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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
On our website all the information can be found on the menu tab for “Enrolment”
New situations are a part of growing up so preparing your daughter to reach out to the girls in her class with a smiling face, willingness to say “hello”, asking questions etc. will empower her, not just here in school but in other social situations.
Our school is a smaller, more intimate school where both students and staff know each other well. In the first few months the class teachers, subject teachers and Junior Year Head, Ms O’Dea, are very aware of the challenges facing new 1st Years, so be assured that there is support available.
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Telephone: 021 4368210.
The policy can be found on the parents section of this website at http://www.ursulinecork.com/page.php?id=90
1st Year student should complete 1.5-2 hours, 2nd and 3rd Years 2-3 hours, 4th,5th and 6th Year students should complete 3 hours (including revision time & participation in TY activities). See Homework Policy available on the Main Menu under Our School, Policies for more info.
School bags can be very heavy as your daughter is studying many subjects. However, she will not be doing all subjects every day. To manage the school bag have a look at a few tips below:
The school provides a locker to each student which can store books when not in use.
It is a good idea to have a bookshelf, storage box or other suitable area for your daughter to store books at home.
Your daughter should carefully look at the timetable each evening before school and also before she leaves the school building to decide which books need to be packed into the school bag. You can keep a watchful eye on this procedure for the first few weeks of term but your daughter should be organising for herself.
If resources allow, it can be a good idea to get a second copy of some of the heavier books e.g. Business, Science, Geography or History to keep at home to cut down on costs. Bear in mind that the 2nd hand stores only stock very good quality 2nd hand books which can still cost a lot. Neighbours, friends and students may be able to pass on well-loved books to you at much less cost. Many textbooks are used for 3 years of the Junior Cycle so good value will be got from them.
Hardback copies will be needed for Science and Home Economics. Apart from this it is sensible to buy lighter, softback copies/ memorandum copies.
A large file can be kept at home to store handouts from class, filed safely for study/reference rather than carried to school every day.
Sometimes some books and copies are stored in the teachers home classroom.
The school will always encourage students to engage in meaningful activities outside school. We also encourage students to join in activities that the school provides e.g. sport, music. The more learning experiences the student is exposed to the better for her all-round development.
This must all be balanced against how well your daughter is coping with the workload at school and the activities. Watch closely for cues to see how she is adapting to each new challenge. Keep an open dialogue with your daughter. It will become very clear to you if changes need to be made if she begins to become chaotic, gets stressed easily or if her work is suffering. Speaking to teachers at Parent Teacher Meetings can help you make decisions about what is right for your daughter.
Many primary schools provide programmes to help pupils transition to secondary school. Discuss the content of these programmes with your daughter.
As a 1st Year student, your daughter will be expected to have the correct books, copies and materials in class with her at the right time. Using the timetable that she will get on induction day, let her practice packing her bag from her storage shelf /box at home.
Encourage independence: Encourage your daughter to problem-solve for herself. She should begin, with your help, to rely on her own judgment and problem-solving skills. It is common to jump in to solve problems for children but it does not encourage independence.
When she comes to you with an issue, avoid providing ready solutions. Ask her to think about what she should do and guide her rather than point her towards decisions.
If she forgets her lunch or a book, don’t rush to the school with the forgotten item. One uncomfortable class or a few hours with a rumbling tummy, will be a lot more effective in ensuring she does not forget it again. It also allows friends to show kindness, giving her a sandwich or let her share the book.
If she gets into a bit of trouble e.g. poor standard of homework, ask her how she can learn from her mistake.
If she cannot do her homework, encourage her to ask more questions in class, talk to the teacher, read a little more from the textbook.
While disappointment can be hard to bear, it is a part of life. Helping her to understand that mistakes are how we learn and that there will be another day will help her become a resilient young person with a growth mindset.
1st Year students will be welcomed to the school.
Students will be welcomed by the Principal, Deputy Principal and introduced to the Junior Year Head and Class Teachers.
An induction session given by Junior Year Head and Class Teachers will go through information needed by the new 1st Years e.g. they will be given their timetable, school journal and locker.
There will be time to meet new classmates and see the school.
We have a pastoral system in the school. If your daughter has a problem you should empower her always to try and find solutions herself by going through the following layers of our pastoral system:
Talk to her subject teacher/class teacher who in most cases will be able to guide your daughter;
If the problem is more difficult, the Year Head will be happy to help;
The Deputy Principal can collaborate with the Year Head with more serious difficulties.
The first point of contact with the school should be through the class teacher or Year Head. Write a note in your daughter’s journal for regular communications with subject or class teachers. There is a section in each week of the journal for such communications. If you need to speak to a teacher you can write in the journal with your telephone number and the teacher will contact you by phone.
You can also telephone the secretary, Mrs Clifford on 021-4358012 to make an appointment with the subject teacher or Year Head.
See the following document for a comprehensive answer:
https://www.jct.ie/perch/resources/wholeschool/booklet-4-ws-cpd-day2-assessment.pdf
The Department of Education & Skills began rolling out Phase 1 of the New Junior Cycle to the 1st year students starting in September 2014 with the introduction of English. Gradually, new subjects were added, year on year, to each new 1st Year group. In 2019, 1st Year students are part of Phase 5 of this rollout. From 2019, all 1st Years will be doing EVERY subject for the new Junior Cycle.
There is information on this website on each subject for the New Junior Cycle: See Menu---> Academic---> Departments. Also www.jct.ie and www.curriculumonline.ie are useful sources of information. See also the following leaflet designed for parents:
https://www.jct.ie/perch/resources/publications/jc-info-parents-post-primary-may-2017.pdf
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