Prospectus 2020
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Athlone Coláiste Pobail Community Átha Luain College Every student matters, every moment counts PROSPECTUS Eileen Donohue Chris Forde Pauline Fadden Deirdre Whitlow Gráinne Macken Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Acting Deputy Principal Welcome to Athlone Community College I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to you and your child to Athlone Community College. Here at Athlone Community College we foster community and flourish within our community. Your child has full access values. Our school is a place where everyone belongs and to an inclusive, diverse and challenging curriculum, taught positive relationships between staff, students and parents by highly qualified and outstanding teachers. We expect all are highly valued. students to strive for excellence in their academic studies. Students are provided with a wealth of opportunities to Reopening our doors at the start of this school year was one of challenge themselves, their classmates and indeed to our most treasured moments to date. We took considerable extend their knowledge and understanding steps to ensure that a full and safe return to school was achieved for all of our students. The health and safety of We offer a progressive and diverse academic curriculum as all within our school community is always of paramount well as an extensive range of extra-curricular activities, which importance. Our students are the heartbeat of our school and promote the holistic development of our students. ensuring their wellbeing is something we take huge pride in. Every effort is made to ease the transition from Primary to We understand how important the choice of post-primary Post Primary School for all students and we have put in place school is for you and your child. Choosing the next pathway extra measures this year given the unsettling global crisis we in your child’s educational journey is a cornerstone in a are all living through. young person’s development. As a parent, I understand fully the apprehension you may feel as your child begins their As Principal, all I want is for our students to succeed and preparations for this new exciting chapter in their lives. We are find joy in all that they do. We understand how important the fully committed to supporting you and your child in making choice of secondary school is for parents and children as you this choice. Not only is this a new chapter in your child’s life open the first page of this new chapter, we are here to offer but it is also a new chapter in yours. every support you need. Our community values of respect, kindness and care Our community cares for all. underpin every aspect of teaching, learning and guidance offered in this school. This foundation, built on respectful Eileen Donohoe relationships, provides the fertile soil for all students to grow Principal. Our community cares for all. page 2 Athlone Community College Prospectus Our School, Our Community Here at Athlone Community College we foster community values. It is a place where everyone belongs. We believe co-education is the best way to prepare girls and boys for the world in which they will live. We inspire learning in an environment that reflects real-world communities and workplaces, setting students up to thrive and succeed beyond our walls. FOSTERING INCLUSIVENESS AND INTERACTION By learning in a co-education environment, boys and girls cultivate mutual respect, understanding and support for one another. Students realise and appreciate their own individual value as well as each other’s. Girls and boys embrace leadership positions across all areas of learning, providing all students with strong female and male role models. PREPARATION FOR LIFE BEYOND SCHOOL Our students develop strength and independence and emerge as balanced, well-rounded individuals. Become a part of our community, we work better when we work together! By learning in a co-education environment, boys and girls cultivate mutual respect, understanding, and support for one another. page 3 Why choose Athlone Community College ? Athlone Community College can offer the following to your child: A state of the art educational facility with a long-standing tradition and culture of success, achievement and excellence. High expectations of all students in their academic, sporting or cultural endeavours. Outstanding success in Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate results. A vibrant, enthusiastic and dedicated teaching staff A welcoming and friendly environment for pupils. Our zero tolerance We promise that each student who passes approach to bullying through our doors is valued and recognised for is outlined in our their individual contribution to our close-knit community. Anti-Bullying Policy. Our zero tolerance approach to bullying is outlined in our Anti-Bullying Policy. A strong sense of community within the school. Excellent pastoral care and support systems. We offer a book rental scheme We operate a peer mentoring system. We have Class Tutors, Assistant Yearheads, Yearheads, the Pastoral Care and Learning Support Team, Co-Teaching Teams and a student council body of representatives. page 4 What Our First Years Think! I am really enjoying 1st year in “I was nervous about Athlone Community College, starting 1st year and “I am very glad that I chose to come to especially my choice subjects anxious that I wouldn’t ACC because I feel happy and relaxed - Tech Graph, Business and make friends but when here. My teachers along with the French. I had never done any of I got here everyone Principal and Deputy Principals have them before in primary school. was so nice and friendly to me! I made us all feel safe and protected I am glad I decided to really enjoy studying English and during the Covid-19 situation. I have come to ACC. made lots of friends and I really don’t French as the teachers teach these mind coming to school every day.” subjects in a fun and fresh way. I am Hazel Donegan really looking forward to reading more novels in English! I really Sean Brogan enjoy studying science because we “The first year conduct fun experiments! I am also looking forward to cycling in P. E. ” “There are lots of activities experience so far has for everyone. I was super been wonderful. I have Donnacha Lee happy when I saw we had so met many wonderful many choices, I signed up for friends on the first day. sports, orchestra and choir” You will meet amazing friends for life here. ” Aoife Walsh Regan Hoh “I am so glad I chose to come to “When I started I was the Community overwhelmed, the “The facilities are, with no College, the minute I arrived I amount of students, the exaggeration, state-of-the-art” felt welcome and I’m sure the diversity, height, race, other first years would agree all culture. But I have to say, Óisin Mulvihill of the teachers were very kind Athlone Community College and I knew I had chosen the right is an amazing school! Even place. I have made loads of new though we are all different, I “The teachers here are kind friends.” feel like we are one” and helpful. I like learning Sadhbh Kilcommons Spanish and enjoy going Elvis Kwarteng down to the Science labs.” Ruairí Dolan “I found school “I really enjoy studying overwhelming science because we conduct on the first day, “It’s really nice to have fun experiments! I am looking but I soon settled the option to go outside forward to going to the down and I am now and walk around, it’s Science Club at lunchtime.” comfortable coming in each also so nice to have a day. I have made a lot of new person teaching Nathan Furey new friends.” you every 40 minutes, having different classes has also given Aoibhe Gill me an opportunity to broaden my “I was very nervous when friendship group” I started school because “My time in ACC has been very I was afraid that I would Hayley Berrigan enjoyable so far. Everyone not make friends. I came is kind and helpful and we from a very small primary “I love secondary school get lots of support from our school and I was worried and I have really enjoyed teachers, Year-Head, students and staff that everyone else would have starting this new stage in to help us settle in. I chOse to come their friends with them already. my life. There are so many to this school because when I visited Thankfully everyone was friendly fun and interesting subjects during the Open Day last year, I felt the and I made so many friends in no to choose. I love art in particular as it atmosphere was warm and caring and I time, being from a small primary involves learning about famous artists am glad to say that I still find it this way. school wasn’t a problem. I love all and getting creative with fun projects. It is a large and busy place but there is my subjects too and my favourite is I have also loved making new ” lots of fun to be had here too.” woodwork because we make our Leah Bernadette Naughton own projects. ” Caoimhe Scullion Abraham Quaye At first, I was both nervous and excited about coming to school, but now I am happy to come in each day. I particularly like Spanish and having a variety of teachers. Mentors Message Damien Devaney “I participate in the mentoring programme here at school. The programme began with a training day; it gave us better understanding of what exactly was involved in mentoring and what is expected of us. We learned about the ways we can be most helpful to the first years.