MountmellickCommunitySchool

Introduction and Scope of this Policy:

This document sets out the policy of MountmellickCommunitySchool in respect of the extra curricular / co curricular activities that the school offers to our students, both within and outside the classroom. In particular, the school wishes to emphasise and recognise the voluntary commitment of the teachers involved and state that students participate in these activities as a further means of self and social development.

Relationship to school's Mission / Vision/Aims:

MountmellickCommunitySchool’s Mission Statement is as follows:

Aim / Vision:“To provide a caring community, which will foster the development of whole people,empowered to lead effective lives in the wider society.

To this end, we provide opportunities

To promote the fulfilment of academic potential,

While fostering healthy emotional adjustment,

Encouraging growth in inter-personal skills and self-esteem.

We, also, provide opportunities to promote

Physical,

Creative,

And Spiritual Development,

While training pupils in responsibility and discipline,

At the same time celebrating our school and its successes”.

School Motto:“Respect Is Our Strength”.

This Policy on Extra / Co Curricular Activitiesis another important frameworkwithin which “the development of whole people, empowered to lead effective lives in the wider society” is enhanced in our school. The community of the school works in a holistic manner to ensure that dependence is gradually replaced by responsibility for self, society and the world. The dignity of each student, staff member and parent / guardian is honoured and reflected in school policies and structures, including this policy.

This policy is informed by the school's Mission Statement which commits us to preparing all students for the challenges of adolescent and adult life and to respecting the dignity, worth and individuality of every member of the school community. The school’s role in the development of young people supports and is further enriched by the active participation of teachers in many aspects of their students’ lives, both within and outside the classroom.

Rationale:

This Policy on Extra / Co Curricular Activitiesaims to ensure that appropriate opportunities and procedures are in place to enable the school

  • to offer a quality and holistic education to our students;
  • to ensure that students get the opportunity to participate in a range of activities that are appropriate, educational, enjoyable and inclusive;
  • to ensure that parents / guardians are as fully informed as possible about the school’s additional and voluntary commitments to their children;
  • to increase the students’ and their parents’ / guardians’ awareness of the importance of a balanced lifestyle, which places education and all curriculum / subject related activity at the centre and is supported by additional appropriate activities offered by the school and
  • to ensure that parents / guardians are encouraged to recognise that the school’s activities should supplement their role as carers who wish to nurture healthy and mature young men and women.

Goals:

The school shall have in place appropriate means and processes

  • to inform students and parents / guardians about the extra / co curricular work of the school;
  • to encourage students to participate in a range of activities that are appropriate, educational, enjoyable and inclusive;
  • to encourage students to pursue a balanced lifestyle, which places education and all curriculum / subject related activity at the centre and is supported by additional appropriate activities offered by the school;
  • to lead the students and their parents’ / guardians to an appreciation of the fact thatthe school’s activities should supplement students in their development as healthy and mature young men and women.

MountmellickCommunitySchool provides a wide range of activities in addition to the academic curriculum followed in the classroom. The teachers are delighted to provide these activities and are happy with the enthusiastic response from the students. We feel it is important to the full development of students that they take part in both individual and group activities both inside and outside the classroom. All teachers welcome every student who shows an interest in the activity they provide.

We ask parents and guardians to discuss what level of co-curricular involvement is appropriate with the student(s) in their care. A healthy balance between curricular and co-curricular / extra curricular activities will be of most benefit to the student. Students, whose involvement is high in these activities, should significantly reduce their participation in years when they are sitting state examinations.

It is imperative for students to catch up on work missed due to absence caused by their participation in these activities. This is achieved, primarily, by students finding out about and doing the homework they were assigned while they were absent.

Among the activities we have offered in the past / offer currently and / or may offer in the future are the following:

Adventure Sports / Amnesty
Athletics (Track & Field) / Art Exhibitions
An Gaisce (The President’s Award) / Badmintion (Boys & Girls)
Basketball (Boys & Girls) / Boys’ Gaelic Football
Boys’ Soccer / Camogie
Choirs / Class Trips (Day / Overnight / Weekly)
Cross Country Running / Debating
Drama / Girls’ Gaelic Football
GreenSchool’s Committee / Hurling
Leadership Skills / Training (6th Years) / Mini-Companies
Meitheal Group / Musical Activities
Prefects / School Exhibition
School Magazine / Slogadh Projects
Speech and Drama / Student Council
Swimming / Table Tennis
Volleyball / Young Scientists’ Exhibition
Tennis

The above list is subject to minor adjustment from time to time.

Key Issues That Arise :

  • The school acknowledges and appreciates the contribution and commitment of staff who are involved in co curricular / extra curricular activities.
  • Student attendance at and participation in co curricular / extra curricular activities is valued and encouraged.
  • Student attendance at and participation in co curricular / extra curricular activities is a privilege. Students whose behaviour in school is unsatisfactory and / or students whose behaviour going to / at or in such activities is unsatisfactory will be excluded from all such activities for a period of time as determined by the school principal.
  • Student attendance at and participation in co curricular / extra curricular activities can never be used as an excuse for failure to complete classwork / homework / revision, etc.
  • Participation in P.E. class(es) by all students is mandatory.
  • Parents / guardians have a responsibility to inform the school in writing of a students’ inability to participate in P.E. and / or any physical or sporting activity.
  • All students who submit a medical certificate confirming their inability to take part in P.E. and / or any physical or sporting activity will be automatically excluded from the relevant class / physical / sporting activity and will not be allocated written work for the class period(s) involved.
  • Where a teacher has been informed by parents / guardians that a student is injured / unfit, he / she will not be allowed to participate in the relevant sporting activity / training session / match, etc.
  • In relation to under age inter schools sporting competitions, students must play in their own age group. However, exceptions will be made for the school’s senior hurling team and ladies football team, which can include players from 3rd, 5th and 6th Year classes.
  • Students are prohibited from using performance enhancing substances and / or lawful dietary supplements (e.g. creatine) which have the effect of muscle building. Students using such substances will be excluded from sporting activity for a period of time as determined by the school Principal and, if he requests, the Board of Management.
  • In hurling, for both training and matches, all students must wear suitable protective head gear.
  • The school encourages and, where reasonable, facilitates school activities / tours / trips that have a subject related educational dimension, for example, Art Competitions, French Cultural Exchanges, Engineering – Industry Visits, Geography Field Trips, Music Competitions, etc.
  • The school will organise, through the Science Department, a visit to the national “Young Scientists’ Exhibition” annually.
  • The school will organise, through the Religion Department, one day, out of school retreats for the two senior cycle groups (5th and 6th Year) and 2nd Year students, also.
  • In accordance with the school’s “Guidance Plan”, the Guidance Counsellor will organise one university and one Institute of Technology visit for senior students. These visits will take place during normal school hours.
  • Where out of school activities / events / performances take place during and outside normal school hours, students (if brought by teachers) will normally go to the activity / event / performance outside of school class contact time.
  • In each school year:

(i) 3rd and 6th Year students will be permitted to partake in a maximum of two voluntary co curricular / extra curricular activities that involve missing class contact time and

The school Principal is delegated to manage the school consistent with the above provisions and all decisions relating to the implementation / non implementation of this policy are vested in him / her.

Role of Parents / Guardians:

The school is a supportive organisation in respect of the primary educators – parents / guardians. Our efforts to provide holistic education, in its various forms, are most meaningful and effective when parents / guardians both understand and support our aims and activities. In the context of this policy, parents / guardians are most effective for the school when they do their best to ensure that

  • their children have a positive attitude to education in general and this school in particular;
  • their children come to school and all classes with all of the required books, uniform, equipment and materials, etc.;
  • their children work hard both within and outside school at their studies;
  • they encourage students to get involved in extra / co curricular activities;
  • they set limits to students involvement in extra / co curricular activities, so that

a)students do not have too many commitments (this, also, involves monitoring and curtailing, as appropriate, students activities in non school organisations);

b)students’ primary focus is on school work;

c)students see attendance in school and participation in class as their first priority;

d)students catch up on work missed due to their absence from school;

  • they assist at, or organise, events and functions for the pupils at school level;
  • they assist in the organisation of educational debates for pupils and / or parents;
  • they assist in the organisation of Career Guidance lectures and interviews;
  • they fundraise for cultural, leisure and extra curricular activities and facilities;
  • they support the ongoing work of in school management, the Board of Management, school staff, the Parents’ Council and, where appropriate, the Students’ Council.

Area(s) to be Developed:

Who should fund the cost of transport, buses, etc?Should we seek sponsorship? If so, from whom?

Review Procedures:

The policy will be reviewed regularly and by the Board of Management every four years. Any staff member who is unhappy with the content or the implementation of any school policy may request a review at any time and such a request will be dealt with as quickly as possible.The Parents’ Council / Student Councilmay request a formal review at any time and such a request will be dealt with as quickly as possible by the Board of Management.

Adopted by Board of Management:May 9th 2006

Reviewed and Amended:May13th2008

Reviewed and Amended:November 10th2009

ReviewDate:May 2012

Procedures / Protocols for Teachers, Coaches, Team Managers i.e. all adults dealing with children on behalf of MountmellickCommunitySchool participating in sport.

Preamble

  1. All students are encouraged to take part in sport and exercise.
  1. The school acknowledges the valuable role played by adults who supervise sporting activities and / or coach or manage school teams.
  1. Participation and playing for enjoyment are at the core of all school sporting activity.

School P. E.

  1. The school curriculum allocates one hour and twenty minutes for Physical Education for all classes weekly.
  1. Students are expected to bring the necessary gear and equipment to P. E. classes.
  1. Parents / guardians have a responsibility to inform the school in writing of a students’ inability to participate in P.E. and / or any physical or sporting activity.
  1. All students who submit a medical certificate confirming their inability to take part in P.E. and / or any physical or sporting activity will be automatically excluded from the relevant class / physical / sporting activity and will not be allocated written work for the class period(s) involved.
  1. Where a teacher has been informed by parents / guardians that a student is injured / unfit / unable to take part, he / she will not be allowed to participate in the relevant sporting activity / training session / match, etc.
  1. Students who fail to participate in P. E. for whatever reasonshould remain with the class and may be given written productive P.E. related work to do during P. E.

Changing before and after P.E. Class / Training / Matches

  1. Classes/ students / teams should use the changing rooms / areas allocated to them.
  1. Normally, the changing room on the left is for girls / females, while the changing room on the right is for boys / males.
  1. Where two class groups are assigned P.E. simultaneously, the first class to get changed into their P.E. gear should, also, be the first class to get changed at the end of the lesson, while the second class to get changed into their P.E. gear should, also, be the second class to get changed at the end of the lesson.
  1. Students should change into and out of their sports wear without undue delay before and after the activity involved.
  1. The doors of the changing rooms should only be opened by an adult of the same gender as the users. Such an adult will not normally enter the changing rooms except in an emergency. It may arise (in an emergency) that an adult has to enter the changing rooms being used by students of the opposite gender. In such limited cases, best practice requires a second adult to be present and, in the event that a second adult is unavailable, the teacher concerned may ask a small number of other students to accompany him / her in the best interests of all concerned.

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Draft Policy on Extra / Co Curricular Activities