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BACKGROUND
Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh was founded in 1995 to provide Irish medium national schooling for the children of Enniscorthy. When it opened in September ‘ 95, it had 8 children. It was funded by the parents and the people of Enniscorthy until it received recognition from the Department of Education in April 97. There are currently ten teachers on the staff and almost 200 children.
In January 2013 we moved to our beautiful 16 classroom school on a green field site at Drumgoold and the new challenge facing our school is to fill this building while maintaining our family atmosphere.
ETHOS
Most schools in this county are under the patronage of the Bishop of Ferns. Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh is under the patronage of An Foras Patrúnachta – an organisation dedicated to the support of Irish – language schools. Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh is a Catholic school. Religion is taught and the children are prepared for the Sacraments. Fr. Seamus de Val is chaplain of our school. Children of all religious backgrounds are welcome.
AIMS OF OUR SCHOOL
- – The aim of Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh is to give every child the best possible education through the medium of Irish.
- – Irish is the everyday language of communication within the Gaelscoil and the chief medium of teaching
- – The Board of Management and the Staff are committed to this aim with a view to achieving bilingualism at an early age.
We Wish:
- – That the children realise their full potential and achieve to the best of their abilities.
- – That the children develop a respect for, and acceptance of, other children’s background, traditions, beliefs and
- – That the children develop a healthy self-image and form positive relationships with each other
- – That the children grow to be caring, courteous members of society.
- – That the children be proud of their school, its premises and equipment and show the same pride in their community.
- – That the children acquire and develop a love and fluency for their native language and heritage and an awareness of their European identity.
- – That the children learn in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with proper emphasis on personal development, an appreciation of the arts and a healthy participation in sport, including our national games.
SCHOOL CURRICULUM
The same curriculum is taught in this school as in every other Primary School in the country. The curriculum is child-centered with each child working and developing according to his/her own ability.
In the school the following are taught: Irish, English, Mathematics, Religion, P.E., Art and Crafts, (History, Geography, and Science), Drama, Computers, Music and Social, Personal and Health Education. The children do soccer coaching from Senior Infants. From 1st class the children get a chance to swim. From 2nd class they perform a Choir and in 4th, 5th and 6th classes they perform rugby and guitar.
Every subject, except English, is taught through the medium of Irish.
Irish:
As Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh is an all-Irish school, every opportunity will be taken to teach the children Irish. The staff has drawn up an extensive programme to develop skills of listening, understanding, speaking, reading and writing Irish.
IMMERSION EDUCATION
Immersion education is the system of education of the school. This means that pupils are immersed in Irish from their first day in school. The teacher will speak Irish only to the pupils from the beginning. English will be introduced in Senior Infants. With this policy the pupils will grasp the language naturally and easily.
ENGLISH
It is important to emphasise that Irish – medium schooling does NOT disadvantage children in the speaking, learning, reading, or writing of English. On the contrary the overall language ability of the individual is promoted. The teachers are very aware of the importance of proficiency in English and have a definite policy devised to develop skills of listening, understanding, speaking, reading and writing the language. The child’s skills in English will also be developed by the use of English in the home and in the wider community.
SCHOOL UNIFORM:
The children wear the school uniform to school each day except P.E. day, when they wear the school tracksuit.
The school uniform consists of the following:
- • Burgundy V-neck jumper
- • Grey trousers or skirt (not tracksuit bottoms)
- • White shirt
- • School tie
- • Grey socks or tights
The school jumper and tie are available from Matt Mernagh, Slaney Street. All others can be bought in which ever shop the family wishes. The school tracksuit is available in Sport’s Savers
SCHOOL LUNCHES:
Children have two lunches in school – “lón beag” and “lón mór” It is our policy that children eat their lunches in the classrooms under the supervision of the teachers. Lunches not finished must be brought home so that parents are aware of how much is eaten. The children have ample time to finish their lunch. If your child is consistently coming home with uneaten lunch, this may be a sign of a problem. Please arrange to see the class teacher about this.
As part of our policy promoting the physical and mental wellbeing of the child, the school cultivates a “healthy lunch policy”. This policy was introduced with the agreement of the parents in 1998. Crisps, fizzy drinks, chocolate and sweets are not encouraged. We prefer sandwiches, fruit, vegetables and juices.
SCHOOL BOOKS:
Booklists are available from the school in June. Parents are asked, where possible, to have books ready for use on return to school in September. Because of the cost of books, parents are asked to cover books and clearly mark them with the child’s name to avoid confusion. Books are available for rental from first class upwards. These books are school property and must be treated with respect, as they will be given to other children in future years. Damaged or mislaid books will have to be replaced by parents.