Principal's NEWS UPDATE November, 2016
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Warmest congratulations to our two new rising stars in Soccer – Nadine Clare and Shauna Carroll who were selected for the FAI Soccer School’s Interprovincial tournament. This is a fantastic achievement for both of these students whose talent and dedication has been rewarded.
Congratulations also to Christina Hamill, Siofra O’Brien, Caitlin Sheerin and Hannah McLoughlin who recently won the U’18 Interprovincial Hockey Tournament in Cork. All four players and Emma Dawson (U16 Leinster) have also been chosen to trial for Ireland. A brave group of sailors came 2 nd in the inter schools Loreto Sailing Competition. Well done to all. (Read on for details of all of the above).
The Class of 2016 continues to succeed. Ten students will be presented with Entrance Scholars Awards in University College Dublin and three students will be presented with the Entrance Exhibition Award in Trinity College Dublin. They are: Nicola Bennett, Anna Caffrey, Emma Cryan, Aoife Curran, Megan Duffy, Lisa Dunne, Sinead Durcan, Sinead Ellison, Sara Noureldin and Louise Ryan, UCD and Ellen Barnes, Lisa Kelly and Siona Molony, TCD. We are very proud of their achievements and we wish them every success as they move on to the next phase of their educational journey.
Ellen Curran, (also class of 2016), has just received her first Cap for the Irish Senior Hockey team. Two past pupils, Niamh Ryan and Emma McDonagh, both played for Foxrock Cabinteely GAA Club, winning the Leinster Senior Ladies Football final. We congratulate them and wish them well in contesting the All Ireland Final.
75 years ago, Loreto College Foxrock came into being at the invitation of the Archbishop of Dublin. We celebrated this occasion with a special Mass for the opening of the school year. As ever, Fr. Frank Herron along with our RE team, Ember team, Choir & Orchestra ensured this Mass was a special celebration for us all.
Congratulations to the teachers and staff who were involved in Maths Week, History Week and Readers' & Writers' Week. All of these were very rich learning experiences for our students. A special thank you, also, to all the staff, students and parents who helped make our Open Evening a successful occasion. Visitors to our school were struck by the warm welcome they received from all and the enthusiasm shown for the College by the students. The success of this evening has led to a great response in applications for places in 2019.
Thank you to all of the past pupils who participated in a very informative careers evening which was organised and supported by Ms O’Malley, Ms Early and our Parents' Association.
In November, we remember those from the Loreto College Foxrock Community who have been bereaved in the recent past. We keep all of those families in our prayers.
Honour the wisdom of those who went before you.
Bind it ever to your heart, tie it around your neck.
When you walk, it will lead you,
When you lie down, it will watch over you,
When you wake it, it will talk to you. (Proverbs 6:20-22)
Is mise le meas
Bernadette Prendiville
Principal
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Our Loreto College Foxrock community came together for the Opening School Mass in Foxrock Parish church on Wednesday, the 12th of October.
2016 - 2017 marks the school's 75th birthday year, having originally opened our doors of ‘living and learning’ in 1941. An historical collage of images, created by current students, is now on display in our school reception for all to enjoy.
Fr. Frank, our Parish Priest, led this mass of celebration. The talent from the school choir and orchestra was breath-taking, as they provided accompaniment throughout. Members of all year groups took part, organised by the Religion Department. Heartfelt thanks to all for the beautiful occasion marking Loreto College Foxrock's 75th birthday . We would like to wish all our students, teachers, support staff, parents, guardians and the wider community, a healthy, safe and fruitful year ahead.
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Our Walk with the Rising Sun took place on Oct 19th, for students staff, parents and even family pets! The walk began and ended at the school, rounded off positively with a group breakfast . The aim of this get-together was not only to raise funds for our chosen charities – The Donal Walsh #LiveLife Foundation and Pieta House but also a way of extending a helping hand to those students struggling with any form of mental stress, and letting them know that they do not walk alone.
This initiative was first organised by myself, Shauna Griffith and Katie Griffin, Class of 2015 in April 2014, with the support of Ms O Malley, Guidance Counsellor, to raise awareness of the prevalence of mental health problems and the very tangible yet silent role these play in the lives of many within our school community and beyond.
In addition to the walk, Katie, Shauna and I attended the Student Leaders' Congress in the RDS which was run by Irish entrepreneur Jim Breen (Cycle Against Suicide), which aims to provide students with the tools and confidence to instigate events within their own school communities. Donal Walsh's father, Fionnbar, of The Donal Walsh Foundation, spoke at this event and we were so impressed by him that we invited him to visit and speak at the school about Donal's message to young people suffering with suicidal thoughts. Since then, a group of our students got on their bikes and took part in the Cycle Against Suicide, with another group travelling to the RDS again last year to the Student Leaders' Congress.
As you can see from the photos, we were lucky enough to see a fine sunrise on the appointed day. We would in particular, like to thank the PSA for their support this year with the introduction of the wristband to mark this day and their support with providing breakfast.
We would like all members of our school community to remember the motto:
'It's OK not to feel OK, and it's absolutely OK to ask for help'.
Aoife O'Connor, Class of 2015
www. donalwalshlivelife.org
www.pieta.ie
www.cycleagainstsuicide.com
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Loreto College, Foxrock Finalists 2016/17
Well done to the following Transition Year students who were chosen to represent our school at the Science Olympiads in Dublin City University on October 29th and November 5th.
Isobel Forde – The Irish Junior Science Olympiad (IrJSO)
Sarah McMahon – The Irish EU Science Olympiad (EUSO)
Both Megan O’Neill and Cathy Culligan in 5th Year have been invited to participate again this year based on their Junior Certificate results from 2015.
To be chosen to attend these Olympiads is a great honour as they recognise very high achievers in both Maths and Science at Junior Certificate level. The International Junior Science Olympiad is to take place this December in Bali, Indonesia and the European Union Science Olympiad will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark next May.
We wish the girls the very best of luck as they prepare to compete for a place on these Irish teams.
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Loreto College Foxrock Successful Entries for 2017
Congratulations to the following students who have qualified to compete in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS next January. A nationwide total number of 2091 project submissions were received.
It is an amazing achievement to be one of the 550 projects to qualify! We wish these students the very best of luck in their work as they prepare for this event.
Does Simulating a Lack of Binocular Vision Have an impact on Performance? Jessica Oakley O’Kelly, Margot Moore & Jennifer Leavy 1st Year
The Great Gluten Bake Off: An Analysis of the Effects of Raising Agents and Stabilisers in Gluten Free Baking
Aimee O’Neill & Dervla McKenna 1st Year
The Study of the Effects of the Beats per Minute in Music on the Canine Heart Rate and Response Time
Solen O'Neill, Lucy Mahon & Megan Dempsey 1st Year
Underage Female Athletes and Ankle Injuries – What is the Relationship between Jump Strength, Balance and Proprioception Siobhan Murray, Laura McCarthy & Anna Geraghty Transition Year
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For History Week 2016, Ms. Potter organised a Roman Banquet for the whole school to attend. She greeted us with a friendly 'Welcome' in her Ancient Roman toga, and before we entered, we had to read the 'House Rules' with orders such as 'SERVANTS MUST WASH GUESTS' FEET' and 'DO NOT USE BAD LANGUAGE'. They would have put these on their walls in Ancient Rome.
There was an array of food on the table inside and immediately, we were drawn to the chocolate mice, representing the stuffed door-mice they devoured in Roman times. We are quite certain that we would not have been as attracted if it were actually stuffed door-mice! Several courageous students volunteered to be participants in the game where you had to try Ancient Roman food, blindfolded, and guess what the food was! Some of the foods people were fed were tartar sauce, cheese and olives.
In Ancient Rome, it was considered rude to not finish all the food on the table so they would puke out their last helping into the Vomitorium which was a bowl or a room, especially for their vomit! After the game, volunteers thoroughly washed their mouths with Ribena, which represented red wine, which they would have drunk in Ancient Rome.
We all really enjoyed the buffet! There was something for everyone!
By Leah Clancy and Phoebe Freeman (1 Poyntz)
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MS. POTTER'S THIRD YEARS' TRIP TO THE COURTS
'Ms. Jones and I brought our 3rd year Classical Studies group to the Criminal Courts of Justice on Tuesday 25th October last. One of the topics on the Junior Certificate Classical Studies curriculum is about an ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, who was put on trial in Athens in 399BC for his beliefs. He was unjustly put to death. Therefore students study the Ancient Greek legal system and compare it with the legal system in Ireland today.
The purpose of this trip was for the students to learn about the legal system in Ireland. A barrister gave us a tour of the Courts and we even did a mock trial which was fun! We then sat in on two trials: a murder trial and Sean Fitzpatrick’s pre trial. Overall it was a great and very enjoyable trip.' - Ms Potter
'In late September, Classics students from various year groups went to see a thrilling performance of Virgil's Aeneid at Smock Alley Theatre. Teachers, Ms Potter, Ms Jackson and Ms Jones accompanied students to see Virgil's Aeneid, which is currently on the Classical Studies curriculum, so this was a great opportunity to see the play.
This was a unique and modern take on the ancient tale of Aeneas's journey to found Rome. It was thoroughly enjoyable and conveyed a range of emotions through the medium of drama. Everyone had a wonderful time and we will certainly not forget it any time soon.'
Caoimhe Cullen, 5th Year.
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In October, TY students have been taking part in lots of activities, including Model United Nations, European Youth Parliament, a Bank of Ireland workshop which ran over a few days and a trip to the RDS for Maths week. A selection of students attended an open day in the Gardai Siochana headquarters on Thursday 20th October. This was an eye- opener and very informative.
This year's Musical with CBC Monkstown will be Hairspray. Many interested TY students and parents attended an information meeting regarding the musical.
TY students attended The Loreto Foxrock Careers Evening recently, an annual occasion when past pupils kindly return to speak to students regarding their courses in college. Our TY’s found this very informative and worthwhile, as they are now more aware of subject requirements and the specifics of prospective courses at college. For insights CLICK HERE
Transition Years started their work experience placements in the last week of October. A range of careers were sampled, including Veterinary, Law, Hospitality, Marketing and Accountancy or Medicine, shadowing a range of consultants at local hospitals.
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IT ain't for Geeks!
The nationwide Information Technology PR programme is provided to schools by some of the top IT companies in Ireland to inform students about careers in technology. The IT sector is currently the largest employer in the country employing up to four times that of any other sector.
As part of Maths week, Ms. O' Malley invited the Corporate IT team to work with the Fifth Year students. At the end of the session, there was a significant increase in the level of interest and awareness in potential career opportunities in this area.
The facilitators work in IT companies and provide an educational and interactive discussion about the different careers in the technology sector. The aim is to assist students to think about the many careers available in this sector from general IT to mobile to gaming and e-commerce, including other careers within leading IT companies.
We would like to thank Louise and Sharon from Ericsson who delivered the programme in Loreto Foxrock. They were also present at the recent Career Fair held for TY students and their parents.
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Many students were genuinely dissappointed to see Loreto Foxrock’s 'Maths Week 2016' come to an end.
Maths Week is a worldwide initiative celebrating the power and beauty of maths. Throughout the week, students took part in many competitions, talks and games. 1st-4th years battled it out to win the Maths Treasure Hunt. 5th and 6th years went head-to-head in a tricky maths quiz. Transition Years trooped off to a maths event in the RDS while 5th and 6th years attended a talk by Brendan Guildea, one of Irelands most renowned maths teachers.
The annual poster and sticker competition, as well as the daily riddle returned, with fabulous prizes won. Overall, Maths Week, 2016 was a huge success and the countdown for next year has already begun!
By Niamh Sheehan, 5th year.
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