Management Update March 2018

Parent and Community Update from Rice College Management.

March 2018.

 

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As we enter exam season we wish all of our students the very best and advise them that if they need help they are welcome to ask any of their teachers. We are all here to support them. Apart from the day to day hectic business of teaching and learning the staff and students are involved in a number of dynamic processes which are all aimed at helping us to grow and improve.


Self-School Evaluation.

Following the guidance of our Teaching and Learning Committee Rice College continues to reflect on it’s teaching practices and styles. We are also looking at assessment practices. We have surveyed staff and students and are implementing a programme involving sharing best practice, encouraging reading for fun and agreed numeracy targets.


Junior Cert Training:

All staff are engaged in programmes of Continual Professional Development in their subject areas so that we are fully up to date with the curricular and teaching modules of the new Junior Cert syllabus.


Training and Upskilling:

Since the start of the school year teachers and management have engaged in 36 different inservice training programmes. Many are done in the evening while others occur outside the school. All come together to help equip us with the latest educational developments and pedagogical methodologies.


Middle Leadership & Management Review:

Under the guidance of the Board of Management the Middle Leadership & Management Review sub-committee are currently reviewing existing posts and will have a completely revised and updated list of posts by the end of the school year. Many new roles are being looked at with the aim of better serving the needs of our school in today’s challenging climate.


Promotion of the Student Voice:

This is a key priority for management as we find many new and imaginative ways of hearing what our students have to say in relation to the general running of the school. The Student Council will move into policy review, reviewing child protection guidelines with staff, working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust promoting ethos.


The Board of Management recently commended the new Management and Vision Statement which is the document put together by senior management outlining their strategy for future developments in Rice College.


Parents Council:

Ongoing meetings with senior management continue as our dedicated Parents Council plays it’s integral part in the running of our school. These meetings are a real chance to engage in partnership education.


Mental Health Initiatives and Wellness:

Recognising the difficult climate that some students find themselves in Rice College has so far delivered 12 different initiatives to promote positive mental health. The various workshops aim to boost resilience and give students avenues to seek help. Our first years are doing mindfulness, the whole school is doing Amber Flag and our senior students receive Inspirational Talks from presenters such as Gavin Hennigan. All of this supplements the great work done by teachers in their daily duties and by the dedicated Pastoral Care Team.