ColáisteChill Mhantáin
1ST YEAR INFO EVENING
Last Thursday, January 19, the school hosted an Information Evening for incoming First Year students and their parents. The evening featured presentations from the Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Heads and members of the Resource Department on a range of topics including subject choices, the assessment morning and pastoral care structures, including the Mentor Team, in the school.
A representative from Wriggle also delivered a comprehensive overview of the use of the iPad as an educational tool in school. There was a very positive atmosphere on the night which was further enhanced by a lovely presentation by two First Year students, Hannah Colaluca and Finn Egan Barron, who spoke confidently about their experience as First Year students in Coláiste Chill Mhantáin.
ASSESSMENT MORNING
This year the Assessment Morning for incoming First Years will take place on Saturday, January 28, from 9: 00-12: 30.
CYCLE AGAINST SUICIDE
On Wednesday, January 18, twenty Transition Year students attended the Cycle Against Suicide Student Leaders’ Congress in the University of Limerick. This event was organised to celebrate the work, commitment and awareness-raising of all Cycle Against Suicide Ambassador Schools around Ireland.
Throughout the day there was live music and motivational speakers. The host of the day was Colm Hayes, who introduced all the speakers and musicians. The speakers spoke about their personal experiences and they all shared the same message, ‘It’s ok to not be ok and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help’. Throughout the day, Ambassador Schools from all over the country displayed the projects that they were working on during the school year leading up to the event.
There was a very special and famous guest at the event and his name was Dustin the Turkey. There were a number of helplines and supports there, such as the ISPCC Teenline and Childline. The audience participated in a variety of dances during the day, promoting the idea that physical health can be fun. The event inspired us and gave us ideas about how we can bring about awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing to everyone in our school, as well as tips on how we can look after our own mental health. The main message of the day was ‘It’s ok not to be ok and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help’.
SONG SCHOOL
This week Transition Year students were busy both writing and performing their own original songs. We were delighted to welcome Peter Baxter and Leslie Dowdall from Create school to work with the students. We had three full days to accommodate all TY students, on each occasion the group was divided into smaller groups and shown how to create a song from start to finish, including writing music, playing instruments, mixing beats, adding lyrics and finally putting it all together. Each afternoon there was a short performance of the four songs created that day. This year’s TY students are definitely a very creative and talented group and we hope to hear more from them in the future.
BULLY4U
Last Tuesday all First Years attended a workshop for 75 minutes run by Bully4U, a national organisation with an excellent reputation in the provision of an anti-bullying service for primary and post-primary schools. They discussed bullying behaviour, cyber-bullying and online safety. The first years participated well and fully engaged in the question and answer sessions discussing their own experiences and concerns. On January 26 Bully4U will host an information evening for parents of First Years.
DAY OF SILENCE
As part of their CSPE project two Bann hosted a sponsored day of silence on Thursday, January 19, to raise money for Pieta House. Those taking part in the sponsored silence wore a printed sticker which read SPONSORED DAY OF SILENCE and remained silent from 9: 00-3: 40 with the exception of break times. Well done to all who participated and helped to raise awareness and money for such a worthy cause.
HEALTHY LIVING WEEK
Healthy Living Week runs from the January 23 to January 27 and features a variety of fun events organised by the Home Economics and PE departments to promote healthy living in the school. These include a free healthy breakfast every morning and a host of lunchtime physical activities including a dodgeball tournament, walking and HIIT gym sessions for senior students.
On Tuesday celebrity chef Louise Lennox conducted a cookery demonstration for first Year Home Economics and JCSP students and on Wednesday Mr Donoghue and Mr Devlin put their culinary skills to the test as they take on the challenge of two sixth Year Home Economics students in Ready, Steady, Cook.
SEWING CLUB
Anyone interested in learning or improving their sewing skills please come to G70 from 3.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday every week to design and create a variety of textile crafts.
TIN WHISTLE CLUB
Students, who are interested in learning or playing traditional tunes, as well as pop songs, on tin whistle should enquire with Ms McAdam who will be teaching students from 3.20 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday.
ART GALLERY TRIP
Last Tuesday a group of Sixth and Fifth Year students travelled to Dublin on a gallery tour of the Freud Project at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the JMW Turner Watercolours at the National Gallery of Ireland.
The tour commenced early morning at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham where the students visited the the Old Man’s House Exhibition. This exhibition, created by the office of Public Works, tells the story of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, one of Dublin’s most iconic buildings and Ireland’s foremost example of fine 17th century architecture.
Next on the agenda was a tour of the Museum of Modern Art and a visit to the Freud Project. Freud Project features a selection of 30 of the artist’s finest paintings and 20 works on paper. The works, mainly dating from 1970 onwards, explore several of the artist’s key themes such as Portraiture; Self Portraiture; Still-life; Animals and Nature; works that reflect his interest in the people and the natural world.
At lunch time the group travelled to the National Gallery of Ireland to take in the JMW Turner Watercolours. In 1900, the National Gallery of Ireland received a bequest of thirty-one watercolours by JMW. Turner (1775-1851) from English collector Henry Vaughan. Vaughan’s will stipulated that the watercolours should be exhibited free of charge each January when daylight is low and at its least damaging level.
This Art Tour was in conjunction with the students’ studies in Appreciation of art in preparation for their Leaving Certificate Examination. The day proved to be a very enjoyable and culturally rewarding experience for all involved.
FIELD STUDY
A group of sixth Year Geography students visited Glendalough to complete their field study. The field study is part of their course work for their Leaving Cert and represents 20% of their overall grade. During the day the students took measurements in the river. These measurements included velocity, bed load analysis, pH testing and cross-section area. These experiments illustrated the process of transport and deposition that is taking place in the lower course of the river. Following this, the students had a chance to walk to the upper course to observe features of erosion.
The students enjoyed the day as they were able to use some of their geographical knowledge out in the field and to observe a river at work. The good weather was an added bonus. anie Egan in CCA at 01 2870198 or stephanieegan1@wicklowvec.ie.
GIRLS FOOTBALL
Well done to the first year and junior girls football teams who recorded two comprehensive victories against St Mary’s last week. Both teams played brilliant football and were well deserved winners. Scorers for the junior team were Lucy Rooney, Lara Harrison, Katelyn Dunleavey, Kaitlin Synnott Daly, Kerrianne Hamilton, Eve Leacy and Rebecca Gillan. The junior girls now progress to the semi-final.
SPONSORED CYCLE
The school is currently organising a sponsored cycle which will take place on Friday, April 28. The 50km cycle will see teachers and students leaving from Kilcoole and going as far north as Kilmacanogue and as far south as Rathnew before returning to the school.
SCHOOLS FOOTBALL
Well done to five of our sixth year students, Thomas Kearns, Luke Evans, Seán Gregory, Killian Hannon and Conor Murphy Toole, who represented the school on the Wicklow Schools GAA team which played in the semi-final of the Leinster Senior Football A competition on Wednesday, January 18. Unfortunately the team were beaten by St Peter’s College Wexford by two points but no doubt the experience of playing at this level will stand to these boys in the future. This is the highest level of Schools GAA in the country and it is a great honour for the school and for the boys involved.
5TH YEAR PTS MEETING
our incoming first years for their entrance assessments at CCA on Saturday, January 28. The morning is an important further step to introducing our prospective first years to their new school.
CCA SCHOOL MUSICAL
The cast and crew of this year’s CCA musical are hard at work rehearsing for the show, which takes place in March. Please contact the Mermaid Arts Centre to enquire about tickets at 01 272 4030 for the show, which will run from Wednesday, March 8, to Friday, March 10, inclusive.
Congratulations to both our SCT and JCT on completing two strong performances against Glenstal Abbey on Saturday evening, January 7, under floodlights at Donnybrook Stadium. This is the third occasion this fixture has taken place in Donnybrook with an excellent attendance of both students and parents from both schools.
Final scores: Senior Cup: St Gerard’s 24 Glenstal Abbey 12. Junior Cup: St Gerard’s 35 Glenstal Abbey 0.
We wish the SCT and JCT well over the forthcoming weeks of preparation prior to their Cup campaign against St Michael’s College and Gonzaga College respectively. We also wish our opponents, Glenstal Abbey, the very best of luck in the Cup campaign in Munster.
SHOW JUMPING
Congratulations to our equestrian teams who performed excellently in Broadmeadows on Sunday, January 8. Our Novice Team (Emma Ward, Georgina Wilkinson, Grace O’Brien and Isabelle Owens) came first and our Open Team (Milly O’Loughlin, Jennifer Robinson, Kirstie Connole and Harry Fitzpatrick) came third. Well done also to Kirstie Connole, who came first in the Individual Event and Mark Finnerty, who came third in the same class.
YOUNG SCIENTISTS