FIRST year students in a Cork secondary school were recently presented with certificates, vouchers, and books as part of their Junior Cycle for Schools Programme celebration.

The North Monastery Secondary School held a very successful Junior Cycle for Schools Programme (JCSP) celebratory day which involved the students, teachers, and parents.

Margaret Ann Kehoe, who is the JCSP literary co-ordinator in the Cork city secondary school, said the celebration was held to recognise the hard work of their 43 first-year students. 

“It was a Christmas celebration for the first-year students and their parents. It was held to celebrate all the hard work they have done and to recognise how well they have settled into the school,” she said.

“It was a very successful day. There was a big turnout of parents. It is a nice way to integrate them into the school and get their guardians involved. 

"We are trying to work as a team with the parents to keep them in education and to encourage them to improve from where they are now. We hope to do this with all the Junior Cycle classes in the future," Ms Kehoe added.

Certificates, vouchers, and books were presented to students for completing various achievements during the first term.

“They are a great bunch of students. It is a nice way to reward students for their contribution to school life since the start of the academic year. 

"The students who have only missed one or fewer days were given €25 cinema vouchers for their attendance, while the students who missed between two and four days were presented with certificates to mark this achievement.

“As part of the JCSP programme we gave out certificates from each of the teachers. This ranged from academic achievements, their improvement since the start of the year, or showing kindness to other students. Each student got a package with certificates from all their teachers as well. The school also bought a present of a book for each specific student based on their interests,” she added.