contents - Loreto Secondary School Bray

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Principal’s Message...................................... 1
Who Cares? We Do!...................................29
Board of Management Report..................... 2
4th Year Class Photographs..........................32
Parents’ Association Report.......................... 3
Transition Year Times..................................35
Student Council Report.............................. 4
1st Year Class Photographs............................ 5
Out and About...........................................47
Arts............................................................. 8
2nd Year Class Photographs.........................14
Loreto All Stars...........................................55
Days/Nights/Weeks to Remember.............17
Prizegiving.................................................59
Our Sporting Life.......................................20
Staff List.....................................................61
3rd Year Class Photographs..........................26
Sports Day..................................................62
Acknowledgements
Loreto Bray’s Yearbook had always been a collaborative effort, with many staff and students contributing
greatly over the years and this year in particular, we would like to acknowledge the contribution of Ms. Fiona
Mantle, Ms. Eithne Hughes and Ms. Cliona Cunnane.
A special word of thanks also to our proof reader “ par excellence”, Ms. Sharon O’Shea, and to the Transition Year students
from the Apple computer room who willingly typed numerous articles.
We are also most grateful to Ms. Barbara Flynn, past pupil, who is responsible for most of the photos in this Yearbook.
To you our readers, we trust you enjoy this memento of Loreto Bray 2010 - 2011.
Damhnait Uí Leidhin and Niamh McGuirk
Editors
Deputy Principal
Ms Margaret Wainwright
Administrative Staff
Ms Jennifer O’Donnell and Ms Mary Kelly
Administrative Staff
Ms Susan McNamara
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As I sit at my computer putting these few words together
I am very conscious that this is the last time I will write
a piece for the Loreto Bray Year Book. Each year I enjoy
taking a few moments to reflect on the academic year
that has just ended. As I think back on 2010/2011 I recall
heavy pre-Christmas snow falls – the worst in over twenty
years, student visits to Paris, Estonia and China, sporting
successes and disappointments, the school Musical and
our Christmas Concert which, this year, was postponed
until Mary Ward Day due to December’s snow fall. I
would like to thank all the teachers, students and parents
who worked so hard during 2010/2011 to make these
many events possible.
In April 2011, Ms. Anne Cusack informed us that she intended
to retire from her post as Mathematics teacher at the end of the
2010/2011 school year. On the occasion of her retirement I
would like to thank Ms. Cusack for her years of dedicated service
to the students of Loreto Bray. Ms. Cusack has been a greatly
valued member of our Mathematics Department for twenty-three
years. I was privileged to work with her both as colleague and as
school Principal during this time. Anne is an inspiring, creative,
enthusiastic teacher who loves her subject and is devoted to her
students. She will be greatly missed in Loreto Bray. On behalf of
our school community I wish Ms. Cusack a long, healthy and
happy retirement.
I would like to thank the Year Book Team for bringing the
numerous activities of 2010/2011 together in this Year Book.
Their hard work has provided us with a wonderful keepsake of
the 2010/2011 school year. Many of the extracurricular activities
detailed in this volume would not have been possible without
the countless hours of extra work generously volunteered by our
teachers and sports coaches. I would like to thank them for all
they do to enrich the lives of our students.
As I leave my post as Principal of Loreto Bray, I would like to
extend a heartfelt thank you to our school community, students,
teachers and parents, for your kindness, your help and your
support over the past seven years. It has been a pleasure and a
privilege to act as Principal of this wonderful school. I have loved
every minute of my years as school Principal and I will miss you
all very much.
I would like to conclude by extending my very best wishes to my
successor Mr. Lorcan Byrne. His great sense of humour, his calm
manner and his strong work ethic will ensure that the students of
Loreto Bray are in very capable hands for many years to come. I
am confident he will enjoy your support in his new role as school
Principal.
May God bless you and keep you in his care.
Catherine Donagh
Principal
Page 1
Board of Management
Report 2010 – 2011
Members of the Board:
Trustee Representative (Chairperson)
Sr. Ríonach Donlon
Trustee Representative
Mr. Larry Wyer
Mr. Eamonn Burgess
Sr. Elizabeth Cotter IBVM
Staff Representative
Ms. Máirín O’Toole
Staff Representative
Ms. Ciara Walsh
Parents’ Representative
Mr. Paul Irving
Parents’ Representative
Mrs Geraldine Neenan-Henley
Secretary to the Board/Principal
Ms. Catherine Donagh
The Board of Management will end its three-year term
in October and we express our gratitude to the present
Board members for their generous commitment to the
work of serving the school in a management capacity.
The Parents’ Council continue to support the school in many
practical ways and we thank them for their contribution to the
school during the year, particularly in the maintenance and
refurbishment of the school buildings.
The Board especially welcomes Mr. Lorcan Byrne, who takes up
his role as Principal in September 2011. Lorcan’s wife Breda was
a member of Loreto Bray staff for many years before her sad and
untimely death, and as a Bray resident, Lorcan is already familiar
with the school. The Board wishes him the very best as he begins
the term and looks forward to working with him.
The Board is currently examining the possibility of replacing the
pre-fabricated classrooms and hope that their negotiations with
the Department of Education and Science will be successful.
We want to place on record our sincere gratitude to Ms. Catherine
Donagh for all she has done for the school in her seven years as
Principal, and before that as a teacher for twenty-eight years. It is
a record to be proud of and she will be greatly missed. Her service
to staff, students and parents will be gratefully remembered. We
wish Catherine many blessings and a very happy retirement.
As always, we thank the dedicated staff of Loreto Bray for their
commitment to the school. Education encompasses so much
that goes unrecorded; there is so much more involved than
examination success. Teachers’ work with young people is of vital
importance for the students’ well-being, their personal and social
development, and for their future place in society.
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The Board values the work of the Students’ Council and
appreciates our meeting with them every December. We thank
them and their teachers for their work of student leadership in
the school.
We also commend the school’s involvement in the promotion
of Justice and Peace and the support they give to those less
advantaged, both at home and abroad – an important aspect of
education for responsible citizenship.
The Board of Management will continue to work in the interests
of the whole school community and wishes everyone many
blessings in the coming school-year.
Sr. Rionach Donlon IBVM
Chairperson, Board of Management.
Parents’ Association Report
On behalf of the Parents’ Association I would like to
congratulate all involved with this year’s yearbook. Each
year the girls and their teachers work tirelessly compiling
this little bit of Loreto history and it is a keepsake that
they can cherish and re-visit in the years to come.
staff members attended an In-service Training day. Equipped with
their newly acquired knowledge, our members were delighted
to log/register every book in the library on to computer. This
computerised package will guarantee the smooth running of the
library for years to come.
I would like to thank Ms. Catherine Donagh for her support
over many years and we wish her health and happiness in her
retirement.
Our members were on hand to provide refreshments at the Mock
Interview Evening, the Debs, the Sixth Year Graduation as well as
hosting a Student & Adult Quiz Night, which generated muchneeded funds for the school.
Loreto Parents’ Association welcome Mr. Lorcan Byrne as
Principal and have no doubt that he will continue the close
working relationship with parents and students alike.
The Parents’ Association meets on a monthly basis with the
Principal and acts as a link between the school’s Board of
Management and the parent body. Our AGM 2011 was well
attended and our guest speaker Mr. Kyle Petrie from esafety.ie
was well received. He produced a very informative handout on
Internet Safety, a copy of which can be collected from the school
office.
The Parents’ Association have been very busy this academic year.
We were again able to purchase much needed books for the
school Library. Members of the Parent’s Association along with
Our Painting & Gardening days proved a huge success with many
classrooms being transformed with a simple coat of paint. Sr.
Phil was delighted with her refurbished Prayer Room which she
assures us gets plenty of use! We were also on hand to paint the
small walled Memorial Garden to great effect.
Our efforts, in partnership with the Principal and teaching staff,
have succeeded in enhancing school conditions for all students.
None of the above would have been possible without the help
of parents. We would ask you to support us in whatever way you
can.
Paula Gilbert
Chairperson
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Student Council
Report for the year
their stalls. We hope that next year the entire student body will
take part in the many games and activities available throughout
the day. We have every faith that Multicultural Day will grow
with every year, as will the cultural diversity of Loreto Bray.
This has been a year of creativity for the Student Council. As part
of the A.P.A. Re-Vamp, the student council proposed the idea
of a Tree Mural. We pass on the completion of this mural to the
capable hands of next year’s Student Council. We thank you in
advance for bringing this idea to life.
We hope the tree will grow and flourish each year, as will the
Student Council, school community and school spirit.
We would like to thank Ms. Buttanshaw for stepping into the
breach last September. Without her invaluable help during those
first few months we couldn’t possibly have functioned effectively.
Senior Student Council
Finally, we would like to express our deep thanks to Ms. O’Toole.
You have encouraged all our ideas, you have supported each of
our opinions and you have nurtured each and every Prefect and
Deputy. This school truly wouldn’t be the same without you —
thank you. On behalf of the Head Girl, my fellow Deputies and
each of the Class Prefects, I would like to wish next year’s Student
Council the best of luck in the goals they strive to achieve and the
hopes they aim to accomplish. Thank you.
This was a year of firsts for the Student Council. We had
our first ever open meeting in which all members of the
student body were invited to come and offer their views
and opinions.
We hope this continues in future years as it encourages open
communication between the student council and the rest of the
student body. This is also the first year the Student Council were
given their very own office, complete with laptop and printer!
These resources will be invaluable to the Student Council as they
will allow more progress to be made throughout the school year.
This was a year of fundraising events for the Student Council. As
well as our annual St.Vincent de Paul appeal and Trocaire Fast, this
year saw the compassion and generosity of all students on Australia
Day and Japan Day. This year also saw the continuation of sales of
our Recipe Book... which we will pass on to next year too!
This year has been a year of cultural diversity for the Student
Council. The success of Multicultural Day was obvious from the
buzz around the entire school at lunch time. Many form classes
transformed their rooms into different countries with elaborate
decorations, power point presentations and delicious food. We all
learned a lot about the different cultures in our school from the
informative stalls around the A.P.A.. We would like to thank each
of the ambassadors for the hard work and creativity they put into
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Junior Student Council
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Class 101
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Class 102
Class 103
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Class 108
Class 109
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Art
Earlier in the year eight Fourth Year students were given
the opportunity to take part in an Art project. We met with
the artist, Maria McKinney and she told us what this would
involve. She showed us her work. Maria is a modern artist
and she uses hobbies and pastimes as inspiration for her
work. A lot of her work involves things such as shopping
trolleys, fishing lines and jigsaw pieces. She told us about
her unconventional ways of sourcing her materials such as
climbing in rivers to get shopping trolleys!
We were told that we would take part in workshops, which would
take place in the summer. In these workshops our ideas would be
developed and later become a piece of art. Our creations would
be displayed in the Mermaid Arts Centre in November. Each of
us would receive a portfolio at the end. We were all delighted to
be given the opportunity and knew it would be a huge advantage
for Art at Leaving Certificate level.
Over Easter, Maria arranged a trip to the National Art Museum
and then on to her studio. We got to see artwork belonging to
Bridget Reilly and other famous artists. We also got to see an
exhibition by an African artist who uses oilcans to make his
artwork. It was very interesting to see more of Bridget’s work.
We are all very excited about the project and cannot wait to start.
Each one of us is extremely grateful for the opportunity.
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Drama Club
2010/2011 was another amazing year for the Drama Club. Each
Friday after school, the Mary Ward building overflowed with
would be thespians honing their skills, for of course the Drama
Club offers countless possibilities to would be scriptwriters,
directors, actors and mimies.
Scissors’ and the true story of the Chilean miners in “Miner
Mishap”. Again, the mime provided a frightening finale! A huge
“Thank you” to Iris and Seán for all their hard work in bringing
the magic of theatre to Loreto again and to Annemarie for
keeping us all under control!
The year started with some fun workshops and then the nervewracking auditions took place. Soon after, the plays were cast
and the scripts were
finished (well nearly!) and
rehearsals were launched.
Then the fateful week
arrived. With the added
drama of Leaving Cert
Irish orals, it was certainly
a week to remember!
A big round of applause for everyone who took part in drama this
year, and best of luck for the next round of plays! Encore!
Thursday
night
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celebrity
dramas
in
‘Unsolved Solutions’, the
epic title of ‘The Clash of
the Testosterone Fuelled
Male Protagonists’ and our
politicians as school kids in
‘R.E.C.E.S.S.I.O.N’. And
of course, the mime was
dark and disturbing – with
some thrilling surprises!
The second night was
just as good with a cursed
theatrical mystery in ‘The
Show Must Go On’,
hilarious characters in
‘Hostel’, World War Two
drama in ‘Rock, Paper,
Junior Public Speaking
In April I was asked to take part in the Inter Loreto
Junior Public Speaking Competition. I happily agreed as
I considered it a great honour to represent our school.
On the day we travelled by taxi to Loreto Foxrock accompanied
by Ms. Dilley, who provided great moral support!
There were six competitors, one representative each from Loreto
Dalkey, Foxrock, Balbriggan, Crumlin, St. Stephen’s Green and
myself from Loreto Bray. The subject was ‘Let me tell you about
my life’. We had forty minutes to prepare and then had to deliver
a speech, which lasted a maximum of four minutes.
I was the second competitor to speak and I felt terribly nervous
until I started! I was pleased with how I did but, to be honest,
I wasn’t really expecting to win. After my turn I listened to the
remaining girls and I thought they were all excellent.
During a very long adjudication period, we all waited nervously
and then to my complete surprise, my name was announced as the
winner. I was absolutely delighted. I was presented with a lovely
(very heavy) glass trophy. I was shaking so much I thought I might
drop it but, in the end, it made it safely back to Bray with me!!!
A big “Thank you” to Ms.
Dilley, our Senior speaker
and the other girls who
came along to support
us. It was a great day and
I thoroughly enjoyed the
experience.
Laura O’Briain
(Second Year)
Junior Public
Speaking Winner
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Senior Public Speaking
Megan Ryan of Fifth Year represented our school in the Senior competition. The topic of the Senior competition was ‘These are the best
of times; these are the worst of times’. The girls who took part in the Senior competition were all excellent speakers and the standard was
very high! Loreto St. Stephen’s Green took home the winning prize, but Megan represented Bray with distinction.
By Megan Ryan and Clara O’Brien
Junior English Debating
Junior debating was a big success again this year. Our team beat
Loreto College Crumlin and Loreto College Foxrock in the first
round, making it to the quarter finals. Unfortunately we lost
out to Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan, for a place in the
semi-finals. We opposed the motion ‘Technology causes more
problems than it solves.’ The team consisted of Alisha Mullen,
Sophie Connolly, Laura O’ Briain and Amy Temple. We practiced
hard every week and enjoyed arguing a variety of motions
throughout the year. We were delighted that so many eager First
Years joined the Debating club and accompanied us to some of
our debates for support. We would like to thank Ms. McDonnell
and Mr. Villiers for all their hard work throughout the year and
would also like to thank Sr. Phil for travelling with us to each
debate for support.
Senior English Debating
With the beginning of March and a new term, came a whirlwind of
Senior debates. Fierce competition arose between Loreto Bray and
Presentation College as they came head to head in the first round of
the Lions club debates. The team, consisting of Éireann O’Sullivan,
Jenny Galligan, Megan Ryan and Zahra Mc Auley, put up a good
fight but unfortunately lost to the eventual winners. More success
came in the form of the Mace debates, when Jenny Gilligan and
Éireann O’Sullivan were placed second overall in the first round.
The final was an ordeal, to be honest and best forgotten but overall
2010/2011 was an excellent year for Senior English debating.
By Sophie Connolly and Alisha Mullen
Senior English Debate Team
French Debating –
Les Joutes Oratoires
This year a Sixth Year team represented the school in the Senior
French Debating Competition held in the Alliance Française.
Claudia Cardoso, Niamh Daly Ryan, Jenny Duffy and Ciara
Gallagher opposed the motion “L’année scolaire est trop courte”
and proposed the motion “Il faut interdire le fastfood”. Although
not progressing to further rounds of the competition the girls
learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Félicitations
et bonne continuation avec le français oral.
Second Year Debate Team
French Debate Team
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Irish Debating
Again the year 2010/11 proved a most successful year
for Irish Debating in Loreto Bray, with both Junior and
Senior teams competing in the Regional final.
Fiercely competitive mock debates took place in the school in
October with huge numbers of students vying for places on the
representative teams.The chosen Junior team was finally made up
of Sarah Conway, Tara Brady, and Laura O’Kelly and Super Sub,
Elisha Mullen while Sarah Ní Mháirtín, Ciara Gallagher and Úna
O’Grady represented the Senior School.
Ireland’, ‘We can have confidence in our future generation’ and
‘A person’s life is great’.
It was onwards and upwards for both teams as they progressed
through round after round to reach the Regional finals, held in
the Tara Towers in early March. After unending weeks of practice,
the Junior team proposed the motion ‘Gur daoine cairdiúla iad
muintir na h-Éireann’. Unfortunately, despite the girls’ valiant
efforts the the team from Lucan proved triumphant.
Highly competitive debates ensued with the Junior team
debating topics such as ‘Emigration is a good thing’, ‘Professional
soccer players deserve their wages’, while the Seniors debated
‘The rights and wrongs of welcoming the Queen of England to
A similar fate awaited the Seniors. Proposing the motion ‘The
best things in life are free’, Loreto Bray fought a valiant battle
against Sandford Park, Malahide Community School and
Belvedere College. After an incredibly lively, witty and engrossing
debate, Sandford Park were declared winners, Loreto Bray’s
only consolation being that Lucan and Sandford went on to be
crowned All Ireland champions. But roll on next year!!
Senior Irish Debate Team
Junior Irish Debate Team
Spanish Debating
Loreto Bray made history this year by competing in Ireland’s first
ever Spanish Debating competition at Secondary School Level.
Fifth and Sixth Year Spanish students were put through their paces
in a mock debate before a final team of Claudia Cardosa, Alison
Fitzsimons, Gemma L. Dunne and Éireann O’Sullivan were
chosen to enter the competition. Weeks of preparation followed
and many a lunchtime was spent with a dictionary in one hand
and a speech in the other. The day finally loomed and the first
round was held in Sandford School. A heated debate between the
Loreto Team and St. Joseph’s of Cluny ensued but unfortunately,
our team narrowly lost.The team would like to thank Ms. Mantle
and Sra. O’Sullivan for all their hard work and dedication. We
hope that el debate en español will continue to flourish and grow
over the coming years in Loreto Bray.
First Year English Debaters (above)
Front Row (L to R) Isobel Carruthers Kenny, Dolores Doyle
Back Row (L to R) Danah McAuley, Sarajane Pert, Tara Desai,
Sophia McDonald, Hayley Dillon
Spanish Debate Team (left)
Page 11
Traditional Music Group
The school’s newest group, Trad. Club started this September by
raising E105 for Trocaire with ‘Trad. for Trocaire’ music sessions in
the A.P.A.Throughout the year we’ve continued to play together and
learn new songs, even performing in the Mary Ward concert.We put
on a Ceolchoirm Mór with some of the school’s Irish dancers for
Seachtain Na Gaeilge. Bhi sé ar fheabhas! We hope the group will
continue next year with lots of new tunes and lots of new members!
Library Day Books, Books, Books!
To celebrate the opening of Loreto Bray’s new state of the art,
modern Library, Library Day took place. Guest Irish novelist
Sarah Webb paid a visit to the school and enchanted students
with stories of her exciting career. She also judged the Fancy
Dress competition. What a day it was. Elizabeth Bennets, Emilia
Erhards and Harry Potters traversed the corridors, as quizzes,
Speed Reading competitions and Book Races took place, all of
course in a very good cause, to raise awareness of the rewarding
and delightful joy that is reading.
Trad Group
French Theatre Group
Book Club
This year both the Senior and Junior Book Clubs have had
some brilliant fun. At the start of the year we found some
bookworms among the First Years, and on our first Junior
meeting we had a record of twenty nine members. We
did ‘twenty questions’, featuring Jesus, Harry Potter and
Edward Cullen. Students then showed their knowledge of
literary matters in a terrific quiz.
This year the Senior Book Club has read ‘The Guernsey Literary
and Potato Peel Pie Society’, ‘Room’ and ‘The Help’, and the
Junior Book Club read ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’
and ‘Theodore Boon’.
All in all this was a great year.
A group of four French actors came to the school, to
perform an interactive play with French students from
Second. Third and Fourth Year.
The play was about four friends who travel to Dublin from Paris
to see a U2 concert. Three of them want to spend the day sightseeing but the fourth one has a different plan. He wants to meet
up with his pen pal Alice before the concert but he runs into a
couple of problems.
What was most interesting in my opinion, was that several Second
Years and Fourth Years were given the chance to play minor
parts in the play. This made it most interesting as we watched
our friends perform with the actors in their costumes. Their
contribution made the play come alive for us and even some of
the teachers at one point were brought in to the plot and played
minor parts in a café.
Róisín Ivory.
Book Club
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The Mimies
The Orchestra
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Class 238
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Class 204
Class 205
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Class 232
Class 206
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Multicultural Day
On 1 April 2011, Loreto Bray held its annual ‘Multicultural
Day’. Loreto Bray is host to over twenty different cultures
among the student body so our ‘Multicultural Day’ was
alive and booming with so many cultures participating on
the day. The Student Council, who worked hard through
the month of March preparing for the big day, manned
the stalls, ran the games and made many people aware of
the ethnic mix in Loreto Bray. The purpose of the day was
to raise awareness of the many different cultures among
our student body and to create a greater respect for these
interesting cultures.
There were many different games to play and food to taste
all provided by the Student Council and the many Student
Ambassadors who volunteered to represent their cultural
backgrounds. The games included ‘How Many Hellos Can You
Say in One Minute?’, ‘Guess the National Flag, a ‘Worldwide
Treasure Hunt’ and ‘Guess the National Anthem’. The games
provided fun and entertainment for students and teachers alike,
but also made people more aware of the cultural diversity in
Loreto Bray.
The magnificently decorated stalls graced all corners of the A.P.A.
and people bounced around the different stalls sampling food,
learning sayings and enhancing their worldwide knowledge. The
Australia stall stole the day and increased awareness about the
flooding in Australia.
‘Multicultural Day’ not only involved individual students, but
also got class groups involved in a ‘Decorate Your Classroom’
year group competition. Their efforts were outstanding, thus
adding hugely to the atmosphere of the day. ‘Multicultural Day’is
a newish tradition in Loreto Bray that, because of the success
this year, we hope will continue long into the future here in this
culturally diverse school.
Gemma L. Dunne,
Aoife O’Sullivan,
Róisín Flynn.
Page 17
Pi Day
Caffrey singing Pi songs over the intercom to get everyone involved.
A reporter from the Bray People came up to the school to do a piece
and take pictures of us all! During ‘Pi Day’ all Maths classes tried to
figure out Ms. Ashall’s mathematical puzzles. Every year group had a
winner. During lunch a Treasure Hunt course was set out all around
the school. Many people took part and enjoyed themselves. To finish
off the day we had ‘Stars in Their Pies’ where participants sang their
original Pi songs. The overall day was a success, all thanks to Ms.
Ashall and her Fifth Year Maths class.
By Emma Diver and Aisling O’ Reilly.
On 14 March 2011, Ms. Ashall and her Maths class organised ‘Pi
Day’! Numerous planning sessions took place to make sure this
day was a success (which it was)! ‘Pi Day’ is always a huge event
in Loreto Bray and this year was no different. We had ‘Pie Tasting’
competitions, and ‘Pie Decorating’ competitions. The winner of the
‘Pie Decorating’ competition was Holly Robinson who entered a
fabulous Pi romaniac cake. In the run up to ‘Pi Day’ we had Orla
Solidarity with the people of Japan Day – 4 April
Following the devastation of Japan, Loreto Bray festooned a cherry tree with one thousand multicoloured origami cranes in a gesture of support
and solidarity.The folded cranes symbolise healing and hope.
First Year Fun Day –
15 October
Are you interested in Soccer, Gaelic, Table Tennis, Golf, Tennis,
Badminton, Hockey or Basketball? Well on Friday 15 October all
First Years had the opportunity to taste various sports to see which
flavour they liked best.
This is part of Loreto Bray’s initiative to increase the participation of
students in physical activity. A great day was had by all.
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Halloween Party –
20 October
Seachtain na Gaeilge
Ghosts and monsters, clowns and devils, bananas and of course angels
summed up the First Year/Sixth Year party. As ever, the party of the
year in Loreto.
Maths Week
One of the highlights of the Maths year was Loreto Bray’s entry
to the Maths Week Games Challenge, a competition organised by
Manga High. Maths games such as ‘The Weakest Maths Link’ were
physically played at lunchtimes in the A.P.A. but the real bones of
the competition were played out online with Loreto Bray and Our
Lady’s College, Greenhills being crowned joint winners after frantic
and exciting online participation.
Loreto Freshers Week
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Gaelic Football
Our First Year team was involved in two different
competitions during the course of the year. At the
beginning of the season we took part in a blitz in
Greystones and played well enough to finish in second
place, which qualified us for the county final. This took
place in Roundwood where our girls came up against very
stiff competition and unfortunately were not able to finish
within the medals. The second competition took place in
May and was in the form of a 7-a-side tournament. Again
the girls displayed great skill and determination and were
unlucky not to qualify for the final. Overall this was a great
year for Gaelic football in Loreto and suggests a good
platform from which to launch future success.
Our Junior team also had a great season which culminated in their
reaching the County ‘A’ final. While it was a great experience it
did however end in defeat to a very talented Baltinglass team. But
with the majority of the team being eligible to play again next
year, hopefully we can go one step further.Thanks to captain Tara
Brady and the rest of the panel for all their hard work throughout
the year.
This was a very productive and successful year for the Gaelic
football players within the school. The pupils involved
represented the school with great distinction and made great
improvements along the way. Our Senior team bowed out of the
‘A’ championship at the second round but regrouped to claim the
County ‘B’ championship after coming from behind in the final.
The girls showed great determination to overturn a substantial
halftime deficit and win by a single point after scoring a dramatic
last minute point through Charlotte Kearney.
Junior Gaelic
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Soccer
Soccer is thriving in Loreto Bray under the expert tutelage
of Hughie. First Years participated in the Wicklow Futsal
competition, playing five matches over the course of
the day to reach the final, where they were pipped by an
excellent Coláiste Craobh Abhann team.
On 3 February, busloads of students embarked on the annual
school adventure to a Sports Final. Decked out in war paint, ties
on heads and chants at the ready, Loreto Bray was on its way. This
year however, it was not Hockey or Basketball in the limelight.
Football gained some long deserved recognition.
The Loreto Bray Football team stormed their way through the
league. As a result they secured a place in the Leinster Final for the
third year in a row! An astounding achievement!
Senior Football (Soccer)
The match took place in Leixlip, the opposition, Eureka
Secondary School, Kells. The Loreto girls made a gallant effort in
the first half but despite this the scoreboard read 2-0 at half time.
The Loreto squad picked up a gear in the second half and
were very unfortunate not to see their efforts reflected on the
scoreboard. However, a twenty minute long onslaught on their
defence saw many a great save from goalie, Katie Walsh, and
some bruise making blocks from Nicola Batten. However the
Eurekan offence proved overwhelming and resulted in the final
tally reading 7 – 0.
The Loreto squad proved to be admirable ambassadors for the
school. They displayed courage and determination throughout
the match and were gracious in defeat.
Fitness
No doubt the outgoing Sixth Years were pleased to pick up some
silverware in their final season with the school. Celina O’Toole
(Captain) Emma O’Brien, Deirdre Mulligan, Christina Hickey
and Rhiannon Johnston displayed an exceptional exhibition of
sportsmanship. Their performance was exemplary.
It was refreshing to see Football at the centre of the sports hype
this year. This final highlighted the overwhelming talent that the
Soccer-playing students of Loreto possess.The best is yet to come.
Junior Football (Soccer)
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Hockey Seniors 1
Senior 2 Hockey
Unfortunately 2010/11will not be remembered as an exceptional
season for the Hockey teams of Loreto Bray. Nonetheless the
Senior Hockey team reached the second round of the Cup, the
quarter final of the Leinster League and the semi-final of the
Loreto League. Hockey is a great opportunity to make friends
and to interact with other schools at a competitive level. It is the
most popular sport in the school with wonderful student and
teacher support. I would like to thank Leah and Ritchie for their
time and involvement. Hockey has not been the same without
our head coach Alice, and we all hope she gets better soon.
The Senior 2 team this year consisted of a wide mix of students
ranging from Fourth to Sixth Year; with the help of some Juniors
from time to time. The girls took part in the Loreto League and
the Leinster League. Though they did play well, they did not
make it to any finals. The girls did try extremely hard and these
results are not a reflection of their true ability. Hopefully next year
the girls will put in the time and effort needed to achieve success.
By Lorna Newell and Amy Robinson
Katie Nicholson (Senior Captain)
Senior 2 Hockey
Senior 1 Hockey
Minor Hockey Squad
First Year Hockey
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Trampolining
Junior A Hockey
Badminton
Badminton takes place each Tuesday and Thursday after school,
under the guidance of our coach Ms. Simpson.
We have an Under 14’s team, an Under 16’s team and an Under
19’s team and play in both Wicklow and Dublin leagues. In the
course of the year we won and lost some matches but the main
thing is that we enjoyed playing matches against other schools. I
recommend it to everyone.
Golf
Golf has really only been introduced into the school in the
last two years. The Golf team consists of Emma O’Brien, Ciara
McGrane and myself (Katie Nicholson). We participated in the
Leinster Schools Girls competition. This event took place in
Clontarf Golf Club. We didn’t feature unfortunately, however we
thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would like to thank Leah
Spillane for driving us out.
The Under 16’s team got to the Leinster finals in Whitehall Road
but unfortunately this time were runners up. We also took part in
a special tournament at Easter called the ‘Crème Egg’ tournament,
playing against many other schools and finally coming second
overall. But we still got our crème egg!
Everyone would like to say thank you to our coach Ms. Simpson.
Laura Gascoine
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Tennis
Junior Tennis
The Senior Tennis team got off to a successful start this year. On
Saturday 2 April, Niamh Duffy, Rhiannon Johnston Fagan, Meryl
Lynch, Róisín Molloy, Jenny Murphy and Róisín Stapleton took
part in a tournament in Rathdown.The girls played extremely well
beating Loreto Foxrock and Rathdown but were unfortunately
beaten by Loreto Dalkey in the final.
The next match played was against Teresians in Donnybrook. We
played really well but lost 2 – 1. A great match was played by
Isabelle Veale and Meryl Lynch.
Róisín Stapleton
Senior Tennis
Table Tennis
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Athletics
Minor Basketball
First Year Basketball
Minor Basketball players were new to the Basketball programme
this year in Loreto Bray but they certainly did not waste any time
becoming one of our own.Training twice a week, they developed
into a very strong team reaching the semi-final of the Loreto
League against Beaufort. Sadly, they lost by only a point in the
last quarter but it was an extremely well played match. Excellent
play came from Róisín Corrigan, Isobelle Demeni, Caitlin Hand,
Rachel Hand, Dana McDermott, Nicole Moore and Megan
Sherlock. A sincere “Thank you” is due to our coach, Cormac,
for his devotion to the team this season and we look forward to
an even more successful season in September.
Junior Basketball
The Junior team made huge progress this season and are one of
the strongest Junior teams in Loreto Bray in quite some time.
This was a very devoted team who bonded well this year. The
team narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-final of the
Loreto League due to points difference. There was great play
during the season from Sinéad Dunphy, Sinéad Flood, LaurynAnne Gillooly, Aisling Moore, Rachel O’Neill, Aoife Phelan, Amy
Temple and Claire Tracey. They beat numerous teams including
Foxrock and Swords. A big “Thank you” is owed to our coach
Cormac who worked very hard with our team this year. All
players look forward to September.
Senior Basketball
The Senior team got off to a great start this year, training regularly
and making excellent progress. This season was the last throw of
the dice for so many players, so it was important to do well in the
Loreto League. They played some great matches putting all they
had to give into every game. It was a very successful season up to
the semi-final against Loreto Dalkey, which they unfortunately
lost. All players tried their best with great contributions from
Fionnuala Moran, Kerri Sullivan and Samantha Gillooly. All team
members would like to say a huge “Thank you” to our coach
Cormac for all the hard work he put in throughout the year. We
came on in leaps and bounds and cannot wait for an even better
season next year.
Cadette Basketball
The Cadette team worked very hard this year and became a
very dedicated team, training up to three times a week. With our
consistent training, we made it to the semi-final of the Loreto
League against Loreto on the Green.We played some outstanding
matches beating Beaufort and Dalkey amongst others. Our team
perfected plays, became accurate shooters and a great defensive
unit. Next year we hope to advance further in both Loreto and
Leinster leagues, hopefully bringing home some silverware. A
massive “Thank you” is owed to our dedicated coach, Cormac,
who put in an awful lot of effort this year with the Cadette team.
We can’t wait to come back in September and progress some more.
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3rd St. Cecilia’s
Class 3MR
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Australia Fundraiser
Towards the end of January the school held a fundraising
event to aid victims of the floods that hit Rockhempton,
Queensland in Australia. When we heard the terrible
news we felt that we should do something to help those
affected. We began discussing the best way to fundraise.
It was decided that a Cake Sale would take place in the main
A.P.A.. However, before we did this we raised awareness by
making posters and showing pictures of the damaging and
disastrous floods and placing them in busy areas around the
school. Some of the Fifth Year Student Council members baked
cakes for the Cake Sale and decorated them with koalas. Also, a
huge cake with an Australian flag made of icing took centre stage.
There were a number of activities going on throughout the day
such as ‘Guess the Kangaroo’s name’ ‘Treasure Hunt’ and a raffle.
Students and teachers got into the spirit on the day and enjoyed
these events. The winner of the ‘Guess the Kangaroo’s name’ was
Ms. Wainwright. Congratulations to her for guessing the correct
name, ‘Josephine’, and for winning the toy kangaroo. In total
E357 was raised and sent to Australia
Barnardo’s Toy Collection
As Christmas is about giving as well as receiving, Sr. Phil and a
handful of students again organised a toy collection for the children’s
charity Barnardos and, despite the snow, it was a great success.
Throughout the day students dropped off toys, books, scarves
and many more items into Sr. Phil’s office, which was festively
transformed into ‘Santa’s Grotto’ for the day.
Where is the kangaroo?
Pretty in Pink Day
During this school year, on 20 October 2010, Loreto Bray
held its first ever ‘Pretty in Pink’ day, in aid of Breast Cancer
organised by Katie Scales, Celina O’Toole and myself Eimear
Brophy. The aim of this day was to raise money and awareness
regarding Breast Cancer. As an all girls school, this was something
we felt was important to bring to the attention of students and
staff members alike, as it is a serious problem that many people,
women especially, have encountered.
In the days leading up to ‘Pretty in Pink’ day we made
announcements and put up posters encouraging everyone to wear
something pink and make a donation. Celina also encouraged
everyone to bring in any old bras they had at home to put them
in the ‘Bra Bin’ we had located in the main A.P.A.. This was part
of a campaign being run by Curves.
This is a wonderful event, which benefits a great cause but also
spreads Christmas cheer throughout the school. I hope to see this
becoming an annual event at Loreto Bray.
We were absolutely thrilled with the response of our students and
teachers. Overall we raised E1,500, which was, according to Ms.
Wainwright and Ms. Donagh, the most money ever raised from a
non-uniform day in Loreto Bray. On behalf of Katie, Celina and
myself we would like to thank everyone for their response to this
great cause and we hope it will not be the last ‘Pretty in Pink’ day
in Loreto Bray.
Katie Scales
Eimear Brophy
All donations were passed on to Barnardos and feedback from the
workers at the charity was incredibly positive.The generosity of Loreto
Bray students made many families very happy on Christmas Day.
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Christmas Shoe Box Appeal
Peace and Justice
This year Loreto Bray students joined up with Team Hope
for their annual ‘Christmas Shoe Box’ appeal. Team Hope is a
new, interdenominational Christmas relief and development
organisation. They are an Irish based charity working in
conjunction with overseas organisations, supporting families in
over twenty countries worldwide.
The Peace and Justice group has really grown stronger this year
and our future seems guaranteed thanks to the acquisition of
a terrific bunch of new excited members. Our year started off
with a short presentation from Ms. Kiely on Burma. From then
on we had meetings every first and third Tuesday of the month.
Rachel Duffy and I went to a ‘Justice, Peace and Integrity of
Creation’ conference where we learned valuable techniques and
acquired very interesting information on relevant subject matters.
We planned our school year determining what actions we would
take.We made lots of friends in other Loreto schools with whom
we plan to keep in contact.We focused our year on informing the
school of the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ and improving
our inter-school links.We kept our ‘Valueboard’ updated monthly
and for Mary Ward Day we all got together to make posters of
each goal. I think the school is a slightly more informed place
now. At the end of the year we had a lunch of discussion with
Loreto Dalkey and Ms. Donagh bought us pizza! We are really
going to miss our Sixth Year members next year! It’s not going to
be the same without you.
As a school community we were excited to support such a
valuable organisation. Having raided shoe shops to acquire the
boxes, we collectively filled over seventy boxes with toys, clothes
and stationery. These boxes were then delivered directly into the
hands of boys and girls in Africa and South-East Asia.
I have no doubt that these gifts will be used and treasured for
years to come. I hope that Loreto Bray students will continue to
support the valuable work of Team Hope and their ‘Christmas
Shoe Box’ appeal in the future.
Katie Hinchin
Mary Ward
This Mary Ward Day proved to be one of the best. It was
jam-packed full of activities and we all enjoyed ourselves. The
main event of the day was an interesting talk by Sr. Kathleen
MacLennon. Complemented by pictures, she spoke of the many
Loreto Schools around the world.We saw their magnificent work
and how well Mary Ward’s vision is carried on today. We all left
the room with an insight into the lives of these children and hope
for their future.
To add to the excitement, the previously cancelled Christmas
concert was held that afternoon. A longstanding Loreto tradition,
the snow had prevented us from holding the concert before the
Christmas break, so we were all delighted to hear it would be held
on Mary Ward Day instead – better late than never! Hosted by
Fionnuala Moran and Rhiannon Johnston, it proved to be one of
the best concerts ever. With acts ranging from dancing to singing
to drama, the highlight was undoubtedly the tense competition
between the Monitors’ and Prefects’ plays.
Congratulations to all who pariticipated, and a big ‘Thank you’ to
Sr. Phil and Ms. McCarthy who organised the day. You’ll all agree
it was one to remember!
Fundraising for WSPCA
At lunchtime on Friday 26 November, there was a thunderous
roll along the corridors. Bursting into the A.P.A., they arrived.
The doors were left swinging because 3MR’s Bake Sale was
beginning. Delicious cakes were everywhere. Tray upon tray of
fairy cakes, coffee cakes and cookies were offered for sale. A noisy
crowd surrounded the table, left and right, ogling the iced buns.
Everyone had huge grins on their faces.
That day, a tremendously generous E408 was raised for the
WSPCA. This is an organisation that works throughout the
county to protect animals and give them happy homes. All of
3MR would like to say a giant “Thank you” to everyone who
came along to support us.
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Copper Race
Ministers of the Eucharist
Ten Sixth Year students were commissioned as Ministers of the
Eucharist during the opening Mass for the school year.
The students expressed an interest in becoming a Minister of
the Eucharist and over a period of time followed a short training
programme.
The students are available for school Masses and also for a
Communion service each First Friday in the school Prayer Room.
In addition to undertaking the role of Minister of the Eucharist
the students help at school Liturgical events during the year and
as an outreach experience they help with some charity events too.
So, for these students it is a very special experience and their
presence is a very positive contribution to school life.
Model European
Parliament
Students from Loreto Bray have been fostering links with Europe
and in particular Estonia during their work with the Model
European Youth Parliament (MEP).
In November of 2010 six students from Loreto Bray were
chosen to participate in the Model European Parliament, held
in St. Andrew’s College, Blackrock. Each student was allocated a
committee to work with and each committee dealt with current
topics and issues.
The committees debated their particular topics and after two
days put forward a resolution to be debated by the full Assembly.
In General Assembly, each committee were also given a copy
of all of the other committees’ resolutions and had to prepare a
robust argument against each and also had to defend their own
resolution with equal vigour. Everyone seemed to enjoy the
weekend immensely and many new friends were made with even
a few romances forming over the weekend.
In April 2011, two girls, Lydia Blake and Éireann O’Sullivan from
Loreto Bray were chosen to be part of the delegation representing
Ireland at the Model European Parliament in Tallinn (Estonia),
which lasted eight days. Both girls were chosen after participating
in the Irish Model European Parliament.
Lourdes Visitors
Trad for Trocaire
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Sailing
Ms. Dignan met us at the Dart Station in Bray at 9 a.m.
to accompany us to Sandycove and drop us off at the
Sailing School. As we crossed the bridge to the Sailing
School, we saw all the boats bobbing in the harbour!
Our instructor Donal explained to us how to prepare our boats
and then attempt to sail in Dun Laoghaire harbour off the West
Pier! We were given our wet-suits and life jackets. I was partnered
with Róisín and Sarah who were a lot more experienced than
I was!
We were the first group to be allowed out and we were not bad
at sailing to be fair. Donal thought it would be funny to soak
us with water – Róisín and I tried to use reverse psychology
by telling him how we loved water fights! It didn’t quite work
because he just threw the two of us in the sea instead. It was
really funny seeing everyone capsize and fall off their boats!
Some people even had to be “rescued” by another mysterious
instructor (whose name no-one could pronounce!).
Afterwards we all (except Aileen and Rachel) jumped off the pier
into the harbour! The ADRENALINE rush was INCREDIBLE!!
I was so nervous that Zara had to practically pull me in.
Shaunagh Casey
Journalism
As a part of Transition Year along with five other students I got
the opportunity to see what a career in Journalism would be
like. In November representatives from the Wexford People came
in to talk to us about a project they were planning called the
“TY News”.They invited over thirty students from nine different
schools to take part in the project.We each had to write an article
on a chosen subject and then send it off to them. Over the
following months we met as a group and planned our various
topics and drafted the articles. Deadline Day was pretty crazy with
everyone trying to finish their articles and get them in on time
but with the help of Ms. Moloney and Ms. McDonnell we got
them drafted and done. Then in April we were invited down to
the Wexford People offices in Wexford Town. There we worked
with a sub-editor and we got to see how our emailed articles
were made into printed articles, we also got to write our own
headlines and talk to different reporters and photographers that
work there too. The ‘TY News’ is circulated around Wicklow. It
was very exciting to see our articles in print and to show them
to family and friends. It was a really great experience and I loved
every minute of it.
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Bray Drugs Awareness
Dance Workshops
Our class was chosen to take part in a day of Drug
Awareness. We arrived at Ballywaltrim Community centre
at 9 a.m. along with other schools from Greystones and
Bray.
Throughout the year, we have been given the chance to
put ourselves and our bodies to the test by taking part in
various activities. One of these was ‘Dance’.
In our first workshop we were taught how to make non-alcoholic
cocktails and ice-cream floats.We then all got the chance to make
up our own. Some were brilliant and some others were “different”
to say the least!
We were then paired off and had to draw and describe people
with drug and drink addictions. Then we had to describe what
they would be like in ten years time.They were then displayed on
the wall of the community centre along with the drawings from
other schools.
Before lunch we had a talk from a paramedic. It was shocking to
hear of the number of accidents that are drink related.
After lunch we were all given the chance to do rock climbing
and take part in climbing high ropes, it was a brilliant experience.
A Garda from Bray Garda station gave our last workshop. He
asked us our opinion on the legal age for drinking in Ireland,
whether certain drugs should be legalised, he even asked us about
teenagers being able to vote. We all got the chance to tell him
what we thought. It was good to be asked for a change about
what we thought about laws for teenagers and how teenagers
should be treated.
Clare Connor & Katy Carey
Log on and Learn
In September, all of the Spanish students took part in a Flamenco
lesson. Here we learned some of the basic steps involved and were
then partnered up to dance for a short routine. It was a great way
to get active while learning about Spanish culture.
Another form of dance that was introduced to us was
‘Contemporary Dance’. Two members of the Welsh Dance
Company came to the school in March. After getting over the
whole ‘no shoes and socks situation’, we finally got going. We
began with some simple ways of relaxing and allowing our
bodies to move freely! Then came the more complicated steps.
Not many of us had done Contemporary Dance before so the
style took a bit of getting used to. After learning a group routine,
we performed for each other and it turned out to be quite a
refreshing afternoon.
Finally, TY5 had another Contemporary Dance session, though
this involved more movement to music than actual dancing. After
experiencing the ‘no shoes and socks rule’ already, we all came
into school that day with our feet prepped and pampered and
ready to go! The two girls that taught us were from Wicklow
County Arts Office and Wicklow Local Sports Partnership ‘You
Can Dance’ and were very easy going and friendly. They taught
us a few partner movements and had us moving in ways we didn’t
know our bodies could! To finish, they performed a short routine
for us, showing us what we could do by putting all the moves we
had learned together.This dance lesson was my personal favourite
and I’m sure everyone will agree that it was a very enjoyable
experience, even for those who may not have ever danced before.
Lorna Newell
The Transition Year students got a chance to teach people
over fifty-five how to use a computer.
The Log on and Learn students came from our local community.
Each participating Senior had two teaching students assigned to
them. Every Thursday afternoon the students and teachers met
up for an hour. The programme ran twice throughout the year
from October- December and from January – March.
During the course, we taught our students all the different parts
of the computer and also how to use different programmes such
as Microsoft word and e-mailing.They were all eager to learn and
took part in every aspect of the programme. The programme was
a great success.
Kelly Murphy and Ciara Moore
Matrix Man Speech
All Transition Years got the amazing opportunity to participate in
a Matrix workshop. This was a workshop run by a friendly and
inspiring man called Malcolm. He taught us that there is a key to
success in life and that anyone can have success if they use the key.
Included in this was preparation and tips for our Leaving Cert,
how to use our imaginations encouragement to be as creative as
possible during the course of our lives.
Overall, it was a really educational experience and I think
everything took something from the workshop.
Assertiveness Workshop
Once a week, for three weeks we had an Assertiveness
workshop given by Mary Galligan; a relationship
counsellor.
We learned about assertiveness and what it means. Mary told us
about situations that she had been in where she had acted in an
assertive manner and then instructed us on how we too could act
assertively. We learned about our rights and learned techniques in
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assertiveness to use when talking with people. We learned to be
conscious of our behaviour, body language and tone of voice. We
also learned to acknowledge what the other person is saying and
not to be judgemental.This workshop offered a good insight into
how we should act in situations where problems arise. Everyone
in our class greatly enjoyed the experience.
By Sarah O’Sullivan and Rachel Moran.
Film Making
This year all TY classes got the opportunity to come
up with an idea for a short film and then produce it
themselves. Most of the class broke into small groups and
began to brainstorm ideas.
Once the scripts had been written and the parts had been cast;
rehearsals and production began. The aim for most of the films
was to make their audience laugh and boy did they do that. Some
ideas were as wild as; a Zombie Wedding, a School Tour gone
horribly wrong, a Murder Mystery in which the Principal turned
out to be the murderer, an Obsessed Teen stalking the beloved
Mr. Bennett and a very unique Irish version of ‘The Girl With
the Pearl Earring’.
On the days of filming two men from FilmCircle came to offer
their help and services. That morning we got a talk on different
equipment, how it works and what it can do. We learned
techniques such as how to use different angles when recording
and how to do close ups. The afternoon was when the real work
began however, costumes were put on, final touches were made
and then each group headed to do their filming the way they
wanted it done. It was great fun.
All the girls loved this opportunity and really made the most
of their time to shine. When watching the finishing copy of all
the films a few weeks later the eruption of laughter that filled
the room showed that all our hard work had paid off. We would
definitely recommend future years to do this if they got the
chance as it is really so much fun and you might even realise you
have a hidden talent for acting.
Mini Company
Mini Company was one of the many subject modules
offered to us this year. During this class we us Fourth
Years were asked to come up with and sell a new and
original product or service.
My Class, TY1, came up with the ever so simple idea of journal
covers, both practical and fun. Though, they did cause a bit of
trouble amongst the year heads.TY2 two had a wonderful success
in providing a service to get your name printed on the back of
you hoodie, this led to a huge reduction in the numbers of lost
hoodies, “Thanks girlies”.Well what can I say TY3? You may have
had your ups and downs but your idea was super! Your ‘Hearmuffs’
will be warming and entertaining the students of Loreto Bray
for a long time to come. I’m sure a lot of mothers here today
will be familiar with TY4’s product. This holder was so elegant
yet extremely useful for make-up, brushes, candles, and anything
really. Finally we had our stylish TY5 ladies. These girls were very
clued in on their fashion and sold a wide range of bandanas. Let’s
just say half the population of Loreto Bray had matching headwear for the next few months - including some of the teachers!
Most TY students were involved in Mini Company in some way
or another. The girls with a gift for art produced beautiful posters
and eye-catching stands, while those with a special ability for
maths took on the daunting task of finance.
One of the hardest parts I found was coming up with an idea.
Once you got it everything else seemed to just fall into place
but coming up with that initial concept really was a killer. To
be honest, at the start I was convinced our Mini Company was
going to be such a disaster, but I was wrong. Even the simplest
of ideas can be extremely successful if everyone in the team just
pulls together.
This is where another problem arose. I don’t think anyone could
say that their Mini Company succeeded without some conflict.
with so many highly intelligent and opinionated girls, there was
bound to be a clash of ideas at some stage or another. It was here
we learned the most important skills we could ever need. We
learned to compromise, to listen and to take initiative.
I thoroughly enjoyed mini company. It has really opened up my
eyes to what it would be like to work in a real business. I also feel
this module has given everyone a new sense of responsibility and
confidence. Though we may not have made millions or come up
with the most innovative idea the world has ever seen, we did
accomplish something. We have all grown so much as individuals
but also as a group. I believe these new found skills and talents will
benefit us in years to come and, who knows, we may just have the
world’s next Bill Gates sitting in front of us.
Amy Robinson
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Photography
Drama Nights
Just before Easter a number of us took part in a two
day Photography course. Tim Durham, a professional
photographer, was our tutor.
On 9 March our Transition Year Drama Night took place.
This is when every TY class has the chance to perform
their Drama play to friends, family and of course year
groups.
Over the two days we learned about different techniques and how
we could incorporate them into our own photography. We were
each given our own camera and were set a task to take different
styles of photos around Bray such as reflective shots, mysterious
shots and black and white tones. This was my favourite part as
we got to see Bray in a different way through the camera. We
then showed the class our top thirteen photos. I was amazed to
see the standard of photos some of the girls had taken. Our best
photo was then chosen and put on Tim’s website. Everyone really
enjoyed the workshop and I know myself I gained a lot from it.
Ciara Croke
From the start of Transition Year each class has had one double
class of Drama a week with Seán Leahy and Mrs. Keogh. Plays to
feature this year were: ‘Adventure Camp’ by TY1, ‘Over the wall’
by TY2, ‘Fornicazione’ by TY3, ‘All’s well that ends how you like
it’ by TY4, and ‘Pied Viper’ by TY5.
A lot of people took part in the plays and it was a great experience.
Many people who were very shy at the start of the year really
blossomed. I found that a lot of people gained more confidence
from participating in the dramas.
Jennifer Ryan, Katie Walsh, Sarah Mc Manus.
Horizons
On 12 October at 6 a.m. sharp, all one hundred and forty
five Fourth Year girls met outside the school to start our
journey to Westport, Co. Mayo.
Two buses dropped us off at Heuston Station and from there
we struggled with our over sized bags and eventually made the
train. The journey was spent sleeping and talking excitedly about
Horizons Adventure Centre, our destination.
After a long train journey we finally arrived at the amazing
Wesport Woods Hotel. We went to the dining room, to meet the
leaders, divide into groups and have a bite to eat! After this we
were allocated our rooms, split between the first and third floors.
The rooms were just great, with en-suites and TV’s so we could
even watch Desperate Housewives on our Adventure break!.
My group’s first activities included Fencing and Murder Mystery
Investigation. It was a wonderful way for our team to bond as we
donned our hilarious Fencing outfits. Dinner was followed by
an hour’s free time to help us recover from the exhaustive and
early start. Our night’s activities involved ice breaking. They were
hilarious, the most memorable game being the infamous Yoghurt
Game. An innocent victim, me, sat on a chair while a blindfolded
person stood behind you and fed you yoghurt and I can honestly
say it was disgusting! We were finished by 10 p.m. and all went
to each other’s rooms to watch TV together but by midnight, we
were all fast asleep exhausted.
Over the next three days we took part in activities such as Surfing,
High ropes, Archery, Quad biking, and Nightline which were
essentially games of trust played out in the forest.We also climbed
Croagh Patrick and played Airball.
Other evening activities included a Disco on the last night,
while the Talent Show revealed hitherto hidden talents such as
The Onesie Crew, Irish dancing, Karate, and Youtube sensations
Ailish and Sinéad featuring backup dancers.What a truly talented
bunch!
Highlights of our Westport trip included Surfing, our night time
antics, such as attempting to sneak out of our rooms, always to be
caught of course, playing Blindman’s Buff during free time, mud
fights and getting to know all of the amazing leaders.
By the end of the trip the group had really bonded so well. I can
honestly say it was a highlight of Fourth Year. The train home
really was quite sad. But I think I’m right in saying that every girl
has only the best memories of Westport and how brilliant it was.
Page 38
Gaisce Award
Physics Week
The Gaisce award is a personal challenge set by
thePresident of Ireland to young people between the
ages of fifteen and twenty five. It is organised into four
categories:
From 7 - 11 March Molly and I attended UCD Physics
Week. During the week we learned a great deal about the
courses that are available.
‘Personal’, ‘Physical’, ‘Voluntary’ and the ‘Adventure’ journey.
To complete the Bronze Award you need to do an hour a week
in activities of your choice for thirteen weeks and do an extra
thirteen weeks in one of them.
For the ‘Personal’ category, people often take up a musical
instrument, a new language or art.
For ‘Physical’, you can pretty much do any sport from horse
riding to going to the gym.
For ‘Voluntary’, a lot of people volunteer in charity shops, but any
form of voluntary work is acceptable.
I did Pilates, the ECDL course and coaching in my G.A.A club.
Then at the end of the year, everyone participating in the
Gaisce challenge goes on an ‘Adventure’ journey of twenty five
to thirty five kilometres. We did part of the Wicklow Way. We
started in Enniskerry, walked up Djouce and stayed overnight in
the Lough Dan hostel. The following morning we walked on to
Glendalough.
Finally, I would like to thank Ms. Lynch, our school President
Award leader who was there to help us every step of the way.
TY Debating
Trinity also played its part in trying to highlight the importance
In Debating class, all Fourth Years got the chance to express
themselves even if the debate topics were a bit unusual at times.
This class allowed everyone to express themselves freely, allowing
us to state our opinions. I think it really contributed to the selfconfidence of Transition Year students.
TY Subjects
Throughout the year, we have been given opportunities
that not only benefit us for our school years but also
throughout our lives.
The European Computer Driving License course more
commonly known as ECDL has been a wonderfully interesting
experience. This course consists of seven modules and as each
module is completed you sit an exam. At the end of the ECDL
course, if you have passed all of the exams you are awarded a
certificate that states you have successfully passed the ECDL.
In TY we are given this great opportunity and it is so valuable
because doing the same course outside of school costs a great deal
of money but the fee for us is a lot less and is included in our TY
fee. We are taught the course over three double periods per week
in our various Computer rooms. I can honestly say that I have
learned so much.
Throughout the week we were in the lab. We conducted
numerous experiments including one with liquid nitrogen. We
conducted this experiment to see what the super conductivity of
liquid nitrogen was. We also conducted another experiment with
homemade rockets. The aim was to launch the rockets as high
into the air as possible. This experiment gave us an insight into
the work of an Engineer
During the week we also had lectures from the head lecturers
in the different areas of the Physics department. We were given
talks about Astronomy, the life of the stars, rockets, telescopes,
the Young Scientist Exhibition, Engineering and Computers, the
human eye, Astrophysics and finally on the careers available for
Physicists.
On one of the days during the week we visited the new Cancer
Treatment Ward in St. James’ Hospital in Dublin.The new section
was not yet open but we were given a tour by one of the senior
Physicists there. The tour was really interesting as we got to see
all the machinery and equipment in the hospital.We were given a
lecture about the treatments available for Cancer patients and we
were shown how the machinery works. We were shown around
the new building and it is amazing how high tech everything
is. I think that the new centre is an amazing facility and it will
help so many people with Cancer. It will hopefully treat thirtyfive people each day. The tour showed us what an important role
Physicists can play in our society.
Overall the week was an amazing experience. We got to see what
college life was like and we also learned so much.
Caoimhe Conroy.
Trinity College TY
Chemistry Week
Trinity also played its part in trying to highlight the
importance of Chemistry by offering Chemistry Week,
a course involving twenty-five students from the general
Dublin area.
During the week we were given lectures by some of the great
lecturers in the Chemistry department in Trinity. The lectures
were really interesting as well as interactive.
My favourite part of the week was using the labs. The labs were
amazing and filled with super- expensive equipment. Thankfully
nobody broke anything! In the labs we made aspirin, soap and
tested water samples. It was definitely the best part of the week.
We also got to see what Trinity is like. We got to get lost in the
huge campus and see all the amazing facilities they have to offer
there like the Gym, Climbing Wall, Swimming pool, Sports
grounds and of course the Pavilion!
Trinity was very busy and bustling with a great atmosphere. The
week definitely encouraged me to go there when I am finished
school. Overall it was a great experience and a highlight of Fourth
Year for me.
Jenny Murphy TY 3
Page 39
Work Experience Diaries
For my Work Experience, I had the opportunity to work in St.
James’ Hospital. I am thinking of a career in the medical field
so I was interested in working in a hospital. I started my work
experience on Monday 8 November, working from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. each day. I was working in the Institute of Molecular
Medicine, which is a branch of Trinity College. The unit I was
in specialised in carrying out research into Oesophageal Cancer
and how Obesity is linked with Cancer. In fact, it is recognised
as a world leader in this research. I was based in the research
laboratories and I saw various experiments being carried out. My
supervisor was a Dutch medical student named Eric who was
working in Ireland for six months as a part of his training. I had
to wear a white lab coat and gloves, which made me feel like part
of the team. Each day I was allowed to help with experiments
and observe experiments that other Scientists were conducting.
I found them fascinating and I even got to do an experiment on
my own. It involved taking a substance called VEGF from Obesity
patients and putting it into Cancer cells to observe whether or
not it would cause them to multiply at a faster rate.
On my final day, there was an annual seminar held in the hospital
where guest speakers gave talks and there was a lot of new
technology on display. I attended one of the talks, which was
about forty five minutes long. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you
what it was about since a lot of the language was very scientific
but nevertheless it was an interesting experience. Even better, I
got lots of freebies so they were like souvenirs of my time working
there.
Again, on my last day I was very lucky because my team arranged
for me to attend an operation on a woman who had Stomach and
Liver Cancer. I had to wear full scrubs and a mask so I felt and
looked like a doctor. It was keyhole surgery so the patient was not
being cut open but I was able to observe what they were doing
inside her on a big television monitor. During the operation, I
saw the patient’s stomach and liver and the tumours on them
and where they had spread. Sadly, the doctors were unable to do
anything to help her. However, it was a unique experience for me
and something that made me feel very privileged.
I really enjoyed my Work Experience a lot. It was so interesting
and really inspiring. There are so many different aspects of
Medicine that I did not know about before and I really learned
a great deal. I am definitely considering Medicine as a career and
I am grateful for the opportunity that the Transition Year Work
Experience Programme has given me.
By Catherine Comerford TY5
Day One
Dear Diary,
Today when I woke up I was very excited
because it was the beginning of my week of
Work Experience. I was going to work in
my old primary school. The school is called
Newtownmountkennedy Primary School and
it is also where my mum works. When I got to
the school, Mum told me to go up to the Senior
school to tell the Principal Mrs Dempsey that
I had arrived. I was sent down to the Junior
school to Karen who is one of the secretaries
and with whom I would be working during
the week. One of the Special Needs Assistants
showed me how to use the photocopier and
Karen showed me how to use the phone. Soon
I was on my own, photocopying sheets
for teachers, answering the phone and
giving messages to the staff. After lunch,
one of the Junior Infants teachers asked
me to help her tidy up when the
children were gone home.
Write again tomorrow,
Sinéad.
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Page 40
New Subjects
Driving
Our language horizons were broadened this year as we
delved into our Chinese module. Not only did we learn
about the language but also gained knowledge of the
Chinese culture.
This year many of us got the opportunity to do a Driving
course with Rosemary Smith, the world famous rally
driver.
We were taught useful phrases such as how to say our name. We
also had a presentation on Chinese food. In our final class we
painted pictures in a classic Chinese style using ink. Overall, an
excellent module.
Throughout TY we continued to work in our core subjects,English, Irish, Maths and our European language. I think this year
has been a great opportunity to get a head start in preparing for
Fifth Year as we have started work on the Leaving Cert course.
This gives us a good basis to start Fifth Year, so we are prepared to
do as well as we can in the Leaving Cert.
This year we also got a taste of all the Leaving Cert subjects on
offer and we were all so glad that we got this opportunity as it
made our Leaving Cert subject choices a lot easier. Getting the
chance to experience the subjects really helped us decide which
ones we enjoyed the most and which suited us best.
Becky Lyons and Emma Doyle
I know what you’re thinking, giving a group of overly excited
sixteen year old girls cars and telling them to drive was bound to
turn out badly, right? Well, even to our surprise this really wasn’t
the case.When we arrived, the group was split into two and while
my group had a Theory class the other group went out into the
cars. Overall, each group had two Theory classes during the day.
Firstly, we learned about the different parts of the car and how
to look after them, we also learned what all the road signs mean
and did a few simple theory questions. Later we learned about the
dangers of the roads and watched old ‘safe driving’ advertisements.
Then we took a Theory test, which we all passed with flying
colours and played a few games to test our reactions. We also got
the opportunity to put on beer goggles to see how your sight is
affected once you’ve been drinking alcohol. Each student got an
hour driving in the cars. First of all, our instructor taught us a
very important part of driving…turning on the car.You wouldn’t
believe the difficulty this caused, but we soon got the hang of it
and were able to turn around corners and reverse around cones
as well as practise our parking. Although no student was injured, I
can’t say the same for the cones. When we were leaving, we each
got a booklet with application forms for Driving and Theory
tests. We were also given advice for the day when we want to get
our own car. But don’t worry parents, we were advised to get a
job and save up because owning a car isn’t cheap!
Orlaith and Laura O’ Brien.
Irish Aid Centre
During the course of the year we took part in a module
entitled Development Education. Over the following
weeks we learned about the development rates and rate
of growth of First and Third world countries and how it
varies so hugely.
Retreat
On 18 and 19 November, Transition Year students got the
chance to take part in a Retreat which was held in our
school.
This year it was held by the Net Ireland team, who were a group
of young people from America and Canada but it also included
one Irish guy.
This year’s main focus was to encourage us to pray more. The
leaders told us stories about how they had allowed prayer into
their lives and how it impacted on them. They were normal
teenagers just like us who decided to join the Net Ireland team
and I think that helped everyone to take the day more seriously
and helped us to realise how alike we all are.
We had lots of fun playing games, which helped us all to bond.
My favourite part of the day was the group talk we had, where we
got into small groups and got to talk about different things, which
we might not have wanted to discuss in the large group.
I think everyone enjoyed the day and that it was one of the many
highlights of the year.
As part of this module TY4 took a little trip to the Irish Aid
Centre in Dublin. Irish Aid’s Volunteers’ main objective is to
eliminate poverty, inequality and hunger in the world. They raise
a lot of money and are also assisted by our own government.They
have made vast improvements in the lives of many as a result.
At the Irish Aid Centre we watched a short film about a girl,
Memory, who lives in Malawi. The film showed us her typical
day and how she has benefited so much from Irish Aid who have
been able o provide her and her village with education. After
the film we had a brief talk about Malawi and we were shown
pictures of their lifestyle and typical foods including a scrummy
picture of a bowl of fried caterpillars – mouth watering stuff.
To end the day we played a game together to show us how the
people of Malawi live and how they must make choices about
buying farming equipment and crops very wisely. Some of us got
very into the game and went into a huff when our leader for the
day took my corn crop. But we won’t dwell on that.
Everyone agreed the trip was very enjoyable and it was great to
see the positive effect the work of Irish Aid has on the lives of so
many. It gives us hope that out volunteering and money-raising
can build a better life.
Page 41
Career Focus In Transition
Year
“Heads up” Mental
Health Talk
Earlier in the year, all TY students attended a Careers
Exhibition in Arklow. There were plenty of stands around
the room representing all the third-level colleges in
Dublin and ones across the country.
On 7 April 2011, Fifth Years and Fourth Years, Second
and First Years attended a talk on our mental health given
by a woman called Caroline.
We were given time to roam amongst the stands and gather
information about the courses available in each college.That gave
us a valuable insight into what subjects we would be required to
study for the Leaving Certificate in order to gain entry into our
chosen courses.
There were many courses we had previously been unaware of –
Zoology, for example – and this exhibition opened our eyes to
the wide variety of careers waiting for us in later life.
In January, TY students went to the Aviva Stadium for the ‘2011
Choices Exhibition’. We got the chance to talk to people from
various colleges around Ireland and another chance to look at the
variety of careers out there.
It was a very interesting outing and we all came away with even
more college and career choices.
Page 42
She talked to us about the new ‘Heads up’ website which is a
new initiative in Ireland to help teens and young people between
fifteen and twenty-one to acquire helpline numbers and websites
if they are having difficulties with exam stress, family problems
or indeed are struggling with life issues. The talk was very
informative and it is reassuring for young people to know there
is help out there and someone for them to talk to when they
struggle with life.
As a treat afterwards, we had a gig in the Concert Hall from an up
and coming new band called ‘Keywest’, who are a five piece male
rock band. All the girls screamed their lungs out and cheered for
them. They were a brilliant band who played a mix of their own
songs and covers of others. It was an exclusive gig that all the girls
enjoyed and not just for the music!
Emily Duffy, Emma Flanagan and Lauren Kearnes.
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Page 43
Class 510
Class 5BR
Page 44
Class 5GR
Class 530
Page 45
Monitors
Page 46
d
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a
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t
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Visit by Austrian Students
Forty Austrian students visited our school. They came
from the southeast of Austria and were a mixture of girls
and boys. My class got two chances to speak to them and
we basically chatted with them in English and German.
Although it was very awkward at first, we eventually all got
talking about music and, of course, school. It turned out that
their school was also a Mary Ward school, which I thought was
really strange as I had believed that all her schools were all-girls
schools, but apparently not! We also discovered that even though
we tried speaking German, they didn’t understand half of what
we were saying as they had a slightly different dialect, so we
ended up mostly speaking in English, which they were very good
at and could speak a lot better than we could German! Overall
I though it was a great experience and I’d happily do it all over
again. We found out a lot about life in Austria and Germany and
how different, yet similar, we are to both countries.
First Year Trip to Wexford
During May, we First Years visited Courtown in Co.
Wexford. Our brilliant teachers organised the day for us.
At around 8 a.m. in the morning we all crowded into buses
that would soon arrive in Wexford, laden with cameras and most
importantly, food.
When we actually arrived in Courtown, we went into Pirate’s
Cove where we played mini-golf on the authentic looking
course. We also went bowling indoors where we took this time
to eat lots!
After, we went for a leisurely stroll on the beach, where we rolled
in sand dunes, wrote our names in the sand and posed for pictures
with our English teacher.
Next, we all got into the bus to go to the National Heritage
Centre. Here we ate more food, including the ham they made us
in their Fulacht Fia, we watched DVD’s about Ireland’s history
and of course, walked around the park itself, where some of
us, decided to eat flowers that aren’t edible. We survived!. After
running around in reconstructed monasteries and houses made
of wattle and daub and roaming in ring forts, we were all pretty
exhausted as we reluctantly boarded our buses to return to school.
That night everyone slept well partly from exhaustion and partly
from having a full stomach to sleep on, due to the sheer amount
of food that was eaten on the day.
Bhaineamar idir taitneamh agus tairbhe as ár dturas
Page 47
Loreto Girls Visit China
Over the next day we had a great time, we visited the Olympic
Stadium where it turned out we were the major tourist
attraction…lots of Chinese visitors to the Stadium wanted to
take pictures with the “foreign” girls. We also dropped into the
Great Wall Learning Centre where we had a lesson in Chinese
calligraphy.
On Wednesday we were back in the Great Wall Learning Centre,
this time we were learning about shopping in the markets in
Beijing. We had a great time practicing buying random things
belonging to the people who worked there, someone even
managed to “buy” a handbag complete with contents, including
a mobile phone!!
It was a Sunday morning last September and I was putting on my
school uniform…weird!! Our Chinese Class was heading into
UCD to perform a song to celebrate the visit of Li Chang Chun,
an important Chinese government official. We had no idea that
morning what that performance would lead to.
It was November and we were busy rehearsing for the school
Musical when we got the news…we had all been invited to
travel to China and perform in the Confucius Institute Gala,
representing our school and our country. We had been invited
specially by Li Chang Chun because he liked our performance
that morning in UCD.The best news was…we didn’t have to pay
for anything.
And then, the big news, we were back in the Show- so we headed
back to the hotel, packed up our stuff and moved to the hotel
where the rehearsals for the Gala were taking place. After that it
was a whirl of rehearsing and recording (they weren’t taking any
chances, all the performances were pre-recorded in a recording
studio). We were in the recording studio until midnight and the
long hours combined with our jet lag meant we were all asleep in
the waiting area at one stage.
The rehearsals were really fun, we met lots of young people from
other countries, including some girls from Kenya who recognised
our Loreto crests since they were Loreto Girls too! Turns out our
uniform is nearly the same as theirs. Performing in the show was a bit
nerve wracking, it was being broadcast to millions of people in China
but it went well and Li Chang Chun looked very pleased with us.
The next couple of weeks were really busy, rehearsing for the
Musical and for our performance in China - and the weather
didn’t help. It was during the snow and some days we had to walk
to school to rehearse our songs. But it was so worth it.
It was really strange on the last night of the Musical knowing
that we had to go home and get some sleep because early the
next morning we were heading to China! Luckily the snow had
thawed a little and we had no problems getting to the airport
and unusually these days, none of our flights were delayed so
we arrived in China late on Sunday night or, actually, Monday
morning…By that stage we really didn’t know what time it was
between the long journey and the change in time.
We had heard on the plane that, because we had had to wait until
our Musical with Pres. was over before travelling, we would not
be there for long enough to rehearse for the Gala and so we were
now just going on holiday. This meant we would be staying in a
different hotel which was older than and not as nice as the one
we had been expecting to stay at. Still it was China and we were
so excited to be there.
Page 48
With the show over, we were back to being tourists in this amazing
country. We saw things we’d never dreamed we’d really see…like
the Great Wall of China (which was amazing but exhausting and
some of us only made it half way up), the Forbidden City, the
Summer Palace and Tianamen Square.
But for some of us the real highlight was the Beijing Markets.
We literally shopped till we dropped and even managed to find
a stallholder who spoke some Irish – the last thing we expected
in the middle of Beijing. We also discovered that you’d want to
be very careful negotiating with Lucy Curham – there’s lots of
Chinese stall holders who found that out the hard way. We had
suitcases full of bargains when we headed back to the airport
and eventually home. We were exhausted but we had had an
absolutely unique and brilliant experience and we’ll never forget
the things we saw, the people we met, the experience of taking
part in such a big event, how nice Madame Daly and Miss Carey
were and most especially the chats and the great times we all had
together. I would go back in a heartbeat.
Third Year Trip to Armagh
Fifth Year Paris Trip
The trip to Armagh came as a relief after a stressful two
weeks of Mock exams. We all gathered at the school on a
Friday to board buses full of friends to see the Armagh
Planetarium. As always, the buses were full of energy and
noise and as we set off, there was an excited atmosphere
aboard.
The buses stopped at Drogheda and we were allowed half an hour
to get a bite to eat, shop and, of coarse, see the famous head of
Saint Oliver Plunkett. Hoards of people entered the church to see
the head and came out with varying impressions and opinions of
it. After a look around the shops, we strolled back to the buses to
head for Armagh.
After many long, winding country roads, we arrived at the
Planetarium. Split up into two groups, one entered what looked
like a cinema, only to find that the seats reclined to reveal a vast
dome-shaped ceiling that transformed into a entrancing night
sky.
The woman giving us the lecture pointed out all the different
constellations as well as teaching us their history in Greek and
Roman mythology. We also learned about individual stars – the
biggest , the smallest and the brightest. We received a surprise at
the end as a rollercoaster simulator came over the ceiling and
everyone was fixated on how realistic it was. But, of coarse, the
lecture on the night sky and its sheer beauty was the highlight
of the trip.
As the second group entered the dome-shaped room, it was our
turn to build rockets! Split up into groups of four, we constructed
rockets out of bottles, rocks, bags of sand, water and elaborately
decorated triangles of card to act as wings. As we walked outside
to launch them, we noticed an unfamiliar contraption; the rocket
launcher. It launched them, one by one, into the field in front
of us. We collected our bits of rocket from the field then we
gathered inside.
As the second group finished their lecture, we were immersed
in exhibitions that were displayed all over the Planetarium. After
that, many sat in the restaurant to have a bite to eat, many visited
the gift shop to buy a novelty keyring and many visited more
exhibitions all over the Planetarium.
As we left to get on the bus, the overall response was a positive
one and the experience was enjoyed by all. We were grateful
when Ms. McCarthy gave us all a memento of the day; an
Armagh Planetarium pencil. It was no surprise to see everyone
using the same pencil when we went back to school after the
midterm.
In March 2011, seventy Fifth Year students were “Together
in Paris!” The journey began on 16 March at the unholy
hour of 3.15 am. Over the course of the next four days,
we visited everything there was to see, using the Metro, a
double decker bus driven by trusty Johann and our own
two feet as transport.
Every minute was jam-packed and of course filled with laughter.
We scrambled through the Louvre attempting to find the Mona
Lisa and ran up the Champs Elysées with Charlotte and Isabelle
stopping for a quick dance along the way. Paris impressed
everyone at night and the views of the Eiffel Tower sparkling
were beautiful.
At Sacré Coeur we experienced being called “Lady Gaga” by
the ambitious souvenir sellers. This was as much a highlight as
seeing the famous Basilica. At the enormous shopping centre
in La Defense, some of us spent our money on French Fashions.
However when we hit Disneyland one of our party spent E200
on Disney paraphernalia. The Queen of Disney shall remain
unnamed.
Versailles, Notre Dame and the Bateau Mouches we all graced
with our presence and Isabelle’s cries of ‘Together in Paris!” The
trip was fantastic and nous nous sommes très bien amusées!
By Jenny Galligan.
We stopped off at Armagh city to eat, shop and have some fun.
After the group pictures were taken, we set off to have a wander
around the city. The vast range of shops and places to eat was
surprising and an enjoyable experience was had by all.
As we headed home and as everyone was comparing their
purchases, the chatter and noise was considerably lower than
on the way and the atmosphere was very positive as everyone
commented on how much they enjoyed the trip.
After a short stop off, we arrived back to the school after a
long day and everyone was relieved to get home. I’m sure I am
speaking on behalf of every person on that trip when I thank all
the teachers who came and of course, our beloved Year Head, Ms
McCarthy.
Page 49
Career Guidance
Sixth Year students have a lot of decisions to make. They
have to make plans for the next stage of their lives. This
is an exciting time with so many possibilities available to
them. Throughout Sixth Year the girls of 2011 had weekly
Careers classes and made individual appointments to
discuss their options. This was a process for most students,
a process of shortlisting courses and learning as much as
they could about these courses. The girls had to assess
their capabilities and plan accordingly.
Career Guidance is available for all Senior cycle students, and in
particular for the Sixth Year students.Various deadlines have to be
met and applications made for chosen courses and careers. These
decisions are made after researching the many possibilities open
to them. The class of 2011 are now settled into their new courses
and enjoying college life. During the first term in school, the focus
was on becoming familiar with courses, checking requirements
including points, attending college open days and narrowing
down the possibilities. In early November the CAO opened for
applications. Applications were accessible to the students until
February first. Thus courses could be added, deleted or reordered
as often as required during this time. This was a great help to
students and allowed for continual decision making during this
period. This feature was closed for three months from February
first to May first. Students had access again to their applications
for the two months of May and June, and during this time they
could change their course choices as many times as they wish for
no extra cost. The important thing about this system is to apply
for courses in genuine order of preference, and the fact that this is
possible up until 1 July gives students the time to think carefully
about this.
The HEAR scheme was introduced for all CAO applicants a
couple of years ago. HEAR stands for Higher Education Access
Route. This scheme is an access scheme for students, to enable
eligible students to have access to CAO courses at below
minimum points. There are certain criteria that the students
must meet to be eligible for the scheme. The factors included
are; financial, social and cultural indicators. Details of the scheme
are on the CAO website. The students can get help with this in
school if required. Likewise there is information on the |DARE
scheme which also gives access to students to courses at below
minimum points. DARE stands for Disability Access Route to
Education. Supplementary forms for both of these schemes are
available on the CAO application form.
Many of the students
applied for courses in
Further
Education.
These are offered by the
PLC colleges. There is a
wide variety of Further
Education courses, in
areas such as Art and
Design, Childcare, Social
Care, Drama, Dance, Pre
Nursing, Animal Care,
Sport, Business, Media, the
Therapies,
Information
Technology and Tourism.
Applications are made to
each college separately and
Page 50
places are offered on a first come, first -served basis, subject to
interview. Applications are accepted usually from January until
September provided places are available. It is a good idea to
apply as early as possible with this system to guarantee a place,
particularly on the most popular courses. FETAC certify many of
the courses. There are also courses from other awarding bodies in
PLC colleges also. There is access from FETAC courses to some
Higher Education courses through the Higher Education Links
Scheme. Places are limited and students need to achieve high
results in their FETAC courses to obtain places.
As always our students attended some career events throughout
the year. In September Sixth Years attended the Higher Options
Conference in the RDS. This conference is a good start to the
year for the students as it features most of the Irish colleges and
many of the UK colleges and also some European colleges. They
have the opportunity to gather up to date college material in
preparation for their college applications. Speakers came from
many colleges to give talks to the students on the courses in their
colleges. The major colleges in the CAO gave talks as did the
most popular PLC colleges. Fifth Year students had a campus tour
of UCD in March, where they were shown around the college
in small groups and also attended a presentation on the college.
There was a question and answer session for them. This visit gave
them the chance to see the college and to have the experience
of college on a normal day. The students in Transition Year who
have an interest in the Healthcare careers had the opportunity to
attend a seminar in St. Vincent’s Hospital in October. This was
appreciated by all who attended.
The class of 2011 have now embarked on the next stage of their
lives. They are represented in so many career areas, in so many
different colleges and at different levels of courses. There are
students in courses such as Art, Science, Business, Accounting,
Public Relations, Sound Engineering, Communications, Nursing,
Childcare, Computer Science, Teaching, Medicine, Occupational
Therapy, Arts, Engineering, Psychology, Montessori, Hospitality,
Fashion, Social Care, Radiography, Music, Dance, Nutrition, Sport,
Animal Care, Languages, Beauty Therapy, Office Management
and other course areas. Some students have taken a year out, and
some are repeating the Leaving Certificate to gain higher points.
We wish them good luck to them for next year.
Ingrid O’Connor, Guidance Counsellor
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Class 613 LVCP
Page 51
Class 633
Class 634
Page 52
Class 635
Class 636
Page 53
Senior Prefects
Head Girl and Deputies
Page 54
Special Duty Prefects
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Our Golfing Champion
I joined Bray Golf Club as a Junior member in 2006 but
didn’t participate in competitions until 2007. Initially I
had a handicap of thirty-six in 2007 but now play off a
handicap of nine.
From the start, I have been coached by Ciaran Carroll and am
extremely grateful to him for his tuition, advice and support.
Last year was a very good year for me, as I was invited to represent
my club and we won the Eastern District Junior Foursomes cup
and went on to participate in the All Ireland final where we were
beaten in the semi-final by the West. I also won ‘Golfer of the
Year’ in the ladies section of my club. This year I also won two
Opens and now hold the lowest handicap in the Ladies section
of the club.
I hope to pursue a career in Golf after completing my education
in Loreto Bray.
Megan Jackson
In September 2010, J. P McManus welcomed one hundred and
twenty five recipients of his 2010 Awards at the University of
Limerick, among those recipients was our own Megan Jackson.
Megan is from Co. Wicklow, and lives with her parents, Paul
and Sheila, and her younger sister Abbie. She attended Loreto
Secondary School Bray where she felt she really blossomed into
the person she is today. When she found out that she had won an
All Ireland Scholarship, she was completely shocked, having never
expected to receive one. She was delighted and proud that she
had merited such an honour.
Megan is now an Irish Studies student at Trinity College Dublin.
Here, she looks forward to perfecting the language and hopes to
inspire a love of the language in others. She loves to read, write
and act, and was actively involved in her school’s Drama Club,
acting in several plays and writing and directing two of her own.
She was also very proud to be nominated for the Student of the
Year award in Loreto. In her spare time, Megan loves to spend
time with her family, and is forever grateful to them for always
encouraging her. She wouldn’t be where she is today without
them.
Page 55
Our Tae kwon-do
Champion
Our Kickboxing
Champion
I began Tae kwon-do at the age of eight. I have been training
in Tae kwon-do for six years. I train in St. Killian’s hall in Bray
on Friday nights and in Newtownmountkennedy during the
week. In order to achieve my black belt, I have competed in
competitions throughout Ireland. I have also worked my way up
through the grades. I train with Mr. James Whelan in Bray and
Mr. Michael Whelan in Newtownmountkennedy. These men are
both coaches with East Coast Tae kwon do.
Jessica is another of Loreto’s outstanding sportswomen. A chance
leaflet four years ago introduced Jessica to the sport of kickboxing
and to her coach/tutor Massan Ghorbam.
Our Academic All Stars
Clare Hill
Clare has been awarded a
UCD College of Business
and Law Scholarship.
Claire Kane
We have received notice
that Claire has been awarded
an Entrance Scholarship
to NUI Maynooth valued
E1,000.00 for Froebel.
Page 56
Her progress over the last few years has been quite remarkable.To
date her achievements include; World Kickboxing Champion at
both Under 16 and Under 18 levels. Well done Jessica!
Our Trampolining
Champion
Another of our all Ireland champions is Sarah Burke who is
expert in the sport of Trampolining.
Having cut her teeth at Gymnastics, Sarah became involved
in Trampolining four years ago, learning to jump and do
choreographed routines guided by her coach Les Culliton.
Among Sarah’s achievements is the Under 16 All Ireland
Trampolining title. Well done Sarah!
Au revoir
In August 2011, Loreto Bray bade farewell to Ms. Catherine
Donagh, Principal of our school and former Maths/Computer
teacher and to Ms. Ann Cusack also of the Maths Department.
These two inspirational educators contributed so much to the
whole community of Loreto during their many years of dedicated
service to the school.
Catherine arrived in Loreto Bray in September 1976 and quickly
established her reputation as an excellent Maths teacher, whose
patient, committed tuition allowed so many Loreto students to
achieve their potential in the field of Maths. She also pioneered
the teaching of computers in Irish schools. Furthermore, together
with Ms.Colette McCarthy, she was deeply involved in preparing
students for the Concern debating competitions with remarkable
success.
Upon the secondment of Mr. Michael Denny to the Loreto
Education Office, Catherine assumed the role of Principal
and brought to it an energy, enthusiasm and commitment that
greatly enhanced the school. She had a wonderful relationship
with students, parents and staff. Her tenure as Principal saw the
completion of the long awaited Sports Hall. Catherine oversaw
the introduction of interactive whiteboards and internet access
in virtually every classroom in Loreto. As a person, she was
unfailingly warm and pleasant and her calm composure and
wisdom will be greatly missed.
Ms. Ann Cusack was redeployed to Loreto Bray following the
closure of the Dominican Convent in Dún Laoghaire in 1989.
Very quickly Ann established herself in Loreto and became
renowned as a wonderful teacher.
Student presentation to Ms. Catherine Donagh
Always calm, reasonable, measured and possessing a dry wit, Ann
endeared herself to students and colleagues alike and everyone is
saddened to see such a wonderful educator retire.
However, as we bid farewell to Catherine and Ann, we thank
them both for their enormous contribution to our school and as
they now embark on a new stage of life’s journey, we wish them
health and happiness.
Gura fada buan sibh agus bainigí taitneamh as an ré nua atá
romhaibh amach.
Ms Ann Cusack and Ms Catherine Donagh
Page 57
LCVP Students of the Year
Sixth Year Award Winners
5th Year LCVP
student of the year
Six years without
missing a day
Trinity Entrance
Exhibition Award Winners
Academic Student of Year
Page 58
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The following students were awarded medals for their academic success in school.
They came first overall in their form class.
Sixth Year Academic Award Winners
SubjectName
Accounting
Grace Kavanagh, Leanne Perry
Applied Maths
Niamh Nolan, Isa Russell and Hailey Tanner
Art
Ciara Gallagher
Biology
Samantha Gillooly
Business
Eimear O’Neill
Chemistry
Katie Hinchin
Economics
Katie Hinchin
English
Ciara Gallagher
French
Jenny Duffy
Geography
Sarah Martin
German
Alaa Baky
History
Alaa Baky
Home Economics
Alaa Baky
Irish
Alaa Baky
Link Modules
Michelle Roe
Maths
Ciara Gallagher and Eimear O’Neill
Music
Val Markey
Physics
Kassie Czerwinska
Spanish
Shona Byrne
Sixth Year Graduation 2011 – Special Award Winners
Sports Student of the Year
Culture Student of the Year
Academic Student of the Year
LCVP Student of the Year
Student of the Year –
Sister Kathleen Smith Award
Celina O’Toole
Laura Davenport
Alaa Baky
Alison Fitzsimons and Aisling Lawlor
Alaa Baky
Page 59
Fifth Year Academic Award Winners
SubjectName
Accounting
Lauren Tynan
Applied Maths
Ailish Muldoon
Art
Leanne Ledwidge,
Orla Moore, Siobhán Flynn
Biology
Éireann O’Sullivan
Business
Emma Flanagan
Chemistry
Gemma L. Dunne
Economics
Orla Caffrey
English
Aisling Long
French
Joy Sparkes
Geography
Rachel Duffy
German
Ciara Duffy
History
Lauren Tynan
Home Economics
Sarah Brennan
Irish
Jenny Galligan
Link Modules
Ellen Ryan
Maths
Ailish Muldoon
Music
Aisling Long
Physics
Joy Sparkes
Religious Education
Aisling Long
Spanish
Éireann O’Sullivan
Outstanding Junior Certificate Results
Sarah O’Sullivan and Maeve Madigan
First Year
Second Year
Third Year
101 Alanna Brunton
102 Emer Curtin
103 Aimee Sheehan
108 Suzi Burns
109 Natalie Kavanagh
204
205
206
232
238
307 Rachel Dunwoody
331 Ewa Ostapczuk
339 Alison Clarke
3MR Rachel Blanckensee
3 St. Cecilia’s
Aisling Reidy
Page 60
Laura O’Briain
Niamh O’Brian
Sophie Connolly
Sara Lannin
Carolin Laoide-Kemp
& Aoife Shortt
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Ms. M. Ashall
Ms. S. Bambrick
Ms. C. Behan
Mr. B. Bennett
Ms. D. Buttanshaw
Ms. D. Byrne
Ms. L. Byrne
Ms. E. Carey
Ms. F. Carvill
Ms. M. Clarke
Ms. M. Cotter
Ms. C. Cunnane
Ms. R. Cunningham
Ms. A. Cusack
Mme. A. Daly
Ms. M. Dignan
Ms. S. Dilleen
Ms. A. Dilley
Ms. C. Donagh - Principal
Ms. M. Dunne
Ms. H. Fagan
Mr. C. Farrell
Sra. M. Fernandez
Ms. A. Fitzsimmons
Ms. E. Gilligan
Ms. F. Gleeson
Ms. M. Hennessey
Ms. N. Hennessy
Ms. E. Hennigan/Ms. A. O’Sullivan
Ms. B. Hough
Ms. E. Hughes
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Ms. I. Keogh
Ms. L. Keogh
Ms. L. Kiely
Ms. S. Kissane
Mr. K. Lowther
Ms. M. Lynch
Ms. L. Mahon/Ms. M. McAndrew
Ms. F. Mantle
Ms. A. McCarthy
Ms. C. McCarthy
Ms. D. McDonnell
Ms. N. McGuirk
Ms. M. Moloney
Ms. M. Mooney
Ms. J. Moore
Ms. M. Muldowney
Ms L. Murphy/Ms. H. Masterson
Sr. Phil Murphy
Ms. I. O’Connor
Ms. N. O’Dwyer
Ms. N. O’Hagan
Ms. M. O’Toole
Ms. A. Redmond
Ms. M. Scott
Ms. C. Swinburn
Ms. J. Tobin
Ms. S. Traynor-Byrne
D. Bean. Uí Leidhin
Mr. T.Villiers
Ms. M. Wainwright – Deputy Principal
Ms. A. Walsh
Ms. C. Walsh
Ms. N. Williams
Page 61
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Page 62
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contents - Loreto Secondary School Bray

Transcription

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