Supports Available To CEIST Schools
Our main purpose is to support all who work in our schools in making the CEIST Charter values a lived reality in the schools.
Face to face visits are our main touchstone for this assurance.
We also assist Boards of Management in governance issues and selecting the four CEIST Trustees to the Board as well as formally appointing the whole Board according to the Education Act and the Articles of Management.
The Faith Leadership and Governance team also supports Boards in the appointment process for Principals and Deputy Principals.
We hope that you will find the following templates for Board of Management Minutes, and the Annual Report Template useful.
The Annual CEIST Statistical Returns can now be completed online through the e-portal.
We will be happy to speak with you directly and arrange a visit to meet you in your school.
Developing A Faith Development Policy
The CEIST Faith Leadership and Governance Team have formulated a document to assist our Schools in working towards the creation of a Faith Development Policy.
In order to ensure clarity of thinking, and a deep understanding of the faith dimension of the school’s purpose, it is hoped that the document below will help each CEIST school community to draw up and implement its own Faith Development Policy.
Working towards A Faith Development Policy
Services Provided to CEIST Schools
The following is a list of suggestions for staff seminars, workshops, retreats, presentations, etc. on offer from the team to CEIST schools. Our motto is: if there is anything you think we can do for you, just let us know and we will seek to be of assistance.
(1) Full staff reflection days, retreat days, time-out days or half days and input of varying lengths to staff meetings.
Themes we address include the following:
- Address to whole-school staffs
- Staff affirmation and uplift.
- Taking a fresh look at ‘faith’ today.
- What it means to be a ‘Catholic School ‘ in today’s Ireland.
- Rising to the challenge of being a ‘Faith School’ now.
- Coping with the variety and range of our own religious views.
- Catholic imagination and contemporary culture
- Being a teacher in a Catholic School today.
- The CEIST Charter and its relevance.
- Being a Catholic school through the liturgical year.
- Spirituality as a gift rather than a test.
- Spirituality as the core of education.
- The terms of our affiliation as teachers.
- The seasons of our teaching lives.
(2) Training
- Training for our School Boards of Management
- In-Service Day for Chairpersons of our School Boards of Management
- Training for CEIST School Finance Sub-Committees
(3) Address to parents
- Parents’ Association
- Parents’ AGM
- Parents of First Years
(4) Review of policies (example list below not exhaustive)
- Mission Statement
- Faith Development Policy
- Religious Education Policy
- RSE Policy
- Pastoral Care Policy
- SEN Policy
(5) Support for / visits to Ethos Committees
- formed by Board or Staff.
(6) Address to Students
- Graduation
- Award nights
(7) Prayer Services
- For different times of the liturgical year ( November, Advent, Lent, Easter etc) and for other significant occasions.
(8) Approaches to Prayer
- Workshops on different approaches to prayer
- Workshop on Lectio Divina
Nano Nagle Assistance Fund
As you are probably aware, 2018 was the three hundredth anniversary of the birth of Nano Nagle, Founder of the Presentation Sisters in Cork in 1718.
To honour “Nano 300” and in the spirit of Nano Nagle’s work for the poor and disadvantaged in education, the Presentation Sisters made a fund available for students in need in CEIST schools for a period of 10 years. Each year, €50k is available across all CEIST schools for students who need some help. The Presentation Sisters have indicated that the Fund is specifically to be for students whom the school deems in need of support not readily available from the school or other source.
At the beginning of each academic year, we ask Principals to send in details of students who might benefit from the Fund using the Application Form provided. We would ask schools to prioritise the applications if possible. Applications for the 2022/2023 Academic Year should be submitted by Friday October 29 and responses will be issued before Christmas.
A subcommittee of the CEIST Board will determine who will receive assistance and the amount of such assistance. The decisions of the Subcommittee will be final. The money will be paid to schools before Christmas to be disseminated when the school deems appropriate. Requests for assistance that arise during the course of the school year will be accepted. At the end of each year, we will ask schools in receipt of the Fund to provide a report (anonymising the students) to the CEIST Board.
Since 2018 the fund has assisted students in purchasing food, uniforms, schoolbooks, class materials and other necessary equipment. Assistance has also been given for school events, transport and other education fees.
In recent years we have all become increasingly aware of mental health issues and the need to support the Wellbeing of our students as well as their physical needs. For this reason, the Subcommittee has decided to expand the range of expenses for which assistance is available to include sourcing and providing psychological testing and counselling.
We would ask schools only to apply for the Fund if the school itself is unable to assist the students and only to apply where necessary. With 107 CEIST schools, not all applications can be granted.
CEIST is very grateful to the Presentation Sisters for this assistance and the commitment that it represents to those most in need in our schools.