Special Educational Needs
Here at St. Joseph’s Senior National School we aim to help each child reach their full potential. We offer support to children using various evidence based interventions in a number of different settings: power hour, streamed teaching, team teaching, small group withdrawal and one on one support. Parents are invited to work in collaboration with the school S.E.N. team to help develop programmes of learning for their children. You can have a look at some of what we've been up to in the photo gallery at the end of the page!
JANUARY 2017
For the next five weeks the SEN team will be providing in class support. This support will be offered through team teaching or station teaching depending on the year group. This will give our children the chance to access the curriculum more effectively alongside their classmates. We will continue to offer extra support to those entitled to learning support in this setting. Seeing how they manage in class will help us when we come to review their IPLPs and IEPs during review week next month.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
For the months of November and December we will be withdrawing the children in small groups. This will allow us to really target their needs in a small group setting. It will help us to review their individual learning plans in the new year too.
OCTOBER 2016
In class support started at the beginning of the month and our students are all working really hard and are making good progress. We appreciate all the help and input we got from you in putting together their Individual Education Plans and Individual Learning Plans. These plans will enable us to help your child make progress throughout the year. As always your support at home is greatly needed and appreciated. If you have any questions about how best to help your child please don't hesitate to contact a member of the SEN team who can give you some suggestions!
Don't forget to keep an eye on our photo gallery below to see what our students have been up to!
SEPTEMBER 2016
Welcome back! We wish you and your children a great new school year! Our students are settling back in to their new classes and getting to know their new teachers. Over the next couple of weeks, with your permission, the SEN team will be testing some of the students to see who may benefit from extra support this year. As with last year the nature of the support given will vary-from in class support, to group withdrawal to 1:1 work in some cases.
September 2016 also sees the start of our second year participating in a pilot project for a fairer system of resource allocation. As a result of participating in the model our school gained lots of extra hours and therefore is in a position to be able to support your children more effectively. We hope it will be rolled out nationwide in September 2017.
Special Education Team
Currently on our team:
Sarah Barron (on maternity leave) sub; Claire Phelan, Siobhan Cahill, Sinéad Henderson, Lorna Hickey,
Emma O'Neill (on maternity leave) sub; Keith Hand, Mike Walsh
Special Needs Assistants
Marion O’Reilly, Paula Mc Mahon, Tara O’ Connor and Marie Doyle
The ‘FRIENDS for Life’ programme is a school-based positive mental health programme. The programme helps students to develop effective strategies to deal with worry, stress and change and teaches the skills required to reduce anxiety and promote resilience. It is beneficial for all students, irrespective of their anxiety level. It teaches children to develop and implement their own personal coping plans. This year Mrs O'Neill and Ms.Cashen will facilitate booster Friends for Life sessions with our 6th class. They are both accredited Friends for Life facilitators.
The word ‘FRIENDS for Life’ is an acronym that helps children to remember the coping steps to follow:
F - Feelings
R - Relax and feel good
I - I can do it!
E - Explore solutions and coping step plans
N - Now reward yourself
D – Don’t forget to practice
S - Stay cool!
From time to time the children will have an ‘at home’ activity to complete. Please take the time to do this at home with your child because the more exposure they get to the programme both at home and in school the greater its impact will be.
If you have any questions regarding the Friends for Life Programme please don’t hesitate to contact the school.
Useful websites:
http://ncse.ie
www.dyslexia.ie
www.ncca.ie
Here at St. Joseph’s Senior National School we aim to help each child reach their full potential. We offer support to children using various evidence based interventions in a number of different settings: power hour, streamed teaching, team teaching, small group withdrawal and one on one support. Parents are invited to work in collaboration with the school S.E.N. team to help develop programmes of learning for their children. You can have a look at some of what we've been up to in the photo gallery at the end of the page!
JANUARY 2017
For the next five weeks the SEN team will be providing in class support. This support will be offered through team teaching or station teaching depending on the year group. This will give our children the chance to access the curriculum more effectively alongside their classmates. We will continue to offer extra support to those entitled to learning support in this setting. Seeing how they manage in class will help us when we come to review their IPLPs and IEPs during review week next month.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
For the months of November and December we will be withdrawing the children in small groups. This will allow us to really target their needs in a small group setting. It will help us to review their individual learning plans in the new year too.
OCTOBER 2016
In class support started at the beginning of the month and our students are all working really hard and are making good progress. We appreciate all the help and input we got from you in putting together their Individual Education Plans and Individual Learning Plans. These plans will enable us to help your child make progress throughout the year. As always your support at home is greatly needed and appreciated. If you have any questions about how best to help your child please don't hesitate to contact a member of the SEN team who can give you some suggestions!
Don't forget to keep an eye on our photo gallery below to see what our students have been up to!
SEPTEMBER 2016
Welcome back! We wish you and your children a great new school year! Our students are settling back in to their new classes and getting to know their new teachers. Over the next couple of weeks, with your permission, the SEN team will be testing some of the students to see who may benefit from extra support this year. As with last year the nature of the support given will vary-from in class support, to group withdrawal to 1:1 work in some cases.
September 2016 also sees the start of our second year participating in a pilot project for a fairer system of resource allocation. As a result of participating in the model our school gained lots of extra hours and therefore is in a position to be able to support your children more effectively. We hope it will be rolled out nationwide in September 2017.
Special Education Team
Currently on our team:
Sarah Barron (on maternity leave) sub; Claire Phelan, Siobhan Cahill, Sinéad Henderson, Lorna Hickey,
Emma O'Neill (on maternity leave) sub; Keith Hand, Mike Walsh
Special Needs Assistants
Marion O’Reilly, Paula Mc Mahon, Tara O’ Connor and Marie Doyle
The ‘FRIENDS for Life’ programme is a school-based positive mental health programme. The programme helps students to develop effective strategies to deal with worry, stress and change and teaches the skills required to reduce anxiety and promote resilience. It is beneficial for all students, irrespective of their anxiety level. It teaches children to develop and implement their own personal coping plans. This year Mrs O'Neill and Ms.Cashen will facilitate booster Friends for Life sessions with our 6th class. They are both accredited Friends for Life facilitators.
The word ‘FRIENDS for Life’ is an acronym that helps children to remember the coping steps to follow:
F - Feelings
R - Relax and feel good
I - I can do it!
E - Explore solutions and coping step plans
N - Now reward yourself
D – Don’t forget to practice
S - Stay cool!
From time to time the children will have an ‘at home’ activity to complete. Please take the time to do this at home with your child because the more exposure they get to the programme both at home and in school the greater its impact will be.
If you have any questions regarding the Friends for Life Programme please don’t hesitate to contact the school.
Useful websites:
http://ncse.ie
www.dyslexia.ie
www.ncca.ie
