Home School Liaison Scheme News
HSCL News
At Oaklands Community College, we have a Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme. The HSCL scheme builds vital links between the school and the home and strives to support parents in their role as the primary educators of their child (ren).
The HSCL Coordinator is Ciaran Pettit and he can be contacted during school hours by Parents/Guardians on the school number 046-9731573 or on 0858885212 for advice and support.
In addition he runs free courses and information talks for Parents. He is also available for Home Visits if you would like to discuss a matter in the privacy and comfort of your own home.
HSCL Parent Courses & Events: September-May 2018 – 2019
Information Session for Oakland’s Parents
| Guest Speaker | Date & Time | Further Information |
| Prof. Niall Moyna | Thursday October 4th (7-8pm) | Niall is a Professor in the School of Health and Human Performance and a member of the Centre for Preventive Medicine in DCU. He has presented his work at international conferences and has appeared on numerous RTE broadcasts including Operation transformation. In addition he has enjoyed enormous success at the very top level of sport. The talk will address issue around the importance of diet and exercise and the benefits it has for both physical and mental health. |
| Jacinta Kitt | Wednesday October 10th (7:00-8:30pm) | Jacinta is a Lecturer in Trinity College and Marino Institute of Education, Dublin. She is also author of the highly acclaimed book, “Positive Behaviours, Relationships and Emotions, the Heart of Leadership in a School”. She will discuss some of the following topics; Motivation and goal setting for students.Positive ParentingBuilding Positive RelationshipsEmotional and Social Intelligence |
| Dr. Dorothy Armstrong MSc PhD | Tuesday October 16th (7-8pm) | Dorothy is an Occupational Therapist who works with children, teenagers and young adults. She received her PhD in 2017, and also holds an Honour’s Degree and Master’s in Occupational Therapy The lecture given by Dr Dorothy Armstrong aims to address some of the following issues: Helping primary school children with issues such as Dyspraxia, Asperger’s, ADHD, ADD prepare to transition to secondary schoolStudy Skills for children and teenagers with Dyslexia and/or DyspraxiaHelping Children and Teens with Asperger’s make friendsHelping your child deal with anxietyBully-Proofing for children and adolescents with issues such as Dyspraxia, Asperger’s, ADHD, ADDAnger management and Strategies for managing and preventing out of control behaviours (meltdowns) in children with conditions such as Asperger’s syndrome, high functioning autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder.Transitioning to Third Level and beyond |
| STUDENT ENRICHMENT SERVICES LTD. | Thursday November 8th (7-8pm) | The talk will give parents simple, practical ideas to help students to achieve in school. The talk will discuss the following; To help their students set realistic personal goals;To show them simple time management skills;To explain how to make effective use of homework time;To demonstrate a variety of note making styles;To outline our unique ‘SES Test’ method of studying. |
| First year Coffee Mornings | First year parents were invited into a coffee morning in the school to discuss resources and programmes on offer here in Oaklands Community College and raise and concerns they had on the transition of their son / daughter from Primary School. |
Courses offered to Parents
| Computer Applications (QQI Level 4) | This course introduces students to computer graphics, spreadsheets and databases |
| ESOL; English for speakers of other languages | This course aims to provide the learner with the knowledge, skills and competence to communicate socially in work related tasks as an elementary level in English |
| 3 week Mindfulness and Mindful living classes and workshops | These classes will show using a combination of Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Life Coaching and Cognitive Behavioural ( CBT) techniques and other concepts, to calm your mind, be more aware of who you are and what you want. You will learn how to practice and incorporate this into to your life in an easy and non-disruptive fashion |
| 6 week cooking course | Parents and their son / daughters participated in a 6 week course to gain the basics of cooking and cooking to a budget |
| 6 week art course | Parents and their son / daughter participated in a 6 week art course where they learned the basics of drawing and design |
| 3 week Christmas Craft Course | Course helps you design and create craft pieces associated with Christmas. It is also a great chance to meet and socialise with other parents. |
| 3 week Easter Craft Course | Course helps you design and create craft pieces associated with Easter. It is also a great chance to meet and socialise with other parents. |
Pilot Programme
Oaklands Community College participated in a research programme conducted by Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, involving 20 parents who are either full time homemakers, work part time or would like to change the job they are currently doing.
Thanks to the great response from our parents the first course will be provided to parents offering them a chance to brush up on their interview skills and get their curriculum vitae up to date and in a format suitable for potential employers. This course will commence on the 29th April 2019.
All courses / talks are free and take place in school. Please phone Ciaran on 085-885212 to get any information of anymore upcoming courses or talks