Home School Community Liaison Scheme
A Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinator was appointed to St. Joseph’s in the 1990s as we are designated a disadvantaged school. The co-ordinator is the link between home, school and community.
Aims
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Basic PrinciplesPromote partnership between parents and teachers.
Focus on the adults, not the children Foster self help Home visitation is a crucial element in establishing trust with families Set up and run a Parents Room in the school where parents are welcome to meet on an informal basis. Networking among voluntary and statutory agencies |
The co-ordinator, a teacher from the school, spends his or her full time working with parents. Parents frequently identify needs in the area and the co-ordinator tries to meet those needs. This would be needs around adult education, gaps in services in the community, the moving of information around in the community.
Courses and classes
Work with teachers
Work with the teachers to develop partnership and collaboration with parents. This recognises the parent’s role as primary educators of their children. Promote joint policy making with parents and teachers on issues like homework, code of behaviour, attendance, substance misuse.
The practice in East Wall
The school is allocated a half co-ordinator, so Tom Gallagher works here 2.5 days a week. He has a little room near the gym but spends more time near the main door mornings and home times. He visits homes and calls to community groups, clubs, playgroups, after schools projects.
Projects Undertaken
Recruit parents to Parents Association. We are looking to affiliate to the National Parents Council as we feel our parent group could benefit from their experience and guidance.
One Book One Community, organised by local Home School Liaisons, was where 6th class children, 1st Years and their families read a book, Taking Sides by Brian Gallagher, and did follow up activities.
Zoom Ahead with Books was children and parents reading books together and drawing, finishing with an Art Exhibition.
Paired reading was parents and children reading together in class.
Suas was children and parents doing an intensive language program in our Computer Room. The adults were all local volunteers, giving of their free time.
Garden Club happens in our beautiful school garden with help from local Garden Club.
Cake sales, secondhand toy sales, raffles, various fundraising events done for fun and buying needed equipment.
Toy Library was children borrowing an educational toy from the school, using that at home.
NCI connection; We work closely with the National College Of Ireland, providing classes and help for the school and parents.
Working with community groups, particularly East Wall For Allto make East Wall a better place. We work closely with Nascadh Community Development Project. We run intergenerational activities, like snooker competitions, quizzes, computer games sessions in the school and at Sean O Casey Centre. We have a good connection with East Wall Watersports Group where our children engage in watersports at their centre in East Point.
We are open to suggestions. There are some great ideas going around. They just need the right people to make them happen. There is talk of a community garden, art exhibitions, lots more. Any ideas to make our school better, our area better; talk to us.
Courses and classes
- Help parents to help their children’s schoolwork.
- Personal development as in parenting and leisure activities.
- Literacy, computers, art, whatever the parents needs are.
Work with teachers
Work with the teachers to develop partnership and collaboration with parents. This recognises the parent’s role as primary educators of their children. Promote joint policy making with parents and teachers on issues like homework, code of behaviour, attendance, substance misuse.
The practice in East Wall
The school is allocated a half co-ordinator, so Tom Gallagher works here 2.5 days a week. He has a little room near the gym but spends more time near the main door mornings and home times. He visits homes and calls to community groups, clubs, playgroups, after schools projects.
Projects Undertaken
Recruit parents to Parents Association. We are looking to affiliate to the National Parents Council as we feel our parent group could benefit from their experience and guidance.
One Book One Community, organised by local Home School Liaisons, was where 6th class children, 1st Years and their families read a book, Taking Sides by Brian Gallagher, and did follow up activities.
Zoom Ahead with Books was children and parents reading books together and drawing, finishing with an Art Exhibition.
Paired reading was parents and children reading together in class.
Suas was children and parents doing an intensive language program in our Computer Room. The adults were all local volunteers, giving of their free time.
Garden Club happens in our beautiful school garden with help from local Garden Club.
Cake sales, secondhand toy sales, raffles, various fundraising events done for fun and buying needed equipment.
Toy Library was children borrowing an educational toy from the school, using that at home.
NCI connection; We work closely with the National College Of Ireland, providing classes and help for the school and parents.
Working with community groups, particularly East Wall For Allto make East Wall a better place. We work closely with Nascadh Community Development Project. We run intergenerational activities, like snooker competitions, quizzes, computer games sessions in the school and at Sean O Casey Centre. We have a good connection with East Wall Watersports Group where our children engage in watersports at their centre in East Point.
We are open to suggestions. There are some great ideas going around. They just need the right people to make them happen. There is talk of a community garden, art exhibitions, lots more. Any ideas to make our school better, our area better; talk to us.