Principal's NEWS UPDATE Easter, 2017
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Dear Parents & Guardians,
A warm welcome to this latest Loreto Foxrock 'News update'. This ezine will give you details of many of the activities that have happened in the school over the past term. Congratulations to all our sports and debating teams who have excelled in their various competitions. We have been awash with silverware and awards! Just this week, Eve Lynch won the Bank of Ireland TY Academy Award. On behalf of the school community, I wish to congratulate Eve on her outstanding success.
Mock exams, orals and many practicals are now completed for the state exams. I am very grateful to our dedicated staff for their work in preparing our students.
With regard to Easter reports, we are progressing to electronic reports for 1 st and 2 nd year – having successfully published the 3 rd year Mock results online. Over the coming days, you will receive a letter giving you the login details you need to access your daughter’s details on VSware – our school administration system. We hope, in time, to have all reports available electronically. A hard copy of the report can be made available on request.
A special thank you to the members of the PSA who helped us in organising our 75 th Anniversary Dinner. There was a great sense of community and enjoyment on the night.
Thank you to Fr. Frank Herron and all in Foxrock Parish for accommodating our students and staff in attending Mass for Lent. During the season of Lent, we as human beings renew and refresh our relationship with God and others. As ever, we are mindful of those in our community who are ill or who have been bereaved and we keep them close in our prayers. I wish all in our school community a very peaceful and happy Easter.
Kind regards,
Bernadette Prendiville
Principal
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L-R 1. Laura Woods, (class of '96); MC, Rosaleen McMeel, (class of '95), Principal, Bernie Prendiville; Niamh Durcan, (class of '12). 2.Michelle Davis, Sinead Lardner, Caoimhe O'Neill & Karen Crowley. 3. Louise Ryan, Sarah Hough, Carmel McGettrick, Ali Walsh, Sinead O'Connor. 4. Stephanie Batt & Rosemary Boothman, (class of '56).
LORETO FOXROCK CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
On Friday March 24 th one hundred and fifty guests, both current parents, past pupils and past and current teachers gathered, united in festivity.
Starting with a drinks reception at 7.30pm, all were charmed by the Loreto Foxrock String Quartet and harpist, led by Ms. Barbara Cashman, music teacher.
Past pupil, Laura Woods class of 1995, performed her MC duties with the same panache she brings to her TV presenter role on TV3 & RTE. Laura promoted the wonderfully generous raffle and introduced our speakers.
Principal, Bernie Prendiville welcomed all present in celebration on behalf of the Board of Management, staff and the Parents Association.
Past pupil, Rosaleen McMeel, (class of '96), now Editor of Image Magazine spoke about the importance of encouraging and supporting others and how that can positively impact your professional network as well as your personal one. Rosaleen also spoke ardently about the importance of learning in an environment where potential isn't limited by gender and of how a supportive and inspiring school environment impacts on a young person's potential.
Rosaleen quipped that, back in the day, she would not have been a pure academic, nor indeed a pure sports star. Much time was spent, in those formative years, roaring encouragement pitch-side and creatively celebrating class-mate’s achievements. In respect of these efforts, Rosaleen was awarded a high honour indeed at her graduation ceremony: the Award for the ‘Spirit of Loreto Foxrock’.
Speaker, Niamh Durcan, (class of 2012), then delivered a speech which moved all gathered. Niamh shared sunny, early year memories for the first part of her speech:
“The common thread that runs through these memories is the friendship, community and sense of belonging that embellishes each one. Loreto was a place that taught us how to respect one another. It was a place that showed us how to look after one another, and later down the line, in a turn of events that none of us could ever have foreseen, (Berkeley tragedy, June 16th, 2012), it would become a place that we would return to, to mourn the untimely loss of two beautiful classmates...
...I will feel forever indebted to the school for opening its doors to us on that night, and in the evenings that followed."
To read Niamh Durcan’s inspirational speech in full, please click HERE
After these nourishing speeches, we mingled, dined and made merry. The evening was such a success that many clamoured for an encore extravaganza in March, 2018. A word to the wise; book your tickets early!
The Principal and Board of Management would like to thank all those present most sincerely for their support and generous contributions on the night. Circa €3,000 was raised and will go towards the School Gym refurbishment project.
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As part of our Lenten celebrations, 5C prepared a number of Lenten gardens and distributed them around the school. As we walk along the journey of Lent to prepare for Easter we will use our Lenten Gardens to help us reflect and make positive changes in our lives. Once a week, at morning prayer, a different aspect of the garden is reflected on and a challenge set for all in the school community.
For Lent, each year-group attended morning mass in Foxrock. On Ash Wednesday, 4th years brought back ashes to the school, distributing these to students and staff at break time. Lucky 5th years got to celebrate tSeachtain na Gaeilge with mass as Gaeilge with Fr. Frank. To prepare for Holy Week, all year groups participated in a Stations of the Cross activity treasure hunt.
5th years have begun our annual Pay It Forward activities. On Valentine’s day, each received a handmade Valentine’s day card and a sweet treat from 5B. Other acts of kindness have included flapjacks in RE class during Healthwise week and an Easter egg hunt. Keep up the kindness girls!
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Pic L-R 1. Pic L-R: Aimee Regan Olden, Kayla Phelan and Lucy Larkin Byrne 2. 3rd Year Cardio.
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Nutrition was, naturally, a key focus in our annual Healthwise Week, 2017. Students and teachers alike enjoyed the tasty, (and free), fare on offer. McCambridge's Bread and Total Produce are owed huge thanks for providing fresh fruit and bread throughout the week. A range of freshly prepared healthy breakfast options, prepared by TY mini-companies, was also available for purchase.
Fitness Forever held a fitness session with each 3rd-year group and fortunately, the sun shone as they were put through their paces in fun 'drills' on the front tennis courts. A big thank you to Anthony O’Donoghue and his team for helping our 3rd years squeeze some exercise in their study schedule.
Students who walked to school received a different sticker each day, designed by 1st years.
Other highlights included past pupil, Alix Watchorn, giving a “makeup masterclass” to our senior students while also covering, how to set up your own business, resilience and other relatable social issues. These were thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Students ranging from 1st-6th year let their creative sides show by constructing and wearing crazy hair and crazy socks on Friday to round off the week. Students were greeted with an individual “feel good quote” produced by some 2nd year SPHE classes.
Finally, Healthwise heads joined forces with the Irish Department's Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations and a Loreto Picnic Party, for ceol, craic agus bia
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This term, the SVP worked on two different projects. The first was Each One, Teach One aka the Befriending Project. We invited the Active Retirement Group in Foxrock into our school for an IT lesson on an area of their choice. Fr. Frank publicised the details of this project at mass.
The IT lesson was conducted in the computer room. Guests were encouraged to document the lesson, the better to practice their new skills at home. One guest lives alone, while her only child lives abroad. We helped her to set up a Facetime and Skype account on her IPad so she could video-call her grandchildren.
We showed others how to watch youtube, do their food shopping online and how to view the world using Google Earth. This was followed by tea and cakes in the canteen. As one of the visitors attended the school in the 1960’s, we showed her some school photographs from her time in the school. Then, it was the students' turn to learn new skills as our visitors taught some SVP members how to play cards.
The SVP Youth Day took place in Dun Laoghaire at the end of March. It was a very insightful occasion as each school learned from each other while participating in a number of workshops. Guest speakers included Liam Casey, Ciara Reid and Niall McKiernan.
Well done to all the TY students who have worked hard for the Loreto Foxrock SVP Youth Conference, including funds raised for Say No To Racism and for Loreto Rumbeck. Their hard work and dedication has helped many people in our community and further afield. They organised Christmas Hampers and Vouchers for members of the community. The Each One, Teach One project was a first for the school and will hopefully become an annual event. Congratulations to all of our members.
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Top image: L-R, Muireann Browne and Eleanor King, (TY 4th year)
Bottom images L-R: TY 4th years at the SVP Youth Conference day
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We were delighted to host the Finals of the Inter-Loreto Mace Debates Competition in March. The competition has been running for over ten years and is unique as the only competition to focus purely on young women's debating. The Loreto ethos aims to encourage and develop debating skills in girls from Loreto schools nationwide. Competitive debating nurtures young women as insightful researchers and writers as well as confident, able speakers. The competition strengthens
links between Loreto schools and provides an opportunity for impassioned and informed debate on a wide range of social, educational, philosophical and political issues.
Mace is a parliamentary style of debating which encourages critical thinking, the challenging of ideas and confidence in public speaking. It is a style of debating used not just in national schools' debating competitions and World Schools' Debating competitions but also at Inter-Varsity level, both in Ireland and abroad. Involvement in the competition is also a predictor of future success.
Past participants from Foxrock have gone on to represent Ireland at World University Debates, and adjudicated at Inter-Varsity Level as far away as Australia. In 2015/2016, the President of 'The Phil' in Trinity College, (Ireland's oldest and largest student society), was LCF past pupil, Ludivine Rebet. During Ludivine's tenure, she hosted many notable guests, including Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, to whom she awarded the Phil's Gold Medal.
This year saw three teams from Loreto College Foxrock reach the final stages of the competition. Impassioned speeches on ‘the merits of home schooling’, 'whether to arm the Gardai' and 'whether to give Irish citizens abroad voting rights', were the order of the day.
To our delight, LCF’s 5th year students, Lara O'Donohue and Laura Egan won the Senior Loreto Cup, in what was a very challenging final. It was a richly deserved victory in a cut-throat competition, affirming the vibrant debating tradition that is so much a part of Loreto College, Foxrock. Junior debaters Isabel O'Keeffe and Maria O'Connor also made it through to the Semi-finals but were ultimately defeated by Loreto Bray.
In other news, Laura Egan and Frances Bourke, (5th year) competed in the Matheson Senior Mace, a prestigious one day competition. Both girls did really well. On this, her very first competition, Frances won the Best Novice Speaker award!
We now look towards the Loreto Public Speaking Finals which this year will take place in Loreto Stephen’s Green at the start of May. The in-house public speaking competition will take place just after Easter to select one junior and one senior speaker to represent the school.
Group shot above
Top row, L-R: LCF, Loreto Bray, Loreto Crumlin, Loreto on the Green.
Middle row, L-R: LCF, Loreto Beaufort, Loreto Kilkenny
Front row, L-R: LCF, Loreto Beaufort, Loreto Kilkenny, Loreto Balbriggan.
Pictured below
L-R Lara O'Donohue, Ms Lea, Laura Egan
L-R Matheson Chairperson and Frances Bourke
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Pic L-R: Alison Keane, Doireann Shaffrey, Egyptian ambassador, Soha Gendi, French ambassador, Marie-Claude Meylan, Dervla Fitzpatrick & Caitlin Sherin.
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Pictured L-R: Crêpes pour Goûter .... Dervla Fitzpatrick & Emma Dawson & TY Alliance Française Visit.
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La Semaine de la Francophonie, 2017
French week got off to an upbeat start this year with the Francovision competition, in which students got to vote for their favourite current French chart hit. The winner was Kendji Girac's song, 'Cool'!
However, the highlight of the week was a visit from the Swiss ambassador to Ireland, Marie-Claude Meylan and the Egyptian ambassador to Ireland, Soha Gendi. They were invited as representatives of the 25 embassies in Ireland who are members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie. The ambassadors spoke with our senior students about the aims of the OIF and the Month of La Francophonie that they hosted in Dublin this March.
In advance of this presentation, 4th years created an excellent display of recent projects on the Francophone world and learned about the significance of the French language in diplomatic and international governance.
Mais, bien sûr, French week wouldn’t be French week without some French cuisine to savour. T.Y. students served up fresh crepes and hot chocolate to French students. During this breakfast, spot prizes were given out for the French quiz. L’ambiance était superbe!
Felications to Daisy and Hannah, two 1st year students who won the Eiffel Tower competition by guessing how many pieces it took to build a jigsaw of this iconic landmark in Paris. Classic french films were screened for seniors and juniors.
Enfin, to round off the week, T.Y. students paid a visit to the National Art Gallery, as part of a module on French Impressionism. They saw the beautiful Monet painting ‘Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat’, a priceless work that was recently restored after being controversially damaged by a member of the public. Afterwards, we went to the Alliance Française for some suitably French refreshments.
Big thanks to Ms. Byron-Smith, Ms. Lea and Ms. Corcoran. Vive la France!
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On the 2nd of March, three teams of 5th and 6th year students took part in the annual Applied Maths Quiz. It was a very enjoyable evening for all.
Congratulations to all who took part!
L-R: Erin Walshe, Laura Egan, Bláithín Lane, Niamh Cullen, Cathy Culligan, Aisling Walsh, Rachel Mahon and Róisín Downey.
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I WISH CONFERENCE 2017
A number of our 5th year Business and Accounting students were lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the ‘I WISH Conference, 2017’ at the RDS in February. I WISH is an initiative to inspire, encourage and motivate young, female students to pursue careers in STEM.
I WISH (Inspiring Women in Stem) 2017 was a conference with interactive exhibitions, workshops, daily keynotes and engaging talks by people with great careers in STEM, such as Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland and Gareth Lambe, head of Facebook Ireland. Both gave very interesting talks highlighting positive future career options in STEM.
We left the conference with new career ideas and great motivation from the inspiring talks we heard throughout the day.
By Molly Taylor
5 Year Business and Accounting student
www.iwish.ie
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Seachtain na Gaeilge, 2017
Seachtain na Gaeilge eachtrúil a bhí ann i mbliana i gColáiste Loreto Charraigh an tSionnaigh. Bhí imeachtaí ar siúl ó cheann ceann na scoile, ina measc bhí Picnic na Gaeilge, Ceolchoirm na Gaeilge, Tráth na gCeist agus Cleamhnas. Don chleamhnas tháinig grúpa buachaillí ó Choláiste Thír an Iúir chugainn don chúigiú bliain agus chuaigh an Idirbhliain síos an bóthar go Coláiste na Fhearann na Coirce, Stigh Lorgan. Bhí an comórtas amhránaíochta don chéad agus an dara bliain thar moladh beirte le gach duine gléasta agus ag canadh go bríomhar!
Tá moladh speisialta ag dul do na cinnirí Gaeilge a chabhraigh le himeachtaí na seachtaine ar fad agus a spreag na daltaí mórthimpeall orthu chun an Ghaeilge a labhairt. Níl aon dabht ach go bhfuil an Ghaeilge beo i gCarraig an tSionnaigh. Mar a deir an seanfhocal, beatha teanga í a labhairt!
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A group of Transition Year students were delighted to be invited to St. Patrick’s Girls’ National School HollyPark for a viewing of their Crocus Project performance on March 16th. The Crocus Project is an initiative which commemorates the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were murdered under Nazi rule. Both Loreto Foxrock and St. Patrick’s GNS are participants in the project.
Crocus bulbs were planted in the grounds of many schools around the country which flower each year around Holocaust Remembrance Day (27th January). The yellow colour of the crocus symbolises the yellow Star of David worn by Jewish people during their time of persecution.
St. Patrick’s GNS HollyPark produced a fantastic depiction of life for Jewish people during this time and, through drama and song, struck a chord with all present in the school hall. It was a trip down memory lane for many of the Loreto girls who can well remember being on stage as pupils of Hollypark themselves.
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Finalists in this year's Google4Doodle competition, Alanna Drury, (5th year) and Emer Cullen, (2nd year), are here pictured above at Google HQ, wearing bespoke t-shirts with their own doodle printed on them. They were also both presented with a framed copy of their art. The ceremony was a very enjoyable affair by all accounts.
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