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Wishing you all Happy Safe and Healthy New Year.

I’m sure you are now all familiar with this evening’s announcement and the government recommendations for the reopening of schools on January 11th 2021.

To facilitate online learning we have scheduled all year groups with the exception of 6th years to collect their books from school on this Thursday and Friday.The times are as follows:

• 1st Years on Thursday morning 10 am  to 12-30
• 2nd Years on Thursday afternoon 1pm  to 3pm
• 4th Years on  Thursday afternoon 1pm to 3pm
• 3rd Years on Friday morning 10am to 12-30pm
• 5th Years on Friday morning 10am to 12-30pm

The plans announced by the Government provide for 3 days in school attendance for 6th year students only and those days are at each school’s discretion.We will update all 6th Year students and parents on Monday evening.

Virtual information meetings will be held for all Year Groups and parents next week.

Kind regards,

K. Daly, Acting Principal

J. Mc Murtry, Acting Deputy Principal

New extension to Mayfield Community School

In recognition of the expanding pupil numbers in Mayfield Community School, where a GaelCholaiste was established in September 2020, the Department of Education & Skills has approved funding under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021. This funding is for a new extension to the school, including the construction of two new classrooms and supporting facilities, commencing in 2021.

Mayfield Community School is delighted with this announcement which is of substantial benefit to the school and its local community.

K.Daly 

Acting Principal

Please click on the link below to view/download the timetable for the Leaving Cert Christmas Exams.

The UCC Sanctuary Scholarships scheme for entry to a degree course in 2021 is opening soon.  At the following link is an information video about how to apply as well as an expression of interest form for interested parties: 

https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/universityofsanctuary/education/sanctuaryscholarships/

Sanctuary Scholarships | University College Cork
Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland’s first 5 star university. The UCC tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.
http://www.ucc.ie/

UCC will be holding a live online Q&A on Wednesday December 9th from 3-4 p.m. to answer any questions about the scheme and how to apply, or how to apply to UCC itself. 

Click here for a link to the Q&A session on Wednesday, 9th December from 3-4 PM

Here is important information for Third Year parents, guardians and students.

Exams

• Junior Certificate Examinations are scheduled to take place in June 2021. The advice from the Exams Commission is to continue as normal.
• All schools are preparing their students for this outcome.

What happens if the exams are cancelled?

• In the unlikely event that exams are cancelled the Junior Cert grades will be awarded by teacher based assessments.
• This will be drawn from evidence including tests throughout the year. 
• Evidence can also be gathered from CBAs, classroom engagement, attendance and homework.

Exam Entries

• Junior Certificate Examinations will be Common level except for English, Maths & Irish which will continue to be Higher & Ordinary.
• For this year only Woodwork, Metalwork and Technical Graphics will also be Higher & Ordinary.
• Exam level entries will be based on performance in the Christmas Tests and the Pres in February.
• Most teachers, where possible, will enter students for the Higher level at first, and then by consultation with students and parents, decide on a final level after the Pre-Certificate exam.
• Sitting Higher level in Junior Cert means you can sit Higher in Leaving Cert. If you do Ordinary level at Junior Cert it is unlikely you can do Higher at Leaving Cert.

CBAs

• There have been changes to Classroom Based Assessments (CBAs).
• In most subjects, one is required. This is different across the subjects. A CBA could be oral, practical or written.
• Some CBAs have already been completed.
• For those CBAs that have not been completed, the teachers are planning to do so before the deadlines. Deadlines are as follows:
  • 20th Nov 2020 – Visual Art. 
  • 4th Dec 2020 – Modern Foreign Languages.
  • 12th March 2021 – English, Science, Business Studies, Mathematics, History, Geography, Irish, Home Economics, Music.
• CBAs must be completed in order for the Junior Certificate to be complete.

Attendance

• Attendance and punctuality is crucial to success.
• Research tells us that every 10% of days missed, the students grade falls by one level.
• Being in school and in lessons is most important but engagement in lessons must happen. This is ‘active learning’.
• Attendance and focus in class and doing all the work set is crucial to avoid gaps in learning.

Homework

• Homework and revision are also central to success. 
• Homework cannot be corrected in the conventional way but can be viewed and commented on online.
• Many teachers are using Google Classroom to set and review homework.
• Revision requires a timetable. The school will provide a revision schedule for students.
• Past papers will also be provided. The cost will be subsidized by the school.
• There will be a 20 euro charge.
• There are revision sites for the students to use. Studyclix and Revisewise. Some are free. We will be posting a list of recommended sites on our social media platforms.
• We cannot offer Homework Club or Study Support this year due to Covid restrictions. However, we will ask for parental interest before Christmas and depending on the response see what we can provide.

COVID

• It is great news about a vaccine, but it is unlikely to change the protocols in school this year so we will have to continue to work under difficult conditions.
• Most students have been excellent in adhering to the Covid regulations – sanitizing, mask wearing and social distancing.
• However, teachers report that recently masks have been slipping. Please ensure masks fit properly and cover the mouth and nose.
• Also, to avoid contact at lockers students should have their books for 3 lessons ready.

The Future

• This year has been very difficult for the current TY classes as they have missed out on the range of activities usually offered to Transition Year.
• Hopefully, there will be some normality back next year.
• But students need to look beyond TY and think about what happens at Leaving Cert and beyond. Will it be an apprenticeship, college or employment. Whatever the avenue you choose, study now makes a difference.
• Have conversations with your son or daughter about the future.
• Success in Junior Cert reflects in success at Leaving Cert. Good habits need to continue and bad habits need to be changed.
• Remember, there are many bursaries and funding for further education, for those students who demonstrate hard work and endeavour. 

We are now accepting application forms for the school year 2021/2022

Please click here to download our application form.

Please click here to download the application for Gaelcholaiste Ghoirt Alainn

We are now accepting application forms for the school year 2021/2022

Please click here to download our application form.

Please click here to download the application for Gaelcholaiste Ghoirt Alainn

From: The Association of Community And Comprehensive Schools:

Clarification on the use of face coverings in Post Primary schools
Wearing a face covering or mask does not negate the need to stay at home if symptomatic.

Wearing of face coverings – a requirement
Staff and students, at post-primary level, are required to wear a face covering.

Cloth face coverings
Cloth face coverings are recommended for staff and students. Cloth face coverings act as a barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from travelling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the face covering coughs, sneezes, talks or raises their voice. Cloth face coverings are therefore intended to prevent transmission of the virus from the wearer (who may not know
that they are infected) to those with whom they come into close contact.

Face coverings must not contain any slogans/logos/images that may cause upset or be deemed offensive to any member of the school community.

Directions for effective use of face coverings

• Information should be provided by schools on the proper use, removal, and washing of face coverings. Advice on how to use face coverings properly can be found here.
• All staff and students should be reminded not to touch the face covering and to wash or sanitise their hands (using hand sanitiser) before putting on and after taking off the face covering.
• Face coverings should be stored in a designated space, for example, in an individually labelled container or bag.
• Cloth face coverings should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again, or if visibly soiled.
• Face coverings should not be worn if they are wet. A wet cloth face covering may make it difficult to breathe.

Attention Parents and Students of the class of 2020
Leaving Certificate results are available from 9am on 7th September 2020  at the Student Portal on education.ie https://lc2020.education.gov.ie/Students will need their examination number, PPS number and account password.

Ms O Regan, your Guidance Counsellor will be available to you from 9 am on Monday.
Please email Ms O Regan or call the school to arrange a meeting.

For more information, please see this booklet:

Dear parents
We hope that you are keeping well. Since our last letter to you on the 14th August, we have continued to work hard to get our school ready for reopening.
Our priority is to minimise any potential introduction of Covid-19 into our school.

We would like to remind you that;

• Visitor access to the school will be very limited. Parents can only be allowed access if an appointment has been made.
• Any student who has been abroad to countries outside the Green List are required to quarantine for a full two weeks before they return to school.
• Parents should remain vigilant around symptoms and keep their children isolated at home if they are experiencing flu like symptoms.

Our safety matters and with this in mind, we are introducing the following measures:

• All students must sanitise their hands when they enter our school.
• There are 75 Hand Sanitising point clearly identified around our school
• To avoid crowds, students will be designated an entry and exit point at the start and end of each school day. These entry / exit points will be clearly identified for the students during our first week back in school
• Please arrive at school as close as possible to 8.55am and once your son / daughter is in school, they must go straight to class.
• All classes will remain in their classroom for tuition and lunchtimes.
• All students will be allocated a specific seat in their base classroom.
• Lockers have been moved into the rooms and each student will be allocated their own individual locker.
• Year Groups will remain together in pods around the building e.g. Fifth Years will be based in B05 and B07. The students will remain in those classes for the majority of their classes.
• The students will have to move to subjects such as Art, PE, Computer Science etc.
• Classes will be allocated designated toilet facilities specifically for certain Year Groups close to their respective pod area.

A reminder that students must wear MASKS in school. If your son/daughter cannot wear
a mask for medical reasons then you must provide a medical cert to the school before your
son/daughter returns to school.

Thank you for your full support and we are looking forward to seeing your son / daughter
back in our school

Take care
Kieran Golden, Kathleen Daly