Dominican College Wicklow
TOP OF THE LEAGUE TABLES
Congratulations to all the Leaving Cert students of 2018 and their very committed teachers. As a result of their fantastic achievements and progression on to the various Universities, Dominican College Wicklow was ranked second on the League Table which focused on all the schools in County Wicklow. The top school in the county, with the highest number of students progressing to university, was the private fee-paying school St Gerard’s. Being the top non-feepaying school is a great achievement and we are very proud of all our students and staff.
TRANSITION YEAR TRIP
On Tuesday, December 17, our Transition Year students headed to Dundrum for a well-deserved end of term trip. The girls went shopping in the morning, and this proved to be very successful, judging by the number of extra bags on the way home. Following lunch, the girls went ice skating at 1 p.m. There were a few falls but lots of laughs too. Some of the shrewder students avoided the spills on by ice by seeking the assistance of Bart, Al and Sylvia, the stabilising penguins. The girls then had a short time for some last-minute shopping before returning to school. All had a really great day. Many thanks to Ms Kelly for organising the trip.
BLAINROE VISIT
On December 16 Ms Martin and Ms Kelly brought the two Sapphire CSPE class to visit the
Blainroe Lodge Nursing Home. Ms Martin organised the visit to tie in with the theme of becoming active citizens and linking with the community. The girls spent the afternoon talking with the residents and distributing chocolates and small gifts.
Fourth-year students Robyn Brennan and Isabella Downey accompanied the second years to help with their carol singing. Robyn led the vocals and Isabella accompanied the girls on the piano. The residents had song sheets and joined in with the girls. One resident was so involved she was almost directing the choir. The residents were so impressed and commented on how well behaved the girls were. Both the students and the residents enjoyed the day, and the girls could experience the real gift of Christmas in their visit.
The following day a lovely email was sent to the school from the staff of the Blainroe Lodge Nursing Home. The sentiment was one of thanks for the wonderful way in which the students interacted with the residents. They commented on the impeccable behaviour of the students and the very thoughtful gifts that they distributed. It was lovely to hear that the visit was very much appreciated and that the girls would be most welcome back at any time. So well done to all our two sapphire students.
2ND YEAR SPONSORED WALK
Despite the very windy conditions on Friday, December 12, two Emerald completed their 5km sponsored walk. The walk involved a circuit from the school down to the Station Road, across to the Murrough and back to the school via the Quay and the Black Castle. The girls were rosy-cheeked on their return to the school but agreed that it was a very enjoyable way to end the week. There was also the bonus of raising funds for St Catherine’s Special School. Huge thanks to Ms Martin for organising both the sponsored walk and a visit to the nursing home.
CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE
Well done to all the students in the school Liturgical Choir, who performed their Christmas carol service twice on Wednesday, December 18, During the day they performed to the rest of the school and that night performed once again for family and friends.
This year there was a significant number of the staff who also joined in the festivities and performed renditions of ‘We Wish You Christmas’, Ring Christmas Bells’ and ‘O Holy Night’ but to name a few.
The singing was of the highest standard and the acoustics in the Dominican Chapel added to the overall performance. There was a magical atmosphere in the chapel, and it was a wonderful start to the Christmas season. The readings and the iconic songs described the symbolism behind the Advent wreath and reminded us that Advent is a time of preparation. As the service progressed the story of the First Christmas unfolded.
It was truly a reflective experience and we were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. Congratulations to Ms Gaffney, the musical director who had the added time pressure this year of organising all the staff rehearsals too. Overall, it was a superb performance by both students and staff.
LCVP CINEMA DAY
The LCVP Leaving Cert syllabus requires the students to take the responsibility of planning and running a chosen event. This year the students decided to organise a Cinema day in Fatima Hall and donate all the funds raised to Pieta House. The fundraiser took place on December 19 It was a very popular event which necessitated two separate screenings. In the morning the junior students indulged in popcorn as they watched the film Elf. In the afternoon, it was the turn of the senior students to watch Home Alone. The LCVP students
Well done to all the Student Council members on their very successful Christmas fundraiser, The Christmas Jumper Day. It is always a popular event in the fundraising calendar. All the staff and students got on board and donned an array of colourful Christmas clothes. The girls raised more than €500 and presented a cheque to a representative of the Wicklow Hospice.
RETURN TO SCHOOL
We would like to wish all our students, staff and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. The school will reopen for all on Monday,