Week 1 Whole School Integration

Whole School Integration
Jesus and Mary secondary school Gortnor Abbey is based in Crossmolina Co.
Mayo on the shores of Lough Conn. The school was formerly a convent boarding
school run by the Jesus and Mary order however, a phasing out of boarders took
place during the 1980s (Discover Mayo, 2016). The school is a part of the Le
Chile trustee which was set up initially by the twelve religious congresses
however it has grown and now consists of fourteen religious congresses (Le
Cheile, 2016). The aim of the trustee is to affirm their commitment to the future
of Catholic Education to provide for the needs of the students and communities
in their schools (Gortnor Abbey Secondary School, 2016) This identifies the
importance for teachers and other member of staff to promote the catholic ethos
as the school looks beyond merely the cognitive development of its student
placing emphasis on students holistic development.
While referring to the staff I feel it is of huge importance to identify how
welcoming and helpful they have been in the lead up to and my time to date on
teaching practice. The generous nature of the staff has led to a positive
atmosphere throughout the school. One area where this is clear is the positive
relationships between students and teachers. While walking through the halls of
the school on numerous occasions I have observed teachers conversing with
students addressing them by their names and showing an interest in their day to
day lives. Personally, I feel having a positive relationship with students has a
huge effect on students academic performance. This view is shared by the
American Psychological Association as they state that, students who have
close, positive and supportive relationships with their teachers will attain higher
levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their
relationships with educators (American Psychological Assoication, 2016).
The school also offers students with special needs equal opportunities to develop
socially and academically. This is because Legislative mandates such as No
Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act require that
students with disabilities not only be exposed to the general education
curriculum, but demonstrate progress in it as well (UNC School of Education,
2015). One example of a facility put in place by the staff of Gortnor Abbey to
assist students who are diagnosed with ASD is the Claudine Centre. The aim of
the centre is to allow ASD students to have access to the mainstream curriculum
and an effective programme is tailor-made for each student. While inclusion with
mainstream peers is sensitively managed (Gortnor Abbey Secondary School,
2016). The centre also works to promote and facilitate close links with parents
to compliment the learning environment and encourage independence (Gortnor
Abbey Secondary School, 2016). According to students the Claudine Centre
website facilities helps students relax and destress as well as helping students
getting school work finished at school reducing stress at home (Claudine Centre,
2013).
The school also offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities in the form of
academic and sporting teams. Due to my passion for sport I have offed my
assistance to both the 1st year soccer team and the juvenile Gaelic football team.
What I have noticed from my time observing students games was a greater
emphasis placed on student involvement more so then the end goal of winning.
Although having the drive to succeed is an important skill to develop in
individuals I was quite impressed by the way in which all students were given
the opportunity to play. As all students who started on the bench were
substituted on before the end of both games.
In conclusion, it is evident that good academic results are important but it is not
all that Jesus and Mary secondary school Gortnor Abbey offers to its students as
holistic development plays a key role. This can be seen in the catholic ethos
promoted by the Le Chile trustee, social development and assistance offered to
the Claudine Centre for students with ASD as well as the range of sporting and
academic teams that all students are encouraged to take part in.
Bibliography
American Psychological Assoication. (2016). Improving Students' Relationships
with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning. Retrieved from
Positive relationships can also help a student develop socially:
http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx
Claudine Centre. (2013). Autism Spectrum Disorder Provision in Gortnor Abbey.
Retrieved from Claudine Centre:
https://sites.google.com/a/gortnorabbey.ie/claudinecentre/home
Discover Mayo. (2016). Gortnor Abbey. Retrieved from Discover Mayo:
http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/en/towns-villages/crossmolina/history/gortnor-
abbey.html
Gortnor Abbey Secondary School. (2016). About Jesus and Mary Secoundary
School. Retrieved from Jesus and Mary Secoundary School Gortnor Abbey,
Crossmolina, Co.Mayo: http://www.gortnorabbey.ie/about-us
Le Cheile. (2016). Who we are. Retrieved from Le Cheile:
http://www.lecheiletrust.ie/who-we-are
UNC School of Education. (2015). Differentiating instruction in theory and
practice. Retrieved from Learn NC:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6692

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