Newsletter to 1st Year Parents June 2011

Circular for Parents/Guardians June 2011

Junior Certificate Examinations:

I should like to commend Third Year students for the mature and calm attitude displayed by them throughout the examination period.  A number of superintendents commented that the students in their centres were very pleasant and polite; it was a pleasure to hear this.

LC1 Options:

LC1 Options have already been posted to parents.  A slip was included for students who wished their names to be placed on a waiting list for a change of subject(s).  These slips should be returned to Mr. Power as soon as possible.

First Year Option Subjects:

Parents are advised to ensure that they check what Option Subjects their sons/daughters will be  doing (list of subjects enclosed) as these choices may determine subjects open to students at Leaving Certificate level.  There are certain Leaving Certificate subjects which can only be taken at Leaving Certificate level if the relevant Junior Certificate subject has been studied.  (Please see below for details).

Links between Junior Certificate Subjects and Leaving Certificate Subjects

If any parent would like information in relation to careers and subjects should contact one of our Career Guidance Counsellors i.e. Ms. Codd or Ms. Browne in September.  Students who wish to request a change of subject should see Mr. Power in September.

College Uniform

With the exception of PLC students, all other students are required to wear the new uniform which consists of a v-neck petrol blue jumper with a pale blue stripe, a pale blue shirt/blouse and navy trousers/skirt. All students are obliged to wear black footwear or navy deck shoes.  In both instances footwear must be absolutely plain and without coloured motifs or coloured laces. The uniform is available from the usual outlets: Hores Stores, Shaws and Wallaces.

Students are asked to wear their uniforms correctly.  They are allowed to wear a plain white  T-shirt under their shirt/blouse  but this should not be pulled out over their trousers.  Students are not expected to wear their shirts buttoned up to the neck but they are not to wear them unbuttoned.

Book Rental Returns (3^rd Year Students):

Next year’s LC1 students should, if they have not already done so, return all JC books issued under the book rental scheme.  It would be appreciated if books could be returned as soon as possible.

Leaving Certificate Second-hand Book Sale:

A sale of second-hand books will take place on Monday next the 27^th June from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.  Third Year student interested in buying text books for the Leaving Cert. programme should come along - prices to be negotiated between buyer and seller.  The school is facilitating this project but has no role in negotiating prices – haggling is acceptable!

JC1 Book Rental:

• The Book Rental fee for JC1 students is €125.
• This fee includes a deposit of €25 which will be returned to parents if all books issued are returned in good condition at the end of third year.
• The Book Rental fee is paid when 1^st Year students commence on the 29^th August.

Homework Journal:

We have a new School Journal designed specifically for use at Bridgetown Vocational College.

Absence Notes and other student forms are included in the journal.  The journal includes a page for parents on the intended use of the journal.

Parents and teachers can use the journal to communicate with each other.  Parents are asked to check and sign the journal on a weekly basis.

The journals are paid for from contributions to the Student Fund.  Students are required to have a journal at all times. Defaced or lost journals must be replaced and the charge for a replacement journal is €10.

Student Fund Contribution:

This fund is used to pay for student insurance, lockers, diaries and photocopying and to subsidise the cost of field trips and extra-curricular activities. It also funds the development and improvement of extra-curricular facilities. The Student Contribution requested for 2011/2012 in respect of all students is €50 per student with a maximum of €100 in respect of any one family.

Signing In:

• Students who are late for school must have a note in their journal indicating the reason and time of arrival at school.  There is a section in the new journal for this purpose.
• Students who arrive late during first class should report immediately to the Deputy Principal’s Office.
• Students who arrived late subsequently should sign in at the General Office.
• Detentions may be issued to students who do not have a note to explain their lateness or who are regularly late without very good reason.

Signing Out:

• If parents/guardians wish their son/daughter to sign out early during a particular day they should give the student a note indicating the date, time and reason for signing out early from school.
• Students should wait for their parent/guardian in the foyer adjacent to the General Office once they have presented their note at the General Office.
• Parents are asked to sign the Signing Out Register at the General Office before the student leaves the school.
• Students who are unwell during the school day should have a note signed by a teacher which they should present at the General Office.  Parents will then be contacted by a member of staff.  Students should not use their mobile phones to bypass the system.  (In the event of an emergency we need to be able to account for all those who have come to school and those who have left school).
• Office Hours are from 9.00 a.m.  – 1.15 p.m. and from 2.15 – 4.15 p.m.  It will not be possible to sign students out during morning break or lunch break.

Parents are asked not to sign students out unless there is a very good reason or exceptional circumstances.  It would be greatly appreciated if students were collected at the time indicated in their note because announcements calling students to the office seriously disrupt classes.

Health and Safety:

• It is imperative that fire safety equipment and facilities are not tampered with.  Students who interfere with this equipment risk suspension.
• Some parents, when collecting their children from school, are parking in the bus park or at the entrances to the college.  This is causing congestion and, as it is dangerous, we must insist that this practice be discontinued.  Your co-operation in this regard would be greatly appreciated!

School Rules:

• In September Parents/Guardians will be asked to sign a copy of the school rules to confirm that they are familiar with our Code of Discipline.  Students should return completed forms to their tutors.
• Smoking is already prohibited by our Code of Discipline.  From September students who are caught smoking on the grounds or in the vicinity of the school i.e. front wall, bus park, etc. will be given an ‘After School’ Detention for a first offence.  Students who repeat the offence then risk suspension.  If students smoke in the building it remains the case that suspension is automatic.

Parents’ Association:

The A.G.M. for the Parents’ Association will be held in the college on the 3^rd October at 8.00 p.m.  Parents are encouraged to come along on the night.

Fundraising for College Pitch: The Parents’ Association is organising a Bingo Night before the Halloween Break to raise funds for the development of the college pitch.  As the pitch will be used by every student in the college, the Parents’ Association would greatly appreciate parental support.  More information on this event will be circulated closer to the event.

Pitch Development:

Over the summer the fencing of the field in which our new pitch is located will be completed.

Summer Works:

The bathrooms in the 1984 and 1960 building will be refurbished over the summer.  The work will include the upgrading of plumbing and sanitary ware.  The bathrooms will also be painted.

Emergency Works:

The Emergency Works scheduled for 2010-11 were all completed and windows and external doors were replaced in the 1984 building.

Return to School arrangements:

25^th & 26^th August - Staff Meetings/In-Service

29^th August               - First Year students only

30^th August               - All other classes Including PLC Registration

(with the exception of 1^st Years and LCA1s)

31^st August                - All students

Fionnuala Greene,

Principal