Co-Ordinators: Diary

 The following is a list of the main areas that need to be addressed by new co-ordinators during the first term: 

1. Select students who would benefit from taking part in the JCSP. The JCSP aims to encourage student engagement with learning and aims to ensure that each student will experience success throughout the programme. Linking with the Home School Liaison Officer, School Completion Initiative Co-ordinator and Primary Feeder schools can be extremely useful in selecting students for the programme. 
2. Introduce the Programme to the Whole Staff during the first term. Members of the JCSP are available to provide this input if required.
3. Establish a small teaching team. It is very beneficial to have teachers teaching more than one subject to the JCSP class group. The class tutor and JCSP Co-ordinator should also have adequate class contact.
4. Introduce the Programme to the teaching team. Each subject teacher needs to be aware of how they will operate the profiling system in their classrooms. Again, members of the JCSP are available to provide this input. Familiarise teachers with subject statements which are appropriate to the course being followed i.e. Junior Certificate/Junior Cycle. Up to date statements are available here.
5. Ask teachers on the team to choose appropriate statements for their subject areas. Teachers should also be made familiar with initiatives(http://www.jcsp.ie/initiatives.html)  relevant to their subject area and the key skills of the Junior Cycle. Cross-curricular statements can be chosen at the teachers’ planning meeting.
6. Student Folders are available to order via the resource ordering website. Examples of students' best work could be filed here.
7. Introduce the programme to parents. Parental engagement with the programme is actively encouraged and contact with parents should be maintained throughout the Programme. A Parent’s brochure is available to order through the resource ordering website.
8. Introduce the programme to students.
9. Plan a calendar of JCSP meetings with the principal. An effective arrangement is when a core group of teachers are timetabled to meet each week. Meetings that will be required are:
             o Planning Meeting – October
             o Profile meeting – December
             o Profile meeting – February
             o Final Profiling meeting – end of March/ early April
10. The time for these meetings should be at least one double period per class group.
11. Prepare for the planning meeting. Prepare and distribute an agenda. The purpose of this meeting is to:
              o Agree a small number of statements including cross-curricular statements that would benefit and address the needs of students.
              o Explain the student folder system
              o Consider structures for feedback
12. After the planning meeting ensure that every teacher has access to statements (digital or hard copy).
13. Organise a JCSP notice board in the staff room. This should be used to highlight JCSP news and updates, such as Initiatives that students are currently engaging with.
14. Prepare for December profiling meeting. Prepare and distribute the agenda. Master Student Record Cards can be ordered through the resource ordering website.
15. Hold a December profile meeting to establish and record the progress of students. Discuss how and when feedback is to be given to students.
16. The JCSP Co-ordinator and teaching team give feedback from the profile meeting to students.
17. Hold a Christmas celebration (funding available as an initiative, apply in September) or ceremony to acknowledge student achievements to date. Invitations to this ceremony could be extended to parents/guardians, and the whole school staff.
18. After Christmas continue to complete the agreed cross-curricular and subject statements. Before February midterm, hold a JCSP profiling meeting with JCSP teachers. Add or amend any agreed statements at this point. Review the JCSP resources and place a second order if required! Four JCSP orders can be placed each year.
19. Continue to engage with JCSP initiatives and remember to evaluate the initiatives as they are completed. Gather photos (no direct student photos) which can be used during the evaluation process or displayed during the Summer Celebration.
20. Finally, towards the end of March/early April allow sufficient time to have a JCSP final profiling meeting with all JCSP teachers. Upload the completed statements onto the JCSP website and remember to ask the Principal to sign off the completed work.
21. Enjoy your summer holidays!!

School based statements

School based statements are an excellent way to engage all areas of the Junior Cycle curriculum. These can include short courses, L2LPs, or areas of the curriculum which are not currently provided for by JCSP statements. We welcome and encourage schools to develop their own statements which meet the needs of their student outcomes and experiences.
These statements should be sent to the JCSP office for approval prior to being used. Please email statements to jcspresources@oide.ie. The JCSP team will review the statements and once approved, you will be notified and the statement will be uploaded to the JCSP website.