On Thursday 20th October, Nenagh College staff completed the 2nd day of DES Training for the introduction of the new Junior Cert.
All 46 staff members, including two teachers studying for their Professional Masters in Education at Nenagh College, were taken through the in-service by former student of Nenagh College, Denise Watkins and her co-facilitator Triona Duane both of whom are Whole School Associates with the Junior Cycle Team which is based in the Monaghan Education Centre.
Teachers in Nenagh College from the English, Business and Science disciplines have already availed of off – site days training in preparation for the introduction of the new Junior Cycle Framework.
As the school is already a pilot school for Computer Science and Coding the staff are also taking 5 training evenings in Microsoft Office Specialist with Future People, a Cashel based company. This additional training for the staff, which takes place after school as part of the “Croke Park” schedule, will greatly enhance the integration of IT in the school and ensure that all staff are ready to meet the exciting challenges and opportunities that the new Junior Cycle programme will present.
The current 3rd year student cohort in the school will be the first to sit a terminal exam under the guise of the new Junior Cycle when they take their English papers in June 2017.
School Principal Damien Kennedy expressed his delight that the students taking English in this year’s Junior Cert have been working towards this new exam for the last three years with teachers who have been availing of training which, he believes, is critical for this curriculum delivery and assessment. Further-more, he outlined that each student will be afforded the opportunity of attaining the 10% which is awarded at end of first term in 3rd year in line with the new programme. The remaining 90% will be awarded for the terminal Junior Cert exam in June.
