Dear Colleagues,

The ACCS In-School Management Conference takes place in Farnham Estate Spa & Golf Resort, Farnham Estate, Cavan on the 30th November and 1st December 2023. The theme of this year’s In-Service is “Leadership Unplugged”. The ACCS In-School Management Task Group has organised an agenda (attached) for this year’s Conference which includes sessions for school leaders which promote a focus on building effective ICT practices in our schools.

On Thursday the 30th of November, lunch will be served from 12 noon - 1.15pm in Maxwells Grill Room and The Cedar Rooms (please note this is included in your package).

Conference will commence at 1.30pm in the Redwood Suite. We are delighted to welcome Lord David Puttnam who will address delegates on “The Teacher of 2030: Future Proofing Education for the Digital World”.

Regional meetings from 2.30pm-3.00pm will give delegates the opportunity to discuss issues they would like addressed at Friday morning’s current issues session and also to elect representatives to the In-School Management Task Group for the 2023/2024 year.

We have received apologies from Tik Tok personnel who unfortunately cannot now present a workshop, but the following three concurrent workshops will take place from 3.00pm – 4.00pm. Delegates will be required to sign-in to attend one of three at the registration desk on Thursday morning. We would encourage school colleagues to attend different workshops so that each school team has an opportunity to engage with each of the topics in so far as possible.

1.      Workshop 1. “Social Media, Selfies and Screen Time: Supporting Teens Online – Resources and Strategies for Schools”. Presented by: Jane McGarrigle, Project Officer, Webwise

2.      Workshop 2. “Creating Phone-Free Schools with Yondr Lockable Pouches: Product Demonstration and Yondr School Case Study”. Presented by: Sarah Leader, Education Partnerships Lead, Yondr Ireland and Maria O’Brien, Deputy Principal, Blackwater Community School

3.      Workshop 3. “IPPN - teacher recruitment – a look at www.educationposts.ie”. Presented by: Maeve O’Mahony, Technical Lead, IPPN, Brian O’Doherty, Sustainable Leadership Lead, IPPN and Anne Marie Dillon, Director of H.R., ACCS

All delegates are invited to a pre-dinner drinks reception kindly sponsored by PCI Group Limited from 7.30pm – 8.00pm. This reception will take place in the hotel lobby before we take our seats for dinner in the Redwood Suite at 8.00pm.

Once seated in the dinner venue, we will begin the evening with the ACCS annual quiz organised by Howard Welch, Principal, The Royal & Prior Comprehensive School and the In-School Management Task Group. Following dinner, we will celebrate our Principals and Deputy Principals who retired during the academic year 2022 – 2023. 

For delegates staying in the Cavan Crystal Hotel, a courtesy bus will be available at the Cavan Crystal Hotel at 7.00 p.m. to transfer guests to Farnham Estate for the drinks reception and gala dinner. The courtesy bus will return guests to the Cavan Crystal Hotel and will depart at 12.30 a.m. from the hotel lobby entrance in Farnham Estate.

On Friday the 1st of December our agenda commences at 9.30am with “Current Issues & Governance”. This will be followed by a panel discussion Professor Tom Collins, Dr. Eilis Humphreys, CEO APTCS & Antoinette Nic Gearailt, ACCS Executive on “Looking Back and Looking Forward”. After coffee/tea break, we are delighted to welcome Jacinta Kitt who will present a session on “Reflective Leadership for Powering On and Off”. 

Presentations and resources will be available on www.accs.ie in the week following Conference.

Please note that ACCS will be taking photographs at the Conference for the purposes of the ACCS newsletter and for use on the ACCS website. You may choose to be included in these photographs or not, and anyone who chooses not to be photographed may of course step out.

Check-in for Delegates staying in Farnham Lodges: Please drive up to Farnham Estate Hotel Reception, park in the set-down area and check-in at the main hotel reception. You can then drive to your allocated lodge and park outside the front door of your lodge. 

We wish all our delegates an enjoyable and rewarding Conference and thank you in advance for your support.

John Irwin, General Secretary, ACCS

Addendum:

ISM Conference 2023 - Agenda