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Welcome to the Home School Community Liaison Page
What is the Home School Community Liaison Scheme?
The aim of the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is to promote partnership between home, school and the community and to ensure that every family participates fully in the school scheme. It fosters a sense of trust between the pupils, the parents/guardians and the school. The HSCL scheme has been up and running in Scoil Mhuire since 1999.
Why do we need a HSCL Scheme?
The Primary School is an exciting, challenging, rewarding but sometimes testing experience, not only for the pupils but also for the parents. School life is not just about what a student achieves between 9am and 2.40pm. There are many other factors which contribute towards the experience of school life. The HSCL Scheme tries to ensure that this experience is as enjoyable and trouble-free as possible. It recognises the role of parents as the primary educators of their children, the influence of the home environment and seeks to promote a partnership between school and parents and the local community.
Who looks after the HSCL Scheme in Scoil Mhuire Junior?
The scheme co-ordinators are Rosarii Harty and Sinead Tyrrell. They look after the welfare of the parents of Scoil Mhuire Junior and Senior Schools. They are available to discuss on a personal level, matters of concern with parents in their own homes or at school, whichever the parent prefers. The scheme is also supported by the entire staff, all of whom are actively willing to listen to the needs of parents.
How does the HSCL Scheme work?
A Home-School-Community Liaison co-ordinator is assigned to a school in a disadvantaged area. Activities undertaken by Rosarii and Sinéad are:
• Home visitations
• Organisation of in-school activities and courses for parents
• Advising and supporting parents on education- related issues such as study skills
• The promotion of a stimulating home learning environment
• Meeting with community interests relevant to the education and welfare of pupils in the school
• Encouraging co-operation between home, school and community interests
The scheme recognises parents as the primary educators of their children and is constantly looking at ways to support parents and listening to their views and concerns. Parents will be able to participate in a wide range of courses, which we run during the school day. These will cover many subjects including computers, parenting, maths for fun, literacy, needle crafts, aerobics and cookery. Such courses, not only help parents to have new skills, but also recognize the importance of parents having time to themselves. It also gives them the opportunity to share in the life and work of the school alongside their children.
Parents’ Room
A parents’ room has been in operation since 2001. It is a place to facilitate the active participation of parents in their children’s education through meeting their own social, personal and educational needs. The underlying ethos is one of partnership between the primary educator, the parent, and the professional educator, the teacher.
Remember, the HSCL Scheme is here for the benefit of you and your children; its success depends in ‘large part’ on your input!
If you have any ideas, concerns, opinions or requests, share them with us.
The Home School Community Liaison Project is sponsored by the Department of Education
Coding Event
On Wednesday 10th December Scoil Mhuire Sóisearach in Newbridge will be hosting a ‘coding event’. This is as part of the international ‘Hour of Code’ week taking place from 8th – 12th December in schools around the globe. It is the largest learning campaign in history. The organisers of the week are aiming for 100 million people to do an hour of code by the end of 2014. More information can be found at code.org
Coding is what makes it possible for us to create computer software, apps and websites. Writing code helps children’s learning because it helps to nurture creativity and problem solving skills as well as prepare children for future jobs (some of which might not even exist yet!).
During the day, children from the various classes will come to the hall to try out different activities to help build the skills required for writing code. Even our youngest children can begin to learn to code with simple activities such as programming floor robots and simple online activities. The school’s principal Bryan O’Reilly is also going to give it a go and will try his first hour of code!
Parents can help in the following ways:
- Are you available to help on the day? We need parents to assist the children with the simple online activities. No expertise required!
- Have you a laptop that you could lend us for the day? We need as many laptops as possible in order to give as many children as possible a go!
- You can also have a look at some of the activities and videos on code.org with your child at home.
Please contact bairbre.elwood@scmj.ie if you can help in any way.
This Week’s Theme: Food
This week we are learning about food. In order to further your child’s learning at home, try some of the following:
- practise saying the words for foods and drinks around the home or in shops
- ask your child to name the foods he/she is eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Practise the following phrases:
I am eating….
I ate …..
I like ….
I don’t like …..
I am hungry/thirsty.
#irishschoolsummer Signs of Summer by 1st Class Children
Some children from 1st class worked as a group to take these photographs. They are of signs of summer they spotted around the school. Photographs by Karolina, Dominik and Reicela. These photos will be shared on Twitter as part of the school’s Twitter project: #irishschoolsummer.
Programmable Robot Travels Around the Town!
We helped ‘Dizzy Tron’ to travel around the town today. We chose buildings for him to visit and then told him how to get there.
Dizzy Tron is a programmable robot and the children have to give him instructions on how to move. This helps develop early coding and programming skills. The children also learned all about the places in the town. We’ll post some videos soon!