Author: Kieran Golden

Fixed Term Contract 16 hours

http://mayfieldcommunityschool.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Teacher-Application-Form-2021.docx

Dear Parents / Guardians

We hope that you and your family are safe and well.

We are planning to hold an Information Meeting on Thursday 15^th April at 7.00pm with the parents of our current Third Year Class in relation to:

1. The End of Year exams for Third Years and

• The plans for next year’s Transition Year 2021

Third Year Assessments:

In general, the marks for each subject will be based on:

75% of the marks will be based on the results of in-class tests which will take place from Tuesday 4^th May to Friday 21^st May.

25% of the marks will be based on the results received in that subject at christmas of Third Year, the summer of second year and at christmas of second year.

A School Based Certificate will come from the school which will set out the following:

·       Assessment Results/ Grade Descriptors

·       Classroom Based Assessments Levels of Achievement

·       Other Areas of Learning.

Additionally a Certificate of Completion will issue from the Department of Education and Skills. This will confirm your son/daughter has completed their 3 years in Junior Cycle.

Looking forward to seeing you online at our Information Evening on Thursday 15^th April at 7.00pm

Yours faithfully

Kieran Golden

Principal

The Department of Education have announced an In-Person Supplementary Programme to support students with complex needs. Guidance materials in relation to the In-Person Supplementary programme can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/865df-in-person-supplementary-programme/

Please email hscl@mayfieldcs.net OR eellard2@mayfieldcs.net if you wish to apply.

Kieran Golden

Principal

Dear Leaving Certificate student,

In a press release, issued on Wednesday, 17th February, the Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 will go ahead. You can read the full text of the Press Release in the link below:
https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2021-press-releases/PR21-02-17.html

Outline of Arrangements for 2021 Leaving Certificate
1. Written Leaving Certificate examinations will be held as outlined in the timetable published by the State Examinations Commission. A copy of the timetable is posted on our school website and can be seen at www.examinations.ie

2. Every student will be offered and can decide to avail of either or both of the following:
(a) Sitting and receiving grades in the Leaving Certificate exams including where applicable, your performance in the completion of additional assessment components (coursework, orals etc) associated with particular subjects.
OR / AND
(b) Receiving a State Examinations Commission Accredited Grade in each subject , based on the school’s estimate of the student’s likely performance in the conventional exams.
3. This Accredited Grades system, to be operated by the SEC, will be available whereby Leaving Certificate candidates can opt to have grades in some or all of their subjects (to be known as “SEC Accredited Grades”) issued to them at the same time as the examination results.

4. The elements of the SEC Accredited Grades system will include the following:
• The professional judgement of each of the candidate’s teachers which will not be subject to appeal
• A form of in-school alignment to ensure fairness amongst candidates at school level
• Approval by the school principal of the estimated subject scores
• A process of standardisation at national level to ensure as much fairness as possible amongst this year’s candidates
• A right for students to appeal in respect of their Accredited Grade which will comprise a process review focused on examining possible errors in the transmission and processing of student data, and
• Provision as far as practicable for out-of-school learners or students studying one or more subjects outside school to apply to receive Accredited Grades through the devising of an appropriate and practicable process

Indicative Dates.
The following indicative dates have been provided by the Department of Education:
• May 14th – Closing date for collection of evidence of learning from 6th year student for the purpose of establishing an estimated mark.
• May 28th – Schools will close for all students to allow the final week for completion of alignment process and data entry related to SEC Accredited Grades by schools.
• June 4th – Closing date for schools to enter/return all data from the school to the SEC relating to SEC Accredited Grades.
• June 9th – Written Leaving Certificate examinations to commence in schools.
• The SEC will issue revised dates for submission of Leaving Certificate course work
• Updates regarding the Leaving Certificate 2021 including an information video can be accessed through the following link Leaving Certificate 2021
While this announcement is welcome and will give some relief and clarity to students, a number of details still remain to be worked out and communicated to us.
As soon as any updates are made available from the Department, we will let you know as quickly as is possible.
We look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, 22nd February when our online classes continue. We will meet you at assembly on Monday 22nd February at 12.15pm. Your parents are very welcome to attend this meeting on Monday as well.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday.
Stay safe. Stay well. Stay Learning.
Take care
Kieran Golden Kathleen Daly
Principal Deputy Principal

Friday 14th August 2020

Dear Parents,

I hope that this message finds you all well. We fully understand that the last few months have been very different to what we have been used to in our lives and in our schools. We have missed seeing and hearing our students around the school and we are really looking forward to welcoming all our students back at the end of this month.

We are working hard to make sure that our school will be safe for all students and staff. The guidance provided by the Department of Education and Skills is comprehensive and detailed.

Our priority is to minimise the risk of the introduction of Covid -19 to the school and if introduced, to manage the risk of spread. In the event of a student showing any symptoms, the student will be removed from class and brought to our newly designated isolation room. Parents will be contacted immediately and asked to bring their son / daughter home and you are advised to make immediate phone contact with your GP.

Our school is open to essential visitors only. Parents can only come to school once an appointment has been made and only adults can attend the scheduled meeting.

As of today, Friday 14th August, our plans include:

 School uniforms are to be worn by all students every day. In line with public health guidelines, we would ask you to wash the school uniform frequently.
 We are reconfiguring all our classroom furniture to ensure that students are one metre apart.
 We are advising all our students to bring face masks with them to school. Further guidance in relation to the wearing of the mask will be issued closer to our re-opening.
 We are asking all students to bring in their own materials such as biros, rulers and calculators. The sharing of materials is not advised.
 Lockers will only be available to students at strict designated times. The lockers are being separated and will be placed at strategic points around the school.
 We have dispensers placed at each entrance to our school and a dispenser is placed in each classroom
 All our existing toilets have been upgraded including hot water and soap being available. We have also added three new toilet facilities to our school.
 All students will remain within the school grounds for both lunches. Student Year Groups will have designated lunch areas for both morning and main lunch.
 Our Book Rental Scheme will continue to operate for all students

The following is our Start Up Schedule :
• Thurs Aug 27th – Staff Induction
• Fri Aug 28th – Sixth Year Induction: 11.30am – 12.30pm
• Mon Aug 31st – Fifth Year including LCAs 9.45am – 10.30am First Year 11.30am – 12.30pm
• Tues Sept 1st – Second Years 9.45am First Year 11.30am – 12.30pm
• Weds Sept 2nd – 9.45am – 10.45am Transition Year 11.30am – 12.15pm
• Thurs Sept 3rd – Sixth Year 9.45am – 10.30am First Year 11.30am – 12.30pm
• Fri Sept 4th – All years
There is no doubt that we will face many challenges. We are however very confident in our ability to overcome these challenges with your help and with your support.

Yours faithfully

Kieran Golden

Information for our Leaving Certificate Class 2020

We will continue to support our Leaving Certificate class in every way that is permitted and appropriate in the coming weeks. Ms O’Regan, our Guidance Counsellor, Mr Hurley, our School Chaplain and Ms Daly will answer any questions you may have regarding student support and guidance. I will answer any questions you may have regarding the examination process.

Our Leaving Certificate students remain students of our school until the end of the school term. In terms of the school’s role in supporting the wellbeing of Leaving Certificate students, this support will remain available until the end of the school term (31st May 2020).

Our Guidance Counsellor is permitted to continue to provide guidance counselling support to 6th year students (1:1 and small group work). Guidance counselling support may be provided to students wishing to discuss their social personal, education and career concerns. However, In advance of any planned interaction with students a clear statement must be communicated to students and parents/guardians that the guidance counsellor will not be engaging in discussions regarding the calculated grading process or potential marks awarded by teachers.

Guidance Counsellors, teachers and students may not discuss the student’s achievement in the subject over the past two years.  Nor can they discuss the student’s ranking in a class, or their estimated mark or the level at which an estimated mark is to be provided in a subject. All conversations between Leaving Certificate students and members of the School’s Student Support Team, during this time, need to be prefaced with a statement such as the following:

‘As part of our conversation today we are prohibited from having any discussion about student achievement over the past 2 years, student ranking in a class, student’s estimated mark  or the level an estimated mark is to be provided in a subject.  If our conversation strays into speaking about any of these matters, our meeting will have to cease immediately.’ 

I would ask you all to take note of the following important points:

1. Canvassing

On Monday, 11^thMay,  the Department of Education and Skills has issued the following statement regarding canvassing:

One of the fundamental principles of the calculated grades model is fairness – both to the individual student and to the students in the school as a whole. Any attempt to influence teachers in relation to the process of Leaving Certificate calculated grades is considered to be entirely inappropriate and will be regarded as canvassing.

2. End of Tuition for 6^th Year/Final Year Students

At a meeting this afternoon Department officials stated that a message would post on their FAQ section indicating that all tuition for 6^th Year/Final Year LC/LCA/LCVP students is to end today May 11^th .  Teachers should not accept any additional material from this date submitted by students for consideration as part of their estimated mark.

3. Student Opportunity to Change Subject Levels

The Department has indicated that students will have the opportunity to change subject levels.  The SEC are developing a protocol which may involve the student indicting their desire to change level through a self-service portal for students.  Teachers should not contact students to consider changing level in a subject but should await further guidance from the Department when available.

 

Assessment and Reporting on the Learning of our Students – Summer 2020

A Guide for our Parents

While all schools have been closed since the 12^th March, all of us as teachers and parents have tried our best to ensure that students continue learning. Our school did everything we could, along with your support to ensure that our students progressed in their learning.

As a school, we believe that it is important that our students and their parents get feedback on how your son / daughter has progressed this term. Our teachers fully understand that the last few months have been challenging and we will take that into consideration when we are completing the end of term reports.

On Monday, 11^th May, we had an assembly with each of our Year Groups online and Mr McMurtry and Mr Hurley outlined our approach to assessment this term and explained to the students very clearly how marks are being awarded. Our teachers worked together to come up with an agreed approach to assessment this term. These arrangements are fair and the hard work that has been done by our students will be acknowledged and the students whose hard work has been disrupted due to the Covid-19 situation will not be disadvantaged.

Marks being awarded will fully take into account your son’s / daughter’s engagement with school before our schools closed on the 12^th March.

• Reports will include a mark and a comment
• The deadline for completion of assignments for our students will be Friday 22^nd May.
• We will be posting reports home from Thursday, June 4^th   

Third Year Junior Cert School-based Assessment

60% Assessment Data           

Christmas Test                        20%

Pre Exams                                20%

CBAs                                          10%

Online Assignments                10%

If no CBAs in the subjects Christmas & Pre Exams 25% each.

40% Engagement                 

Attendance                             10%

Participation                           10%

Homework                              10%

Attitude                                    10%

100%

 

 

First, Second & Fifth Year Assessment Reports

50% Assessment Data           

Christmas Test and other class tests              25%

Online Assignments                                          25%

 

50% Engagement                   

Attendance                                                     10%

Participation                                                  20%

Homework                                                     10%

Attitude                                                          10%

100%

 

 

 

 

Postponement of 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations

The Minister for Education and Skills announced on Friday, 8^th May:

• The postponement of 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations
• All students to be offered the option of calculated grades or sitting Leaving Certificate written examinations at a later date

A series of documents are being published to support this announcement. I am including the link to all these documents and I would ask you to spend some time reading through the guide.

The above material is available at www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate. This page hosts a series of Frequently Asked Questions.

We will hold an assembly on Monday, 11^th May at 12.30pm. All our Leaving Certificate students and their parents are very welcome to attend this assembly.

Looking forward to meeting you all on Monday at 12.30pm

Kieran Golden