The Curriculum.

Contents:
(Click on headings)

Courses on offer:

Leaving Certificate (Senior Cycle)

Leaving Certificate Applied (Senior Cycle)

Transition Year Programme

Junior Certificate (Junior Cycle)

Subjects on the Curriculum:

All subjects are available at Higher and Ordinary Level and, where appropriate, at Foundation Level.

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Courses on offer:

Leaving/Junior Certificate Programmes.

Students normally take eight or nine subjects for the Junior Certificate and seven  for the Leaving Certificate. The Senior and Junior Cycles are mainstream courses leading to the Leaving and Junior Certificate Examinations respectively. The normal duration for the Junior Certificate is three years and for the Senior Cycle, two years. 

The Transition Year Programme.

Transition Year is an option for students after completing the Junior Cycle. The programme is designed to promote the intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical development of each student.  It opens them to a wide range of experiences outside the academic curriculum. They have work experience placement, social outreach, (which involves working with people on the margins of society), First Aid training, pottery, craftwork, drama, outdoor pursuits and they also participate in the Gaisce/President's Awards. 

Our experience to date has been that due to their participation in Transition Year, students are more mature when they enter the Senior Cycle and are more focused regarding subject choices and career path.

Leaving Certificate Applied.

The Leaving Certificate Applied is an alternative Leaving Certificate programme designed in recent years by the Department of Education and Science. This program prepares young people for adult and working life and enables them  decide on the further education and training they wish to pursue. The Leaving Cert. Applied promotes personal and communication skills, initiative and enterprise, teamwork and high achievement. It is a two year programme which is examined by continuous assessment as well as a final written examination.

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A résumé of the Subjects:

Religious Education:

As we are a private school under the trusteeship of the Sisters of Mercy, the Christian ethos is actively promoted through all levels of life in our school. The R. E. classes, which are given to every class group in the school, plays an integral part in promoting this ethos. We believe that whole-person development, spiritual and academic, is the best way to develop mature, happy and successful Christian adults.

Religious retreats are organised each year for every class group.  First, Second, Third and Fifth Year students have a one-day retreat, usually within the school.  Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Transition Year students have an overnight retreat at an outside venue. Masses and prayer services are held throughout the school year.

The school works closely with the Limerick Diocesan Pastoral Centre and students are involved in many youth programmes organised by the Centre. Some of these are as follows:

'Anois': This is a five day residential training programme for fifth year students. Here they learn a skill which will help them enhance their school and community.

'Muinteras Íosa: This is for students over sixteen and several weekends are organised throughout the year where  students take part in events which blend the elements of Fáilte (Welcome), Foghlaim (Learning) and Guí (Prayer).

The Limerick Diocesan Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes and the Pilgrimage to Taize are actively promoted among senior students.

Mathematics.

Students are encouraged to take Honours Maths at both Junior and Senior levels. Senior students attend Maths seminars and enter Maths competitions. Each year a number of students have been chosen for Maths training for the Irish Schools Maths Olympiad in Fifth Year. Selection for this is based on achieving outstanding Junior Cert. Maths results.

Sciences.

Physics, Chemistry and Biology are all studied to Honours Level at Leaving Certificate. During their five years, students are encouraged to attend lectures, seminars and exhibitions of broad scientific interest. Our most recent award was winning the regional final of the Bayer Irish Science Inter-Schools Quiz in November, 1998.

Modern Languages.

Bonjour! Guten Tag! Scoil Carmel offers French and German at all levels from First Year to Leaving Certificate. Language teaching here is based on the communicative method, which involves a large emphasis on oral skills and also encompasses grammar and cultural awareness.

As part of our language programme, we have hosted a number of exchange students who in turn have welcomed Scoil Carmel students to their homes in France and Germany. Our aim is to enable students to interact with their European couterparts and to ensure  that those who attend Scoil Carmel will enjoy playing their part in the new Europe of the Twenty First Century.

Computers and Information Technology.

We have recently invested in a major expansion of our IT facilities.  We now have twenty six networked modern PC terminals with business standard software accessible to our students for training. It is hoped to expand this accessibility in future so that students can routinely and confidently use the computers for their various school projects and tasks. To enable students to use the Internet as a research tool, the school network is connected to the Web via ISDN link.

Physical Education.

The school has always seen the importance of Physical Education in the school curriculum. Each student is given the opportunity to lean new skills in a wide range of activities which includes basketball, volleyball, table-tennis, rounders, badminton, circuit training, dance, gymnastics and yoga.  Our facilities have  undergone a major expansion with the building of the new gym in 1996. This guarantees that Physical Education will continue to be a major part of the school curriculum for the foreseeable future.

Music.

Always an important part of the curriculum, Music has been offered as an examination subject to students since 1997.  The music course for Junior Cycle has been designed to enable all students to acquire musical skills suited to their age, varying abilities and musical experiences.

At Leaving Certificate level, each of the three parts (performing, composing and listening) is allocated a 25% weighting. The student may choose one of the three activities to represent 50% of the total marks. In no other subject area are students given the opportunity to specialise in this way. At Leaving Certificate Level, the syllabus structure has been adopted to maintain continuity with Junior Certificate Music, emphasising the importance of active rather than passive learning. This approach provides a fully balanced experience, central to which is the development of Musicality.

Art.

The study of Art enjoys a new lease of life in the school since the new Art Room was built in 1996. In the Junior Cycle, students experiment with drawing, printing, collage, painting and pattern. They design costumes and interiors and complete projects in the crafts of puppetry and batik. Our new pottery equipment has added a three dimensional aspect to art studies. Finished glazed pottery pieces are an impressive component of Junior Cert projects, while pottery has become central to the transition Year Programme. Pottery provides students with an opportunity to design and produce an attractive and functional product and makes them aware of the marketing potential of creative ability.

Scoil Carmel is well situated within walking distance of the Limerick City Gallery and the Hunt Museum, while visits to the National Gallery and National Museum in Dublin are further means of bringing the course to life.

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Extra-Curricular Activities:

The School Choirs.

Students are encouraged to participate in singing activities. Our choirs rehearse after school from 3.30 to 4.30pm.  Students who enjoy performing and are keen to share their musical talents are invited to join in. In recent years we have been awarded first place in such competitions as Slógadh Náisiúnta, Feile Luimní and Féile na tSamraidh. Besides competition, choir offers students the chance to express themselves through song and take pride in doing so.

"Life is a song - sing it!"  (Mother Theresa) 

Feile Luimní (Solo Singing).

For twenty years, girls have been entered for Solo Singing in the various year groups at Feile Luimní. We have won numerous prizes over the years and quite a few of our students have joined well known musical groups, such as the Bunratty Singers.

The Mini-Company.

As part of the Transition Year Programme, a mini-company scheme is run every year in conjunction with the County Enterprise Boards. The aims of the scheme are:

1. To give all young people the opportunity of setting up and running a real business.

2. To establish a framework involving parents, teachers, state bodies and private enterprise to provide the necessary support and encouragement.

The School Bank.

In cooperation with the local branch of Bank of Ireland, we are running a school bank with the help of the Transition Year Group. Students who wish to work in the School Bank are interviewed by the bank staff and appointments are made to the positions of Bank Manager, Assistant Manager, Teller and P.R.O. Training is given by Bank of Ireland staff in running the School Bank. The bank has been  open for student business since January 22nd, 2001.

Sport and Recreation.

Besides formal Physical Education on the curriculum, students are also encouraged to get involved in after-school sports activities, in school and in their local communities. We compete in Basketball, Hockey, Soccer and Badminton and have won major titles in all these at both Munster and National competitions. Students who train for sports not included in our activities, e.g., Swimming, Horse Riding, Rowing and Athletics can be entered in schools competitions simply by bringing in the appropriate entry form and we will affiliate the school to that organisation.

Public Speaking.

Public Speaking features both on the curriculum and as an extra-curricular activity. Students, especially Transition Years, are encouraged to enter many competitions, such as the Soroptomist Public Speaking Competition, The Revenue Commissioners Debating Competitions, The National Mental Health Association Speaking Project. Public speaking is proven to develop self-confidence communication skills and leadership qualities in young people.

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