Volume 16 Issue 2

Spring 2011

Welcome to our second newsletter of this school year. School life is hectic at present, with mock exams just over. Leaving Certs have several projects to complete on time and Third Years must now nominate the grades that they are taking in the Junior Certificate. Many are busy preparing for our Variety Show; more are learning their lines for the Transition Year Musical. Life on the sports field is equally very hectic at present. Congratulations to our young Badminton team on winning Leinster honours recently. Our under 16 hurling team were unlucky in the recent All Ireland Final. Our senior team are preparing with great dedication for their All Ireland semi final. School management thank the players

Set out targets to achieve on a weekly basis Time Management - A critical skill in any learning program. Getting the

college. However school life is about promoting quality learning and achieving excellent results in June. Effective Learning and good planning will enable students and parents achieve these lofty goals. Have a look at the following tipsDiet, Sleep and Exercise - These are key elements to success in all areas of life and the importance of each from a learning perspective is important. Motivation - The first and most important step is to have students connect with the reason they want to achieve good re-

of the most important skills that can be

Competition organised by BEAT 102-

developed in any walk of life. Stu-

103 FM. Their challenge was to come

dents should structure and organise

up with a thirty second radio advertise-

their time, use it in the most produc-

ment, create lyrics, a musical “jingle”,

tive way possible and in a way that is

and record the ad. The finalists will be

conducive to the learning process.

announced in March so fingers crossed

Environment - Creating an environ-

and we wish the very best of luck to

ment that is conducive to the learning

Sean Brennan, Gerald McCormack,

experience can often help improve re-

Harry Vaughan and their teacher Ms.

sults achieved dramatically.

Nolan.

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Tá an scoil go léir ag ceiliúradh Seachtain na Gaeilge. Tá comórtas Postéirí, Tráth na gceist, Tráthnóna Gníomhaíochta agus rinne an rang 2R leabhar Gaeilge do pháistí. Tá an-spraoi timpeall na háite agus tá gach duine ag caitheamh na lipéidí agus

ag iarraidh a gcuid Gaeilge a fheabhsú. Coláiste Mhuire is celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge at present. Many activities are being held and it is a great success. Students so far have been treated an Irish table quiz for 2nd Years and an Irish activity afternoon for 1 st years which included Bingo, Twister, Ogham writing and a sort of Speed Dating and many others besides within Teachers‟ own classrooms. The students involved really enjoyed themselves and the Transition Years are to be commended for their efforts as they helped the Junior Years through their tasks. Transition Year students organised much of the activities themselves and also supervised. 2R have produced and published a storybook as Gaeilge and are selling them at €5 in aid of Barnardos. The book includes classics like The Three Little Pigs and Snow White and poems like Insy Winsy Spider and Little Miss Muffet. All translations and illustrations were completed by students of 2R. Seachtain na Gaeilge is about the celebration of our native tongue for everyone (not just fluent speakers). Coláiste Mhuire is certainly doing its best to

order to achieve any result you must have

promote it. Croí na teanga – it‟s you!

the right focus and direction is important.

year music stu-

taken part in the “Le Crunch” Radio Ad

portant element of any study program. In

Goal Setting - The importance of having

talented sixth dents have

sults in their exams. This is the most im-

a strong enough reason why.

Three very

best out of the time you put in is one

and team managers for huge effort and commitment in promoting games in our

LE CRUNCH RADIO COMPETITION

Spring 2011

Transition Year 10/11 News & Views. TY trip to Paris. 41 TY students and four teachers will head off on a 4-day trip to Paris on March 21st. Highlights of the trip will include a boat trip on the Seine, a visit to the Eiffel tour, a guided tour of the Stade de France, museum and gallery visits, sightseeing along the Champs Elyse, Montemarte and the Notre Dame cathedral. The group will also spend a day in Eurodisney. We are all looking forward to an action-packed, fun-filled and educational trip. Microsoft Academy ICT Exams. It may be unusual to talk about exams in Transition year but our TY students will shortly start to complete a series of three exams testing their computer skills and knowledge. One exam will take place before the Easter holidays and the remainder will be completed in May. The ICT 3 Microsoft Academy exams provide students with a certified qualification in computer skills. Road Safety. Recently, as part of the Road Safety Module, Ms. Harrahill organised a workshop with the “Irish School of Motoring Excellence”. Feedback from students was very positive. A detailed article further down. Sports and Business. This new module has proved very popular with students and we aim to make it a permanent feature of the TY programme. Students are trained in basic first aid, refereeing, coaching and leadership skills as well as being introduced to some new sports such as boxing and golf. Our TY Musical. Rehearsals for our Elvisthemed musical “All Shook Up” are intensifying. Students are rehearsing twice a week after school and will have to sacrifice some of their Easter holidays for rehearsals also!! Performances of the musical will take place during the second week of May, there will in -school performances for students and two evening performances. Our musical is always well supported so we look forward to seeing the ex-

tended families, friends, neighbours and people from the local community at these performances.

Wax or Dye

4th year

students held a charity event on Wednesday 16th March. Today fm run an annual 'Shave or Dye' campaign in aid of the Irish Cancer Society but the 4th year students decided to put their own twist on it and held a 'Wax or Dye' event. Sixteen 4th year boys bravely surrendered their hairy legs for the cause. There were plenty of screams and tears of agony! Mr Curran, Mr. Dunne and Mr. Cahill all now have silky smooth legs as well! Máiread Curran, a local beautician did the honours of waxing and allowed some students and teachers to pull off the strips! There was also the option of having your hair dyed so there were a lot of dodgy hairstyles going around Johnstown that day!! This all resulted in a massive €1000 being raised for charity so well done to all involved.

“Every K over is a Killer”

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ransition year students in association with the “Irish School of Excellence” completed a Driver Education Programme as part of their road safety module. Students learned about the financial aspects of motoring from buying and insuring a car to the cost of tax and maintenance. The Drunk Buster Impairment Goggles highlighted the dangers of drinking and driving as they distort vision which mimic behaviours exhibited by someone under the influence of alcohol and other substances. Kieran Skehan and Mr. O‟Grady experienced severe difficulty completing simple tasks like kicking a

ball and picking up a pen while wearing the goggles. A Paramedic raised student‟s awareness as he spoke about his personal experience of attending roadside accidents. Students received in-depth Driver Theory Test preparation and viewed clips of accidents. In the afternoon, sleeves were rolled up as wheels and oil were changed, and breaths were held and prayers murmured as students sat behind the wheel. The driving obstacle course was completed with great success and the brake marks have finally disappeared from the school yard. It may be a different story in May, however, when students complete the Tractor driving course.

Young Social Innovators TY Students in court!

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n February a new team of YSI Transition year students took upon themselves the task of exploring our Legal System. Their first step was to visit Kilkenny District Court, where the group watched a court in session and saw a legal team put forward a defence against a drunken driving conviction. Retired Sergeant Kevin Murphy gave a presentation on the duties and responsibilities of the police force and the promotion structure within the organisation. Officer Agnes Reddy explained the work of the Juvenile Liaison Scheme and how it attempts to prevent young offenders from obtaining permanent criminal records. Prison officer and past pupil Lorraine McCarthy gave a detailed description of prison life. A member of the public, Ms Anne Marie Ryall, who did her civic duty and served on a jury, explained how the jury agreed on the compensation amount to award a taxi driver for future loss of earnings, having suffered psychological injury after a serious road accident. Commandant David O‟Shaughnessy provided a PowerPoint presentation on the work of the military police. This was a new concept for the group; an organisation to police and discipline the police and other law enforcers. The group is enthusiastic to hear the presentation from Cpt. Keane in mid March. Capt. Keane is a daughter of our

Spring 2011 child care tutor Mrs Keane. The Captain will describe her various postings in the army and her present duty in command of the motor cycle unit that escorts the President while on official business. A guided tour of the Dáil will take place in April where the group will view the Dáil in session and hopefully view policies debated that will put the country on the road to recovery.

created arrangements that reflected the colours of winter. The students helped by cutting vegetation and tying rib-

Making a Connection

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oláiste Mhuire introduced the Young Social Innovators programme for the first time in September 2010. Eleven members of transition year volunteered to combat a social problem within their community. They chose the isolation of the elderly. The group felt that older people had been largely forgotten about during the Celtic Tiger years because they were not seen as valuable in economic terms. The YSI group researched the problem and received a presentation on the topic in the headquarters of Age Action Ireland in Camden Street, Dublin. The project was given the title “Making the Connection”, and this connection was made every Wednesday afternoon with the residents of the Sacred Heart Nursing Home in Crosspatrick. The students organised some innovative activities that supported the growth of friendships A bingo afternoon enabled the competitive spirit of the residents to have expression. An American Tea Party allowed both generations bond over a love of good food and chat. The student photography class captured images of the residents and their buddies; the photos were framed and now have pride of place in the reception area of the nursing home. A creative art class was provided under the guidance of Miss Ryan. Materials were used that supported artistic expression and did not require a lot of dexterity. Young and old worked together to capture the surrounding landscape. A wonderful flower arranging class was directed by the group. The residents

bons. The residents generously donated a completed arrangement of silk flowers to Coláiste Mhuire; it now graces the statue of Our Lady in our entrance. Some musically gifted students provided an enormously enjoyable soiree. The repertoire was diverse; from XFactor tunes to Count John McCormack. Love of music is a timeless gift. The winter snow disrupted the programme but the school bus managed to skate out in late December. YSI gifts of colourful window boxes and handmade cards were given with warm wishes. The students gained an insight into the sense of loss that many older people experience at this time. Over the numerous cups of tea and scones, friendships flourished. Age was and is irrelevant, a common love of music, sport, folklore and a love of the locality was celebrated. The YSI group did indeed make a connection.

six weeks free tuition in voice training courtesy of the Kilkenny School of Music. Organiser of the Thomas Moore competition Mr. Pat Rafter was believed to have been very impressed with Stacey who has never had her voice trained and yet sounds like a professional singer. Stacey will be performing in this years Variety/Stars in your Eyes show so anyone wishing to hear Stacey‟s amazing voice please come along. Fairtrade Fortnight was held from the 28th February to the 13th March. This year‟s slogan was SHOW OFF YOUR LABEL. 5th year Art students designed bunting on “organic cotton” and are entering a competition with it. We wish them the best of luck. The front hallway was a display of posters and balloons and each lunch and break within Fairtrade Fortnight students sold tickets for those entering the draw. There were two prizes. Maria Kennedy 2nd year won a hamper worth almost €100 and Niamh Tynan 5th year won a 5ft Inflatable Banana. Students who entered the draw were given a sticker and an information card asking them to SWAP a brand that they buy for a Fairtrade version. The canteen staff got involved too by offering students a choice of Fairtrade tea in the morning. Thank you to all who participated. Over €100 was raised in total

Fairtrade Fortnight

Thomas Moore Competition

A big congratulations for Stacey Dunne who took part in the Thomas Moore competition on Sunday March 6th. Stacey performed very well on the day and got through to the second round. Unfortunately she wasn‟t crowned the winner but as a consolation prize Stacey was offered

Lourdes Best wishes to group 174 travelling to Lourdes Easter Sunday for a week. Staff K. Kilkenny and P. Gleeson and students Sarah Dermody, Tara Stokes, Pauraic Shortis and Jason Dowd are looking forward to their upcoming pilgrimage. Photos to follow next time!!

Spring 2011

On Wednesday 9

AIB Build A Bank Challenge

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March the Transition Year student took part in AIB Build A Bank Challenge competition in Clonmel Park Hotel. The successful students who were selected to be part of the competition were, Tadhg O‟Sullivan, Bank Manager, Eamonn Barry, Assistant Manager, Kieran Skehan, Auditor, Caroline Eyre, Marketing and Sales Executive and Jodie Brennan and Ciara Maher who were both Tellers. The group arranged a „Back to Basics‟ theme for the competition, making posters, business cards and brochures. On the day the team arrived in high spirits they impressed the judges with their teamwork skills, and their creative theme. However, they were unfortunate to miss out on a prize to De la Salle College Waterford, who won the overall prize for their Facebank.

Enterprise Awards Business Report Success

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his year as part of the Transition Year half of the students are participating in a full year enterprise course. The enthusiastic and motivated students, who selected this course, participated in the Mini Company Competition. The students who developed a Mini Company worked extremely hard formulating their idea and marketing and selling their product. On Wednesday the 9 th of March two groups went to competition in Newpark Hotel Kilkenny. The first Mini Company was Krazy Kalendars represented by Brendan Murphy, Kieran Skehan, Laura Nolan and Caitriona Holohan. The second Mini Company was Novelty Memory Sticks who were represented by Layla Tobin, Casey Burke, Danielle Burke, Caroline Eyre and Honey O‟Donaghue. Both groups worked extremely hard organising their company and making sure their company ran efficiently and effectively. On the day Krazy Kalendars took away the prize for „Best Report‟. Congratulations to the group and all who were involved in the event.

Comhairle na nDaltaí

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n January the new Student Council reps for 2011 were elected. The following students will aim to promote the interests of their fellow students and the school over the coming months: 1st Year: Chelsea Boyd, Shane Laffen, Shane Curran. 2nd Year: Tim Molloy, Marie Tobin, Kelly O‟Leary. 3rd Year: Eva O‟Brien, Michaela Walsh, Thomas Walsh. 4th Year: Ciara Maher, Jodie Brennan, Casey Burke, Layla Tobin, Caroline Eyre, Eamon Barry, Shea Butler, Brian Brennan. 6th Year: Aimee Molloy, Peter Dalton, Cain Toombs, Christine Tully, Carrie Grant. Comhairle na ndaltaí ag ceiliuradh seachtain na Gaeilge Some of the group attended an intensive training night last month in Kilkenny. We met with other schools and came away with lots of ideas to help us to be more effective.

Credit Union Poster Competition Winners

Congratulations to Rebecca Dermody

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(5 year) and Laura Whelan (1st year) for winning prizes in the Credit Union Poster Competition last November. Laura claimed 2nd prize in the U14 category while Rebecca scooped 3rd prize in the U17‟s. Rebecca since went on to win 3rd prize again in the next level of the competition. Well done to both girls!

Sixth Year Art Outing

The sixth

year art class paid a visit to the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny in January, where they viewed an exhibition of work by the well known UK based artist Alice Kettle. The collection of work was based on the medieval theme of the Kilkenny witch Alice Kytler. Afterwards, they attended a workshop where they learnt the craft of felting, and created some interesting pieces to take home!

Family Communications Programme

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programme entitled “Communicating with our Teenagers – making it a little easier" took place over four weeks in the past term. This course was an opportunity for parents to get together and learn some new skills to add to those they have already; to learn how to communicate with their teenager and to feel that they as parents are being heard. Particularly with the various work changes in the past year or two, it can be a worrying time for everyone within the family and this course gave parents time to stop, reflect and set some new family guidelines. The course was facilitated by Sue Anne O'Donnell - Life, Business and Family Coach. The idea of the evenings is to learn from each other in a non judgemental and non formal setting. Sue Anne believes in having fun while learning and shares stories from personal family situations. At the end of the workshops, the group of fourteen parents who attended have a clearer and informed understanding of what motivates them in their parenting. They came away equipped, informed and confident to implement the changes they have chosen to make, refreshed and focused.

Spring 2011

Past Pupil Profile

Continuing our popular profile section we have chosen another past pupils to

profile. EILEEN HEALY CULLOHILL

Eileen completed her Leaving Cert in 2002. She applied for Core year in the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and for Furniture Design and Manufacture in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Letterfrack campus. She was not accepted to NCAD was accepted to GMIT. She completed the two year certificate which was a great experience. She said she made some fantastic friendships and some lovely pieces of furniture while there. In her final year she applied to NCAD and again she was unsuccessful. She decided to take a year out of studying to work in a bar and earn some money. She also decided to work on a better portfolio. She was advised by friends to enrol in a PLC Art Portfolio course in Thurles. The tutor in Thurles

Badminton

was also very experienced in preparing portfolios for NCAD and knew the standard of work they were looking for and on her third application to NCAD was accepted. “Once there, NCAD was a big shock. It's very big and everyone was really good at art. The first year was a very general year where I studied a variety of different arts, crafts and design subjects. In second year I decided to pick Visual Communications for my degree and chose to undertake the joint degree course option for the History of Art and Design”. She graduated with a BA Hons in the Visual Communications and the History of Art and Design 2009. She started volunteering at the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny last year, whilst working full time elsewhere. It was through volunteering in the gallery that she was approached about contract work for the Crafts Council of Ireland. Initially she worked on archiving their publications and sending out images for various media requests. The opportunity then arose for her to take on more responsibility by designing their newsletter 'Stopress'. Even though the work hasn't always been directly related to her qualifications she gained invaluable experience and made great contacts. At present Eileen is travelling in Australia.

The U-19 Badminton Co. Championship was keenly contested by

both a boys‟ and girls‟ team from Coláiste Mhuire. The teams were both placed in the A division due to their previous performance in the U16 section. Unfortunately the competition proved too fierce despite the valiant efforts of the Johnstown cohort. They performed well and the girls‟ team was unfortunate to miss out on a semi final place when they lost out on aces. The girls‟ team was: Shelly Ryan, Sarah Dermody, Kellie Ann Quinn and Jessica O‟ Sullivan. The boys‟ team was: Micheál Phelan, David Weedy, Tom Phelan, In the U16 Co. Championship the boys‟ team were victorious with an outstanding display, beating all four other teams in their division comprehensively. The girls, who were the reigning B champions from last year, were competing in an extremely tough A division this year. They reached the final but narrowly lost out to Ballyhale. The boys team moved on to the Leinster stages of the competition and performed well winning one out of a total of three matches. They didn‟t make the final but proved that they were still one of the top teams in Leinster. The girls‟ team was: Sarah Whelan, Siobhan Corcoran, Mary Corcoran and The boys‟ team was: Frank Phelan, Darren Grace, Lloyd Bassett, Tim Molloy and James Sweeney The U-14 boys and girls Co. Championship was hotly contested with over 21 teams competing on the day. Again Coláiste Mhuire girls were hampered by the grading system due to their previous success in last year‟s competition. The girls gave a gallant performance and the experience will serve them well for next year‟s competition when they will all still be eligible to compete at the same level. The girls‟ team was: Laura Whelan, Rachel Dermody, Lauren Stanley, Sarah O‟Sullivan and Arianna Carribo. The boys‟ team thoroughly deserved their status as Co. Champions this year. They gave an outstanding exhibition, losing only one game out of 5 consecutive matches. This was the second year in a row that the title was coming back to Coláiste Mhuire. The boys moved on to the next stage with a trip to play the top teams in Leinster. They eased to victory in their opening match against Moate Community school winning 6-0. They played Dunlavin Secondary school in the next round and again cruised to victory with a score of 6-0. This earned them an automatic place in the final against Terenure College. The students from Coláiste Mhuire powered to victory in the final and beat the Dublin side comprehensively. Credit must be given to all the boys for their tremendous performances. In particular the efforts of their superb Captain Kieran Phelan must be recognised. His awesome display in both the singles and doubles matches left many of his opponents spellbound. The boys‟ team was: Kieran Phelan, Brandon Phelan, Seán Tobin, Karl Collins, Padraig Sweeney and Ned Lavelle.

Spring 2011

Junior Hurling The Coláiste Mhuire junior Hurling team had another very successful year retaining the Leinster Colleges title and the Leinster Vocational title. The year began with victories over Abbey C.C., Borris V.S. and then Heywood C.S. in the Leinster final. The final played in Nowlan park was a classic match and was decided by a dramatic late goal by Jason Stanley. A highlight of this game was the excellent play from the St Lachtains man Shane Donnelly who tormented the Heywood defence throughout the game. The team was captained by Kevin Sweeney who had come into the game with a serious hand injury. In pursuit of the elusive All Ireland title the panel put in a tremendous effort training in all types of weather and throughout the holidays. They began their defence of the Leinster title with a comprehensive victory over Borris V.S. Thomas Moriarity had an excellent game and he was ably assisted by Michael Drennan and Kieran Skehan in defence, while in attack Kevin Sweeney, Eoghan Vaughan and Shane Donnelly were the chief tormentors of the Carlow defence. In the Leinster Final, played in Heywood on the all weather pitch, the Johnstown team played their near neighbours St Fergals from Rathdowney. In a very high scoring contest Johnstown prevailed by 5 points thanks mainly to Eoin Lyons in goals who made a string of outstanding saves at crucial times in the game. Coláiste Mhuire met old rivals Loughrea in the All-Ireland Final in Banagher but went into the game with serious injuries to key players Jason Stanley and Kevin Sweeney. Johnstown dominated the first half with both Stanley and Sweeney outstanding but somehow trailed by a point at half-time. Loughrea were much more prominent in the 2nd half and increased their lead to 6 points but Johnstown responded with a great Darren Brennan goal. The move of Jason Stanley to full forward

and Kieran Skehan to centre back was paying dividends however Johnstown were rocked by a fortuitous Loughrea goal. Stanley again responded with another goal but eventually ran out of time. Both teams deserve great recognition for the outstanding quality produced on the day. There is no doubt that this panel will bring All- Ireland glory back to Coláiste Mhuire in the near future

U14 Girls Soccer

goal victory was a fitting conclusion to a marvellous campaign. Throughout the campaign the first team gave exemplary performances. They were, on all occasions, backed up by capable and enthusiastic substitutes. The subs panel included Arianna Carabio, Rebecca Pembroke, Sarah O‟Sullivan, Kelly O‟Leary, Jessica Walsh, Alicia Brennan, Laura Whelan, Rhiann Kelly, Stacey Dunne and Kerry Fitzgerald.

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his year saw the start of girls soccer at Coláiste Mhuire. The girls began their campaign in the Kilkenny Schools League against Loreto Convent. A determined Coláiste Mhuire were unable to overturn a very capable Loreto. The team came into their own against Scoil Aireagail, Ballyhale. A

dominant mid-field of Kaylinn Burke, Bríd Moore, Niamh Dunne and Kelly O‟Leary controlled the game. Goals by Rebecca Ryan and Michelle Hickey secured a comfortable victory. Coláiste Mhuire were at their best against St. Bridgets, Callan. Callan could not breach the back four of Rachel Dermody, Fionnuala O‟Connell, Lauren Stanley and Lily Kenny. Goalkeeper Michaela Walsh kept two clean sheets in a row. The Coláiste Mhuire strike force of Sarah O‟Connor (two goals), Emma Randall and Arianna Carabio netted four goals. Despite a resilient second half, the Coláiste Mhuire girls could not overcome Presentation Convent. Pobal Scoil Osrai conceded the game to Coláiste Mhuire, ensuring three wins out of five in the league campaign. Coláiste Mhuire were then through to the play off final. The opposition on this occasion was Ballyhale. Having beaten Ballyhale in the league stages, the girls were confident going into this game. Home advantage was an added bonus. The girls took command of the game in the early stages, putting the Ballyhale defence under immense pressure. This defence was breached twice, Coláiste Mhuire goals coming from Niamh Dunne and Michelle Hickey. This two

Camogie Congratulations to the Senior Camogie panel on reaching the Leinster Final v Castlecomer. The girls had a long road to the final, beating teams like Gorey and Dunshaughlin from Meath on the way to the final. A huge supporters bus travelled to Clara to shout on the girls. The match was delayed due to frost but eventually we got underway. The first half was very exciting with scores coming very slowly, due to the hard work displayed on field. A controversial goal decision was given Comer‟s way and after this, Comer began to dominate. It was a harsh defeat with lots of tears at the end. Hopefully the girls will build on this and we will have a fantastic team for next years competition. We will miss our three 6th year girls, Lisa Hickey, Grace Murphy, Aideen Beehan and Davina Tobin next year and wish them every luck with their future.

Replacing School Bus

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he school bus in our college is now 13 years old and needs replacing at the end of Nov/ Dec 2011. The Parents Association and School Management are inviting families to make a voluntary contribution of approx €25 per half term. The first payment will be due on the 1st April. Many Thanks for your generosity and support for all activities in our school.