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Care Team
At Ballinteer Community School we are committed to giving our students a stimulating and challenging educational experience. In order to support our students the school is fortunate to have a care team.  This team includes the Chaplin, Home School Liaison person, Guidance Councillor and the School Continuance Officer.

The school has a full-time guidance counsellor who provides careers guidance, educational guidance and general counselling for pupils. Careers information is also provided for parents.

The school has a careers library with classified careers information, videos, Irish and UK colleges prospectuses and computerised careers information.


The School Completion Programme
The School Completion Programme is a Department of Education and Science programme that aims to have a significant positive impact on levels of pupils’ retention and on the numbers of pupils who successfully complete the Senior Cycle. Ballinteer Community School and Scoil Mhuire, Ballyboden have been selected to participate in this programme. Ms. Lucinda Packham has been appointed as the Local Co-ordinator to develop local multi-agency plans and targets that provide a range of specific additional services for students. These additional services include in-school and after-school activities such as:
  • School Meals Programme;
  • First Year Transfer programme
  • Business in the Community Programme
  • A lunch-time sports club;
  • After-schools clubs;
  • Attendance monitoring;
  • Counselling services;
  • Mntoring services;
  • Outings (skating, horse-riding, Glencree Reconciliation Centre, Larch Hill);
  • Music lessons;
  • Extra tuition;
  • A summer programme.
The programme is funded by the National Development Plan (NDP) with assistance from the European Social Fund (ESF).
Home School Community Liaison
Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) started in B.C.S. in January 1997 and since then it has become an important vehicle for the inclusion and active partnership of parents in education. HSCL is one of the avenues of communication between home, school and local community. Home School Liaison models a way of working out effective partnership in education.

The HSCL policy formulated by teachers and parents in 1998 states:
"Our Home School Policy in B.C.S. aims to create mutual trust and co-operation between home and school by understanding our complementary roles. This requires that we show a willingness to communicate as we strive towards our common purpose - the development of our children/students as responsible members of the wider community."
 
Guidance Counsellor
The Guidance and Counselling Service in a school can be categorised under three integrated areas of activity:

  • Personal/Social Guidance & Counselling
  • Educational Guidance & Counselling
  • Career Guidance & Counselling

While aiming to provide a wide range of professional expertise, the guidance counsellor endeavours to give sensitive care and support to students learning to cope with many facets of their personal development.
The work will involve individual consultation and also class or group work.
Within school the counsellor liases with all members of staff, teachers and management, Home School Community Liaison Officer and Chaplain where necessary.

The Guidance Counsellor is in constant contact with parents, and has dealings with other professionals, outside the school setting, such as social services, psychologists, employers, training agencies, colleges etc.

Chaplin
The Chaplin is a faith presence in the school community and the non-disciplinary role enables the Chaplin to develop a relationship of thrust where students feel heard and supported on their school journey.  The Chaplin responds firstly to the spiritual needs while also promoting the holistic development of the students.  The Chaplin creates an environment where faith might grow through:
  • Class contact
  • Provision of Liturgical functions
  • Providing students with periods of retreat.
  • Responding to the day-to-day pastoral needs of the students.
  • Provision of Bereavement Programme for students to enable them to share their feelings of grief and loss among their peers in a safe setting.
  • Home visits, in times of family crisis, illness or death.
The Chaplin works in close contact with the Religion Department and is part of the Pastoral Care Team.


 
© Ballinteer Community School 2007

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