1st Year Subject Options – New 1st Years September 2020
This year is obviously difficult in terms of getting subjects organised. We need you to talk to your son/daughter this week regarding subject options they will take in September.
AFTER READING THIS DOCUMENT PLEASE EMAIL US ON [email protected] IN ORDER TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOUR CHOICES ARE. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR SON/DAUGHTER’S NAME.
DEADLINE IS FRIDAY 24TH APRIL.
CORE SUBJECTS (ALL STUDENTS TAKE THESE SUBJECTS):
The following subjects are taken by all students unless there are exceptional circumstances. For Junior Cycle Certification English, Irish, Maths can be taken at Higher or Ordinary Level and all other subjects are taken at a “Common Level”:
- English
- Irish
- Maths
- Geography
- HIstory
- PE (Physical Education)
- CSPE (Civic Social Political Education)
- SPHE (Social Personal Health Education)
- RE (Religious Education – not Religious Instruction or faith forming)
LANGUAGES:
Students are asked to choose rank your languages in order 1, 2, 3 with 1 being your most preferred choice and 3 your least preferred.
We offer 3 languages:
- French
- German
- Italian
OTHER SUBJECT OPTIONS:
The other subjects we offer are:
- Art
- Music
- Home Economics
- Woodwork
- Technical Graphics
- Business
- Science
- Classical Studies
Until we have our teachers set for the new academic year we are not in a position to say whether your son/daughter will have a language plus 2 other subjects OR a language plus 3 other subjects. We are due to recruit teachers in mid-late May/early June but the current CV19 restrictions may hamper this.
PLEASE LIST ALL SUBJECTS FROM YOUR FAVOURITE TO YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE FROM 1 TO 8.
SAMPLING:
Some years we allow students to sample subjects from September until end of October. We are not currently in a position to guarantee this due to the CV19 Pandemic. As there is uncertainty about how/when students will start school after the summer we are not offering sampling at the moment.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF CHOOSING SUBJECTS NOW:
- It is not advisable for a student to pick up a new language after Junior Cycle so make sure to choose your language wisely as this is the language that will be continued to Leaving Cert. The student would need to have a certain existing high level at a new language to take it up for LC.
- Some other subjects can be picked up on 5th Year for Leaving Cert. This would only happen after consultation with the subject department, guidance department and Principal/Deputy Principal. How dedicated/hard-working the student is has a huge baring on whether this is advisable.
HOW THE OPTION LINES ARE FORMED:
- We enter all of the choices given to us into the Timetable Programme on the Computer.
- The computer then works out which subjects should go onto each option line so that the majority of students get their preferred options.
- We then give you your options and in certain cases it can be possible to move from a subject into another one on the same option line if there is room in that class.
NOTES ON CLASS SIZES:
- Certain subjects have a maximum capacity in the room due to Health and Safety restrictions.
- For example:
- Home Economics has a Max of 20 students
- Woodwork has a Max of 24
- Art has a Max of 24
- Science has a Max of 24
- However other subjects can have 30 in the room – Geography, English etc.
INFORMATION ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS CAN BE FOUND AT:
https://careersportal.ie/school/subject_explorer_jc.php
https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/
Due to the current situation regarding CV19 we obviously will not be having an Induction morning as we had hoped where students come in to the building and get used to moving around and also taking some subjects.
As a result we have put together this document which answers some questions that have been raised. If you have any further questions that aren’t addressed here please email us on [email protected]
Thank You.
T Brown.
Principal.