Prayer after the exams

Lord, Let the work I have done stand to me.
You have a loving plan for my whole life whatever the outcome.
Help me now to enjoy a refreshing break.
AMEN

 

LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXCELLENCE

     St. Mary’s Students among top 3% Achievers at Trinity College

    The Provost of Trinity College recently honoured three of our students and their parents at a reception in Trinity College. These girls were singled out, not for merely securing a place in this prestigious university but for being among the top students in their classes based on their Leaving Certificate Results. The Provost presented Entrance Awards to:

     Therese Grace, daughter of Eileen and Sean, from Ballyanne

     Saoirse Kennedy, daughter of Janet and Denis, from Tullogher

    Caroline Walsh, daughter of Ann and Dermot, from The Rower.

     We extend sincere congratulations to these girls and their families on such a great achievement.

UCD 150^th Scholarship Award

     To mark the 150^th Anniversary of the foundation of University College Dublin the college awards a number of special scholarships. We are delighted that Emma Murphy was honoured by the UCD and awarded one of their 150^th Scholarships. In a very dignified ceremony Emma was presented with her award in the presence of her justifiably proud mother, Mary from Irishtown Heights. This is a tremendous achievement and a great source of encouragement to other students.

Easter Week 1916 Commemoration Scholarships

     Imagine the excitement when an Assistant to Minister for Education and Science, Mrs Mary Hannifin phoned the school to say that the Minister wished to speak to one of our students. Minister Hannifin wanted to congratulate personally Therese Grace from Ballyanne on being awarded one of the Easter Week 1916 Commemoration Scholarships for obtaining the highest results in the whole country in English, Irish and Accountancy.

     In commemoration of each of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of Independence, the Minister for Education and Science awards seven third level scholarships to the students who obtain the highest result in particular groups of subjects in the Leaving Certificate. True to her word Minister Hannifin phoned Therese, who is a student of Business, Economics and Social Studies (BESS) in Trinity College and invited her to a special presentation in Marlborough House next January. She emphasised the wonderful achievement it is to obtain the highest results in Ireland in the combination of English, Irish and Accountancy. We are extremely blessed in the calibre of our teachers and Mr. Paul Deavy, Ms. Brid Fogarty and Ms. Colette Tinnelly are to be congratulated for their crucial roles in enabling Therese achieve her potential. Of course the last word has to go to Therese and to congratulate her and her parents, Sean and Eileen, on achieving such academic excellence.

     Based on the results of her 2nd. Year exams at Trinity College in 2008 Therese was declared A scholar of Business and Social Studies.

2005

Renewable Energy National Conference

     Well done to class 2:3 on their presentation at the Renewable Energy National Conference. The event was organised by Wexford Energy Management Agency.

     As St. Mary’s is a designated green school, the students researched the mechanisms behind various forms of renewable energy and then carried out case studies on their own areas and suggested suitable sources of Sustainable Renewable Energy taking all factors (culture, economy, tourism, planning and climate) into consideration. All sites were plotted onto a 3-D plan of the south east from Forth Mountain to Tory Hill and from the Saltees to Mount Leinster. The class exhibit was awarded a prize of Lego donated by Sustainable Energy Ireland.  The girls used the Lego to construct  a solar – powered car and a wind turbine.

     The finished model and lego constructions are now on display and will become a teaching resource for future groups. Well done to all the girls concerned and a special word of thanks to Mrs. Eva Kelly for her enthusiasm and guidance.

Celtic Enterpise Competition/Young Entrepreneur Scheme

Senior Category

     Congratulations to all the 5^th Year girls who represented St. Mary’s in the Riverside Hotel, Enniscorthy on Thursday 11^th March.  We extend our thanks to Mr. Liam Glasheen and Ms. Una Doyle, Bank of Ireland, New Ross who helped select the fifth year representatives for the competition and advised them on their presentation.

     Elaine Hart, Amy Moloney, Orla Deegan, Patricia Gaule and Marie Therese Nolan with their company ‘Juice it’ represented the school in the senior category.

Junior Category:

     Six companies were selected to go forward to the finals of the Junior selection for first year students. The teams did themselves proud, coming away with a special award for merit. It was the first time that schools from New Ross were entered into this category.

     The 1^st Year mini-companies began last October when students started their own businesses. A market day was held in the school in the run up to Christmas, and was well supported by parents, staff and pupils.

     In January, the teams began writing their business reports and on the basis of these, along with their businesses, were chosen to go forward to the county finals. On the day, students set up their stands and made a presentation to the judges. These were of a very high standard and the students were confident and well prepared.

     The following first year students represented St. Mary’s:-

‘Stressheads’- Aoife Culleton, Laura Crowdle, Ciara Lyng

‘Boom Badges’:- Aine O’Connor, Colleen Madigan, Sinead Aspel,

‘Sign Here’ :- Amanda Kelly, Lisa Ryan

‘C & M Key Ring Collection’:- Carrie Lyng, Marguerite Brereton,

‘S.T.A.R’:- Aileen Murphy, Siobhan Cashin,

‘Rose’:- Leanne Rowe, Taragh O’ Connor, Aine Shannon and Claire Elmes

New York Concert

     St. Patrick’s day was celebrated in America by  Amanda Kehoe when she performed at an Irish Concert in New York. Amanda travelled to Connecticut before venturing on to New York where she sang in a concert as part of the city’s 2004 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. A fifth year student at St. Mary’s, Amanda was the winner of the ‘Stars in your Eyes’ talent show held in the Forum, Waterford, last October. Aside form singing, Amanda is also an accomplished musician and a member of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. We extend our congratulations to Amanda on her achievements to date and wish her every success for the future

Design a Christmas Card

     Second year students entered the Art competition run by New Ross Town  Council to find a design for the Council's 2003 official Christmas Card.  Mairead Bolger's work was deemed to be the winning entry with  Claire Mernagh also receiving a special award for her entry.  Congratulations to both girls.

National Mental Health Design a Calendar Competition

     Congratulations to Sarah and Aoife Murphy - second year, whose art work is published/reprodued  for two of the months on this years National Mental Health Calendar.

Applique of Dunbrody

     Fiona Hanrahan 5th. Year presented the school with a beautiful Applique of the Dunbrody Famine Ship.  This ship is a replica of the famine ship on which President John F Kennedy's ancestors sailed to America.  The Dunbrody is a great visitor attraction on New Ross Quay.  Fiona learned her skills while preparing for her Junior Cert. Home Economics practical exam.

Young Scientists  Exhibition 2004

     5th. Year students were successful in having 2 of their projects accepted for the 2004 Young Scientist Exhibition.

     Marie Therese Nolan, Sharon Kehoe & Jenny Owens’s project was titled "Investigating the Pollution Levels in three South East Rivers – the Barrow, Nore & the Slaney"

     They checked the pollution levels by measuring the presence of phosphates and nitrates in the three rivers, determining the B.O.D levels (Biological Oxyen Demand) and the Ph, and by also checking its turbity. After extensive research the students concluded that the Nore was the least polluted river.

     A project on Ergonomics was presented by Elaine Hart, Maria Russell and Emma Cummins. This involved the study of the design of furniture and appliances to reflect the comfort, health and safety needs of its users. St. Mary’s school was chosen as the site for study, with the computer room selected as the case study. The project looked at ways of reducing physical stress and strain while working with computers.  Six schools were surveyed to examine how ergonomically aware students were, and to determine whether pain and discomfort was experienced as a result of inappropriate seating, desk height, anti-glare screen, lighting, air-conditioning etc. Results were analysed and conclusions arrived at. Five of the six schools surveyed were not properly equipped. The school that was best equipped was built in the last two years and was fully funded by D.E.S.

     A letter was written to the Minister of Education asking why all schools were not put on an equal footing in terms of access to appropriate grants etc.

     The following Information Technology Co-Ordinators were most helpful in facilitating this project-

Mr Mick Duggan (Vocational College) Mr Billy McGrath (Good Counsel College), Mr Willie O’ Donoghue (CBS)

Ms Mary Pat Pilketon (Holy Faith) and Ms Mary Maugh (Abbeyside Community College, Ferrybank)

Chairman's Medal

Dr. Kathleen Grennan, BSc, PhD

     Ghnóthaigh Caitlín céim onórach (den chéad sraith) san Eolaíocht Anailíteach i 1999 [míle naoi gcéad nócha naoi]. Fuair sí a céim Dhochtúra san Fhealsúnacht i mbliana, tar éis di a tráchtas a scríobh i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge, agus dul faoi scrúdú béil as Gaeilge. Tá ábhair nua taighde tagtha as obair Chaitlín, a fuair tacaíocht ó Enterprise Ireland. Tá neart páipéir taighde foilsithe aici agus chuir sí a cuid eolaíochta i láthair as Béarla agus as Gaeilge. De bharr a cuid oibre ar son Scoil na Ceimice, bronnadh duais Colin Barnes uirthi i mbliana. D'aistrigh Caitlín a lán altanna eolaíochta go Gaeilge agus foilsíodh iad seo go leathan. Bhí sí ina bunaitheoir den Chumann Taighde Ceimice agus ba bhall í den Choiste Gnó Iarchéime.

     Chuir sí go mór-mhór le saol acadúil agus sóisialta na h-Ollscoile.

     Kathleen began her academic career in DCU in 1995 when she undertook the degree in Analytical Science. Kathleen graduated with her degree in 1999 with first class honours and was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Prize in Analytical Chemistry in 1998 for her academic attainment in that year. As a result of her 4^th year research project, Kathleen’s work was published in the prestigious journal Analytica Chimica Acta; an excellent achievement for an undergraduate student. Without hesitation, Professor Malcolm Smyth took her on as a post-graduate student, and in her time here, Kathleen has excelled in so many endeavours both academic and social.

     Kathleen gained her PhD in Chemistry this year and in addition is the first science student at DCU to submit her doctoral thesis in both English and Irish and be examined solely through the Irish language. To achieve this, Kathleen had to compile her thesis in English and then translate the entire work into Irish. Kathleen introduced a vocabulary of several hundred new words into the Irish language using the correct grammatical rules. These words have been registered though the national authority for the Irish language "An Góm". The importance of this contribution to the corpus of scientific literature in Irish is extremely significant. Kathleen’s research has now led to the development of several new research areas, some of which recently received funding by Enterprise Ireland through their Commercialisation fund.

     Kathleen has to date published four research papers and had her work presented in nine scientific posters at international conferences from as far apart as San Diego, California, to Kyoto, Japan. She has given several oral presentations, the most recent of which earned her the AGB award for best analytical presentation at the 55^th Irish Universities Chemistry Research Colloquium at Trinity College, Dublin. She has also presented scientific posters and oral presentations through the Irish language. Kathleen was this year the recipient of the Colin Barnes Award in recognition of her numerous academic accomplishments and outstanding contributions to all aspects of the social life of the School of Chemical Sciences. The award was set up in honour of the late Dr. Barnes to show the school’s appreciation to exceptional post-graduate students.

     Kathleen has also attempted to communicate her love and interest of science to the general public and sought to improve the public understanding of science. However, she hasn’t just achieved this in one language, but in two. Kathleen has translated scientific research topics into Irish, in language accessible to secondary school children, through the publication "An t-Eolaí". This has given teachers a valuable resource in allowing them to teach science through the medium of the Irish language. Her research work has also been published ‘as Gaeilge’ in the Irish Scientist Year Book. She has also appeared on the TG4 programme "Sin é", promoting scientific research in the National Centre for Sensor Research here at DCU.

     Kathleen is presently embarking upon a new Irish language project with a colleague who is a keen ornithologist. Of the more than two hundred bird species within the island of Ireland, many do not possess Irish names. In combination with photography of these birds, Kathleen is naming and registering these species with An Gó m and hopes to publish this work at a later stage.

     Kathleen was co-founder and secretary of the Chemical Research Society (CRS) in DCU from its establishment in 1999. The CRS was set up to develop the social and academic aspects of post-graduate life in the School of Chemical Sciences. She was always central to the organisation of fund-raising events and activities as well as organising scientific speakers and trips away. Through this, she contributed to the social interaction within the school between post-graduates and their peers and with the academic staff. Such events were also especially important for the integration of new students into the department. Kathleen was also an inaugural member of the postgraduate affairs committee (PGAC) set up to represent the interests and needs of postgraduate students at school and faculty level, acting as liaison between them and academic staff.

     The sincere esteem in which she is held by both post-graduate students and academic staff is reflected here in the words of her post-graduate colleague, Blanaid White: "Kathleen never viewed DCU solely as an academic establishment. She endeavoured and succeeded in making it a more rounded environment in which to grow and learn and work". And in the words of her industrial supervisor, Dr. Killard "While many concentrate on their academic success alone, Kathleen still finds time and energy for others. She has made so many contributions to the DCU community, it is difficult to recount them all, let alone measure their impact".

     Kathleen is an exceptional individual. She is one of those people of whom it can be truly said that she is liked and respected by all who come into her company. She is fully deserving of the Chancellor’s medal.

New Ross Designer Emma Byrne  Wins Major Award

     Book designer Emma Byrne won a major national award for her work at a ceremony in Belfast recently. Emma, a past pupil of St. Mary’s, is originally from Ballintubber, New Ross, but now lives and works in Dublin. Emma won the award for her work on a book entitled ‘Brown Morning’

    Having studied Communication Design at Limerick school of Art and Design Emma graduated with a first class honours degree in 1996, and later that year she won the Designer of the Year award, televised on R.T.E.

     After completing her studies in Limerick, Emma went on to do an MA in Communication Design in Central St. Martin’s School of Art and Design, London.

     Her working life began with Writers and Readers a book publishing company – where she worked as Art Director. Emma also completed a project for the State Pavilion of Liechtenstein at the Frankfurt Book Fair. In 2001 Emma returned to Ireland to take up a position with the O’Brien press in Dublin.

     The latest tribute to Emma’s talent and creativity was awarded by the Institute of Designers of Ireland who judged her work to be the best in the Graphic Design Category. Congratulations Emma and best wishes for the future.

Fashion Designer Michelle Molloy

     Michelle Molloy is the latest name to emerge onto the Irish Fashion scene, who after four years working in London – launches her first major collection this season from her home in Ballycullane.

     A past pupil of St. Mary’s, Michelle graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design in 1998 with a first class honours degree and represented Ireland that year in an International Fashion competition in Berlin. Whilst in London Michelle trained under the renowned fashion designers Hussein Chalayan and Jessica Ogden

     The launch of Michelle’s first collection gained national exposure in both the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner and the accompanying articles and photographs noted that the up and coming fashion designer along with working from her home county, also used a Wexford location, local model and photographer to showcase her work. The model as it so happens is Lorraine Molloy, currently a 5^th year student in St. Mary’s. We wish you continued success in your career Michelle.

University Scholarships

     Congratulations to Assumpta O'Brien who has been awarded an entrance scholarship to U.C.D. on the basis of her Leaving Certificate results 2003 and to Lizzie Lyng who has been awarded a sports scholarship. Lizzie is currently a student in U.C.C.

2002/2003

Art Competition

Congratulations to Sarah Murphy 2.4 who was a prize winner in a recent Mental Health Ireland Art Competition.  The initiative was designed to stimulate awareness among secondary school students of the importance of having a positive approach to Mental Health issues.  Sarah received her prize at a function in the Edmund Burke Theatre , Trinity College , Dublin on April 5th.  She can feel justifiably proud of her great achievement. Well done Sarah!

First Year Drama

Class 1.3 recently performed two plays, a comedy called "Listen to a pin drop" and the final scene from John B. Keane's play "The Field".  We are looking forward to seeing more of these budding actresses in the future.  Well done to all concerned.

First Year Debates

The first year debating final took place on April 14th.  The motion was "Television Rules our Lives" Class 1.1 proposed the motion, team members included Siobhan Sheppard, Alice Winters, Claire Reinhart and Caroline Kelly.  Opposing were class 1.2 represented by Helen Naddy, Olivia O'Gorman, Rebecca Walsh and Mary Rose Molloy.  The motion was defeated and class 1.2 were declared the winners.  The subject was well researched and presented.  Congratulations to both teams and their teachers, Mr Deavy and Mrs Grennan.   The event was organised by Mrs Kelly. Mr Watchorn presented the trophy to the winning team.