The 37th ACCS Annual Convention March 2019 · Circular Letters 7 SEAI Energy Updates 7 Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) Ireland's first Transgender Awareness Conference

NEWSLETTER ISSUE 4 2018/2019

your school, your community

The 37th ACCS Annual Convention March 2019Promoting Creativity and Engagement in Schools

The 37th ACCS Annual Convention took

place in the Slieve Russell Hotel Golf and

Country Club, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan on

Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th March

2019 and was attended by 191 delegates

representing 86 schools.

The Convention represents an opportunity

for ACCS to conduct its necessary business

as an organisation while also affording

delegates an opportunity to reflect upon

and discuss current issues relevant to our

schools and the wider education landscape.

ACCS President, Paul Fiorentini opened

Convention extending a warm welcome to all

delegates. Following the business of

Convention, the ACCS President then invited

John Irwin, General Secretary, ACCS to present

his report of the activities of ACCS during the

past year as outlined in the Convention

Handbook. In doing so the General Secretary

drew attention to a series of issues:

• The need to end the moratorium on the

appointment of clerical and caretaking

staff in schools.

• The importance of the recent

appointment of additional Deputy

Principals in schools with 700+

enrolment and the promotion by

ACCS/JMB/ETBI of the further

extension of this facility to all DEIS

Schools with 600+ enrolment in the

school year 2019/2020 and with 500+

enrolment in the school year 2020/2021.

• The scarcity of teacher supply and its

effect on schools. He outlined the

efforts made by the Teacher Supply

Steering Group, chaired by the General

Secretary of the DES, to deal with the

issue and recommended that all schools

should, in so far as possible try to ensure

that appointments made should be for

the full 22 hours.

• The provision of capital funding for the

maintenance of school buildings.

• The continued need for teacher and

leadership training and its essential

contribution to educational development.

• The engagement of parents/guardians

and students in the continued

development of our schools.

• Role of Boards of Management and the

development of Child Protection and

Safeguarding Inspections.

• Expansion of the ACCS team. He

welcomed the appointment of Data

Protection Advisor, Hilary Treacy and

Vetting Administrator Fiona Mac Cormac.

• The Dignity at Work Policy recently

developed in collaboration with the

Workplace Relation Commission and

Trade Unions to deal with conditions of

work.

• The particular contribution to our

schools of state bodies such as the

State Claims Agency (SCA) and the

Financial Services Support Unit (FSSU)

and the Schools Procurement Unit

(SPU).

• The importance of autonomous

voluntary Boards of Management in

leading schools within their

communities consistent with the ACCS

motto “Your School, Your Community”

and the essential service of ACCS

training programmes, Publications,

Website and continued advice and

guidance in assisting Boards of

Management.

The General Secretary’s report was

followed by the Honorary Treasurer’s

report presented by Paul Thornton. This

detailed report presented the audited

accounts to delegates indicating the

healthy financial position of the

Association. The session concluded with

the Human Resources Manager's report

presented by Anne Marie Dillon.

Election of President 2019/2020Paul Fiorentini (Carndonagh Community

School) was nominated for the office of

ACCS President for 2019/2020 by 61

Boards of Management. His appointment

was approved on the proposal of Martin

Farren and seconded by Kathleen Mc

Keague (Carndonagh Community School).

Paul Fiorentini, ACCS President and Minister Joe Mc Hugh.

THIS ISSUE

The 37th ACCS AnnualConvention March 2019 1-4

The Middle Leadership Team 5

The GDPR –

An Update One Year On! 6

Dignity at Work Policy 6

Recent Relevant DES

Circular Letters 7

SEAI Energy Updates 7

Transgender Equality

Network Ireland (TENI)

Ireland's first Transgender

Awareness Conference 8

Junior Cycle SchoolLeadership Workshops 8

News and Events in our Schools 9-16

This newsletter is a private andconfidential document for circulationonly to Boards of Management andPrincipals. Please circulate to BoardMembers.

Election of Paul Fiorentini, ACCS President.

ACCS_33154_Newsletter_Layout 1 29/04/2019 17:17 Page 1

2 Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools NEWSLETTER No. 4 2018/2019

Navigating the Landscape and not justdancing in the dark

This entertaining and informative

presentation was made by “The Real” Mr.

David Cameron. Mr. Cameron has fulfilled

a large number of important roles in the

education service in Scotland. He has

worked regularly with schools alongside

many of the best practitioners in the world

of education and training.

He presented Convention with a wide

range of ideas on the role of schools in the

development of students in a changing

world. Delegates were presented with

challenging thoughts on the need for

change in the management of schools and

on the relevance of the current curriculum

and school life – “Enough change, Time to

make a difference”!!

The business of the first day of

Convention concluded with the Election of

the ACCS Executive Committee 2019/2020.

President: Paul Fiorentini

Vice-President: James Duignan

Hon. Secretary: Noralene Ní Urdail

Hon. Treasurer: Paul Thornton

Executive Committee:

City and Co. of Dublin Pat McKenna

Brenda Kelly

Elizabeth Tierney

Leinster Paul Thornton

Geraldine Keena

Mary Jackson

Munster Dermot Healy

Denis Ring

Noralene Ní Urdail

Connacht Michael Brett

Adrian Jackson

Ulster Patsy McVicar

Jimmy Keogh

Comprehensives Craig Petrie

Tomás Ó Nidh

Co-opted: James Duignan

David Leahy

ACCS Executive Subcommittee reports and

Convention Motions were the first item of

business on Thursday morning. All reports

presented at Convention 2019 are available

in the Convention Handbook which is posted

on www.accs.ie under the CPD Programme

Tab. Motions were presented for debate and

discussion during this session.

Convention 2019 Motions1. Due to an improvement in the Economy,

the Government has lifted the

moratorium on some appointments and

promotions within the DES. We propose

that the ACCS negotiate with the DES

to lift the moratorium on appointments

of Administration Staff, Caretakers and

Cleaners. This will alleviate a major

problem which has arisen in many

Community Schools.

St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr.

The motion was adopted unanimously.

2. That ACCS calls on the Department of

Education and Skills to revise the

current leadership and management

arrangements to allow schools, when

interviewing, to create an order of merit

for AP1 or AP2 posts which would allow

for the appointment of staff to such

vacancies as arise on a temporary or

permanent basis during a given school

year.

East Glendalough Comprehensive School.

An Amendment to delete the words

“or permanent” from the text was

proposed by the General Secretary and

the amended motion was adopted

unanimously.

Panel Discussion on Promoting Creativityand Engagement in SchoolsOn Thursday afternoon delegates were

invited to participate in a panel discussion

on Promoting Creativity and Engagement

in Schools which was facilitated by Áine

O'Sullivan, Assistant General Secretary,

ACCS.

The panel discussion followed an

inspiring presentation from Frances Neary

(Principal) and Fiona Gallagher (Deputy

Principal) of Trinity Comprehensive

School, Ballymun on their work promoting

and firmly establishing the place of

creativity in education and within their

own school community. They highlighted

whole school activities and outlined the

“Arts Guarantee” programme in the school

which enhances the engagement of

students, families and staff at all levels in

the work of the school community.

Also, on the panel was Barry Peak,

Learning and Practice Officer, Young Social

Innovators, who outlined the work of his

organisation and the place of creativity

when young people are searching for

solutions to the development of a just and

equal society for all.

The final panellist, Conference Keynote

speaker, David Cameron re-emphasised

the issues raised in his previous

presentation regarding the investment of

school in building positive relationships in

school communities, in the development

of students, in a true commitment to

learning and in the necessary change in

school culture required for the future.

School Governance – School InspectionModels1. Child Protection and Safeguarding

Inspection Model

Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig, Divisional

Inspector, Department of Education and

Skills presented to Convention an

overview of the recently introduced

procedures for Child Protection and

Safeguarding Inspections. (CPSI) He

outlined the obligations of schools in

implementing the procedures contained

in the 2017 “Child Protection Procedures

for Primary and Post-Primary Schools”

and the essential features and

procedures of the Inspection model.

2. Evaluation of Provision for Students

with Additional and Special Educational

Needs in Post-Primary Schools.

Maria Lorigan, Senior Inspector,

Department of Education and Skills

presented to Convention an outline of

the new model for the assessment of

students with Special Educational

Needs and for the provision of

necessary resources to schools to meet

those needs. She noted the recent

publication of “Guidelines for Post-

Primary Schools – Supporting Students

with Special Educational Needs in

Mainstream Schools” and the overall

responsibility of all teachers in the

implementation of the Guidelines.

The Real David Cameron.

David Cameron, Fiona Gallagher, Deputy Principal, Trinity Comprehensive School, Áine O’Sullivan, AssistantGeneral Secretary, ACCS, Frances Neary, Principal, Trinity Comprehensive School and Barry Peak, Learning andPractice Officer, Young Social Innovators.


www.accs.ie

Cumann na Scoileanna Pobail agus Cuimsitheacha NUACHTLITIR 4 2018/2019

Presidential Address Convention 2019Convention warmly welcomed Minister for

Education and Skills, Joe McHugh T.D

accompanied by Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary

General, DES and Martin Hanevy, Assistant

Secretary, DES to the Presidential address

on Thursday evening.

Presidential Address by Paul FiorentiniMr. Fiorentini extended a particular

welcome to the Minister, Joe McHugh and

to the officials from the Department of

Education and Skills expressing the

appreciation of ACCS for the Department’s

continued engagement with and support

for the work of the Association.

He continued his address with a

comprehensive review of the many relevant

issues which have engaged our schools

during the past year. Issues included:

• The development of the curriculum to

meet the current development of

society. He referred to the Junior Cycle

curriculum reform and the ongoing

review of the Senior Cycle.

• The challenges and merits of local

volunteers serving on school Boards of

Management and their commitment to

their local communities.

• The issues relating to Teacher Supply as

highlighted many times in Convention.

• Provision for Special Needs Education

and the profiling of school needs.

• The need to address the moratorium in

the provision of appropriate

clerical/administrative and caretaking

support for schools.

• The training and continuous

professional development of teachers.

• The contribution of ACCS, its staff and

the variety of voluntary committees to

the support of Community and

Comprehensive School Boards of

Management.

Address by the Minister for Education

and Skills, Joe McHugh

Minister McHugh thanked the President

for his comprehensive address and the

many current issues raised which require

attention in schools.

He acknowledged the pressing issue of

teacher supply as raised by the President.

He noted the large number of Irish

teachers who are working in other

countries and who would dearly wish to

return home. He emphasised the need for

the DES and school management bodies

to work together to seek appropriate

solutions to this issue. He urged school

managements to avail where possible of

the shared teacher scheme which may go

some way towards alleviation of the

problem. He further acknowledged the

issue of unequal pay for newly qualified

teachers and indicated his intention to do

all possible to rectify the situation.

He referred to the need for school

leadership to engage in the necessary

change to meet the future needs of

students. He outlined several sources of

training which have been made available

for school leaders to meet this need.

The Minister referred to the DES Capital

Works Programme and set out plans for the

continued development of additional

schools and acknowledged the need for

additional funds to meet the demands of

schools for repair and maintenance work.

He assured Convention that the Summer

Works Scheme will soon be open for

applications from schools for work to be

carried out in schools in Summer 2020.

He drew attention to the greatly

increased participation of students in many

issues of national significance and

encouraged schools to support and

promote such activities among their

students. He noted, in particular, the recent

campaign by students regarding climate

change and the need for greater effort on

the part of Irish authorities in this area.

He referred to the current activity of the

Department in the provision of ICT and

modern technology resources for schools

and emphasised the effect of this

provision and the work of teachers in

preparing students for the future. He

noted also the recent changes in Junior

Cycle curriculum and its influence on

present day Senior Cycle review.

He referred also to the continued

developments in the promotion of the Irish

language. The DES is aiming to ensure

that Irish remains as an active constituent

of the curriculum at junior and senior level

and that it is encouraged as an everyday

language rather than a purely academic

one. It is envisaged that appropriate

supports will be available to schools in the

continued promotion of the language.

He acknowledged the concerns of ACCS

regarding the moratorium on the

employment of Secretarial and Caretaking

staff in our schools and announced that the

moratorium is relieved, with immediate

effect, for schools with an enrolment of 700

or more. This relief will apply to 37

Community and Comprehensive Schools.

He emphasised the continued effort of

his Department to support the education

of children with special educational needs.

Recent initiatives have been welcomed

and he promises to continue his efforts in

this regard.

The Minister thanked ACCS for the

opportunity to address convention and

promised his continued support for the

Association. The Minister expressed his

thanks to ACCS for its work on behalf of

Adrian Jackson, ACCS Executive, Antoinettte Nic Gearailt, ACCS Executive, Maria Lorigan, DES, Paul Fiorentini,ACCS President, Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig, DES, Áine O’Sullivan, Assistant General Secretary, ACCS, John Irwin,General Secretary, ACCS.

3

Paul Fiorentini, ACCS President and Minister Joe McHugh.



the Community and Comprehensive

school sector and committed to ongoing

consultation and dialogue with the

Association into the future. Following a

reply from John Irwin, General Secretary,

ACCS the Chairperson, James Duignan

thanked the Minister for his attendance

and his contribution to Convention.

Friday morning commenced with the

Open Forum and Panel which explored

current issues from schools. These

included:

1. Proposed State Examination

Commission changes re issue of Leaving

and Junior Certificate Results and the

appeals process timeframes.

2. Challenges in relation to the timing of

Junior Cycle SLAR meetings within

school time.

3. New Child Protection and Safeguarding

Inspection Model. (CPSI)

4. Teacher Supply issues for schools.

5. Increased workload arising from

essential developments introduced by

the Financial Services Support Unit

(FSSU).

6. Deputy Principal Appointments for DEIS

Schools.

HUMANOLOGY – A SCIENTIST’S GUIDETO OUR AMAZING EXISTENCEThe final presentation was delivered by

Professor Luke O’Neill who is Professor

of Biochemistry in the School of

Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity

College Dublin. Ranked among the best

immunologists in the world, he is in the

top 1% of most cited researchers in his

field and in 2016, he was made a Fellow of

the prestigious Royal Society for his

innovative work on the human immune

system.

In a very entertaining and interesting

presentation he outlined a scientific view

of the source and development of human

life and of our world. He provoked deep

thought as he explained how it all began,

how it will end and everything in between.

He explored the curiosity we all have and

how this ensures we discover all kinds of

interesting things stating that every single

human being on Earth has a right to

continue to reap the benefits of all the

science that has been done in their name

and for future generations. In his opinion,

science and technology is actually making

the world a better place overall for

humans and will continue to do so. As long

as we stop making a hames of our

environment by threatening water or food

supply, or continue to destroy it, we

should be fine. His final words, as in his

book, were left to that great scientist who

entertained many of us for a generation:

“Scientists continue to go boldly, whereno one has gone before. Live long, myfellow human beings…and prosper.”

As Convention 2019 came to a close,

ACCS President, Paul Fiorentini thanked

all members and delegates for their

participation and engagement. Mr

Fiorentini paid special tribute to ACCS

Office Manager, Susan Cunniffe and the

office team, Debbie Riordan, Eileen Diver

and Fiona Mac Cormac for all their work

and organisation in ensuring the

Convention ran efficiently and seamlessly.

ACCS Convention Gala DinnerThursday evening concluded with the

ACCS Convention gala dinner where

guests and delegates had the opportunity

to relax and enjoy the evening.

Entertainment on the evening was

provided by an excellent and enjoyable

musical recital by students of Mount

Temple Comprehensive School. On the

night presentations were made to mark

the retirements of Michael Moriarty,

former General Secretary, ETBI, Ted

Owens, former Chief Executive, Cork ETB,

Gemma D’Arcy, Senior Enterprise Risk

Manager, State Claims Agency and

Connie Carolan, Hon. General Secretary,

PACCS and to acknowledge their

enormous contribution to Community and

Comprehensive schools during their time

in their respective roles.

Convention 2019 – SponsorsACCS wishes to express its gratitude to

the Slieve Russell Hotel management and

staff for their tireless support and efficient

management of the Convention and to all

its Sponsors especially VSware (Main

Sponsor) and PCI (Co- Sponsor) and to all

the Exhibitors for their ongoing support

and participation at ACCS Convention

2019.

John Irwin, General Secretary ACCS, Paul Fiorentini, President ACCS, Professor Luke O’Neill and Áine O’Sullivan,Assistant General Secretary, ACCS.

The Mount Temple Choir.

John Irwin, General Secretary, ACCS and BrendanCarroll, PCI.


www.accs.ie


The Middle Leadership Team: Building Sustainable Capacity in Community and Comprehensive Schools

Over the past few months ACCS has

developed a new in-service to assist

Boards of Management in supporting

colleagues in middle leadership positions

in Community & Comprehensive schools.

This in-service will be delivered as part of

the ACCS annual CPD programme each

year for the foreseeable future.

Excitement levels were high as

delegates arrived at the Mullingar Park

Hotel for the first of two residentials on a

sunny Tuesday afternoon in April. The

programme objectives were set out as

follows and the approach adopted is one

of blended learning with a good balance

between theory and practice.

Programme Objectives:• To develop a shared understanding of

distributed leadership by API, APII and

the SLT/SMT in school in the current

context.

• To build leadership capacity in school.

• To explore the LAOS framework and

effective change management strategies.

• To establish a robust culture which

supports effective pedagogy in the

classroom.

• To consider the central importance of

relationships and communication when

working with stakeholders.

Boards of Management of the 25

participating schools were invited to

nominate a total of three delegates, one

API, one APII and one member of the

senior leadership team to attend this in-

service. In order to participate fully, all

delegates are required:

1. To complete work on an area of in-

school research/activities in the area of

distributed leadership in their own school.

2. To take learning back to school and to

disseminate to the Board of

Management, SLT, other post holders

and staff in school.

3. To familiarise themselves with LAOS,

SSE, Circular 0003/2018 and any other

recommended reading during the in-

service.

4. To bring along one of the School

Improvement Plans (SIP) in the context

of understanding their own reality.

5. To bring a fully charged device along to

each residential.

The second residential for this group will

take place on the 6th & 7th November 2019.

The feedback from Residential One was

overwhelmingly positive with the vast

majority of delegates rating the programme

very good to excellent. Many delegates

commented positively on the exploration of

the LAOS document and the “thought

provoking” sessions offered by the

presenters stating that after the two days

the LAOS framework and the SSE process

seem more relevant and worthwhile to their

work in school. Delegates engaged in

exercises mapping the statements and

domains to their own school context while

in conversations with their own colleagues.

The practical advice offered by presenters

and the mix of theory and practical

exercises was regarded as useful and

beneficial. Delegates reported that they felt

energised for the task ahead when they

returned to school and showed a

recognition that change, while challenging

is also necessary if we are to grow greater

leadership capacity in schools.

For some APs this is their first CPD

outside of subject CPD and a great first

step to building a TEAM approach. I got

loads from the two days. It has been

great to have space to explore ideas and

to think positively about change. As a

newly appointed APII, I am new to this

type of training and I absolutely loved it.

Very well done to all the team. An

excellent two days with plenty of ideas

and an interesting mindset to support

change. The folder is fab and gives so

much to take away intellectually and

practically. Thank you. We will definitely

benefit as a school community by being

included in this training. Wonderful idea

for a programme. Badly needed –

perhaps it could be expanded in the

future to include more school personnel.

Feedback from Delegates, April 2019

ACCS wishes to express heartfelt thanks

to the team of practitioners who

developed and continue to work on this

programme under the guidance and

expertise of Dr. Joe O’Connell. They bring

a wealth of experience and knowledge to

the programme and have given tirelessly

of their own time in developing and

testing materials. Special thanks and

acknowledgement to Karol Sadleir for all

her work in coordinating the presentation

and content of the materials and

resources. Thanks also to Rachel Hayes for

all the technical support during

Residential One. The team is deeply

grateful to Dr. Joe O’Connell for his

assistance, wisdom and support

in leading the group thus

far.

L to R: Karol Sadleir, Pat Mc Kenna, Dr. Joe O’Connell, Fergal Mc Carthy, Noreen Rafferty, Paul Fiorentini, Áine O’Sullivan, Rachel Hayes and James Duignan – The Middle Leaders Programme Panel Discussion.

Delegates at the Middle Leaders’ Programme.

5



This time last year the country was waking

up to the enormity of the pending new

General Data Protection Regulation (the

GDPR), and how it was going to affect

their personal and working lives.

Almost one year on the Data Protection

Commission (the DPC) has released their

first post-GDPR annual report. The report

shows the impact the GDPR is having

already:

• A 56% increase in the total number of

complaints received by the DPC from

the public compared to 2017.

• A 70% increase in the total number of

valid data security breaches reported to

the DPC compared to 2017.

• Staffing numbers in the office of the

DPC increased from 85 at the end of

2017 to 110 at the end of 2018.

• The first stream of a public consultation

on the processing of children’s personal

data and the rights of children as data

subjects under the GDPR was launched

on 19 December 2018. The second

stream was launched on 28th January

2019 and the deadline for the public

consultation was 12th April 2019. The

DPC, with the support of the

Ombudsman for Children, supplied

schools with materials to engage

students directly in the classroom and

to obtain their feedback in relation to

the processing of their personal data.

ACCS has recently appointed a Data

Protection Advisor (Hilary Treacy) to

assist schools with their own compliance.

A template Data Protection Policy has just

been rolled to schools, and training

sessions are scheduled throughout May to

assist schools in making the template

policy more bespoke to them. Hilary will

also roll-out a new data protection self-

assessment programme for schools, so

they can assess where they have

compliance gaps. Hilary will then be

available to advise schools on how to plug

those gaps. With delegated responsibility

for the control of the personal data of staff

and students, it is vital that schools have

a robust data protection regime in place.

Taking photos at school events – Wherecommon sense comes into playThe DPC also recently released a useful

blog post in relation to the confusing issue

of taking photographs at school events, in

the context of the GDPR. You can read the

entire blog post here: https://www.data

protection.ie/en/news-media/blogs/taking

-photos-school-events-where-common-

sense-comes-play

The key points are:

• There is nothing under the GDPR

preventing the taking of photographs

in a public place. It is what you do with

that photograph that can potentially

become a data protection issue.

• Family and friends taking photos at

school events to have a record of their

own child or loved one, can rely on the

so-called “household exemption”. This

is where the photo is for their own use

only. This could even extend to where

the photo is shared and posted on

social media, although if another child

is included in the image, and the parent

of that child requests it to be removed,

then common sense and common

decency should prevail.

• Where a school takes official

photographs at school events for use on

its website, newsletter, for publication in

local media etc., the school must be able

to rely on one of the six legal bases for

processing this personal data. Consent

may be an option but can pose its own

difficulties. The blog post provides an

explanation of the different legal bases

which may be relied upon.

The GDPR – An Update One Year On!

ACCS has developed a new Dignity at

Work Policy which aims to promote

dignity, respect and equality in the

workplace. All who work in a school

including those who may have business

contacts with the school are expected to

respect the right of each individual to

work in an environment that is free from

any form of bullying, harassment, sexual

harassment or any other inappropriate

behaviour that could be reasonably

regarded as an affront to a person’s

dignity at work.

This new Policy has been written and

agreed with the unions representing staff

in community and comprehensive schools,

including ASTI, TUI and FORSA.

This Policy replaces the:

• Code of Practice for dealing with

complaints of bullying and harassment

of staff in community and

comprehensive schools and

• Code of Practice for dealing with

complaints of sexual harassment of

staff in community and comprehensive

schools

The Policy is compliant with the relevant

legislation and Codes of Practice in this

area and applies to all employees together

with persons engaged in the provision of

goods or services to a school. The Policy

sets out to clearly define bullying,

harassment and sexual harassment and

ensure that there is a clear path for

employees to follow in the event that they

feel their dignity at work has been

compromised while at work. It promotes

and encourages the resolution of dignity

and respect issues through informal

means (including mediation) in so far as

possible.

ACCS introduced the Dignity at Work

Policy to principals at a recent CPD event

in Portlaoise and Boards of Management

have been asked to ratify the Policy at

their next Board meeting. It should then

be communicated to all employees in the

school. Persons engaged in the provision

of goods/services to school should also be

made aware of this policy.

The policy references the support

structures/persons available to staff. One

such person is a Contact Person(s) who

will be a staff member(s) who has been

trained as a point of first contact for staff

who need assistance in resolving an issue

relating to dignity and respect. The

Contract Person(s) has a listening brief

only and does not get involved in any

other way in the complaints procedure.

Schools have been asked to appoint

Contact Person(s) (3/4 per school) and

the appointees should come from both

teaching and non-teaching staff in the

school. ACCS will be providing training for

both Contact Persons and Designated

Persons (Deputy Principals) early in the

next school year.

Dignity at Work Policy


Recent Relevant DES Circular Letters

CL 29/19 Prescribed Material for the Junior Certificate/Junior Cycle Examination in 2021 and Leaving Certificate Examinationin 2021

CL 27/19 MULTI-ANNUAL SUMMER WORKS SCHEME (SWS) 2020 onwards – Scheme of Capital Grants for small/MediumScale Works in recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools

CL 23/19 Prescribed Material for the Leaving Certificate English Examination in 2021

CL 22/19 REVISION OF 2011 ENTRANT TEACHER SALARIES WITH EFFECT FROM 1 MARCH 2019 – APPLICATION OFADDITIONAL INCREMENTS

CL 21/19 Application of additional increments awarded in relation to New Entrants under the Public Service StabilityAgreement 2013 – 2020 (Haddington Road Agreement/ Lansdowne Road Agreement)

CL 18/19 GRANT SCHEME FOR ICT Infrastructure – 2018/2019 SCHOOL YEAR

CL 17/19 Teacher Fee Refund Scheme 2018

CL 16/19 Home School Community Liaison Scheme: Assignment of Home School Community Liaison Coordinators withinDEIS schools

CL 13/19 Community & Comprehensive Schools – Approved Allocation of Teaching Posts 2019/20 school year

CL 11/19 POLICY ON GAELTACHT EDUCATION 2017-2022. INVITATION TO PRIMARY AND POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS INGAELTACHT LANGUAGE-PLANNING AREAS TO CONSIDER JOINING THE GAELTACHT SCHOOL RECOGNITIONSCHEME IN 2019 PARTICIPATION TO IMPLEMENTATION (May 2019 - August 2020)

CL 10/19 POLICY ON GAELTACHT EDUCATION 2017-2022. POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN GAELTACHT LANGUAGE-PLANNINGAREAS PARTICIPATING IN THE GAELTACHT SCHOOL RECOGNITION SCHEME.

CL 08/19 Special Education Teaching Allocation

CL 06/19 Post-Graduate Certificate/Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers working withStudents with Special Educational Needs (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

CL 05/19 Graduate Certificate in the Education of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for teachers working withPupils with ASD in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Special Education Teachers in mainstream Primary andPost-Primary Schools, 2019/2020

CL 04/19 Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Special Education Teachers,2019/2020

CL 01/19 Special Leave for teachers who are members of Voluntary Search and Rescue Organisations and are called-out ona Search and Rescue Operation

CL 84/18 Replacement of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) by Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) and the Ratesand Thresholds of the Additional Superannuation Contribution with Effect from 1 January 2019

CL 83/18 Curriculum-related developments at Senior Cycle with particular reference to school years 2019/20 and 2020/21,including the discontinuance of Leaving Certificate Agricultural Economics

www.accs.ie


SEAI Energy Updates, April 2019

Interested in reducing your school’s energy costs?

The Energy in Education programme offers a range of supports developed bythe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in partnership with theDepartment of Education and Skills designed to help schools to improve energymanagement practices, reduce school operating costs and protect theenvironment.

For more information or to register your interest in an energy managementcourse go to http://www.energyineducation.ie/Energy_In_Education/Information_for_Schools/Energy_Management_Courses/index.html

For more tips on how to save your school energy and money visitwww.energyineducation.ie.

For teaching resources and workshops for pupils visit www.seai.ie/teaching-sustainabiliity.

Sign up to SEAI’s schools ezine here and keep up to date on new resources andsupports for teaching energy and sustainability in school.

• Make the most of theSpring sunshine! Switchoff the lights wheneverthere is enough daylight.

• At the start of each class,get into the habit ofadjusting the blinds andswitching the lights tosuit the lesson.

• Don’t leave the blinds all or part way down, raise themif possible.

• When schools are closing for midterm or Easterholidays it is important to completely switch off asmuch energy consuming equipment as is practical tosave money and save energy. A large school couldwaste over �1,000 on electricity over the summer!Printers, copiers, overhead projectors, computers,electrical water heaters, water boilers, and lots of otherthings can be switched off.

Top Energy Tips

7


On Wednesday, February 27th 2019, the

First National Conference focussing on

transgender young people took place in

the Tower Hotel, Waterford. This

monumental event, hosted and delivered

by TENI was inspiring to all 200

educators who attended. In what can

only be described as an emotional and

brave introduction, school student

Kayden McCann, spoke about his

experience of coming out as

transgendered in school. What resonated

most with his audience was the support

he received from his family and Vanessa

Lacey, Stephen O’Hare, Catherine Cross

and all the team of TENI, throughout this

process. Subsequently, the audience

were enlightened and informed by Dr.

Aileen Murtagh, Catherine Cross, Sandra

Irwin-Gowran, Dr. Tanya Ni Mhuirthille, Dr.

Michael Redmond and Dr. Aoife Neary.

The information we received throughout

these excellent sessions will undoubtedly

help educators. All in attendance can

begin to inform and support our school

communities and to help our

transgender students to continue their

education in a safer and happier

environment. We were reminded that the

Gender Recognition Act forms GRA in

the title; Grá, being the Irish term for love.

This term love was used several times

throughout the sessions and this has

remained with me since the conference.

The truth is that everyone was there to

support our parents, guardians, teachers

and particularly the students of our

schools. It was clear that everyone who

spoke has a love for education and a love

for our students and as true educators, it

is our responsibility to engage, inform

and continually educate ourselves so

that we can provide every student with

the education they deserve. Helen Keller

once said ‘A well-educated mind willalways have more questions thananswers.’ It is now our chance to ask our

students what they need and to continue

to ask those questions so we can hear

the voice of our students and allow them

to be who they are. With the help and

support of Vanessa and all the people at

TENI, we can begin to advocate,

legislate, educate and support

transgendered students in our schools.


Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI)

Ireland's first Transgender AwarenessConference

Tower Hotel, Waterford City, 27th February 2019

L-R: Kayden McCann, Vanessa Lacey & Catherine Cross

The Junior Cycle School Leadership

Workshops – May 2019. Register via

www.jctregistration.ie. The focus of

this workshop is on Student Centred

Strategic Planning and it addresses

the following:

• Curriculum Planning which is needs

and context driven

• Planning for the school’s wellbeing

programme

• Implications for schools in circular

79/2018

• Deepening our Understanding of

the classroom-based assessments

• Planning the Classroom Based

Assessment calendar for 2019/

2020 and beyond

• Leading and managing curriculum

change in your school

WEEK 5

Mayo Education Centre 01/05/2019

Navan Education Centre 01/05/2019

Limerick Education Centre 02/05/2019

Galway Education Centre (LG) 02/05/2019

Kilkenny Education Centre 03/05/2019

Blackrock Education Centre 03/05/2019

Dublin West Education Centre (LG) 03/05/2019

WEEK 6

Cork Education Centre (LG) 09/05/2019

Cork Education Centre 09/05/2019

Reminder to all schools Junior Cycle

School LeadershipWorkshops

DON’T FORGET!

LAST CHANCE TO ATTEND!


News and Events in our Schools

Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara, CarnaTéarma ghnóthach agus rathúil i Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara, Carna

Th ug an grúpa ceoil ‘Arco’ leo Craobh Chomórtas Scléip Ghael

Linn i ndeireadh mí Eanáir agus bród ar leith againn as an mbua

áirithe seo de bharr tradisiún cheoil agus amhránaíochta an

cheantair. Spreagtar rannpháirtíocht i ngníomhaíochtaí ceoil,

amhránaíochta agus damhsa ar an sean-nós agus cuireann sé seo

go mór le folláine agus féin mhuinín na scoláirí chomh maith le

cultúr na scoile.

Tá rang teicneolaíochta na chéad bhliana páirteach sa gclár

TechSpace agus ag an gcomórtas náisiúnta Teic Féile 2019

thugadar leo na mór dhuaiseanna sna rannóga Ráscharr STEM

agus Photoshop. Bhuaigh ár múinteoir teicneolaíochta Róisín Ní

Chonfhaola ‘Teic Oideachasóir na bliana’ ag an bhféile agus dhá

bharr seo tá printéir 3T chomh maith le oiliúint ar fáil don scoil.

Mar chuid de phlean fhoghlama dhigiteach na scoile tá sé i gceist

againn níos mó forbairt a dhéanamh ar chur i bhfeidhm an chláir

seo.

D’eirigh thar cionn arís i mbliana leis an gclár malartaithe le scoil

i Karlsruhe na Gearmáine. Tá an ceangal seo ag feidhmiú le naoi

mbliana, ar dtús le tacaíocht ón gclár Eorpach Comenius ach le

blianta beaga anuas tá sé maoinithe go háitiúil. Bíonn buntáiste

mhór ann do na scoláirí a ghlacann páirt san gclár ní amháin ó

thaobh scileanna teangan de ach freisin ó thaobh scileanna

shóisialta agus deiseanna taistil. Cuirfidh muid fáilte roimh na

Gearmánaigh go Carna arís i Meán Fómhair, 2019 agus scoláirí

Charna ag taisteal san Earrach 2020.

Eagraíodh ‘Caifé na bPancóga’ ar mhaithe le airgead a bhailiú

do MS Ireland, ranganna éagsula i mbun an chaifé ar feadh an lae

agus cuireadh ag ranganna ar a seal theacht chun comhrá agus

pancóga a roinnt le comhscoláirí. Baineadh sásamh agus tairbhe

as an ngníomh ar mhaithe leis an gcatharnacht agus sóisialú agus

folláine na scoláirí.

Buaiteoirí Scléip

Teic Féile 2019

www.accs.ie

9Cumann na Scoileanna Pobail agus Cuimsitheacha NUACHTLITIR 4 2018/2019

Caifé na bPancóga




Kinsale Community SchoolFrom BTYS to JCI – Ten Outstanding Young Persons

This year, I entered the BT Young Scientist & Technologist

Exhibition 2019 with my project entitled “Helping Hemp Heal; The

Design of a Nano-formulation to Increase the Absorption of

Cannabidiol in the Gastro-intestinal Tract.” I began to work on my

project in June 2018 and dedicated almost every day of my

summer holidays to my scientific research and development,

despite the sunny weather! After I conducted thorough

background research, I identified a problem with Cannabidiol – it

is poorly absorbed in our gastro-intestinal tract, meaning that the

amount of hemp oil or CBD oil (both containing CBD) we ingest

is not effectively absorbed in our bodies, and only a fraction is left

to become pharmacologically active in our body.

I was determined to develop a solution to overcome CBD’s

absorption barriers and contribute to the research being

conducted on CBD. I was inspired to help those who were using

Hemp and CBD products by increasing the quality of product on

the market along with its absorption and efficacy in our body.

Hence, I spent my summer and the following months designing a

nano-formulation to help give CBD a better chance to be

absorbed and become active to exert the therapeutic effects it is

used for.

I entered my project in the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical

Sciences Senior Individual category of the exhibition and spent

eight months working towards my project in preparation for the

BT Young Scientist & Technologist Exhibition last January 2019 at

the RDS Dublin. I was delighted to be accepted and the

excitement set in leading up to the exhibition.

The atmosphere at the exhibition was fantastic and I was proud

to showcase my hard work to the judges and the general public.

After a memorable couple of days at the BT Young Scientist

Exhibition, I was honoured to be awarded 1st place in my

category – Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences, Senior,

Individual, along with the prestigious Eli Lilly Award for the

chemistry content of my project.

During the exhibition, I was also interviewed by a member of

the BT Team and a few days later I received an email stating that

I had been selected as one of thirty to take part in the BT Business

Bootcamp 2019. In addition to this, I received a follow up email

indicating that my project had been chosen as on the six lead

projects to be part of the bootcamp.

The BT Business Bootcamp took place from March 4th to March

7th 2019 in Nova UCD, Dublin. The aim of the bootcamp is to

encourage further innovation by young scientists and provide us

with commercialisation skills to carry forward into our careers and

lives.

On Monday 5th of March, myself and 29 other fellow BT young

scientists gathered at the Nova Innovation Centre at UCD.

The aim of our week was to present and pitch our ideas towards

our challenge to a panel of expert judges. Every day we carried

out team building challenges that built our entrepreneurial skills

but most importantly developed our self-confidence. These

included Commercialisation Canvases, Goal Mapping, Systematic

Thinking, Design Thinking and Presentation Prepping. These

topics were covered over different days of the week and as each

day ended, I could see our team’s work develop from words on

paper to an innovative idea. By completing these challenges, we

investigated different aspects of our plan to develop a business

proposition from my project. My goal was to develop a product

consisting of Hemp Oil or CBD Oil and my nano-formulation which

could be used to treat various ailments including epilepsy.

Throughout the week, we listened to inspiring guest speakers

who shared with us their journey in the world of science, research,

innovation and entrepreneurship.

We spent the week working on our product pitch and planning

what we would discuss and focus in on. We decided amongst us

who had the most skills and knowledge in each particular area of

the business idea and furthermore delegated out the tasks to each

speaker on our team. My product was called “Hemp Heal” and we

pitched for the funding of a product consisting of Hemp/CBD Oil

and my formulation to be developed to treat epileptic patients.

The expert judging panel took on the role of GreenLight Medicines

and listened to the pitch and asked follow-up questions

afterwards. It was a truly exciting experience and I was honoured

to be able to share my work and passion for science with the

judges. We were speaking well over ten minutes.

Once every team had pitched to the panel, we attended the

awards ceremony in the evening. MD Shay Walsh of BT announced

that my team and project idea had won the overall BT Business

Bootcamp 2019!

I, alongside my team were absolutely thrilled and truly

honoured!

BT bootcamp provided me with invaluable skills, tips and

beneficial information for the future. It was a truly worthwhile

experience and I have benefited from it very much. It has been

one of the greatest weeks I have experienced and I know I will

have these wonderful memories forever.

Congratulations to sixth year student Jennifer McCarthy on her recent successes at BTYS, BT Business Bootcamp and her nomination

to attend the finals of the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons in May. We wish Jennifer every success in the future. Below is a piece from

Jennifer describing her journey:



From BT Bootcamp, Head of BT Mari Cahalane informed me that

I was invited to take part in Inspire Fest 2019 which will take place

this May in the Bórd Gáís Energy Theatre in Dublin. I am really

looking forward to speaking and meeting other inspiring people.

In March I was delighted to be nominated as one of the JCI Ten

Outstanding Youth Persons in Cork for my innovating work in

science and my contribution to society. I was nominated in the

Medical Innovation category. I was invited to attend the awards

ceremony at AIB Bank in Cork City where I spoke to the audience

about my research and enjoyed speaking with the other nominees.

It was a lovely evening and I was truly grateful to have received

such a prestigious award.

To date, I have been selected by JCI Ireland’s judging panel to

go forward to the National JCI awards which will take place in the

Royal Marine Hotel on the 18th May 2019.

In conclusion, I have thoroughly enjoyed this past year! I have

learned so much and developed invaluable new skills that I will

carry forward into my future. I look forward to continuing my

career in science and research and to what the future holds.

Remember, no matter what you are interested in, keep working at

it and the hard work will pay off. For anyone thinking of entering

the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, enter! Whether you love sports,

music, biology, chemistry etc I guarantee you it will be a life-

changing experience. Keep questioning the world around you!

Jennifer McCarthy, 6th Year Student,

Kinsale Community School

Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP)programme serves to formally recognise youngpeople who excel in their chosen fields andexemplify the best attributes of the world's youngpeople. The program is sponsored by JuniorChamber International (JCI).





St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh

Principal, Mr. Cahil Doherty, St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh is delighted to have signed the contracts for the newbuilding worth in the region of 3 million euro. Work will commence in March 2019.

Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition Final!

Congratulations to Jack O’Connor, a 5th yearstudent from St. Louis Community School inKiltimagh who was selected by the FootballAssociation of Ireland to be on the FAI Irish SchoolSoccer team. Jack recently represented St. Louisand his country in his first match against Scotland.Congratulations are also extended to Mr. FearghalO'Hara, Jack's school soccer coach.

Congratulations to Caoilfhionn Little and HanaUeno, two TY students from St. Louis CommunitySchool in Kiltimagh who were chosen to attend TheTY Physics Experience Week (TYPE) in TrinityCollege, Dublin. It was a very enjoyable andinteractive week for the girls and they got to enjoylectures about Quantum Machines, Astrophysics,careers in Physics and so many more interestingtalks.

Roisin Leneghan, a Leaving Certificate Appliedstudent from St. Louis Community School inKiltimagh enjoyed her work experience inClaremorris Garda station. Roisin is blind and hasendured a total of 80 operations in her young lifebut her impairment doesn't stop Roisin fromenjoying life. The students and staff of St. Louis arevery fortunate to have Roisin as a member of theirschool community.


www.accs.ie


Holy Family Community School, Rathcoole Success at the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO)

Four students from Holy Family Community School, Luca Crone,

TJ Corcoran, Caoimhe Healy and Liza Matvitska reached the top

100 students in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO)

competition. These students will progress to the new round in the

All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) making HFCS one of the

most represented schools in this event. Massive congratulations

to the students and to their teachers in the Maths Department for

all their help and support. We wish them all the best in the

competition in DCU.

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) is a contest in which

secondary school students develop their own strategies for

solving problems in fascinating languages from around the globe.

Students must use their ingenuity to solve puzzles such as

deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, decoding numerical spy

codes, and interpreting ancient Mayan poetry. No prior knowledge

of linguistics or a second language is required, as even the hardest

problems require only logical ability, patient work, and a

willingness to think around corners. AILO introduces students to

linguistics (i.e. the study of human language) and to the

application of logic to problems of language understanding and

translation. The goal is to develop students’ problem-solving skills

and to inspire them to consider the fascinating range of careers

at the intersection of computing, linguistics and language.Students Luca Crone, TJ Corcoran, Caoimhe Healy and Liza Matvitska fromHoly Family Community School.

Tarbert Comprehensive SchoolOfficial launch of Tarbert Comprehensive School Fitness Suite

On Thursday January 10th, 2019 Minister Brendan Griffin

launched the fully equipped School Fitness Suite. The

facility received funding under the Sports Capital Project

and will be of tremendous benefit to the students and

local community in the years ahead. School Principal, Mr

Prendiville thanked Minister Griffin, Cllr. Kennelly, Board

of Management, Parents, Staff and Students for their

tremendous support. Minister Griffin noted that the

facility is also in keeping with the School motto 'MensSana in Corpore Sano - A Healthy Mind within a HealthyBody'.


L–R: Mr Prendiville (Principal), Miriam Hanlon (Chairperson Student Council), Mr Martin Trench (PE Teacher), Minister Brendan Griffin, Cllr Michael Kennelly, Mr Ted O'Connor (Board of Management Parental rep.),Caelan Fox (Student Council) and Ms Lelia Moloney (Deputy Principal).




St. Columba’s Comprehensive, Glenties, Co. DonegalThe Global School’s Programme visits “The Comp”

Bishop Alan Mc Guckian, patron of the school with threesurviving Principals of The Comp left to right Harry Reid,Frances Boner, Bishop Mc Guckian and Michael Naughton.

Principal Frances Boner welcomes MinisterJoe McHugh to St. Columba's Comprehensiveto celebrate the 50th anniversary.

Paul Fiorentini, President of the ACCS, is presentedwith a gift by Ailbhe and Conor Mc Crossan. The giftwas a scarf woven by their grandfather, the famousDonegal weaver Eddie Doherty.

Anne McHugh, CE Donegal ETB and jointpatron of the school is presented with a giftby Callum NcLoone Malone of the Studentcouncil.

Minister Joe McHugh is presented with a gift by Ella O Loughlin andShea Malone of the student council.

Flag raising ceremony.

It’s an occasion when the Minister for Education visits your school.

For Minister McHugh to visit us twice in one academic year is a

rare honour indeed. On Thursday last 10th January we got that

second visit by the man himself. He was not alone, flanked as he

was by Brian O’Brien, the Consul General to Chicago and the US

Mid-West, Alison Meagher, 3rd Secretary for the Department of

Foreign Affairs and Lieutenant Daniel McChrystal of the Irish army

and a UN Peacekeeper.

The occasion for such illustrious company was the launch of

“The Global Schools” programme, aimed at giving the students of

Ireland an insight into the “Global Ireland” programme currently

being initiated by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Though it is

intended to eventually reach all Secondary schools in the country,

St. Columba’s Comprehensive, Glenties was honoured to be

among the first twenty schools in the country where the scheme

is being piloted.

The scheme is designed to continue and also to increase

Ireland’s contribution to global issues, not least of which is our

continued involvement in the United Nations Peacekeeping

missions throughout the world. Hence the presence of Lieutenant

McChrystal, who reminded us that Ireland is the longest serving

continuous member of the peacekeeping forces with a very

impressive track record throughout the war ravaged countries of

the world. The lieutenant fielded several questions from students

in a lively Q and A session in the school.

After the Minister spoke it was outside for a special presentation

and raising of the United Nations Flag and the United Nations

Charter to the school, before normal service was resumed. Just

another day in the life of “The Comp”.


www.accs.ie


Castlerea Community SchoolAll Ireland win for Castlerea Community School

‘It is not a cliché to say that we stand on the shoulders of giants’.The education we receive at Castlerea Community School is bornout of the vision of St Catherine McCawley, whose life was inspiredby the compassion of Jesus for the poor and hungry of her time.Pope John Paul, in his encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis said ‘ForCatholics, their option of love must embrace the immensenumbers of the hungry’.

Castlerea Community School Senior Public Speaking Team

speaking in NUI Maynooth, 9th March 2019

On Saturday, March 9th the Senior Public Speaking team from

Castlerea Community School were crowned winners of the fifth

annual Knights of St Columbanus Public Speaking Competition

2018-19. This is a national youth faith initiative supported by the

Knights of St Columbanus, an order of Catholic laymen founded

in 1915 by Canon James O’Neill. The team chose from eighteen

topics offered under five sections. The one selected by the team

was from the section entitled: ‘Living the Christian Life’ and was

in response to ‘If in so many parts of the world there are childrenwho have nothing to eat. That’s not news. It seems normal. Itcannot be this way.’ – Pope Francis speaking at Audience, June

2013. Preparations for the competition began in December and

the competition consisted of rounds at Diocesan level followed

by Provincial level, with two or three teams progressing to the All-

Ireland Final from each province. The team from Castlerea won

first place at the Diocesan Final held at Abbey Community

College, Boyle on February 14th and progressed from the

Connacht Final held in Knock House Hotel on February 28th. The

successful teams at Diocesan, Provincial and All-Ireland level

received trophies, cheques for their school on each occasion,

while students on the winning teams received vouchers to the

value of €50.

Each team was comprised of three students who delivered their

presentations to the judges and the assembled audience. The

total length of the team presentation was between eleven and

thirteen minutes. When the team presentation concluded, an

unseen question was posed. The response was to last no less than

45 seconds and no longer than two minutes. Each team was

expected to address their topic in a balanced way. Students were

encouraged to support their arguments with references from the

Old and New Testament, church documents, church teaching and

papal encyclicals. The team members came from the senior year

groups and the Castlerea Community School team comprised one

Fifth Year and two Transition Year students.

The running order was decided on the day of the final by lottery

and the team from Castlerea was drawn to present first. The

Castlerea CS team consisted of Aoibhe D’Arcy, Maureen Quinn,

Nathan Green and Ronan Tumbek, with Aoibhe as Captain

starting the day’s proceedings with an eloquent introduction to

the issue of World Hunger. Maureen followed this with a

passionate discussion pertaining to real-world examples of

hardship and Nathan presented a powerful conclusion detailing

initiatives that have been put in place to address the issue both

in Ireland and internationally. All arguments were supported by

the students’ lived faith experiences and their faith formation

within family, parish and school. Their central thesis was

reinforced throughout by church teaching, encyclicals and Biblical

references.

The standard of competition at the All-Ireland final was

commended by both the adjudicators and Co-ordinator of the

competition, Mr Seamus McDonald (Knight). Two teams were

awarded the runner-up prize; St Joseph’s College, Garbally,

Ballinasloe and Killina Presentation Secondary School, Tullamore.

On announcing Castlerea Community School as winners of the

All-Ireland competition, they were highly commended for

focusing on their active faith lives as well as their in-depth

knowledge of scripture and church teaching. Their presentation

of the topic was outstanding, with balance, depth and excellent

teamwork evident throughout. On the announcement of the

winning team, there were jubilant scenes among the assembled

group from Castlerea Community School including the team, their

mentors, families and friends and other members of the school

community who travelled to support the team on this momentous

occasion. The immense achievement of this team was noted, as

they are the first winners of the Knights of St Columbanus Public

Speaking Competition from Connacht and the first school from

the Community School sector to win at this level.

The team at Castlerea Community School are most grateful to

Justin Harkin, Diocese of Elphin Education Secretariat, Seamus

McDonald, Knight of St. Columbanus coordinator of the

competition, Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, adjudicators of all the

rounds, Ms Eileen Ryan, Principal CCS and Mr Jarlath Burke,

Deputy Principal CCS and the staff and families of Castlerea

Community School for their unwavering support and

encouragement.

Knights of St Columbanus All-Ireland Public Speaking Winners 2019. Aoibhe D’Arcy (Captain), Maureen Quinn, Nathan Green, Ronan Tumbek,Mary Colleary (School Chaplain), Margaret Larkin & Theresa Kelly (EnglishDepartment), Gerald Harbinson, Supreme Knight of the Order of the Knightsof St. Columbanus.


Castlerea Community School Team photographed receiving their trophy from Gerald Harbinson, Supreme Knight of the Order of the Knights of St. Columbanus.



www.accs.ie


St. Colmcille’s Community SchoolCross Border Arts Project

St. Colmcille’s Community School were selected as one of three

schools to participate in a Cross Border Art project. It is entirely

funded by the Irish Government’s Reconciliation Fund and the

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The two other schools

taking part are St. Louis Secondary School Dundalk and

Newbridge Integrated College Loughbrickland, Banbridge, Co

Down.

In conjunction with Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation

Centre in Co. Antrim and the Glencree Centre for Peace and

Reconciliation in Co Wicklow, a group of second year students

from each of the schools have been working together to create

mini art projects based on the theme of Peace. This has included

a one day workshop in Glencree, a two day stay in Corrymeela

and a visit to each of the schools for all the Staff and students

involved. Together they will create a design for a permanent

sculpture piece for each school.

There will be a final showcase early next year, where the Art

Works will be revealed. Many thanks to Patricia Walsh for her

organisation of this project from St. Colmcille’s Community

School.


Documents

The 37th ACCS Annual Convention March 2019 · Circular Letters 7 SEAI Energy Updates 7 Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) Ireland's first Transgender Awareness Conference