Dublin School - Juniors | Gemini Courses

Dublin School - Juniors

This Dublin Juniors Programme is held at Sutton Park School in the safe and residential area of Sutton in Northern Dublin and houses students in host family accommodation.

- The age range is 12 - 17 years.

- The minimum course length is 2 weeks starting from Monday 27th June until Friday 19th August.

This junior summer programme includes:

• 15 hours tuition per week (60 minute lessons)
• Full sports and activities programme in the afternoons
• 1 full day excursion per week, packed lunch provided
• 1 evening activity per week
• Full board host family accommodation
• Hot lunch provided in the school
• Daily transport for students to the school
• Use of textbooks and course materials
• Certificates of Attendance on satisfactory completion of the course

The First Day
On the first day, junior students arrive at Sutton Park School by private bus at 09.45. Students receive the following on the first day:
• Placement Test
• Students’ Welcome Pack
• Student card
• Tour of School

The English Course
Students attend 3 hours of class every morning; two teachers teach each group. Levels are from Elementary to Advanced – please note that we do not accept beginners. The Course Director will endeavour to form classes that are well balanced in terms of age, gender, and nationality. Although all the skills are practised, the main focus is on communication and the production of language. All course materials are provided though students are advised to bring a dictionary and writing materials.

Afternoon Activities
After the lunch break, students take part in afternoon activities, which are compulsory. Activities are organised and supervised by sports staff, monitors and group leaders.

Typical Activities may include:
• Football
• Arts and Crafts
• Dancing
• Table Tennis
• Swimming
• Baseball
• Indoor soccer
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Tennis
• Badminton
• Barbecue

Evening Activities
One fully supervised disco is held each week at the school and transfers are arranged to and from the event.

Supervision & Welfare
During the school day students may not leave the school premises unless accompanied by a monitor. Students are expected to return home in time for the evening meal with the family. Irish families tend to have dinner quite early in the evening – often between 6 and 7pm. In the summertime, evenings are long and it is daylight until about 10.30 pm. It is quite normal for Irish children to go out after dinner to meet friends who live locally. Depending on the age of the student, we set curfew times and students must return home by this time.

Curfew times:
• Students aged 12-13 must be home by 9pm
• Students aged 14-15 must be home by 10pm
• Students aged 16-17 must be home by 10.30pm

At all times, the student must inform the family as to where he or she will be. In the case of a student who is unhappy with their family, we will make every effort to change that student to another family. Please inform us at the time of booking if there are any allergies to food or pets that the family should be made aware of or if the student has any medical condition and is bringing medication.

What to bring:
• Sports shoes and sports wear
• Swimming costume and swimming towel
• Rain jacket
• Notebook and pen
• Small dictionary (not compulsory)
• Personal toiletries (i.e. shampoo, shower gel etc.)
A small amount of pocket money should also be brought for buying souvenirs and extra drinks or refreshements, large sums of money should not be carried by students. Pocket money can be deposited in the school's safe and given to students when required.

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The benefits of study abroad for young people are endless. We often hear people saying that they believe it’s easier to learn a language when you’re young. Well why not take advantage of this well known fact and book an English language study trip for summer 2010.

Educational surveys have recently shown that when a young person studies abroad it is very likely to have positive effects on their continued studies in the form of better grades. It will almost always improve a person’s confidence so they are better equipped to deal with new challenges in life and it will often result in friendships and contacts being made that can last a lifetime.

A junior summer study abroad programme would usually involve a 2, 3 or 4 week stay in monitored residential accommodation where English lessons, activities, accommodation and meals are all provided. The ages range from 8 to 17 years depending on the location you choose and dates are usually from end of June to end of August.

Course facts

Maximum class size: 15 students

Lesson Length: 60 minutes

Materials included: yes

Schedule: 15 lessons per week

Timetable: 10:00 - 13:30 classes, 13:30 - 14:30 lunch, 14:30 - 16:45 activities

Course duration: 2, 3 or 4 weeks

Start dates: 27th June - 19th August 2011

Public holidays:

No public holidays fall in the dates of this junior programme.

Accommodation options and pricing:

Host family accommodation - included in the total price.

The full board host family accommodation is in Sutton, the coastal suburbs of north county Dublin. The host families are visited regularly by the school's Accommodation Officer and are very dedicated to young student care. Breakfast and evening meals are provided each day. A packed lunch is provided on Thursdays and on Saturdays. Students have a hot lunch at the school on all other days. All meals are taken with the family on Sunday. In general, accommodation is in twin rooms shared with another student of a different nationality.

The arrival day should be the Saturday or Sunday before the course and the accommodation is based on 7 nights ie. Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday.

Bed linen is provided and laundry can be included with the family wash unless special care is required such as hand washing or dry cleaning, in which case, students should take care of his or her own laundry.

Students will travel to school together, usually in pairs, on public transport or by walking. You will be informed of the distance to the school when assigned to a host family.

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