From the Principal…………
Welcome to the summer edition of our newsletter, Guth Scéine. I hope that it will give you a flavour of life in our school since last Christmas.
And so, we are looking at another year over and what a year it has been! It seems to have gone in a flash and yet, when I think of all that has happened since our First Years came in the door on 28th August last year, it has been an action-packed year. There have been many highlights, from sport to the Arts, from Glastonbury Tales to Film making, from fund raising to awareness raising… the list is long and when taken with all that has happened within the classrooms, represents an incredible amount of education, in the broadest sense of the word.
Working with young people, with their vibrancy and energy is a great privilege, to have all that, as well as great staff and parents is what makes Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine a special place.
One of the other major events this year, was a Whole School Inspection in May: this, I am delighted to say, went very well and has given a vote of confidence to what we aspire to do every day i.e. to live out our mission statement of “providing a high quality comprehensive education” and our commitment to “the care and development of each individual”. It has also afforded us time to reflect on areas for improvement in the future, which we will be working on next year. The full report will be available next October on the Department of Education website as well as our own school website, so look out for it.
Each year brings change and this year sees the retirement of Mr Rory O Connor from the teaching staff of Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine. Rory, ever the gentleman, has had a long and fulfilling career and we will miss his calm presence in the school next year: we wish him a long and healthy retirement.
We will also be saying goodbye to Ms Norma Moriarty, who is taking a career break and to Ms Oonagh Comerford who is also taking a break from teaching, to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs: we wish them both an enjoyable year and hope to see them back in Pobalscoil soon.
We also congratulate Ms Elaine Lanigan and her husband on the birth of a baby daughter last week.
Finally, I want to wish all our students who are sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificate Exams the very best, you will all do well, I am sure but try to ignore the beautiful sunshine, it will shine again after mid-June!
Finally, I, along with Ms Foley, wish you all a great summer, relax and enjoy the free time and we look forward to welcoming you all back here, safe and sound next year. Go mbainfidh sibh go léir taithneamh agus tairbhe as an tSamhraidh.
Dermot Healy
Principal.
Mr. Rory O’Connor relaxing in the sunshine on his last day in Pobalscoil Inbhéar Scéine.
We have two wishes for you Rory.
“Sláinte an bradán chugat, croí folláin agus gob fliuch.”
“Go maire tú an céad, a bhuachaill”
CHAPLAIN’S CORNER …………
I welcome everyone to Chaplain’s Corner at the end of another school year. As the School Year 2015/2016 draws to a close we have much to look back on and celebrate. Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine is rich in culture and tradition, life and activity. We celebrate our vibrant and diverse school community and we extend the warmest welcome to incoming students and their families. It is fitting at the end of a school year to celebrate the academic achievements of all our students as well as the many fun filled extra-curricular activities you were involved in such as sport, musicals, projects, social outreach etc. the list is endless. Your contribution to all of the above enhanced school life and greatly added to our wonderful school atmosphere.
Always at the end of a school year, one reflects on the year that has been and I hope that this year has been a positive and enriching experience for you. We remember in a special way those from our school community who have encountered loss and sadness in their lives during the past year. We ask our heavenly Father to be a source of comfort and consolation to them and their families.
I would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to Mr.Rory O’Connor.Many students have had the benefit of his talents as a dedicated teacher and caring and committed mentor. As a colleague he will be greatly missed for his humour, his sense of fun, his helpfulness and his kindness. We thank Mr.O’Connor for the many fond memories we will always hold close. Our sincere hope is that as Mr.O’Connor’s career in teaching ends, a new enjoyable, fulfilling chapter of his life will begin, a chapter where dreams come true and all that is good in life prevails.
Finally, I take this opportunity to wish the Sixth and Third Year students God’s blessing and every success in their state examinations. I want you to remember that we will be thinking and praying for you throughout.
To close I have chosen a reflection which urges us all to reflect on life’s journey.
The Train of Life
At birth we board a train and meet our parents. We believe they will always travel by our side. However, at some station, our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone.
As time goes by, other people will board the train, and they will be significant – siblings, friends, the love of your life, children, and many others. Some will step down and leave a permanent vacuum.
Others will go so unnoticed that we won’t realize they vacated their seats.
The train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, good-byes, and farewells. A successful ride requires having a good relationship with all passengers. We must give the best of ourselves.
The mystery to everyone is, we do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.
I wish you a joyful journey on the train of life. Reap success and give lots of love.
Lastly, I’m glad you are one of the passengers on my train!!
Musical 2016
Although most people think that the musical starts with the auditions in September, a group of students (Jordan Langley, Harry O’Connor, and Aoife Gallogly) and teachers (Oonagh Comerford, and Veronica Whitehead) alike came together just after the end of the school year in June 2015 to discuss ideas for the next musical. After forming a plan and writing out the first few drafts, over the summer, we came back and immediately launched into the auditions.
Our cast was set after a discussion at the end of each day of auditions; we had our characters. Apollo Creed and Melody Harmony, the two protagonists, were to be played by Joshua Murphy Reeve and Kitty Harmony. Jonathon Sephiroth and his lawyer Jessica, the two antagonists, were to be played by John Breen and Aoife Gallogly. The supporting lead roles of Johnny Bad, Dave, Angel, Sick Syd, Wolfgang, Rory, and the comedy duo, Niall and Neil were to be played by Jordan White, Ben Harrington, Rachel Whelton, Nora Cronin, Jacob Hayes, Padraic Randles Will Gudgeon and Danny Rawson respectively.
Not a week after we had our cast, we launched into the rehearsals. Every Friday, we would run through scenes over and over again, and every week on varying days, Honor and Veronica Whitehead would call out dancing or singing groups to work on the songs for the musical.
Everyone’s parts were particularly important during the Christmas boot camp and the week leading up to the production itself. This was when we had to pick out all of the faults we could find and deal with them – quickly – so we could pull together the musical in time for the Thursday night show.
As always, Monday through Friday was hectic in the week of the musical. There were lines to be learned, costumes to be found and confirmed, sore throats, dances and songs to be tied up and everything to be squeezed into an under-three-hour performance.
But we managed it. The Glastonbury Tales had its grand premier open to the locals of Kenmare on Thursday the 21st of January, and ran until Saturday the 23rd of January.
It was a fantastic experience – especially with hearing feedback on our own musical – that we can’t wait to share with the community again next year.
On another Note…….
The spring and summer terms have again been busy for the music students of Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine. Following on from all the excitement of “The Glastonbury Tales” music was prepared and performed for Feile Bride in school on February 1 and Ash Wednesday mass in Holy Cross church on February 10.The JC1 and JC2 students presented 2 beautiful concerts titled “ The Spring Sessions”in the Carnegie Arts Centre on February 22.This was a wonderful evening of music and performance.
Leading up to Christmas the JC3 music class had undertaken to write songs for the GAA/Scor 1916 commemorative competition. 4 of their songs were recorded by past pupil,Sean O`Sullivan. The students were invited on the strength of this to Croke Park in March. It was a fantastic day,having lunch in this historic place and knowing that the students`songs will appear in the book to celebrate the year.Many thanks to Sean for the amazing work he did.
Thanks to the Kenmare Choral Festival, the school musical and the Board of management funding was put in place to buy a new piano for the school to replace the much loved older one. Harry O`Connor and Millie Reilly helped with the search for the best instrument for the school. Finally a decision was made to acquire a beautiful Yamaha baby grand from Jeffers of Bandon. The piano was delivered just in time for the Leaving and Junior cert music practicals.We look forward to many years of incredible music making thanks to this incredible piano.
May began with a musical visit by the LC1 music class to Taobh Linn. The following evening, May 5, was the “It`s nearly summer” concert in school. Students from JC3 up to Leaving cert gave an outstanding evening of music, the new piano having a starring role!The concert was a fundraiser for the school`s Lourdes trip and 380euro was raised thanks to the generosity of the very appreciative audience.The following day, the JC3 performed for the whole school as part of the inaugural Amber day.
Jimmy Crowley visited the school on May 19th. Non exam students thoroughly enjoyed his wonderful workshop and concert. It was a privilege to attend.
The LC2 graduation on May 27 was a fantastic evening and it was hugely enhanced by all the amazing music sung and performed by our talented students. The TY graduation on May 30 and end of year ceremony for JC3 were also proud moments when the students sang and played.
“ Music does not exist until it is performed”
Veronica Whitehead
Music Dept.
Novelty Fruit Platter Competition
One of our highlights in this school year in Home Economics was participating in the ‘Novelty Fruit Platter Competition’. The competition took place during healthy eating week. All third year students were invited to participate in making their own creations out of fruit. There was a huge interest in the event. The students participating paired up to display their creativity skills.
Prizes were given to those who came first second and third. 1st place was Lorraine O’Sullivan and Katie McCarthy, 2nd place was Ellen Adams and Amy Harrington, and 3rd place was Rachel Whelton and Katie Quill. The Highly commended prize was given to Liam Mahony in LCA2. The overall results were excellent, there were many unique platters displayed. The competition was a great way to promote healthy eating in a fun way.(Lorraine O’ Sullivan and Cara Daly JC3)
Rachel Whelton & Katie Quill
Home Economics Practical
As part of our Junior Cert Practical exam preparation, we invited local chef Martin McCormack, “La Ramblas Killarney” to join our class and help us with the presentation of our dishes. The results were outstanding. He gave us the confidence, support and guidance on how to improve our dishes in preparation for the exam. He showed us how to create a professional dish looking 5 star quality by giving us his tips and advice. We would like to thank Martin for the generosity and help he gave to our Home Economics class.
(Rachel Whelton and Megan Shea)
TY’s 2016 Visit Amsterdam.
The TY class had a very enjoyable school tour to Amsterdam. They departed from Kenmare at 2am on Tuesday 5th April and returned home late Thursday night. They really enjoyed the walking tour and visiting the Anne Frank House, the Nemo Science Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Canal Boat Tour, the Bowling night and the Efteling Theme Park. They were accompanied by their teachers Ms Majella Murphy, Mr Denis O’Connor and Ms Sheila O’Sullivan.
North South Project 2016
Above : Class Ruadhán receiving a plaque and their certificates of completion with their History teacher Dianne Kelleher
JC2 class Ruadhán participated in a North South collaborative programme of work on History through digital story telling. The class did the story of why there is a street in New York called ‘Kenmare Street’. Kenmare emigrants from the Landsdowne Estate and the famous New York politician ‘Big Tim’ Sullivan’s son was one of those immigrants. The film was shown in the Irish Film Institute Temple Bar and is available to watch on Youtube. See link below to view the film
Seachtain Na Gaeilge 2016
I rith Seachtain na Gaeilge, I bPobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, bhí na múinteoirí & na daltaí ag ceiliúrdadh ár gcultúr.
I mbliana, rinneamar sa chéad bhliain damhsa ceilí, seannós agus anuas ar sin , bhí comortaisí eagsúla ar siúl. Comórtas ealaíona, comórtas scríofa, tráth na gceist agus ar uile.
Don rang corpoideachas, d’fhoghlamaíomar damhsa ceilí freisin. Tháinig múinteoir damhsa isteach chun ceardlann sa seannós a dhéanamh, agus bhí na múinteoirí ag damhsa freisin !!!!
Thaitin Seachtain na Gaeilge go mór liom, agus táim ag tnúth go mór le SnaG 2017 !
Above Left: A gathering of Seachtain na Gaeilge prize winners – from Tráth na gCeist LC1, poster competition Jc1 & Essay competition Jc2. Above left: Denis Cronin,“Caith Amach É” workshop for LC2 students based on their Oral Irish Exam Prep.
Careers & Courses Evening
Our lovely welcoming team on Careers & Courses Night
March saw another very successful Careers & Courses Evening take place here in Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine. The purpose of the evening was to allow both students and parents the opportunity to talk to people working or studying in disciplines that may be of interest to them, and from that gathering timely information on their career or course area. The event was attended by over 60 participants, representing 33 different career areas, ranging from Agriculture to Veterinary Medicine. Many students and parents attended, which contributed to making the event such a success. A huge thank you is owed to the Parents Association who ensured that all participants had welcome refreshments. The pictures following tell a little about the event.
Emer O’Riordan, Guidance Counsellor
Kim Crowley and Jessica Dennison talk to students about their art & design courses.
Vada Randles at the Hairdressing Stand
Private Luke Switzer & Lt. Shane Hunt share their experiences in The Defence Force.
Emily Crowley, journalism student in DCU, shares her experiences
Sharing information about Outdoor Education, Health & Leisure and Lifeguarding…….Diarmuid McCarthy, Irene O’Sullivan and Shirley Cronin
Listowel Writers Week
Maria Esther Vilar Alvarez pictured at the opening ceremony of Writers Week Listowel along with her sister Maria Elena. Maria Esther won a prize in the under 14 short story writing competition. Well done to her!!
TY Field Trip
On Tuesday 26th of April TY students went on a field trip to the Owenagarriff River with Ms. Moynihan. When they got to the river, they observed the river and sketched the lower course of the river. After this they gathered the equipment and started collecting the information necessary for their field study. Each team found the width, they used the meter sticks to find the average depth of the river. They calculated the speed of the river using floats. Once they had calculated the river discharge they used the ranging poles, measuring tape and clinometer to find the slope. After completing their field study, they wrote a report on their findings. A great day was had by all.
Hope Foundation
As part of their C.S.P.E. course, first year Class Caoimhe, decided that they would complete an action project to demonstrate what being an active citizen means.
They studied what life is like in India to understand the concepts of Human Dignity and Human Rights and Responsibilities which are two of the seven concepts taught in the course. Carrie Skinner from the Hope Foundation came to Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine on Thursday, May 19th to give a presentation about what life is like in India and the work that the Hope Foundation do to help those who are less fortunate.
Eunicas
On Monday May 16th, Guy Flouch from Eunicas spoke to interested LC1 & TY students, as well as some parents, about the study opportunities that are available to students who wish to study in various European countries through the medium of English. Eunicas works with students who wish to apply for up to eight degree programmes, taught through English, in universities throughout Europe. It was an excellent and informative presentation, outlining a multitude of options that many may not previously considered. Perhaps the greatest challenge to all our mindsets is that so many of these universities are not as ‘points focused’ as we are here in Ireland. Some of the universities he spoke of were Maastricht, Groningen & Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Milan and Rome in Italy, as well as a variety of others in Poland, Finland and Czech Republic. Further information can be obtained at www.eunicas.ie
Transition Years visit UCC & Cork College of Commerce
The day trip that the TY class of 2015-2016 took to UCC and the Cork College of Commerce was certainly a useful and unforgettable day.
Upon our arrival in UCC, we were shown to the ‘moot court’ room that the law students used to practice a court trial. Naturally, our moot court trial was a bit shorter than most.
The defendant, Mary (Aoife Gallogly) was on trial for poisoning her husband John and killing him. Although her defence (Joshua Murphy Reeve, John Healy and Rebecca O’Donoghue) put up a good argument against the prosecution (Jamie Ward, Riona McGahan and Matthew Teehan), the jury ruled against her and she was sentenced to a life sentence of twenty years with parole due to manslaughter/murder by Fíadh Lucey and Levi Henton. I don’t think I ever worried my mother as much as I did when I text her to tell her that I’d been arrested for murder and been sentenced to twenty years.
We were allowed to roam freely for a short while after a talk about points and subjects needed for entry to each course in the college, the accommodation for non-commuting students and the way classes and tests are run. We went to both the Science Information Stands and the Arts & Humanities Information Stands to allow as many people as possible to get the information they needed on the course that they wanted.
Once we all finished roaming the arts information section, we took our trip down to the Cork College of Commerce.
Although not quite as interactive as UCC’s moot court and information stands, we learned just as much about each module offered at the Cork College of Commerce through a PowerPoint presentation and a time allotted to questioning the person giving us the presentation.
Unfortunately, due to running a bit over on the time we were meant to spend at UCC, we didn’t get quite as much time as we had hoped to at the Cork College of Commerce to explore the building, but a good few people left with more ideas about what they wanted to do after school.
It was a great day that all students should get to experience in order to help them guide themselves to what they want to do in life, and I hope that it becomes a mandatory annual trip.
Aoife Gallogly
Who wants to be a Word Millionaire?
This year Miss Healy and Miss Sanford decided to organise a competition for first year students to see how many words we could read in a month. It was called Who Wants to be a Word Millionaire? Students had to read a book and fill out a short review on it which they then handed up to their English teacher. Their teacher found out how many words were in the book and would add that amount to our class score. Whichever class reached a Million first won a trip to for ice cream. We only had a month to reach one million words. In the end our class, Seannán, won! It was a fun competition that encouraged first years to read and the ice-cream was lovely. Thanks to Miss Sanford and Miss Healy.
Bond Trader Challenge
On Wednesday, April 20th, Senior Business students and their teacher Ms. Moynihan attended The Bond Trader Challenge competition. The event was organised by Bank of Ireland and held in The Brehon Hotel, Killarney from 5pm. to 8-30pm. on that evening. The competition consisted of teaching students a number of different business and economic concepts such as the laws of supply and demand.
Interest Rates and Inflation
They also learned the relationship between interest rates and inflation and the importance of economic indicators when buying and selling bonds and shares through a fun interactive game.
It began with an introduction to the world of markets and trading and then how to trade with these bonds and shares based on different sample scenarios. The students had to respond to real market scenarios and make decisions on how to manage their own bond portfolio.
Eight Different Rounds
The fifth and sixth year students involved included: Joanne McCarthy, Niamh Crowley, Niall Harrington, Cathal Whelton, Joey Quinn, John O Donoghue, Jane O Sullivan and Kevin Price. The competition had eight different rounds, fifth year students won one round and sixth year students won most innovative name ‘Conflict of Interest’. Students received Munster Gear bags for their achievement 14 different teams from around the county participated in the challenge. Congratulations to both teams that took part in the Bond Trader Challenge with Bank of Ireland.
Build A Bank Challenge
As part of the AIB ‘Build a Bank Challenge’, this year’s bank team hosted a training session with Colm “the Gooch” Cooper. Colm held a training session to all the students who had signed up and opened bank accounts in this years ‘Build a Bank Challenge’. There was great excitement for the students who were delighted to partake in this opportunity.
The bank team would like to thank Colm Cooper for carrying out the training session, and also give a special thanks to Irene and Louise in the Kenmare AIB Branch for all their help over the year. They also want to remind student’s that the bank will be opening again next year for anyone who wishes to open a student bank account.
National Film Awards
Ms Ann Piggott, Transition Year English teacher and her TY Film team including John Healy, Aoife Gallogly and Aaron Murphy pictured above were shortlisted for the National Film Awards Ceremony in the Savoy, Dublin on Thursday March 3rd. Well done to you all!
World Book Day 2016
On World Book Day this year we were delighted to have Author/writer John Sexton visit the school. John gave a number of writing workshops to both junior and senior students. Also on World Book Day we ran a ‘ Design a Book Cover’ competition to which there were many entries. Mr. Sexton kindly judged the competition and the winners were : Arlene Jonker JC1, Ethan Povey TY, Grace O’Reilly JC2, Lorraine Hallisey, JC2 Catherine Woods JC2, Maria Elena Vilar Alvarez LC2, and Rachel Murphy JC2. Well done to all!!.
Salters Festival of Chemistry 2016.
Each year Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine takes part in a science festival at U.C.C called Salters Festival of Chemistry. Four students are chosen to participate, one from each class group in JC1 (first year). They are chosen from their Christmas test results in science. This year Melissa Ward, Laura Lovasekova, Michael O’Reilly and I, were chosen to partake. Retired teacher Mr. Tim Sheehan accompanied us throughout the day. Our first task was to solve a murder mystery using forensic science. We used chromatography and we dissolved powders to get our conclusion. For the next challenge we had to mix substances to create a reaction which resulted in the temperature dropping to 10.5 degrees from room temperature. We were only allowed to record the first two attempts but were allowed to continue to experimenting until our substances ran out. After about four to five attempts we managed to reach the optimum temperature. Next, we attended a science magic show. It was very interesting. The most memorable parts were when the scientist made a dust bomb, when he poured liquid nitrogen all over the floor while explaining how dangerous it was and, when he made a Pringle rocket. The winners of the challenges were announced at the end but unfortunately we failed to achieve a rank, however the experience was very enjoyable and I think everyone had a great time.
Erin Wardlaw Hegarty
Scifest 2016
On the 5th of May my sister and I participated in Tralee Scifest 2016 winning an honorary distinction for our project: “An Investigation on the antifungal effects of Garlic and Barberry on Candida Albicans”. It was a unique experience and a chance to discover more about he world of scientific research. We are very grateful to our biology teacher, Mr. O’Sullivan, for his encouragement and to his 1st year science class, who supported us duing that special day.
Maria Esther Vilar Alvarez
Pobalscoil Inbhéar Scéine Awarded Amber Flag
On Friday May 13th, at an awards ceremony held in Cork Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine was awarded its first Amber Flag. The Amber Flag initiative aims to promote and actively bring about a culture change in the promotion of positive mental health within the educational system and other organisations. It is to enhance the already good work that is going on where mental health is concerned by offering an award. As a school community we submitted an application outlining the various activities that we have organised that promote a culture of supporting and encouraging a positive mental health. These included running our Friendship week, our various student support services, the First Year Mentoring Programme and the workshop organised by the Parents Association for all parents which was facilitated by Dr. Paul Deasy and titled ‘Positive Mental Health, What is it and How do you get it’. The application was submitted by the Amber Team, along with Ms Emer O’Riordan, Ms Ann Finn and Ms Máiréad Hickey. The running of the Amber Day was also included as one of the goals that we wanted to reach this year. At the award ceremony the presentation of the flag was made by Mr Alan Quinlan, Former Ireland International & Munster Rugby forward, who also spoke on the day about the importance of maintaining ones mental health. The flag was collected by Aisling Bhamvra, Joanne McCarthy, Christina Moriarty and Ms Emer O’Riordan on behalf of the Amber Team and the community of Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine.
Amber Day 2016
Amber Day took place on Friday May 6th and was a huge success. The purpose of Amber Day was to get the message across that if you are not feeling well mentally then there are people willing to help you. A number of fun and entertaining activities were organised by the Amber Team, who took control of the day. Of course the wonderful weather that we had on the day put everyone in a positive mood and the outdoor activities were enjoyed and appreciated even more.
A Bake Sale was organised and an array of Buns, Cupcakes, Cakes and other delicious confectionary were made by all those involved in the Amber Team. The unique selling point of these cakes of course was that they all displayed an amber theme, from amber icing to amber sprinkles. The Bake sale was an amazing sight and really got the message of Amber Day out there.
Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine is awarded
Ambassador School Status
Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine recently got the news that is has been awarded the status of Cycle Against Suicide Ambassador School Status. The Ambassador School Programme aims to encourage schools to become actively involved in mental health promotion. The programme provides a framework, structure and incentive for schools to integrate mental health activities into the school plan and rewards schools who go the extra mile. Our school has always been active in integrating mental health activities into our programmes and we are delighted that this year we have been awarded both the Amber Flag and Ambassador School Status. We look forward to formally receiving our award in September.
TY Retreat 2016.
The Transition Year retreat took place on Tuesday the 12th of April in Dzogchen Beara Tibetan Retreat centre, Castletownbere. During the day students were introduced to the basics of Buddhism, practice Shamatha and they availed of a loving kindness meditation in the silent Meditation Garden. We also went walking on the beautiful grounds. This truly was a day with a difference enabling students to step back from the activities of everyday and it gave much needed time for reflection and relaxation. Looking foward already to going again.
TY Sedar Meal 2016
Before the Easter holidays this year Transition Year students also took part in a traditional Seder Meal before the Easter break. A Seder meal is a special plate containing symbolic foods eaten or displayed at the Passover.
121 Digital
121digital teaches people from the community, starting from their current level of knowledge to their desired level … at their individual pace. Their 121digital course is tailored to their needs – they choose the topics. Tutors work, one-to-one, with them. Learners are invited to bring their laptop, tablet and/or smartphone. Courses comprise of 8 hours of tuition over 4 or 6 lessons, one lesson per week. Learners are encouraged to practice between lessons – to reinforce their learning. Certificates of course completion are awarded to Learners (and to Tutors)…. and lessons are FREE.
For the past 4 weeks we have been doing a one-on-one teaching project, in which we bring in people that are struggling with the advancements of modern technology.
Ben O’Shea
T.Y.
Students visit Further Education Colleges in Cork
On Tuesday March 1st, LCA & some LC2 students travelled to Cork to attend the open day events in all three of the Further Education Colleges in Cork City.
First on the agenda was St Johns Central College, where we were given a tour around the campus and we were given the opportunity to see where you can study to become a hairdresser while also studying beauty therapy. We also visited the computer labs where the classes for the Animation course take place, as well as seeing where you can study Veterinary Nursing. We also saw where the small engine maintenance courses take place.
After we finished here we took the short walk to the Cork College of Commerce. As soon as we walked into the college we were hit with the buzz and warm atmosphere. We were met by our tour guide, Brian, who was also a teacher in the college. Following a talk on the various courses on offer in the college, and how they can link with third level courses, we were given a tour. We saw the state of the art kitchen, where you can train for hospitality and professional cookery. We visited one of the rooms where students who are studying sports therapy showed us how they do their practical work and we also saw the rooms where you can study beauty therapy. The tour ended at the information stands in the main hall. Here we had a chance to ask about all the courses. This was really informative and gave us a chance to find out more, for example we discovered that the professional cookery course links with the Baking and Pastry Arts Management course in DIT.
STUDENT LEADERS CONGRESS
On January 14th, a group of 5th year students who had volunteered to be part of the Amber Team, travelled to Dublin to go to the Students Leaders Congress, for a fun filled activity day.
The purpose of this Student Leaders Congress was to promote the Cycle Against Suicide message that ‘it’s ok not to feel ok and its absolutely ok to ask for help’. This message was delivered through the means of music from the Heathers, also through motivational speakers such as Aisling Thompson who told us about her battle with mental health and how she came through it. Mark Pollack also spoke on how he has dealt with the challenges of being initially blind and then paralysed following an accident.
Aisling Bhamvra and Joanne McCarthy were also interviewed by one of the Student Ambassadors, on the work the team had done on the ‘See, Speak, Seek’ programme. This was a programme where the Amber Team members were trained by Geraldine O’Halloran from KDYS on the topic of mental health.
Jim Breen, the founder of the Cycle Against Suicide, spoke powerfully to us all about the importance of speaking to someone we trust when we might be having a difficult time. As we boarded the bus for home the idea of an Amber Day was suggested, to highlight the message that ‘it’s ok not to feel ok and its absolutely ok to ask for help’.
by Sandra , Kathy & Louise
Mentors ready for the start of 2016/2017
On May 5th, a number of LC1 students participated in a workshop training them in their roles as Mentors for those who will be joining us as First Years in 2016. Mentors have a very important role supporting our new students and ensuring that they settle in well into our school. The Mentors for 2016/ 2017 are:
Keely Randles, Aicha Van Daele, Gabriella Ward.
Aisling Bhamvra, Stephanie Burns, Sinéad Connolly,Ciara Cronin, David Cronin, Nora Cronin, Niamh Crowley, Sophie Daly, Megan de Sliva, Gearóid Fennessy, Rachel Hickey, Lauren Jeffery, Chole McCarthy, Joanne McCarthy, Ellen Sweeney, Catherina Murphy, Eoin Murphy, Georgia O’Brien, Molly O’Brien, Caoimhe O’Connor, Louise O’Connor, Micheál O’Connor, Aileen O’Shea, Patricia O’Shea, Kitty O’Sullivan, Rachel O’Sullivan, Sandra O’Sullivan, Seán O’Sullivan, Caoimhe Quinlan,Chloe Randles,
Pictured above mentors working in groups as part of their training day workshop.
The LC2 Class of 2016
We wish you all the best.
Athletics News………..
Kerry Colleges Cross-Country
Well done to the 35 Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine athletes who travelled to Killarney with their Athletics teacher Ms Majella Murphy on Wednesday January 20th to represent their school at the Kerry Colleges Cross-Country Finals. They won 17 Kerry College’s medals. Results : Inter Girls Grace Sayers 7th. Pobalscoil won joint third best Girls School.
Senior Boys 5000m David Murphy 10th, Eugene Sweeney 14th, Mark Riordan 17th and Dion Burke. Minor Boys 2000m, Michael Reilly 7th, Cian Hanley 9th, Kieran Harrington 13th, Mark Torpey.
Junior Girls 2000m, Rhona Randles 1st, Alyce O’Connor 3rd, Katie Palmer 6th, Emma O’Sullivan 9th, Emma O’Regan 11th, Caoimhe Daly 18th and the Junior Girls team won first team prize. Minor Girls 1500m, Kate Murphy 2nd, Muireann De Faoite 9th and the team won third team prize – Kate, Muireann, Aoife Reilly and Lilian O’Shea.
Inter Boys 4000m, Iarlaith Hayes, Jamie Harrington, Declan Hallissey, Pieter Offereins, Darragh O’Connor, Darragh O’Brien, Jack Maye and Eamon Harrington. Junior Boys 2500m Colin Crowley 6th, Conor O’Brien 10th, Kane Reidy, Tommy Cronin, Jack Foley, Cian O’Connor, Cian O’Sullivan, David Ciuciu and the Junior Boys won third team prize.
South Munster Schools Cross-Country
Well done to the 19 pupils who represented Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, Kenmare at the South Munster Schools Cross-Country in Cork on Friday January 29th and won 10 medals for the school. In the Minor Girls 1500m, the First Year Girls won the Second Team Prize with Kate Murphy 8th, Muirean de Faoite 11th, and Aoife Reilly 28th. In the Minor Boys 2000m, Cian Hanley 11th and Michael Reilly 14th. In the Junior Girls 2000m, Alyce O’Connor 1st, an impressive winner leading from start to finish and leading her team to win the In the Junior Boys 3000m, Gary Randles 13th, Conor O’Brien, Tommy Cronin and Ko Kallewaard all ran very well. In the Inter Boys 4000m, Cormac O’Sullivan 25th, Iarlaith Hayes, Pieter Offereins and in the Senior Boys 5000m, Mark Riordan. All ran very well and did the school proud. Well done to Aoife Reilly and Rhona Randles who both travelled to Cork to compete with their teams in extremely muddy conditions despite being sick leading up to the event. Good luck to the 13 pupils who have qualified for the Munster Schools Cross-Country Finals on Thursday February 11th at a venue yet to be confirmed. School training Mondays and Wednesdays after school in the Pobalscoil Field.
First Team Prize with Katie Palmer 13th, Emma O’Regan 16th, Caoimhe Daly 17th, Emma O’Sullivan 25th and Rhona Randles.
Munster Schools Cross-Country
Well done to the 12 Pobalscoil athletes who competed in the Munster Schools Cross-Country Finals in Cork on Thursday February 11th. Kate Murphy, Muireann De Faoite, Aoife O’Reilly and Lillian O’Shea competed in the Minor Girls 2000m; Michael Reilly and Cian Hanley competed in the Minor Boys 2500m. In the Junior Girls 2500m, Alyce O’Connor was third overall followed by Rhona Randles in fifth position both winning individual medals and their team was second overall winning the silver medals. Well done to Alyce, Rhona, Katie Palmer, Emma O’Sullivan, Emma O’Regan and Caoimhe Daly on qualifying for the All-Ireland School’s Cross-Country Finals in Sligo on Saturday March 5th.
All Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships
Well done to the Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine Junior Girls team who competed in the All Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships in Sligo on Saturday March 5th. The girls finished fifth team overall- Rhona Randles 11th, Alyce O’Connor 13th,Emma O’Regan, Caoimhe Daly, Katie Palmer and Emma O’Sullivan.
Sonja O’Sullivan was there on the day to provide inspiration to the athletes. Picture here with Alyce O’Connor
South Munster School’s Track and Field Results
Well done to the twelve girls who represented Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine at the South Munster Schools Track and Field finals in CIT, Cork on Thursday May 5th. In the Minor Girls, Muirean de Faoite competed in the 800m and Long Jump and Lillian O’Shea participated in the 100m. In the Junior Girls, Emma O’Regan finished 2nd in the 75m hurdles; Rhona Randles and Alyce O’Connor were 1st and 2nd in the 1500m; Katie Palmer was 2nd in the Long Jump and third in the 1200m Walk; Caoimhe Daly was 2nd in the 1200m Walk. In the Inter Girls, Elinor Dennison was 2nd in the Long Jump; Christine McCarthy was 1st in the High Jump; Aobha O’Shea was 1st in the 1200m Walk. Julie O’Sullivan came 4th and Emma O’Sullivan was 5th in the Junior Girls Javelin. The Junior Girls Relay were 4th team- Emma O’Regan, Rhona Randles, Katie Palmer, Alyce O’Connor and Caoimhe Daly(sub). The medal-winners have qualified for the Munster Schools track and field Finals in Waterford on Saturday May 21st. The South Munster Boys events take place on Thursday May 12th in Cork CIT.
Munster Schools Track and Field Championships
Well done to Ms Majella Murphy’s team of Pobalscoil athletes who travelled to Waterford on Friday May 20th to compete in the Munster Schools Track and Field Championships which were held at the Regional Sports Track in Waterford on Saturday May 21st. The day got off to an excellent start with our first medal of the day going to Conor O’Brien who was 2nd in the Junior Boys 1200m Walk. Katie Palmer was 4th and Caoimhe Daly was 5th in the Junior Girls 1200m Walk. Christine McCarthy was 2nd in the Inter Girls High Jump. Cormac O’Sullivan was 2nd in the Inter Boys Triple Jump. Emma O’Regan was 3rd in the Junior Girls hurdles. Gary Randles was 4th in the Junior Boys Shot and 5th in the Javelin. Katie Palmer was 4th in the Junior Girls Long Jump. Elinor Dennison was 5th in the Inter Girls Long Jump. Rhona Randles was 1st and Alyce O’Connor was 2nd in the Junior Girls 1500m. Good luck to all our athletes at the All-Ireland School’s Track and Field Finals in Tullamore on Saturday June 4th. School athletics training continues Mondays and Wednesdays until the end of May. Well done to all our Pobalscoil athletes who have participated in school training sessions and represented the school in the cross-country, indoors and track and field competitions all during the year at Kerry, South Munster, Munster and All-Ireland levels and congratulations to all our many school medal winners right throughout the year at all the school athletic’s competitions.
School Boys Basketball
Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine – 2015-2016
Under 19 Boys
The season started as always with the U19 and U16 boys competing in both the AII-Ireland B League and Cup competitions. The U19 boys were led by the Tom O’Sullivan, Myles Traynor and Kevin Price LC2 students and Liam Mahony LCA2 student all of whom played for their five years they were in the school as well as Justinas Zvirblis LC2 and Eugene Sweeney, Joe Doyle, Declan Hallissey, Eoin Murphy, David Cronin and Michéal McCarthy all LC1 students.
In the U19 Cup Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine were draw against fellow Kingdom school, Castleisland Community College and despite a spirited home game tie they went down to the eventual All-Ireland Cup winners on a score line of 49-39. On to the league and this was all drama as all the games were close but none came with any the bit of luck needed to get us across the line. They went down 47-32 to Crescent Comprehensive Limerick, 50-42 to neighbours Colaiste na Sceilge and 34-32 against Croom Community School before finishing the year on a high beating Castleisland 45 -31.
Above U19 Boys Team
U16 Boys
The U16 boys put down a tough year and came up against some very strong opposition in both the Cup and League. They turned out for every game and tried their best. The Team consisted of – Ben Crowley, Martin O’Sullivan, Ultán MacGearailt, Mark Looney, Tommy Cronin, Seán Lucey, Gary Randles, Colin Crowley, Gearóid Doyle, Jason O’Shea and Dylan Cusack.
Above U16 Boys Team
Second Year Boys
What can only be described as an up and down year for the second year boys, they took part in the U15 B All-Ireland Cup and League. In the Cup which took on a blitz format in Ashbourne Co. Meath they were drawn against St. Pats Dungannon beating them comprehensive 53-13. In their second game of the day they played St. Pats of Cavan (the team they beat in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final that went to extra time) but this time the tables were turned with Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine going down 41-37. With two teams to qualify for the All-Ireland semi-final it came down to the final game against the hosts Ashbourne which was a high scoring contest but Pobalscoil simply could not get the ball to drop and exited the cup 46-53.
Above 2nd Year Boys Team
The cup fell midway through the League campaign which for the second year boys where they were running riot scoring and winning games at will. Against Southwest Munster opposition they beat Caherciveen (who had beaten them last year in the regular league season) 53 – 25 and against Colaiste Chiaráin Croom, Castleisland Community College and Coláiste Íde agus Iosef Abbeyfeale they racked up score lines in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. From this they qualified as Southwest Munster Winners to the last sixteen in the country. They made the trip to Upper Glanmire on Sunday 24th April with the task of trying to qualify for the All-Ireland B League Semi-finals
Above Second Years Boys Basketball Team with their Southwest Gold Medals and Cup and their All-Ireland Silver medals.
First Year Boys
New kids on the block Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine’s first year boys competed in both Cup and League as well. Their cup campaign saw them make the trip to Ashbourne Co. Meath to play Ashbourne, Virigina College and Our lady’s Castleblaney. Beating Our lady’s Castleblaney 41-25, pushing Virigina College close on 38-24 and losing also to the host saw the first years exit the competition despite a great effort.
Above First Year Boys Cup Team
With the league in full flow the first year boys in the Southwest Munster beat Colaiste Chiarian Croom 38-14, Castleisland Community College 36-14, Coláiste Íde agus Iosef 35 – 9 but lost out to Caherciveen 26-39. This great run of results gave them runners-up in Southwest Munster and qualified them for the last 16 in the country and another trip to Ashbourne Co. Meath for the All-Ireland B League Playoffs with the hope of making the All-Ireland league semi-final. They beat Kilkenny CBS 48-10, put in a gritty performance against SMGS Blarney (the eventual winners) going down 44-31 before ending the year with a defeat to the home school Ashbourne.
Above First Year Boys League Playoffs Team Photo .
Wishing you all an enjoyable & fun Summer 2016
from the all the Staff & Management at
Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine