Mission Statement

Bailieborough Community School is dedicated to the pursuit of the excellence in all areas of education. Our aim is to generate and maintain an inclusive climate within which each student is enabled to develop and fulfil his/her unique potential.

It is our hope that every student who leaves this school will be equipped not only to make his/her way in the world but also to make a particular contribution to society and at the same time continue a process of lifelong learning.

Our Christian ethos enables us in our commitment to respect ourselves and each other, to think independently, to be responsible for ourselves and to society, and to tolerate and value diversity.

We aspire to fulfil this commitment by fostering an atmosphere of respect, understanding and encouragement between all who teach, work and learn in the school, so that the development and contribution of every individual can be acknowledged and valued and all can work together to benefit personal growth and the common good.

Faith Formation

We have an ecumenical prayer service to celebrate the beginning of the academic year. We also have an ecumenical Christmas Carrol service. The Chaplin meets with individual class groups to celebrate special times during the liturgical year.  Students are encourage to pursue social justice issues through raising awareness and fundraising.

We fundraise annually for Trocaire, Concern, SVP and many other charities. In the Transition Year programme the Young Social Innovators programme is on offer to students.

Religious Education is an examination subject in Bailieborough Community School to Junior Certificate. Religious Education is not offered as an examination subject at senior cycle.

Subject Aims

The General Aims of both the Junior and Leaving Syllabi are as follows:

• To foster an awareness that the human search for meaning is common to all peoples, of all ages and at all times.
• To explore how this search for meaning has found, and continues to find, expression in religion.
• To identify how understandings of God, religious traditions, and in particular the Christian tradition, have contributed to the culture in which we live, and continue to have an impact on personal lifestyle, interpersonal relationships and relationships between individuals and their communities and contexts.
• To appreciate the richness of religious traditions and to acknowledge the non-religious interpretation of life.
• To contribute to the spiritual and moral development of the student.

Content

1. R.E. at Junior Certificate

Religion is now established as an exam subject in Junior Cycle in Bailieborough Community School. Students study a wide variety of faith traditions including Christianity. The exam course offers students a choice of topics to study. There is also a journal component to the course, where students do a project before their exam. It accounts for 20% of the Exam. 

Junior Certificate religion involves studying 5 sections of work and completing a journal component worth 20% of the junior cert grade. For further information check out the R.E. department website:

http://mscquinn.weebly.com/

The 5 Sections of Religious Education are as follows:

Section A: Communities of Faith

Section B: Foundations of Christianity

Section C: World Religions

Section D: The Question of Faith

Section E: The Celebration of Faith

Section F: The Moral Challenge

Methodologies

Brainstorming

Group Work

Individual Study

Q & A

Discussion and Debate

Role Play

Guest Speakers

Presentations

Projects

Assessment For Learning

Regular examinations of work learned

Assessment and Examinations

First Year

Common examinations at the end of Year 1

Examinations at Christmas

Other examinations throughout the year and at the end of each topic at the discretion of the teacher.

Second Year

Common examinations at the end of Year 2

Examinations at Christmas

Other examinations throughout the year and at the end of each topic at the discretion of the teacher.

Third Year

Examinations at Christmas

Other examinations throughout the year and at the end of each topic at the discretion of the teacher,

Studying Junior Certificate Religious Education promotes the Key Skills of the new Junior Cycle Curriculum:

Managing Information and Thinking

Managing Myself

Working with others

Communicating

Being creative

Staying well