Newsletter Summer 2004

CO-OPERATION IRELAND - CREDIT UNION – FAME - HIP-HOP SUCCESS - HOME –SCHOOL – COMMUNITY NEWS - JUNIOR CERTIFICATE SCHOOLS PROGRAMME – Principal - PARENTS COMMITTEE - SCIENCE DEPARTMENT - SPORT – ATHLETICS – SPORT - STUDENT INVESTMENT CHALLENGE – Return to Contents page

CO-OPERATION IRELAND.

The nine girls from Mercy College and the ten boys from Chanel College continued with the work begun last September. As part of our study of conflict in Ireland, we stayed in Belfast for two days. Apart from visiting various interesting sites, we met with our partner students and discussed the origin of the “troubles” and tried to see the situation from each other’s perspective. We all agreed that this went very well.

On Thursday May 20th all the students involved in CO-OPERATION IRELAND along with their parents attended a local panel meeting. Local politicians, community and Garda representatives also attended the meeting. Here, we presented our findings and answered the questions they had to ask. This was a great success.

I really enjoyed my involvement with CO-OPERATION IRELAND and would urge anyone who has the opportunity to become involved.

ANNE MADDEN – TTRANSITION YEAR.

CREDIT UNION.

This year five students were picked out of Fourth Year to start up a mini Credit Union in the school. We had several meetings throughout the year. Next year’s Fourth Years will get to run the Credit Union. All the girls involved really enjoyed the work of setting up the Credit Union and it was a really good experience.

SARAH KING – 4TH YEAR.

FAME.

As everyone knows, one of the highlights of Transition Year is putting on the play. This year we did “FAME”.  Auditions and rehearsals began last September and as the time for the performance drew closer extra rehearsals were needed to help us become the stars that we are!  Slowly but surely the routines began to fit together and by the end of it all we had “FAME”.

We would like to thank Maureen Gilligan, our Director, Aisling Farrell, our Choreographer and Peter Beckett, our musical Director for all their help – we could not have done it without them.

A lot of work went into “FAME” as you saw from the results – weren’t we just brill?

So for the incoming 4th Years we say enjoy the play while it lasts because it is a brilliant experience.

LISA McLOUGHLIN and SARAH KEOGH – 4th Year.

HIP-HOP SUCCESS.

Kim Cunningham of 5th year has had enormous success in setting up a class and teaching Hip-Hop dancing. At first the class was for 1st years, then 1st and 2nd and later it included 5th years as well.  The dancers performed some of their routines for the incoming first years. Well done to all of the dancers and congratulations to Kim for her hard work and dedication

Good luck to Mercy College students who are members of the Phoenix Hip-Hop team. They will be auditioning for the World Championships in June. If successful they will go on to represent Ireland in Los Angeles in 2005.

HOME – SCHOOL – COMMUNITY NEWS.

Parents of the students and members of the community have given generously of their time to facilitate many activities to help our students. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to these helpers who do so much work on a voluntary basis. .

A “Rainbows” group has been set up to help students bereaved by separation or death. 3 of the parents, the resource centre co-ordinator and a member of the community facilitate this group. We hope to set up a Rainbows group for adults in the near future. Anyone who is interested should contact MARIA SOMERS, the Home-School – Community Liaison co-ordinator.

Another area where the help of parents was invaluable was in the paired reading programme.

Parents were also involved in a “Transfer” programme for incoming 6th class students and their parents.

Two talks were organised by the Local Committee. Patricia Dwyer presented  “POSITIVE DISCIPLINE AT HOME, IN SCHOOL AND IN THE COMMUNITY and Dr.Vincent Moloney presented HELPING OUR CHILDREN TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR LIVES.  Parents who attended found the talks very useful.

The “Health and Beauty” course & the art course are ongoing and are still very popular with parents. Adlerian Counselling for families is also ongoing. The Home School Community co-ordinator also organised a 10-week course in set dancing.

If you are interested in any of the above, or if you have any concerns about a student’s education or behaviour, please contact MARIA SOMERS, Home School Community Coordinator at 8480888 during school hours.

JUNIOR CERTIFICATE SCHOOLS PROGRAMME.

School and community join together and enjoy many hours of reading.

Many thanks to those who gave so generously of their time to help run the reading programme.

Principal

It gives me great pleasure to mark the end of my first year as Principal of Mercy College with a few words in this newsletter.  The pages ahead give great testimony to the wealth of activities that make up school life here in Mercy.  Sports, drama, song and dance, charity events and many other activities have allowed our students to display their huge talents in many wonderful ways.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to thank everyone who has made me so welcome here; staff, students, parents, the Board of Management and our wider school community.  I want to pay tribute to those teachers who are retiring, to John Keating, Brigid Sullivan, Marie Cooke and in particular to Marie Heron, for their support over the past few months.  Mercy College will miss them but we will keep them in our thoughts and wish them every happiness in the future.

Finally, may I wish you all: staff, students, parents and members of the Board, a happy and healthy summer.

PATRICIA DWYER.

PARENTS COMMITTEE.

The Parents Committee has again been very active this year. The fund raising aspect was very successful. The Easter Raffle raised E2417.00.  A “Pub Quiz” was held in the Sheaf O’Wheat on May 4th and was well supported. The next quiz will be on October 5th.  Your continued support would be much appreciated.

The Parents Committee have also been very involved in all major school functions such as the open night, the night for parents of incoming students and the 6th year graduation.

A new committee will be formed in the new school year and all parents are invited to become involved.

BETTY NAUGHTON – PARENTS COMMITTEE.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT.

Getting out and about to study the environment – science groups visited the Botanic Gardens and the Zoo. As part of the new Leaving Certificate Biology course students studied a woodland habitat, visiting Newbridge Demesne for a very educational and enjoyable day. Chemistry students availed of the excellent laboratory facilities in DCU and took part in Chemistry workshops there.

PAULA MORAN – SCIENCE DEPARTMENT.

SPORT – ATHLETICS.

Rachel Jones is one of the school’s most talented athletes. She competed in the Northside - Leinster School’s Championship and came 1st in the Senior Girls’ Hurdles and 3rd in the 100 metres. From there she qualified for the Leinster School’s Championships and I came fourth in the hurdles event. Well-done Rachel.

SPORT.

Hockey:

This year we had 4 teams: Seniors, Juniors Minors and Beginners, the Seniors and beginners competed in the Northside League and did very well. The Juniors and Minors played in both the Northside and the Leinster League. Both teams played very well. The Minors have an excellent team and some of their star players are Leanne Cooke, Lorna Kelly, Tara Smart and Helena McMacken. They were unlucky not to win because they had a number of draws. In their last game of the Northside League they won by 4 goals. The Beginners team have shown enormous potential for the future.

Many thanks to Lisa McLoughlin, Hockey Secretary, who organised the matches.

GAELIC.

This was our first year to compete in Gaelic Football. The 1st Year players organised fund raising to buy a set of jerseys and shorts. The cost was €930.00. They got sponsorship from Parnell’s GAA Club. The 1st year players had a very successful year from the point of view of participation and they improved dramatically over the course of their matches.  Many of them are now playing for Parnell’s GAA Club.

STUDENT INVESTMENT CHALLENGE.

Last October 4th, 5th and 6th year Business classes entered the Student Investment Challenge organised by the Irish Independent and Setanta Asset Management. Students were divided into teams of four and given 100,000 euros (on paper), to invest on the stock markets. Each month, the shares were sold and this continued until the end of March.

With two weeks to go, one of our fourth year teams, consisting of Denise Sharlott, Sarah King, Rachel Ivie and Anne Madden were in third place and looked like they were in with a chance of winning a prize. Unfortunately, one of the shares they had invested in performed badly and they eventually came in fifth place. Jennifer Good, a sixth year student, came in seventh place in the individual portfolio section.

For anybody who is interested in how much 100,000 euros earned, then read on. The 4th year team made a profit of 2,000 euros and Jennifer made a profit of 15,900 euros (not a bad return, if only it were real money!!).

Many thanks to Cyril Hardiman, business reporter with the Irish Independent who kept us informed about how the teams performed.

PAULA DOWNES – BUSINESS STUDIES DEPARTMENT