Leaving Certificate Results
The Board of Management, Parents’ Council and staff of Ard Scoil na nDéise would like to extend their heartfelt congratulations to the Leaving Certificate class of 2018 who received their Leaving Certificate results on Wednesday 15th August. Thank you to the Sisters of Mercy for keeping the girls in their prayers in recent months. The support of the sisters was greatly appreciated in the stressful weeks coming up to the exams. We are so proud of the girls and the excellent results that they achieved. It is wonderful to see all of the hard work pay off as our class of 2018 moves on now to start the next chapter of their lives. We wish them every success in their future endeavours and we look forward to hearing of their successes and achievements. Well done girls!!!!
Eagerly awaiting the Leaving Certificate Results!
Heartfelt congratulations to the Ard Scoil na nDeise Leaving Certificate Class of 2018
Well done girls. We are so proud of you!
Congratulations to Tirna Connors on becoming World Champion in Karate
Tirna with her gold medal and bronze medal. Well done Tirna!
Sixth Year student Tirna Connors has had an amazing summer competing in the World Karate Championships in Scotland. We are so proud of her and it is truly inspirational to see how she manages to balance school and sport. Here is what she has to say about taking part in this event.
In June, I travelled to Dundee Scotland with the Pat Rocket Kickboxing and Karate Academy to compete in the highest level of competition, the WUKF World Karate Championships which consisted of 1,500 competitors from all over the world. Before the competition it was very challenging to balance school work and training but I managed it with the help of my teachers and coach. I started karate at the age of seven and after winning the European Championships twice my next aim was to try and win the World Championships. I knew this would be a massive challenge as many countries that compete there put in months of training just for this competition. In June I achieved this by being crowned world champion for fighting and also receiving a bronze medal for team fighting. Now I feel it’s time for me to put my head down and focus on my leaving cert and I can do this easily due to the fact I have achieved my dreams in karate.
Parents’ Council Presentation to the Board of Management of Ard Scoil na nDéise.
The Board of Management, staff, and students of Ard Scoil na nDéise would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Parents’ Council for all their hard work and dedication to the school throughout the years, and in particular during the 2017/2018 academic year.
Members of the Parents’ Council making a presentation to the Board of Management of Ard Scoil na nDeise.
We are very fortunate to have the support of a phenomenal group of parents who work tirelessly to support the Ard Scoil. We truly view them as our partners throughout their daughters’ educational journey and we value their contribution to school life. Last June, the Board of Management and the Parents’ Council came together in the Park Hotel for their annual dinner. This annual get together provides an opportunity for the Board of Management to express their gratitude for all that the Parents’ Council does to support us throughout the year.
This year, the Parents’ Council presented the Board with a cheque for thirty thousand euro which went straight back into upgrading the school facilities for our students. This summer we refurbished the top corridor of the Senior Building, refurbished the Prayer Room, painted the Senior Hall, bought new lockers for Third Years and Fifth Years, bought new desks and chairs for several classrooms, upgraded our lunchtime facilities, replaced blinds in classrooms, and invested in resources to aid teaching and learning in subject departments. We are absolutely delighted with what has been achieved and we are very much looking forward to welcoming prospective students and their parents to out Open Night on Thursday, 25th October where they will be able to see first-hand how we are working to improve facilities our students.
Ard Scoil na nDéise students volunteer at the Papal Mass
Students and Teachers from Ard Scoil na nDeise taking their places to volunteer at the Papal Mass
Recently we volunteered to steward at the World Meeting of Families, the Papal Mass. We left Dungarvan bright and early on the Saturday morning, we were very nervous as we didn’t know what to expect. We arrived at our host school shortly after 1pm. We were hosted by St Joseph’s school in Lucan. We were happily greeted by students and teachers. Sister Concepta welcomed all the volunteers in an opening ceremony, we then received a special souvenirs kindly provided by the Sisters of Mercy and Presentation Sisters.
Before we left to go to our training at Phoenix Park we attended a short mass at a local church. At Phoenix Park we received the last of our training and were given the uniforms and ID Badges we would be wearing on the day of the Papal Mass. We went back to the school where we received dinner and had an early night.
Sunday morning we had a very early start, 4:30 a.m. After a long walk in the rain we arrived at our station in Phoenix Park. It was now about 6:30 a.m. The mass wasn’t starting until 3 p.m. however the entertainment started at 11 a.m. As volunteers, we had to help the public find their area to stand, but at the last minute we were moved and were allocated to the VIP area, we assisted Monsignors, Bishops and Cardinals while they gave out the Eucharistic Bread. As it was raining we held special umbrellas over them to ensure they wouldn’t get soaked and to highlight where the Host was available. The Mass finished just before 5 p.m. and we had a long walk back to bus. Thankfully we were back on the road at around 8 o’clock, and of course we stopped for a McDonalds on the way home!!
Looking back on the weekend, we realise how lucky were to get that experience. Not many people get to see the Pope never mind being within a metre of him! It was a tough weekend but we will cherish the memories for the rest of our lives.
Written by Mollaí Gough & Dearbhla Ní hAllacháin
5th year, Árd Scoil na nDéise.
Congratulations to our students who received Junior Certificate results this week!
Huge congratulations to Mide Delaney on her outstanding Junior Certificate results. A grades across the board!!
Well done to our Junior Certificate class of 2018 on their outstanding achievements in their Junior Certificate Examinations. We are so proud of the girls and their wonderful results. The girls worked so hard last year and truly pushed themselves to reach their full potential and it was so gratifying to see their hard work so richly rewarded.
In particular, we would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Míde Delaney who achieved no less than nine A grades in Higher Level papers and a Higher Merit in Higher Level English.
Furthermore, we would like to congratulate the sixteen students who achieved A and B grades at Higher Level in all of the subjects that they studied for the Junior Cert, (pictured below). It takes determination and commitment to achieve grades like that so well done to Aoife O’Brien, Alanah Donnelly, Elia Tutty, Martha Ryan, Caoimhe Power, Ella Harrington, Jennifer Power, Joanne Wong, Rachel Harty, Kate Heffernan, Caoimhe Keane, Caoimhe O’Dwyer, Ella O’Neill, Aisling Oakes, Oliwia Pawlikowska, and Mary-Kate Prendergast. Between them they obtained 91 A grades and 61 B grades, all at Higher Level!
As always we thank their parents and teachers for the support that they have shown to the girls over the last number of years. We wish the girls every success as they continue their studies and we look forward to watching them grow and develop even more over the coming years!
Congratulations to the girls on a job well done!
Well done to our Junior Cert class of 2018
Smiling, Happy faces on Junior Cert results day in the Ard Scoil.
Congratulations to (Back row) Ella O’Neill, Elia Tutty, Oliwia Pawlikowska, Mide Delaney, Aisling Oakes, Ella Harrington, Joanne Wong, Aoife O’Brien, (Front row) Jennifer Power, Rachel Harty, Mary Kate Prendergast, Caoimhe Power and Caoimhe Keane Absent from photo: Alanah Donnelly, Martha Ryan, Kate Heffernan, Caoimhe O’Dwyer
Transition Year Trip to the National Ploughing Championships
On Tuesday the 18th of September the Transition Year students of Ard Scoil na nDéise went on their annual trip to the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
It was an early start that morning as we had to be at the school for 5:45 a.m. There were definitely several people feeling slightly groggy, and you could tell some weren’t morning people. However, everyone was feeling very excited as they anticipated the day ahead. We all assembled in the Senior Hall for a roll call, before hopping on a bus that would take us to the Ploughing. We entertained ourselves by chattering with friends and singing songs loud enough to burst an eardrum. Mr. Collins even suggested we should go for the X-factor! The journey was broken up as we stopped in Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny for a much needed cup of tea. Then we were back on the road again, well prepared for our day ahead.
We arrived at the Ploughing at 10:30 a.m. Luckily the traffic wasn’t too bad and with the efficiency and forward planning of an Garda Síochána and stewards we made very good time. When we had put our wellies on and had wrapped ourselves up in several layers of coats, we took off to explore the show. We all dispersed in different directions, as there was so much to do and see.
As we entered the Ploughing Show we were taken aback by how vast the whole place was. I hadn’t seen as many people since the All Ireland Hurling Final last year. There were the sounds of jovial banter from farmers who hadn’t seen each other in a while, mixed with the more serious discussions about the current state of farming. The lingering smell of tractor fumes, chips with vinegar and the dampness of rain was hard to miss. There was an array of tents from humble Cottage industries to the National Dairy council, and everything in between. Even the Donkey Sanctuary had a part to play in the show.
The atmosphere was breath taking. Despite the mud and the occasional downpour, nothing could dampen anyone’s spirits. Everyone was able to find something they could enjoy at the event. People were exploring all the different tents, getting to talk to the most interesting of people, checking out the huge variety of agricultural machinery as well as the ploughing itself. Some were even daring enough to try out some of the rollercoaster rides nearby, the shrill shouts of terror and joy carrying to us all. The highlights of the event were the good old reliables such as the welly throwing and sheep shearing competitions.
It was great getting a chance to talk to new people, and also getting those little free gifts along the way. I now have enough pens to last me for the rest of the year! We also got to do a bit of celebrity spotting, as stars such as Marty Morrissey (in disguise as it turned out, but his ever recognisable voice gave him away!), Anna Geary and Nathan Carter could be spotted around the place. All were sporting enough to allow us to get selfies with them.
Putting aside all the commercialism that inevitably comes with a gathering this size, we are drawn to the core of this event which is of course the ploughing. We were whisked away on the back of an open tractor trailer to be deposited where the ploughing was taking place a bit away from the main arena. Greeting us with a hive of activity were an array of tractors, ploughs and bustling farmers of all shapes and sizes who were creating furrows of ploughed perfection in their wake, with the worms peaking their heads up in silent protest.
Another tradition that attracts the crowds is of course the sheep shearing. The dexterity and speed with which the sheep shearers lopped off the wool in record time of the seemingly placid and lifeless sheep was a sight to behold. The banter among the sheep shearers was entertaining to hear, but you knew there was a fiercely competitive edge there as they watched each other closely for any nicks or scratches or left over wool on the skins of the forgiving and almost bored looking sheep.
The rain held off until half past two, and it suited us fine as we were just starting to make our way back to the bus for the return journey home. Even though our hair was soaked and wellies covered in mud, we all had the best time.
Everyone was sad to say goodbye to Tullamore, but we all had enough great memories, as well as enough freebies to last us a lifetime.
Written by Lauren Douris, Transition Year
You just never know who you will meet at the ploughing.