Dear GCC Parents/Guardians & Students,
GCC StudyClix – Licence Renewal
Parents and students are asked to note that we have renewed our school licence with StudyClix for the 2025/2026 school year. StudyClix Plus will be available to students across all year groups in GCC until the end of June 2026. Please click on the link below to view details of how to access the content.
GCC Box Breathing – Orla Sorenson
Orla Sorenson has been working with both students and staff in GCC since 2021, supporting wellbeing through gentle yoga, relaxation, and breathing techniques. This year, Orla will work with all Junior Cycle class groups as well as Senior Cycle
students through their Fit & Well mornings. These sessions offer valuable tools to help students manage stress, improve focus, and build lifelong habits that support their overall wellbeing.
Orla qualified as a Yoga Teacher in 2019 and more recently completed a postgraduate qualification in Workplace Wellness at Trinity College Dublin. Alongside teaching yoga, she also works as an accountant, giving her first-hand insight into the value of having tools that promote focus, clarity, and calm in today’s fast-paced world.
At our staff meeting last Tuesday, Orla demonstrated how simple yoga movements and breathing techniques can support students in everyday life, and particularly during challenging times. This is part of our wider commitment to providing support for all. The box breathing technique Orla will guide students through is printed in the back of the student journal, and a poster of the same technique will be displayed in every classroom. These practices calm the body, bring clarity to the mind, and help students stay present and engaged—not just in school, but in all areas of life. The technique is outlined in the graphic below:
GCC Mobile Phone Policy
Parents are reminded that the Department recently issued Circular 0045/2025 – Restricting the use of and
access to personal mobile phones by students during the school day. Under the circular schools are required to
implement a policy to restrict mobile phone use during the school day. Consultation with the school community is a feature of this measure which is supported by practical funding for implementation. Suggestions in the circular include in storage
boxes at lockers, lockable boxes in classrooms, phones handed in to school office on arrival to school and phones kept in cubbies in classrooms/other areas. Please click on the link below to view the circular.
Parents and students are asked to note that the school will share a draft mobile phone policy next week via the parents website update. All stakeholders will be asked to feedback through our dedicated policyreview@glanmirecollege.com with any proposed additions or amendments by Monday 29 September. The updated policy will be signed off by our Board of Management at its next meeting on Wednesday 22 October.
GCC Fire Drill Friday 12 September 2025
Thank you to all our staff and students for their support in running a successful fire drill on Friday morning. The school was fully evacuated and a check done in the basketball courts in well under 5 minutes and 30 seconds. After every fire drill in GCC we ask for feedback from staff in an effort to address any minor issues that may arise. Please click on the link below to view our GCC Fire Drill procedures.
GCC Fire Drill Procedures September 2025
GCC Activities of the Week (Monday 15 September – Friday 19 September 2025)
Please click on the link to view the Activities of the Week beginning Monday 15 September 2025:
GCC Activities of the Week Monday 15 September to Friday 19 September 2025
Flexible Pathways in Senior Cycle
Parents are asked to note that last March, the NCCA sought expressions of interest from schools nationally in the Flexible Pathways in Senior Cycle programme which looks at reimagining curricular pathways through senior cycle. GCC applied and was one of only fourteen schools accepted. As a school we understand that traditional pathways are not suitable for all students and believe that the school should be flexible to meet the needs of all learners as they progress through Senior Cycle into an appropriate post Senior Cycle pathway.
Parents are asked to note that this is a long-term project and we will be asking parents, staff and students for their input and
cooperation in the various surveys and focus groups that will be undertaken as part of it. We will be developing a school-based pathways team and asking members of staff, students and parents to participate. Further updates will be provided in the coming weeks.
Webinars for Parents
1. Please click on the link to view a ‘Back to School’ Webinar delivered by studyclix featuring , family psychotherapist and former teacher Dr Richard Hogan:
https://www.studyclix.ie/parent-webinar
2. Please click on the link to view details of webinars available on the AsIAm website supporting parent’s of Autistic young people:
September Issue of Education for Sustainable Development Newsletter
The September 2025 issue of the Department of Education and Youth’s ESD Newsletter has been published and can be accessed via the link below.
GCC Upcoming Calendar Events – September/October 2025
| Wednesday 24 September | GCC Open Evening* | 6.00pm – 8.30pm* |
| Monday 29 September | School Closed | |
| Wednesday 1 October | GCC Staff Meeting | 4.00pm – 5.50pm |
| Monday 6 October | Briefing Session for parents of First Years | 7.00pm – 8.00pm |
| Monday 6 – 10 October | Autumn Assessments – all year groups | |
| Monday 20 October | GCC Board of Management Meeting | @ 5.00pm |
| Monday 20 October | GCC Parent’s Council Meeting | @ 7.00pm |
| Tuesday 21 October | PPT Meeting for 3rd Years | 4.15pm – 6.45pm |
| Friday 24 October | October Mid-Term break | Fri 24/10 – Sun 2/11 |
*Classes for students finish at 12.30pm
The following features were shared with parents in previous updates:
GCC Board of Management Meeting Monday 1 September – Agreed Report [Parents Update Friday 5 September]
Please click on the link below to view the Agreed Report from the GCC Board of Management meeting last Monday 1 September.
Agreed Report for the GCC BOM Meeting Monday 1 September 2025
GCC Guidance Policy [Parents Update Friday 5 September]
We are currently undertaking a review of our Guidance Policy. Please click on the link to view our updated policy in draft format. This has also been shared with staff today as part of our weekly update. All stakeholders are asked to read the policy and email our dedicated policyreview@glanmirecollege.com with any proposed additions or amendments by Monday 15 September. The updated policy will be signed off by our Board of Management at its next meeting on Wednesday 22 October. We are grateful to Ms Anna Moroney and the members of our Guidance Department for their support in developing this key school policy.
GCC Draft Whole School Guidance Plan
Registration of students on the Register of Electors for the Presidential Election [Parents Update Friday 5 September]
Please click on the link below to view a letter from the Cork City Council Register of Electors encouraging students who are 18 and older to register to vote for the upcoming Presidential Election. This letter was also shared with students in 5th and 6th Year students via Google Classroom.
Registration of Students on the Register of Electors for the Presidential Election
NCSE Parents Notify Campaign – Awareness Assistance [Parents Update Friday 5 September]
Please click on the link to view an information poster for parents. The aim of this poster is to encourage any parent/guardian who has a child with additional needs to register with the NCSE – this will aid the planning of special classes/special schools into the future.
Mobile Phone-Free Learning Environment [Parents Update Friday 5 September]
After the successful implementation of a Mobile Phone-Free Learning Environment for first year students last year it was decided to extend the Mobile Phone-Free Learning Environment to all first year and second year students this year. First and second year students will NOT be required to have a mobile phone in school to access any part of the curriculum. Teachers wishing to incorporate technology in their lessons have the facility of booking a trolley of Chromebooks for students.
GCC Lunchtime Clubs [Parents Update Friday 5 September]
Lunchtime clubs for first year students began this week. Lunchtime clubs are a wonderful way for our younger members of the community to get together in a supervised environment where they can relax, make new friends and have some fun.
Monday: GCC Games Club in the Multipurpose Room
Wednesday: GCC Craft Club in B10 & GCC Games Club in the Multipurpose Room
Friday: GCC Art Club in B40 and GCC Dungeons and Dragons Club in B40
The GCC Library will also be opened at lunchtime in the coming weeks for students who would like a quiet space to read.
Labelling of School Items [Parents Update Friday 29 August]
As per our update in June, parents are kindly requested to ensure that all uniform items (and especially the school jacket and fleece) are labelled with your child’s name. This will assist us in the prompt return of misplaced items.
GCC School Car Park [Parents Update Friday 29 August]
Parents are asked not to drive into the school car park when dropping and collecting students from school. Our school car park is always very busy and with road works taking place on Hazelwood Road for the coming months it is important that we minimise the throughput of cars on the school grounds.
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 kindly ask parents who are collecting their children from our school not to park their vehicles inappropriately. For example, we ask parents not to park up on footpaths. We are aware of some cars taking up the whole footpath, leaving no space for either our students or members of the public to walk freely by and limiting the access of wheel chair users.
We also ask parents and students to be respectful of the housing estates near the school around drop off & collection times. Cars queuing in school traffic on the Hazelwood Road are blocking the entrances to Old Avenue & Oakfield housing estates. Please leave a gap for residence trying to leave their estates.
We thank you for cooperation in ensuring added safety for our students when accessing the school grounds.
We hope you have a nice weekend.