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Latest News
2010/2011 School Year
January 1st 2011
A Happy New Year to everyone. Hopefully it will be a year of prosperity for all families.
School will reopen on Monday 10th January.
The amended calendar, showing the rescheduled 1st Year PTM is also available for download. Click on the 'calendar' link on the left hand side of this page.
Monday 20th December
A Staff Meeting will take place today at 3pm. A Study facility will be available to any student who wishes to remain in school from 3 pm. The DCG Room will be open to 6th Year students to allow completion of exam work.
Wednesday 8th December, 9.30 pm
School will open tomorrow, Thursday 9th December. The roads are very dangerous and great care should be exercised by everybody. The school yard has been cleared of snow and gritted but students are asked to be careful as they move around the campus. For the duration of this period of bad weather students are asked to wear sensible clothing and footwear.
Tuesday 7th December, 7.30 am.
The school will close today due to the continuing bad weather. Snow last night and this morning have made driving conditions hazardous and the risks are simply too great. We will reopen on Thursday 9th December.
Monday 6th December, 3pm
- The school will open Tuesday 7th December, following consultation with the relevant authorities. Please consider your safety on the roads when making your decision to attend school - we do not expect you to take risks. Please ensure your son wears appropriate footwear for snow/frost, regardless of colour!
We will review this at 7am on Tuesday morning and send out a text if the situation changes.
- The 1st Year PTM has been postponed until later.
- The Christms Exams have been postponed until Tuesday 14th December
SUNDAY 5TH DECEMBER
The school will open on Monday 6th December. Road conditions are far from ideal and some buses may not run. Great care is required on the roads - pedestrians and motorists - and each family should consider these conditions in deciding if it is safe to travel.
THURSDAY 2ND DECEMBER, 3pm
School will remained closed until Monday 6th December.
WEDNESDAY 1ST DECEMBER, 8pm
School will remained closed on Thursday 2nd December. A decision regarding Friday will be posted here after 2pm tomorrow, following advice from the relevant authorities.
WEDNESDAY 1ST DECEMBER, 6.30AM
SCHOOL CLOSED TODAY.
Due to heavy snow overnight and the forecast for today, we have decided to close the school. Check back for updates.
TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER, 1.30 pm.
Good attendance today and no problems. We intend opening tomorrow also. Check this site after 7.30 am tomorrow morning for update.
TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER, 7.30 AM
THE SCHOOL WILL OPEN TODAY. THE CHRISTMAS EXAMS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT WEEK. PLEASE BRING YOUR BOOKS/COPIES FOR TIMETABLED CLASSES.
Monday 29th November, 5pm
It is our intention to open the school tomorrow, 30th November. Please check back after 7 am in the morning for an update. We hope that the heavy snowfall forecast for the east coast does not hit Carlow.
18th October
- 6th Years exams will start this week. These are the main tests before the Mock Exams in February - 6th Years will not have Christmas Exams. We have moved the 6th Year Parent Teacher Meeting to 16th November, from 4.15 pm to 6.15 pm.
- Congratulations to our French Debating team, winners over Alexandra College, Dublin, in the Alliance Francaise debating competition on Friday 15th October.
Tuesday 5th October
3rd Year PTM
The 3rd Year PTM will take place on Monday 11th October from 4.15 pm to 6.15 pm, in the school gym. School will close at 3.45 pm to facilitate preparation for the meeting. Evening Study and Night Study will take place, as normal.
Presentation by Inspectorate
The school will close on Tuesday 12th October at 3.00 pm to facilitate a presentation to the staff by the inspectors involved in the recent Whole School Evalaution (WSE). A study facility will be available.
Tuesday 28th September
Staff Meeting
A Staff Meeting will take place on Wednesday 29th September from 3.30pm. There will be three half-hour classes in the afternoon. Although students will be free from 3.30 pm, a study facility will be available until 4 pm.
2009/2010 School Year
21st June
There has been a disappointing response from sellers to this booksale. We are certain that there are many expensive books in homes around Carlow that are on our booklists and could be sold. Please check.
7th June 2010
The Parent Council has organised a second-hand book sale for Friday 25th June, from 6 - 8 pm. Students or other family members may bring along books and set up a stand in the Study Hall and sell your books. There will be no charge to sellers as it is intended to be a service that will help families buy and sell books.
Please download a sheet here and fill it out. Return it to the school by email to principal@cbscarlow.net or send it by hand or post, by Friday 18th June. The sheets will be scnned and posted on the website to allow you to see the range of books that will be on sale.
17th May 2010
Meeting of parents of current First Years tonight at 7.30 pm in Study Hall. This meeting is to discuss subject choice.
15th April 2010
- Our new First Years and their families are being met by the principal/ deputy principal this week. This will help the school to get to know our new students and will help to make their induction into school next September easier and more enjoyable.
- Good luck to our Squash Team of Cathal & Shaun Hennessy and Seamus Harmon. They will represent the school in the All-Ireland Finals in Galway on Friday 23rd April.
Thursday 11th March
- Seachtain na Gaeilge is underway and everyone is asked to play in part in making it the most successful one to date.
- Congratulations to our Squash Team of Seamus Harmon, Cathal Hennessy and Shaun Hennessy on becoming Leinster Champions.
Green-Schools Car-Pool Day
Wednesday 10th March 2010 - Please read the information below.
A car pool or car sharing is when two or more people travel together in one car, instead of separately. Car pooling to school means that if one parent drives pupils to school one day (or week depending on what suits), another parent will drive the next day – sharing the job! If you can’t get involved in a car share scheme for the school journey, you could organise to share lifts with your neighbours or colleagues for trips to the shops or commuting to work.
Advantages of Car sharing
• Saves money by sharing the cost of petrol/ diesel
• Reduces journey times (by reducing the number of cars on the road)
• Reduces congestion around the school gates
• Helps to improve the environment & reduce emissions
Tips & Hints for Setting up a Car Pool
• Determine a route & schedule. Establish morning pick up points & a place to meet for the trip home
• For a car pool to work, everyone has to be punctual! The group can decide to allow a waiting time of 2-3 minutes if everyone agrees.
• Establish how costs will be shared among the group
• Establish ground rules regarding seatbelts, behaviour on the journey etc, and make sure pupils are aware of the rules
• Draw up a schedule for driving responsibilities i.e. if parents will drive on a daily, weekly or monthly basis
• Drivers should drive carefully, never use their mobile while driving & keep their car clean and in good repair
Lines of communication are very important! If a driver is sick, an alternative driver or plan for pupils to get to school should be in place. If a pupil is sick, the driver should be contacted as soon as possible. All parents in the car share scheme should have home, work and mobile numbers for the other parents/ drivers (and pupils if they have mobiles).
• Avoid side trips on the way home, unless agreed prior to the day. The car share scheme is for school journeys.
• Give your car pool some time to work, as it may take a few weeks for everyone’s routines to slot together!
Case Study – Wilburn Elementary, USA
In Wilburn Elementary in Wake County, USA, bus transportation is provided for all pupils. However for those who prefer to come by car, carpools are used to ensure children’s safety around the school gate, as well as reducing congestion and environmental impacts.
Parents must provide proof of residency, and then apply in writing to collect children from a designated carpool lane at the school entrance. The application form includes the names of all children in the carpool, and the names of adults authorised to collect them. Parents are given a carpool number which children learn off. Pupils are not allowed from the carpool lane into any car without the number on display. Pupils leave class according to their carpool numbers (in three lots with ten minutes between each pick up), so they are not in the area too early or late.
To Support Car Pools, Schools can…
• Organise a ‘meet & greet’ morning to introduce parents & sign car-pool buddies up, even if it is only for a trial period
• Encourage car pool schemes by allowing them priority places near the school gate to drop off pupils
• Encourage participants to change car pool buddies if routes do not work out the first time
• Maintain support for car pools through publicity i.e. in the schools newsletter or website in the local media, or on the Green Schools notice board
Case Study – Bedzed, UK ( www.bedzed.org.uk)
An eco-housing association in Beddington in the UK (BedZED) encourages residents to sell their cars and join a car club so there are less cars in the area! Residents use public transport for everyday journeys, but can use a car when they need one, for an hour or longer if needed. Residents don’t have to worry about costs such as insurance or tax, as they pay for the time and distance they use.
Useful Links
• Find someone to car pool with you on – www.dublintraffic.ie or www.gumtree.ie/dublin
• Read about one school’s car pool policy - http://wilburnes.wcpss.net/carpool.html
• Plan a route for your carpool - www.dto.ie/journeyplanner2.htm
Monday 1st February.
Today is St. Brighid's Day.
Well done to the Under 16 Soccer team on the victory over Presentation College on Friday last.
Well done to our Junior Irish Debating team on their second-round victory in the Gael LInn debates last Wednesday.
Friday 29th January 2010
The ESB has set up a generator to supply power to the school until the main supply is repaired. We will open today, Friday. It may be Monday next before we are supplied from the national grid.
Monday 18th January 2010
The 5th Year PTM has been moved from 22nd January to 12th February and the TY PTM, scheduled for 3rd Feb has been postponed to the last term.
Monday 11th January 2010
The minister for Education & Science has decided that schools may make the decision in relation to reopening of schools after the spell of poor weather. Following an inspection of the school today we have decided that it is safe to open on Wednesday 13th January.
Our new texting service is now in operation. If you did not receive a message around 1.30 pm today, Monday 11th January, please contact the school or ask your son to call to the secretary on Wednesday to check the accuracy of the mobile number on our records.
Friday 8th January, 2009
The following statement has been extracted from the Department of Education & Science website:
08 January, 2010 - Minister O'Keeffe tells schools to close for first three days of next week
The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD, has told all primary and post-primary schools to close on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week due to the bad weather.
Minister O'Keeffe took the decision in the interest of the welfare of school children.
The Minister took the decision following a meeting today [Friday] of the Government's emergency planning group and in the context of the poor weather outlook for the coming days.
Minister O'Keeffe said: 'I took the decision to close all schools based on my concern for the health and safety of school children in these very challenging weather conditions.
'I considered, in particular, the forecast for snowfall on Sunday and Monday which will cause further disruption.
'Although most schools decided not to open this week and many more will take the same decision next week, I wanted to bring clarity and certainty to the position for parents and students by telling all schools to close.
'While it may be that some schools would have been in a position to open depending on the weather, I consider on balance that the responsible and prudent approach at this stage is to close schools in the interest of safety.
'The situation will be reviewed on Tuesday,' said Minister O'Keeffe.
Minister O'Keeffe stressed that the decision will not affect the local decision-making powers of school boards of management.
'I am taking this decision in particularly exceptional circumstances and against a backdrop of extremely bad weather conditions,' said Minister O'Keeffe.
He said his Department officials will be discussing with the education partners ways in which the impact of the closures can be minimised, particularly for examination classes.
Wednesday 6th January, 2010
Due to the serious deterioration in the weather conditions the school will remain closed until Monday 11th January.
Monday 30th November
We have made two changes to the published calendar as a result of the proposed strike on Thursday 3rd December. To minimise class loss we have cancelled the Staff Day on 8th December and will hold the 1st Year PTM on this day instead. This means the 7th December will be a full school day.
Sat 21st November
Congratulations to Enda Holohan wwho was awarded a JP Mcmanus Scholarship at a ceremony in the University of Limerick.
Swine Flu
The school has taken several steps to minimise the threat of swine flu and we are asking pupils and their families to take every precaution to assist in keeping the flu out of the school.
The following work has been carried out:
- Student toilet facilities have been upgraded - handbasins, hot water, hand-dryers, soap dispensers, hand gel
- Disposable tissues and hand gel will be available in every classroom
- Extra care will be taken in cleaning the building each day - wiping keyboards, light switches and door-handles etc.
Pupils can play their parts in the following ways:
- Bring a supply of tissues to school each day and use a tissue once only when coughing or sneezing
- Dispose of tissues in the bin located in the classroom or on the corridors
- Wash hands or use the hand gel after sneezing or coughing
- Never sneeze or cough without covering your nose/mouth area
- Wash hands after using the toilet or before eating
- Do not share pens/pencils or other equipment
- Do not share wind instruments in the music classes
If a pupil shows signs or symptoms of flu he should be kept at home. If he presents with symptoms in school he will be isolated from other students and staff until he can be collected
2008/2009 School Year
April 7th
Parent Council Annual Draw
Many thanks to the Parent Council members for the time they committed to the draw and a special word of thanks to Nicky Parle from SuperValu for facilitating the sale of cards.
The winners were:
1st Prize: Orla Fitzgerald
2nd Prize: Clare Keating
3rd Prize: Mary Keating
4th Prize: Brigid Gahan
Seller's Prize: Darren Nolan
March 23rd
Congratualtions to our Quiz Team, coached by Mr. Nolan, who have reached the 3rd round of the TCH Inter-Schools Quiz following wins over St. Kieran's College Kilkenny and Pres/DLS College from Bagnalstown. The team comprises Kevin Threadgold, Gavin Coleman, Conor Maguire and Patrick O'Grady. Barbar Faridi has also featured on this team in previous rounds.
Congratulations to Mark Furey, 2nd Year, winning the Bank of Ireland Young Sportsman for his achievements in Karate. Mark now goes forward as the region's representative in the All-Ireland series.
March 18th
Scoláireacht
Comhghairdeas do Adam Brennan, Patrick O'Grady and Oliver Burke who have been awarded Gaeltacht Scholarships by the school following a round of interviews and tests. It is very important that all students are aware of the new allocation of marks for oral skills in Irish that will be available for Leaving Cerificate from 2010 onwards. All students should try to attend a Gaeltacht course, even if it is a weekend course only.
February 10th
Old photographs are available here.
Assessment Tests for Incoming First Years
Tests will take place on Saturday 7th March at 9.30 am. All second-level schools in Carlow town will hold the tests on this day.
Carlow Sports Personality of the Year
Congratulations to current 6th Year student Ben Lynch (Sailing) as well as past pupils Mark Carpenter (Football) and Arthur Gaskin (Squash) on their nominations for the Carlow Sports Personality of the year. We wish each of them the very best. You may vote for them by text and these numbers are available on the weekly Nationalist. Jack Charlton will be guest of honour.
Concern Fast
Congratulations to Mr. Storey and his team of students who raised a considerable amount of money for Concern in a recent 24 hour Fast.
Green Flag
Mrs Ahern and her committee deserve grat credit for the wonderful work they are doing in the school. This has culminated in the launch of the school's third Green Flag on 27th January 2009.
February 3rd
Congratulations to Darren Snoddy, Darragh Barron, Shane Timmons, Tony Reilly and Gavin Coleman who have been elected to Comhairle na nÓg to represent young people in the Carlow area.
Well done to Aaron Quinlan on his recent successes in Bowling, securing gold and silver medals in the regional finals last week.
Well done to our Quiz team of Gavin Coleman, Kevin Threadgold, Conor Maguire and Barbar Faridi on thier success last week in the first round of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings inter-schools quiz. The team is prepared by Mr. Joe Nolan.
The school is very grateful to Tesco for facilitating a bag-packing project organised by Mrs. O'Neill and her team from TY to fundraise for the Calcutta Immersion Project. The group plans to travel to Calcutta in February 2010.
January 30th
The Sixth Year class photo is available for review here. Please note the quality of the photograph is far superior to this pdf version.
January 28th 2009
Reminder: The school will be closed on Thursday 29th January to facilitate a Staff Day in Kilkenny Education Centre.
January 16th 2009
Despite a very good performance our U-18 Football team,St. Benildus emerged victorious by 4 points in Dr. Cullen Park on Tuesday 13th January. Our U-16 team was beaten the previous day.
The Debating team was beaten by Carnew on Tuesday night.
December 22nd
Well done to the U-14 and U-16 Soccer teams, coached by T. Cleere and K. Ewing, who have emerged as winners of the regional groups. Their trophies are proudly displayed in the school.
Congratulations to all involved in the X-Factor, coordinated by our Music teacher Ms. Emma Hogan, on the fantastic show that took place in the gym on 18th December.
Best wishes to Anne Brennan, a member of the Cleaning staff, who retired today, 22nd December 2008, after 32 years service to the school. Anne's professionalism, friendly manner and courtesy were much appreciated by all. Happy retirement Anne and good luck to you and your family.
November 24th
Well done to the U-16 Football team on their reent victory over Good Counsel, New Ross.
Shane Redmond, was awarded an Entrance Scholarship by UCD on 14th November 2008. He obtained the maximum 600 points in his Leaving Certificate.
November 10th
Best of luck to Fintan Phelan and Gavin Coleman who will be in Brussels this week as part of a 10-person delegation from Ireland to seek the support of our European Parliamentarians to encourage governments to honour their commitments in relation to fund allocation to the DEveloping World.
German Exchange
Ms. Allan and Mr. Roberts accompanied a group of students from the school to Germany over the mid-term break. The purpose of the trip was to enhance the language skills of the students, all of whom are studying German.
October 22nd
John O'Shea, GOAL, was the guest speaker at our Parent Council AGM. Fergal Doyle organised a collection for GOAL, raising €600, and the money was presented by Fergal and some of the students who visited Calcutta last March.
L to R: Sean Farrell, Edward Platt, John O'Shea, Fergal Doyle, Frankie Coughlan and Conor Brophy.
October 13th
Ms. Susanne Wall has been appointed to replace Ms. Canavan and Ms. Michelle Dunne replaces Paddy McGovern.
September 23rd
Mr Paddy McGovern has been appointed Deputy Principal of the school, effective from 1st October. Mr McGovern replaces Dave Barron who will retire on 30th September.
September 13th
- Congratulations to all oue state examination students on the wonderful results this year. The achievements of Shane Redmond - maximum 600 points in the Leaving Certificate - and Kevin Threadgold - maximum 11 As in the Junior Certificate - deserve special mention. We were very pleased that so many other students were close behind.
- Well done to the Leaving Certificate 2008 class on the wonderfully organised Graduation Ball.
- We would like to welcome Fr. Padraig Shelley, our newly appointed school chaplain. Fr. Padraig is a past pupil of the school.
2007/2008 School Year
April 2008
- There will be a Staff Day on Thursday May 1st. Students are therefore free from Wednesday evening at 4pm until the following Tuesday 6th May.
- Well done to the Debating Team, coached by Mr. Clowry and Ms. Canavan, on winning the Leinster Final of the Trinity College Science Debating Competition.
- Well done to our U-16 Soccer team, coached by Mr. O'Sullivan, Mr. Fanning and Mr. Cleere on reaching the Leinster final of the Cup. Best of luck against Athlone CS next week.
October 26th 2007
Congratulations to the 5th Year German Debating Team, trained by Ms. Allan, on their success in overcoming Arlow CS on Thursday last. Kenny Wong, Nathan Dowling and Jody Nolan formed the winning team. Well done.
As we move closer to the date when the Christian Brothers hand the ownership of their schools to a new lay trust board, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST), the schools in the Christian Brothers network are attending seminars to study the implications of the changeover for the schools. Sean Farrell and Brendan Byrne from 5th Year accompanied Mrs. O'Neill and Mr. Moloney to a one day course in Clonmel last week and were very pleased with the progress to date.
2006/2007 School Year
School Tours Survey Results
I would like to thank the families who responded to our survey on school tours. The results are shown below.
1= Strongly agree, 2= Agree, 3= No opinion, 4= Disagree, 5 = Strongly disagree
53 families responded, from a total of around 400
Q1. School tours are an essential part of my son's education
1: 5.7% 2: 45.3% 3: 7.5% 4: 34% 5: 7.5%
Q2. Young people are already travelling to the major tourist venues and school tours are therefore unnecessary1: 7.5% 2: 20.8% 3: 15.1% 4: 52.8% 5: 3.8%
Q3. Annual tours are unnecessary but a tour every three years would be nice if it could be arranged
1: 5.7% 2: 54.7% 3: 3.8% 4: 35.8% 5: 0%
Q4. School tours should have an obvious educational component that involves preparation, project work while on tour and a final report on return to school
1: 17% 2: 45.3% 3: 5.7% 4: 32.1% 5: 0%
Q5. I would be quite happy if all school tours were within Ireland only
1: 18.9% 2: 26.4% 3: 9.4% 4: 34% 5: 11.3%
Leaving Certificate Results
Results will be available in the school from 9 am on Wednesday 16th August.Good Luck to all.Return to School
1st Years: Wednesday 30th August, from 8.55am to 1.05 pm
2nd Years: Monday 4th September
3rd Years: Monday 4th September
TYO: Thursday 31st August, 8.55 am to 1.05pm
5th Years: Thursday 31st August, 8.55 am to 1.05pm
6th Years: Monday 4th September
We wish all of you a pleasant summer break and look forward to meeting you for the new school year.
2005/2006 School Year
17th May 2006
- Well done to all winners in the annual Student Awards, held on 11th May. Thanks to our guest speaker, Nicky Brennan, president of the GAA. A full report and list of winners will be published soon.
- The 6th Year Graduation Mass will take place on Thursday 25th May at 7.30pm. Sixth Years will finish on the 25th and 3rd Years will finish the following Wednesday, 30th May.
29th March 2006
- The staff meeting scheduled for 3rd April has been cancelled. The business of that meeting has been dealt with on the day we closed due to a power outage.
- Well done to John Murphy, 6th Year, who won the best individual award at the recent BSTAI quiz for the region. Our team was second, losing by one point.
- Well done to Shane Redmond and Ryan Curran on their success in the recent Young Entrepreneur competition.
2nd February 2006
- The Mock Exams began yesterday. Good luck to all concerned.
- Good Luck to Mr. Browne and Carlow Colleges 'A' Senior Football team (CBS/Pres) who take on Good Counsel of Wexford on Saturday4th February at 1pm.
- Well done to the Quiz team of John Murphy, Brendan Morrissey, Gavin Coleman and Kevin Threadgold who defeated St. Leo's and Tullow C.S. They now go forward to meet Borris VS and Presentation, Carlow on Wednesday 8th Feb
- Well done to the U-16 Soccer team who defeated St. Kierans in the South Leinster Cup last week
12th January 2006
Apologies for the confusion surrounding the return-to-school date in the Journal. Please note the revised school calendar in the latest newsletter which will be produced today.
9th January 2006
Welcome back and have a rewarding and enjoyable 2006.
We hope you had an enjoyable and happy Christmas. By Wednesday we will be at the halfway point in the school year. It is very important that all students have set realistic targets and established good study plans. Seek the advice of teachers and support personell in the school if you are experiencing difficulties.
Thankfully work has finally begun on the our four new prefabricated classrooms. During the construction process students are asked to follow all instructions in relation to Health & Safety. Specifically, the area behind the security barriers is a construction site and is out of bounds for staff and students.The work is expected to last about four weeks.
11th November 2005
- Well done to Jeff Walshe, Edward Cahill and Greg watchorn who won the 'Top School' award in the recent leadership awards, organised by the Rotary Club.
- Congratulations to Padraig Townsend who won an All-Ireland handball doubles competition.
- Final date for enrolments for 1st Year 2006 is Friday 18th November.
12th August 2005
Uniform Student Jacket
A uniform school jacket will be introduced from September and students from 1st Year to 5th Year will be expected to use it. It is a very good quality jacket and is both warm and water resistant. It is very competitively priced at €40 if purchased in advance or €45 if purchased after 1st September.
Hair Policy
Hair should be of natural colour only and cut to a minimum of grade 2 and a maximum of shoulder length.
2004/2005 School Year
22nd April 2005
Reminder: School will be closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 2nd, 3rd and 4th May.
18th February 2005
Mocks
Hopefully you had an enjoyable break. The results of the mock examinations are expected this week. Good luck to students who are awaiting results. There is still ample time to sort out problem areas.
Calcutta
Immunisations have been carried out and the group of 7 students and 3 teachers are looking forward to the trip to Calcutta. We are very grateful to the school community and the people of Carlow who have been so supportive.
Child Protection
The school will close for a half day to facilitate staff inservice on Child Protection. The date will be published shortly.
Form and Fusion
Best of luck to Mrs. O'Hara and her TYO students who have worked hard on their entry in the Form and Fusion competition.
10th January 2005
Happy New Year to all.
Mock Exams
Exams begin on 2nd February. The fee for this year is €70- for JC and LC.
Young Scientist Competition
Well done to Mr. Clowry's team on their entry in the Young Scientist competition. Their entry on 'Obesity' was highly regarded by the judges. Well done to Wesley Watchorn, Paul Comerford, Jeffrey Horohan and Paul Byrne.
Lotto
The school, in conjunction with Carlow Town Hurling Club, is running a lotto for 6 weeks to raise funds for the Calcutta project and to raise the money necessary to buy a boat for a fisherman in Sri Lanka. Your support is greatly appreciated.
30th November 2004
- Christmas exams begin on Thursday 2nd December for 2nd and 3rd Years and for 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th Years from Friday 3rd until Tuesday 7th December.
19th November 2004
- Reminder: School will be closed on Monday 22nd November. The 1st Year PTM will take place on Wednesday 24th November, 12.30pm to 4pm.
- Well done to the debating team on the excellent wins over Kilkenny CBS and St. Leo's College in the Concern Debates. They now take on Hacketstown Vocational School in the next round.
- The Student Council, coordinated by Ms. Clonan held a very successful Breakfast Morning on Friday last to raise funds for Childline. The First and Second Year students raised over €200.
- Mr. Storey and almost sixty students are taking part in the annual Concern Christmas fast on the 24th-25th November. Please support.
- Daire O'Rourke from 3rd Year was a winner in the Texaco art competition and is one of the subjects of a forthcoming documentary to be shown on RTE. There was great excitement in the school on Tuesday last when a film crew spent a day in the school and in Carlow recording footage for the documentary.
- Aaron O'Grady, 1st Year, won a silver medal at the World Junior Karate Championships held recently in Germany. Well done.
- The school greatly appreciates a donation of €3500 by the Parent Council to the school for the school library.
- Under-14 Hurling training began on last and will continue every Friday at 1.30pm.
- A congratulation to the U-16 and U-18 footballers on their recent wins over St. Peter's College, Wexford and FCJ Bunclody, respectively.
- Well done to the U-16 Soccer team on getting to the 3rd round of the Leinster Cup. Good luck in the next round.
- The quiz team of Michael Wall, John Murphy, Paul Byrne and Gavin Coleman is busily preparing for the first round of the Thomas Crosbie Schools Quiz.
- Well done to Wesley Watchorn and Enda Holohan who received awards from the academy of Music for reaching a very high standard in a recent exam. They are in the top 300 students of Music in the country.
15th October 2004
Mid-term break on Friday 22nd October
Staff Day on Monday 1st November
Open Night on Wednesday 3rd November from 7pm to 9pm
16th August 2004
School Reopening
Monday 30th August 1st Years, from 8.55 am to 1 pm Tuesday 31st August 1st, TYO and 5th Years, full day Wednesday 1st September All Students
2003/2004 School Year
14th May 2004
Student Awards Ceremony
Dedication, commitment and hard work recommended by top coach
THE study hall of St. Mary’s Academy buzzed with the excitement of the students and their proud parents as the annual awards night got under way recently.
School principal Leo Hogan welcomed all present and explained that it was such an important night in the life of the school. He urged students not to settle for mediocrity in anything that they do but to strive always to excel. He thanked the very generous sponsors who never fail to support the school when called upon.
He then welcomed the guest speaker on the night, Mr. Brian Cody, the manager of the all-Ireland hurling champions, Kilkenny.
The audiece hung on the very encouraging words of a man who spoke of the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations of individuals he had worked with on the road to success. Brian particularly emphasised the fact that many talented under-age hurlers in Kilkenny had failed to make it to the senior ranks while other senior medal winners had never been picked at minor or under-21 level. Talent alone will not guarantee success. It must be accompanied by dedication to task, commitment and hard work. These same ingredients are necessary for academic success.
It was clear from the reaction of the students that this was a man who knew how to tap into what makes students tick. The warm applause confirmed that all present were very taken by Brian’s honest and motivating words.
This year saw the dawning of a new era in the history of the awards in the school. The organising committee headed by Laura Walshe and Anne Ahern commissioned a very impressive ceramic plaque for each recipient. The plaque, which is in fact a wall hanging, was the work of local craftsperson Bev Carbery.
The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the presentation of the sixth year student of the year and the Anne Brennan award.
The Anne Brennan Award is presented each year to the student who possesses some of the traits of our late secretary, Anne, who was renowned for her caring and generous spirit. Barry Doyle, the winner, has been a member of Meitheal and the Student Representative Council, and has given generously of his time in helping to make the school a better place for everybody.
The sixth year student of the year was Patrick Lord. His Yearhead, Mrs. Williamson, spoke of him as a very worthy recipient. She highlighted his ability to get on well with students and teachers alike. His commitment to all aspects of school life and his level of participation won him the admiration of his peers. His application to his academic responsibilities was an example for all to follow. In reply Patrick paid tribute to his parents for deciding to send him to a school where he had five very happy years even though it was 15 miles away from his home.
He thanked his teachers for all of their hard work and paid particular tribute to his Yearhead Louise Williamson for her guidance and commitment to the sixth year students.
Those to receive awards were as follows:
Hurling Ricky O’Shea, Football Anthony McGrath, Aidan Murphy and Shane Redmond, Handball Shane Redmond and Colm Nolan, Soccer Kevin Coen, Rugby Joe Gorman, David Barron and Damien Carley; Athletics Brian Kirwan and Paul Byrne; Badminton Brian Murphy, Tennis Tommy Murphy, Squash Brian Parker, Sean Gannon, Brendan Hennessey, Adam Hennessey, Eugene Deveraux and Sean Dillon; Equestrian Jason Dear, Swimming Andreas Nolan, Golf Patrick Lord, Quiz team Michael Wall, John Murphy, Paul Byrne and Gavin Coleman; Art Daire O’Rourke, Conor Behan, Philip Mullins, Brendan Delaney, Paul Lowry, Niall Hogan and James Ruth, Comenius Greg Watchorn, Jeff Walsh, Robin Hogan, Ciaran Farrell, Conor Waldron and Edmund Cahill; Meitheal Barry Doyle, Patrick Lord, Aidan Dowling, Aidan McGrath, Brian Kirwan, William Perry, Fionn Kirwan and Daniel Lloyd; Students Council Jodie Keating, Michael Curtis, Andrew Brennan, Cormac Mullins, Sean Gannon, Shane Kenneally, James Ruth, Brendan O’Hara, Rick Whelan, Neil Cashin, Sean Doogue and Keith Brennan, Academic Achievements, Leaving Certificate 2003 Ian Sheerin, Junior Certificate 2003 Jeff Walsh. Student of the Year Awards, First Year winner Timothy Johnston, runners up Kenny Wong, Enda Holohan and Brian Sheil, Second year winner Matthew Chalton, runners up Brendan Morrissey, Patrick O’Brien and Daire O’Rourke, Third Year winner Joseph Hennessy, runners up Paul Larkin and Conor O’Neill, Transition Year winner Edward Cahill, runners up Greg Watchorn and Jeff Walsh, Fifth Year winner John Grace, runner up Patrick Sheil. Anne Brennan Award winner Barry Doyle, runner up Paul Omoteso, Sixth year winner Patrick Lord, runner up Paul Omoteso, O’Ceallaigh Cup presented to Patrick Lord.
22nd April 2004
CBS All-Ireland Squash Champions again.
Congratulations to the U-15 Squash Team of Brian Parker, Sean Gannon and Brendan Hennessy on winning the All-Ireland Squash Championship for the second year running. Well done to Mr. Hennessy, a former All-Ireland winner himself, who trained the team.
The Senior team of Adam Hennessy, Eugene Devereux and Sean Dillon finished second but are awaiting the ruling of the executive committee in relation to an objection lodged against another team.
26th March 2004
Congratulations to the quiz team- Michael Wall, John Murphy, Paul Byrne and Gavin Coleman- who have qualified for the 4th round of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings Quiz which is now at the stage of the last 16 schools in Ireland. They will compete against Clonkeen College next Wednesday night.
28th January 2004
It has been a great 2-week period for sport in the school. Last week's success in the U-18 Rugby has been followed by terrific wins by the U-16 and U-14 Footballers against St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny. Our quiz team was also successful, defeating Gorey and Carlow Presentation.
6th January 2004
Happy New Year to all members of the school community.
School reopens at 8.55 am on Wednesday 7th January.
Best of luck to our competitors in the Young Scientist Exhibition, starting on Thursday 8th January in the RDS Dublin.
24th November 2003
There will be a 2-day break from school on Monday and Tuesday, 8th and 9th December. The Christmas Exams will begin on Wednesday 10th December, immediately after the break.
The Gaelic Football competitions are now underway. The U-14 team is managed by Mr. Ahern and Mr. O'Brien while the U-16 and U-18 teams are managed by Mr. Browne and Mr. Coffey.
There will be a Carol Service on Thursday 18th December from 12.15 to 1.00 pm. There will be a School Development Planning meeting in the afternoon. Students will be free from school.
3rd November 2003
Open Night on Wednesday 5th November from 7 to 9 pm.
16th October 2003
Well done to the U-15 Rugby team on winning their first game.
Hard luck to the Debating and Golf teams who were unsuccesful on their first outings against St. Leo's and St. Kierans Kilkenny respectively.
Well done to Sean Brennan, a member of the All-Ireland winning Laois Minor Football panel.
6th October 2003
All students will sit mid-term tests next week. 3rd and 6th Years will have their results sent home.
Hard luck to the u-15 Soccer team, managed by Mr. O'Sullivan, who lost their Cup game last Friday.
€675 was raised by Ms. Walshe's 6th Year Religious Education class for famine relief in Ethiopia. Well done to all.
Eamonn Redmond and Margot Murphy have been elected by parents to represent them on the school's Board of Management.
We will be finalising the quiz team to represent the school in the upcoming inter-schools competition. We need 3 senior and 3 junior students.
12th September 2003
Students and teachers from Sweden and Austria will be in the school on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday- 17th, 18th and 19th September.
Athletics: Multi-events in Santry on Wednesday 17th- contact Ms. Lennon
Hurling: County Carlow competeition for 2nd Year students on Wednesday 17th
Parent Council AGM, Wed 17th at 8 pm. Guest speaker, John O'Leary - understanding your teenage son
Parent Council Golf Classic in Quinagh Par 3 on Saturday 20th September
1st September 2003
All year groups, except 1st Years, will meet their class teachers from 8.55 am until 10.15 am.
25th August 2003
- School reopens for staff on Wednesday 27th August
- 1st Years and 5th Years start on Friday 29th August at 8.55 am
- All students will return on Monday 1st September.
Details and dates for staff meetings and parent-teacher meetings will be posted here in the near future.