Volleyball:
We have huge numbers playing
volleyball from 1st to 6th year. We have two senior teams who are
currently in the middle of their league. Both teams are playing well,
having gone up in a division. The two cadette
teams made up of girls from 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th are also in league
action and performed well in round 1. At junior level we have 25 1st
year girls playing volleyball and 20 second years training twice a
week. We have a large number of senior girls helping out with coaching
which is really good for all the girls. These girls will start their Spikeball competition after mid-term.
Basketball:
Ms. Tyrrell,
a past pupil of Mercy is looking after the 1st and 2nd Year girls. Ms. Tyrrell is now teaching in Mercy and has a vast
knowledge of basketball and is currently playing division 1 with DCU
Mercy. It is great to see so many girls training at lunch and after
school. The senior team is coached by Laura Ryan, another past pupil
and that team starts their league next week against Mount Sackville.
This year we have decided to enter the local Northside
league so the girls are looking forward to playing local schools.
Rowing:
This year Mercy College Coolock is participating in the Get Going Get
Rowing Programme. All 1st year girls are taking part in this programme.
On the 5th, 6th& 7th of October all first year form classes went
down to Neptune Rowing Club and went rowing in fours on the River Liffey. We have 16 fourth year girls also taking
part in a rowing coaching programme. We have six rowing machines in the
school and all 1st year girls are training on these for the 4 person
relay in Trinity College on November 13th.

Gymnastics:
The school got a lot of new
gymnastic mats this year and all students from 1st to 4th have just completed
a 5 week block in gymnastics. This sport has proven hugely successful
with so many girls involved in dance outside of school.
Soccer News
Soccer training has started
back for the year and we have had a great turnout so far. The girls
train on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 5 and all are welcome. We are
delighted to have Mr. O' Connor joining us this year to help out with
training. The Senior Soccer team travelled to Enniscorthy
on October 8th to play Coláiste Bríde. It was a great experience as Coláiste Bríde was a
strong team and Mercy College took a lot from the game. The team are
delighted with the new kit so many thanks to the school and all those
who contributed to the bake sale and helped raise funds.
Green Committee 2015-2016
We are in the process of
applying for our third green flag this year under the theme Water. We
want to make students more aware of water consumption in our school
community. We hope to make students at Mercy more aware of water saving
tips through learning and fun activities such as poster campaigns,
presentations, surveys, competitions and much more. We will continue to
carry out water audits, monitor our water consumption, draft an action
plan and hopefully reduce our water usage. We would like to remain a green
school with the help and support of students, teachers and staff. Do
your bit for the environment at home and at Mercy by recycling, turning
off lights in classrooms and turning off taps when they are not in use.
Help us achieve the green flag for water. We would like to welcome all
new members to the Green Committee 2015-2016 we look forward to working
with them and we are delighted with their vibrant, fresh ideas. Green
committee members will be taking part in environmental workshops from
Eco UNESCO, receiving talks from An Taisce as
well as going on green school trips during the year.
LCVP hosting the annual 1st
Year quiz
All first year students were
invited to take part in a quiz hosted by 6th year LCVP students. Each
first year was charged €2 entry fee which will be donated to charity.
The members of the winning team were Chloe Vickers, Shakira Aherne, Megan Carroll, Nicole Ward and Lauren
Baker. There were also prizes awarded for 2nd and 3rd place. In between
rounds, there were also spot prizes. The majority of questions were
general knowledge, TV, celebrities and sport. There were 10 rounds with
6 questions in each. Lauren Baker and Chloe Vickers 1st year.
Sculpture in Context 2015
On the 22nd September 5th
year students visited the “Sculpture in Context 2015” in the Botanic
Gardens. The exhibition is one of the most prestigious outdoor
exhibitions in Ireland. It provides the students with the opportunity
to view work from some of Ireland’s most promising and well established
artists. The sculptures were displayed throughout the gardens, in the
greenhouses and some directly in the pond. Smaller pieces were
exhibited in the gallery above the coffee shop in the visitor centre.
The art ranged in subject matter, scale and media. The students
sketched their favourite pieces on site specific sculptures.
Brú na
Bóinne
As part of the Art history
course, on the 14th September 5th and 6th year students visited the
World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne in Co.Westmeath. Brú na Bóinne known as the
Palace of the Boyne is the name given to one of the world’s most
important archaeological landscapes. While there, the students were
given a guided tour of the passage tomb we know as Newgrange,
experiencing what it would be like during the Winter Solstice when the
passage and chamber light up at sunrise. The girls also explored the
visitor centre and completed a worksheet. Ms. Kearns and Ms. Cassidy
Transition Year News Library
It has been a busy few months
for transition year students. The following represent some of the
activities that the students did during September and October:
Road Safety
This talk was presented by
Garda David Barron. He spoke about wearing safety belts, speed limits
on our road, causes of road accidents and how we should all make the
right decisions. There was also a DVD showing road accidents and how
they could have been prevented. We were also shown a DVD indicating the
long term consequences of not wearing safety belts and speeding. He
made us aware that by reducing your speed by 5km it could save lives.
First Aid course
We learned a lot about First
Aid and were given details about how to administer CPR. We were also
shown how to dress wounds, how to put people who were unconscious into
the recovery position. First aid is all about prioritising the
situation. You should always attend a person who is badly hurt and stem
the flow of blood loss and most importantly call for help. Nicole
Fulton and Chloe Roberts
Fighting words
This is a creative writing
workshop attended by all 4th year students. The whole session was based
around the students coming up with creative ideas and each group of
students had to come up with a story and present it to the rest of the
group. We all enjoyed this workshop and who knows some of us may be a
famous writer of the future.
Kickboxing
Every Thursday afternoon we
attend kickboxing. We are mainly taught how to defend ourselves. It is
a really great way to keep fit!
TY Rowing
A number of students
volunteered to participate in rowing activities with 1st year students.
We hope to compete in a rowing competition in Trinity in November and
will keep you posted on how we got on.
Mock Trial
We have been involved with a
very interesting law course. Barristers and people from the legal
profession have come to talk to us and show us how the legal system
works. They were able to show us the difference between a barrister and
solicitor. The overall aim of this is for the students to hold a mock
trial which will be held in DCU in November. Keep you updated on our
progress.
3rd Year Geography field trip
On Monday the 12th of October
we all headed off to Glendalough for a day of fun and education. We saw
the round tower, old church, the beautiful waterfall and the miners’
village. It was really interesting and we learned a lot for our Junior
Cert course! Hollie McCabe
Home School News
Parents cookery class in the
parents room
Maths Week
A whole host of activities
took place in Mercy College this week to celebrate Maths Week. These
include bingo, countdown, card games and the million euro drop. Some of
the Transition Year students got the opportunity to attend a lecture
given by Professor Des MacHale in St.
Patrick's College, Drumcondra. Professor MacHale
told us all about George Boole and the Boolean Algebra that forms the
basis for modern day technology. Thanks to all the teachers and
students involved in making Maths Week such a success!

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