News - December 2006

HEADLINES:
* SCHOOL NEWLETTER
* HEADMASTERS' NEWSLETTER
* ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
* ALL IRELAND SCHOOLS QUIZ - "PIT YOUR WITS"
* HOCKEY NEWS
* TENNIS NEWS
* CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
* ADVENT PRAYER
* NON-UNIFORM DAY
* LEINSTER SCHOOLS DEBATING COMPETITION
* RUGBY NEWS
* CHRISTMAS EXAMS TIMETABLE 2006
* UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIPS
* PRISM MATHS COMPETITION- 1ST IN IRELAND
* DEBATING
* ISTA SENIOR SCIENCE QUIZ
* IRISH MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD
* EUREKA JUNIOR SCIENCE QUIZ
* MUSIC FESTIVAL

St. Vincent de Paul

A sincere word of gratitude to the students of Transition Year for their work with the St. Vincent de Paul on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week Many students prepared thee Sports Hall on Thursday night for the packing of the hampers and on Friday morning 200 hampers were packed in the Sports Hall and delivered to the local St. Vincent de Paul Centre.

Various teams of students, who volunteered, worked in the Vincent de Paul Headquarters throughout Friday, Friday evening and all day Saturday preparing and delivering additional hampers.

It is not the fact that the students took part in the work that is most praiseworthy, it is the atmosphere they created and the positive, proactive attitude they showed throughout their work which has been much lauded.

Well done to all involved and to the parents and staff and members of St. Vincent de Paul who facilitated who facilitated the hamper packing.

All Ireland Schools Quiz - "Pit Your Wits"

Well done to the Senior Schools Quiz Team of Lyda Bergsteijn, Adam Roche, Chris McKeown, Katie Hegarty on winning the first round and progressing to the next round of the Competition.

Many thanks to Ms. Paula Claffey for assisting and facilitating the event.

Hockey News

St. Gerard's Vs Our Ladys Grove

1st Round of the Leinster Senior Cup.

This fixture will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday 11th January 2007 in U.C.D.

We wish them well.

1st Year Hockey
Congratulations to the 1st Year Hockey Team on their 3-1 defeat of Kings Hospital in the 1st League match of the season. This is an excellent victory and well done to all involved.

Many thanks to Ms. Patricia Wyse on the excellent work in coaching this team.

Tennis News

Congratulations to Alex Pickerill – 5th Year – who won the Leinster Under 18 Match Play Tennis Competition last week.

Christmas Bazaar

Well done to all of the 5th Year students who were so pro-active, energetic and hard working on last Thursday in the preparations for the Christmas Bazaar. Everyone who worked with you during the day and evening are full of praise for your endeavour and organisation. You have certainly set a new standard for other years to follow.

The running and the organisation of the Christmas Bazaar does not happen accidentally, nor does the raising of such a large sum of money. The response to the Christmas Bazaar from staff, parents and students has been so positive. Well done.

FAITH - USE IT OR LOSE IT.

Like all things, faith is only good if we live it. It’s one thing to say we have it, another thing to practice it.

Lord, be with me and help me to grow in your love by practicing my faith each day. Amen.

Christmas Exams Timetable 2007

Christmas 2007 is almost upon us again. A full timetable for Christmas Exams can be downloaded by clicking on the link below...

  Christmas Exams Timetable 2007 (Adobe PDF Format)

University Entrance Scholarships

Congratulations to Alice Brennan on receiving an Entrance Scholarship in U.C.D.

Congratulations to Lisa de Jong and Avril Burgess on receiving Exhibition Awards to Trinity College.

This reflects most positively on the academic programme in the school.

PRISM Mathematics Competition - 1ST IN IRELAND.

Congratulations to Jamie Judd who came 1st in the PRISM Maths Competition on Thursday November 17th. He was the only person to score a perfect 20 out of 20 among 6,000 competitors. This is a phenomenal.

Other students to perform exceptionally well in this competition were Daniel Cooney, Nick Campion, Keith O’Malley, Abigail Dennis and Thomas Moran.

The success of our Science students is a great reflection on our Science Department and their work with you, the students.

Many thanks to Ms. Maeve Jenkins and Mr. Kevin Stanley for preparing the students and facilitating this event.

DEBATING.

Congratulations to all of the following Debaters on their recent successes:

Karl Brennan, Daniel Cooney, Ben Blunnie and Theo Jebb on their success in the L & H Junior Debating Competition in U.C.D.

Dearbhail O’Crowley on her success in attaining a place on the Leinster Debating Team and reaching the final ten in the Irish Debating Team.

Miriam Bourke on her success last Monday night in the L & H Junior Debating Competition in U.C.D.

****************

Well done and hard luck to the Senior Concern Debating Teams: Dearbhail O’Crowley, Flavia Watson, Rebecca Winkworth, Brian Fitzpatrick and David Quinn on their defeat by Loreto Dalkey and Presentation College, Bray. We look forward to their next debate against Blackrock College next week.

Commiserations to Jeremy Fullam, Jill Roy and Jonathan Towers on their defeat by St. Mary’s College in the Wicklow County Council Debating Competition.

Commiserations also to Brian Fitzpatrick and Adam Roche in the Denny

International Schools Debating Competition which was held in Trinity College.

All of the above is a testimony to your hard work and that of your teachers, Ms. Hillman, Ms. Halford, Mr. Jennings and Ms. KcKean.

****************

Many congratulations to Eabha McMahon and Dearbhail O’Crowley on their success in the Denny’s Senior Debating Competition on Monday night in Trinity College Dublin.

Many thanks to Mr. Seamus Jennings for facilitating the event congratulations to the girls on coming 1st in the team event and also winning the best speakers section.

ISTA SENIOR SCIENCE QUIZ.

Congratulations to the Senior Science Quiz Teams on their success in the Inter Schools Science Quiz which was held in DCU on Thursday November 16th. Team A (Edwin Jebb, Jamie Judd and Shane Smith) achieved 1st place and Team B (Cailbhe Doherty, Tom Moran and David Quinn) achieved 3rd place. Of the sixteen competing teams only the first three teams were allowed to qualify for the National Final. Both our teams achieved places in the Final.
Well done to all involved.

Many thanks to Ms. Catherine O’Dwyer and Mr. Kevin Stanley for preparing the students and facilitating this event.

IRISH MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD.

Congratulations to Michael Magee who has been chosen to attend training for the Irish Mathematical Olympiad. We wish him well in his training and every success on selection.

EUREKA JUNIOR SCIENCE QUIZ.

Congratulations to Ben Blunnie, Karl Brennan and Conor Lyons who came 2nd in the Eureka Junior Science Quiz which was held in Belvedere College on Wednesday November 15th. They were beaten by Belvedere College by one single point.

Many thanks to Ms. Maeve Jenkins for preparing the students and facilitating the above events.

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Well done to everybody involved in the wonderful Music Festival last night.

The quality of the performances from start to finish was superb and reflected so well on all the hard work and rehearsals that went before. The standard of those who reached last night’s Festival reflects most positively on the quality of musical talent in the school.

To those students who failed to reach the Festival last evening and who auditioned, keep up the work as hard as persistence will pay and you will have the opportunity to perform in the future.

Many thanks to Ms. Ciara O’Connell, Ms. Diane Owens, Ms. Paula Hillman, Mr. Cyrille Laurens for the work they put in to the auditions and in making the evening such a great success.

Many thanks also to our adjudicators, Mr. Phil Coulter, Ms. Deirdre Farrell and Mr. Cyrille Laurens.

MUSIC FESTIVAL WINNERS 2006

Instrumental Section:

1st Place Milo Delaney Violin
2nd Place David Farrar Piano

Vocalists Section.

Girls: 1st Rebecca Winkworth
2nd Lucie Shelly

Boys: 1st Andrew Hozier Byrne
2nd Gary Walker Ayers

Rock:

1st All These Things: Jake Bitove
James Tebbitt
Andrew Keyes
Hugo Sherry

2nd Things have changed: Chris Deveau,
James Brankin
Carmen Ng
Hugo Sherry

Non-Uniform Day - Staff Student Soccer Match

As is traditional with the Christmas Bazaar a Non-Uniform Day will take place on the lead up to the Bazaar.

This Non-Uniform Day will take place on Thursday 7th December 2006.

All students are invited to participate in this day and donate €3.00 per student to the Rock of Joy Foundation in Uganda. Students from 5th Year will visit each class over the coming week and explain the work of the Rock of Joy Foundation to all the students. The students will collect the €3.00 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 4th, 5th and 6th December. Students who do not wish to participate in a Non-Uniform Day and/or contribute €3.00 to this day must wear their uniform on the Thursday.

Leinster Schools Debating Competition.

Congratulations to Dearbhail O’Crowley and Eabha McMahon on coming 1st in the Leinster Schools Debating Competition held in Trinity College on Thursday last. They also won the individual speakers prize. They now proceed to the second round in January.

Well done.

RUGBY

Junior Cup Rugby
Many congratulations to Robbie Glynn on his appointment as Captain of the Junior Cup Team for the forthcoming Cup campaign.

We wish Robbie and his team every success in January.

Senior Cup Team
Many congratulations to the Senior Cup Team and their coaches on their highly successful mini tour to England last week. The progress of this team over the last number of weeks in particular, was mirrored in two superb victories over the Oratory School (16-13) and Harrow School (17-3).

The team are now clearly aware of the challenges that lie ahead of them and the standards they must reach.

I congratulate all of the students involved in the tour on the way in which they represented the school and on the quality of their performances.

Many thanks to Joe McDonnell, Tony Ward, Mícheál McMullan, Seamus Jennings and Damien Hall for facilitating this tour.

Senior Cup Draw and Junior Cup Draw.
1. The Senior Cup Team have been drawn against St. Michael’s College on 1st February in Donnybrook – Kick-off at 2.30 p.m. The winners will play Belvedere in the Quarter Final on February 18th.

2. The Junior Cup Team have been drawn against Wesley College on January 17th in Greystones R.F.C. – Kick-off at 2.30 p.m. The winners will play Kings Hospital in Donnybrook on 24th January 2007.

Congratulations to the Senior Cup Team
Congratulations to the Senior Cup Team in qualifying for the Senior Cup Competition subsequent to their excellent defeat of Wesley College 22-16. This was a victory that was most merited and was carved from excellent defence and great team spirit.

Well done to Max Duffy and his team and to the coaching team of Joe McDonnell, Tony Ward, Damien Hall and Mícheál McMullan.

We can now look forward to a great Cup campaign in February.