Due to delay in grant application process the opening date in May has been changed to June 11th. In the meantime, students are advised to prepare documentation to facilitate application. Check studentfinance.ie for updates
Cork Institute of Technology will again this year host a Technology Camp for Second Level students commencing July 23rd, 2012
Cork Institute of Technology Department of Computing (Headed by Jim O’ Dwyer) will again run a one week technology driven summer programme in July and August as part of an initiative of the Third Level Computing Forum (TLFC).
The Programme aims to demonstrate to students the team working nature of the computing professions. Also, they will explore the nature and type of opportunities that are available in this exciting Irish industry sector.
Benefits:
The programme combines technology with the best educational practices, to provide students with a unique experience that improves analytical skills needed for third level education.
Over the one week programme students will be exposed to:
Sixty students will be given the opportunity to attend the one week technology camp. This programme will be part funded by The Higher Education Authority (HEA) and CIT, with students paying €70 towards the course; as a result places will be on a first come first served basis.
Sign up today for this innovative experience and the chance to gain exposure to a 3rd level Institute of technology
Cost: €70 for a one week programme (subsidised)
Available Dates:
23rd July – 27th July Mon-Fri 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
30th July – 3rd Aug Mon-Fri 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
| LOCATION: CIT BISHOPSTOWN CAMPUS DATE: 13TH – 17TH AUGUST, 2012 TIME: 10:00AM TO 4:00PM DAILY |
The programme is free and is open to any student aged 14-16 Years old who is enthusiastic, motivated and wants to learn more about starting their own business.
You don’t have to wait until school’s out to plan what to do. Whether you’re into film-making or football, science or surfing, there’s a summer camp for you, writes GRAINNE FALLER
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Far and away
If you’re going abroad, you’re going to want to make it count. Leaving Cert preparation courses are being run by EIL Intercultural Learning in France, Germany and Spain. Prices range from €1,491 for a fortnight to €2,999 for four weeks in France. Germany costs €1,330 for a fortnight and €2,152 for four weeks. Spain costs €1,311 for two and €2,466 for four weeks. There are various other courses and summer camps available on the company’s website
Lingoo is a service that allows families to organise either a two-way exchange programme with families in France, Spain, Germany, Italy and other European countries, or a one-way paid home stay. There is no agency involvement – families deal directly with one another so this option should be cheaper. It is also possible to register as a host family. Registration costs €48 per child per year with some discounts for subsequent children.
Closer to home
You don’t have to leave the country. Euro Languages College offers 18-day French, Spanish or German camps in Irish boarding schools. Students take part in classes and activities and they are expected to speak the language of the camp throughout. Prices range from €1,065 to €1130.
Horizon International Language College offers a similar set-up of residential French and Spanish courses in Irish boarding schools. Parents can opt for one week at €450, two weeks at €800 or three weeks for €1,200. There is a discount of 10 per cent if more than one child attends from the same family.
For Dublin residents, the Alliance Française on Kildare Street runs classes for teens with an optional Fun For Teens activity add-on in the afternoons. Older teens are offered morning and afternoon classes. Classes run from Monday to Thursday for two weeks at a time. Costs for classes are €240 for younger teens (first to fourth year) and €350 for fifth and sixth years. If younger teens add on the afternoon activities the course costs €350. Fun for teens alone costs €160.
IRISH
Coláiste Uisce Combine the rite of passage that is the stint in the Gaeltacht with all manner of wet and wild water and adventure sports and you’re guaranteed a blast trí Ghaeilge. Coláiste Uisce is based in north west Mayo and a two-week long residential course costs €960. Some scholarships are available. uisce.ie
Concos (Comhchoiste na gColáistí Samhraidh) is a federation of 47 Irish colleges both in and outside the Gaeltacht areas. All courses must meet standards set by Concos and the Department of Education and Skills. With lots to choose from, this website is a good place to start.
FILM-MAKING AND ANIMATION
Young Irish Filmmakers will run film-making courses in Kilkenny throughout the summer. The courses cater for 8-12 year-olds and 13-18 year-olds. A week-long course costs €120 and dates are available on the website.
Galway Film Centre runs summer courses for 10-17 year-olds in both live drama and animation. Courses will run throughout the summer and are a week long. They cost €250 with a discount for more than one child from the same family.
The Irish Film Academy is running two- and three-week camps for teens. Teen Campo offers acting for camera or film-making courses. The film-making courses offer music video (suitable for beginners) or thriller, slasher and horror (advanced) options. Cost for two weeks is €400 or the three-week option is €500. irishfilmacademy.com
Action School of Film offers film and animation courses for students aged 10-12 and 13-18. Courses are running in Sligo, Donegal, Westmeath, Leitrim, Mayo and Cavan, costing €245 for the younger group and €295 for the teens.
DRAMA, MUSIC AND DANCE
Gleeks from Leitrim and Dublin can indulge their passion with Glee Summer Camps for 7-18 year-olds. Week long courses cost €80 per participant (or €75 for participants in Carrick-on-Shannon). gleesummer.com
Starcamp – acting, singing and dancing camps – are running in various locations in Munster and Leinster. The courses are aimed at three groups: 5-7 year-olds, 8-10 year-olds, and 11+ year-olds. They are a week long and cost €90 for one child, €150 for two or €220 for three siblings. There is an instalment payment option.
Dublin School of Music, which is based in Terenure, will offer a music and art course in August for 4-7 year-olds. It will cost €99. Meanwhile, anyone over the age of 10 can partake in a course that allows budding songwriters and band members develop their material and record a CD. That course takes place in August and costs €125. dublinschoolofmusic.com
Gaiety School of Acting is offering summer courses in acting, musical theatre, dance and film-making. Courses are available in different locations: Temple Bar, Navan, Bray and Malahide. Not all courses are available in all locations. Costs range from €225 to €150. gaietyschool.com
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Artzone offers a range of summer camps from a fashion academy and summer art to animation and comic book illustration. Camps operate in various locations around Wicklow, Dublin and Kildare. The art course costs €109 for five days, with discounts for siblings. artzone.ie
Kinsale Pottery and Arts Centre is running five-day summer camps in July and August. They cost €160 for a full day or €120 for a half day. Sibling discounts are available. kinsaleceramics.com
Pine Forest Art Centre in Dublin’s Glencullen offers junior and senior art summer camps, as well as portfolio preparation for older teenagers. Courses run for two weeks during July and August. Junior course costs €250, while the senior course costs €280. The bus fare (if required) is €95. Portfolio preparation is offered for two weeks at €300 or four weeks at €550. pineforestartcentre.com
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Whizzkids Week-long, full-day, half-day and residential camps for students who are interested in technology, based in NUIG, UL, DCU, UCC, UCD and IT Tralee. Students can learn about web design, movie making, online gaming and spy tactics. Half-day camps are aimed at 8-12 year-olds and cost €90 or €150 for siblings. Full-Days are aimed at 9-15 year-olds and cost €149 or €280 for siblings. Residential courses are for teenagers only.
Anyone 4 Science camps aimed at 5-7 year-olds and 8-12 year-olds will be held in Portmarnock, Carrickmacross, Tallaght, UCD, Rathmichael, Cork, Navan, Dundalk, Ashford, Rathgar, Maynooth and Thurles. There are also camps suitable for Junior cycle students running in the Institute of Technology, Tallaght and in UCD in June and July. The teen camp costs €160 per student. anyone4science.com
Space Camp: Find out about life as an astronaut, the solar system and the search for alien life, even build and launch your own rocket. Chilren aged 8-12 years can attend space camp at CIT’s Blackrock Castle observatory throughout June and July. The camp costs €95 per student with discounts for siblings.
NATURE
Causey Farm: Four-day summer camps involving survival skills, raft making, bogland exploration, arts and crafts and haymaking among other things. Aimed at children aged 5-13 years, the camp costs €75 per child per week. Transport can be arranged from Dublin or Navan at an extra cost.
Brigit’s Garden in Roscahill Co Galway offers a Fun with Nature course for 5-8 year-olds involving bug hunts, arts and crafts and nature games. Older children (9-12 year-olds) are taught to cook food outside, hut making and tracking in a survival skills course. Courses cost €55 for members or €62 for non-members.
Fota Island runs summer camps for children aged 5-12 years. Activities include art, sport and environmental activities – all based around the theme of the natural world. Cost is €95 per child, sibling discounts are available.
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council will run a Wet and Wild Nature Summer Camp at the end of July. Activities on the Bog of Allen (Kildare) will include nature crafts, pond dipping, creepy crawlie hunt, insect-eating plants and a frog search. Cost is €50.
SPORT
The eFlow FAI Summer Soccer Schools offer something for everyone: girls, boys, goalkeepers and children with special needs. At the moment, early booking rates apply. Goalkeeper camps cost €59 and all other camps cost €89 per child. Prices rise after June 15th. Discounts are available. Camps are running all around the country. summersoccerschools.ie
Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps are a summer stalwart. Operating in 32 counties right though the summer, the camps are aimed at boys and girls aged 6-13 years. Costs depend on location but range from approx €42 to €55. Sibling discounts apply. kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie
Shreddies Parks Tennis camps are running all over the country and cater for 6-17 year-olds. Dates, camps and costs vary according to location. In Dublin the cost is €30 for a month of coaching.
Irish Hockey is running summer camps around the country, catering for 9-17 year-olds. Camps are running in July and August and they cost €160. hockey.ie
Let’s Go! summer camps offer multi-sport camps for children aged 5-6 and 7-13 years. They run all over the country and cost between €90 and €95 depending on location. Sibling discounts are available. They are also running iPad camps that combine iPad activities with the multisports. letsgo.ie
Aimed at children aged 4-12 years, UCD’s Multi-sports Summer Camp offers more than 25 different sports, from rock climbing to dodgeball. There is an additional pre- and after-camp care service if needed. Camps cost €110 or €180 for camp plus pre- and after-camp care. ucd.ie/sport/sportscamps/summercamps/
WATER SPORTS AND ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
Kilfenane Outdoor Education Centre is offering summer camps and adventure days for kids and teens. Camps involving all sorts of adventure activities cost €150. Teen adventure days involve day-long excursions: mountain biking, hill walking, canoeing, abseiling and rock climbing, and cost €50 per day, with discounts for subsequent days. kilfinaneoec.com
Seven days of surfing, kayaking, zip wire, crag climbing, etc in Connemara’s Delphi Mountain Resort costs €499 per child. delphimountainresort.com
Oysterhaven Centre in Kinsale offers sailing and windsurfing courses as well as multi-activity summer camps for 4-17 year-olds. Prices and age ranges vary depending on the course. oysterhaven.com
Surfdock Fun Watersports Camp runs from June through to August, and activities take place in the Grand Canal Basin. It’s for children from 8-16 years. The cost is €195 per child per camp. surfdock.ie
© 2012 The Irish Times
Keep secret stationery supplies, know the timetables … Kim Bielenberg offers 10 tips for mums and dads
The Junior and Leaving Cert exams are only three weeks away. In households across the country there are wild mood swings, sleepless nights and nervous biting of finger nails over maths formulae — and that is just the parents.
Now is the time for mothers and fathers to stay composed.
Dublin guidance counsellor Andree Harpur likens being a parent at exam time to being a football manager.
“It can be more difficult for parents than for students.
“Ultimately, you can’t go out there and kick the ball, but you can provide encouragement from the sidelines,” she says.
Good parenting is an essential part of the exam equation, according to Brendan Guildea, a maths teacher who holds popular Junior and Leaving Cert revision workshops.
He says: “In some cases, what is happening at home can make a difference of 10pc. That could prove crucial in the exams.”
So how can parents support their children as nerves become frayed?
1 BE THERE FOR THEM
Now is not the time to go on your much-lauded charity trek through the Himalayas.
It may seem obvious, but parents can help simply by being around and available during exam time.
“The first piece of advice I would give to any parent is to be physically there at home to show your support,” says Harpur.
“A teenager will probably never say how wonderful it is that you are there, and might not even wish to say anything about the exams, but the fact that you are there will help.”
If your child is off school in the run-up to the exams, it may be advisable to be around as much as possible at that time.
2 EMPHASISE GOOD TIMING
Treat exams like a middle-distance race rather than a sprint.
Guildea says the student should be encouraged by their parents to pace themselves through the exams.
He or she might get very worked up about the early exams, and decide to stay up all night revising and cramming.
“The problem is that the student becomes jaded and by the second or third week they have lost all interest.”
3 GET A TIMETABLE
Parents should secretly get a copy of the exam timetable.
“It is a good idea to ask the student what exam he or she has on the following day, and then check it yourself against the timetable,” says Guildea.
“When you are doing seven exams and you are under stress it is easy to get times mixed up.
“Boys, in particular, can get the exam time wrong, and if they do, it’s game, set and match.”
4 BE PATIENT AND TOLERANT
During a time of stress, it is inevitable that at some point the student might blow a fuse.
If they bite your head off, it may be a good idea to take a couple of deep breaths and tolerate some erratic behaviour.
Emotions can easily be heightened, according to Harpur.
“At a time like this it is perhaps best not to react.”
It is a time to be forbearing.
5 KEEP SECRET SUPPLIES
Pupils can become flustered by minor details and caught out by practicalities, such as a calculator not working.
“Pupils often rely on their fellow pupils for things such as pens, rulers and other equipment in school. But in an exam that is often not possible,” says Guildea.
“Quietly you can buy equipment, so that if they say they haven’t got something you can quickly come up with it.”
6 KEEP YOUR HEAD
“You have to step back from it a bit,” says Jackie O’Callaghan of the National Parents Council.
“It may well be that you are feeling their stress and apprehension.
“The less stressed you seem the less anxious they will be.
“So, you have to relax and they will be less nervous themselves.”
7 AVOID POST-MORTEMS
Try to avoid getting involved in analysis of exam papers. The chances are that you won’t have a clue what they are about, and the exam is over anyway.
Harpur says: “It may be a good idea to suggest that they ring a teacher the following day for reassurance.
“In the meantime, they can get on with revising for another subject.”
8 ENCOURAGE REST AND RECREATION
It is important to take regular breaks while revising. Parents should encourage students to take a break every few hours.
A short brisk walk will help students relax and concentrate better. Emphasise the importance of regular sleep.
Research shows that pupils who got lower grades went to sleep on average 40 minutes later than top performers.
9 ACT AS CHAUFFEUR
This is not the time to re-discover your faith in the virtues of public transport. A lift to the exam will avoid distractions.
10 LOOK AFTER HEALTH
Students who have health problems should be helped to take the necessary precautions. Hay fever sufferers should be alert to conditions that cause the symptoms to flare.
Asthmatics should have an inhaler at the ready. Students should be discouraged from lying out in the sun — if it ever appears — as sun stroke can be debilitating.
The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute offers the following nutrition tips for exam students
- Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast.
- At breakfast ensure you choose foods that are high in fibre and give your body a slow steady release of glucose — for example wholemeal bread or porridge.
- Avoid any kind of weight-loss diets during this time as many of these are lacking in essential nutrients and can hit concentration.
- Take a healthy snack with you to eat either during or before the exam.
- Try to eat a good lunch, and avoid the local chipper. Fatty foods will leave you feeling full and sluggish.
- Don’t overdo it on caffeine, but do have other drinks such as fruit juice, herbal tea and water.
More information: www.indi.ie/docs/ 22_smart_foods.pdf
Redecorate your living room. Invent a new piece of furniture. Model your city for Google Earth. There’s no limit to what you can create with SketchUp.
We believe powerful software can also be a pleasure to use – the secret is intuitive tools that work the way you think they should. Apparently, millions of people agree.
You can build models from scratch, or you can download what you need. People all over the world share what they’ve made on the Google 3D Warehouse.
Dozens of video tutorials, an extensive Help Center and a worldwide user community mean that anyone who wants to make 3D models with SketchUp, can.
More photo at http://www.ucc.ie/en/cacsss/tyio/
On Tuesday 13 December three transition year students from different schools around cork attended a ‘Try it out’ day in the college of Arts, Cork. Conor Barry, Ronan Kelly and I were the lucky ones!
We were split up into different groups, each followed a different timetable. Each group was assigned a student ambassador. My group started off with archaeology which was really enjoyable. We learned how to age a sketch and how to tell if a body had suffered any trauma or disease. After this was psychology.
We learned what it was like to be a psychologist and what was needed to become one. We looked briefly at the three types of psychology and forensic psychology. This workshop was extremely interesting.
Next were languages. We did ten minutes of French, German and Spanish. This wasn’t the most interesting thing for me to be honest. After a big feast of pizza and chips, we were given a long list of all the clubs and societies in the college and I mean a seriously long list of fun and crazy clubs.
After this we moved onto another few workshops including geography and calligraphy finally was a tour around the campus and the wide range of facilities. It was a fantastic day that really opened our minds to our views of colleges and the future that lies ahead.
By Ali Draper (with assistance from her secretary Laura Buttimer)
The School of Computer Science & Information Technology at UCC will hold a one-week IT Summer Camp for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 16 at its state-of-the-art location in the Western Gateway Building, Cork. The Summer Camp will run from 9:00-1:00 each day, and is sponsored by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
At this highly-interactive Summer Camp, teenagers will work in areas such as:
Fee: €60
More info: http://www.ucc.ie/en/compsci/itsummercamp/index.html
Languages for Sport
Languages and Technology
Career Services – The Entrance Exam Experts. The Irish Defence Forces have announced the competition schedule for students who would have applied for the positions of Army or Navy Recruits recently. We thought that you might be interested to know the schedule just in case that any of your students have applied.