Winter News
2018 EDITION
Leaving Certificate 2018 The class average CAO points is a remarkable 477 Points per person, with previous records of 457 in 2016 and 489 in 2017. •
43% attained in excess of 500 points
•
69% attained over 450 points
•
86% attained over 400 points
•
97% attained over 300 points
•
Four students attained in excess of 600 points
Recognition should be given to the students, the teachers and the parents for achieving such high standards.
Oíche Nollag
Le coinnle na n-aingeal tá an spéir amuigh breachta, Tá fiacail an tseaca sa ghaoith ón gcnoc, Adaigh an tine is téir chun na leapan, Luífidh Mac Dé ins an tigh seo anocht. Máire Mhac an tSaoi The Sky tonight is lit with the candles of Angels, The bite of the frost is in the wind from the hill, Raise the fire and get yee to bed, The son of God will lie in this house tonight.
TOM GERAGHTY Headmaster
Junior Certificate 2018 Congratulations to the Junior Certificate Class of 2018. The average number of higher honours attained is 8.4 per student. •
41% attained 10 or 11 higher honours
•
66% attained 9, 10 or 11 higher honours
•
77% attained 8, 9, 10, 11 higher honours
•
Three students attained 10 A grades on Higher Level papers
•
Three students attained 9 A grades on Higher Level papers
•
The average number of A and B grades attained was 5.7 honours per pupil (497 A/B grades attained)
•
57% attained a minimum of one A/Distinction grade
Naughton Scholarship Congratulations to Nicholas Pochinkov who has been awarded the prestigious Naughton Scholarship for the study of Engineering in Trinity College Dublin. The Naughton Foundation awards 36 annual Scholarships to exceptional students from the Republic of Ireland. We wish Nicholas every success in his studies.
Trinity Entrance Exhibition Award 2018 Congratulations to Nicholas Pochinkov who has been awarded the Trinity Entrance Exhibition Award. Under the new system, only one student from each school is awarded the scholarship to Trinity and this is given to the applicant with the highest points in their school.
Pa ge 2
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
UCD Entrance Exhibition Award 2018 Congratulations to the following students of the Class of 2018 on being awarded an Entrance Scholarship to UCD; Mark Fagan, Cormac Foley, John Gleeson, Ryan Lucas, Owen Riordan, Ciaran Soden and Jeremy Trane have received this reward in recognition of their achievement in the Leaving Certificate exams, having achieved at least 560 points.
Annual Winter Ball Congratulations to the Winter Ball Committee and to all those who helped support the event, which took place at the Powerscourt Hotel. A remarkable €50,000 was raised for the Laura Lynn Hospice and the Outreach programme to Zambia.
Soroptimists’ Public Speaking Four of our talented Transition Year and Fifth Year girls participated in the Soroptimists’ Public Speaking competition. Emily Barrett, Emilia Connolly, Lily-Kate Hearns, and Jemima Ramsay represented the school admirably, speaking on a variety of topics ranging from human rights to the environment. Despite the fierce competition, both Emilia Connolly and Lily-Kate really impressed the adjudicators and have been chosen as regional representatives for the next round of the competition. Well done to all who participated!
Royal Russell MUN This year a determined team of six sixth year students represented St. Gerard’s School at the international Model United Nations conference in the Royal Russell School in Croydon. The team proudly represented the delegation of Ukraine, with Dillon Ashmore as the ambassador making aggressive and intimidating statements in his opening speech, while throwing in the odd Ukrainian phrase. Through the course of the conference each delegate debated their own committee’s topics including ‘Cryptocurrencies and the ‘Militarisation of the South China Sea’. Each delegate made themselves heard in both committee and general assembly, trying their best to make the nation of Ukraine proud! Congratulations to the team which consisted of Dillon Ashmore, Claire Ahern, Carla Connolly, Donna Looby, Alanna Stanley and Sophie O’Riordan.
www .s t g e rards . i e
Pag e 3
Model United Nations A number of Fifth Year and Transition Year students bravely took their first steps into the world of Model United Nations this year. At the Terenure College conference (TERMUN), our students were appointed as representatives of the delegation of Venezuela. They researched, debated and bribed their way through yet another brilliant conference. Students addressed a range of issues from cryptocurrencies to media censorship. At the Rathdown School conference (RADMUN) the St. Gerard’s students continued to represent Venezuela. Jack Cummins was awarded a welldeserved Distinguished Delegate for his efforts. These conferences provided students with the opportunity to practise their public-speaking skills ahead of the other competitions taking place early next year. Well done to all involved!
Junior Debating Over the past few months the St. Gerard’s debating team have been attending the UCD debates. These are fun debates against other schools that can really boost your confidence and help with your public speaking skills. We have participated in debates on lots of interesting ideas and issues including the ‘perception of soldiers as heroes’ and ‘why we shouldn’t eat meat anymore’. Our meetings take place in the library every Thursday morning at 8:15 and everyone from First to Third Year is welcome to join!
BT Young Scientist Competition The best of luck to First Year students Ethna Vondrys and Amelie Moore who are participating in the BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition in the R.D.S on January 9th - 12th. Ethna’s project “The mystery of Killiney Beach amber” is a study of a remarkable amber find she made on Killiney Beach in the aftermath of storm Ophelia earlier this year, while Amelie’s project “ To investigate the incidence and impact of micro plastics on Irish farms” is a very topical issue generating a lot of concern at the moment.
Irish Junior Science and Maths Olympiad Congratulations to the following Transition Year students who were invited to take part in the Irish Junior Science and Maths Olympiad based on their excellent performance in both Science and Maths in the Junior Certificate exams; Ciaran Kavanagh, Emily Barrett, Ilana Philips, Michael Gleeson, Matthew Whelehan, Alan Gordon, Roisin Farrell and Emilia Connolly. Emily was highly commended for her performance and Ciaran received a Bronze medal for his performance. St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
Science week Science week took place from the 12th to the 16th November with students participating in a lunchtime construction challenge in which teams used drinking straws to build the tallest possible structure that could support the weight of a marble. The innovative designs generated much excitement and some even reached 1.5 metres in height. A group of first year students also participated in “I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here” where they were given the opportunity to connect with scientists and ask some probing scientific questions. Once again science week proved to be popular amongst the students and fun was had by all.
Senior Science Quiz
Eureka STEM Poster Competition
The Sixth Year Team scored the highest in the Regional competition and therefore were awarded the ISTA Cup for the Regionals. In the National Final, they came seventh in a very tough competition. The team was comprised of; Neil Denvir, Emma Beashel and Peter O’Flynn.
Congratulations to the following students who have been successful in the national Eureka STEM Poster Competition entitled “Believe in Science”; Aoife Ni Chuinn (Second Year) – First Place, Anna Reynolds (Second Year) – Second Place, Hugo Dunne (First Year) – Third Place. The winners were presented with their awards at the Institute of Carlow on Friday 16th November.
www .s t g e rards . i e
Pag e 5
Eucharistic Ministers In September, Father John O’Connor celebrated mass for the opening of the new school year. He again joined us in October to help the school community celebrate mass on St. Gerard’s Day. Breaking with tradition, this year the mass time was changed from evening to daytime. Ten Sixth Year students had a special celebratory mass in November to recognise their commissioning as Minister of the Eucharist. A special thanks goes to Ms. Elaine Hogan from Shankill parish and Mr. Pat Maguire for working with the students and preparing them for their ministry. November also saw the school community (past and present) gather to pray for those family and friends who have gone to their eternal reward. The School Choir helped in making this such a memorable service. Thank you to all of those involved and to those who attended this term’s liturgies.
Student Council & Young Social Innovators September saw the Student Council elections take place, with 26 students now representing the six year-groups. The elections were a first for the Council as the voting took place online. Meeting once a month with the Headmaster the representatives have been kept very busy in helping to organise a number of whole school events. They offered welcome assistance to the Transition Year YSI group in the organisation of a non-uniform day in November. Combined with the YSI bake sale the event raised over €4,000 for Bray Lakers. Following the Christmas exams, the Council also organised a ‘crazy jumper day’ in aid of locally based homeless charities.
Sixth Year Creative Writing Talk In November, the Sixth Years were lucky enough to attend a talk in school given by Wicklow based author Julia Kelly. The students got the chance to discuss some writing techniques as well as gaining an insight into the life of a talented and successful author.
Pa ge 6
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
Senior Geography Tour to Iceland Prior to the October mid-term break, 39 Senior Geography students travelled to Iceland on a four-day action-packed adventure. The group had been looking forward to the trip since March and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The first day saw a visit to the Secret Lagoon followed by the Golden Circle Tour. This included a visit to the spectacular Gulfoss waterfalls, Strokkur geyser fields and geothermal springs and finally the famous Thingvellir National Park where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates separate. The evening activity afforded us the opportunity to relax in one of the numerous local outdoor geothermal swimming pools in Reykjavik. On the second day the adventure continued in style with a tour of Iceland’s South Shore in the Super Jeeps. We travelled to Thorsmork, the valley of Thor, and the remnants of the famous Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption. We had lunch in volcano huts with our journey continuing to the geothermal power plant at the Hellisheidi, third-largest geothermal power station in the world. Back to our hotel for our evening meal and on to the local geothermal swimming pools once again. Day three took us on a glacier walk on the Sólheimajökull glacier in southern Iceland. Lying between the volcanoes of Katla and Eyjafjallajökull, it is part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull glacier. On our return to Reykjavik we took in the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where one is able to walk behind the towering 65m high cascade. That evening we ventured to the wilds in search of the Aurora Borealis. Alas, all we saw were moonlit clouds, plenty and plenty of moonlit clouds. The final day incorporated a walking tour of Reykjavik with some free time for souvenir shopping. It was a superb trip where the group had the unique opportunity to see the stunning Icelandic landscape, helping them to better understand the Leaving Certificate Geography curriculum. A brilliant tour!
www .s t g e rards . i e
Pag e 7
Music Festival
October saw a wonderful selection of talent take to the Junior School stage for the St. Gerard’s Music Festival. Organised by Ms. Owens and Mrs. Olohan, the audience were treated to a wide range of music genres. Judging was again difficult due to the overall quality of the performances. Coming out on top this year were the following winners; Senior Vocalist, Molly Stening; Junior Vocalist, Charlotte Finnegan-Quirke; Senior Instrumentalist, Sinead O’Flaherty; Junior Instrumentalist, Aisling Lyons; and Group Winners. Lily-Kate Hearns and Amy MacNulty. Well done to all those involved!
Pa ge 8
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
Hospice Coffee Fundraising Morning Congratulations to all who helped in the running of the Irish Hospice Coffee Morning. Taking place in October, â‚Ź2,500 was raised for the charity, which is another record for the school in support of this event.
2018
Pag e 9
Debutantes 2018
St. Gerard’s Day
By Emilia Connolly
The 17th of October marked the annual St Gerard’s Day. We celebrated this day with the quiz, walk and mass. For the quiz, all the pupils were packed tightly into the hall and put into teams of six. During the next hour and a half a singing competition, rugby and hockey showdown (with the hockey reigning victorious) and a, wait for it…. flossing competition took place… and all under the control of Mr Drummy who brought out his best jokes for the occasion. Once the quiz was over and team 27 had won, we all walked down to the sports hall for the mass. Due to the building works, the mass was held during the day, which ran very smoothly and had a great turnout. At 1:30, we were herded onto the buses and on our way to the Great Sugarloaf. It was a lovely crisp afternoon for a walk, and before we knew it we were walking over ‘the shoulder’ and looking down at the breathtaking views of County Wicklow. After a steep sloping walk back down, we headed back to the school and to finish the day off, everyone was given a large cup of hot chocolateand a chocolate treat!
Page 10
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
Transition Year Highlights... Self Defence
Camping Trip
Barista Course
www .s t g e rards . i e
By Ilana Philips & Lisa Sutton
Our camping experience began with us getting our Junior Cert results, a Wednesday morning full of nerves, excitement and emotion. The results were much anticipated, but once we were quickly herded onto the buses they were rapidly forgotten and replaced with the excitement of our first major adventure as a year group. Once we arrived at the beautiful Lough Dan, we started to erect all the tents. I think it’s fair to say some tents were erected a little more securely than others, which became evident after the first night, with multiple collapsed roofs and many feet out in the cold. After setup and a quick lunch, we began our first adventure - an 8km walk along one of the most scenic parts of Lough Dan. Returning to camp complaining of exhaustion (little did we know of what was to come the next day) we began to fill our empty bellies. Some meals were more wholesome and nutritious than others and this trend continued over the next few days. People either had steaks out on BBQs cooking full meals or the kettle on for Pot Noodles. With an early wake up call from the teachers, we groggily made breakfast and only one student set fire to anything (not to name names @sarahlily). We set off shortly after on a hike the distance of which we all underestimated. It did not help that the first hour and a half was almost all uphill; some would say it was vertical but to any younger years reading this we will let you be the judge of that. We walked around Lough Dan and had a picnic lunch on the bank between lakes. After a quick break to re-fuel, we walked along the edge of the water to a point where we could cross and complete the final leg of the journey. Soon after we had crossed the lake over slippery rocks, with only one casualty (not to name names @matthewwhelehan) we made it back to the campsite alive - just about! After the walk, we decided that it would be a good idea to go for a nice refreshing swim in the lake. Some were braver than others, but the majority of people tackled the cold water. The lake was freezing, but a relief after the hike. Night-time on both nights were the highlights of the trip. Whether you were sitting around the campfire, huddled up in a tent or playing slushie with a very captivated audience, the night gave us opportunities to make new relationships or strengthen old ones. Around the campfire there was never an absence of food, whether that be marshmallows burnt to a crisp, the remnants of the teachers’ chips or the burgers that were so generously given to us, courtesy of Brian. With thick smoke flying everywhere and music playing in the background, we were able to make some amazing memories as a group. Unfortunately, the amazing weather did not continue into Friday, and the rainy, gloomy weather almost mimicked our mood. No one wanted to leave, but all good things must come to an end. After dismantling the tents in the rain we were ushered onto buses and heading home. The bus ride had a dampened atmosphere, but I’m sure the teachers were glad to have a little bit of peace and quiet, because knowing our year, there wasn’t much of it during the trip. On behalf of all of Fourth Year, we like to say a huge thanks to all the staff that made this trip possible and as wonderful as it was. Pag e 11
Boxing
By Amalia Mihalec
For six weeks, commencing on the 1st of October, many of our Transition Year Students partook in a boxing course run in the school every Monday. We began by learning many simple boxing terms and moves, such as the jab and hook, which was also a warm up for our muscles to avoid strains. Each week we were split into groups of four and completed several stations and activities in the hour. Using boxing gloves and pads we worked on strengthening our jabs. We also learned several different combinations and eventually learned how to protect ourselves from our opponent’s hits by ducking and blocking their jabs. The workshops were always an excellent mix of theory and technique, as well as fun activities to keep us all engaged. Overall, all of the Transition Year Students who partook in this course found it both entertaining and educational. The workshop took us out of our comfort zones, and provided us with a new experience, which we all loved.
Eagle’s Flight
By Emilia Connolly
On the 20th and 21st of September 2018, the whole year group participated in the Eagle’s Flight Workshop. This was one of the first events after camping, and nobody really knew what to expect. The year was split into three separate groups, and once the first group had gone, everybody was onto them wondering what they had done, but they weren’t giving anything away. Eagle’s Flight workshop is in essence a board game. However, there is a lot more to this ‘board game’ than meets the eye. It focused in on developing our planning, project management and team skills. These key skills are crucial to the running of a business and this was highlighted as we took part. We were told that the aim of the workshop was to get our team from one end of the board to the other, where we could mine gold and be back within 20 ‘days’. Each day lasted three minutes and we were all given a limited amount of resources that we had to manage throughout the 20 days. The teams were groups of six and each person was given a specific role that they had to fulfil to ensure the success of their team. The game was made to feel very realistic and everyone was very competitive. After the workshop was over, we all sat and discussed the game. We talked about how planning can make or break a team, and that in order to be successful, planning ahead is crucial. While it was a very fun afternoon, it was also a great learning exercise.
Learn It Workshop
By Emily Barrett
The TY year group participated in the Learn It Lego workshop and it was an experience thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. We were broken into three large groups and then into smaller groups of three. Though slightly sceptical at first of what we would be doing, once we were given a box of Lego parts and a computer with a list of instructions, each team worked together to construct their fully- operational robot. Once each group had completed this task they were shown how to create programmes on the computers and also how to correctly programme these into their robot. They were then shown a road map and had to programme a robot to move down the road without deviating from the course. It took a lot of trial and error but in the end everyone succeeded. I believe that the whole year really enjoyed this workshop as we all got to work with people who they might not spend a lot of time with as well as being able to explore an area of technology none of us really had ever seen before.
Pa ge 12
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
Kairos
By Emily Barrett and Sarah Lily Lynch
During October, all Transition Year students participated in the Kairos Programme. We discussed ideas for our ‘TV Shows’ in English class before going down to Maynooth and everyone was assigned a role (either controlling graphics, sound, or the cameras, or they were acting, producing or directing the production.) Form A decided to do their own version of “Mr and Mrs, Mr and Mr and Mrs and Mrs” as well as a weather segment. Form B decided to do two reality TV shows. They decided to perform “Family Fame” and “The Matthew Miller Show”, they also included a sports interview with Conor McGregor and a general news segment. Form C chose to do “Good Morning with Phil and Holly” as well as “Take Me Out” and the weather. Form D decided to do their own take on ‘Dr. Phil’. The whole experience was very enjoyable and most people excelled at their assigned task, allowing us to create professional-looking scenes.
Young Social Innovators By Róisín Farrell This year the YSI committee is focusing on helping those with special needs and other learning disabilities. The committee hopes to work towards raising awareness among the students and wider community of St. Gerard’s about special needs and learning disabilities among young people and the impact that it can have on the individual and their families. It is a topic that has reached all members of YSI, even some on a personal level with family members having experienced what is involved in caring for an individual with special needs. The group’s project is called “Réalta Speisialta,” or “Special Stars.” The committee hopes to raise funds for both St. Catherine’s Association and Bray Lakers.
www .s t g e rards . i e
St. Catherine’s Association is a non-profit organisation that provides education, health-care and respite to people with disabilities in Wicklow. They support over 280 children. In St. Catherine’s Special School, they supply multidisciplinary services for children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in Wicklow. The aim of the committee this year is to raise funds to build a new sensory room for St. Catherine’s Special School, however the funds may end up being put towards something else within the organisation, depending on the needs of the association. Bray Lakers is a community-based sport, social and recreation club for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The club provides sporting and educational services. After the devastating fire that occurred recently at the Lakers headquarters in Bray, which destroyed many of their facilities including their new kitchen and all four of their buses, we hope to help support them through our fundraisers. On Friday the 25th of October the YSI group organised a non-uniform day, where each student brought in €5 to help this worthy cause.
Pag e 13
Sp o rt s Ov e rv i e w - H oc k e y
HOCKEY SCT
Have faced a lot of strong teams in the league but still have three more league matches to play. Great win over Santa Sabina in the first round of the cup. In the second round of the cup vs The High School on Monday 10th December at home, the SCT were 2-2 at full time. They unfortunately lost 3-2 in the penalty shoot out.
Senior II
Have faced some tough oppositions in the league but still have three league matches to play Team is continuing to improve and still lots to play for.
Senior III
Only one league match has been played with two more to go, still lots to play for Team is working hard, with some students playing hockey for the first time ever, great improvement by all.
JCT Sitting fourth in a very tight group in the league with two more league matches to play. Team had a super win against Sion Hill in the first round of the cup. Narrowly lost to Muckross in the second round after a stellar performance. Team has shown massive improvement since August with lots to still play for in the league.
Junior II
Still two matches to be played before Christmas. Undefeated in the league and sit top of their group with one more league match to play. Super start to the season for all members of the team.
Minor I Still one league match to play before Christmas. Sitting fifth in their league in a very tight group. Had a thriller of a match against Loreto Beaufort in the first round of the Cup. Lost 2-1 in the dying seconds of the game. Still all to play for in the league and upcoming plate competition.
Minor ll The squad have had a mixed season with a notable win against a strong Wesley side. Still two league matches to play.
Pag e 14
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School New sle t t e r W i nte r 16
Minor lll
First Year
Sitting joint second in their group with two other teams on the same number of points. Still two more league matches to play to put us in a great position in the league.
Over 45 girls playing at the first year level. Every student is part of a different squad be it the Lions, Tigers, Panthers or Leopards whose league matches have all started. First Year is all about development and everyone getting match time to practise. Between the whole year we have played seventeen matches in total, a great turnout by all.
www .s t g e rards . i e
Pag e 15
Sp o r t s Overview
Representative Spor ts Honours: U20 Leinster Rugby Well done to Cormac Foley and Paddy Opperman (Class of 2018) who played in a series of training matches throughout the autumn for Leinster U20. We wish Cormac and Paddy well as they continues to prepare for the international series, which will take place in the Spring of 2019.
U19 Leinster Rugby Congratulations to Sixth Year student Rory Wilson, David O’Brien (Class of 2018) and Max O’Reilly (Class of 2018), who were selected for the U19 Leinster squad, which played in the Interprovincial Series in the Autumn.
U15 Soccer Congratulations to Abby Tuthill who represented Leinster in the FAI U15 Interprovincial Competition in November. Leinster won the tournament. In November, Abby was also selected for an Irish trial. We wish her all the best.
Cross Country Our teams have competed in 3 different events this year: The Dublin Cross-country Championships in The Phoenix Park, The Avondale Trail Run in Avondale house and The Wicklow Schools Cross-country Championship also in Avondale house. We have fielded 1st year boys and girls teams as well as 2nd year boys and girls teams. Highlights:
Avondale Trail Run: First year boys - Robert Cunningham 2nd, 1st year girls - Isobel Lynch 4th, Second Year Girls - Amelie Nowlan 1st, Abigail Tuthill 2nd, Shannon O’Farrell 3rd. Second year girls won a plate for the best overall girls team. Wicklow Cross-country Championship - Every team we entered won best overall team; First year boys, Second year girls and Second year boys!
Golf
Inter-Schools Sailing
The Senior golf team of Alex Flynn (capt), Evan Dalton, Sam McCarthy and Brandon St. John have reached the quarter-final of the Leinster Schools Match Play Championship, which will be held after Christmas. The Junior team lost out in qualification by six shots in their qualifying round of the Leinster Schools Junior Stroke Play Championship. On a very wet and windy day in Woodbrook, Marcus Pippet, Thomas McGovern and Brandon St. John battled the elements, but just came up short. Congratulations to Robert Hughes in first year, and his father, Robert, on winning the annual Parent & Child golf outing in Powerscourt. The school organised an eight-week session of golf lessons in Dun Laoghaire golf club as part of our extra-curricular programme. This was welcomed by the parent body and saw 46 pupils attending. This will again be offered after the February mid-term.
Timing of the annual All-Ireland Schools sailing regatta in Sutton did not favour us this year. However, the team of Elijah Fleming and Sergio Ryan sailed in the mixed fleet, resulting in seventeenth position overall. We look forward to competing in the annual All-Ireland Team racing event in March, and of course, hosting our annual Inter-schools regatta in Greystones SC.
Pa ge 16
Soccer Congratulations to Abby Tuthill who represented Leinster in the FAI U15 Interprovincial Competition in November. Leinster won the tournament. In November, Abby was also selected for an Irish trial. We wish her all the best.
St . Gerar d’ s Seni or School Newsle t t e r W i nte r 18
S p o r t s O ve r vi ew - E qu es t ri an
Inter-Schools Show Jumping The St Gerard’s team are doing superbly in show-jumping so far this year. After competing in many different events we are in a very strong third position in the league with one more event to go before Christmas. Well done to all who have taken part over the term.
Individual Highlights: Congratulations to Claire Fisher, Harriet Bernon, Emma Ward and Ciaran Foley who have all placed in individual events.
Caragh Charlton Phelan Huge congratulations to Caragh who has qualified and been selected to represent Ireland in the Pony World Series in Germany over the Christmas break
www.s t g e ra r d s . i e
Pag e 17
Sp o r t s Overview - Rugby
RUGBY SCT
The senior rugby squad got off to a very strong start with three great wins over strong opposition in Methodist College, Wallace High School and Royal School, Armagh during pre-season. Unfortunately, however, this did not carry through to their league campaign which saw them come up against very strong opposition from the start. After a hard fought win and a draw, and securing important bonus points, they qualified out of their group to face Newbridge College in the Leinster Senior League quarter-final. Sadly, up against a huge front five, our run was halted, and despite a late charge, it was to no avail. Qualification out of the group has again guaranteed a place in the Leinster Senior Cup in February.
Senior II
The senior II group has grown in number since the start of the year and is very much their own squad away from the senior I squad. With numbers good, there is a real buzz about the squad, which has also enhanced the competitive side. This was very evident with an emphatic win over the Oratory School from Reading, in their annual challenge match under the lights. The competition amongst the players has not gone unnoticed throughout the whole senior squad, and is proving to be a real driving force with the senior cup draw looming!
Transition Year
This year has seen a real positive turn out with numbers playing rugby at Transition Year level. Traditionally, among all schools, you would see a big drop off in numbers, which makes it very difficult to have a consistent fixture list. This is not the case this year, and with regular matches the squad are going from strength to strength, with some hard fought wins against Belvedere College, Blackrock College and Ballyclare High School in Antrim, to name a few. The squad have also qualified out of their group, and will now will face Gonzaga College in a Leinster schools league semi-final prior to the Christmas break.
Pa ge 18
S p o r t s O vervi ew - R u g by
JCT
The junior rugby squad really hit the ground running during their pre-season matches with great wins over Campbell College Belfast, Royal School, Armagh and RBAI Belfast. Their league campaign did not go as well unfortunately, which meant no quarter-final spot this year. The squad have re-grouped and now have the Fr. Godfrey Cup campaign fastened within their sights. A finals spot here will guarantee a place in the Leinster Schools Junior Cup last 16, so it is all to play for!
Junior II
The Junior II squad are continuing to develop, providing competition for places in the JCT. Although some score lines to date would suggest otherwise, there is great heart and commitment being shown, not just on the playing field, but at each training session. With wins over Kilkenny College, Wesley and CUS there is great confidence for the rest of the season post Christmas.
U15
With steady numbers this year and the ability to field two teams at this level, the U15 squad have really developed since the start of the season. This is quite evident with strong wins over the likes of Royal School Armagh, Cistercian College, Roscrea, Templecarrig and the King’s Hospital since September. This enthusiasm and commitment has also been replicated by the U15 II squad with emphatic wins over St. Michael’s, Templecarrig and The King’s Hospital.
U14
This year’s First year group playing rugby are hungry for success. They have a great drive about them, even starting their own warm-up before the coaches begin the session. They are very committed with both squads achieving well over 60% win rate since September. Cohesion would be one word to describe the squad, and we look forward to seeing what 2019 will bring!.
Pag e 19
TERM 3
DATE
EVENT
JANUARY 2018
Thurs 11th
3rd Year Parents Subject Info Afternoon
Thurs 11th
Senior Rugby & Hockey BBQ - 7.00pm
DATE
EVENT
Mon 7th
Term Commences - 8.50am
Fri 12th
School ends for Mid-Term - 3.45pm
Thurs 10th
3rd Year Parent-Teacher Meeting - 4.15pm
Easter Holidays
Monday 15th - Friday 26th April incl.
Fri 11th
1st Year & TY visit B.T. Young Sc. Exbo.8.45am
Mon 14th
5th Year Parent-Teacher Meeting - 4.15pm
Mon-Tues 14th - 15th 5th Year Retreat to Glenstal Abbey Tues 22nd
2nd Year Parent-Teacher Meeting- 4.15pm
Mon-Fri 28th - 1st Catholic Schools Week
TERM 4 APRIL 2018 DATE
EVENT
Mon 29th
School re-opens - 8.45am
Mon 29th
Incoming 1st Year Parents Evening -
7.00pm
FEBRUARY 2018 DATE
EVENT
Mon 4th
2nd Year Retreat
MAY 2018
Wed 13th
Leaving Cert & Junior Cert Mock Exams
DATE
EVENT
commence
Wed 1st
Interschools Sailing Regatta - 2.00pm
Tue-Thur 12th - 14th Transition Year Musical
Fri 3rd
P.A. Golf Fundraising Classic
Fri 15th
School ends for Mid-Term - 3.45pm
Mon 6th
Bank Holiday - School Closed
Mid-Term Break
Monday 18th - Friday 22nd February Incl.
Thurs 9th
Summer Concert - 7.00pm
Mon 25th
School re-opens - 8.45am
Mon 13th
Photograph Day
Mon-Fri 25th - 1st
LC & JC Mock Exams continue
Tues 14th
Senior School Family Tennis Tournament -
Mon-Fri 25th - 1st
Transition Year Outdoor Pursuits
Thurs 28th
1st Year Parent-Teacher Meeting
6.00pm Sun 19th
Prize & Sports Day - 12 noon
Wed 22nd
6th Year Grad Mass & Valedictory Dinner - 7.00pm
MARCH 2018 DATE
EVENT
Thurs 23rd
TY Parents Presentation Evening - 7.00pm
Mon-Fri 4th - 8th
TY Work Experience / Comm. Service (Wk 2)
Sat 25th
Senior & Junior Rugby & Hockey Squard
Mon 18th
School Closed - National Holiday for
Info Morning
St. Patrick’s Day
Mon-Wed 27th-29st TY Retreat
Mon-Fri 19th-22nd
Seachtain na Gaeilge
Mon-Fri 27th-31st
Summer Exam Week for 1 / 2 / 5 Years
Thurs 21st
6th Year Parent-Teacher Meeting (No.2)
Fri 31st
School Year Ends
JUNE 2018
APRIL 2018 DATE
EVENT
DATE
EVENT
Sat 6th
5th Year Careers Interview Morning
Wed 5th
State Exams Commence
Mon 8th
3rd Year Parents Info Evening for TY
Mon-Fri 8th-12th
TY Work Exp/Community Service (Wk 3)