Dear GCC Parents/Guardians & Students,
GCC Advent Reflection
GCC Transition Year students Isabel Walsh and Tess Foley have prepared an Advent reflection, inviting us to pause and take a moment to reflect. Please click on the link to view the reflection:
GCC Christmas Themed Day 2025
We would like to express our gratitude to the whole school community in supporting the Christmas Themed Day this week in aid of SVP. There was 1000 euro raised for the charity with vouchers being distributed within the local Glanmire area this Christmas.
GCC Schedule for Week beginning Monday 15 December 2025
Below is the list of finishing dates for all relevant year group in the lead up to Friday 19 December:
- Formal classes for 6th Year students will finish on Tuesday 16 December @ 3.50pm.
- 6th Year students have oral French exams on Wednesday 17 December and oral Irish exams on Thursday 18 December. 6th Year students come to school at their designated time on these two days.
- TY and 3rd Year students will finish on Wednesday 17 December @ 1.10pm
- School will finish at 1.10pm for 1st, 2nd and 5th Years students on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 December.
Parents are reminded that, as agreed during our Assessment Calendar Review, our teachers will input results and enter feedback comments for the Christmas Exams on VSWare by Monday 22 December in order for them to be shared with parents on Tuesday 23 December.
DARE 2026
GCC Parents Information Evenings
This week we had four different information evenings for parents. On Monday after school we had our GCC French Language tour meeting and on Monday evening we had our Subject Options meeting for incoming 1st Year parents and students.
On Tuesday after school we had our GCC Ski Tour meeting and on Tuesday evening we had our Subject Options meeting for 5th Year parents.
We would like to thank parents for attending in such large numbers and we are grateful to our GCC teachers for their support in providing these opportunities to students. Please click on the links below to view the presentations:
GCC 1st Year Subject Options Seminar – Glanmire Community College
GCC 5th Year Subject Options Seminar – Glanmire Community College
GCC Ski Trip February 2026 – Glanmire Community College
GCC French Language Tour January 2026 – Glanmire Community College
GCC AsIAm Autism Friendly school
Please see attached book recommendations for Autistic teens and parents from AsIAm.
Book Recommendations for Teens
GCC Activities of the Week Monday 15 to Friday 19 December 2025
Please click on the link to view the Activities of the Week beginning Monday 15 to Friday 19 December 2025:
GCC Activities of the Week Monday 15 to Friday 19 December 2025
GCC Upcoming Calendar Events – December 2025
| Week of Monday 8 to Friday 19 December |
GCC Christmas Exams | Results issued to parents on Tuesday 23 December |
| Monday 15 December | GCC Board of Management Meeting | @ 4.30pm |
| Monday 15 December | GCC Parent’s Council Meeting | @ 7pm |
| Monday 22 December – Friday 2 January | Christmas Holidays |
We hope you have a nice weekend.
GCC Senior Management
Ronan McCarthy (Principal) Caroline Byrne (Deputy Principal), Seamus Kennefick (Deputy Principal), Patrick O’Mahony (Deputy Principal)
Reminders
GCC International Day for Persons with Disabilities [Parents Update 5/12]
This week, our school proudly celebrated the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. From the bake sale in support of the Crann Centre to the creative 1st Year door decoration competition and the inspiring talks delivered by 6th Year student Hannah O’ Reilly to all 1st Year classes, the week was filled with highlights. It was a wonderful demonstration of our school community coming together to promote inclusion both within our school and beyond. A special thank you goes to Ms Fiona O’Sullivan and 6th Year student Hannah O’Reilly together with the dedicated team of teachers and students whose hard work and collaboration made this week such a success.
NCCA Senior Cycle Pathways [Parents Update 5/12]
GCC is delighted to be working directly with the NCCA and a small network of schools nationally to develop proposals that will improve the options for all students to progress through senior cycle. By working directly with schools, the NCCA is hoping that proposals are more likely to be responsive to the needs of students while also being grounded in the reality of school life.
Our GCC Senior Cycle Pathways team recently participated in a schools networking event which took place in Croke Park. Our thanks to the GCC team lead Ms Michelle O Halloran, GCC teachers Ms Deirdre Moran and Ms Sinead Kiely as well as the Chairperson of our GCC Parent Council Caroline Byrne for making the long trip to Dublin. Special mention also to our two 6th Year students Fiona Columb and Michael Lynch who proudly represented our GCC student body at the event.
GCC B-Block Science Labs Upgrade [Parents Update 5/12]
We are delighted to inform all in our school community that our recent application under the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme [CASWS] has been included in the first tranche of approvals for Climate Action and Science Labs. We are one of only twelve secondary schools in the county to receive funding at this level. This is just the first of many steps, but it is now looking very promising that the three Science labs in the B-Block, which was opened in 1997 will be upgraded in 2026.
With the support of funding from the Department of Education, Cork ETB and GCC parents, we continue to invest strongly in our school infrastructure ensuring our students learn in a high quality learning environment.
GCC School Uniform [Parents Update 28/11]
As the weather is getting colder we are reminding students about the importance of maintaining high standards in relation to the school uniform.
- Students can wear the school fleece and/or school jacket as their outer garment in addition to the uniform
- The GCC school tracksuit is only permitted on PE days, and a combination of the school uniform and PE uniform is not permitted
- Correct footwear only
- Hoodies are not permitted
Full details of the school uniform can be found on page 17 of the student journal. We thank you all for your support with this.
School Attendance Campaign [Parents Update 28/11]
New data published by Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) shows that one in five children in primary and post-primary school are missing a month or more of their school year. The 2023/24 report indicates that while non-attendance is decreasing it is still significantly greater than pre-pandemic levels.
TESS and the Department of Education and Youth launched a national multimedia campaign to highlight this nationwide issue and create awareness about the importance of attending school. The campaign reinforces the message that when a child can go to school they should go to school, helping to reduce absenteeism in schools in Ireland.
A new support page has been developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and is available for parents and schools at www.gov.ie/schoolattendance with helpful guidance on many issues affecting school attendance.
Schools have been asked to play their part in the campaign by using the following resources in their communications with parents and guardians about the importance of attendance.
To amplify the campaign and to support attendance initiatives we have been requested to share the following:
- the webpage with supports for parents and schools at www.gov.ie/schoolattendance
- the link to a 30-second video ad (English) here
Please do not hesitate to contact your local Educational Welfare Services office should you have any concerns about school attendance. https://www.tusla.ie/school-attendance/
Visit www.gov.ie/schoolattendance
TY Senior Cycle Destination 2026-2027 [Parents Update 28/11]
Parents are asked to please complete this short form indicating your TY student’s intended Senior Cycle destination for 2026 – 2027 by 12 December.
Senior Cycle Destination September 2026
GCC School Ethos [Parents Update 28/11]
The 4th Year student Ethos Committee has been busy creating and delivering a presentation to all first-year students this week. Their aim was to explain what ethos is, what the core values are and how it looks in action in our school and community. Students were also shown the ‘ETB Core Values’ section in their journal [page 43]and where they can receive notes by exhibiting positive effort in one of the core value areas (pages 44 – 45).
The Ethos team is asking staff working with first year students in curricular or extra-curricular areas to give a note in this section to any student who displays positive effort in any of the core values, particularly ‘equality’ which is the focus for this term. Students who excel in this can win monthly prizes and can also be nominated for the Ethos Díograis award. Please click on the link to view the pages in the school journal:
GCC Culture Day 2025 [Parents Update 14/11]
We would like to thank everyone for supporting our GCC Culture Day on Thursday 20 November and helping to make it such a great occasion for our school community. The morning was a wonderful celebration of diversity, learning and pride which could not have happened without the enthusiasm and participation of staff and students alike. A special word of thanks goes to Ms Hollie Herlihy & Ms Meghan Murphy and all in the Misneach committee for the work they put into organising this event. Their commitment to the event ensured that students had the chance to showcase their culture and teach their peers in a way that truly reflects the spirit of our school where respect and inclusion are continually promoted.
GCC Christmas Exams 2025 [Parents Update 14/11]
Last week we shared the finalised timetables with parents and students for our GCC Christmas Exams in December. The schedule included Oral Exams for 6th Year students on Wednesday 17 December for French and Thursday 18 December for Irish.
We are now providing additional information to parents and students which includes Guidelines for the Christmas Exams and Revision Guides to help for 1st Year and 2nd Year students prepare for their Christmas tests. Subject teachers have been asked to refer to the revision guide with their classes in preparation for their Christmas Exams. Students have received this information on Google Classroom as well as the exam guidelines. 1st and 2nd Years also received a hard copy of their study guide.
GCC 1st Year Christmas Exams 2025
GCC 2nd Year Christmas Exams 2025
GCC 5th Year Christmas Exams 2025
GCC School Car Park [Parents Update 14/11]
While we recognise the challenge for all road users during this extended period of road works, we kindly ask parents not to drive into and/or park in the GCC car park when dropping and collecting students from school. We also ask parents and students to be respectful of the housing estates and businesses near the school, particularly around drop off & collection times. Please do not park vehicles inappropriately, for example, on footpaths. Our school car park is always very busy and with road works on Hazelwood Road continuing into the New Year, it is important that we minimise the throughput of cars on the school grounds.
We would like to remind parents about with our entry/exit system to the school car park. Please note that:
- From 8.30am to 9.10am Monday to Friday the school car park is entry only
- From 3.30pm to 4.10pm Monday to Thursday and 12.30pm to 1.10 pm on Friday the school car park is exit only.
We would also be grateful if parents could remind students:
- to use the pedestrian footpaths and not walk along or between cars when entering/leaving the school
- use the pedestrian gates only and not enter or leave the school via the main gate
- students are to take care in general when walking or cycling to school particularly with so many different sets of roadworks happening currently in Glanmire.
We thank you for your cooperation.
GCC School Office [Parents Update 14/11]
A reminder to parents that our GCC school office opening hours are 9:00am to 2:45pm, Monday to Thursday and 9.00am to 12.30pm on Friday. This is to allow our clerical staff sufficient time to complete essential administrative duties and to help reduce the volume of queries at the office hatch during peak times.
We encourage parents to email the school where possible rather than phone. Email communication allows us to manage queries more efficiently and ensures that your concerns are directed to the appropriate staff member.
With over 1,140 students in our care, it may take a number of days before we are able to respond to queries. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to support all students and families as effectively as possible. We thank all our GCC parents for your continued cooperation and support.
GCC Parent Absence Requests on VSWare [Parents Update 14/11]
Parents are kindly asked when entering details for student absence requests on VSware, to ensure the correct information is inputted including the time and duration of the absence. Parents are also asked not to over share information on the portal with comments such as sick or medical appointment being sufficient to explain the absence. Should you wish to provide additional information to the school, please email glanmirecc@corketb.ie for the attention of the relevant Class Teacher and Year Head.
GCC CBA Assessment Calendar 2025-2026 [Parents Update 14/11]
Please click on the link below to view our GCC CBA Assessment Calendar for the 2025/2026 school year.
GCC CBA Assessment Calendar 2025 – 2026
GCC Senior Cycle Programme Preferences for 2026-27 [Parents Update 14/11]
Further to our information seminar on Wednesday evening for parents on Transition Year and Leaving Cert Applied, parents of 3rd Year students are asked to fill out the following form [link below] to indicate your 3rd Year son/daughter’s Senior Cycle Programme preference for 2026-27. A link to the presentations from Wednesday is also included:
Senior Cycle Programme Preference
GCC Information Seminar on LCA & TY – Glanmire Community College
Text Messages from GCC & VSware [Parents Update 14/11]
Parents are asked to note that some SMS text messages are now filtered by Google and may be placed in a spam folder. If your phone is set up this way, you may need to check the spam folder for messages from GCC or VS Ware. Please click on the link below to view.
GCC School Musical Stage Mural [Parents Update 7/11]
Since GCC first opened its doors in 1997, our annual school musical has been a cherished tradition and a highlight of the school year. More than just a performance, it is a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and school spirit. Each year, students from across all year groups come together to showcase their talents in acting, singing, music, and production, contributing to an unforgettable experience for the entire school community.
We are very excited to share with you our proposed mural for the stage panels in the B Block Social area which captures the long history of musicals in GCC and emphasises its vital role in enriching school life, building confidence, friendships, and a deep sense of pride and belonging. It will continue to be a source of joy and inspiration for all involved.
Congratulations to GCC 2025 Graduate Toby Tangney [Parents Update 7/11]
We would like to congratulate 2025 GCC graduate Toby Tangney who received a Quercus Innovation/Entrepreneurship Scholarship at the Quercus Talented Students’ Awards Night on Tuesday 28 October in the Aula Maxima, UCC.
The new scholars were presented with a silver acorn pin as a symbol of their Quercus Scholarship and the school received a Quercus plaque to display. Toby is pictured below at the awards ceremony with GCC Principal Ronan McCarthy and Professor Stephen Byrne, UCC Deputy President and Registrar.
Congratulations to EJ Paras 5th Year [Rang Eabha] [Parents Update 7/11]
We are delighted to share that EJ Paras has been invited to the Annual National Awards Ceremony in recognition of his outstanding achievement in his Junior Certificate Graphics. EJ has been ranked among the Top 10 Graphics students in the country, a remarkable accomplishment that reflects his dedication and talent. He will be honoured with a Medal and Certificate of Achievement at the prestigious event hosted by the Engineering Technology Teachers’ Association (ETTA) in Galway on Saturday, 22 November 2025.
GCC Annual Mass of Remembrance [Parents Update 7/11]
Our annual Mass of Remembrance was held after school today, bringing together staff, students, parents, and members of our wider school community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us for this special occasion.
A heartfelt thank you to our Chaplain, Marie McInerney, for organising such a thoughtful and moving service. Our talented students contributed beautifully through readings, music, and prayers of the faithful, creating a truly meaningful atmosphere. Special thanks also to Ann Mannix for her continued dedication in guiding our musicians and singers. This event holds a special place in the life of our school, offering comfort and hope to all who are remembering loved ones, particularly during the month of November.
GCC Safe Routes to School [Parents Update 7/11]
Parents and students may recall that back in 2021, the school made an application to the Safe Routes to School Funding Scheme, supported by the National Transport Authority (NTA). This programme aims to enhance safety, convenience, and public amenity for all road users through the improvement of front-of-school areas and routes to schools.
The school has been informed that the works, which will be carried out by McGinty & O’Shea Ltd, will commence next Monday 10 November and will continue for approximately 3 months. Please note that Traffic Management measures will be in place throughout the duration of the works to ensure the safety of all road users and workers. These improvements aim to create a safer, more efficient and accessible transport network for the community. Please click on the links below to view an information letter from McGintys as well as the screening report and scheme drawings for the project.
McGinty & O Shea – Safe Routes to School
Screening Report & Scheme Drawings
GCC WSE-MLL Report [Parents Update 10/10]
Please click on the link to view the WSE-MLL report following our inspection back in March. While much of the information in the report was shared during the feedback sessions with the lead inspectors in April, it is important to acknowledge the strong performance of the school across all areas of the inspection. GCC continues to perform at a consistently high level, driven by our exceptional staff, our wonderful students and the commitment of our parents to the school.
Glanmire Community College [ 76064F] WSE-MLL Report
The Board of Management, on behalf of the school, now has the opportunity to respond formally to the report, comment on the content, and highlight the follow-up actions which we propose to take following the visit.
