Wellbeing

What is Wellbeing?

Nurturing the wellbeing of each student is a long-standing tradition in Clonaslee College
Student wellbeing is present when our students ‘realise their abilities, take care of their physical wellbeing, can cope with the normal stresses of life, have a sense of purpose and belonging to a wider community’. (NCCA-wellbeing)

Key wellbeing indicators are being Active, Responsible, Connected, Resilient, Respected, and Aware.
Clonaslee College provides each student with learning opportunities that enhance their physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing. Our school programmes and Pastoral Care system enable our students to build life skills and develop a strong sense of connection to their school and to their community.
At Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle, our wellbeing programme is anchored in the subjects: SPHE, PE, CSPE, Guidance and other Units of Learning such as media literacy, healthy eating, retreat days and study skills.
Currently our Junior Cycle students will experience a programme that delivers over 400 hours of wellbeing focused curriculum.

School Structures & Programmes

Year heads

The Year Head monitors and supports the academic and social development of each student and Year Group.

Care Team

The Student Support Team identifies students who are in need of specific support structures.

Guidance Counsellor

The Guidance Counsellor provides a caring and supportive role in the school where students can get support and advice on a range of issues.

Student leadership team

Students are encouraged to participate in and take leadership roles in groups such as the Cairde (peer mentoring programme) and Student Council.

Year/class trips

These trips promote a sense of wellbeing and belonging. Over the years trips involved outings to France, Belfast, Rome, Cork, Madrid, Kilkenny.

Sports day

Sports Day is normally held once a year in May where students take part in a variety of sporting and fun activities -individual and group. Healthy eating choices are also promoted on this day.

Extra-Curricular

Extra-curricular activities include Choir, Enterprise, Angus Beef and more. Sporting Activities include Gaelic football, Basketball, Hurling, Camogie, Athletics, Golf.

Wellbeing programme

Extra-curricular activities include Choir, Enterprise, Angus Beef and more. Sporting Activities include Gaelic football, Basketball, Hurling, Camogie, Athletics, Golf.

Pastoral Care

In Clonaslee College, we take a collaborative approach to Pastoral Care. Each staff member plays a key role in its implementation.

Some members of the School Pastoral Care System are the following:

The Board of Management
The Principal
The Deputy Principals
Year Heads
Critical Incident Team
Student Support Team
Guidance Counsellor
SPHE Coordinator
Learning Support Coordinator
Cairde/Head boy/girl
Subject Teachers
Student Council

Student support team

The Student Support Team offers care and support to students in all aspects of their wellbeing and development. The Student Support Team is there to support students in times of difficulty. It is made up of:

The Guidance Counsellor
The Learning Support Co- Ordinator
The S.P.H.E Facilitator
The Class Teachers
The Year Heads
Student Support Team Facilitator
School Management

The Student Support Team Facilitator holds two meetings per week with the team. Students who are having difficulty coping with school life are identified and a care plan is put in place to ensure that their wellbeing is looked after. The Student Support Team ensure that all student’s feel supported and are happy within our school setting enabling them to perform to the best of their ability.

SPHE: Social, Personal and Health Education

SPHE, as part of the school curriculum, supports the personal development, health and well-being of young people and helps them create and maintain supportive relationships.

SPHE in Post-Primary schools is a programme for students in the Junior Cycle and builds on the experience of all children at Primary level.

What SPHE Aims to Achieve

To enable the students to develop skills for self-fulfillment and living in communities
To promote self-esteem and self-confidence
To enable the students to develop a framework for responsible decision-making
To provide opportunities for reflection and discussion
To promote physical, mental and emotional health and well-being
SPHE supports each of the six indicators of wellbeing. Active, Responsible, Connected, Resilience, Respected and Aware.
SPHE provides each student with opportunities to develop a positive sense of self and the skills and insights for caring for yourself and others. Students learn to make informed decisions about health and wellbeing and develop the resilience needed to cope with some of the challenges of the teenage years.

Guidance Department

Mr Cotter is the Guidance Counsellor in Clonaslee College.
Career advice and counselling is offered to students on the basis of one to one career interviews and classroom career guidance for all senior classes.
Guest speakers are frequently invited to speak to our students from the surrounding Universities and Colleges of Further Education. Industry speakers also speak to our students whenever they are available.

What Guidance involves

Guidance and Counselling in Clonaslee College is intended to assist students in making effective choices regarding their lives and decisions about their lives. These choices can be divided into three distinct but interlinked areas:

Personal and Social Guidance
Educational Guidance
Vocational Guidance

Personal and Social. This would include developmental skills that are critical to the students’ education and careers for example, self-awareness, decision making skills, planning and coping strategies.

Educational. This is developmental and would include such areas as subject choice/course choices, subject level, motivation and learning and study skills.

Vocational. This involves areas such as employment rights and duties, job opportunities, vocational education and training, further education, job and interview preparation, career research and course information.