HOME SCHOOL LIASION CO-ORDINATOR (HSCL).
The Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinator supports parents and guardians to improve educational outcomes for our students. In Mount Seskin Community College, this teacher is Ms. Anita Doody. She meets with parents and guardians in our school for meetings, for courses and she also visits the homes of our students to support both students and their parent/guardian. The HSCL links with parents during student transition into 1st year and at other key points during students’ time in Mount Seskin CC. Parents are also represented on the Parents Association, this parent group work with the HSCL on aspects of the school, a new phase of this will begin shortly.
Ms. Doody’s mobile is 085 8796092. Her email is anitadoody@gmail.com. There is also a HSCL twitter account, it is @MSCCHomeSchool.
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
At Mount Seskin Community College we take a whole school approach to Guidance with students beginning their orientation to career and further education from first year through various programmes both curricular and extra- curricular. All Junior Cycle Classes follow a guidance programme through their well bring class time. At Junior Cycle we run Business in the Community as a fun activity which exposes students to life choices and shows them the financial implications of various educational decisions.
We provide one to one support for students and also group work for various needs such as anxiety, social skills and to encourage students to form a positive relationship with their school. These are often run in conjunction with our active School Completion Programme.
We endeavour to provide supports to all students around decision making and transitional points by providing Aptitude Testing, parents information evenings, talks to students by senior cycle and past pupils and our annual Career Speed Dating Event.
At Senior Cycle we provide three programmes Leaving Cert Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Traditional Leaving Cert. We provide all of our senior cycle students with the opportunity to take part in work experience and we provide after school classes for fifth and sixth year through the ACE Programme with TUD and Power to Progress Programme in conjunction with Zurich and UCD. All of our fifth years have this year been provided with laptops through the Power to Progress Programme.
We believe our approach to Guidance has been extremely successful placing us at the top of the league tables amongst the Tallaght West Schools annually for the transfer to third level education and as one of the top schools in the greater Tallaght area.
BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING (BFL)
The Skills Room is an additional support available in MSCC where a full-time Behaviour for Learning teacher works with students to help them to achieve their potential and succeed in school. In the Skills Room, students have the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to allow them to have a more positive experience of school.
The teacher works with identified students, individually or in small groups, on Behaviour for Learning programmes that are designed to meet their social, emotional, wellbeing and behavioural and academic needs.
The teacher also works with full class groups, particularly with first year students on the Ready, Steady, Learn programme to help them to become familiar with school expectations in their new school setting.
SCHOOL COMPLETION
SCP provides a broad range of programmes and supports to enable students to attend school and to actively engage in their education.
SCP Outcomes
- Improved Attendance
- Improved Participation
- Improved Retention
Supports and programmes which are on offer here in MSCC
- Breakfast Club
- Lunch Clubs
- Afterschool Club (Wednesday)
- One to one mentoring
- Group Work
- Mid-term, Christmas & Summer Trips
SCP project Worker Maria McArdle maria.mccardle@scp.ie
SCP coordinator Domhnall Costigan domhnall.costigan@scp.ie.
LEAVING CERTIFICATE SUPPORTS
ACE
Mount Seskin Community College is very proud to run the Access to College Education programme for our senior cycle students. Students awarded a place on the programme and have access to a year of additional timetabled classes after school. These classes are based on the needs and requests of the students. To acknowledge good attendance at these classes, students receive a monthly payment of 50€.
The ACE programme has a school coordinator, who links in regularly with the students and a home representative who informs parents about upcoming Parent Evenings, which are held in TUD. These meetings provide advice and support to parents about the CAO process and how they can best support their child as they enter third level education.
Students are taken to the Gaeltacht in January, they participate in mock orals in Irish and and their chosen foreign language and an Easter Revision programme is organised to maximise the student’s academic potential prior to their last term at school.
Last year’s ACE students are now studying a variety of courses in Maynooth University, Trinity College Dublin, TUD and UCD, to name but a few.
The ACE programme is a wonderful academic opportunity for the students of MSCC, who may wish to pursue a particular course in a particular third level institution.
For more information, please contact Ms.O’Connor at soconnor@mountseskincc.ie
POWER TO PROGRESS
This is a new initiative by UCD in conjunction with Zurich Insurance and Mount Seskin Community College. It forms part of a UCD study into participation and attainment/progression.
This project is open to all fifth year leaving cert students. The project involves the students agreeing to take part in extra classes after school- 2 classes per week for 2 blocks of 10 weeks per year. In return the students along with extra classes have each been given a laptop for their own personal use for the two years. The laptops will then become the property of the school.
The school also has access to Zurich Insurance as a resource for speakers/trips etc which is an integral part of the programming introducing our students to the world of work and corporate society which would be new to them. The aim is to let them see that they could become part of this professional/corporate world and to open their eyes to the different educational backgrounds and disciplines that are available to them.
FUTURE YOU
This is a programme run by UCD for senior cycle leaving cert students organised by the Guidance Department within our College.
Fifth year leaving Cert/LCVP students apply in the first term to take part. The programme is open to approx. 15 students and runs until term 2 of sixth year.
Each school are assigned 2 mentors who are UCD students who attended DEIS schools. They run a programme for the students usually in person. This would consist of the mentors coming to the school approx. every 6 weeks for a 1 hour session. This session is on attending college what University life is like barriers to attending college etc. It deals with academic’s finance and transport amongst many other issues. The programme also involves approx. 2 visits to the UCD campus.
At the end of the programme students are invited to apply for a scholarship worth 1500 for each year of study If they attend UCD.