Dear Parents and Guardians,
As the weather begins to take on a more autumnal feel, it is lovely to see the school community continuing to settle into the new academic year. Our students have engaged very positively with school life this week, and it is particularly encouraging to see them finding their rhythm again, engaging with their teachers and SNAs, and making the most of the learning opportunities available to them.
I would like to thank all our students for their continued effort, positive attitude and cooperation. Their enthusiasm and commitment are helping to create a wonderful atmosphere across both campuses, and I look forward to another productive and successful week ahead.
Please read through the important information below which has a focus on the importance of Positive School Attendance.
Wishing you and your families a very pleasant weekend. I look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday.
Sarah Green
Principal
St Seton’s
Anseo – St Seton’s Attendance Strategy
Our commitment to providing the best support for your children and families has led us to continue into our 2nd year of a new initiative called ANSEO (an attendance tool for schools which is a collaboration between Dept of Education and TUSLA Education Support Service). Together, we aim to empower children to attend school regularly and overcome any potential barriers they may face in their educational journey.
St Seton’s uses an inclusive model supported by a Multi-Tiered System of supports.
Tier 1. (Universal): Support for all students
Tier 2. (Targeted): Extra help for some students through school-based services
Tier 3. (Specialised): Intensive Supports
Key Points for Parents / Guardians:
- Families, staff and students share responsibility for attendance
- Clear communication with families will be prioritised through Compass
- If a student is absent, it is the responsibility of the parent / guardian to inform the school and explain the absence via Compass or direct communication with the school secretary.
View this helpful video to explain how to mark Student Attendance on Compass: 📽️ Attendance.mp4 - Two days absent per month can lead to chronic absenteeism
- We will take an approach which celebrates attendance and personal achievements.
Together, we can build a positive culture where attendance is everyone’s responsibility. Thank you for your continued support.
Attendance Challenge
To promote positive attendance, St Seton’s runs a number of attendance challenges throughout the year. Please see this information booklet for Parents/ Guardians about our Attendance Challenges and the Importance of Positive School Attendance:
📄Click here: Let’s Talk Attendance Booklet for Parents – Sept 2026
Our first Attendance Challenge of 26/27 begins on Monday 14th September and runs for 20 school days until 12th October. All students who show an improvement in their attendance during the challenge will be awarded with Positive Behaviour Points and there is a lottery for €50 voucher prizes too. If you as a parent / guardian need any help supporting your child’s attendance, please contact our HSCL teacher, Maria – hscl@stsetons.ie
Compass – Our School’s Management System
We are committed to ensuring all parents / guardians are supported to use our School’s Compass App to record any student absences. If your child is absent from school, please ensure that a reason is given for their absences for each day of any absence.
If you are experiencing any difficulty, please make contact with the school by phone or by emailing info@stsetons.ie / juniorcampus@stsetons.ie / seniorcampus@stsetons.ie .
We have prepared a series of short videos to assist parents / guardians with utilising Compass. These videos can be accessed here: 📽️ Compass Videos for Parents/Guardians and will assist you with getting familiar with Compass.
If for any reason your child is absent, please be sure to fill in the reason for their absence each day on Compass. If you cannot manage to record the reason for the absence on Compass, please make contact with the school to explain their absence on the day the student returns to school. This will ensure all of the information is up to date on their attendance record. As a school, we are trying really hard to ensure our attendance records are accurate so your cooperation here is really appreciated.
Tús Nua
As you are aware, Tús Nua is a campaign group with a mission to achieve the timely delivery of our new school building: 🖼️ Tus Nua Campaign Poster.pdf
The last meeting was held on Monday and focused on our preparations for presenting to the Dublin City Council South Central Area Committee meeting in City Hall in October. This will be another opportunity to promote our cause. A small number of the Tús Nua team will attend with some TY and 2nd year students and parents. If you would like to attend, please make contact with me on sgreen@stsetons.ie
At the Open Day on Thursday, we will be collecting more signatures on our petitions with a view to presenting the petitions and post cards to the Minister at Leinster House in the first week in October.
Year Head Assemblies
Next week is Assembly Week in the school calendar. Each Year Head will call their group down to the Hub / SC Canteen for an assembly to further emphasise the importance of positive school attendance, engagement with the Attendance Challenge and also a reminder of our school rules, positive behaviour expectations and routines.
Open Day & Admissions Information
Our Annual Open Day will take place on 17th September from 2.30 – 5.30pm. Please see 🖼️ this flyer for details. We are looking forward to welcoming prospective families to St Seton’s for our annual open day which is always an enjoyable afternoon. We will be accepting applications for admission to 1st Year 2027/28 from 1st October – 22nd October. Applications received after 22nd October will be considered late applications. If any parent / guardian wishes to join some members of the Family Association to help with serving tea and coffee at the open day, please contact our HSCL teacher, Maria, hscl@stsetons.ie
Celebrating Student Success
Each week we like to ‘Celebrate Student Success’ in the weekly communications to Staff and Parents / Guardians. Sometimes we are unaware of the success stories of our students accomplished outside of school. On such occasions, please share with us the details of your son’s / daughter’s success so we can celebrate it as a school community! Email me on sgreen@stsetons.ie
Information on JC CBAs – S. Markey
Reminder: Junior Cycle CBA Arrangements 2026/27
Please note the revised CBA arrangements for the 2026/27 school year, as outlined by the NCCA.
3rd Years
Students are required to complete a minimum of one CBA in each subject. Schools have autonomy to decide whether students complete one or two CBAs, with the following exceptions where CBA 2 is required:
- Irish
- Visual Art
- Home Economics
- Music
- Graphics
- Wood Technology
Students in this cohort do not complete the Assessment Task.
2nd Years – 2025–2028 Cohort
The same one-CBA arrangement applies to all 2nd years in 2026/27.
The CBA 1 completion window for 2nd years is:Monday 19 October 2026 – Friday 30 April 2027
A CBA must be completed in CSPE and SPHE also.
For full details and the subject-specific arrangements, please see the NCCA guidance below. Please note the latest days for completion also. 📄Click here: NCCA – Revised arrangements for the completion of Classroom-Based Assessments 2026/2027
Wellbeing Classes- Monday 14th September – L Tarpey
The focus on Wellbeing Classes this week is Attendance. Students will discuss the importance of Positive School Attendance. This is also a great opportunity to discuss the Attendance Challenge and really encourage positive student engagement with it.
Upcoming Events & Activities
All TYs will attend the Ploughing Championship next Tuesday 15th Sept. It is always a highlight of the year so fingers crossed for good weather.
Good luck to our Junior GAA girls who play their first match against St Mark’s Tallaght on Friday
