Summer Newsletter

Summer Newsletter June 2013

Enrolment: Current enrolment: 365 pupils. Staff: 19 teachers, 1.5 SNA’s.

Board of Management: Thanks to the BOM Members, Frank Moran, Tom Conway, Martina Comerford, Mairead Cullivan, Paula McGuigan, Aileen O’Toole and Margaret Murphy, who are extremely supportive of Scoil Maelruain and have been kept busy this year.

Croke Park Agreement

• The teaching staff completed the thirty six hours, as agreed under the Croke Park Agreement. They were used for staff meetings, curriculum planning and professional development. This was done with the approval of the Board of Management.

Religion

• Confirmation took place on Friday June 7^th in St Martin’s Church. Bishop Eamonn Walsh presided assisted by Rev. David Brough. The children were very well prepared by their teachers. The choir, conducted by Ms. Margaret Murphy and accompanied by Ms. Noelle Biesty, were fabulous. A wonderful day had by all.

School Completion Programme (SCP)

• During the year the SCP has funded the Drama Teacher, Homework Club, Counselling Services, sports coaching. a mentoring program and attendance tracking. We are very grateful to Rosanne Kavanagh and Deirdre Dunne for the fantastic support they give to our school.

Parents

We are very appreciative of all the support given to the school by various parent groups:

• Our Parents’ Association have been very active this year. They arranged an information evening on internet safety which was well attended. The Confirmation Breakfast was a great success. Sixth class children, parents, teachers and Bernard had a great night at the sixth class disco in the School Hall on Friday June 21^st. The PA subsidised Music in the Classroom and the sixth class cycling course, paid for buses to Croke Park and Santry, donated money towards the purchase of a new literacy scheme and hired Buzzworx, a theatre company that staged shows for our fifth and sixth classes dealing with cyberbullying. Many thanks for your wonderful support.
• Thanks to the Lotto Committee who work tirelessly raising funds for the Junior and Senior Schools.

• We are thankful to the volunteers who organise the library and provide a great service to all the pupils of Scoil Maelruain.

Green School

• Ms. McHugh and her Green Committee have had a busy year recycling clothes, batteries, stamps and mobile phones. The children collected over 250 mobile phones and were successful in acquiring a defibrillator for the school. Well done! They also encourage children to walk or cycle to school. All their hard work was rewarded with a lovely breakfast laid on by Ms. McHugh who was ably assisted by other members of staff.
• Children were also involved in cleaning up and weeding the school gardens prior to the Confirmation.

Seachtain na Gaeilge

• We held a very successful, fun filled Seachtain na Gaeilge from March 11^th – March 15^th. There was bingo as gaeilge, quizzes and art competitions. A theatre group performed The Salmon of Knowledge in the halla for the whole school. The children enjoyed the activities and made a great effort!!

Talent Show:

• The Talent Show was excellent. Ray Scully a contestant in the Voice of Ireland and a former pupil, opened proceedings with a few songs. Children from fifth and sixth classes entertained the whole school with their acts. The standard was very high. Megan Buggy Phillips came first singing On My Own from Les Miserables. The Illuminators – Siobhan Byrne and Victoria Babalola won second prize with an amazing dance routine. In third place was Sophie Kelly singing Beautiful. Louise Redmond and Nicole Cusack came fourth. Thanks To Ms. McHugh and her class for organising the show.

Write a Book Project:

• Congratulations to six budding authors, Layton Smith, Ansar Alenizy, Hannah Gilson, Hajer Alenizy, Christopher Kelly and Louise Redmond, who received awards for their prize winning entries in the Write – A- Book project run by the local education centre. We’re very proud of all the children who took part in this competition.

Credit Union Quiz:

• Well done to all children who participated in The Credit Union Quiz. Congratulations to Joulee Zaki, Ben Ryan, Adam Kadi and Conor Jackson who won the Dan McCabe Cup and Ben Noctor, Ben Murray, Scott Leigh and Daniel McCarthy who won the Fr. Pious Doherty Cup. Both teams came second at district level. Thanks to Ms. J. Walsh.

Chess:

• Congratulations to Mr. Lucas and his chess team who came second in their group and were narrowly beaten in the semi final of the shield. Fourteen local schools were involved in the competition. James Ryan, Josh Dunne, Cian McEvoy, Bianca Nistor, Dale Lyons, Sean Brownlee, Daniel Hanway, Edward Vatrici and Fiun Boyle played on the team. Well Done!

Sport

Camogie:

• Congratulations to the camogie team who defeated Scoil Naomh Mearnog in the final of the Corn Olly Quinlan in Croke Park. They were cheered on by the entire school. Thanks to their coach Paula McGuigan and manager Ms. Carty. The team included: Chloe Clinton, Siobhan Byrne, Ailbhe Carey, Destiny Ogbonna, Victoria Babalola, Tammy Corbally Quinn, Ashling Tyrell, Orlagh McGuigan, Kerri Owens McGinty, Georgia Plowman, Holly Byrne, Nicole Conway, Emma Irvin, Gillian Cowser, Aoife Landers, Lilith Rose Brownlee Kenny, Bianca and Beatrice Nistor, Chloe Bland, Louise Redmond, Nicole Cusack and Sarah Harte. Well done girls!!!

Hurling:

• Thanks to Mr. Moore and Mr. O’Neill who organised and managed the Senior and Junior hurling teams this year. The Senior team reached the quarter final of the Corn Aghais competition and were beaten by only two points in a brilliant game of hurling in the Phoenix Park. The boys kept on fighting to the bitter end. The Juniors did very well in their league. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of Mr. Moore and Mr. O’Neill the standard of hurling really improved over the year.

Athletics:

• Well done to all the boys and girls who trained so hard and proudly represented Scoil Maelruain in Santry Sports this year. Despite being in the first division and facing stiff competition Joshua Costa won a gold medal, Hannah Manning won silver and Okoko Ogbe won a bronze medal in the hurdles. Our under twelve and a half boys relay team, Okoko Ogbe, Joshua Monahan, Evan Carey, Ben Voka and Philip Omissore also won medals. Congratulations to all the competitors and subs and thanks to Ms. J. Walsh and Ms. J. O’Reilly who worked so hard training the boys and girls. A special word of thanks to Mr. Corcoran who helped out. A great day was enjoyed by all the athletes in Morton Stadium.

Basketball:

• It has been a very successful year for our basketball teams. For the first year ever 5^th classes were trained after school and they really enjoyed it. They competed in a south Dublin tournament at the end of the year, and had great success with the boys coming third – a great achievement. Our 6^th class team trained hard all year long and took part in a local league and three tournaments. They were a very committed team – turning up for every training session and their dedication paid off. The girls came third in the South Dublin tournament. Well done to Ms. F. Callaly, Ms. M. Flood and Ms. J. O’Reilly who gave up their free time to train these teams. Thanks also to those parents who helped out with lifts throughout the year.

School Sports Day:

• Our School Sports Day was held on Friday June 21^st. It was a very enjoyable day. Thanks to our past pupils who helped on the day.

Various Achievements:

• Congratulations to Niamh Donovan Boland who is on the Irish National Gymastic Squad for the 2020 Olympics.
• Well done to Leanne Mulhall who won an art competition run in conjunction with the Tallaght Person of the Year Award.

• Congratulations to Mileaha McCarton who qualified for the Irish Dancing World Championship.

Rainbows

• An after school rainbows group was held on Tuesdays. This club supports children coping with loss. Seven of our teachers have been trained by Rainbows. Thanks to Ms. S. Murphy, Ms. F. Callaly and Ms. N. Biesty who ran the group this term.

Amnesty International:

• Ms. S. Murphy and Ms. A. Carty participated in the Amnesty Friendship Program. Children learnt about injustices across the world and raised over seven hundred euro selling wristbands.

Comenius project:

• Children and teachers are in contact with their peers in other countries. Ms. M. Murphy, Ms. N. Biesty and Ms. J O’Reilly travelled to Finland and had first hand experience of their education system. Ms. Calally, Mr. O’Neill and Ms. Flood travelled to Wales. This project will continue next year.

On behalf of all in Scoil Maelruain I’d like to wish our sixth class pupils every success in the future. It was a pleasure having them in our school and I am confident that they will have bright futures. We hope they will look back on their time in Scoil Maelruain with fond memories.

A sincere thanks to all the teachers and ancillary staff who work tirelessly all year to make Scoil Maelruain the school it is.

Best Wishes to Ms. Scully who is getting married in July.

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday.

School reopens on Thursday August 29^th .

Congratulations to Emily Whelan, a student in fifth class, whose poem Famine was printed in The Echo.

She sits and waits for tomorrow,

Hoping her hunger will end,

She huddles into her child

And blows upon his head.

He has become quiet

And is staying completely still

She now knows that her son

Is safe above the hills.

She sits in a field

With no strength to cry,

Her skin is getting cold,

She is closing her eyes.

She can see her son clearly,

She is not in the field,

She will be forever with her son

In the place above the hills.

By Emily Whelan

The newsletter was compiled by Deirdre O’ Reilly