29.04.22

RE: Final weeks of current school year, Planning for 2022/23 & Student Direct Costs

 

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s)

As we approach the end of another year, the third school year of the Covid-19 pandemic, we want to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your continued support and cooperation. While the global crisis we are all living through has been difficult for us all, working together, we are thankful that we have been able to mitigate some of those difficulties for our students and look forward to a school year in 2022-2023 where we remove the remaining Covid-19 measures that have disrupted school life.

Still, we are acutely conscious that the long term effects of the pandemic on our students may take some time to be fully understood and we are ready to continue supporting our students in whatever ways we can as we move into the future.

Their lives have changed so dramatically in the last 2-3 years, in ways no one could have predicted, and we are very proud of the way they have adapted and grown to face the challenges that have been presented to them.

We also want to pay a special tribute to our staff; whose professionalism and dedication are a source of great pride for us. Like so many workers in so many fields, they have had to adapt to a completely new way of working, and to do so while trying to look after their own families and loved ones. They have done this with professionalism and positivity in the face of enormous obstacles and we thank them most sincerely.

Planning for the 2022-2023 school year is well advanced at this stage and we ask you to please read the information below carefully to ensure we are all in the best position possible to ensure the 2022-2023 school year is as successful as possible for all concerned.

In particular, we extend a warm welcome to those of you who are joining the Ratoath College family for the first time in 2022-2023

 

Student Direct Costs 2022-2023

As previously advised, we include below the breakdown of the Student Direct Costs for 2022-2023. These costs for each year group have been agreed by our Board of Management and approved by the board of LMETB. This money funds, for example, our Book Rental scheme, 24 hour student insurance, Dialanns, extra-curricular costs, as well as a wide range of teaching, learning and assessment materials and activities that are not funded by the Department of Education.

Along with the rest of society, we have been doing our best to manage significant increases in costs in the last 12 months and we are conscious that the current cost of living increases will have presented a significant financial challenge to all members of our school community. With this in mind, and despite increases in the costs of almost all items that student direct costs are used to fund, we have decided to maintain these costs at the same level as the previous school year.

We are also acutely aware that many of our families will be experiencing challenging financial circumstances that will make it difficult for them to pay the Student Direct Costs for next year. If you find yourself in this situation, please make contact with the school in confidence as soon as possible.

Click/tap the button below to view the breakdown of costs for each year group and the payment schedule:

 

Payments can only be made using our online payment provider, Way2Pay. You will shortly receive a text message containing a secure link to make your payment.

You can choose to pay the full amount for each child now, or to pay in instalments using the payment schedule.

We ask that the 1^st instalment (or the full amount) for each student is paid by Friday 13^th May, 2022

The date for payment of the 2^nd installment is Friday, 10th June 2022.

The date for payment of the 3^rd installment is Friday, 8th July 2022.

We will send you reminder text message ahead of these dates. 

 

If you have any queries in relation to payments, please contact the Main Office: 

Phone: 01 825 4102

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Note that certain subjects have curricular elements that require students to take part in off-site activities, such as Leaving Cert Geography and Biology. These costs are not included in the breakdown as they don’t apply to all students. Where such costs exist, they will be advised on the Book and Equipment lists issued over the summer holidays and collected via Way2Pay close to the time of the trip/activity.

For Transition Year, the cost of all trips and activities are included in the costs listed.

 

Uniforms

Uniforms are available from SchoolUniformsDirect.ie and Blondelles.

For incoming first year students, visit the First Year 2022-2023 page on our website for more information on uniforms and uniform fittings.

Note that, following feedback from students and parents, our uniform providers have sourced a new higher quality and more hard-wearing version of the school PE tracksuit bottoms. The cost of the new version is the same as the previous one.

Our Uniform Policy is available on our website.

 

End of Year Assessment & Reports – 1^st, 2^nd, TY & 5^th Year

Assessments will take place for students in 1^st and 5^th Years from 9^th – 13^th May. We hope to be able to make end of year reports for 1^st, 2^nd, TY and 5^th Year students available on ePortal before the end of the school year.

Note that, as 2^nd year students have been completing CBAs in almost all their subjects since January, they will not have formal summer exams and the grade on their summer report will be their CBA1 grade descriptor.

 

State Exams – 3^rd and 6^th Year

For 3^rd and 6^th year students, state exams will proceed in a more or less normal way for the first time since 2019. Practical and oral exams in various subjects took place over the Easter break and will continue over the next few weeks. In order for 3^rd and 6^th years to have the best chance of achieving their full potential in their state exams, it is crucial that their attendance in school and focus in class does not waver over these last few weeks.

 

Father PJ Memorial Service

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a memorial service for Father PJ that will take place in the school on Saturday, 28^th May 2022 at 13.30. With Covid restrictions in place at the time of Father PJ’s passing and throughout the school year, we are looking forward to finally having this opportunity to celebrate Father PJ’s life and his enormous contribution to our school community with students, former students, staff, former staff, parents, members of the community and Father PJ’s family.

 

Calendar

Please note that the late start which previously had to be cancelled has now been rescheduled for next Wednesday, 6^th May. School will start a little later than normal on that day, with assembly at 11.00. School transport providers have been informed.

Note the following important dates for the remainder of the school year:         

Tuesday 3rd May	School closed
Wednesday 4th May	School starts at 11.00
Monday 9th – Friday 13th May	Assessments for 1st and 5th year students
Wednesday 11th May	Class of 2022 Prayer Service
Thursday 19th May	School finishes at 14.30 (staff meeting)
Monday 23rd May	Sport and Cultural Awards Ceremony
Wednesday 25th May	Prizegiving
Thursday 26th May, 19.00	TY Graduation – TYs finish
Friday 27th May	6th Years finish
Saturday 28th May	Fr PJ Memorial Service
Monday 30th May, 17.00	6th Year Graduation
Wednesday 1st June, 14.00	Third Year Service – Third Years finish
Friday 3rd June	Fairyhouse Run. 1st, 2nd and 5th year students finish at 12.30. Summer Holidays begin
Wednesday 8th June	State Exams begin

 

Planning for 2022-2023

It has been more than two full school years since we have been able to plan for a school year without Covid-19 measures in the forefront of our minds. Over the summer months, our site staff will be extremely busy unwinding some of the changes we had to make to the school buildings and preparing for a return to a more ‘normal’ school environment for 2022-2023.

The 2022-2023 school year will commence from Wednesday 24^th August 2022 for 6^th year students, with all other year groups returning over the subsequent few days. We will let you know about specific dates and times for each year group in June.

Please note that Book & Equipment Lists will issue over the course of the summer holidays.

 

Once again, we deeply appreciate your help and support this year.

 

Yours faithfully,

Seamus Meehan, Colm Connolly, Donna Kelly, John McCarthy