Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff,

March 13th seems like a lifetime ago, a different world. Yet, the time seems to have gone

so quickly and it’s fair to say we have all learned so much more about ourselves, about time

and we have learned how to adapt and grow. The past two weeks have been a roller

coaster in relation to conducting online assessments for all year groups 1st-5th, conducting

online assemblies for our senior students and initiating the calculation of Leaving Certificate

Grades Process. However, as with everything in life, it has been worked out and everyone is

committed to ensuring the process is fair and just.

On Thursday 21st of May we had our Final, online Assembly with our 6th year Class of 2020.

We were to have their Graduation Mass on May the 15th and we share their

disappointment in missing out on all the rituals of this important transition (the teachers

are particularly disappointed that they couldn’t continue their unbeaten run in the

basketball challenge!). Notwithstanding, we wanted to mark the occasion, Ms. Knowles,

Ms. Keane and Ms. Delahunty worked hard to make this Assembly a special occasion for all.

This was reflected by the attendance ‘virtually’ in full uniform of the Class of 2020 and the

school staff. See an extract later in the update. There will be great celebrations when we

gather in the school to celebrate their Graduation. As yet, we do not know when that will

be allowed.

We want to congratulate and commend all our students and staff who have shown great

commitment and creativity in ensuring online engagement in learning and in co-curricular

activities continued over the past number of weeks. Please read through the update to see

the accounts of the many activities that our students have engaged in since the last

publication. Thank you to all parents for your support and encouragement throughout this

very challenging period.

We are busy planning for the coming school year 2020/2021. The months to come will bring

many changes, but you can be assured that we will have an educational provision for our

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

students. As part of this planning process Ms. Puetz is

conducting an online survey and we thank you in advance

for completing it. It is vital that we reflect on our

experience so that

we can inform best practice for Rockford Manor going

forward. As soon as the DES issues the detail of how schools

are to re-open, we will update you.

If you have not had a chance to browse through previous

updates, you might do so and discover the wealth of

opportunities available to our students. These opportunities

will continue to grow and develop as we evolve in terms of

online education.

This is the final newsletter for this term, though we will

continue to update students and parents on relevant

matters as the need arises.

Finally to our Class of 2020, when the school based process

for the LC is complete, which should be by June 10th, it is

“safe” (in that it could not be misconstrued as trying to

influence the process) to send email messages of thanks to

your teachers, Dean, Form Tutors and all who helped along

the way. Such messages are always greatly appreciated.

Enjoy your summer holidays, stay safe and stay well.

Mr. Collison & Ms. Gallagher

Principal Deputy Principal

Reflection & Prayer for LC Class

Lord, as the weeks have gone

by, lockdown has gotten

hard. Although restrictions

are beginning to be lifted,

there is still a pervading

sense of nervousness and

unease. The last few weeks

have been challenging.

They’ve gotten busier and I

feel as if I have so much to

do. While some decisions

have been made about what

my future might look like, I

feel as if there is a lot of

uncertainty. It feels as if I am

walking across a bridge but it

is very foggy and I’m not sure

of what is ahead. At this

time, now more than ever, I

need to know that you are

with me, holding my hand,

helping me get through these

challenging times. Comfort

me and all those I know, help

us to have faith that you are

holding us up in your love.

The winner of this year's prestigious

Maria O' Reilly literary award is

Michaela Doran, whose piece in

response to the title 'Freedom' was

deemed by judges to be the best in

terms of skills and sustained

voice. Congratulations! Michaela's

name will be etched onto the Cup in

due course.

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

.

Every year as part of the TY Programme students in Rockford Manor have the opportunity

to complete the ICDL, and become certified in this internationally recognised computer

skills programme. This year was no different if not a little more challenging for both the

students and Ms. Mooney. Nevertheless, 30 students completed the programme and

achieved their internationally recognised certificate. Well done everyone for your

perseverance and resulting success and thank you to Ms. Mooney for enabling the process

through online teaching and many hours of online supervision of exams.

In February 2020, Rockford Manor students participated in

the Model United Nations at Wesley College. This student-

led group encompasses communicating, researching,

persuading and debating as well as public speaking and

listening to others and if you are not exhausted after that, it

is socialising and competing with other individuals, groups

and schools whilst brushing up on world issues. Students

who take on the challenge of MUN find it rewarding in terms

of the skills it can help them develop as well as the fun they

can have in the process. This year Rockford Manor students

represented Italy and Turkey. Congratulations!

6th Year 5th Year TYP

ITALY SPECPOL: Aoife-Leigh Ross Turkey SPECPOL: Sarah-Ellen Thompson Health and Youth: Rawan Rezk

ITALY Ecology & Environment: Ellie Di Felice SOCHUM: Alessandra Lo Giudice Health and Youth: Anastasia Izakadze TURKEY ECOSOC: Jule Weigel

Italy ECOSOC: Eabha Hanlon TURKEY Ecology & Environment: Richelle Yabut SOCHUM: Esha Benish

International Computer

Driving Licence

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Senior Prefects 2020/2021:

The prestigious role of Senior Prefect is one which requires a serious level of commitment,

dedication and responsibility. Senior Prefects have an important leadership role in Rockford

Manor and are an integral part of the school community structure. We would like to take

the opportunity to thank our outgoing prefect team and wish them every success, we have

no doubt that the skills you honed over the past year will aid you in the future. In May this

year Ms. Knowles invited the 5th year students to apply for the position of Senior Prefect.

Following on line group interviews, the successful students applied for the position of Head

Girl and Deputy Head Girl. The interest in applying for these positions is very high as is the

calibre of all the candidates, the role of selecting the team was challenging.

Congratulations to the following students on their success and we look forward to working

with you in your role over the year to come.

Salvija Kurpte Head Girl

Ava-Rose Judge Deputy Head Girl

Amy Haskins Carla Lennon

Erin Mc Donagh Jessica Lee Rebecca Lee Chloe Moriarty

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

6th Year Final Assembly

As stated previously, the school community held a virtual final assembly for the class of

2020. Please find below some extracts to help you through the months ahead and

remember you will always find a welcome harbour in Rockford Manor. Come back and visit!

For a New Beginning by John O’Donohue In out-of-the-way places of the heart, Where your thoughts never think to wander, This beginning has been quietly forming, Waiting until you were ready to emerge. For a long time it has watched your desire, Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, Noticing how you willed yourself on, Still unable to leave what you had outgrown. It watched you play with the seduction of safety And the gray promises that sameness whispered, Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent, Wondered would you always live like this. Then the delight, when your courage kindled, And out you stepped onto new ground, Your eyes young again with energy and dream, A path of plenitude opening before you. Though your destination is not yet clear You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning That is at one with your life’s desire. Awaken your spirit to adventure; Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; Soon you will be home in a new rhythm, For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

Boat: This clay piece is called 'Soul Vessel' and was created by the artist Kirsty O'Connor. These simple boat-shaped pieces are baked in a fire of seaweed and local Scottish herbs which leaves them with unique markings. It symbolises the uniqueness of each of our Sixth Years, though they wear the same uniform & have shared the same schooling, we see the extent of their complexity and individuality.

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Microsoft Hacknation Success @ Rockford Manor

On Friday the 25th of May, Ms. Mooney received the fantastic news that a Transition Year

Team from Rockford Manor had won overall first prize in this year’s Microsoft Hacknation

competition. The Microsoft judging panel complemented all the entries stating ‘’ we, as a

team, were amazed by the products all of your students created. The creative and critical

thinking that was shown in the sessions that took place, proves that these students will be

an asset to our future. Each and every group should feel proud of what they accomplished.’’

Here is an outline of the three successful entries with comments from the judging panel,

Congratulations and well done on your success to all involved.

1ST PLACE - COMMUNICARE

1. Aisling Madill 2. Emma Steffl 3. Zoe von Pluto-Prondzinski 4. Carolin Zimmermann

What is CommuniCare? Our plan is to create a MicroBit designed to help nonverbal or disabled children.

Assistive Technology for kids with language disorders

Helps the kids to communicate their needs

Sends the most important messages to the parents Micro Bit

Judges’ Comments ‘’ This group showed brilliant initiative, creativity and a brilliant understanding of coding. It posed a fantastic solution to a real life problem, in an intelligent and unique way.’’

Runners Up - The Forget Me Not

1. Maya Pivoda 2. Gabriela Soares 3. Gina McGuirk

Many people are likely to forget important things when they leave the house. It was with this situation in mind that we came up with our project idea; The Forget Me Not

Runners up - Energy Saving

1. Eabha Hanlon 2. Esha Benish 3. Giulia Anderlini 4. Marta Kowalozyk 5. Richelle Yabut

Our idea is a device that can sound an alarm and notify you when your phone is finished charging, whether you are preoccupied or asleep, to unplug your charger.

Judges’ Comments ‘’ We would like to also congratulate the runners up Forget me not and Energy Saving, both of these groups also showed a deep understanding of micro bit and block coding. Their ideas were well developed and creative’’

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Roasted Stuffed Peppers with Chicken – A high protein low calorie meal for 2. Ingredients 4 peppers of different colours, halved and deseeded. 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, peeled & chopped 10 mushrooms, halved 2 cloves of Garlic. Peeled 2 large free range chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces ½ tsp of smoked paprika ½ tsp of chili powder ½ tsp dried oregano A handful of spinach leaves washed A 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato puree A handful of fresh spinach washed 2 tbsp cheddar cheese grated

Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 190◦C. 2. Place the halved peppers hollow side up on

a baking tray. Drizzel over 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle on some salt. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15mins until soft.

3. To make the filling, warm 1tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, mushroom & garlic and fry for 3 mins.then add the chicken, season with the paprika,chilli and oregano & cook for 5mins.

4. Add in the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for 1-2mins more. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted down.

5. Remove the peppers from the oven & carefully spoon in the chicken filling. Sprinkle the cheese on top and return to the oven for another 5minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked through and the cheese melts.

HE cooking classes continued online. Here are some images of

the finished products and the recipes to try over the coming

months.

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

3. Season one side of the flattened chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. 4.Spray a frying pan over a medium-high heat with cooking oil spray, one hot, add the flattened chicken breasts (2 at a time if needed - don't overcrowd pan if not big enough), seasoned side down. 5. Season over the top with salt and black pepper, and spray the top with cooking oil spray. 6. After 2-3 mins, flip the chicken over, should be nice and golden and repeat with the other side. 7. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. 8. Top with the pizza sauce, and grated mozzarella. 9. Bake till cheese is melted and chicken cooked through (but still tender (approx 15/20 mins). 10. If you want the cheese more golden, you can finish off under the grill for a couple of minutes. 11. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. 12. Serve with your choice of sides or garlic potatoes and veg.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients 4 chicken breasts, flattened 100g of mozzarella, grated 300ml of passata (crushed tomatoes) 2 tbs of tomato paste ½ onion chopped finely 2 cloves of garlic chopped finely 1/2 tsp of dried oregano 1/2 tsp of dried basil cooking oil spray salt and black pepper fresh parsley

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 2. In a saucepan sauté the finely chopped

onion, finely chopped garlic. Add the passata , basil, oregano and Salt and pepper. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Congratulations to all our Active School Week Winners in both the dance challenge and

the steps challenge. The events lasted 3 weeks due to high numbers of students that got involved. Prizes will be given out when we return to school.

Pizza Chicken

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Raspberry Meringue Roulade 3 large egg whites

225g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla essence

1tsp cornflour

1 tsp vinegar

120ml fresh cream & raspberries

Method

1. Heat the oven to 140 degrees C / gas mark 1. Line

a baking tray/Swiss roll tin with baking

parchment.

2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then beat in

½ of the sugar, adding it one tbsp. at a time.

3. Whisk in the vanilla essence, the corn flour and

the vinegar fold in the other ½ of the sugar.

4. Spoon the mixture into the tin, and spread out

evenly.

5. Bake for 40 mins. Remove from the oven and

cover the top with tin foil, stand on a wire tray

and allow to cool.

6. Turn out onto the parchment paper (placed on

damp tea towel) and gently peel off the lining

paper.

7. Spread filling and roll up tightly, serve on a plate.

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Swiss Roll – Serves 8 Ingredients

4 medium eggs

100g caster sugar

100g plain flour

Topping

3 tsp caster sugar to dredge

Filling

2 tbsp of Jam or lemon curd or chocolate spread.

Equipment

1 swiss roll tin, 2 sheets of baking parchment, mixing

bowl, sieve, electric whisk, spatula, metal tablespoon,

knife, pot stand, wire tray, plate, doyley.

Method

Pre heat oven to 190◦C/180◦C fan/ Gas mark 5,

1. Grease and line the baking tray with the parchment

paper.

2. Using the electric whisk mix eggs and sugar until the

mixture is thick and creamy and holds the imprint of

the beater or the figure ‘8’.

3. Sieve the flour onto the mixture and fold in very

gently using a metal spoon. Pour into the prepared

tin.

4. Bake in top or centre of oven for 10-12mins

5. Meanwhile place second sheet of baking paper on a

clean, damp tea towel. Sprinkle with caster sugar.

Prepare filling – beat jam in a cup to soften.

6. When sponge is cooked, turn out onto the sugared

paper and gently peel off the lining paper. Trim any

hard edges.

7. Spread warm sponge with softened jam, roll up

tightly taking care not to include paper. Cool on a

wired tray. Serve on a plate with a doyley.

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Dear Parents, Below are some tips which may help you in this time of crisis. We are all as parents pushed to the extremes of our coping skills and resources and are doing our very best to manage family relationships, parent-child relationships and sibling relationships during these stressful times. In the current crisis, the lack of routine, the loss of supports for children, for parents and for adolescents is, for many, leading to an increase in tensions in the family home and between family members, to exhaustion for parents and to frustration for children, teenagers and young adults living with their parents. What can you do that is different at this time? Firstly it can be helpful to maintain the school hours times of waking and sleeping. Announcing to your young person what the schedule is for the next day, in a written or printed form can reinforce the formality around this. Having the usual family meals is particularly important. Cooking and eating together can restore a sense that the family is alive and well especially for younger children, giving space to older children and respecting their wishes around routine can also be important. Share key moments with extended family members and ask them to give feedback directly to the young person. A child who gets a message of appreciation from a different source will know that others are thinking about them and appreciate them. Try to develop the habit of having zoom meetings involving children, grandparents and others who are important to you. Don’t let your child stay in his room for long hours. If the child refuses to come out of his room, come into the room in a calm way and sit down for a while. Show an interest in the game they are playing. If you do this in a positive way, chances are that the child will relate to you as a guest and not an invader. If this is a step too far for you as a parent, or if you are fearful that going into their room will escalate tensions, leave a cup of tea or something they like outside their door to show you are thinking of them. Remember…’the offer is the offer’ do not expect anything in return, do it in the spirit of kindness and because you want to repair ruptured relationships and to show you care. It is important for the young person’s interpersonal and personal functioning that staying in their room for long hours without a parent checking in with them is not sanctioned. However, it these times of imposed restrictions, the objective might be to maintain a level of peace and stability and to make some compromises which demonstrate to the child or young person that you know it it hard for them too. Remember to seek support is a sign of strength, this applies at any time…but more so now than at any other time. For those of you who wish to access supports there are links to supports in previous community updates ( see school website for copies) Please take or leave the ideas above and below, in these times of crisis it is about finding what works for you to keep yourselves and family members safe. Madeleine Connolly, Senior Social Worker & Family Therapist.

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

TUSLA help for Young People

https://www.letstalkdlr.ie/services

The idea for this youth mental health website came from young people who were consulted

by the Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC) about how to make life

better for young people in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. Young people told us they weren’t

sure what services were available to support their mental health, they weren’t clear on how

to access the services and they would like to see a ‘friendly face’ explain what to expect

before taking that first step of contacting a service.

Parent supports: Parentline - LoCall 1890 927 277, 018733500 www.parentline.ie

Barnardos helpline - You can make contact with this service by phoning 1800 910 123 between 10.00am and 2.00pm Monday to Friday or by emailing parentsupport@barnardos.ie. www.barnardos.ie Tusla Family Support Niall Nolan Manager Ph.0867810720 Jigsaw Online www.jigsawonline.ie is the online Jigsaw platform. There are sections for young people (12-25), parents and professionals. At the moment, the content will be written (articles, blogs etc) and there will be regular group chats run (supervised by clinicians).

So it would be good for young people to keep an eye on this website. Updates or post via the main Jigsaw instagram and facebook pages also. Most relevant at this point is this article https://jigsawonline.ie/young-people/coping-with-the-impact-of-coronavirus/. A process is underway to review Jigsaw online in terms of emerging needs as well as what local services they could offer directly to young people. https://www.tusla.ie/services/family-community-support/prevention-partnership-and-family-support-programme/participation/10-things-to-do-today/

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Some ways to spend the ‘’lazy’’ days of summer!

ECO-UNESCO 30 day challenge https://ecounesco.ie/ is a new initiative to encourage young people to continue their environmental action projects from the comfort of their homes and to encourage youth groups to keep in touch over online channels. Check out the ‘Eco at Home’ tag for some good ideas. More interestingly it has a 30 DAY CHALLENGE #KeepItEco Over 30 days, complete one of the challenges each day, to start taking steps towards an eco-friendlier lifestyle and a more sustainable world. It’s a great way to do something pretty interesting and also conquer the high moral ground - everyone’s a winner!

Sign up for the Fighting Words Summer Camps for July and August. Set up by, and under the patronage of, Roddy Doyle, some of you will already be familiar with the work done by this amazing group. If you already write, or have ever thought about getting into it, this is tailor made. Places tend to go fast, so don’t waste any time getting your name in there. Well worth it if you do! https://www.fightingwords.ie/summer

The Orwell Youth Prize 2020 theme has been announced and this year they are looking for creative responses to ‘The Future We Want’. Journalism, essays, short stories, blog posts, poems, and plays are all welcome so essentially how you respond to this year’s theme is your choice. The deadline is tight - 11thof June, but you might already have work that can be adapted quite easily. Winners will have their work published; can win a cash prize/books. https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/

Don’t miss out on the festival season this year. The very nice people at ‘The Social Distancing Festival’ have put together a great calendar of free streamed events. There’s pretty much something for everyone on it, no matter what your musical tastes. It’s a great resource! https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/live-streams

‘Devoted to Cakes’ will give you the all the reasons in the world to get your aprons out and the oven on. Regular ‘bake offs’, cook-alongs etc are all there and a big Insta presence as well. It would be almost rude not to get drizzling that lemon cake! http://www.devotedtocakes.ie/

Summer really lends itself to photography and brings out the professional in all of us! The National Gallery of Ireland has some great resources on how to take better photos, whether it’s landscapes, portraits, nature etc. Also looks at how to do decent collages and also the kind of medium you might use. You can see a Youtube guide to doing a Photogram here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOC4ETu03r4 . There are naturally also great resources here for drawing and painting see the Gallery website. https://www.nationalgallery.ie/national-gallery-ireland-at-home

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Summer to do list!

1. Keep active – get out for some

fresh air and exercise while

maintaining social distancing!

2. Do something kind for someone

else each day.

3. Help out around your home.

4. Keep your room tidy.

5. Read a book.

6. Play a board game/ card game

with your family.

7. Tidy up your school books, have

them ready for September and

write your name on all your

books!

8. Send an email to a friend from

your school email account to

keep it active.

9. Cook/bake something.

10. Take a virtual tour of an

art gallery.

11. Enjoy the holidays, stay safe

and stay well!

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Some Photos from our virtual Final Assemblies. So long class of 2020…

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

Rockford Manor Community updated June 5th

A Prayer of Hope for the future… God you are constant and unfailing. In these uncertain times, hold me close, bring me your peace. - God you are loving and merciful. In these challenging times, help me bring your peace and love to others. - God you are strong and faithful. Breathe your strength into me, make me brave and kind, focused and aware of what needs to be done. Help me to be gentle and kind to myself. - God you are my friend. Help me to reach out to others for help and friendship. We are a community. I need others and they need me. Amen