Christmas Newsletter 2016Ardscoil Phádraig, Granard, Co Longford

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As we celebrate Christmas and approach the end of 2016, I want to sincerely thank you for your support and co-operation through the year.

I am writing the introduction to this newsletter following a busy and very exciting number of months in the school. Our Open Night attracted a very large turnout and enrolment for the Academic Year 2016/17 is almost complete. The overwhelming feedback received from visitors to the school on the night was one of acknowledgement of the unique close working relationship and mutual respect between teachers and students. These relationships are further enhanced through the work of our Home School Liaison teacher, Ms Reilly and our School Completion worker, Helen Maguire.

I would like to once again thank the students and teachers for their dedication and hard work. Our teachers continue to dedicate their own time to leading extra-curricular activities in the school including Sports, Junk Kouture, Music, Green Schools and Student Council as well as our inaugural Christmas Pantomime. The success of the pantomime illustrates how close knit our school community is with students from different year groups and staff from various departments collaborating on this show. I would also like to acknowledge the work of our ancillary staff, Jessica, Rosie and John.

2017 will see the opening of our latest extension, incorporating two new Science laboratories and prep rooms as well as a suite of rooms and facilities for our autism classes.

I was particularly struck earlier this term by a poster created by a member of our Student Council on the issue of pupil mental health. At a time where attention is rightly placed on this vital issue the poster designed by Amy Coffey, makes for worthwhile reading for all pupils, staff and parents. A copy of the poster can be seen at the end of the newsletter.

We wish to thank you for your continued support throughout 2016 and wish you all a safe and healthy Christmas and New Year.

Garrett Buckley

New StaffWe welcome a number of new teachers who have joined our staff this year; Ms Doyle and Ms Donohoe have joined the Maths department, Mr Boyle joined the Engineering department while Ms Clinton has joined the Special Needs team. Ms Quinn, Ms Reilly and Ms Lynch have also joined the staff during the year to cover maternity leaves.

Examinations Results We would like to congratulate our Leaving Certificate class of 2016 on their results and wish them every success in their future studies. Congratulations to Seán Doyle and Cory Brady who recently received LWETB awards for academic excellence. We would also like to congratulate our current fifth year students on their great Junior Cert results.

First Year Induction MorningIn early September, all our new first year students participated in a fun packed morning of induction with Ms Reilly and Ms Maguire in the school gym. Students thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the various ice breaking games and team building challenges whilst making new friends and building on their own strengths and talents. A brilliant time was had by all and we have no doubt that this experience greatly aided our students in their transition from Primary school to life in Ardscoil Phádraig.

Higher OptionsMr O Brien, Ms Rabbitt and Ms Tully accompanied the Leaving Cert students to the Higher Options Exhibition in Dublin. This provided students with an opportunity to see what courses are available at the various colleges and universities.

Visits to Primary Schools Many of our first year students had the opportunity to visit their primary schools recently. They were delighted to be welcomed back by their teachers and to tell their friends there about life in Ardscoil Phádraig.

Open NightThere was a huge turnout at our Open Night, which took place recently in the school. Fifth and sixth class students, along with their parents, visited the school to sample secondary school life. We hope that all our visitors were impressed by our ever improving school facilities. There were lots of activities during the night including Science experiments, performances about 1916, cake decorating, French competitions and musical performances as well as displays of metalwork, woodwork and art projects. Many of the students enjoyed the climbing wall, trampoline and other activities in the school gym. We are also grateful to our Parents’ Council who attended on the night. We thank all parents and students who attended the Open Night and we hope they enjoyed the Ardscoil experience.

Knock Trip Our first year students made their annual visit to Knock in October. Ms. Reilly, Mr Byrne, Ms Maguire and Fr Cadam accompanied the group and a very enjoyable day was had by all.

Project Maths for ParentsProject Maths classes for parents are ongoing each Monday from 7-9pm. This is a great opportunity for parents to equip themselves to help students with their Maths homework. For further information, please contact Ms Reilly. No previous knowledge of Project Maths is necessary for attendance and all parents are welcome with no booking required. So far, the parents who have joined these classes are delighted with the progress they are making.

MS ReadathonFirst Years took part in a reading challenge that lead them to read over 50 books and raised 405 euro for MS Readathon.

All Ireland TY Drama Competition TYs are busy rehearsing for the All Ireland TY Drama Competition which takes place in January with their piece entitled "1916: Through the Eyes of Children".  

Photography

The TY students completed a photography module with Shelley Corcoran. They have learned lots of skills and techniques which will help them to take the perfect photo!

Saint Vincent de Paul

Ms Tully’s second year CSPE students helped the local branch of St Vincent de Paul by collecting goods for food hampers to help those in need this Christmas. They were delighted with the response from students and their families.  

Romeo & Juliet

Third-year students got the opportunity to see a production of Romeo and Juliet on stage in the Mullingar Arts Centre earlier in the term in preparation for their upcoming exams.

Follow us on Twitter!

The school has joined Twitter! To keep up with our news and upcoming events in our school, please follow us @ardscoilphadrai.

School Uniform

Visitors to the school often complement our students on how smart they look in their school uniform. Thank you for your support in this regard to date. We hope that you will continue to ensure that only school jackets and black shoes are worn in school.

An Triail

Ms Tully took senior Higher Level Irish students to the Deane Crowe Theatre in Athlone to watch the dramatisation of “An Triail”. This was a great opportunity for the students to see part of the Irish Leaving Cert course brought to life.

Senior Football

Ardscoil Phádraig Senior team played Lanesboro Community College in a very competitive game recently. All played their hearts out, with James Kiernan, Conor Masterson and Shane Campbell really proving their worth on the day. However, victory for Ardscoil Phádraig was not to be, as the team left with a loss of four points. Hard luck to all involved.

Boxercise

The TY class were introduced to boxercise during the year, with Ms Doyle facilitating these classes. Students had a great time and are looking forward to continuing with this sport.

County Final

The school community wish to congratulate St Columba’s, Mullinalaghta on their win over Abbeylara in the recent county final. Hard luck to Abbeylara. Students would also like to thank the winning team for visiting the school. We were delighted to have you here!

Junk Kouture

Preparations are already underway for our entries for this year’s competition under the guidance of Ms Cooney. The school has had great success in Junk Kouture in the past and we are confident that this year will be no different.

Canon Kelly Hall

We would like to thank the caretakers from the Canon Kelly hall for all their great work. We have received very positive comments from the local community about how well it looks.

 

Ladies Football

Well done to the u-16 girls who were victorious over Mullingar Community College on a score line of 4-11 to 4-4. A special well done to Abagh Harten, who was named player of the match.

Japanese Lessons

On Wednesday October 19th, Transition Year students took part in a Japanese workshop at the school. This was completely new to all students and they had a great time learning new words, phrases and even got the chance to work on their chop stick skills!

Young Social Innovators Project TYs are currently taking part in a Young Social Innovators Project. They are raising funds to buy an AED for the school. Their aim is to raise awareness of the importance of having an AED, to train both students and staff on AED use and first aid and also to educate students on how to react in an emergency. As part of this project Ms Rabbitt organised for Cathal Joyce to visit the Transition Year class to raise awareness about the benefits of having an Automated External Defibrillator on site. Mr Joyce spoke about how he survived because of the availability of a defibrillator. We would like to thank Mr Joyce for his thought provoking presentation.

The Pupil Voice

The Pupil Voice Committee 2016-2017 in Ardscoil Phadraig has made a fantastic impact in school and within the community. October proved to be a pro-active month for our Pupil Voice ambassadors. We attended the event Zeminar, at the RDS, Dublin; which was a life changing day for Generation Z. Our students explored various issues such as bullying, cyber safety, LGBTQ, body awareness and many more key matters that our younger generation are exposed to. The students were inspired by Bressie’s workshop on mindfulness and mental health awareness. Our 2nd Year representative Tommie Cunningham was elected to the Comhairle na n-ÓG Regional Student Council, which is a fantastic achievement and he hopes to make an impact both locally and nationally. In November, four students represented Pupil Voice at the ISSU AGM at Trinity College, Dublin and again received the opportunity to discuss and debate many different themes that affect young people in Ireland. Pupil Voice continues to promote the importance of inclusiveness, leadership, communication and a safe learning environment and the committee, along with Mr Byrne and Ms Rabbitt are looking forward to an eventful 2017.

Think Pink

With October being Breast Cancer awareness month, Ms Murtagh and the TY students turned Ardscoil Phádraig pink for one day. The goal was to raise funding for the Irish Cancer Society. The day began as a non-uniform day with a difference where all students and staff had to wear pink. A cake sale, raffle and coffee morning were also held in the school hall. We wish to extend a sincere thanks to the following local retailers for their generosity in donating spot prizes for the raffle; Manorhill Bakery, Pat the Baker, McBriens, Supervalu, The Looking Glass, McEvoys Pharmacy, Granard Pharmacy, Fingers and Toes, The Abbey Workshop and The Greville Arms. The day was a great success, with over €700 raised for the Irish Cancer Society.

Set Dancing

TY students took part in set dancing lessons where they learned how to do the Caledonian Set. A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all!

Public Speaking Workshops

Second year students were afforded the wonderful opportunity to take part in public speaking workshops delivered by actor Alan Devine during the last term. The workshops were a wonderful way of boosting confidence in speaking and also in learning techniques which is great preparation for the oral presentation now required by students.

National Maths Week

We celebrated National Maths week here in Ardscoil Phadraig from the 17th to the 21st of October. Students participated in our puzzle of the day at lunchtime, with various students from all year groups winning each day. Student's skills of estimation, visualisation and counting were enhanced each day by the puzzles.   Daily prizes encouraged our students to see the more enjoyable and active side of mathematics. 

CAO

Earlier this term, 6th year students journeyed to Dublin to visit two different colleges. The first was DIT, where students got to experience college life as an Engineering student. This gave students a great insight into what the course entails. They then visited Dublin City University, where they were given a tour of the whole campus. We hope the day helped inform students with their upcoming CAO choices and gave them a small taste of what college life has to offer.

ESB Skills @ Work Programme

We are delighted to have been chosen again to participate in the School Business Partnership Programme with the ESB. We are pleased that once again such a prestigious organisation as the ESB has been assigned to the school to develop a partnership between education and business. Students will benefit from presentations, work shadowing, help with interview preparations etc. A new addition to the programme this year is looking at online social media.

Dáil Trip

As part of their CSPE course second year students visited the Dáil and the Ombudsman. We know that they had an educational and enjoyable day.

 

 

 

The Commitments

In October, TY students made the journey to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre to experience Roddy Doyle’s ‘The Commitments’. Students had a wonderful day out.

Bin It Workshop

First year and TY students took part in the ‘Bin It’ workshop. This national campaign consists of an actor-led workshop explores littering and social responsibility. Students enjoyed the workshops and are now equipped to take even better care of our environment. The workshop was organised by Ms Donohoe as part of the Green Schools.

Adventure Morning

The TY group welcomed local sixth class students from Aughnagarron and Sacred Heart Primary Schools to Canon Kelly Hall for a morning of activities that included kickboxing, rock climbing and some fun on the trampoline! All involved had a great morning and can’t wait to do it again.

Cinéclub

The Cinéclub takes place every Friday at lunchtime in the Salle de Francais. A wide range of the best French films with English subtitles to suit all tastes will be shown. Everyone is welcome………even non-francophiles or non francophones……….and no passport is required.

Work Experience

TY students completed their first block of work experience in October. They were able to experience the world of work in a wide variety of career areas. We wish to thank the employers who facilitated this.

Green Schools

As part of Green Schools, Mr. Domican organised for students and teachers to take part in Fresh Air Friday recently. The aim of the day was to promote walking rather than driving as one of the many ways people can help to reduce ground-level ozone and other air pollutants. All students and teachers enjoyed the morning and are looking forward to the next.

Sligo IT

In November, Sixth Year students were given a presentation by Sligo IT. Many of our past students are taking degree courses there and we were told of the wide variety of courses available there

Apprenticeships

Terri Clarke from Athlone Training Centre gave a very informative presentation on apprenticeships after school last Tuesday. Students were provided with all the relevant information about applying for apprenticeships with companies such as ESB networks as well as local businesses.

Football Blitz

First year boys took part in a football blitz in Clonguish during the term. Playing four matches each, students really enjoyed the day and are looking forward to the next blitz.

‘Jacket Off Your Back’

As a school, we would like to say well done to Ms McNamee and the ASD units Cluain Eala and Tír na nÓg for their wonderful work in collecting for the ‘Jacket Off Your Back’ programme. Their aim was to collect as many coats and jackets as possible to aid the homeless this winter and they surpassed even their own expectations. Well done to all involved. 

School Bank

Transition Year students are making preparations to open a school bank. We had a presentation form Irene who works in the Granard branch of Bank of Ireland and Paul, Regional Youth Coordinator, with the bank during the week. There will be lots of prizes and incentives available for students who open a bank account. Further details to follow.

County Final of Battle of Wits 2016

A team from our TY class participated in the county final of the Battle of Wits Quiz in Ballymahon. We would like to thank Longford Library for organising the quiz and Ballymahon Library for hosting it.

 

 

Gaelbhratach

Gaelbhratach is a scheme which awards schools recognition for promoting the use and awareness of the Irish language throughout the school and in the local community. Our Roinn na Gaeilge are delighted that Ardscoil Phádraig has been selected as a Gaelbhratach ambassador school for 2016-17. Our Gaelbhratach committee includes Cáit Ní Chomascaigh (Cathaoirleach), Stephen Breathnach (Leaschathaoirleach), Abagh Nic Artáin (Rúnaí), Owen Mac Gabhann (Cisteoir), Niamh Ní Raghallaigh (Oifigeach Caidrimh Poiblí), Alex Ó Fathaigh, Holly Shipman, Jack Ó Dorchaí, James Mac Tiarnáin, Eimear Ni Chorcáin, Laura Ní Chuinneagáin agus Aideen Nic Thiarnáin. As part of the scheme our Club Gaeilge will take place every Wednesday at lunchtime. Táimid ag tnúth go mór le páirt a ghlacadh sa scéim agus an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn timpeall na scoile i mbliana!

CAO Information Evening

Mr O Brien organised a CAO Information Evening for parents of Leaving Certs. He explained the CAO application process as well as the HEAR and DARE admission routes.

Science Week

As part of Science week, students from Killeen National School and Killasonna National School visited the school to participate in some workshops with Ms Magan. They made lava lamps, gun powder and elephant toothpaste as well as using microscopes to examine onions. We hope they enjoyed their morning with us.

After School Study

After school study is continuing from 4 to 5.30pm from Monday to Thursdays. This is providing a great opportunity for students to have quiet supervised time to complete homework and to study.

Treasure Hunt Prize Winner

Congratulations to Holly Smith from Killasonna National School who won the treasure hunt on our Open Night. She was presented with her prize by Mr Buckley. We hope she enjoys spending her voucher

Carol Singing at Our Lady's Manor Nursing Home

As part of the Young Social Innovators programme Ms Doyle, our Maths teacher and Longford Rose along with her students visited Our Lady's Manor Nursing Home in Edgeworthstown to perform a selection of Christmas carols for the residents there. Our students really enjoyed the opportunity to perform for and chat with the community there.

Ardscoil Phádraig is on Facebook!

Check out our new school Facebook page to keep up to date with school life and events.  Like our page 'Ardscoil Phádraig'.

Granard Christmas Markets

Well done to our TY students who added plenty of Christmas cheer to the Christmas markets with their carol singing and Christmas crafts. Guitars, ukuleles and fine singing voices could be heard, while Christmas logs, santas, wreathes and other decorations were sold out and the baking group ensured that no one went hungry. Well done to all.

Glasnevin Trust

Transition Year students have been chosen to take part in an exciting workshop in Glasnevin cemetery after Christmas. The students will receive tour guide training and will be equipped with the skills necessary to lead a tour of Glasnvein Cemetery. 

Big Maggie

TY students went to Mullingar Arts Centre recently to see a production of Big Maggie. It was a fantastic performance and our students thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to Ms. Rabbitt for organising it.

Mini Enterprise

The TY class had a presentation from Longford Local Enterprise office to provide support and mentoring for the students in their preparations for the Student Enterprise competition.

Leinster Scór Semi Final

Best wishes to Kayanna Greene, Patrick Reilly and Kaitlyn Corcoran who have qualified for the Leinster Final of Scór na nÓg which will take place in Ballymore, Co.Westmeath in January.

Pantomime

What a performance! Our first Christmas pantomime was a resounding success with many taking to the stage for the first time. Thanks to all the cast, directors and backstage crew for all their hard work. A full report and more photos appear elsewhere on the website.

TY e-Portfolio

Our Transition Year students, under the guidance of Ms.Doyle, are currently taking part in an e-Portfolio Pilot Scheme in partnership with Dublin City University and the Professional Development Service for Teachers. Shivaun O’Brien, Director of School Placement in DCU, visited our school recently to discuss our experience of working with e-portfolios and she commended both our students’ engagement with the project and the excellent standard of work they have produced. Students completed oral presentations last week as part of their assessment tasks and we have no doubt that the skills learned throughout this module will greatly aid students as they progress to further education.

Christmas Jumper Day

The School Council organised a Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 16 th December. All money raised is going towards a school defibrillator.

SciFest

Transition year students are currently working on their science projects for Scifest which will take place around Easter. Students have created their project books and are currently working on their posters and presentations as students will present their projects before Christmas as practice for Scifest. Students will receive feedback based on their projects and presentations so that they can enhance and improve them for Scifest. Project titles include, an investigation into BSE, how music affects study, what is the best cure for nettle stings, a study into safe drive in cars, the effect of energy drinks on the pulse and the effect drugs have on athlete’s performance. Best of luck to students as they continue to work on and develop their project.

Credit Union Poster Competition Winners

Congratulations to the following students from Cluain Eala and Tir na nOg who won prizes in the Credit Union Poster Competition Special Education category. 11- 13 year olds 1st Sean Larkin, 2nd Jack Costigan, 14 – 17 year olds 1st Josh Feeney, 2nd Evelyn Flood, 3rd Kirsty McKeon. Well done to all the students and happy spending. We would like to thank Marie Scanlon and all the staff at Granard Credit Union for sponsoring the prizes and we wish everyone a happy Christmas.

Dates for the Diary

9 January School Reopens

12 January Parent Teacher Meeting for 1st & 2nd Year Students

26 January Subject Options Evening

8 – 17 February Junior & Leaving Cert Mock examinations

13 – 17 February 5th Year on Work Experience

9 March Parent Teacher Meeting for 3rd & 6th Year Students

1. Avoid toxic people and toxic situations If you walk into a room and there's nothing but whinging and moaning, don't engage with it! Walk away as this type of environment can only bring you down! 

2. Practice self-compassionWe are far too slow to congratulate ourselves on achievements, try to congratulate one proud moment each day!

3. Gratitude Be thankful for what you have, try to aim for 30 "thank you's" each day they need only be small, a friend you are thankful to have, the fact the sun is shining - you may have to actively look for a few of them but the positivity of the sentiment will pay off!

4. Judgement Don't! It's really not constructive to judge other people and in some ways can horribly back fire on us! 

5. MindfulnessThis is the elusive one to define. Your chair is under you, really feel it, appreciate it! A cup of tea, while your swallowing it really feel the warmth going from your throat into your belly, you may have to actively think of this but that is mindfulness, practicing mindfulness is exceptionally important for mental health.

Five Top Tips for Good Mental Health by Amy Coffey