PROSPECTUS - Convent of Mercy Roscommon

Convent of Mercy Roscommon Meánscoil Muire gan Smál

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME Welcome to the Convent of Mercy Secondary School Roscommon. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929, the school has a long tradition of providing an excellent education for the girls of Roscommon Town and its environs.

Our school motto ‘We cherish, we challenge, we care’ underpins all aspects of school life here at the Convent. We cherish the individuality and talents of each student entrusted to our care. We challenge each student to fulfil her potential in every aspect of her education and we work in an atmosphere of care and mutual respect.

Supported on their educational journey by a dedicated and committed staff, we recognise that each one of our students has a valuable contribution to make to our school and will leave their own distinctive footprints on their Alma Mater.

We offer a broad curriculum that is complemented by a comprehensive extra-curricular and co-curricular programme and our student support services are designed to ensure that the individual needs of each student are addressed.

We pride ourselves on our excellent academic results and the numerous successes and achievements enjoyed by our students and staff members down through the years.

This prospectus is designed to provide you with some introductory information to give you and your daughter a taste of the many and varied activities that we have to offer here in the Convent of Mercy, Roscommon.

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Miriam Hunt

Sinéad Tiernan

Principal

Deputy Principal

PROSPECTUS

ACADEMIC SUCCESS The Convent of Mercy Roscommon prides itself on a long-standing tradition of academic excellence. Listed by the Sunday Times (2020) as one of the top ten performing schools in Connacht, it is the only secondary school in Co. Roscommon to achieve this accolade.

Our school attaches great importance to its reputation for having high academic standards for all students and in encouraging each student to reach their full potential.

Our students have been awarded entrance scholarships to universities and third level colleges year on year based on their outstanding Leaving Certificate results. These include TCD (Trinity College Dublin), UCD (University College Dublin), DCU (Dublin City University), UL (University of Limerick), NUI Galway, MIC (Mary Immaculate College Limerick), NUI Maynooth and AIT (Athlone).

A number of students have been awarded sports scholarships to a number of universities. Other academic awards presented to our students based on the results of the Leaving Certificate examination include the Intel Scholarship Award and the JP McManus All-Ireland Scholarship Award. Outstanding achievement and participation in all aspects of school life is recognised here at the Convent of Mercy at the Annual Student Awards Ceremony at the end of each academic year.

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

CURRICULUM Our curriculum constantly adapts to meet the changing needs of students and offers a diverse range of subjects at all levels in both Junior and Senior Cycle.

Junior Cycle Curriculum First year students will study all of the core subjects for the first three years. They will also study each of the optional subjects until January of first year. They will then choose three optional subjects to study with their core subjects for their Junior Cycle programme.

We encourage all students to study a language as one of their three optional subjects. Science is compulsory at Junior Cycle. Students are surveyed on their subject choice and every opportunity is taken to ensure student preference is met resulting in the highest possible satisfaction rating.

Core Subjects

BEING LITERATE

Irish

English

History

Science

Religion

CSPE

Geography

PE

SPHE

Mathematics

COMMUNICATING

WORKING WITH OTHERS

MANAGING MYSELF

KEY SKILLS

STAYING WELL

Elective Subjects French

German

Business Studies

Home Economics

Music

Visual Art

Applied Technology

BEING CREATIVE

MANAGING INFORMATION & THINKING BEING NUMERATE

The eight key skills of Junior Cycle are embedded into all aspects of the Junior Cycle curriculum.

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PROSPECTUS

Senior Cycle Curriculum Leaving Certificate Established

Leaving Cert Vocational Programme (LCVP)

Senior Cycle students follow a two year programme leading to the Leaving Certificate Examination. Subjects are offered at all levels.

The LCVP is an enhanced Leaving Certificate Programme.

It is a worthwhile programme that combines the academic strengths of the Leaving Certificate with a dynamic focus on selfdirected learning, enterprise, work experience and the community.

During Transition Year students are given the opportunity to sample all Leaving Cert subjects therefore assisting them in making their subject choice for Senior Cycle.

We take a student centred approach to subject options where students are surveyed well in advance of entering Senior Cycle and every opportunity is taken to ensure that student preference is met.

Core Subjects Irish

English

Maths

Religion

PE

Career Guidance

Elective Subjects French

German

History

Geography

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Economics

Agricultural Science

Business

Music

Art

Home Economics

Technology

Accounting

Physical Education

Politics & Society

‘Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think’.

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

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PROSPECTUS

DIGITAL LEARNING Here at the Convent of Mercy we recognise and appreciate the value technology has in both teaching and learning. The use of technology in our school develops a wide range of critical skills, such as digital literacy, innovation and collaboration.

Google Workplace is an online learning platform used in our school in order to support all of our students’ learning. Each student is given a school gmail account, and through this, they have access to a number of Google Apps such as Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Classroom. Google Classroom is a learning platform that enables teachers to create an online classroom space. All teachers in our school actively use Google Classroom in order to set homework, correct student assignments and connect with our students. The use of this technology ensured all students were supported during the period of remote learning in 2020 and 2021.

The school has also substantially invested in the provision of technology within our school to promote high quality teaching and learning. In our school, you will find three computer labs along with portable class sets of laptop devices. These are used across the wide range of subjects on offer within our school and have become a central component of our learning experience.

In order to equip students with the essential skills needed to become digitally literate and confident, Junior Cycle students participate in Digital Media Literacy classes. Here they learn how to effectively use the technology that will assist their learning journey within the Convent of Mercy.

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

TRANSITION YEAR Transition Year provides a bridge to help pupils make the transition from the highly structured and dependent environment of Junior Cycle to one where they will take greater responsibility for their own learning and decision making at Senior Cycle. Pupils will participate in learning strategies which are active and experimental and which help them to develop a range of transferable critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.

Transition Year Programme Rationale: 

To promote maturity and personal character building

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To help young people prepare for adult life

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To contribute to society in a positive and socially responsible way

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To be a good citizen

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To assist students to meet and accept new challenges

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To embark on new projects and interests both inside and outside school

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To embark on a journey of self-development in a caring, positive and motivating TY programme and encourage their development as a person

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To encourage students to become independent and self-directed students

At the end of each year the TY programme is assessed and evaluated by students, teachers, school management and parents. This process allows for the review and adaptation of the TY programme to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

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PROSPECTUS

Core Subjects English

Book Club

Irish

Guest Speaker

Maths

Project Work

Skills

Religion

Enterprise

Personal Development

Career Guidance

Academic Resilience

Vocational Preparation

Technology

French / German

Quiz / Brain Teasers

Options BT Young Scientist & SciFest

Foróige Leadership for Life Programme

Home Economics

Young Social Innovators

GAA Future Leaders

Macalla School Magazine

Russian

Digital Media

Graphics & Ceramics

Junk Kouture

Art

Modules PE

Modern Dance

Fitness & Toning

Arts Review

Judo & Self Defence

Business

Cycling

Accounting

History

Economics

Geography

First Aid

Road Safety

Politics & Society

Ballroom & Ceilí Dancing

Music

Newsletter

Digital Media Literacy

Physics

Tourism

Chemistry

Technology & Design

Biology

Crafts

Agricultural Science 9

Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS Here at the Convent of Mercy, we want you to join our Music Department to discover, develop and nurture the music inside of you!

Music, song, drama and dance are an integral part of the cultural life of our school.

Our modern, fully equipped music room plays host to rehearsals every day of the week as there is always an upcoming gig, competition, concert or musical production to prepare for. Our annual Mercy Day Mass, Christmas Carol Service and Leaving Certificate Graduation Mass offer our students a platform to showcase their musical talents in a liturgical setting.

All students are encouraged to participate in the biennial school musical. Auditions are held for the various dancing, singing, acting and orchestral roles. Months of rehearsal culminate in a week-long extravaganza of talent to rival any show on Broadway or the West End. If you love to sing as part of a large group, then our Chamber Choir is undoubtedly the ensemble for you! We compete regularly at choral festivals and competitions throughout the country and have featured as prize winners in the RTE Lyric FM ‘Choirs for Christmas’ competition and even on RTE television. We travel to choral festivals around the country including Wesley Interschool Music Festival and Navan Choral Festival.

Irish traditional musicians meet regularly and take part in competitions and initiatives such as Siansa Gael Linn and Trad for Trócaire. During Seachtain na Gaeilge musicians demonstrate their traditional playing and singing skills, performing their own arrangements of tunes.

Our school orchestra gives students the opportunity to use their instruments in a fun environment as we learn arrangements from popular songs, film scores, musicals and even jazz. Our orchestral musicians often play as part of the live orchestra with professional musicians for our school musical as well as performing at concerts and at masses throughout the year.

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PROSPECTUS

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

STEM Our school recognises the need for Ireland to continue to meet its aspirations to be a world leading centre for the industries of tomorrow in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Here at the Convent of Mercy we actively promote STEM subjects and encourage students towards a Career Path in STEM related industries.

We have a strong and proud tradition in STEM subjects in our school and have recently expanded our Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle Curriculum to include Applied Technology and Technology. Students avail of state of the art facilities in our newly installed Design Lab, a fully equipped Technology workspace with the cutting-edge technology and machinery available for use in these subjects.

The Roscommon Branch of the STEM society was launched in our school in 2014 with a view to inviting guest speakers from different disciplines of science to our school to share their experiences with our students in STEM related careers.

The Convent of Mercy has participated annually in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for decades and has accumulated numerous awards in both individual and group categories over the years.

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DESIGN LAB TECHNOLOGY Our new state of the art Design Lab has been created to facilitate our students with an extended curriculum choice and to nurture their technology and design potential towards their future. The bright, modern, playful and inspiring space has been specially designed with students in mind to allow them to investigate, design, create and evaluate towards solving problems and expressing their creative ideas. The Design Lab hosts the subjects of ‘Applied Technology’ (Junior Cycle) and ‘Technology’ (Leaving Certificate).

Students have access to state of the art equipment and technologies including laser cutting, 3D printing and 3D design CAD software. Technology provides an ideal basis for further study in many disciplines and prepares learners for their future within a rapidly changing technological society.

PROSPECTUS

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORT ‘Physical Fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity’.

Physical Education encourages physical activity for life, promotes a healthy lifestyle, provides an outlet for creativity and self expression and develops co-operation and teamwork. It builds self-confidence, provides opportunities for personal goal-setting, increases personal fitness and helps reduce stress and anxiety. It strengthens relationships with others and boosts academic learning.

Here at the Convent of Mercy, we recognise Physical Education and Sport as integral to the holistic development of all our students. Our school facilities are among the most varied in the county with a large Sports Hall, playing fields, an all-weather pitch and tennis courts on the school grounds. All students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular sporting activities and it is a great opportunity to make new friends in first year.

Our school offers a huge variety of extra-curricular activities which include: soccer, futsal, gaelic football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, GAA handball, camogie, badminton, spikeball, tag rugby, contact rugby, judo, swimming, equestrian, golf and the athletics events of Track and Field events long jump, shot putt, high jump, relay, discus, javelin, hurdles, sprints and long distance running.

Our school also facilitates our students in golf, swimming and equestrian competitions.

COACH ME and I will learn CHALLENGE ME and I will grow BELIEVE IN ME and I will win 14

PROSPECTUS

Many of our students have received recognition for their participation in sport including regional, provincial and international representation and many have been recipients of local and national sports awards.

Our school has a long tradition of sporting activity and achievement: in gaelic football and soccer, our school has achieved All-Ireland success at ‘A’ level. Our girls have also been All-Ireland camogie, badminton and volleyball champions. Our students have been All-Ireland runnersup in volleyball and spikeball on a number of occasions.

Many provincial titles have also come our way in gaelic football, golf, soccer, camogie, cross country, athletics and badminton.

Regional titles have also been achieved in GAA handball, cross-country, spikeball and basketball.

A number of our students have represented Ireland in international competitions including soccer, swimming and golf.

SWIMMING GAELIC FOOTBALL

DANCE

SOCCER

BASKETBALL FUTSAL CROSS COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL HANDBALL SPIKEBALL CONTACT TAG RUGBY ATHLETICS JUDO

RUGBY GOLF

BADMINTON EQUESTRIAN

CAMOGIE GYMNASTICS

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

PASTORAL CARE In line with our school motto, the care of our students permeates all of our practice. We endeavour to create a school community where all members feel a sense of belonging and are respected and valued. Our pastoral care system is all inclusive and recognises the importance of diversity and respect for the whole school community.

The Pastoral Care programme which we implement deals with a wide variety of issues such as: the transition from primary to second level school, code of behaviour, coping with exam pressures, bullying, peer influence, relationships, community, personal development, bereavement and separation.

Year Head & Class Tutor Each year group has a designated Year Head and each class group a Class Tutor who has responsibility for the welfare of the students in their year/class group.

Study Skills & Supervised Study Supervised study is in place for students after school from Monday to Friday, with Saturday study sessions provided where there is sufficient demand. Each year a Study Skills seminar is organised for all year groups.

Learning Support Students can access learning support in order to optimise their learning. The SET (Special Education Teachers) Team will assess the student’s specific educational needs and put in place any additional support for that student in consultation with the parent/guardian.

Guidance & Counselling The School Guidance Counselllor has a pivotal role to play in our school. Our aim is to assist all students in their holistic development while providing educational, vocational and personal guidance. This is done through the implementation of the School Guidance Programme by means of weekly classes, individual oneto-one meetings and group activities. The programme in place has been developed to suit the needs of our students as they progress through each stage of their educational journey.

The Guidance Counsellor offers one-to-one support to students who want to discuss personal or vocational issues in a confidential, non-judgemental setting. This can be at the request of the student or by referral from a staff member or parent.

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Induction for first year students Each year a programme is devised to enable first year students to make a smooth transition from primary to secondary school.

This programme is implemented by the Principal, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor, Year Head and Class Tutor. It takes place over the first week of the new academic year.

PROSPECTUS

STUDENT LEADERSHIP The Convent of Mercy has a strong tradition in the field of Student Leadership and promotes active involvement and participation in a wide range of leadership programmes.

The Cara Programme

The Student Council

The CARA Programme is a peer mentoring programme for first year students in which all first years are paired with a fifth year student. Their CARA helps them to settle into school and offers friendly advice and guidance. During the course of the school year and during Friendship Week a number of social activities are arranged for the students involved in the programme.

The Student Council, comprising of representatives from each year group provides a forum to discuss and debate student issues on behalf of the student body on matters of concern to them.

The Student Council meets regularly and identifies a number of initiatives/themes to develop over the course of the academic year.

The Prefect System

‘The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have’.

Leadership Capacity is developed through the election of representatives of the student body to the Prefect System in our school. It comprises of Class Prefects and Deputy Prefects, Senior Prefects, Deputy Head Girl and Head Girl of the School. The Leadership Team actively participates in the affairs of the school.

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Convent of Mercy Roscommon We cherish, we challenge, we care

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PROSPECTUS

BEYOND THE CURRICULUM At the Convent of Mercy Roscommon, all students have the opportunity to learn life-long skills through our extra-curricular activities. Teams, Clubs and Groups meet at lunchtimes and after school. From Debating to STEM Society, from Photography Club to St Vincent de Paul Society, all our students are encouraged to participate and to get involved in the school community. Through these extra-curricular activities the students learn about team-work, friendship, leadership, society and culture.

FRIENDSHIP COMMUNITY EUROPEAN TOURS GAA Future Leaders CLUB NA GAEILGE COMPUTER CLUB

WEEK CARE ORCHESTRA

NUI Maynooth Model Parliament STROKESTOWN HOUSE SCULPTURE COMPETITION

IRISH TRAD GROUP JOHN PAUL 11 AWARDS

YOUNG SOCIAL INNOVATORS SCHOOL MUSICAL AIB BUILD A BANK GAISCE AED DEFIBRILLATOR TRAINING

DRIVING

FUNDRAISING

MACALLA

LESSONS

SCHOOL SciFest MAGAZINE JUNK UKULELE CLUBYOUNG KOUTURE SCIENCE PUBLIC SPEAKING SCIENTIST SCHOOLCLUB AED Defibrillator Training STEM Computer Club EUROPEAN SCIENCE AND MATHS OLYMPIAD

BAKE OFF MATHS CLUB ART COMPETITIONS ENGLISH AND IRISH DEBATING Exchange GERMAN STUDENT EXCHANGE Society French Student

CHAMBER CHOIR 19

‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire’.

Convent of Mercy Roscommon Meánscoil Muire gan Smál Convent Road Roscommon Town Ireland Email: info@rosconvent.ie Phone: +353 906626321 / +353 906626444 www.rosconvent.ie Follow us on social media Instagram: @rosconvent Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosconvent Twitter: @rosconvent

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