Information Evening for Parents & Guardians of First Year Students

Introduction

Advice To Aid Transition (Primary-Secondary

Subject Choice

Third Level Requirement

•Promotes:

Decision-making Self-Awareness

Interpersonal communication skills The ability to plan

Personal and social skills

Problem solving

Assists students with decision-making in:

Educational and Training choices

Job search skills

Employment opportunities

Interview skills

Work and life

Decision-making in relation to:

Course, Subject &Level in 2nd level

Study Skills

Exam Technique

Student

Educational Careers

Personal

The Transition from Primary to Post Primary

A significant life event

New Subjects.

There is a subject change every forty minutes and with it a change of teacher.

A child may meet as many as nine different teachers on a daily basis.

Do not allow the timetable to cause difficulties.

Be Proactive - make multiple copies of the timetable and put it on the fridge, the bedroom door, in the car anywhere and everywhere!!

This is a skill....

Check the bag every night with your child to ensure the right books and copies are ready for at least the first 3 classes the following morning.

Finding the right balance between:

Homework.

Extra curricular activities there importance cannot be over emphasised.

Homework will increase when students enter secondary school it is expected that students do1 ½ - 2 hrs per night.

Have a look at the Homework Policy.

Getting involved in extra curricular activities is very important.

Taking part builds confidence and gets them mixing with others and will aid the transition.

It is a great way for teachers to get to know your child in different light.

Encourage them to try out everything.

When your child gets his / her locker key it is a very good idea to get a copy of the key cut so there will always be a spare.

Core Subjects

English History Irish Geography

Maths Religion Science C.S.P.E S.P.H.E

French Art German Music Business Studies Home Economics Tech Graphics Study Skills** Metalwork Materials Technology(Wood)

Benefits of thevarious subjects....

How to speak in the language.

The skills of listening to, reading and writing in the language.

The grammar of the language.

Information about the countries where people speak the language, and their way of life.

A foreign language is useful for many careers including: Translator, Interpreter, Tourism, Journalism, Management, International Marketing.

NUIM

NUIG

RCSI

UCC

St. Angela’s,Sli

go

NCADShannon College of

Hotel&Catering

UCD

Cadets & Defence

Force

You do not have to have a third Language to go to the following colleges:

UL- University of Limerick DCU- Dublin City University TCD – Trinity College Dublin Any of the Institutes of Technology

Engineering & Agricultural courses at UCD.

Engineering and Science courses at NUI Maynooth.

Engineering and Science courses in NUI Galway.

University of Limerick (UL): English & another language.

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) accepts a “language

other than English” e.g. Irish.

Institutes of Technology accept English or Irish for entry purposes.

Follow recipes and cook dishes, in pairs and on our own.

Carry out projects on foods. Hand and/or machine sew to make small items. Become more experienced at managing your

resources and your time.

There are many jobs and careers that you can work in, e.g. chefs/cooks, catering, fashion and textiles, child care, teaching, food industry, tourism, and health and nutrition.

Music has a very important part in many peoples’ lives. Most of us will take pleasure in listening to music and many people will enjoy singing or playing an instrument throughout their lives.

Music related careers: career in music in areas such as education(teacher, lecturer), business (sound engineer, lyricist, reviewer, therapist) and performance (composer, performer, conductor).

Learn a variety of new crafts. Learn to work in 3-D e.g. culpture or clay

work. Learn about the design process and how to use

it to create new design object and images. There are many career opportunities in Art -

areas such as: photography, illustration, interior/industrial/fashion design, education and architecture.

Business Studies helps you to make wisedecisions about saving and spending your money

now and throughout your life.

Introduce you to many possible careers suchas: accountancy, finance, sales, marketing,and management.

It also gives you a good foundation for the three Leaving Certificate business subjects.

Work with metals and other materials such as wood and plastic.

Assemble these materials into useful and interesting items.

Learn how to apply a finish to your project. Careers: Construction, Craftsmanship,

Engineering

Some topics in Metalwork overlap with Materials Technology Wood.

Many of the practical skills learned in Metalwork are similar to those learned in Wood.

Technical Graphics will help you to understand drawings and diagrams that you will be using in Metalwork.

You will also find some of the same topics coming up in Science and Geography.

Materials Technology Wood (MTW) is one of the technology subjects offered at junior cycle.

In MTW students will learn: to design small projects; and the skills required to use tools and equipment to make their designs.

Students will work mainly with wood but also with other materials.

Students will learn about wood as a material and how it is produced.

At Leaving Cert -Construction Studies• Construction Studies introduces students to the

knowledge and skills associated with construction technology, materials and practices.

• This is done through theoretical study and practical projects.

At Leaving Cert Higher Level 79% of students get A,B,C

At Leaving Cert Ordinary Level 58% of students get A,B,C

(79% of students take Higher level)

Can be studied on its own or to compliment

another Technical Subject

• In Technical Graphics students will learn how

to represent 3-D objects on paper and on

computer.

• Students will develop problem solving and

creative thinking skills through the solution of

graphical problems

Technical Graphics builds on skills learned in mathematics for example: 2-D and 3-D shapes, lines and angles.

Is it difficult:

At Junior Cert Higher level 71% of students get A,B,C

At Junior Cert Ordinary level 79% of students get A,B,C

At Leaving Certificate, you will be able to study

Design and Communication Graphics.

In this subject there will be a greater emphasis on computer graphics and freehand sketching.

The geometry that is learned in Junior Certificate will be further developed.

At Higher level 77% of students get A,B,C.

At Ordinary level 71% of students get A,B,C.

This focuses on Maths and English. For students who may find it difficult in taking

on 3 choice subjects. It is on the same band as the Languages, hence

it is not possible to do a Language and Study Skills.

Subject Websites:www.scoilnet.iewww.education.ie www.skoool.ie

Career Websites: www.qualifax.iewww.careersportal.iewww.careerdirections.ie

Junior Certificate course books.

New Website

Subject Teachers Current Pupils Parents/Guardians, Older

Brothers & Sisters Guidance Counsellor

Do I like this subject? Am I good at it? How have I

performed up to now? Is there a chance I might need

it for further study/career? Am I keeping my options

open?

We do not have a crystal ball to see into the consequences of our decisions but we tend to be happier and more at ease with our decisions when we have done our work!

Partnership between home and school is vital

An open honest dialogue with ‘the school’ is essential

If there are any difficulties let us know: Year Head Tutor Guidance Counsellor Senior Management

Your son/daughter must list their subject choices in order of preference....The one they would like/want to do the most must be put down as

NO. 1....

4 subjects are chosen from the list and each student will be assigned to 3 of those subjects.

Students have the option to tick the box to indicate they are flexible around their 3rd/4th preference.

SUBJECT-CHOICE RESTRICTIONS

SOME SUBJECTS (FRENCH, GERMAN) REQUIRE PREDOMINANTLY SINGLE CLASS PERIODS, WHILE OTHER SUBJECTS (MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY (WOOD), METALWORK, ART, HOME ECONOMICS, MUSIC) REQUIRE PREDOMINANTLY DOUBLE PERIODS. SUBJECTS ARE GROUPED ACCORDINGLY ON THE TIMETABLE AND, AS A RESULT, CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE:

  NO MORE THAN ONE OF THE MODERN LANGUAGES

(FRENCH, GERMAN) MAY BE CHOSEN.  NO MORE THAN TWO OF THE PRACTICAL SUBJECTS (MT

WOOD, METALWORK, ART, HOME ECONOMICS, MUSIC) MAY BE CHOSEN.

JUNIOR CYCLE OPTIONAL SUBJECTS

ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN METALWORK BUSINESS STUDIES MUSIC FRENCH STUDY SKILLS GERMAN ECHNICAL GRAPHICS HOME ECONOMICS MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

(WOOD)

PLEASE SELECT, IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE, THE OPTIONAL SUBJECTS WHICH YOU WISH TO STUDY FOR THE JUNIOR CERT. EACH STUDENT SHOULD INDICATE 4 SUBJECTS, FROM WHICH THEY WILL BE ALLOCATED 3. EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO ACCOMODATE STUDENTS, THOUGH NO PARTICULAR COMBINATION OF SUBJECTS CAN BE GUARANTEED.

  STUDENT’S NAME: _______________________________________ CLASS: _______ TUTOR: ________________________________

  1ST CHOICE: ____________________________________________ 2ND CHOICE: ____________________________________________ 3RD CHOICE: ____________________________________________ 4TH CHOICE: ____________________________________________

  IF YOUR 3RD AND 4TH CHOICES ARE EQUALLY ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, PLEASE

INDICATE BY TICKING HERE ________

  STUDENT SIGNATURE: ____________________________________ PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE: _______________________________