The Coláiste Chronicle

Welcome to the Christmas edition of The Coláiste Chronicle, we hope you enjoy the read!
Notaí Maith Comortas # 2- October
WINNERS: Rang Duffy! Superstars of First year!
Hallowe’en Story writing competition
Winner, Kristina Magakova
The Not So Haunted House
On Halloween night in New York City 3 boys where celebrating Halloween together by
watching a horror movie. While they were in front of the TV with a blanket over them
munching on popcorn, all of the power went out all over New York. There was nothing
they could do to get their power back. “No!! At The Best Part!!” screamed Jason. Jason
loved his horror movies. He was pale with black choppy hair and long bangs in his face, he
was skinny and about average height for a 14 year old boy. “I know!! What are we gonna
do now?” said Michael with frustration in his voice. Michael had brown curly hair sort of
like an afro but not quite, he was tall and played a lot of football. “I know it sucks guys.”
replied Danny. Danny was average size for a 14 year old boy, He has a similar haircut to
Jason but he looked a lot less like a ghost, he was tan and had dark brown hair shorter than
Jason.
After 1 hour of boredom Jason suggested they went to the woods and explore for a while.
Everyone thought it was a great idea, got their shoes on and went. It was about 1 am when
they got to the woods. “Guys, are we really doing this?” asked Michael a little worried.
“Yeah, Why? Are you scared?” asked Jason taunting him. “No!” answered Michael.
After a medium discussion about if Michael is scared or not, they walked into the forest.
Danny went first with Jason behind him and Michael walking last. The moon was full and
all the leaves have fallen off the trees creating scary looking shadows on the ground.
Something rattled in the bushes which made Michael jump. “WHAT WAS THAT?” asked
Michael worried. His scream made a bunch of bats with red eyes fly out of the bushes and
right into their faces. They all screamed and ducked down covering their faces with their
shaking hands.
After the flock of bats flew away into the bright, full moon, they walked on deeper into the
forest, where they found a huge black house with a tall tower on its left side, a pointy roof
with loose and broken tiles, the moon could be seen clearly on the right side of the house.
The trees around the house all seemed dead and a howl could be heard in the distance and a
grave yard was in the back of the house as a back garden. Michael started to shiver as he
felt a cold breeze run up his spine. Jason stoop there in awe so happy to have found this
amazing creation, running to get a closer look while Danny stood there staring at the house
in amazement and a little worry.
“Jason! Get back here!” whispered Michael. “No lets go get a closer look!” answered Jason
running closer to the house. Michael said nothing, just looked at Danny. Danny took a deep
breath and took a step forward. Michael watched him walk away slowly and then started
walking after them.
Jason stood there waiting at the porch staring at the door. The door had bloody handprints
and smudges all over it. Michael and Danny came and stared at it too. Danny swallowed
hard and pushed the door open. All 3 walked in at the same time.
The house was messy and had a light breeze. All you could hear was the noise of the wind.
There was a small lamp with a half burned out candle inside. Jason took out a match from
his pocket and scraped o the battered wooden table to light the candle. Danny lifted the
lamp and walked down the hallway. The wallpaper was torn and had smudge of blood on it,
the floorboards squeaked and the furniture was smashed.
“Guys this doesn’t feel right, maybe we should head home now…” said Michael with is
voice shaking. “Are you kidding?! Lets go check this place out! It looks just like a a horror
movie in here!” said Jason with enthusiasm running slowly down the hallway. “that’s why
we should leave… people DIE in horror movies” replied Michael scared
Suddenly the door swung shut and something rattled in the cupboards. Michael screamed
and the rattling stopped. “Be quiet Michael” said Danny. “Let’s go explore for a bit and go
home.” And that’s what they did
They slowly tiptoed to the kitchen to make sure no one heard them. The Kitchen had ripped
curtains and knives stabbed into the counters with blood dripping from them. There was
blood dripping from the fridge door and some meat cut up into cubes. “Please tell me that’s
not human..” commented Michael. “Yeah it smells really bad in here, let’s go somewhere
else.” Said Jason and that’s what they did
While walking up the squeaky stairs they heard footsteps upstairs. They went into the
bedroom. The bedroom had a big double bed with ripped up sheets and curtains, the mirror
was smashed wardrobe was battered. “woah” commented Jason. Then noise came from the
wardrobe and the door swung shut. Michael tried to open the door but it was locked. The
door of the wardrobe slowly opened and 2 red dots appeared. All 3 of the boys gasped and
leaned against the door. Then a growl came out of the creature’s mouth and he hairy beats
bounced out at their faces screaming. The boys all covered the faces and crouched down
slightly. Danny opened his eyes and looked at the creature. Its scream was being replayed
over and over again and its mouth kept opening and closing, then he noticed the strings. It
was a puppet. The lights came back on and they saw the whole room was just a set up. A
man and a woman came out from the door next to them. They were both painted like
skeletons and they were both laughing. The couple unlocked the door and let out of the
room.
When they were at the porch again they noticed the medium sized pumpkin filled with
sweets and a small note beside it saying “Take One Please”.
They went home laughing at themselves for being so silly and scared (Especially Michael)
when it was just a couple who go all out on Halloween.
When they got home they finished their horror movie and ate more popcorn. The whole
time they talked about the forest and the “haunted house” and how they would do that again
next year.
A new first year joined CNI for one day only
Debating
After four gruelling preliminary rounds with over 250 speakers, the top 80 debaters in
Leinster have been selected to take part in the Leinster Finals’ Day of the Junior Debating
National Mace. Included in that list are two first year daltaí from the Coláiste – Ellen
Harbison and Peter Phelan. This is a phenomenal achievement for the two students, as the
top 80 represents students from first to third year. Well done to both, along with second
year Eve White, who we look forward to seeing compete in the finals in the New Year.
Article from Droghedalife.com
http://droghedalife.com/791/160740/a/colaiste-na-hinse-student-wins-best-first-yearspeaker-at-national-debating-comp
Peter Phelan from Colaiste na hInse, Bettystown had his first big win recently when he was
chosen as the best first year Speaker at the preliminary round of the Matheson Junior
Debating National Mace at Wesley College, Dublin which attracted 100 young speakers
recently.
The speakers spoke eloquently on a diverse range of topics from “Banning Violent Sports”
to “Believing the Media Should Respect the Private Lives of Public Figures”.
Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green, Loreto Beaufort, Castleknock CC and Kilkenny
College came out as the top teams after four rounds.
After a great final about parents’ rights to exempt their children from religion classes
Loreto St Stephen's Green were crowned champions.
All schools are now keeping their fingers crossed for a place in the Leinster Final.
Teaching and Learning Week 2nd - 6th November
Study aids as suggested by the guidance department
Khan Academy
For: Desktop, iOS, Android
Cost: Free
Subjects: Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Economics,
Despite it being focused on the US curriculum, Khan Academy allows you access to more
than 4,200 videos covering a wide range of subjects and topics. Certainly handy if you want
to learn about something in greater detail.
Toggl Time Tracker
For: Desktop, iOS, Android
Cost: Free
Learning type: N/A
Probably one of the best time-management apps out there, Toggle allows you to break
down your schedule into manageable chunks. Want to spend 30 mins on Maths and then an
hour on Irish? Sure thing.
More importantly, it also allows you to see where you’re losing time in case you’re having
problems sticking to a schedule.
CleverNotes
For: Desktop
Cost: Free
Subjects: English, Irish, Maths, French, German, Spanish, Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Business, Geography, History, Home Economics.
Another useful site for Leaving Cert students, CleverNotes breaks down all subjects into
manageable summaries. Handy for when you need some clarity on a specific topic.
Maths
IXL Maths Practice
(iPad/iPhone, Android, free)
Possibly the most relevant of all maths apps for Irish students. This carefully tracks the core
curriculum from junior infants right through to sixth year of secondary school. Five-yearolds will count the number of dots on the screen, while those in fifth year will be looking at
logarithms and trigonometry. There’s plenty of visually engaging material and word
problems. On the downside, however, much of the content is perhaps too close to the
curriculum, so it might be a bit dull for some users, particularly older pupils. The app is free
for limited use, but IXL membership offers added benefits. See ixl.com for details.
Suitable for: all primary and secondary school pupils, as well as adults who would like to
improve their maths skills.
Math Tutor
For: Desktop
Cost: Free
Another handy maths resource which breaks the subject down into seven main areas. The
text sections can be a little heavy to read (especially in PDF format), but video tutorials,
tests and exercises means it’s worth taking a look.
Math.
For: iOS
Cost: €8.99 (First five lessons are free)
Covering both school and college level maths, Math. contains lessons, video examples and
multiple-choice questions and worksheets to ensure you get enough practice in.
Math Workout
(iPad/iPhone, Android, free)
A few years ago, brain-training games were in vogue. Interest has waned somewhat, but
adults should try and keep their reasoning and logic skills sharp, and maths is a great way
of doing it. Math Workout was inspired by the Japanese Kumon education method, which
is becoming increasingly popular in Ireland and across the western world. It features daily
brain-training exercises and maths drills.
It’s easy to see why this hugely addictive and enjoyable game is so popular. You’ll be keen
to beat your own scores and improve; I’ve been skipping coffee during the mid-afternoon
slump and playing Math Workout instead.
Suitable for: teens and adults
Physical exercise
SuperStretch Yoga HD
(iPad/iPhone, free, developed by the Adventures of Super Stretch)
An introduction to basic yoga. It’s good exercise that can be done indoors, is good for the
mind and a good way for kids to relax after school. Parents and guardians can join in too.
Suitable for: children under 14 and families.
My Home PE
(website, developed by Brenda Cassidy)
Not an app (not yet, but don’t be surprised if this changes soon) but an online interactive
“PE homework” tool for children aged four to nine, which aims to boost physical activity
outside school hours. My Home PE provides physical activities for kids and parents to take
part in, from jogging on the spot during TV ad breaks to going for a cycle or dancing to
videos that are free to download.
Suitable for: children and families.
The PE Geek
(iPad/ iPhone, Android, free, paid versions with additional features, developed by The PE
Geek)
A comprehensive app for teachers and parents who want to learn more about the latest
technologies in physical education.
Suitable for: teachers and parents.
Nutrition and life skills
Yummiloo Rainbow Power
(iPad/iPhone: €1.99, developed by Night and Day Studios)
How to get kids to eat? The bright and colourful characters in this game are called Yum
Yums, and they’re off to their annual carnival. On the way, they learn all about nutrition
and food identification, gathering fruits and vegetables and learning how to compost.
Suitable for: children under seven.
Headspace
(iPad/iPhone, Android, free, but in-app purchases available, developed by Headspace
Meditation Ltd)
A popular and accessible meditation app. Forget your notions about how meditation is for
hippies: the science clearly shows it works and can improve concentration, mental health
and general wellbeing.
Suitable for: adults and teens.
Languages
Duolingo
For: Desktop, iOS, Android
Cost: Free
It’s tough to mention languages without mentioning Duolingo, a service that’s become
synonymous with language learning on the go. The main languages are covered here:
Spanish, French, German, etc., and you can take a comprehension course which will
present lessons that are better suited to your ability.
Also a more important element is the Irish course is now available on its site. It’s in beta
meaning it’s not perfect yet and for now, it’s only on desktop, but assuming it will be
officially released by December, if not sooner, it will be an invaluable companion for
learning.
Babbel
(iPad/iPhone, Android: free, with in-app purchase options)
DuoLingo’s main competition. While it does cost some money, it is particularly useful for
building up conversational skills or for people going on holidays or travelling and who need
to build up a few phrases. There’s a decent selection of languages, including French,
Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish,
Turkish and Indonesian.
Suitable for: everyone.
EnjoyIrish
(iPad/iPhone: €1.99, Android, €1.68 developed by Maithu)
An affordable app for adults who want to brush up on their Irish-language skills.
Suitable for: ages 14 and over.
Sraith Pictiúr
(iPad/iPhone, Android, free, developed by PokeTheBear)
An app for Leaving Cert students, broken down into simple sets of discussions, vocabulary
and useful phrases. It’s written by expert teachers and recorded by native Irish speakers in
high-quality sound. Excellent and recommended.
Nemo Irish Gaelic
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free (Full version costs €8.99)
If you can excuse the app title, Nemo Irish Gaelic is an app that specialises around phrases.
Designed to be dipped in and out of every now and again, it mixes flashcards and spoken
words to help improve your accent.
The free version is quite limited and you will need to get the full version if you want to
move beyond basic phrases so download first before you decide to pay for it.
Irish Grammar App
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €3.59
An app developed by Wicklow teacher Aine McGillycuddy, Irish Grammar App does
exactly what it sets out to do. Breaking down each section and providing a written quiz for
each section, it’s a handy resource should you need a way of refreshing your knowledge
about tenses and prepositions. Although it should be noted that the app is viewed solely in
landscape mode so the bigger a smartphone screen you have, the better.
English and Literacy
Shakespeare Online
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free (Pro version costs €8.99)
Practically all the works of Shakesphere are here, with full text, notes and explanations to
help you out. There’s a pro version if you’re particularly serious about learning everything
there is about King Lear or MacBeth if you’re so inclined.
Rory’s Story Cubes
(iPad/iPhone: €1.99, Android: €1.79)
Developed by Irish woman Anita Murphy and her husband, Rory O’Connor, this is one of
the most popular education apps out there, and deservedly so. Rory’s Story Cubes is a game
designed to spark the imagination and can be played with equal relish by children and
adults, together or separately. It can be played in a group or alone. The game consists of 54
images on nine cubes, with each cube generating an image that will feature in a story,
which helps build creativity, critical-thinking skills, problem-solving, and literacy
development. And it’s fun. Almost three million story cubes have been sold worldwide.
Suitable for: all ages.
Dyslexia Quest
(iPad/ iPhone,€1.99, developed by Nessy Learning Ltd)
One of the best apps for young people with dyslexia, unfortunately confined to iOS
platforms. Dyslexia Quest consists of six games that develop learning abilities and can
email results to teachers and/or parents. It talks users through difficulties and shows where
improvements can be made.
Suitable for: three age ranges: seven to 10; 11-16; and 17 and up.
BBC Skillwise
(website)
Not an app as such, but a useful website full of practical literacy skills for adults, including
how to discern between fact and opinion; the sounds of English; recognising letters and
words; and reading for pleasure. See also the National Adult Literacy Agency for further
Science & Technology
Pocket Physics
For: Android
Cost: Free
An easy to use resource that’s handy to dip in and out of whenever you need help on a
specific area. The text can be a little small at first glance, but you can zoom in if needed and
the information provided is solid.
Physics X
For: iOS
Cost: €4.49
An app designed mainly for college students, but has enough use for Leaving Cert students,
it’s comprehensive and provides a number of MCQs and videos tutorials to help you
understand each section.
Sky Safari
(iPad/ iPhone, Android, from ¤2.99, developed by Simulation Curriculum Corporation)
Probably the best of the astronomy apps, and one the entire family can enjoy. The app
shows the roughly 46,000 stars visible in the Earth’s night sky and an accurate version of
the sky from any place on the planet – now, and 100 years into the past and future.
It also features the main comets, asteroids, nebulae and galaxies, hundreds of images from
the Hubble Space Telescope and Nasa space missions, with more features available on the
more expensive versions.
Suitable for: everyone.
Skeptical Science
(iPhone/ iPad, Android, free, developed by Shine Technologies Pty Ltd)
For when you know the anti-vaccination, anti-fluoride, pro-homeopathy person or climate
change denier sitting opposite you, or fighting with you on Twitter or Facebook, is talking
nonsense. This app puts the latest peer-reviewed science at the touch of a button. It’s fun,
witty and provides an evidence-based comeback for well-intentioned or utterly stupid
statements on contentious scientific issues.
Suitable for: ages 12 until death.
TED
(iPhone/iPad, Android, Windows, Kindle, free, developed by TED Conferences)
An online archive of some of the most interesting and digestible science and technology
talks – although almost any subject you can imagine is covered here. It’s a well-designed
app and there’s content for students sitting exams as well as adults who just want to expand
their minds.
Suitable for: various ages.
VideoScience
(iPhone/iPad, Android, free, developed by Object Enterprises)
Close to 100 useful and inspirational videos of hands-on science lessons covering a range
of topics, with a focus on experiments that can be produced at home and in the classroom.
Suitable for: all ages.
CargoBot
(iPad, free, developed by TwoLivesLeft)
Coding is an important and under-taught subject, but there are plenty of apps and sites to
teach the skills. Coding is a technical skill but, more importantly, there’s arguably no better
way to develop logical thinking, problem-solving and creativity. CargoBot, a game where
you teach a robot to use crates, is a relatively challenging and surprisingly efficient app for
learning about coding and how to think like a computer. The game itself was programmed
entirely on an iPad. It’s engaging, fun and just a little addictive for children and adults.
Suitable for: ages 10 until death.
Memory Lane Photography, 4th February 2015
School photos are being taken on this date. Proofs will be distributed soon after. Please
ensure full uniform is worn on the day.
Cead bhliain Turas (First Year Tour)
Destination
Carlingford Adventure Centre, Tholsel Street, Carlingford, Co. Louth
Tour Dates
Friday 20th - Saturday 21st May 2016
Tour Length
2 Days/ 1 Night
Tour Price
€145
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Return bus from Coláiste na hInse on the morning of Friday 20th, returning Saturday evening at 7pm.
2 days and 1 night in fully supervised dorms. A number of teachers will accompany the students on their
turas.
Friday: Morning activity, lunch, afternoon activity, dinner, night activity
Saturday: Breakfast, morning activity, lunch, afternoon activity.
Deposit due on or before January 8th 2016 (payable through wisepay only).
First Year Boys Soccer
League and Cup:
The first year boys’ team have had a fantastic start to their season. The beat Gormanstown
7 - 0 in the first round of the Leinster Cup and have topped their League group to advance
to the semi-final with victories over Boyne CS Trim (4 - 0), Marist Dundalk (4 - 1) and
rivals St. Oliver's Drogheda (2 - 1).
Futsal:
The boys also won the Meath Futsal Championships. They progressed to the Leinster Finals
where they went undefeated. They were the only team not to concede a goal and scored
twelve in total in four group games. They were very unlucky to lose on penalties to winners
Dublin Oak Academy.
The First Year Boys soccer squad who beat St. Oliver’s Drogheda.
Oiche Roghnacha (options night)
SVP Hamper collection
Special mention must go to Rang Dagger (most content in their hamper) and to Rang
Corrigan (best presented hamper). Your completed hampers were a credit to you! The effort
you put in was most appreciated as was the effort of all daltaí who brought in food items to
give to those in need. Nollaig shona Daoibh.
First Year Club
This year has seen the creation of a brand new games club for first years. The cub
takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays in A27 and is a safe space for the daltaí to play
fun games such as Uno, draughts, card games etc, eat their lunch and beat me quite
regularly at connect 4 especially (ehem Alex Geraghty and Dillon Ryan!!).
The club will recommence in January- all are welcome!
Lá Dearfachas
The whole clann was rewarded for an excellent first two terms with a big Christmas
day out. The first year daltaí went to Funtasia, Drogheda and enjoyed skyclimbing
and bowling.
Notaí Maith Comortas # 3- December
WINNERS: Rang Corrigan– well done team! A great performance.
Realta na Miosa December 2015
Rang Dagger- Winner: Vilte Trinkunaite. Nominees: Alex Gerahty & Nikoleta Rogovska
Rang Campion- Winner: Jack Murphy. Nominees: Sarah McDonnell & Alexandria Boyle
Rang Hession- Winner: Kate Ward. Nominees: Filip Szymanski & Áine Gallagher
Rang Breatnach: Winner: . Nominees: & Aisling Murtagh, Leigh Murphy and Deirdre
Keogh.
Rang Corrigan- Winner: Eoin Mulvaney. Nominees: Niall Kelly & Kiko Zhang
Rang Duffy- Winner: Emily Murray. Nominees: Ryan Mullins & Kane Prendergast
Nollaig Shona
Daoibh