St. Augustine’s College

Subject Choice Guidelines

First Years 2020/2021

Guidance Department

Welcome

▶ Mr. M. O’Sullivan –Principal

▶ Fr. G . Horan O.S.A

❏AGENDA

1. Junior Cycle Subjects Offered

2. How to choose subjects in First Year

3. Subject Information

www.staugustines.ie Twitter: St. Augustine's @FriaryCollege & @FriarySports & @friaryguidance

Transition To Secondary School

Mr. J. Power

Deputy Principal

‘Settling’ in approaches

▪ Induction process (Friary Fun Camp- Mid August)

▪ Class structure and organisation

▪ Mentor system (Buddy system)

▪ ‘Teach’ key policies (code of conduct; anti bullying)

▪ Parent/teacher meetings

▪ Encourage extra curricular events/clubs/lunch time

activities

Subject Choices

Ms N. Sheehan

Deputy Principal

1st Year Students Study Ten Subjects

All Students must study the following 3 Core subjects in 1st Year:

▶ English

▶ Gaeilge *

▶ Mathematics

Wellbeing Subjects (Non Exam)

▶ SPHE & RSE

▶ Religion

▶ Physical Education

1st year students then choose another 7 subjects.

* Exception: If a student is exempt in Gaeilge/Language due to a Specific Learning Difficulty or educated outside of Ireland up to age 11.

Subjects Offered

Exam Core Subjects ➢ Irish *

➢ English

➢ Maths

(* Unless officially exempted)

Wellbeing

Non-Exam Core Subjects ➢ SPHE

➢ Physical Education

➢ CSPE

➢ Religious Education

Optional Subjects: ➢ History * (Core- TBD)

➢ Geography

➢ Science

➢ Art

➢ French

➢ German

➢ Home Economics

➢ Music

➢ Business Studies

➢ Woodwork

➢ Technical Graphics

Guidance Department

Ranking of Subjects

Ms. E . Moore

Guidance Counsellor

How to Rank Subjects

for 1st Year 2020

Choosing Optional Subjects

✓ Please rank the choice subjects you would like to study for

Junior Certificate Cycle

French Preference No:

German

Science

Business

History

Geography

Woodwork

Technical Graphics

Home Economics

Music

Art

Choice Subjects In addition to core subjects, students will study 7 Choice subjects Please rank your subject choices below in order of your preference. Please rank all subjects. (1=most preferred, 11=least preferred)

Subject Options Form

How to Rank Subjects

Rank your 1st Year subjects from 1-11

1=Most wanted/needed

11= Least wanted/needed.

Preference No. 1,2,3,4 are your most preferred options.

Preference No.5 -No.11are your other choices.

(these may be used where timetabling constraints exist.

▶ Subjects you need must be in your top 4

▶ We always try to give students their top 4 choices

If a student requires a subject transfer they must contact the

Guidance Counsellor by Sept 14th 2020. Transfer will depend

on availability (Class size or subject line bands).

A BROAD SELECTION OF SUBJECTS

CAN KEEP OPTIONS OPEN

Guidance Department

French German

Business Studies

Science

Art History

Woodwork

Technical Graphics

Music

Geography

Home Economics

Important Factors to Consider

❑ The Students interest in or liking for a subject

❑ Their aptitudes towards a subject

❑ The value of the subject for their personal/academic development

❑ Whether or not it is necessary to keep options open

❑ The relevance of the subject for future study/career options

Guidance Department

Can I Study My Native Language?

Students whose native language is not one of the

following;

Irish, English may have the opportunity to study

their native language independently and sit an

examination in this subject at Leaving Certificate

Level.

This option is only available at Higher Level.

Guidance Department

NON CURRICULAR LEAVING

CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS

▶ These are a list of language options available for

students to study Independently for Leaving Certificate

State Examinations.

Czech Bulgarian Danish Dutch

Finnish Hungarian Latvian Lithuanian

Polish Portuguese Romanian Swedish

Croatian Estonian Slovakian Modern Greek

Guidance Department

Modern Language Requirements

▶ These universities require a student to have a third language for

some courses:

▶ If a student has a language exemption this follows through to 3rd

level,

▶

• At Present: NUI Colleges (NUIG, NUIM, UCC & UCD) require a

3rd Language for entry to most courses.

• Other colleges require two languages: English and Irish/3rd

Language.

• Institutes of Technology require English or Irish.

• The Defence Force also requires Irish, English and a 3rd

Language.

• Garda Siochana Requires two languages: English and Irish/3rd

Language

• You do not need a 3rd language to study Science, Nursing,

Engineering or Primary School Teaching.

Guidance Department

College Requirements - Science

▶ Science is needed for over 180 courses currently on offer to students.

▶ Areas such as Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Radiography, Dietetics, Occupational Therapy and some areas of Engineering.

▶ STEM are currently encouraging more women to get involved in the area of science and engineering.

▶ Lot of employment opportunities in this area at present.

▶ Please refer to St. Augustine’s College First Year Booklet on Subject Choice.

Resources to help you

choose your subjects

▶ St. Augustine’s College Subject Options Booklet

▶ Website www.ncca.ie provide fact sheets on all

subject selection at junior certificate.

▶ www.qualifax.ie www.careersportal.ie -

subject choice

▶ Talk to Teachers and current students.

▶ Also www.examinations.ie for past exam

papers and curriculum structure.

Guidance Department

The Easy Subjects

▶ There is no such thing as an easy subject.

▶ Consider the content of a subject and match it to

student ability

▶ Example: if the student has an aptitude for

practical tasks they would enjoy a subject with

project work and ‘hands on’ practical activities.

▶ Likewise if a student is very academic they will find

theory subjects much easier to understand.

Guidance Department

If you can answer yes to all of the following questions then you have

chosen your subjects wisely and you can be confident that you have

made an informed decision.

∙ Have I chosen subjects that I am interested in

and that I enjoy?

∙ Have I checked to make sure that I am choosing

the right subjects for the right career e.g. I must

have science if I want to become a nurse.

∙ Have I chosen a Modern Language – French /

German?

∙ Have I spoken to the subject teachers or

guidance counsellor about any questions I had?

∙ Have I checked www.qualifax.ie : subject choice

section?

∙ Have I made this decision for myself and not

been influenced / persuaded my any one else?

(Remember what is right for someone else may

not be right for you).

YES / NO

YES / NO

YES / NO

YES / NO

YES / NO

YES / NO

Student Checklist

Subject Good at Enjoy it Needed for my

career

French

German

Music

Art Craft & Design

Home Economics

Science

Business Studies

History

Geography

Woodwork

Technical Graphics

Visual Art (ART)

Mr.P.McCraith

Visual Art

▶ This is a subject that promotes teaching

and learning through art, craft and design.

▶ Visual Art also recognises and rewards a

number of different forms of intelligences.

▶ The Art Department here at St. Augustine’s

believes that it is also very important that

students enjoy their time in class which in

turn leads to self -motivated learning and

students taking responsibility for their own

learning in time.

Music

Ms.K.Gardner

• What?

• How?

• Why?

• Who?

Home Economics

Ms.D.McCluskey

FOOD

HEALTH AND

CULINARY

SKILLS

GOOD HEALTH

COOKING SKILLS

FOOD NUTRITION

RESPONSIBLE

FAMILY LIVING

DESIGNING A SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE HOME

CONSUMER EDUCATION

EFFICIENT HOME

The benefit of Home Economics in teaching young people how to

cook is strongly championed by Neven Maguire.

‘’My first cooking lessons were at home with my mother Vera in our

family kitchen. I was the first boy in my school to enrol for Home

Economics classes in secondary school.

These classes were the basis of my love of food which led to my entering Fermanagh catering

college and the beginnings of my work at MacNean House and Restaurant. I am forever

grateful for the practical life skills that I learned through this subject. The skills learned

throughout Home Economics are ones which students can utilise themselves day to day,

and I believe there are massive benefits to having the subject become a compulsory part of

the curriculum, regardless of whether they want to pursue a career in the food and hospitality

sector."

Geography

Mr.M. O’Brien

What is

The physical

environment

Different

Regions &

their

Economic

activities

?

O.S map and

Photograph

skills

▶ Students go out to the site and gather information

▶ Interpret information and write it up into a booklet.

▶ Draw diagrams and graphs to represent information.

Geography Projects:

History

Mr.M. O’Brien

History Junior Cycle

1st Years comments

Dylan “Found Romans

interesting and how their

legacy which they left

behind still impacts us.

Justice, Roads, Water

systems and Architecture” David “we can

learn from the

mistakes of the

past”

Sarah "the medicines and

cures during the black death

were disgusting. The

punishments were fun and

interesting to learn”

CBA Local links and People in History

Science

Mr.C.Walsh

French

Ms.C.Knightly

German

MS. B.O 'Kennedy

Orienteering in

Gengenbach

3rd year Irish students on an orienteering trip around

the town of Gengenbach with their exchange

partners

Materials Technology (Wood)

&

Technical Graphics (T.G)

Mr. D. Keane

WOOD TECHNOLOGY

• Learn to prepare and

design drawings and

make small projects form

these drawings

• Use equipment and tools

to create these

designs. • Work mainly with wood

but also with other

materials.

• Learn about wood as a

material

Students will:

• How to design a project

given a brief description

Careers:

Woodworker,

Carpenter,

Engineer, Product

Design, Forestry,

Furniture Design and

Manufacture,

Construction.

JC Exam:

Practical

Portfolio

Written:

66%

33%

• Develop problem solving

and creative thinking skills

through the solution of

graphical problems and

diagrams

• Builds on skills learned in

Maths and Geometry E.g.

2D and 3D shapes, lines

and angles.

• Leads on to Design &

Communication Graphics at

Leaving Certificate.

Students will:

• Learn how to produce

drawings using drawing

equipment, freehand

sketches and computers.

Careers: Graphic Design and

Illustration,

Architecture, Product

Design, Engineering,

Industrial Design,

Education.

TECHNICAL GRAPHICS

Business Studies

Ms.S.O’Sullivan

Junior Cycle Business Studies

▶ The specification for junior cycle business studies

focuses on improving students’ understanding of the

business environment and on developing skills for

life, work and further study through the three inter-

connected strands: Personal Finance , Enterprise and

Our Economy .

Strands are not studied in

isolation

▶ To give further emphasis to the integrated nature of

learning, the outcomes for each strand are grouped by

reference to three elements: Managing My Resources,

Exploring Business , and Using Skills For Business .

The Process- What Next

Discuss subject choices with

son/daughter.

Please return Options form before

January 15th 2020 12am.

CAT4 Ability Testing –Sat 21stth March.

Subject bands are decided based on students

preferences

Class size restrictions - especially for practical

subjects

School Website. www.staugustines.ie

Guidance School Website-Guidance Articles

Twitter - @friaryguidance

www.cao.ie

www.careersportal.ie

www.qualifax.ie

Email: guidance@staugustines.ie

More Information

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