Starting secondary school can be both exciting and daunting in equal measure. For this reason we have developed an effective programme to help the girls settle in:
- Open Night – prior to enrolment
- Tablet/e-Book training prior to the start of school.
- 1st Year induction day – students attend school without the other year groups. They will meet with their year heads, class tutors and their peer mentors (trained 5th Years) who also organise a tour of the school.
- Our Home-School Liaison teacher plays a special role in student induction.
- 1st Year students receive no homework for the first two weeks.
- Bonding afternoon in the first fortnight.
- Information Booklet – prepared by our own students.
- Peer Mentors are fifth year students who understand what it is like to be a new student in Loreto. They volunteer to take part and undergo training to help first year students settle in. Peer mentors support new students by:
- solving difficulties they may experience in a new school.
- encouraging students to make new friends and bond with their classmates by spending time with the class at lunchtimes and organising fun activities
- Encouraging students to become involved in extracurricular activities in school
- Sharing their experiences, challenges and insights of first year in Loreto
- Peer mentors meet their first year classes on Induction Day and then lunchtimes throughout September and October.
- Breakfast mornings organised by our language departments.
- Sports tournaments with teams arranged by class in Hockey, Camogie and Soccer.
And for parents…
- Information night for 1st Year parents – (before your daughter starts)
- Coffee morning for new parents.
- Handbook for parents – produced by our Parents’ Association.
- The support of our staff as we help your daughter settle into her new school.
