and active matters for all of us.
Have a good year and give us every reason to celebrate and acknowledge the good things that you do in school. In a few weeks time our Gradam night celebrates student success over the year. It should be your ambition to be part of that night. Give your teachers every opportunity to give you praise when you deserve it.
We wish you all well and every success in the year ahead.
Our leaving cert students had a great night at their recent graduation ball.
Don’t they look well!
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A huge congratulations to our Leaving Cert and LCA students who received their results yesterday.
Well done everyone, and best of luck with the next stage of your careers!
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Our annual awards night, Gradam, is one of the high-points of our school year. It is a chance to celebrate the previous year’s achievements by our students.
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Each year we have an open night where we get to show some of what’s available in our school
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LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME
The Aware Life Skills Programme (LSP) has been developed by Dr. Chris Williams. Dr. Williams is a Professor of Psychiatry and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Glasgow and is a recognised expert in the area
CBT focuses on thinking and behaviour. When a person is dealing with very stressful issues or beginning to develop symptoms of depression they are more vulnerable to filtering out positive experiences and focusing on unhelpful thoughts. This negative bias informs a person’s behaviour and can start to influence their decision making process at school, at home, or in relationships
The principles of CBT illustrate interesting examples of common ‘ways we think’ and explores if ‘how we are thinking’ is helpful or not and if there is sufficient evidence to support our thoughts. It questions if we have, over time, mistaken our ‘thoughts’ for fact. This approach challenges habitual behaviour influenced by negative thoughts. The CBT approach can help us to make small, practical changes in areas of our life that we find difficult. Taking these small actions can improve our mood and also reduce some of the symptoms associated with depression, stress or anxiety.
There is excellent evidence that CBT works for the treatment of anxiety and mild to moderate depression and many previous participants of AWARE’s Life Skills course have found it to be hugely beneficial to them.
The Life Skills Programme is not individual therapy: it is a group programme which allows participants to learn some of the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and apply them to their own life.
Some of our students with Dee Lynch, from Aware
Dee Lynch presenting to the group
Some of the ideas behind the Lifeskills Programme
As part of the Simon Community’s “Christmas Jumper Day” many of our students came in to school wearing their brightest and best Christmas Jumpers.
All students who wore their jumpers donated €1 to Cork Simon Community. Those who didn’t have their jumper on the day were able to enter the Christmas spirit by donating what they could. All of those who contributed were entered in a draw for a selection box – and there was also a prize for the best dressed Student!
The event created a great atmosphere, with the added bonus that the money raised is going to such a good cause.
Well done to all our students who raised €233.60
Natasha Cronin presenting Kerry Mac Mahon of Cork Simon with our cheque
Kerry Mac Mahon with Natasha Cronin, Ms. O’Sullivan and Mr. Kieran Golden
Some of our students who got their Jumpers on
First years enjoying the event!
Keith Kelleher, our best dressed Christmas Jumper wearer
On Wednesday 25th November, we were delighted to welcome Cyclone Rep to our school.
This was the Company’s second visit to Mayfield Community School.
Our first years watched an engaging performance of the popular Bullying Prevention show. Students were treated to a most realistic portrayal of a number of bullying scenarios.
This was followed by a workshop, which gave students an opportunity to ask questions and to voice their opinions on bullying. They were encouraged to make suggestions on ways to tackle bullying. It was marvellous to see all students in the group contributing to this most worthwhile discussion. Their suggestions will be taken seriously by management and staff.
We are very grateful to the Mayfield Health Action Zone for partially funding this visit.
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For more information on the Cyclone Rep Theatre Company, visit their website