CONTACT BETWEEN SCHOOL AND HOME

How do I contact the school?

Who are the main front-of-house personnel?

How does the school communicate with home?

  • We do this mainly through our website – wexfordcbs.ie
  • Details of booklists and the school calendar are placed on the website every year.
  • Letters to families are uploaded to the website at various times throughout the year.
  • Details of school events are placed on the website and on our social media platform during term times.
  • The school also uses text message to communicate with home.

How do I contact a specific teacher?

  • Staff email list: https://www.wexfordcbs.ie/school-staff/
  • Staff should only be contacted during school hours (08:50-15:45 Monday to Friday & 08:50-14:45 Thursday & Friday).
  • If your enquiry is urgent, please contact the school office.

I need to contact my son during the school day. What should I do?

In this situation, parents are asked to contact the main office with the relevant details and we will pass the message to your son. This service must only be used for important messages.

I need to take my son out of school for an urgent matter. What should I do?

In this situation, parents are asked, upon arriving at the school, to speak to the Deputy Principal. A permission to leave form, available in the student journal, should then be filled out. Under no circumstances can a student leave the school without the prior knowledge of the Deputy Principal or the Principal.

My son needs to go home during the day due to illness. How can he contact home?
Students who are feeling unwell are asked to contact the office/reception. If it is a case where the student has to go home, the school will contact home to make the arrangements. Before leaving, the student should also sign out. Each student is encouraged to remain in school for the full day, if possible.

When do Parent/Teacher meetings take place?
There is one parent/teacher meeting per year group each year. The calendar, available on our website, lists the dates for each meeting.

Does the school organise any other meetings for parents?
Yes, the school arranges a number of meetings throughout the year:

  • We hold subject choice talks for parents of students in 1st and TY
  • There is an information evening for incoming 1st year parents.
  • We provide an annual overview of Transition Year for 4th year parents.
  • We also provide a study skills talk for all parents each year.
  • Additionally, the school organises talks for parents on areas of general interest at various stages throughout the year e.g. internet safety, wellbeing, dealing with anxiety. Details of these talks are communicated to parents in advance.

How can I find out more about the running of the school?

  • The school is keen to keep all parents informed of developments in the school. To this end, the school’s social media platforms and website are updated regularly.
  • The Principal and Deputy Principal will be very happy to meet with parents on an appointment basis to provide other information in relation to the school if so requested.

I would like to become more involved in the school. How can I join the Parents’ Council?

  • The school welcomes the involvement of parents via the Parents’ Council. If you wish to volunteer to serve on this committee, you can contact the Council via the e-mail address: admin@wexfordcbs.ie
  • You are also invited to contact Mr. Hegarty (Deputy Principal), Mr. Nolan (Deputy Principal) or Mr. McMahon (Principal) should you require any further information on becoming involved in the school as a parent.

What is the role of the Parents’ Council and how can I find out about their work?
The general objective of the Parents’ Council is to promote the interests of the students and parents in the school.

How often do I receive school reports?

  • School reports are issued twice a year. They are accessible through Vsware. Reports are issued in respect of all students in early January and in early June.
  • Details of mock examinations are issued to 3rd and 6th year parents in March.
  • A Certificate of Achievement is presented to students in TY in late May.

What is Vsware and how do I access it?

  • Vsware is a software package that the school uses.
  • Parents can access Vsware through our website.
  • By logging in with your username and password (issued by the school), you can see your son’s exam results, attendance, positive & negative behaviour and timetables.
  • Exam results from previous years are also available through E-portal.

I cannot access Vsware. Who should I contact?

  • Parents are asked to guard their login details carefully.
  • However, if you have any issues with Vsware, you are advised to phone the main office.

How do students keep their property safe?

  • Students are required to keep all personal property in their secure locker.
  • Coats/bags that are too big for lockers may be left in the designated coats/bags area.
  • All personal property should be clearly marked with the owner’s name.
  • Queries regarding lost property may be addressed to the main office.

Absences and Attendance Procedures

  • As a general request, the school kindly asks all parents/guardians to make every effort to ensure that their son is in school every day.
  • As far as possible, external appointments should be scheduled outside of school time.
  • Each parent is responsible for submitting an accurate note, explaining the reason for any absences.

My son has a dental appointment at 11 a.m. the next day and will be absent from school for a couple of hours. What’s the procedure?

  • The permission to leave form, available in the student journal, should be filled out by a parent the night before the appointment.
  • Your son must call his Year-Head the following morning to obtain the school’s permission to leave.
  • Before leaving, students are asked to sign out using the sheet in the Reception Area.
  • Upon returning, they should indicate the time of their return on the same sheet.

My son was absent for a full day due to illness. How should I inform the school?

  • Absence forms, available at the back of the student journal, should be completed by a parent and then shown to teachers by your son on his return.

My son will be absent for a number of days due to a hospital procedure or a family event. How should I inform the school?

  • In this case, your son should bring in a note from home, in advance of the absence and present it to his Year Head or a Deputy Principal.
  • Alternatively, a parent/guardian may contact the relevant Year Head or a Deputy Principal to let us know.

How is attendance recorded/monitored?

  • Teachers record your son’s attendance at the start of every class.
  • This marks them as present.
  • If your son is not present at 08.50 and 13:45 you will receive a text message stating that he has failed to attend class.
  • The school monitors attendance carefully and contacts home where necessary.

When does the school contact home regarding absenteeism?

  • As mentioned above, the school monitors attendance carefully.
  • Where a student is missing for a number of consecutive days, the school will, in a spirit of care, contact home.
  • Where a student has missed 10 days in an academic year, the school will send a formal letter home.

My son has missed over 20 days of school this year due to illness. What happens next?

  • Where a student under the age of 16 misses 20 days, or more, the school is legally obliged to send a report to The Child and Family Agency (TUSLA).
  • School staff monitor the attendance of all students on a daily basis and will make contact with home when necessary.

School Policies and Anti-Bullying Procedures

  • Where can I find information about relevant school policies e.g. Code of Behaviour, Anti-Bullying Procedures, Relationships and Sexuality Education, Wellbeing, Admissions etc…
  • The school publishes all its policies on the website under the Policies tab.

I suspect my son is being bullied in school. What should I do?

  • The school takes cases of alleged bullying very seriously. If you suspect your son is being bullied, please encourage him to speak to a member of staff.
  • Alternatively, you are asked to contact the relevant Year Head or Mr. Hegarty/Mr. Nolan (Deputy Principals).
  • There is no such thing as an acceptable level of bullying. Prompt and appropriate action on behalf of both the home and the school is crucial in ensuring that such cases are kept to a minimum and do not escalate.

What supports are in place to help prevent bullying?

  • As a school, we have many procedures in place to help prevent bullying.
  • Each base class has a dedicated Class Teacher, a teacher with special responsibility for each class group.
  • There is also a Year Head in each year.
  • The school also has a dedicated Learning Support team and a Guidance Counsellor.
  • All students also study SPHE (Social, Personal, and Health Education) and/or wellbeing.

 

ACADEMIC MATTERS

How much homework should my son be doing during the school week?

  • Homework is assigned regularly. Homework can take the form of written work and/or study.
  • The school considers homework an integral part of school life and expects all students to give their best efforts to their work.
  • As students differ so much in terms of their ability and speed of completion of work, it is impossible to be specific as to the amount of time to be spent on a daily basis on homework and revision by each individual student.
  • However, the following general guidelines are offered:

Year Hours per school day on homework and revision

  • 1st Year: 1 to 2
  • 2nd Year: 1.5 to 2
  • 3rd Year: 2 to 3
  • TY: Variable in accordance with amount of project work
  • 5th Year: 3
  • 6th Year: 3+

My son will be absent from school for a few days, but does not want to miss schoolwork. What should she do?
If your son knows he will be absent for a period of time, he should discuss this with his teacher prior to leaving. He/she can then suggest extra work if necessary. If he is ill, he can also contact the school or his teachers directly to request additional work via e-mail. He should also remain in contact with school friends who can inform him of work being done in class during his absence.

My son is struggling with a particular subject. What should he do?
In the first instance, we encourage students to discuss any difficulties they are having with their subject teacher. If problems persist, parents are welcome to contact the school in order to speak to a particular teacher.

My son is interested in supervised study. How can I register him for it?
Supervised evening study is available for students. The teacher in charge is Mr. Howlin.
Interested students should contact him at dhowlin@wexfordcbs.ie for further information.

My son is in TY and has to make subject choices for the following year. What support does he have in making this choice?

  • Before subject choices are finalised, the school holds a parent information evening on this topic.
  • The Guidance Counsellor – Ms Leanne Goff – will be available to provide advice on the night.
  • The Principal and the Guidance Counsellor explain the process of selecting subjects to all TY students.
  • Students are welcome to seek the advice of their teachers if they are unsure as to what subjects to select.
  • Furthermore, parents/guardians are welcome to contact the school if they have any particular enquiries around matters of subject choice.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

My son is interested in taking part in extra-curricular activities. How can he go about this?
The school participates in many sporting and non-sporting activities throughout the year. Students are asked to listen for announcements over the intercom and keep an eye on the relevant noticeboards for details of trials, meetings and competitions.