Email to Parents 21/12/21

Dear Parents/Guardians,
As we approach the end of a challenging year, we would like to share some updates and notices regarding the term just passed and looking forward to the new one to come in 2022.

COVID 19 Updates:

Masks and social distancing rules are ongoing. Students must remain in their year group pods and not mix due to contact tracing issues. Ventilation is managed with open windows, doors, and CO2 monitors in some classes. From January students I would ask all parents to ensure that your child has their own mask and a spare in their bag everyday. Students who don’t have one will receive a phone call home.

Over the last 15 weeks we have given out over 10,000 masks. This is at a significant cost both financially and environmentally.

School Uniform Arrangements for Cold Winter Months:

In these colder months with ventilation arrangements in place, classrooms are unavoidably cooler. Even though the heating is on, students are permitted to wear their school coats in class and to layer up underneath their shirts/ blouses only. This extra layer should not be visible e.g., hoods, collars, polos etc. PE uniform is only to be worn on the timetabled PE day.

Parent's Association:

The Parent’s Association have worked tirelessly in supporting our school endeavours including purchasing goal posts and nets for our long- awaited Football goals on our pitch. These were put to great use during the inaugural football match between students and teachers at the end of November. Fundraising efforts continued a-pace with the Christmas Raffle that will be drawn on Tuesday 21st December.

Use of Mobile Phones:

Mobile phones in school serve as a distraction to learning and an erosion of social interactions for students. While we encourage that these devices are not brought to school they must be kept off in the locker or school bag (in times of COVID when not all students have access to a locker). Phones should not be used anywhere on the school campus.

Attendance and Punctuality:

Good attendance is the key to success. Punctuality goes hand in hand here. Being late to school and class regularly adds up to significant loss of learning time, even if it is only a short time daily. Students who arrive late to school will log their late by scanning the QR code in the reception.

6th Year students who arrive late to school will not be permitted to interrupt the first class. They instead will study in the GP area until the next class begins. Lates can be seen on VS ware in yellow on the attendance tab.

Toilet arrangements during school day:

Students should ask class teacher for permission to attend the bathroom. They should present their journal to teacher who marks it with a T stamp. Students should use the toilet closest to their classroom to reduce time lost from learning. Students are also permitted to use the toilet during lunch when inside eating or on their way to or from yard time. Students may have to wait if there is a queue to attend the bathroom.

Lunchtime Arrangements:

During lunchtime students can enjoy the whole campus while on their designated yard time.
In January depending on COVID restrictions, basketball courts will be used on a year group by year group basis only. A limited number of students will be allowed in the court at one time. Students may be asked to leave if too many are in the court. A team of TY students will oversee a rota for this and for the distribution of footballs. More details to come in January.

Code of Behaviour Amendment: Red-line Sanction for 5th and 6th Year:

A reminder to parents of 5th and 6th year students that the redline sanction is in place. This is available on our website in should you require any clarification.

Options for 1st year Reminder:

First Students are now in the process of selecting their options. This is a reminder to input your child’s options on VSware. Closing date for these option choices is Friday 7th January 22.

Jigsaw: “One Good School.”

Jigsaw-Kingswood Community College are delighted be starting our One Good School journey with Jigsaw. The initiative is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people and those around them. This is done by developing a shared responsibility for mental health across the whole school community.
This is an 18-month commitment, and a school team will work on this initiative over this time. The team includes teachers, students and parents and will be facilitated and overseen by Mary Murphy, Deputy Principal. Bespoke training will be provided for all members of the team.
If you, as a parent/guardian of a young person in our school would like to get involved and be part of the school team for the One Good School initiative, we would love to hear from you. The meetings will normally take place after school, ie, 3/3.30pm to facilitate all involved. Please send an email to info@kingswoodcc.ie for the attention of Mary Murphy Deputy Principal to express your interest in becoming involved or if you would like more information about One Good School initiative in Kingswood Community College. If there are several interested parents or guardians a lottery will be held.

A Timely Reminder:

Recent research by the Tallaght Drugs & Alcohol Task Force once again highlighted the normalisation of cannabis in communities across Tallaght and Whitechurch.The research showed that a large proportion of young people think their use of cannabis is socially acceptable and reasonable in line with the view of the cannabis movement to legalise the drug. This dangerous misconception is resulting in an increase in the number of young people presenting to ‘YoDA’, the Youth Drug and Alcohol Service, with addiction and mental health issues.

'Let's Be Blunt' is a video produced by young people with the support of youth workers from Foróige, Tallaght and Cross Care, Ronanstown helps parents and young people to know the risks and facts about occasional and prolonged use of cannabis.

As featured in The Echo, please see the attached poster which contains a link to the video.

Vocabulary Enrichment Programme (VEP)for 1^stYears:

As part of the 1^st year English curriculum, students will complete the Vocabulary Enrichment Programme (VEP). The VEP programme has been tested by the NBSS and the University of Limerick and has been proven effective in improving students’ understanding of vocabulary, their ability to express or explain vocabulary meanings and verbal fluency. The VEP develops students’ underlying vocabulary skills such as word-knowledge and concept learning. It aims to equip them with independent word-attack and word-learning strategies. 

This programme will be part of their English class time after Christmas alongside their studied texts. No additional materials will be required. This programme has been chosen to ensure that all students in Kingswood Community College have access to essential vocabulary moving forward into Junior Cycle. 

Semester 1 Assessment Update:

Semester 1 November Exams will go live this week. Please access these on VS ware and discuss the results and focus outlined by teachers with your child. Be advised that effort grades are 1-6, one being low levels of effort, six being high. First Year students’ reports are comment based only. Below are instructions on how to access these reports.

1st, 2nd and 3rd Year Reports:

• Login to VSWare.
• On your child’s profile,
• Click the three line menu in the top right corner.
• Select Assessment
• Select ‘Term Assessment’
• From the drop down menu select ‘Junior Cycle Semester 1 Assessments 2021/2022’.

Results and Feedback will appear below.

If you wish to print:

• Select ‘Actions’.
• Select ‘Download’
• Generate Tab – Select ‘Term Report’
• Choose – ‘Junior Cycle Semester 1 Assessments 2021/2022’.
• Chose a Template – ‘21.22 Junior Cycle Report’
• Click Print

Transition Year, LCA and LCE Reports

To view Semester 1 Reports online:

• Login to VSWare.
• On your child’s profile,
• Click the three-line menu in the top right corner.
• Select Assessment
• Select ‘Term Assessment’
• From the drop-down menu select ‘Senior Cycle Semester 1 Assessments 2021/2022’.

Results and Feedback will appear below.

If you wish to print:

• Select ‘Actions’.
• Select ‘Download’
• Generate Tab – Select ‘Term Report’
• Choose – ‘Senior Cycle Semester 1 Assessments 2021/2022’.
• Chose a Template – ‘21.22 Senior Cycle Report’
• Click Print

Rainbows:

Supporting and nurturing pupil’s wellbeing has become even more significant than ever in these unprecedented times. As part of the pastoral care programme, we are very pleased to be able to provide support for pupils who may have experienced a bereavement or family change following parental separation, through the introduction of the Rainbows programmes.

While Rainbows is neither counselling nor professional therapy, it can provide a safe space of meaningful listening support for young people at a difficult time in their lives. Meeting others of a similar age and in a similar situation can be very supportive and helpful for young people. If you are interested on behalf of your son or daughter, please email info@kingswoodcc.ie with Rainbows in the subject line.

Illegal Parking in front of the College:

Accessing our school campus at busy times of the day continues to be a challenge. Parents are asked to adhere to the traffic management plan available on our website and to take only a left turn as they exit the school campus. This will greatly aid the flow of traffic on the campus and on the main road outside. Pulling in or parking on Kingswood Avenue and Ballymount Road is not allowed and causes much traffic and jeopardises the safety of our students. We would also ask you to show courtesy and respect to staff on duty who are implementing out traffic management plan for the safety of all.

iClass App:

We would like to request all parents download our iClass app. This links directly with our school website. We would hope to use this app as our text messaging system as there is no cost involved. The app can be downloaded from:

HERE for Android Devices (Samsung, Huawei, HTC etc.) and HERE for iOS Devices (Apple).Instructions on how to set up the school app are found on our website by following THIS LINK HERE.

Newsletter:

All our students were given a copy of our most recent Newsletter, highlighting some of the great events which happened from September to December in our school. Please take five minutes to enjoy.

Dates for your Diary: Jan-Mid Term Break 2022.

• Exceptional Closure Day: An RiochtTraining: Monday 17^th January
• Mock Dates 7^th-18^thFebruary 2022.
• First year Parent Teacher Meeting 27^thJanuary 2022.
• Mid Term Break 21^st-25^thFebruary 2022.

Further details and dates are available on school calendar on our website.

Finally, we would like to extend our thanks for your continued support since our return in late August. We wish you and your families a happy and safe Christmas with best wishes for 2022.

Deborah, Mary and Emma