THANK YOU to our under 16 Boys Basketball team for our wonderful day out today at the All Ireland Basketball Final in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght! The lads fought hard and played so well against St. Finian's Community College, Swords. Despite losing 68-56 the lads displayed great team spirit and fantastic sportsmanship. 
Well done to:  Conor Cremin (3A), Jack Cronin (3D), Baron Descallar, (3F), Sam Devenney (3B), Turlough Donnelly (3A), Luke Duffy (3F), Senan Gallagher (3D), Fionn Howard (3A), Myles MacNamara (3B), Daniel Morgan (3E), Fionn O'Brien (3D), Tom Ryan (3F), Daniel Young (3A) and to our super coaches Ms A. O'Malley, Mr S. Mann & Senan Murphy (5th Year).
CPC is  so proud of you all and we look forward to seeing you play in division A next season!

During a meeting this morning Ms Mc Donnell and Ms Duffy, the career guidance counsellors met with our 5th year students. Students were reminded of the benefits of the Athena tracker in monitoring students' progress across their chosen subjects. Students were given their own individual tracker to allow them to track their own performance and they were invited to make individual appointments with their respective career guidance counsellor to discuss further if required. 

Huge congratulations to Adam Bermingham in 5th Year who has yet again qualified for the national final of the AILO (All Ireland Linguistic Olympiad) competition.

The top 100 students from across the country progress from the very challenging preliminary round which was held last month. Adam will now represent CPC in the final which will be held in DCU next month.

Well done Adam on this marvellous achievement and we wish you the very best of luck in the final!

Message sent to all schools today:

Dear Principal,

**FINAL REMINDER**

Due to a large volume of candidates that have yet to engage with the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) The SEC has decided to extend the portal closing date to 5pm today (Tuesday 06th February).

Please ensure all candidates in your school complete the registration process and confirm subject selection by 5pm today.

Kind Regards,

Grace Fitzgerald

Entries Section.

7 ways to keep your children safe online in 2024

CSO research shows that 88% of families in Ireland now have fixed broadband, with 37% accessing the internet via mobile.

Faster, more widespread internet access, an increase in cyberattacks, and emerging tech like artificial intelligence (AI), and tools like ChatGPT mean it is more important than ever that our children stay safe online. 

1. Recognise new risks: The rapid growth of AI brings potential risks and challenges. Be wary of things like deepfakes: realistic, AI-generated fake videos and images that can be used to humiliate, abuse, or bully a victim.
2. Stay socially savvy: Get acquainted with social platforms like Snapchat, Twitch, and TikTok and select suitable privacy settings. Read up on social and cyberbullying laws like Coco’s Law, which criminalises the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
3. Be safe and secure: With a 22% increase in the frequency of cyberattacks in Ireland in 2023, it’s even more important to set up the right internet security. Install the latest anti-virus software on your children’s device, keep it up to date, use two-factor authentication (2FA), and tell them not to open unknown attachments or links. 
4. Set clear rules: Setting clear do’s and don’ts can help your kids navigate the minefield of apps, social platforms and fake news. Ask them not to share personal information or meet up with strangers, encourage them to question headlines and to open up about abusive messages. 
5. Take control: Parental controls block apps and websites and filter out inappropriate content. They also restrict when and how long your children can go online and allow you to monitor their usage. Free options include Qustodio and Google’s Family Link. 
6. Be open and supportive: Let them know you’re on hand for advice should they need it. Creating a relaxed, positive environment helps build trust and means you won’t be left in the dark should any issues arise. 
7. Get resourceful: There are plenty of online resources to help keep your children safe from cyberbullying, online predators, and dangerous websites. Visit Webwise.ie, Internet Matters.org, Cyber Safe Kids.ie and Common Sense Media - who have put together guides for parents on trending apps and their safety. 

For more information, visit Switcher.ie's free resource: How to keep your children safe online in Ireland.