Author: Francis O' Toole

Francis O' Toole is a Educational Psychotherapist & Guidance Counsellor. I set up this blog page to help students gain as much information as possible to be able to make right choices and decisions regarding their career options. I believe that we will be very successful in our careers if we follow what we enjoy.

Guidance, Education & Careers News

CAO

The CAO Change of Mind facility will operate as usual, opening on the 5th May at noon and closing on the 1st July at 17:15. (CAO will publish any changes of dates).

Don’t panic, remain calm and trust yourself in your CAO application – Dream, believe and achieve.

I would encourage all students to use the CAO change of mind facility to explore your plan A Plan B and Plan C –  You have twenty options on the CAO – Best advice – fill up as many as possible – Level 8, Level 7 and Level 6 courses.

http://www.CAO.ie The CAO have opened a dedicated page with FAQ to support applicants http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=faqcovid19 and also offer an email service for any query

 

Access College

https://accesscollege.ie (DARE and HEAR applications)

DARE – CAO plays no part in making decisions on admissions. There is no change in the application process – only request – hold off sending important private information in the post until advice to do so.

HEARE – CAO plays no part in making decisions on admissions.  There is no change in the HEARE application process – only request – hold off sending important private information in the post until advice to do so.

Student Universal Support Ireland [SUSI] grants applications www.susi.ie  – change of financial circumstances resulting from COVID19 – based on this year’s income.

 

Colleges and Universities

Individual colleges and Higher Education Institutions are providing applicants with online support and advice including helplines and 1:1 support. See websites for more information.

Virtual open days –  websites.

Post Leaving Cert (PLC)

Most PLC courses have changed their entry criteria for 2020 – students will be requested to have

  • LC mock results or Christmas test results
  • Personal statement
  • Reference from school.
  • Students can choose to accept PLC course or their CAO offer.

 

 

 

 

Education information supports

www.qualifax.ie

www.careersireland.net

www.cao.ie

www.ucas.com

www.careersportal.ie

School supports – guidance counsellors are available –  all school guidance counsellors are available  to support their students up to the end of the school term.

Up to date information. 

  1. VTOS courses in Drumshanbo
  2. Developing Leadership Skills
  3. CPD on Applications to European Universities
  4. Virtual Open Day Schedule at LYIT
  5. Virtual Open Day in IT Carlow
  6. Ideas on Studying Abroad
  7. Series of Careers Webinars 
  8. YouTube Channels to help with Maths and Science
  9. Irish Film Institute Newsletter
  10. Summer 2020 issue of NCGE’s ‘GUIDANCE MATTERS’.
  11. Video guide to Improving your Study Methods
  12. IT Sligo Engineering and Design Virtual Open Day
  13. LYIT Virtual Open Days

 

 

Careers & Education News

 

  1. yfermot College of Further Education Updates
  2. National campaign to recruit Horticulture workers
  3. Coláiste Dhúlaigh Animations to feature on RTE
  4. Athlone IT to hold Q&A on Business Management
  5. Pitman Training  Swords Distance Learning Options
  6. Youth work in the Covid-19 Crisis
  7. New PLC Courses in Portlaoise College
  8. News from the Botanic Gardens
  9. IGC Protocols and Guidelines for Remote Working
  10. FET Sector Responding in the Crisis
  11. Vacancies
  12. Upcoming Training and Events in Fingal
  13. Cabinteely Community School Enrolments

Careers & Education News

 

  1. Explorers Education Programme engages with pre-service teachers at Mary Immaculate College for the first time
  2. Counselling & Psychotherapy – Free Online Taster Evening
  3. Variety of opportunities for second-chance learners at MIC
  4. IICP Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Studies
  5. IT Sligo staff climb Mount Everest from home for local charity
  6. Have you unused laptops?
  7. Accounting Technician Apprenticeship – Online Application Open
  8. Mobile Apps in Education
  9. Tusla seeks Youth Workers for deployment to residential centres
  10. Goethe April Newsletter
  11. Clár na nÓg Updates
  12. Gardening to Relieve Stress

Poem – Pandemic 2020 – Isolation, in community

To all people working  together to fight this battle of COVID-19  –   thank you for your time, commitment, energy, dedication and professionalism during this time of crises.  Wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter.

I wrote the following poem Pandemic 2020 giving hope in this challenging times.

Pandemic 2020

There is no welcome for you

to knock on the door of our home,

yet you pervade like darkness of night

creating a shadow over our land.

 

You are like the unwelcome thief,

who uses the dark of night

stealing what is not theirs to take.

 

You are no knight

but your weapon is swift,

creating sickness and suffering,

your sword the final sting

Death.

 

The cries of our people can be heard across the land,

the tears of a mother’s grief can never be wiped away,

even children weep for the loss of grandparents.

 

In love we keep distance longing for a hug,

the streets are empty,

playgrounds are silent,

funeral homes full, but no wake allowed.

 

You will not destroy our love,

you will not destroy our faith,

our destiny is one  of survival,

we are all in this together.

 

Brothers and sisters stand apart, together,

Isolation, in community,

the battle will be fought with courage and strength,

Victory will be ours.

 

 

Guidance-related learning websites

 

Guidance-related learning websites

Revise.ie has launched free classes for Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate. For further information please visit:  https://www.revise.ie/free-online-classes/

www.Qualifax.ie  education, training and career information

www.Careersportal.ie education, training and career information, REACH+ programme

www.CAO.ie   The CAO have opened a dedicated page with FAQ to support applicants  http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=faqcovid19  and also offer an email service for any query

Access college  https://accesscollege.ie  (DARE and HEAR applications)

Student Universal Support Ireland [SUSI] grant applications www.susi.ie

NCGE www.ncge.ie

Individual colleges and Higher Education Institutions are providing applicants with online support and advice including helplines and 1:1 support. See websites for more information.

General learning resources:

Scoilnet https://www.scoilnet.ie/

Beyond the Classroom. The PDST Primary PE team will release new videos and activities each week for pupils to practice their fundamental movement skills at home. https://www.scoilnet.ie/go-to-post-primary/maths/PDSTdaily/https://www.scoilnet.ie/go-to-post-primary/maths/PDSTdaily/

Daily Maths. The PDST Maths team is uploading daily resource banks for Post-Primary students. A different maths topic is covered each day during the school closure period https://packs.eb.co.uk/sciencehttps://packs.eb.co.uk/science

Britannica LaunchPacks. Britannica has kindly offered FREE access to their Science and Humanities LaunchPacks. Access is available to all Scoilnet users during the school closure period.

World Book online. All students in the Republic of Ireland have open and free home access to World Book Online. World Book is a trusted encyclopedia containing thousands of informational articles with stunning illustrations, videos, interactive maps, research help, and activities. During the duration of school closures, World Book Online has kindly made available a collection of all their eBooks. There are about 700 proprietary World Book titles for ages 4-18 and over 2,500 Project Gutenberg titles.

State Examinations https://www.examinations.ie/

PDST Distance Learning https://www.pdst.ie/DistanceLearning

Home Tuition https://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/Home-Tuition/covid-19-arrangements-for-continuation-of-home-tuition-by-distance-learning-for-the-duration-of-the-pandemic-emergency.pdf

Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate – Virtual classroom launched

 

Revise.ie has launched a new initiative for Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate students.  FREE online classes are now available for all students covering the following subjects:

English

Irish           

Maths
History
Geography

Science
Chemistry
Physics
Biology

Home Economics
Spanish
Health and Nutrition
Music

The classes operate from 9.20am to 4.20pm each weekday with a break in the morning and a break for lunch. Students can attend virtual lessons for the day by booking their place ‘in’ the classroom via Zoho Showtime – which is similar to Zoom. Classes are scheduled to start from 10th April and will run until the 21st of May.
For further information please visit:  https://www.revise.ie/free-online-classes/