Donabate Community College

[bear]

The saying only in Ireland comes to mind. If Ms Flynn has a good year and wants the job full time I think she should be offered it. This lad should not be allowed to fly back in and carry on as before regardless of how good a Principal he is.

[james]

Miss Flynn should be a good replacement as she worked from the beginning with miss Lafoy. Lets hope for the sake of the students that we can put the last year behind us and the parents council can start rebuilding the school.

[Spider]

I think Ms Flynn will be good, she's definitely got the students' best interest at heart and seems very dedicated. I'm very disappointed that our principal is gone, I liked him, he was approachable and seemed to get on with the kids very well. For such a new school there has been a lot of chopping and changing which is very unsettling for the students.

[Parent10]

Thanks Sydney, I wonder how many parents are in my situation, the not knowing what is happening can make us quite anxious. I did try calling the school but continued to get through to the voicemail even this week & no one returned my call.

Hopefully Ms Flynn will communicate better with the parents of the students going in next year.

Does anyone know what books, copies etc they need or do we have to wait until the go into school & are told?

[davemac]

I think the BOM should have gone for an outsider. Management last year always came with a smile and were very approachable in the beginning. But, it was all bluster and political hot air, no help was given when my son was bullied by a teacher. I was ignored and the teacher was backed by management.

[Mr. Stupid]

This is incredible. In the world of email, internet, text message, social media, instant messaging it has never been easier to communicated and they don't.

I can also say one thing and I don't get any joy from saying it. The VEC are a disaster. A pack of pen pushers (on big yoyo as well). It would be better if the school had its own patronage. It would be better if it was an ET school then it would have its own patronage or a combination between Catholics, Creationists, Fundamental Muslims, Scientologists and militant Atheists.

[Quello Serio]

The school doesn't seem to publish a contact email address, so maybe they'll see this message.

I think you should shut down http://www.donabatecommunitycollege.com/ - it looks bad to have a second website which was last updated in 2012. For a while, I thought it was the real one.

Also, this: http://www.donabatecc.ie/our-school/ There are bound to be some clever students who could clean up gibberish like that on the site.

[Sydney]

Thanks Sydney, I wonder how many parents are in my situation, the not knowing what is happening can make us quite anxious. I did try calling the school but continued to get through to the voicemail even this week & no one returned my call.

Hopefully Ms Flynn will communicate better with the parents of the students going in next year.

Does anyone know what books, copies etc they need or do we have to wait until the go into school & are told?

@Parent10,

I've an older child at the school so judging by what she needed in first year, I got the same for the one starting now.

A lock with 3 keys - one for them, one for Tutor and one for home. They don't allow combination locks btw.

Loads of copies and hardback copies (tip from my first mistake, be sure to get the ones that have margins, I didn't think to check the first time)

Older girl needed specific type of scientific calculator - I didn't get this in case they've changed it.

My fear is that my kids will come back from their first days and calmly produce a list with more stuff to buy. I'm bricking it! No booklist for 1st or 4th years yet *skeert*

[Quello Serio]

Some of that stuff is listed on the website:

http://www.donabatecc.ie/general-statio ... uirements/

[gandalf the grey]

I have to say I am disapointed with mr creevys decision to go away for a year, if it were for other reasons ie illness or bereavement people would be more understanding but i really think the vec has a lot to answer for. after all hes only been there a year and why did he take the job if he had any desire to take time out ? having met ms flynn i believe she is well capable of managing the school , maybe she will do something to improve communications with parents ??

[james]

At this stage we can only wish Miss Flynn the best, she must be up to the job as she was trained by Miss Lafoy.

[Parent10]

Thank you Sydney & Quello Serio.

Feel much better about my DD starting in the school now, sounds like we are better off with Ms Flynn & the staff that the previous principal had educating the youth of Donabate & Portrane.

[Sydney]

Some of that stuff is listed on the website:

http://www.donabatecc.ie/general-statio ... uirements/

That went up this arvo Quello Serio - considering tomorrow's the last day of holidays - their timing sucks!

[MarMea63]

Could have done a spell check before putting up todays info, cant seem to spell stationery. Simple to remember, E for envelope, not A.

[davemac]

I hope D.C.C. management will improve their level of organisation it make me as a parent very nervous.

[mom]

I just heard from a parent who has a child in my daughters class ,that a lot of parents have enrolled their children for secondary school outside the area. Has anyone any information?

[Wolf J Flywheel]

Mom, I would take these speculations with a large pinch of salt. While there are teenagers leaving the parish to go to school, I would be sceptical of claims like this.

My youngest is in the College and we are happy to have her there. Her two older siblings went to school outside the parish and life is so much easier with Number 3 in school locally. We waited many years for this school, it would be awful to think that it wasn't supported.

[micropoodle]

I don't know what others are doing but myself and neighbours if mine have enrolled our kids in schools outside the area just to have other options. We have a few years to go yet

Does anyone know how the leaving very results went?

[Sydney]

It's getting more difficult to get a place for your child outside the area.
For example, Santa Sabina and St Fintans only took children from the deanery.
Loreto is a lotto and then you've to wait to see if you'll get cancellation place.

It's not like it was when Donabate had no school.

[Mr. Stupid]

micropoodle, what other schools if you don't mind me asking?

[mom]

I heard Holy Faith, Maryfield and Dominican.

[Mr. Stupid]

All sound like a lot of hassle to get to.

Anyway, rumours are going around that a new private boarding school is being set up with some of the land that is with Nama in Donabate.

[Vlad the Impaler]

Sounds like a bit of hysteria setting in. I heard performance was very, particularly in science.

[Vlad the Impaler]

... Very good.

[mom]

words hassle and hysteria unsuitable when talking about education of our children.