St Louis High School website
Transcription
St Louis High School website
St. Louis High School 2013 C H R I S T M A S N EWS L E T T E R “For this day is born to you a saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David” Luke 2:11 Dear Parents/Guardians and Students, This Christmas Newsletter will give you a flavour of the variety of activities during the first term of our Centenary year. The full newsletter can be accessed on our website, www.stlouishighschool.ie. In his homily at our Centenary Mass, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin reminded the school community that our faith instils in us an understanding that when God created human beings he created us as a family. Both our motto - Ut Sint Unum (that we may be one) and our membership of the Le Chéile Schools Trust embody this spirit which calls on us to recognise our interdependence and diversity and also to take responsibility for others, especially those who are less fortunate. I am very grateful to all members of the school community, students, parents, staff and members of the Board of Management who have embodied this spirit, by contributing so much to the life of the school and the myriad of undertakings this term. While the core business of school is teaching and learning and the academic achievement of our students is of paramount importance, so too is their holistic development. This newsletter bears testament to the importance we place on such development and on the rich traditions of music, sport, debating, drama, social awareness, inclusivity and high academic standards, we have inherited from the Sisters of St Louis over the past hundred years. I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and I look forward to welcoming back all our students on Monday 6thJanuary to what will be another action packed term and the remainder of our Centenary celebrations. I wish all members of the St. Louis family a joyful and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year. M A R Y M O R G A N, P RI N C IP A L Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise. CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS On September 13th 2013 we launched our St. Louis High School Centenary Celebrations with the raising of our beautiful Centenary Flag. Invited guests, the first year students and the Student Representative Council gathered together outside for a lovely ceremony to mark the occasion. The rain just about held off as Fr. David Brough blessed the flag and the forthcoming year of events. Readings and thoughts were beautifully presented by Sr. Eithne Woulfe (Former Principal), Ms Mary Newman (SLHS teacher), Frances Martin (Head Girl), Ms Clíona McDonough (acting Deputy Principal) and Ms Mary Morgan (Principal). The flag was raised by Frances Martin (Head Girl), Hannah Osuntola (Deputy Head Girl), Sr Eithne Woulfe and Ms Maura Mooney (Chairperson of SLHS Board of Management). Our wonderful traditional musicians, Ms Jean Moran, Mr Eunan O’Boyle and Laura Murphy (5th Yr) concluded the ceremony with appropriately uplifting and joyous music. The guests retired to the staff room where they viewed the wonderful and informative St. Louis High School Centenary DVD which was produced by some of our 5th Year students: Neysa Healy, Aising Grennan and Kate Hegarty under the guidance of Ms Mary Newman. Shortly after this ceremony the whole school, students and staff alike, went on a school walk around the roads of Rathmines to highlight our centenary celebrations. To mark the occasion, the Parents’ Council provided everybody with a lovely t-shirt on which the centenary logo was emblazoned. On return to the school, all students were provided with a welcome ice cream. A fun activity was held for all on the basketball courts where 655 girls participated in a well co-ordinated Zumba event, organised by the PE Dept. It was a very special day in the school calendar and in the ‘Céad Bliain ag fás’ of St. Louis High School. It was a day thoroughly enjoyed by all. St Louis High School Centenary Mass October 5th 2013 On Friday, October 5th last the extended school community joined together for our Centenary Mass in the Church of Mary Immaculate, Refuge of Sinners, Rathmines. The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and we were delighted with his well-chosen words for this very special St. Louis occasion. Sincere thanks to the RE and Music Departments for all their preparation and co-ordination of the Mass and for the help and guidance provided by Mr Frank Brown (Parish Worker). The First Years, Senior Choir and SLHS Instrumental group led the wonderful music throughout the Mass and readings and prayers were beautifully read by students and guests alike. Two of our students, Laura Murphy and Lauren Cunningham were specially commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist during the ceremony. The strong symbolism evident throughout the ceremony enhanced this special occasion in a very meaningful way. A gathering of guests was held in the school hall after the Mass. Our team of excellent TY hostesses provided welcome refreshments. The SLHS Timeline was unveiled – providing a visual documentation of the history of St. Louis High School alongside significant national and international events of the past 100 years. Sincere thanks to Ms Ann Taylor, Ms Evelyn Madigan (former staff members) and Ms Siobhán McCanny for all their work in preparing this wonderful timeline and record of St Louis High School’s ‘Céad Bliain ag Fás’. SCHOOL MUSICAL— LES MISÉRABLES school edition St. Louis High School in association with St Mary’s College presented Les Misérables – school edition on 16th-18th October last in the school’s concert hall. Les Misérables was chosen because it represented the era and country in which the St. Louis Order was founded. This was a wonderful production with fantastic singers, orchestral players, sets, costumes etc. Such songs as On my own, I dreamed a dream, Bring him home, Castle on a cloud, Stars, Empty Chairs and Empty Tables etc. resonated with so many and there were well-deserved standing ovations every night. Sincere thanks to Ms Níamh O’Connell, Ms Clíona McDonough, Ms Grace Donnelly, Ms Brenda Stenson, Ms Mary McLaughlin and Ms Sarah Byrne for all their work in relation to the production and also to Mr Ray Ryan (MD), Ms Julie Donnelly (Choreographer) and Mr Bernard Lynch (Producer). St. Louis High School Global Awareness Week ‘SÚIL EILE’ As part of the centenary celebrations we decided to dedicate a week to global awareness. From 25th 29th November last our first ‘Súil Eile’ week was held. Issues such as gender inequality, global armament and landmines, HIV/Aids, Fairtrade, global wealth distribution, the importance of water, Irish aid and volunteering were presented to the students. We welcomed speakers from Plan Ireland, Trócaire, Pax Christi, Progressio and 3rd level students from the Dept. of Human Rights and Citizenship, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and our TY students travelled into the Irish Aid Volunteering centre on O’Connell Street. Quizzes with Fairtrade prizes were held to stimulate discussion and awareness amongst students and staff alike. On the Wednesday we had our St. Louis High School water day. Students were taught about water in various subjects eg. the Maths Dept. provided water-based puzzles, the Science Dept. focussed on the properties of H20, Home Economics focussed on the importance of water in food preparation, in Music there was a focus on how St. Louis High School Centenary Concert On December 12th last, St. Louis High School held a Centenary Concert in the Church of Mary Immaculate, Refuge of Sinners, Rathmines. This was a wonderful occasion of celebratory and joyous music making. A past pupil & friends of St. Louis High School choir and orchestra was especially formed for the occasion to perform Vivaldi’s Gloria and some beautiful Christmas music. Rehearsals commenced for the choir last September and it grew steadily in numbers over the weeks. It was fantastic to involve so many past pupils in the concert and they all really enjoyed the experience. Marian Richardson (past pupil) was our compère for the evening and she seamlessly linked all the items on the programme – from the past-pupil & friends choir and orchestra to our angelic first years and our wonderful senior choir. A post-concert reception was held back in the school’s concert hall, which was looking resplendent decked with Christmas wreaths, candle arrangements and the beautiful St. Louis Christmas tree. It was a lovely opportunity for past pupils to catch up with some of their past teachers and friends. It was a fantastic evening for the whole school community past and present. St. Louis High School’s céad bliain ag fás le chéile was truly celebrated in style. Thank you to all who made this evening such as success. water has in- spired music composition eg. Water Music by Handel, La Mer- Debussy etc., in English there was a focus on poetry with the theme of water eg. Titanic by Derek Mahon and The Lake Isle of Inisfree – Yeats. Vocabulary associated with water was addressed in various languages and the importance of water in our culture was highlighted in Irish. Some of our 2nd Year students took on the difficult challenge of living for a day on 10 Litres of water and we were made very aware of the concept of virtual water. We hope that this week will continue to be part of St Louis High School’s tradition of events. We all must remember to look beyond ourselves, taking responsibility as global citizens and remembering that involving oneself locally in issues such as the above can make a difference both at home and abroad. SRC Report The President’s Award – Gaisce This centenary year has given the SRC an opportunity to be involved with many different school events. Along with our responsibility of creating the best display boards for the school to enjoy, weekly checks of the first years’ classrooms and the ever-looming variety show performance, we've been busy since the word go at the end of last year! One of our first exciting experiences together was an historic moment for the school. The raising of the centenary flag, where our head girl Frances Martin and vice Hannah Osuntola took the reins and hoisted up the flag for the new first years and invited guests. When you hear of the many things we must undertake as members of the SRC, the one that stands out the most is the first year disco. This was a major highlight so far for all of us. Not only did we get to say that we attended the disco for a second time, but we got to know our first years even better. We enjoyed every minute of it and think that they are a fantastic year group. Civvies days are a buzz for the entire school. These are run for different charities chosen by us and that makes it extra special. Our most recent civvies day was on the 11th of December and had a definite "Christmassy" theme. We raised an incredible €1200 for the disaster in the Philippines thanks to all the generous donations made by the students of St Louis. We have had a roaring schedule so far since our election onto the SRC and still have plenty more to come. We hope that all of the students are getting on well with the school year and are looking forward to the variety show just as much as we are! Congratulations to Mirela Conica who was placed 3rd in the Scratch Computer Programming National Final. Scratch is a software programme which allows students to build computer games and design animations using basic computer programming principles. Mirela's winning project is available to view and play on Scratch.ie. Well done to the following 6th years who were awarded their Silver Gaisce Medal at the annual award ceremony in Trinity College Dublin on the 5th December: Katie Barry, Caoimhe Bermingham, Laura Conway, Man Li Hu, Eimear Kelly, Frances Martin, Loren McNerney-Quigley, Shannon Munusami, Ciara O'Mahony, Ina Pondoc, Erica Russell and Emer Slattery. They have all worked very hard over the last year combining their studies with the award requirements. This involved community work, sport, improving on a personal skill and of course the unforgettable trek in the Wicklow Mountains last March! We have a very large new group of bronze and silver participants in Transition Year and Fifth Year, and hopefully we will see them receiving their medals in May and November next year. Well done to Jasmin Doyle 5th year and Bernadette Shannon 5th year who have just completed their Gaisce Bronze award! Well done to everyone! Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party Well done to all our Transition Year and 5th Year bag packers who helped raise funds for the Rathmines Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party. The party was held on 12th December in the Garda Club, South Circular Road, and the girls from St. Louis helped throughout the evening serving food, organising spot prizes, dancing with the senior revellers, and all in all added to a great evening for everyone involved. It was wonderful to watch as the young students mingled and helped with a ready smile. This is now an established event in the St. Louis calendar, helping to forge connections with the local community and allowing our young students to show their generosity and kindness. A big thank you to all the teachers and students involved! Rugby Hockey St. Louis High School Hockey club, coached by Irish International Niamh Small (St. Louis past pupil) meets every Monday after school in the Guinness Hockey Club grounds in Crumlin. This is about a ten/fifteen minute bus ride from the school, and the students travel by private bus to and from the club. This year the number playing hockey has nearly doubled, and with Niamh’s expert coaching we hope to enter the school leagues next year. Friendly matches will be arranged in the new year. Well done to everyone and a big thank you to Ms Lawrence for all her help. Badminton Club ST. LOUIS HIGH SCHOOL SPORT Athletics Club Our athletics club meets after school every Wednesday and Thursday and is coached by Philip Halpin from Rathfarnham Athletic Club. Students from 1st year to 5th year take part, and the club has moved from strength to strength under Philip’s expert guidance. The students are training for the schools cross country season in January/February and of course the track and field later in the year. New members are always welcome! Last year, due to the success of our Irish Women’s 7’s rugby team, Railway Union Rugby Club approached a number of schools in south Dublin with a view to setting up schoolgirl rugby. The response was resounding – and St. Louis High School were runners up in the final rugby blitz last year! This year was an even better story – our senior girls came first in a nail-biting final, (winning all seven matches) and our junior team was second overall! Aifric O’Leary Deane was nominated player of the junior tournament. Well done to our captain, Stacey Flood (6th year) who has been selected for the U.19 Leinster Interprovincial team. Kate Hegarty (playing for Railway) is going from strength to strength, and has been selected to take part in a coaching course after Christmas. Well done everyone! Rugby coaching will resume after Christmas – more details to follow. The badminton club meets every Wednesday from 3.30 to 4.30pm in the Swan Leisure Centre, which is just a short walk from the school. Numbers are up, and we are delighted to see so many students from First year to 6th year involved. Our coach, Sian William has arranged a number of matches for early in the new year, and we hope to enter the school leagues next September. Life Saving Club The Life saving club meets BEFORE school on Thursday mornings – 7am to 8am!! Despite the dark mornings we have had a great turnout each week - we probably have the largest number of first years ever – well done for staying the pace! Some of the senior life-savers are working towards their Pool Lifeguard Award and some are also hoping to qualify as Water-Safety Instructors later in the year! Well done everyone - see you all in January. The Pope John Paul II Award St. Louis High School’s Centenary History Projects BT YOUNG SCIENTIST EXHIBITION 2014 This year celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Young Scientist Competition. Two of the six projects submitted were accepted from 2,000 Irish Secondary Schools’ entries . The first Project is by Sarah Casey and Saibhe Brock in Fifth year. They are investigating the rate of biodegradable bio-plastics in Irish soil. The second entry is a project investigating the language used in maths text books. This is being conducted by Mathilde Lyons and Isabel Browne in Third year. Best of luck to all involved in the new year. The Centenary History Project began in June this year when a number of Fifth year students went on a tour of Cathal Brugha Barracks to get a sense of what Rathmines was like a 100 years ago. Research began on key figures and social conditions from the revolutionary era 1900-1922. Transition year students joined in at this point. Most of the research was carried out over the summer and included studying of primary sources, secondary sources and interviews. Emer Slattery interviewed a grandniece of Joseph Plunkett and Mary Jane Wallblom Smyth interviewed Father Richard Sheehy, then Parish Priest of Rathmines, and grandnephew of Hannah Sheehy Skeffington. In September, Sarah Casey and Daisy Hickey attended the commemoration of the Church St. Disaster in Glasnevin cemetery. Editing of the research began in October and thanks to Miriam Sadlier, excellent visuals were added to the facts. So far, four projects have been completed and are on display in school outside Room 15. These are Joseph Plunkett by Emer Slattery, Hannah Sheehy Skeffington by Mary Jane Wallblom Smyth, Tenement Life by Sarah Casey and Rathmines in 1913 by Iseult Deane. Other projects are nearing completion we hope. Sharon Muldoon The Pope John Paul II Award was created to commemorate the late Pope who was committed to young people and who had such belief and confidence in them. These awards are the chance to take part in the life of your local community and society and also become more aware of the teaching and the role of the Catholic Church in the world. By participating in this award we learned to understand that religion and faith are not just for learning, nor are they a list of rules, but that they are for living. Participants earn their awards by taking part in activities through parish involvement, social awareness and the preparation of a presentation. Congratulations to Serena Hill, Kelly Leahy, Eimear Keogh, Dervla McCormack, Marisa Fusco, Lisa Branagan, Laura Murphy, Elena Mangul who recently received their awards. Marisa Fusco (5th Yr) SLHS Debating Team The school debating team is made up of a number of senior students from Transition Year, 5th Year and 6th Year. We participate in Concern’s School Debating Competition which runs until the end of January and we hope to progress to the next stage. We are also hoping to participate in another competition in 2014. Motions range over a variety of subjects including ones we might not necessarily agree with! For instance, recently we had to argue that ‘aid to the developing world was a luxury Ireland could not afford’. This was difficult for us as we believe in helping people and giving charity where needed. However, despite our personal opinions, we successfully argued the motion on the night and won the debate! The team is open to new members joining every new academic year and we could not recommend joining enough. It is excellent for developing research and communication skills, along with building up one’s confidence. THE 1913 LOCKOUT TAPESTRY St. Louis High School was privileged to be chosen to take part in the 1913 Lockout Tapestry project. This tapestry is an outstanding example of a community art project drawing together people from all different backgrounds who have created a living reminder of the sacrifices ordinary working people endured to achieve decent working conditions and living standards for all. The legacy of the lockout lives with us today – well done to the following students who have literally stitched their way into history! Leah O’Doherty, Sarah Conway, Hannah O’Connor, Gemma Nolan, Grace Halton, Caoimhe Kenny, Aoife Darcy, Kyrielle Bigornia, Laura Walsh, Fiorella Barchetta, Rahaf Khalef, Janelle Dalupang,, Celina Bonne, Michaela Roche, Elena Mangul, Iseult Deane, Loredana Mihaica, Heather O’Brien, Aoife Giltrap, Carolina Bancila, Shelly Calvin, Kamila Tyszkiewicz. We are delighted to announce an exciting new programme being launched here in the school on the 6th January 2014 ("St. Louis Centenary Operation Transformation"), which is available to all students and staff. It's a great opportunity to partake in a 4 week Exercise & Nutrition Programme which will focus on 5 key areas; Improving Fitness Levels, Eliminating Bad Habits, Losing Weight, Eating Healthier and Setting Yourself Personal Goals & Challenges Leaving Certificate 2013 Success Congratulations to Anna Szucs, Celia Chari and Edie Davis who as a result of their superb Leaving Certificate 2013 results, recently received Entrance Exhibition Awards to Trinity College Dublin. Anna is currently studying Medicine, Celia Science, and Edie English. To receive these awards, students must secure in excess of 565 points in the Leaving Certificate. We wish Anna, Celia, Edie and all the class of 2013 every success in their studies and future careers. Message from SLHS Parents’ Council We have had a tremendous year so far, enjoying the centenary celebrations. The Parents' Council (PC) has already undertaken some pretty successful fundraising events for the school; the raffle at the musical and of course the fantastic Christmas fair, which had a vintage theme this year. Between these two we have raised over seven thousand euro for improving school facilities for all our girls. We couldn't do it without your help and we want to say a massive thank you to all parents for your time, donations, prizes and help. Massive gratitude also to the students for bringing in all the goodies for the fair and in particular to those senior girls who gave up their precious Saturday and Sunday to put in the graft needed...selling tickets, pins, wreaths and cupcakes. It was an education in selling for sure, and everyone remarked how well the cafe and the hall looked. The PC has a parent representing each school year and we can be contacted through email: [email protected] We also have a post box in the school foyer and welcome all ideas, suggestions and comments on how we can continue to work in partnership with the teachers and students to continually improve our daughters' school experience. We look forward to seeing you at the Centenary Ball! Patricia Scully, Mary Giblin, Ken Lannigan, Pom Boyd, Ide Tynan, Patricia Talbot, Martin Walsh and Sandy Hazel. Transition Year Christmas 2013 Once again our TY Programme got off to a flying start with Induction Day on September 3rd. All the girls have been extremely busy all term and have embraced every opportunity with great willingness. As always, our TY students like to get involved with charity work and large sums were raised on flag days for Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Enable Ireland and Irish Autism. This generosity of spirit was also evident during the Social Placement in November, when we heard back wonderful reports about how hard they worked and how pleasant and courteous their behaviour was. In the business world, the girls are honing their entrepreneurial and marketing skills with their involvement in Student Enterprise and AIB Build a Bank. We are especially impressed with the launch of the Lego Bank, with the very professional input of the team. I’m hoping that they’re in with a real chance of winning this year and I know that the girls themselves are willing to put everything they have into this competition. Combining the worlds of business and social conscience, we also have a new committee from TY to run the school’s Rotary Club. The Law Course took place early in the term and was very stimulating. We have had some interesting talks also, especially from the Samaritans who gave us a really thought provoking afternoon. Healthy and fun leisure activities were catered for by the school musical, the wonderful Les Misérables, and also by the Pitch n’ Putt module in the PE class. A new and really worthwhile addition to our programme has been the Glasnevin Cemetery TY Project. It involves two visits to the Cemetery for every class. On the first visit, the girls are given a lesson on how to be a tour guide, and the skills are then demonstrated by a short tour of some of the more famous graves. Then the girls are each assigned someone well known who is buried in Glasnevin, and over a couple of weeks they prepare a presentation which they deliver on the return visit. The official tour guide decides on a winner who will go back in the spring to take part in an inter-schools event. In all my years as TY Coordinator, I have never come across a better project, as it tests so many skills and demands a high standard. So far, both 4L and 4O have completed the project and 4U are eagerly looking forward to their turn. The final big event of the first term was the Ice Skating trip to Dundrum on Ice. There was a large turnout and everyone had a lovely time, ably minded and led by Mr. O’Meara and Ms. O’Connor. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone involved in TY a very happy Christmas — the girls and their families, the subject teachers who make the programme so interesting and varied, the Class teachers Ms. O’Connor, Ms. Dooley and Mr. Kilduff, Yearhead Ms. Capper and both Ms. McDonagh and Ms. Morgan who are extremely supportive of the programme. Thank you especially to the girls for being so pleasant and positive since August. Their “pleases” and “thank yous” are spontaneous and that means a lot. I look forward to working with you all again in 2014. M Newman (TY Co-ordinator)