Coláiste Chiaráin

banjobongo

There is a new headmaster in this school where my children attend and as far as I can see he has made a few changes which are not in interests of the children.
There was an AGM at the school yesterday and a few items were discussed, such as:
* the new school that we were told last year is all ready to start work on - not going to happen
* the super options that our children are doing and have in some years (3rd year in particular) have been doing since 1st year - scrapped, no option to continue, instead children have to change over to another subject;
* rowing - scrapped;
* various after school activities that depend on the second bus service we had in previous years - scrapped.
* ebooks - scrapped.
There was other topics discussed but this is just a sample.
Im disappointed that the very reasons I sent my kids to this school - super options, after school activities, ebooks etc, have all been scrapped, with very little communication, support or understanding from the school.
Does anybody else feel the same way?
I did note something in the Leader about the super options issue in last weeks paper.
I will be contacting the school and then escelate this if I have to, although I dont know at this stage who I should ask about it.
All very disappointing.
What do you think?

phog

The scrapping of the after school activities and ebooks seem a bit daft to me.

Both could have been influenced parents/children in opting for the school in the first place.

Shapey Fiend

I missed the meeting. Is the after school study group till 6pm still on the cards? I find it hard to make it to the school before 6pm and the buses don't go near my house half way between Adare and Croom. Kind of assumed they would when I rented the gaff there!

bennyl10

banjobongo wrote: »

There is a new headmaster in this school where my children attend and as far as I can see he has made a few changes which are not in interests of the children.
There was an AGM at the school yesterday and a few items were discussed, such as:
* the new school that we were told last year is all ready to start work on - not going to happen
* the super options that our children are doing and have in some years (3rd year in particular) have been doing since 1st year - scrapped, no option to continue, instead children have to change over to another subject;
* rowing - scrapped;
* various after school activities that depend on the second bus service we had in previous years - scrapped.
* ebooks - scrapped.
There was other topics discussed but this is just a sample.
Im disappointed that the very reasons I sent my kids to this school - super options, after school activities, ebooks etc, have all been scrapped, with very little communication, support or understanding from the school.
Does anybody else feel the same way?
I did note something in the Leader about the super options issue in last weeks paper.
I will be contacting the school and then escelate this if I have to, although I dont know at this stage who I should ask about it.
All very disappointing.
What do you think?

I know what normal options are.. What exacyly are super options?..

miralize

Who is the new principal?

SoapMcTavish

My son is in 6th year now .. and we were told about the new building a year before we sent him out to Croom. So much for that .... still a lot of prefabs ...

Colemania

SoapMcTavish wrote: »

My son is in 6th year now .. and we were told about the new building a year before we sent him out to Croom. So much for that .... still a lot of prefabs ...

You think that's bad? I'm finished in Croom since about 7 years ago and we were promised a school in first year!

thesimpsons

see in this week's Limerick post paper that Bord Planala refused permission on basis of it being a flood plain. how did it even get to Bord Planala stage stage - surely everyone involved in construction knows that trying to get permission to build on a flood plain is an absolute no no. considering the flooding problems evident in the last number of years after the country went mad and built wily nilly on flood plains only for them them all to suffer massive flooding, I'm surprised anyone thought this was a good site.

I don't see why anyone who knows about irish education system would choose a school based on future plans for a new school - JFK spent decades waiting for permanent school, ardscoil ris had a new one started eventually, only for it to stall for yrs once commenced, gaelscoil (the one on Bridge street) has been planning new school since it opened (about 20 yrs ago).

waggs

I chose not to send my son to scoil sairseil in the city based oin on the fact that the principal told me the school would be in a new building in Coonagh by the time he was 7 - too far away for us. He is now 15 and the school hasnt moved.

I feel very sorry for parents of first years in Croom. They were sold a crock. All the changes made because the principal was replaced - shows how a school's success or failure is often down to the principal.

Not sure exactly how super options worked but I know Croom offered lots of very different subject choices like tv and radio production and there were certains things they did that UL agreed to give credits for so not everything would come down to points.

phog

waggs wrote: »

I feel very sorry for parents of first years in Croom. They were sold a crock. All the changes made because the principal was replaced - shows how a school's success or failure is often down to the principal.

Not sure exactly how super options worked but I know Croom offered lots of very different subject choices like tv and radio production and there were certains things they did that UL agreed to give credits for so not everything would come down to points.

+1

Seems crazy that as headmaster can implement such negative changes so easily.

mgbgt1978

banjobongo wrote: »

* rowing - scrapped;

Rowing was only there as it is a passion of the ex-principal. If he was a Chess fanatic for example then the Rowing would have never happened.

miralize wrote: »

Who is the new principal?

Joseph Sweeney, I believe he was the principal of the Community College in Ennis for the past while.

TBH he seems a lot more apporachable than the last guy. Apparently he even leaves his office during the day and walks around the school to see how things are going.....

miralize

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Rowing was only there as it is a passion of the ex-principal. If he was a Chess fanatic for example then the Rowing would have never happened.



Joseph Sweeney, I believe he was the principal of the Community College in Ennis for the past while.

TBH he seems a lot more apporachable than the last guy. Apparently he even leaves his office during the day and walks around the school to see how things are going.....

Noel Malone always seemed to be nice enough. Promised the world a bit too often , but he had some alright ideas.

mgbgt1978

I think 'his work here is done' is the phrase.
In fairness his work there was done a few years ago but he got a bit carried away and didn't seem to know when to stop.

I honestly can't say the majority (simply because I don't know), but a lot of Parents ( and the majority of staff, who threatened to strike this year if he was still there) were very happy to hear that there was a new Principal this year.

floralfever

I'm a past pupil of Coláiste Chiaráin and it really pains me to see all of the things that stood this school apart to be scrapped. I've a great fondness for this school and from what I've been hearing from pupils who are in the thick of it now, the school seems to be going downhill and fast. I never was very fond of the previous headmaster due to his lack of moral and integrity, however I do respect how he turned a school of about 86 students in 1999 to 900+ now. This new headmaster is meant to be quite nice but I think after the whole incident among the teachers and the previous headmaster, the school is just broken beyond repair. I could tell in my final year last year that some of my teachers who once were so enthusiastic and helpful just really did not give one flying **** about anything.

banjobongo

There has been some coverage in the Leader and Post recently about the plans for the proposed new school and I understand that the new Principal is pushing hard for the politicians to commit to pushing ahead with it but from what I have heard these same politicians have zero interest in proceeding with any new school in Croom, they have other agendas, so my guess is that there will be no new school in Croom, if this is the case, the current school and the current prefabs are all well below minimum acceptable standards and the entire school would probably fail a safety inspection if it ever happened.
If we are not going to get a new school, what happens next for the approx 1000+ children, teachers and staff in the school?

Clareman

Any suspicion of illegal activities should be report to the Guards, not speculated on or discussed here.