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Summer 2009
THE LAST ADVENTURE LONDON
HERE WE COME
Elizabethan Times budding film
maker
MERCY COLLEGE COOLOCK SPORTS
NEWS
OUR YEAR ON THE
STUDENT COUNCIL
Principal's Message Patricia Dwyer
Dear
Parents, Guardians & members of our school community,
I
am delighted to introduce this end of year newsletter to you. The final term is
always hectic and this year has been no exception. Leaving and Junior
Certificate students have been busy with orals, practicals, projects and
preparation for written papers. Transition Year students are coming to the end
of a varied and productive year.
Our
newsletter reflects the many opportunities for learning and personal
development offered to the students of Mercy College. In addition to success at
team level, individual students have shone in a variety of fields, including
art, drama and essay competitions. Almost every class in the school has raised
funds for charity including Breast Cancer Awareness, the Alzheimer Society,
KARE, the DSPCA and St. Michael's House. You will discover more on their
achievements as you peruse the pages that follow. We celebrated the outstanding
contributions of many of the girls at our annual Awards Ceremony, graced this
year by the presence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin and past pupil of Mercy
College - Councillor Eibhlin Byrne.
The
Leaving Certificate graduation Mass and presentation was a time for students,
parents and staff to celebrate the time we shared and to look forward to the
future. Looking at the young woman who leaves us, it is often difficult to
remember the little girl who came to Mercy College 5 or 6 years before. It is a
time of joy at what has been achieved and sadness at parting. We wish each of
them well as they begin a new and exciting phase of life.
As
the year draws to a close, we say a fond farewell and 'míle buíochas' to four
staff members who have given more than 150 years of service between them to
Mercy College. Ms. Mary Byrne and Ms. Angela Lalor leave after 38 years and 39
years respectively, having ably and meticulously prepared generations of Mercy
girls in culinary arts, wonderful craft and so much more. Their high standards
and huge commitment to their students, their subject and to the school will be
sorely missed. Ms. Phyllis Keogh, a former Mercy College student herself, has
taught English and Geography here for 33 years, encouraging every girl in her
care to achieve to her full potential and become an educated woman in every
sense of the word. Ms. Maria Somers started teaching in Mercy in 1965, before later
moving into the area of Home-School-Community Liaison, working directly with
parents and the wider community in her warm, friendly and welcoming style. Each
of these people has played a wonderful part in the development of thousands of
students; teaching, influencing and caring for all with whom they came into
contact. Each has brought the values of Catherine McAuley to fruition in a real
and meaningful way. These valued members of our school community deserve a
relaxing and enjoyable retirement. I offer them every good wish on behalf of
their colleagues on staff and the many students whom they have helped shape and
develop over the years.
These
are changing times in education, as in society. As a result of economic
recession and education cutbacks, the future is not quite as certain as it has
been in recent years. For our students, now and into the future, the importance
of education in helping them realise their dreams and potential will be all the
more heightened. At Mercy we are determined to weather the changes in a
positive and forward looking manner. Our strong traditions - academic,
sporting, musical and artistic - will be maintained and developed.
We
continue to develop the building to create a modern and vibrant learning
environment. This summer will see the completion of our canteen, funded partly
with the €50,000 grant we received from dormant accounts. I am also delighted
to inform you that we have been successful in our grant application for the
refurbishment of the toilet facilities. A sum of over €180,000 has been
allocated to Mercy College through the summer works scheme and plans are
already under way. We have been fundraising with the help of staff, students
and parents to improve even further on our computer facilities. To that end, we
look forward to the installation of three more interactive whiteboards this
summer.
As
the year comes to an end we reflect on many happy events, some sad, as staff
and students lost family members and loved ones. Here in Mercy College we are
blessed with a great sense of community spirit and support in good times and
bad. We wish Ms. Boyle and Ms. Niland well as they prepare for their upcoming
weddings. I would like to thank students, staff, their families and the wider
community for their continued support of the school, school events and the
community that is Mercy College. I wish you all a happy and relaxing summer and
I look forward to working with you all again in the autumn.
Patricia
Dwyer
Discover
DCU was extremely informative and beneficial to the students who attended.
Three other schools were present on the day. Two members of the DISCOVER DUBLIN
CITY UNIVERSITY academic staff were there to show us everything about the
college. They gave us an insight into the college and spoke to us about the
clubs and societies that you could join. College life is all about taking
responsibility for our own academic success. No more notes in our journals!!!
We were shown a DVD about the College and the entry requirements we would need
for each course. Overall we had a great day, and to top it all off we got
vouchers for lunch in the canteen which beats school lunch any day!! We would
definitely encourage everyone to go next year.
Rebekah
Wright
Many
congratulations to Aoife Redmond 2nd year who came first in the DCU Discover
Science and Engineering writing competition. Aoife received a lovely red laptop
for her efforts. Maybe we have an aspiring writer on her hands!. The following
are extracts from her essay entitled "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99%
perspiration".
"I
think Kathleen Lonsdale defines the above quote perfectly because, she wanted
to study mathematics and science, then even went to a boy's school to study
them because the girl's school did not offer those subjects. She was one of the
founders of the Young Scientists and encouraged young people to study science.
.............
During
her life in the 1920s, Kathleen made her most important scientific contribution
by discovering crystals of hexamethyl benzene. She showed that the benzene
ring, a most important compound in organic chemistry, is flat and she worked
out her dimensions fairly accurately. In 1949 she became the professor of
chemistry and head of the department of crystallography...............
In
1945 she was the first woman to be elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society.
She confirmed experimentally the structure of benzene. Kathleen was the first
female president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Kathleen
Lonsdale died in 1971, aged 68. In her honour, a rare meteoric diamond has been
named the Lonsdaleite"
My
working life has been connected to Mercy College since 1965. Even though my
career has taken me away on a number of occasions I have always returned to the
school. Its magnetism has kept me committed and rooted to it. My memories of working
in school will always be happy ones. I value the friendships and the
experiences through the years. I also value the students for their sense of
humour, their outlook on life and their warmth. I learned as much from them as
I taught them. In my role as Home School Liaison Co-ordinator I was privileged
and grateful to work with the parents for many years. I would like to thank Sr.
Moira, the Board of Management, Ms. Dwyer and Mr O' Mahony for their support
and encouragement. I would also like to thank the staff for their kindness,
team spirit and above all for their banter. These qualities not only nurtured
me but also helped to create a very special atmosphere in the school. As I
continue on my journey into retirement I will miss the school. I wish everyone
in the school community success and long may Mercy College continue to be a
magnetic place.
Maria
Somers
TIME
TO SAY GOOD BYE!
I
was on the Mercy campus since I was a 4 year old child, the school was then
called Virgo Clemens and has since been renamed Mercy College. I then took a
break from Mercy and went onto University where I studied English and
Geography. I then returned to Mercy and taught Geography and English. For nine
years, I was the Home School Liaison Co-ordinator, but the pull of teaching
made me come back to the class. Things have changed since my student days,
Mercy was a fee paying school back then but I was fortunate to receive a
scholarship. The uniform was similar but we had a pale cream blouse, a pope's
hat and blazer (which we refused to wear except under duress - nothing
changes!!) Mini skirts were very much the fashion and we used to roll up our
skirts at a great cost to our waistline. All of this to show off our legs!!
Shoes were non existent in school. We had to wear slippers and put our shoes
into shoe bags (beautifully made by us in the Home Economics class). The smell
was malodorous to say the least!! But the floors were very shiny which pleased
the nuns no end. Fashions come and go but the Mercy ethos has remained true and
so with mixed feelings I take my leave, wishing my colleagues and students all
the best for the future. The one quote I will take with me was from one of my
2nd year students who asked me "Who's going to teach us to speak
proper?". What can I say to that?
Phylis
Keogh
SLÁN
AGUS BEANNACHT
I
have often read other retirement columns in the newsletter, but always saw my
own as being sometime in the future. It is as if someone somewhere crept up on
me and pressed the fast forward button! Where did the time go, I ask myself -
it has, and here I am. Now it is my turn!! Teaching was always on the cards for
me from a very young age and in particular Home Economics or Domestic Science
as it was known in the "olden days". I have always enjoyed it. Of
course it has been challenging at times, but what job isn't? For me it has been
an enriching experience and I have never regretted my choice of career. It is
with mixed emotions I leave Mercy College and I wish to thank our Principal
Patricia Dwyer, Deputy Principal Donal O'Mahony and all my colleagues for their
support and friendship over the years. Time doesn't stand still and in the
words of John O' Donohoe "I stand on the shore of new invitation, to open
my life to what is left undone, let my heart enjoy a different rhythm, when
drawn to the wonder of other horizons"
Mary
Byrne
MY
GARDEN AWAITS!!
After
spending most of my teaching career in Mercy College, it is difficult to
believe that I will be leaving soon; it has become so much part of my life.
Leaving friends, companions and students brings a certain sadness. Leaving will
also create many new opportunities to do many things that I have always wanted
to do. I will greatly miss the interaction with my teaching colleagues, the
students with their sense of fun and their care for one another. Our motivation
in teaching is to give them knowledge and life skills and in very many ways,
they keep us young at heart. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
Board of Management, Sr. Moira, the Principal Ms. Dwyer and Deputy Principal
Mr. O'Mahony for their kindness and understanding during my time here. Also to
the staff and students for their integrity and good humour, even when we were
all busy and under pressure. To finish, I would like to quote Oliver Wendell
Holmes "The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in
what direction we are moving".
Angela
Lalor
EIL AWARD - 5th YEAR
STUDENT HONG KONG BOUND
Mercy
was celebrating the success of 5th Year student Amy O'Carroll in the EIL
exchange competition. Having been nominated by the school for her obvious
leadership qualities and commitment to all aspects of school life, Amy then had
to go through a rigorous selection process, where the hundreds of applicants
were whittled down to twelve. The final phase was an interview in Trinity
College, where Amy was successful. She will now enjoy an all- expenses paid
trip to Hong Kong in late summer. We look forward to hearing about the
adventure in future editions of the newsletter.
HONG KONG HERE I COME
This
summer I am heading to Hong Kong with E.I.L. as a result of long and hard
selection process. I was in the running with students from all over Ireland and
was honoured when I was selected along with three other Irish students. The
trip will take place from the 10th to the 19th August and on returning I will
be one of the hosts to the students from Hong Kong. I will accompany them on
organised trips around Ireland. Many thanks to Ms. Dwyer for nominating me for
this once in a lifetime trip. I will keep you posted in the next Newsletter.
Amy
O'Carroll
1st
YEAR TRIP TO THE ZOO
On
Tuesday, May 12th, Ms. Lalor and our form teachers, Ms. Moran, Ms. Daltún and
Ms. Gaffney brought us on a trip to the Zoo. We had a great day. It was a bit
cold when we started out, but the weather improved as the day wore on. We saw
some lovely animals including, tigers, flamingos, elephants and giraffes. We
saw the sealions and the penguins being fed. That was good fun. We did a quiz
on some of the animals we had seen. We really enjoyed seeing the meerkats at
the restaurant. Thanks to our teachers for bringing us. We look forward to
going again someday soon.
1st
Years
The
fourth year mini company decided to sell T Shirts to 4th year and 6th year
students.
The
logo was beautifully designed by Loiuse Perry. The first sports day was
cancelled due to bad weather, but the 6th year students had their day out.
During this, the girls did face painting, took photos for keyrings, sold
refreshments, sweets, cool pops, savouries, pizzas etc., During lunch, the
girls sold to the rest of the school and many orders were placed for the
keyrings. A handsome profit was made and the money was put towards an
interactive whiteboard for the Business room. Congratulations girls and as one
of you said "it takes a lot of work and effort to make money".
Ms.
Downes
The
4th year production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat took place
in March.
Production
started in December and this continued on until March. We rehearsed every day
for nine weeks. During this time, we learned our songs, dances and our stage
placements. After all the hard work, the show was ready to go on stage. The
first show on the 2nd of March was amazing, lots of nerves and apprehension,
but we all had a great night with only a few teething problems. We had four
fantastic nights after that. During the show we made great friends with the
students from Chanel College. The play was an excellent experience and I would
do it all again. On behalf of the 4th years, I would like to thank Ms Rooney
and all our teachers for their help and patience during the play.
Holly
Kealy (4th Year)
THE LAST ADVENTURE LONDON HERE WE COME
I
helped with the organisation of the Carlingford trip and found the whole
experience very enjoyable as this was my first visit to the Adventure Centre.
Some of the girls went in October, and had a brilliant time. All of us enjoyed
the water sports, rock climbing, high ropes and games. On behalf of the 4th
years, I would like to thank Ms. Rooney and Ms. Harrison who supervised us and
the Carlingford staff who made our stay a memorable one.
Niamh
Mc Manamly
On
Wednesday 13th May thirteen 4th year students supervised by Ms Cassidy and Ms.
Byrne went to London for the day. We had a very early start 6 am!! To start it
all off Ms Byrne and Amy walked into a broken automatic door. That gave us a
good laugh. Fortunately nobody was hurt, well maybe a little!! After we arrived
in Gatwick we caught the train to Victoria and then onto the tube to Oxford Street.
While we were there, we had to do a little bit of shopping!! Although there is
a recession on at the moment everybody should experience shopping in London,
what a buzz. Pennys was the best ever, more in our price range (compared to
Harrods). We then headed to Covent Gardens for our lunch, and we visited a few
more shops!! We then went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
in the Adelphi Theatre. We all then got tattoos, Ms Byrne and Ms Cassidy got
some cool ones (only joking)!! After that it was back to the airport and
homeward bound. We arrived back in Dublin at around 11 and we were in school
the next day. Now that is what I call dedication!!
Amy
Branagan (4th year)
TWOCHA
This
year, 4th years took part in ChaCha and Salsa dancing classes. Some girls loved
it and even brought in their high heel shoes to really get involved. Others
including myself had two left feet. It was really brilliant to try something
different and although most of us won't be trying out these moves any time
soon, we really enjoyed ourselves.
Amy
Branagan (4th year)
MAGIC!!
This
year, for our school trip 26 students headed off to Barcelona. We flew out of
Dublin and arrived in Barcelona two and a half hours later. We arrived at the
hotel at around 5 in the evening and we all went swimming. In the evening, we
went to see a magic show. It was kind of freaky, with lots of different acts.
For one of the acts, two teachers were asked to go on stage, one from our group
and another from a different group. The magician started to tell them a story
and asked them to close their eyes and to think about the story. He then
controlled the way the teacher from Cork moved her hands. She had to think
about lots of doors with different dates, names and places. She opened a door
and she thought of the name Mary and the date was 15th January 1847 and the
place was Italy. The other teacher, Ms Boyle was given a box and in the box
there was a letter to Mary sent on the 15th January 1847. How freaky was
that!!!
On
Saturday we went to Portaventura, where there was a huge adventure park with
lots of different type of rides, roller coasters, water rides, baby rides and
the drop zone. My favourite ride was the Dragon Khan, the biggest roller
coaster in the world, with 8 loops, 5 big and 3 little ones. Many people felt
very ill after some of the rides. The teachers only managed the smaller roller
coaster!! Later on, we went bowling, and this was very funny because Ms Doherty
kept bowling the ball down the gully and never hit a skittle. We should have
asked for baby bumpers to help her out!
On
Sunday, we went to the chocolate museum. We saw statues made out of chocolate.
We visited the Aquarium after this and saw many different types of fish and
sharks. We also walked up Las Ramblas the most famous street in Barcelona.
After all the excitement, we needed a bit of retail therapy to calm our nerves
so off to the shops we went and in typical girly fashion, we shopped until we
dropped. Just as well we did not have access to any credit cards!!!
Unfortunately all good times have to come to an end and we flew home that
evening. Many thanks to our tour organiser Ms. Boyle and to Ms.Dwyer, Ms
Doherty and Ms. Kelly.
Janine
O'Connor (2nd year)
Not
only did a group of our students visit Spain recently but we are currently
hosting four 1st and 2nd year students visiting us from Andalucia. The girls
are attending normal classes and they will be with us until June.
We
also hosted 12 Italian students for a week in March. These students were fifth
year students who study classical studies in Italy.
Elizabethan Times budding film maker
Earlier
this year, Ms Niland's English class studied the Shakespearian play 'Romeo and
Juliet'. As a result of this, we did a follow up project looking into
Elizabethan times. Some students worked on their own and others worked in
various groups. Some wrote an alternate ending to the play, drew pictures, made
a film and designed dresses. Our group chose to look at cooking in the
Elizabethan era.
We
researched the internet for recipes and ingredients and we decided to cook a
three course meal. Our starters consisted of bread, fruit and cheese. Our main
course was just like a Sunday dinner and for dessert we had apple tart. When we
finished our project, the class did a presentation for Ms. Dwyer, Mr O'Mahony
and Ms. Niland. We had a fabulous time working on the project.
Aoife,
Geraldine, Janine and Jadine ( 2nd year English)
We
decided to make a film regarding the play "Romeo and Juliet". It took
us a month to film. We started off by booking the school Hall and filming commenced.
We then transferred the film onto the computer and edited it. We then presented
the film using our laptop and projector. A brilliant experience and we loved
every part of it.
Ciara
Wynne (2nd year English)
FIGURES
REMAIN PRIVATE?
Four
of us entered the DCU Access Programme Debating competition. We were given the
topic the week before to write up and study. The first debate was Censorship on
the Internet and we were For the motion. We did very well and moved onto the
next debate. The topic for this one was "Should the lives of Public
figures remain private?". Again, we were for the motion, we really enjoyed
this one. Here is a quote from one of the speakers "Robert De Niro played
Jake La Motta in Raging Bull and it was critically acclaimed as having the best
ever fight scene in the movies, so much so that people want to fight with him
even when he is in the park pushing his daughter on the swings. Leave him
alone!!"
Rebecca
Gilligan, Sarah Murphy, Holly Kealy and Emma Lally
CLASS
TRIP TO
THE
CINEMA
We
had a great day out at the cinema with Ms. Daltún on Thursday, 30th April. We
had acted as an audience for 3rd and 6th year music students who were preparing
for their practical exams. Ms. Daltún said that she would like to bring us on a
trip as a reward. We chose the cinema and the film 17 Again. The film was
brilliant. It had Zac Efron and Matthew Perry in it. We all bought ice-cream
and sweets to eat during the film. Thanks to Ms. Daltún for bringing us and we
hope that next year's 2nd years will help us out when we get ready for our
practical exams next March.
Lauren
Scully, 2nd Year
MERCY COLLEGE COOLOCK SPORTS NEWS
The
school year of '08/09 has been very eventful in Mercy, with over a hundred
girls involved in cross country, gaelic football, soccer, volleyball and
basketball. Well done all! The year has brought lots of fun, new friendships
and many learning experiences for all those involved.
SOCCER
The
local schools this year organised a local 5-A side league for 1st year only
girls. This was hugely successful in developing the girl's football skills and
encouraging a positive sporting environment. Mercy had two teams involved and
were overall winners in the Cup and Shield Competition. Tony Hatton from
Shelbourne Football Club was extremely generous with his time in the coaching
of these girls and now has developed a bright future for football in Mercy. The
schools U-16 team remain undefeated in this league also.
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball
was very popular with the girls and they did extremely well. The 1st Year J6
reached the Cup play offs which was a 2nd year competition. The 2nd years
reached the All-Ireland quarter finals. The 1st year Spikeball team also
reached the All-Ireland finals in UCD and narrowly missed out on a top spot.
CROSS
COUNTRY
A
large number of girls competed in the North Leinster Cross Country in January.
The 1st year team of Martina Collins, Lynn Ryan, Emma Mulligan, Sarah
Fitzpatrick, Ciara Keogh and Shauna Lyndon finished 2nd in the Minor Girls B.
BASKETBALL
Mark
Ingle successfully coached the U-16 team to a Dublin Schools Title. The 1st
years made the Dublin playoffs and have a lot of potential for the future.
All
of these girls are also very active throughout the year in the DCU Mercy Club.
GAELIC
FOOTBALL
The
school fielded an U-18 team this year that was narrowly beaten in the Dublin
semi final. The school also took part in a 1st Year development blitz in
Ballyboden which was enjoyed immensely by the girls. A lot of these girls have
now joined up with Parnells GAA club which is very encouraging for next year.
Ms
E. Fitzgerald
Dublin
City University played a large part in our careers programme. Some 5th year
students were invited to participate in a day's student shadowing. Others took
part in another learning experience called "Discover DCU". Workshops
on Biomedical Engineering and more recently a Summer programme on
"Biomedical Diagnostics" were made available to interested students
by DCU Access Service. Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of
Technology sent their School Liaison Officers to address this 5th year group.
Staff from the other universities will come to speak to the senior students
next year.
Exploration
and information on the vast array of courses on offer has been the corner stone
of the 5th year Career' programme. A very large number of invited speakers have
presented each week to the 5th years. This involved a lot of planning and
thanks to Michael O' Donohoe, our caretaker, it ran very smoothly. He very ably
and cheerfully set up and prepared a suitable venue for us each week. Speakers
from nearby Colleges of Further Education such as Killester College, Marino
College, Coláiste Dhulaigh, Colaiste Íde and Dun-Laoghaire Senior College came.
They spoke about the Framework of Qualifications and gave quite specific details
about their particular Post Leaving Certificate Courses.
With
such a varied and informative series of talks throughout the year, it is hoped
that students are well equipped to make informed choices next year.
Mrs
D. Teeling (Careers and Guidance Counsellor)
The
English department supported the bring a book, buy a book national campaign
that ran in March in aid of St Michael's House. The money will help fund
wheelchair facilities and to make the pool more accessible. The support was
overwhelming and it was brilliant to see the whole school community getting
involved and making it a great success. The girls raised over €400.
The
Parents' Association would like to say a big thank you to all the students,
teachers, parents and staff who supported the Easter raffle, funds that were
raised will go into our lovely new kitchen. We raised a total of €1222. We
would also like to thank LCVP students for their help with the 6th year
graduation. On a sad note, we would like to bid a fond farewell to Maureen
Cuddy for all the hard work and commitment she has given to the Parents
Association. Any parent who would like to join the Parents Association would be
very welcome. Please contact the school for further information.
As
part of the 5th year Geography class we travelled to Portmarnock beach on our
field trip. We enjoyed our day and learned many exciting things. Our main
problem was trying to keep our hair looking reasonably presentable considering
the wind and the sand, this was extremely hard. We also should have listened to
our parents and teachers to wear our jackets because it was freezing. So much
for the Irish summer!! I bet the teachers got their cup of tea to warm
themselves up while we waited for the bus. Never mind roll on the summer.
Rebecca
Kennedy Vickers
OUR YEAR ON THE STUDENT COUNCIL
We
were delighted to put ourselves forward to be elected onto the Student Council
for the academic year 2008-2009. Meetings take place every Tuesday, the
atmosphere has always been friendly and we appreciate the help that the 6th
years gave to us. The year kicked off with the sponsored walk where we raised
over €3000. The new kitchen and freshly painted hall was welcomed by the
Council. Ms. Dwyer also attended a recent meeting and announced to us that
there is funding available for the refurbishment of the toilets. Well done to
Amy O'Carroll ( 5th year representative on the Student Council) on her
wonderful achievement and we wish her every success in Hong Kong. Finally,
Student Council members Sarah Fitzpatrick, Amy O'Carroll and Holly Kealy worked
very hard on a Heritage Project tracing the History of Mercy College. They gave
a wonderful presentation in April. Many thanks to Ms. Somers who was the
driving force behind the project.
Orlaith
Keenan, Amy Fowler, Christina O'Neill 3rd year
LEADERSHIP
TRAINING
Four
Transition Year students Amy Branagan, Lisa Collins, Nakita Lennon and Naomi
Lester, successfully completed their leadership training through Northside
Partnership in recent weeks. The girls' final activity was to produce a
calendar to mark their work and development over the course of the project.
Thug
an tseachtain deis ar leith do dhaoine óga an teanga a chloisteáil agus a úsáid
chomh maith le cúpla focal nua a fhoglaim . 2009
Bhí
roinnt imeachtaí ar siúl sa scoil i rith seachtain na gaeilge.
Tráth
na gceist
Cluíchí
ranga
Ceol
gaelach
Filíocht
Táimíd
fíorbhuíoch de Stiofáin Ó Ceallaigh a tháinig go dtí an scoil chun CÉILÍ a
dhéanamh leis an gcéad bhliain agus an dara bliain.
Bhain
gach duine sult as an bhféile arís I mbliana!
Ms
E Walsh
K.A.R.E.
KARE
provides meals on wheels and home help in the local community. On Tuesday 12th
May it launched its new van for delivering meals to the local community. Ms. O'
Leary and two 5th year students, Grace Carr and Sandra Mc Cormack, attended the
launch. Former Mercy College pupil, Eibhlin Byrne the Lady Mayor of Dublin,
officiated at the occasion. All who attended were treated to a delicious meal.
TALENT
SHOW
In
April, 5th year LCVP students held a talent show for 1st, and 2nd year
students.
This
took place in the hall and was attended by 1st, 2nd and 5th years. It is great
to see budding stars of the future in action. There were numerous dancers and
singers but one of the highlights was Emily Stewart's performance on the tin whistle.
Students
raised €266 for KARE Social Services.
OFFICE
DEPOT
All
5th year LCVP students visited Office Depot on Wednesday 13th May. The main
purpose was to show the students how the business operates. Starting with the
factory floor and concluding with Human Resources.
Congratulations
to Grace Carr who received an award from the Kirsty Joyce of Office Depot for
her contribution to LCVP. She received an LCD TV and Mp3 Player.
12 LCVP students are running the women's mini
marathon to raise funds for KARE. Keep an eye out for the girls and please lend
your support for this wonderful community service.
5th
and 6th year English students attended a fantastic workshop on Creative Writing
Skills under the guidance of novelist Roddy Doyle. It was a real eye opener for
them in creating characters. Watch out Roddy.......they are
"Snapping" at your heels. We are very fortunate to be offered places
for the next sessions in September.
Ms.
M O'Leary
As
part of their enterprise business project, students of Cedar - 2nd year, set up
a variety of companies, some providing services - car washing facilities,
others providing food to students for break and lunchtimes. During the morning
there were toffee apples, noodles, chocolate smoothies, lucky bags and much
more. After each group deducted its costs, the profits were given to two
charities - Alzheimer's Ireland and the Marie Keating Foundation. Well done
girls for donating your hard earned €200.
Ms.
Downes
2nd
year group Laurel as part of their CSP action project ran a Quiz for 1st year
students. It was great to see how well it was organised. I was also amazed at
the competition that existed between the 1st year students. During the quiz,
some of the girls sold cakes and made a small fortune out of it. They raised
almost €200 for Focus Ireland.
Ms.
E. Byrne
THE
6TH YEARS OF 2009 SAY GOOD-BYE!
Wishing
each one of you the very best wishes as you begin the next exciting stage of
life's journey. Remember girls, leaving school is a big step, new opportunities
and challenges lie ahead. Each one of you has wonderful gifts and talents - USE
THEM.
It
has been a pleasure working with you over the last 5/6 years. Keep in
touch.
Ms.
E. Conneely
Our
annual concert 'Mercy Melodies' took place on the 14th May. This year we had
acts from 1st to 6th year.
The
acts were a result of all the hard work we have put in throughout the year for
our choir exams and 3rd and 6th year practicals. A lot of the acts came from
6th year as this will be their last year performing at 'Mercy Melodies'.
Our
finale act was very special this year. It was the staff choir. They finished
the concert with their own unique version of the Beatles Song 'With a Little
help from My Friends'.
We
think they were very brave and very good.
We
look forward to hearing more from them next year.
By
2nd year Music Class
Board
of Management Gaeltacht Scholarships have been awarded to the following pupils:
Emma
O'Donohoe 1st Year
Sarah
Purcell 3rd Year
Amy
Delaney 5th Year
Sarah
O'Donohoe 5th Year
Laoighse
Savage 5th Year
Maith
sibh, a chailíní!
The
SCP Drama group performed its version of Cinderella in rhyme, calling it Red
Hot Cinders. There were three performances. Parents and students were invited
along and there was a great turn out for it. All the performances were
excellent and all involved did a great job. Congratulations to the group
involved and to Roisin and David, from Coláiste Dhulaigh drama department who
were their mentors. In other SCP news the breakfast club is going well with a
high attendance most mornings. Prizes were awarded at Easter to the best
attenders. Monica will be taking a well earned break from preparing the
breakfasts over the summer, many thanks for all her help. SCP also sponsored
the Paired Reading lunch and was involved in the transfer programme for the
incoming 1st year students. I would like to thank Allison, who replaced me
during my maternity leave, for all her hard work.
Linda
Devitt
On
Wednesday 13th May, pupils of Lee and Willow had a display day. We invited our
families to see our work. We displayed our wall hangings, cards, JCSP folders
and our Art work. We also held a raffle that raised €180 and this will be put
towards our trip to Paris.
Lizzie
Warren, Siobhan Loscher, Lee
Sue
McCullagh left us in 1978 and is currently a Chairperson of a charity that
supports families with disabled children in England
Susan
Coffey left us in 1990 and is a Manager of a Fresh Herb Company
Joanne
Maher left us in 1990 and owns her own business doing hand painted personal
items for children
Susan
Finnerty is a Health Care Worker
If
you would like to tell us how you are doing since leaving school, please
contact me at the school email address.
Moya
O' Leary
We
all went out on a class trip to Malahide Castle. While we were there we played
on all the slides, swings etc., We also had a picnic. Luckily for us the sun
shone that day, we had a great time.
Rebecca
Kennedy Vickers
On
the 20th May, Ms. Niland's 2nd year English class went to London to see Romeo
and Juliet performed in the famous Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre looks
exactly how a theatre would have looked during Shakespearian times. In true
tradition, the performance was done in the open air, as were most performances
during the Elizabethan era, where the use of natural light was of utmost
importance. The costumes were a delight. There were few props, but the
performance was still amazing without them. The show lasted three hours, but
the time flew by. The cast was excellent and was extremely good at projecting
their voices considering there were no microphones.
Truly
amazing, it felt like you went back in time.
During
March 1st and 2nd year students went on a school tour to Ferrycarrig in
Wexford. When we arrived there, we were split into two groups. A guide showed
us around and explained to us how people lived in Ireland from the very early
ages up to today. There was a huge difference and we had a fabulous and very informative
day. I for one would not like to have lived in Ireland in the very early days!!
Emma
O'Donohoe (1st year Ravel)
Edited
by: Paula Downes
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