St. Mary's College, Arklow

The Late Great Breakfast

The Late Great Breakfast was enjoyed on Wednesday morning 23rd September. Over 550 students and 40 teachers breakfasted together on fresh fruit, cereal, yogurts, brown bread, cheeses and juices. The Sports Hall reverberated with the sounds of music and chat. All the food was generously sponsored by Pettitt's Supervalu, Glanbia, Dainty Bakery, Powers Fruit and Veg., Coburn's milk suppliers and Sr. Síor who provided the cereals. All in St. Mary's really appreciate their support. The breakfast was a huge success and was just one event in a week of activities organised by Mrs. Therese MacCormaic as part of the Health Promoting Schools Programme. Students enjoyed a Fun Quiz, Dance with Hilary King, and Aerobics. The week aimed to encourage healthy lifestyles, healthy eating habits and to foster a positive school spirit. The high level of participation in the various activities suggests that students really responded to the opportunities offered. Mrs. MacCormaic and her team really did feed the body and the spirit of the school.

Mercy Day Assembly

Mercy Day celebrations began with a whole school assembly. In her address Sr Síor, Principal, spoke about Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Mercy Sisters who devoted her life to the care of others. Sr Síor called on all present to be "aware, open and sensitive to others" as all face into the new school year. Her thoughtful words united the school community to face the challenges ahead "ní neart go cur le chéile" (Our unity is strength). Eimear O'Grady, Head Girl, and Aislinn Strahan, Deputy Head Girl, received an enthusiastic response to their clever words of welcome and encouragement to the assembly.Presentation of Awards:
Emer Flannery and Ellen Whelan were joint recipients of the Sr. M. Regis Award for the best Leaving Certificate results 2009.Both girls were excellent students who had been fully involved in the extra-curricular life of St. Mary's. Congratulations to Ella Brennan who received the Joan Dowling Award for the best Junior Cert. Results: Ella achieved 11 straight A's and is one of the top students in the country as a result of these superb grades.

First Year Infomation Night

We held our first year information night on Tuesday 6th Oct. All of our first year students, their parents/ guardians and their teachers came together in St. Mary's Hall to listen, learn, meet and mingle. The night began with Sr. Síor extending a warm welcome to all. A panel of speakers gave an outline of the various programmes and activities in St. Mary's. The session ended with a meaningful prayer service prepared by Mr Bonner, Ms Buckley and Ms Rochford. Afterwards everyone had an opportunity to enjoy tea/coffee and chat. Thanks to Mrs MacCormaic for co-ordinating the event.

School Musical

This year's school musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" was a spectacular show and proved to be a huge hit with audiences of all ages. Thanks and congratulations to Mrs. Imelda McDonagh, Miss Mairead McKenna, Ms Frances Ryan, Mr John Bonner the gifted lead Shauna Crook and all the talented cast, the orchestra and crew on a show that entertained, excited and thrilled. A special word of thanks to all those wonderful parents, teachers and students who generously gave their help and contributed to the success of the show. We wish to acknowledge our sponsors, we are very grateful for your support. The enormous talent in the school and in the local community was celebrated because so many people supported and empowered each other.

Paris Tour

At 3am on Saturday the 24th of October, 61 students and eight teachers departed on tour to one of the most stimulating cities in the world, Paris. The trip to the world capital of art, culture and high fashion was organised by Mrs Claire Moloney. Over four days the group visited Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, climbed the Eiffel Tower by night, saw the splendour of Versailles Palace, enjoyed a boat trip on the Seine, visited Musee D'Orsay and the Louvre and of course Disneyland. Miss Susan Masterson led the tour. This proved to be a most exciting and enriching educational experience for all who travelled.

Open Day

Thank you to all those who attended our open afternoon on Wednesday, the 25th of November. Parents and primary school pupils expressed their appreciation of the many aspects of school life that were on display in the specialist rooms and in the classrooms. Perhaps the most talked about development was the fact that every classroom in the school is fitted with a computer and a multi-media projector. This work was carried out over the summer of 2009. All such improvements have greatly added to the learning environment of our school.
A large number of students showed very positive school spirit by volunteering to help out in the work of the afternoon. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the afternoon.

TY: Glendalough


The TY classes were introduced to the skills of mountain walking when they set off on a 10k hike in Glendalough on Thurs. 1st Oct. They were ably led by Ms Ryan, Ms Flynn and Mr O'Connor. This activity was organised to emphasise the importance of being fit and prepared for the 25k hike that is planned for May 2010. The girls made the most of this wonderful opportunity to develop friendships and enjoy the beautiful scenery on a balmy, autumnal day. Well done to all involved.

TY: Introduction to Law

Two practising barristers gave the TY students an insight into the reality of the court system. The girls staged their own mock trial .The Justice and Law Module provides a valuable introduction to the complexities of our Law system. On Monday 2nd of November Transition Year students visited Mountjoy Men's and Women's Prison. This significant learning day was an essential part of the Justice and Law Module taken by all students. All reported that this was an extremely interesting learning experience. The outing included a treasure hunt in Mountjoy Square. Thanks to the two teachers, Ms. Kelleher and Mr. Hicks and the three parents, Ms. A. Lott, Ms. A. Weadick and Ms. T. Vickers, who accompanied the group. The TY core team and the girls really appreciate the support of the teachers and parents for all their activities.

TY: East-West Programme

St. Mary's College is delighted to be taking part in the East West Schools Programme which fosters inter-school co-operation with schools in other countries through cultural exchanges and common projects, with our focus being Green Schools, and sustainable development. Students and teachers from the Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford, England visited us from the 18th until the 20th October. St. Mary's College already holds the Green Flag, and will be working with Dame Alice Harpur for improvement of our school environments. The visiting students were hosted by Transition Year students and their families, and there was a jam-packed programme of events planned for all involved to gain maximum benefit from the experience. The students received a tour of the school and grounds, took in a performance of the school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, participated in a tree-planting ceremony to mark the occasion, and took part in meetings with our Green Schools Committee and the East West Project Group. Before the group returned home, they visited the Avoca Woollen Mills, and the beautiful Glendalough Valley. We would like to heartily thank all those involved in the project, especially the host families, and we look forward to the year's endeavours with much anticipation.

TY: Christmas Presentation

TY Classes displayed their work and entertained their audience in a manner that showcased their talents and their versatility. Their polished performances of Irish Dance, Music, Drama and Film delighted all present. A special guest, Mr. Brian Brennan, thanked the people of Arklow and the Transition Year classes of the last four years for their extremely generous contributions to the Sri Lanka project that has given help and hope to many children since the tsunami hit four years ago.
A Christmas themed service of prayer and song brought the presentation to close. Refreshments were then served and some students modelled their fashion creations and period appropriate hairstyles as they mingled among the guests. This was all linked into their History of Fashion module taken with Ms. Kelleher. Sr. Síor acknowledged the splendid work of Mrs. McDonagh (TY Coordinator) and her core team Ms. Susan Masterson and Ms. D. Ryan. She also thanked the Home Economics teachers Mrs. DeCourcy, Ms. Rochford and Ms. Kelleher and all those who contributed to the success of the night.

Ecology Trip

Certificate Biology Course students from 5th Year travelled to Knocksink woods on an ecology trip. The students studied the interaction between the woodlands ecosystem and the flora and fauna in their natural habitats. Knocksink Woods in Enniskerry is one of the last conserved woodlands in the country with an Education Centre catering for all levels of students. The girls are to be congratulated for their participation, active learning and contributions to the practicals in the various activities. Biology teachers, Ms. J Raftery, Ms. J. Kinch and Mr. C. Fanning, organised and travelled to Knocksink with their class groups.

Mr Murphy Retires

Mrs Brenda Byrne, Deputy Principal, made a presentation on behalf of the staff to Mr Daniel Murphy, art teacher, to mark his retirement from St. Mary's at a special night of celebration in the BrookLodge Hotel on Friday 6th November. The entire school community wish Mr Murphy a very happy and creative retirement.

5th Year Art Trip

Fifth Year Art students visited the Hugh Lane Gallery. The guided tour focused on the special show of Francis Bacon's work and his actual relocated studio. In the afternoon, having taken lunch on Grafton Street, the group then visited the National Gallery and had a tour of the Edvard Munch Print Exhibition (famous for his work "The Scream"). Here the group focused on the gallery space itself which is part of the LC Art History course: Art Appreciation- In this section students study how artwork is presented to the public. Ms Charlotte Murray and Mr. Ian Carter organised and accompanied the girls on this beneficial day out.

Drugs Awareness

First and Third Year students participated in activities which was organised with Sr. Síor Cosgrove by Margaret Kelly who is involved in Arklow Youth Services. First Years enjoyed Sports Activities in the Arklow Leisure Centre.
The intention here was to be encourage team building and a sense of belonging. Third year students had a most informative and entertaining experience when Michael O'Sullivan Artistic Director of Humourfit Theatre Company presented 'Hooked' a drama based on a true story on the subject of Drug Awareness. The performance kept the students transfixed for seventy minutes. These activities were organised in conjunction with Arklow Drugs Action Week by Margaret Kelly. This all fitted in very well with the SPHE (Social, Personal and Health) programme. Thank you to Sr. Síor and Margaret Kelly for providing this opportunity to the students.

Politics in the Classroom

2 Áine CSPE class recently enjoyed a morning of 'Politics in the Classroom', an outreach education initiative organised through the Oireachtas. On completion of the workshop the girls participated in a lively question and answer session with local T.D.'s Joe Behan, Andrew Doyle, Liz McManus and Billy Timmons. The T.D.'s were impressed by their questions which were varied and searching. Judging by their performance there may be future political journalists or T.D.'s in 2 Áine. Thanks to Mrs. Breda Dunbar for her guidance.

6th Year LCVP

On Wednesday 2nd Dec. a group of 36 LCVP students visited Schering Plough pharmaceutical company in Rathdrum as part of their LCVP course. On arrival the students were given a talk on the company's operations and were brought on a tour of the plant. The visit was of great benefit to the students for their LCVP course and also for other Leaving Cert. subjects. We would like to thank Schering Plough for providing the students with the opportunity to see a manufacturing company in operation.

Debating Team

The Concern Debating team have now won two of their three league phase debates. The team is captained by Amy Thompson and the other team members are Sophie Cairns, Rebekkah Brennan, Cathy Rice and Danielle Curran. They look forward to hosting the next debate in January when they will be up against a team from the Presentation, Bray.The Public Speaking team of Tonya Swayne ( Captain ), Amy Synnott and Zoe Jones represented St. Mary's well in a Mental Health event in Wicklow. Unfortunately, they did not go through to the next round but were commended for their lively delivery.

School Retreats

First, Second and Third Year students participated in a one day retreat on Tuesday 17th, Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th Nov. respectively. An inspirational and vibrant team of young Irish, American and Canadian people from Net Ministries Retreats worked and prayed with each year group. Thanks to Ms Mairead McKenna and the religion department for organising such a meaningful, successful school event.

Senior Basketball


The Senior A Basketball team had a very successful run in the IBA South East League. They were unlucky to be beaten in the Senior C final by Stella Maris, Tramore on a scoreline of 36-29. In what was a great team performance, the girls fought hard to the end.The girls now progress to the All Ireland runners up playoffs in early January where they will play the runners-up from the South and South-West of the country. Best of luck to Ms.E.Ryan and to the team.

Green Schools

A reminder to everyone to recycle all waste, to reduce the amount of energy usage by switching off appliances and lights when not in use, to keep doors closed and to wrap up warm to save on heating.

Happy Christmas

The management and staff of St.Mary's College would like to wish all our students and their parents a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Acknowledgement:Erika Ravenscroft


Below left: Open Day welcome: Carolyn Byrne, Niamh Byrne & Joan Buggle.
Bottom Right: TY Fashion through the Ages: Keri Trevillion, Danielle Curran & Clara Jacob