Student Enterprise Awards held online
FOR the first time since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, the National Finals took place online on Wednesday afternoon.
Having originally been scheduled to take place in Croke Park on May 1, the Local Enterprise Office run awards were announced virtually via live stream on the Student Enterprise Programmes Facebook and YouTube channels.
Students from Colaiste Craobh Abhann, Avondale Community College and Colaiste Bhride represented County Wicklow.
Students and teachers from across the country watched the event hosted by RTE’s Rick O’Shea online. He was joined by Student Entrepreneur Programme Ambassador, Josh Van Der Flier. The Wicklow rugby star previously took part in the initiative when he was a student at Wesley College in Dublin.
Representing Wicklow in the Junior Section were Hugh Donohue and Conor McConnell of Colaiste Craobh Abhann, Kilcoole with their Fore Coats entry involving handmade coat hangers made by recycling golf balls.
The Intermediate representatives were Dale Kearney of Avondale Community College who set up Kearney Woodcraft.
They produce wooden Products such as lamps, candles and wine bottle holders using recycled timber.
Maurice Tobin and Cian
O’Tuama of Colaiste Bhride Carnew represented the County in the Senior Section with Hurlstandz, offering a unique, mountable shelf and hook combination.
Sofatop entered by Ballybay Community College, County, Monaghan, won the Junior
Section, while the Intermediate winners were Aim It Board from the Loreto College in Dublin.
Students from CBS Thurles won the Senior Section with their Handy Hose Holders, which fits to the hose to enable it to attach to any metal surface within a milking parlour.
How exactly will grades be calculated for the Leaving Cert?
There are 4 key steps to working out a calculated grade: Step 1: Your teacher will estimate the mark you would likely have got in the Leaving Certificate subject under normal conditions. They will use a range of records and evidence such as your classwork, homework, class assessments, Christmas and summer exams, mock exams and coursework.
Your teacher will also estimate your expected mark in the oral and practical performance tests. Previously, the Department of Education had awarded all students full marks for this option but this no longer applies.
You will be given a single overall estimated percentage mark in the subject. Your teacher will then estimate where you rank in relation to other students in your class.
Step 2: All the subject teachers in your school will then review the marks and rank all the school’s students for that subject. Your teacher will finalise your estimated percentage marks and ranking. The deputy principal will review the ranking with your teacher if they are the only teacher of the subject.
Step 3: Your school principal will review the marks and rankings and check that the process has been fair before sending the final estimated marks and class rankings to the Department.
Step 4: The Department will apply a standardisation process. This takes the estimated marks from each school and adjusts them to bring them into the rankings for the expected grades for that school based on the historical information held by the State Examinations Commission.
Your estimated marks for your subject will then be converted into your final calculated grade.
You can appeal your results. This will check that the correct information has been used and the process has been fair. It cannot review the percentage mark from your teacher. You will still have the option to sit the written exam. If you get a higher grade in the exam than your calculated grade, your results for the subject will be amended.