Dear Parents and Students,

GCC Diograis Awards Ceremony 2025 

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all our students and staff who helped to make our GCC Díograis 2025 awards ceremony last night such a resounding success. It was a celebration of all that is best about GCC, displayed through the talent, creativity and imagination of our artists, dancers, musicians and singers and touched on so many key aspects of school life such as Sustainability, Music, Academics, Arts, Sports, Diversity and Inclusion. Many people offered support in so many different ways with no role considered too big or too small. As always, the feedback from staff, students and parents has been incredibly affirming and we are grateful to Ms Norma Murray, Ms Caroline Byrne and the team of people who contributed to the success of the evening.

We would like to congratulate all our award winners. It is a great honour to be nominated for an award. Given the quality of our candidates and the level of competition it is an outstanding achievement to be short listed for a Diograis award and a wonderful achievement to be the recipient of one of the prestigious prizes. The students acknowledged, as part of our Diograis awards, have excelled in their categories and contributed greatly to our school. We look forward to sharing the official photographs of the evening next week.

Congratulations to GCC 6th Year Student Lia Galvin

Lia is delighted to have been accepted into The Lir Academy, the National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College Dublin. Lia will pursue a 3 year Bachelor Degree in Acting (Hons) beginning in September. Following a rigorous audition process over the last number of months, Lia made it through three rounds of auditions, beginning with approx. 1,000 candidates from which 16 were chosen (8 boys and 8 girls). Candidates included numerous international students and mature students seeking to follow in the footsteps of former graduates of The Lir Academy such as actors Paul Mescal (Normal People; and Gladiator); Glanmire native Eanna Hardwicke (playing Roy Keane in Saipan; and The 6th Commandment); Alex Murphy (Young Offenders); and Ella Lilly Highland (Black Doves). Lia would like to acknowledge and thank English teacher, Ms Madden for inspiring her love of literature, and her Music teacher Ms Mannix for endless performance opportunities during her time at GCC.

Assessment Adjustments

Please click on the link below to view a letter from the Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, confirming that the changes made to the Leaving Certificate exams in recent years will still apply to the 2026 exams. These changes include giving students more choice in the exam questions and reducing the amount of preparation work they need to do.

Minister for Education – Assessment Adjustments

GCC Activities of the Week Monday 12 to Friday 16 May 2025.

Please click on the link below to view the activities for next week Monday 12 to Friday 16 May 2025.

GCC Activities of the Week Monday 12 to Friday 16 May 2025

GCC Upcoming Calendar Events – May 2025

Summer Coding & Technology Camps Organised by the School of Computer Science & Information Technology, UCC

Please click on the link below to view details of the ICT Summer Camps 2025 being organised by the School of Computer Science and Information Technology at University College Cork and which are now open for booking. The in person camp for secondary school students takes place in the UCC Western Gateway Building in Cork from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 June (5 days) from 10.00am to 2.30pm each day. The cost is €130.

Summer Camp Secondary Schools

Circular S05/25 Outlining the Deferred Examination Sitting 2025

Please click on the link below to view Circular S05/25 ‘Outlining the Deferred Examination Sitting 2025′. It provides important information in relation to 2025 RACE Scheme – Provision of a scheme of Deferred Examinations for Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied candidates unable to sit one or more papers in the main sitting in June on grounds of;

1. Close family bereavement – funeral preparation and attendance
2. Serious medical conditions – accident, injury or illness

The document has been published on the SEC Website and is available here.

Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme [GFRS] Update Friday 9 May 2025 

Please click on the links below to view: 

GFRS Update _ 09_05_25 

GFRS-TWD-146 TM Blossomgrove 1-way Rev1 

R639 3 Way S&G(1) 

GCC Senior Choir – Cork International Choral Festival Post Primary Choir Competition Winners 

We would like to congratulate our GCC Senior Choir who won the Cork International Choral Festival post primary choir competition last Thursday. GCC came 1st in the Mixed Choirs category achieving an outstanding 93.5%. This was the highest mark achieved by any school across all the various categories, with schools from all over Ireland taking part. We were delighted that our choir were able to perform in the school on Friday morning for our 1st Year student. They also performed for the visiting Kammerkoret NOVA choir from Norway [please see below] who were visiting GCC for our annual Friendship Concert as part of the Choral Festival. 

We would like to express our gratitude to our colleague Ann Mannix for her leadership of the group and the elite level of support she provides to them. We are also grateful to Ms Gilbert, Ms McInerney and all who support Music in GCC and ensure it continues to underpin that which is best in our school. A special mention also for accompanying musician Galina Badmaev parent of Diana Badmaeva 3rd Year Rang Caoimhe. 

SPHE at Senior Cycle

Parents and students are asked to note that the new Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum is available for implementation in schools from next September. All schools will be obliged to introduce the specification for all students entering fifth year by September 2027 at the latest. It is our intention in GCC to introduce SPHE in 5th Year this coming September if possible. Please note also that the new specification will also replace Social Education modules I and II of the Leaving Certificate Applied for all LCA students entering 5th year in September.

It is important to highlight that the addition of SPHE into Senior Cycle will impact on the overall allocation of classes. For a class period to be added to one subject, it must be taken away from another. We are beginning a consultation process with parents, teachers and students to receive their input regarding this change. As a first step we are inviting stakeholders to feedback via our dedicated policyreview@glanmirecollege.com email on how this change to our curriculum allocation might be facilitated. Please email your comments by today Friday 9 May 2025.

Senior Cycle Redevelopment Information Note

Please click on the link to view the latest Senior Cycle Redevelopment Information Note from the Department of Education. This is the eleventh edition in a series of Department of Education Senior Cycle Redevelopment information notes. These notes provide updates to school communities on the roll-out of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme.

Senior Cycle Redevelopment Information Note 11

GCC PASS Surveys

We wish to inform you about an upcoming assessment for our 2nd and 5th Year students, called
the Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS). The PASS assessment is conducted in the form of a survey, with students answering a set of questions in a timeframe of 20-30 minutes. It provides our teachers with a unique perspective on how each student is thinking and their attitude towards school and learning. The assessment is based on a trusted psychometric measure and is widely used internationally. Please click on the link below for further details:

PASS – Letter to Parents

GCC Healthy Eating Policy

We would like to remind parents that as per our 2023 Healthy Eating policy, fizzy drinks are not allowed in the school. We have noticed some students with cans over the last while and we understand that some students may have forgotten and others may be unaware. We are asking parents not to provide students with fizzy drinks coming to school and students will not be permitted to consume fizzy drinks on school grounds if they have purchased them on the way to school.

GCC Summer Programme 2025

GCC Ski Trip 2027

Please click on the link to view the application form for the GCC Ski Trip in 2027. Parents are asked to note the following please:

• Places are limited and if your application is successful two non-refundable deposits are required to confirm your place.
• We are not able to book a place on the ski trips we organise for any student who has not paid two deposits in full.
• Only students who have paid the GCC student activity fee in full will be allowed to travel.
• Students are not permitted to participate in both the GCC Ski Trip and the TY European City Tour.

GCC Ski Trip 2027 – Application Form

This will be the 4th GCC Ski trip since Covid and we are grateful to Mr Aidan Rees and the team of teachers for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students.

Schoolbooks Grant Guidance for Post-Primary Schools 2025/26

Buying schoolbooks and classroom resources can be a costly expense for parents/guardians. In 2024 schools were provided with funding to buy schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle. From 2025 the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme will provide funding to schools to buy items for all students up to Senior Cycle. Please click on the links below for an explanation of how the scheme is run and provides answers to some frequently asked questions.

Letter from Minister to parents of students in Post-Primary Schools 202526

Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme 2025_26 A guide for Parents Guardians

GCC School Gym

Parents and students are reminded that our GCC school gym is open Monday to Friday before school for 4th, 5th and 6th year students. Students can use the gym upstairs in the PE Hall every day from 8:00am until 8:45am and it will be fully supervised. Thanks you to our GCC teachers for providing this wellbeing opportunity to students.

GCC Senior Management [Ronan McCarthy (Principal), Patrick O’Mahony (Deputy Principal), Caroline Byrne (Deputy Principal), Seamus Kennefick (Deputy Principal)]