Displaying 2011-2020 of 3798 results.
Congratulations
Created : 07 Sep 2020, 9:23 PM
Archived : 07 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
Congratulations and well done to the class of 2020 who today, after a prolonged wait, received their Leaving Certificate results. Much anticipation and excitement surrounds results day with students calling to the school to collect their brown envelope and share their news with family, peers and teachers. Today receiving the results was somewhat different but nevertheless an important milestone in all our young men’s lives. We must remember for some today may not have given them the results they were hoping for. Please remember that although you may be disappointed you have options open to you, including sitting the exams in November. If you would like to make contact with the school to speak with a member to the guidance department please do. Our class of 2020 did extremely will with 3 students receiving over 600 points and 21 over 500. We are extremely proud of all our students and endeavour to promote our school motto ‘From each his best’ in all aspects of school life. For Thomás Dunne his best saw him achieve the maximum of 625. Fellow students Jordan Ikpomwen and Rian O’Connell both achieved over 600. Congratulations to the boys and their families on a fantastic achievement. We would have loved to see all our 2020 class today but unfortunately we must continue to adhere to Covid guidelines. Enjoy the (socially distanced) celebrations and best wishes to those waiting on a CAO offer on Friday, starting a PLC at the end of the month, entering the world of work and study through apprenticeships or have secured employment. Once again well done to the class of 2020 your leaving cert year is one nobody will forgot in a hurry.
Information for the entire school community to read
Created : 06 Sep 2020, 9:19 PM
Archived : 06 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
Dear Parents, We have had a very busy month reorganising the school for the return of students and teachers. We think you should now, before your sons return to full days this week, be made aware of the new school day which they will be experiencing. It would also be helpful if you had a chat with them, emphasising that we are trying to minimize the stress of everyone, and their cooperation is necessary for this to be. As lads come in through main door, there are sanitizing stations in the foyer, around the GPA, down all corridors, and in each classroom – over 100 automatic dispensing sanitizer machines. EVERYONE sanitising their hands BEFORE AND ON entering the school is one of the most important tasks of the entire day against bringing Covid-19 into the school. Each student group knows where they are to go before 9am. 1st years will be in the Maths teachers’ classrooms upstairs. 1st year toilets and lockers are also up there so it keeps them fairly self-contained before school. On Monday, the 6 classrooms for 1st years will have a list outside their door listing the 24 students who will come into this room EVERY MORNING BEFORE SCHOOL. This is as close to a POD as we can get, given the constant changing of classes and subjects in a secondary school. No excuses to sit with friends, etc. They are mainly formed on the 5 Base Classes, but a few from each class will form a 6th group to keep numbers right. It does not matter if they think they can ‘fit’ into another room if they see a seat empty. Seating plans will be done up for each room this week, when attendance is more complete. The 2nd years will be in the English teachers’ classrooms, at the other end of floor 1. The same system of a list being outside the door and that becomes their ‘before school go to place’ when they are in before 9am. This next piece of info is very important. Both 1st and 2nd years who occupy desks in these rooms, remain in them until 8.55. The teacher who is timetabled to teach the 9am class in their room will enter, distribute a sheet of blue paper roll to each and spray each desk. The lads will then use the blue roll to wipe the desks down in which they sat and when done, walk out disposing of the roll paper on their way. They do not leave the room until this is done. This ensures that these 12 classroom’s desks are properly sanitised for the 9 am class. AT THE END OF EACH CLASS OF THE DAY – EVERY YEAR GROUP IN EVERY CLASSROOM WILL DO THE FOLLOWING: • A few minutes before the bell rings, the teacher will end the class and distribute blue towel roll in sheets, spray each desk, the lads will wipe their’s down, leave the room when the bell rings, disposing of their blue roll in the bin on the way out. Now, to return to what the remaining year groups do before 9am. The 3rd years will walk down to the Resource Area and RG19 where they will be given a section to make their own for the future, same as the 1st and 2nd years. The TY’s who begin their first day this Monday, will remain, according to TYA/TYB /TYC in the 4 classrooms which have been created out of LR1 and LR2. The partitions are now dividing these large rooms into 4 classrooms. The 5th who are the largest group will stay in the GPA, 4 to a table, with the Perspex screens separating each student. The Senior toilets are to the right and left of the GPA so they will be self-contained as well. The 6th years will each have a tablet chair along the corridors, giving them something to lean on. These are the same as chairs used in colleges for lectures, given a surface for writing, eating, etc. The chairs will be both upstairs and downstairs along all corridors. There are black tape markings on the floors showing each chair’s position, 1m apart, acting as guides to ensure the 1m rule is maintained. As the week goes on, seating plans and other details will be taken. There may also be changes as we begin to see all 800 students in the school at once – review and adapt. The Morning Break and Lunch Break are split. There is NO CANTEEN or food/drink of any description being sold. Everyone must bring all food and drinks for their own use. Water fountains are turned off. 1st, 2nd 6th years have their morning break at 11-11.15 am and their lunch at 1.15-2pm, as always. The 3rd, 5th and TY have their morning break at the earlier 10-10.15 and their lunch at the earlier time of 12.15-1. They will each occupy the following areas for both breaks each day: During the early 10 am and 12.15 breaks • 3rd years - RG19 (Ms McCormack’s former room) and the Resource Area • TY’s - Corridor upstairs and downstairs • 5th year – the GPA During the 11am and 1.15 breaks • 1st years – the Corridors upstairs and down • 2nd years – RG19 and Resource Area • 6th years – GPA Toilets: In the toilets, the cloth towels have been removed and there will be paper towels for the drying of hands. The water is warm and there is soap in the dispensers. Washing of hands with soap and water is the best way to battle Covid-19. Students will still need permission in their journal to leave a classroom, as always. The teacher will not be handling the journals. Instead, and the student, once given permission to get out of his seat to go to the toilet, should open journal to the page, write in himself the date and time and the teacher will put their initials on it before he leaves for the few minutes. These measures are all workable and can be managed in a calm and respectful way when all of us are informed and cooperate with each other. I hope that by the end of this week, we will all have worked any kinks out of the above plans and make it just the way things are done around here. Thank you.
Which TY Class Are You In?
Created : 06 Sep 2020, 8:31 PM
Archived : 06 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
Those who have applied to do Future Leaders are all in TYC. TYC should stay on the ground floor and go into LR1. For those in TYA and TYB, you will see the lists when you come in. It would be best if you checked VSware and it will tell you what class you are in. TYA will be in LR2 upstairs in what is now called LR2A TYB will be in LR2 upstairs at the other end of this room, now called LR2B. Have a good start lads! And a great year!
TY's begin tomorrow, Monday 7/9/20
Created : 06 Sep 2020, 8:07 PM
Archived : 06 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
When the TY's return to school tomorrow, they should enter through the main door. There are several wall dispensers with sanitiser in the main foyer and in the GPA. There are 100 in total in each classroom and along the corridors. They will, according to their TY A,B or C group, be in either LR1 or LR2 before 9 am. Lists will be downstairs and we will be there to direct. There is a 1 way system in place which they will be using. They will remain there until the 9am bell rings and they will be called to the GPA for Assembly when the GPA is cleared of the other students. Everyone should wear their full uniform, have €10 in an envelope with their name and class on it for their TY Journal, and put their mask on outside of the school, before entering. If you have paid for the TY Journal online, there will be a record of that and your son just has to say so when collecting it. It is so important that everyone entering the school sanitise their hands on their way in, thereby reducing the chances of bringing Covid-19 germs or any other germs into the school. The Assembly at 9am will update all TY's on the new practices we have in place and some of the reasons for those. Please encourage your sons to take these on board for everyone's health, safety, and the local economy as well. We wish your sons a year of new challenges, new experiences and opportunities to learn about themselves and lifepaths they can follow. It will be a TY of. a different style, but it will always give your son many opportunities and challenges. He just has to opt in and join up. Thank you all very much for your support and cooperation to date, from the use of the App when places were being accepted last April to the discussions and emails so many have shared with me in the last month. Many links have been formed which will be a great support to us all in the coming school year.
What every student MUST have everyday...
Created : 05 Sep 2020, 12:13 PM
Archived : 05 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
Good Morning, In the event that there are more than 24 present for any class your son is timetabled for, he and all his classmates will be on a rota where they will go to the Library, be issued an iPad for the class, use their own earphones and 'attend' their class as it is live streamed to them, within the school. This is all new territory, but very workable. However, it depends on EVERY STUDENT BRINGING THEIR OWN BLUETOOTH EARPHONES EVERY DAY, LIKE THEY WEAR THEIR UNIFORM AND HAVE THEIR HW JOURNAL WITH THEM EVERYDAY. Why Bluetooth? The newest generation of iPads (in our Library) do not have the earphone jack which earlier models had. Bluetooth allows them to link with the device and then tune into the live streamed class. If your son only has earphones with the jack connection, there is a way to adapt, which many of you are probably aware. He needs to get a USB C to 3.5mm HEADPHONE JACK ADAPTOR. You may have one already, find them locally in a shop like Variety World near the Library, Argos, etc or on Amazon. Please don't buy one for a euro in Dealz or similar as these may overheat and damage the iPads and earphones. (See image below.) Please advise your son to get into the habit of having these with him everyday. Borrowing and sharing is not allowed. The rota will vary from class to class. Until students arrive to class, it is not known if there will be enough seating or will the rota be brought into play. As you can appreciate, the less complications in the first 5 minutes of class will keep everyone's stress levels down, and that is our aim. So much time is being spent on sanitising, moving, etc. Not having earphones and having to alter rotas etc each day is totally avoidable and not acceptable. I'm sure you agree. We are really working hard on creating a system where everyone knows what they have to do to play their part and if they do, it will work seamlessly. Thank you so much for your support throughout all this. Enjoy your weekend. MM
Check VSware tonight/morning for room numbers
Created : 03 Sep 2020, 9:03 PM
Archived : 03 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
The very tedious job of re-assigning classrooms to each class has been completed for the most part. The 2nd and 5th years have their TT’s , the 1 and 3rd will need updated ones and the 6th years are fine. BUT nobody has the finalised room numbers. Please have your son check his TT on VSware tonight or in the morning for the Room numbers for his 4 classes tomorrow. That will help the morning get off to a good start. There are some classes still not assigned rooms due to waiting for those rooms to be ‘teaching ready’ - with networked PC’s etc. We have the big prep done, it’s the smaller details we are now trying to finish off. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience.
Leaving Certificate Results Monday the 7th
Created : 03 Sep 2020, 12:59 PM
Archived : 03 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
On Monday the 7th of September at 9am the Leaving Certificate results 2020 will be published by the S.E.C. and released to students. In order to access these results students must have their exam number, password (created when registering for calculated grades)and PPS number. Here is the link to the student portal: lc2020.education.gov.ie/ If you cannot remember your password, dont panic. Just click on the ‘Forgot Your Password’ link and create a new one. It is a good idea to have these to hand for Monday. The Institute of Guidance Counsellors have put together a comprehensive booklet for Parents and Students on results, CAO offers, sitting the LC in November 2020, deferring a course place, appeals and repeating the leaving certificate, to name but a few. This booklet is attached to this notification. It would also be advised for those students calculating points to have a points calculator downloaded to your phone. There is also a points table attached to this notice. The school is open from 9 to 4 on Monday. Any student wishing to speak with one of the guidance counsellors can ring the office and leaving your name and number and they will return your call. There are also a number of national helplines: The NPCPP open their helpline on Monday the 7th from 11am: 1800 265 165. The CGEO helpline will be available at 1800 111135 or 1800 111136 from 9am to 4pm from Monday 7th September to Wednesday 16th September. Outside of these hours queries may be emailed to lcsupport2020@education.gov.ie. Key dates after the 7 September results 7th September 2020 - Issue of results to students and schools 7th September 2020 - UCAS offers received by students 11th September 2020 – CAO Round 1 offers received by students 14th September 2020 – Appeals application process opens at 9am 14th September 2020 - Students may submit a request to see the estimated percentage marks from their school and calculated marks from the Calculated Grades Executive Office through the Student Portal which will allow immediate access to this information 16th September 2020 - Appeals application process closes at 5pm We wish all our students waiting on their results the very best of luck and encouarge them to make contact with the school guidance team if they have any questions or wish to chat about their options.

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Update of the 1st Week For All
Created : 02 Sep 2020, 7:10 PM
Archived : 02 Nov 2020, 12:00 AM
It's been a hectic week since the lads returned to school. As you can imagine, as with all Covid-19 planning in every workplace across the country, we are learning what will work, what needs review and change and what we need to do that we didn't realise before now! The 1st years have now had 6 half days in school and it’s paying off. They are a very well-mannered group of lads, and we can see that they are relaxing and becoming familiar with the building, the practices put in place for Covid-19 and learning how to cope with the lockers, locks, timetables, etc. The usual problems which first years cope with each year. Their Meitheal leaders are an important part of this continuing Induction and I’ll take this opportunity to thank them on behalf of students, parents and teachers. If anyone wishes a change of subject, they should email myself at mmurphy@portlaoisecbs.com with their son's name, class, the subject he wishes to leave and the one he wishes to join. If there is room in the class, I will do what I can and then update you as soon as I can. The 2nd years have their Introduction Day tomorrow. We will have an Assembly, explain all the new practices, give all their timetables, and they will go home at 1.15. They must bring 10 euros in an envelope with their name and class marked on the outside for their HW Journal, which they will receive in the morning. They must wear full uniform, black shoes, and bring their own drink/snack for their 11am break. There is no Rafters Canteen for purchasing anything. There are no buses at 1.15, except on Friday at 1.15 as usual. The 3rd years have had their Introduction Day in yesterday. Their timetables are similar to last year, subject wise. They will return on Friday and then Monday begin with full days and hopefully that will continue until May 2021. They listened attentively yesterday to the new practices and the importance of being responsible for their own Covid-19 etiquette. We ask you to remind them regularly that they have to do the social distancing themselves, not just expect others to stay 1m away from them. This morning, the 5th years began with their Assembly, and all the information, as above. I asked them to email me if there is a subject option change they would like or other issues they may have. If there is room in a class, and they have done it before in Junior Cert, the change can happen. If they haven’t done the basic JC version of the subject, it is not going to work for them. Our 6th years have 3 half days done and doing well. They are finding their way around the new type building, having some time to gain confidence in these new surroundings, so that they get a head start before the other 400 students arrive on Friday. We wish everyone in our school community a healthy, happy and productive year ahead. We are here if anyone wishes to contact us about anything relevant to your sons. Take care, MM I will put up a separate notification for the TY’s tomorrow or Friday.
Family & Guardian Guide to Microsoft Teams-where to find it
Created : 31 Aug 2020, 11:07 AM
Archived : 31 Oct 2020, 12:00 AM
This excellent guide is aimed at helping parents/guardians learn how their students are learning on Microsoft Teams, how to sign in, how to save content, how to submit assignment, and much more. It is a very comprehensive guide for all. It is too big a file to upload to Notifications. It can be found by clicking on the 3 lines on top left of app, clicking on SCHOOL / SCHOOL CODE & POLICIES / scroll to the bottom of that list to FAMILY & GUARDIAN GUIDE TO MICROSOFT TEAMS. Click on that link and it will open for you. The Table of Contents will help you be selective in what you need or begin at the beginning and learn it from scratch.
Some PE clarifications for students & parents
Created : 28 Aug 2020, 4:48 PM
Archived : 28 Oct 2020, 12:00 AM
Due to latest recommendations, students will be allowed to wear their PE tracksuit into school on days they are participating in PE. Students must have a change of footwear and wet gear, as they will be outside whenever possible. Students should have a change of clothes in the unlikely event that they need to change cloths after PE, which may or may not be their school uniform.