Mercy Ballymahon Notes

School notes by Cian Belton and Kian Gilmore

General News:

Thanks to the Parents Council for their work in organising the very successful fundraising table quiz last Friday. Thanks to quiz masters Tommy and Ray for their work and to Katie Gallagher, accompanied by Paul Prior and  to Caillte for their entertainment. A great night was had by all. Well done to the Kilbane family who won first prize of €200with 92 points.

We held a quiz for TYs last week for the competition Battle of the Wits. The winning team are: Bradley Gray, Eanna Donohoe, Lochlann Healy, Shane Mahon and Bronagh Gorham.  The team will represent our school at county level.

Our first years held a Bake Sale Friday 14th. They raised a total of €282 which went to Team Hope, to help them with the Shoebox Appeal. Thanks to Ms. Ryan, Ms. Bruton and Ms. Towey for their help and guidance.

The week of the 19th to the 23rd of October was Maths Week. We held a number of different competitions throughout the week including: Guess the Volume of a Bin, How many post-its it would take to cover a locker and How many Revolutions a tyre would take to travel the length of our school. Posters promoting Maths Week were also put up around the school. The Prism Maths competition was held Monday 24th. There was also a fun maths quiz for 1st years which was held last Friday. The quiz was developed by our TY maths classes. Thanks to Ms. O Sullivan and Ms. Kenny for all their work.

A group of fifth year students and Ms. Mc.Tiernan attended a lecture by Irish author Re O’Laighleis in our local Ballymahon Library. It was most enjoyable and informative.

Transition year:

The timetable for Transition Year home groups changed this week. Seven of our students Leon Walsh, Rachel Lyons, Ciara Foxe, Cronan Flood, Dylan Farrell, Mikolaj Wijas and Sarah Dillon were given a fantastic opportunity by An Garda Siochana, last week. They attended the Criminal Court in Dublin on Tuesday, they went to the Garda Station in Longford on Wednesday and
to Westmanstown-Garda Golf Club in Lucan on Thursday.  Thanks to Ms. Kenny, Ms. O Sullivan and Ms. Casey for travelling with the students:

James Carroll, Sean Donohoe and Sam Maxwell attended the Day Care Centre last week. Orla Kenny, Ciara and Shannon attended the Homework Club last week.

Interviews were held by Ms.Malone, Mr. Burke, Mr. Broderick and Mr. Larkin for the leadership roles in our School Show “Through My Eyes” last week. Our Managment Team Consists of: Aisling McCormack, Managing Director; Ronan English, Assistant Mananging Director; Bronagh Gorham, Production Director; Kian Gilmore, Assistant Production Director, Dylan McCormick Moran, Sound director; Abraham Izarra, Assistant Sound Director; Rachael Lyons, Human Resources Director: Orla Keane, Director of Choreography; Catherine Reilly, Assistant Director of Choreography; Adam Ryan, Public Relations Manager; Kevin Lynch, Assistant Public Relations Manager, Chloe Freeman, Creative Director; Aoife Gerety, Assistant Creative Director; Cian Belton,  Finance Manager; David Doherty, Assistant Finance Manager; Orla Kenny, Sales & Marketing Manager; Brian Kelly, Assistant Sales & Marketing Manager: Roisín Sheahan Hair & Makeup Manager: Natalia Ochenkowska Assistant Hair & Makeup Manager: Sam Maxwell Front of House Director, Jason Coughlan Assistant Front of House Director: Petrina Carrigy Costume Director: Éanna McGrath Stage Manager: Jamie Bermingham Assistant Stage Manager:

Sport:

Our sports department had a very busy  week. Our U16 Girls’ football team were victorious over Scoil Mhuire, Longford. The 1st and 2nd year girls enjoyed a football blitz in Clonguish last week. They had four teams. The U16 and U19 Girls’ basketball teams lost their games against Dunshaughlan .The U14 Boys’ football team beat St.Finians, Mullingar.

Thanks to all their coaches Mr.Bohan, Ms.Egan, Mr. Munds, Ms. Carr, Mr. Dempsey, Mr.Walsh and Mr.Kenny.

Thought for the week:

Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish. The time will pass anyways. (Earl Nightingale).

Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal

Well done to our 1st year students who were involved in the cake sale for Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal. A huge effort was made from making posters, baking to organising a hugely successful cake sale and raising a total of €295 on Friday 14th October.

Well done to all!! 

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Notes By: Aoife Kavanagh and Emer Tyrrell

Sport:

Well done to our senior and U16boys’ basketball teams who beat Kells last week. Thanks to their coaches Mr. Dempsey and Ms. Carr

Commiserations to our senior soccer team who lost their first game to Athlone Community College last week. Thanks to Mr. Broderick and Mr. Burke for training the teams.

Hard luck to our U16 boys’ football team and their coaches Mr. Seery and Mr. McCormack who were beaten by St. Mels recently.

Three first year boys’ football teams enjoyed a blitz held in Clonguish. Thanks to Mr. Kenny for coaching the teams and to the transition year students, Cian Belton, Oran Kenny, Jason Coughlan, Aidan O’Cealleagh and David Doherty who helped him on the day.

Good luck to our Concern debating consisting of Conor O’Brien, Dennis Hebron, Emer Tyrell, Aaron O Connor, Gary Sherdian, Neil Kilbane, Brendan Mc Keown, Niamh Dennehy and Conor English who are preparing for the first round of the concern debates away to Kilbeggan on Wednesday 12th October.  Thanks to Ms. Towey and Ms. Matthews for mentoring the team.

Lunchtime Clubs:

On Tuesdays the Creative Writing group meet in room 29 with Ms. McCann and Mr. O Gara. The Junior debating league has started in room 29 at lunchtime. On Thursdays the board games club meet in room 29 with Mr. O Gara.

Thanks to Ms. Nevin who organises “Ciorcal Cáinte” in room 21at lunch time on Fridays. This is a chance for our senior students to prepare for their oral Irish Leaving Certificate exam.

News:

The Christmas Shoe box appeal is beginning and Ms. Ryan, Ms. Bruton and Ms. Towey are looking for small non-perishable goods, toys or educational resources that fit into a shoe box. These need to be ready for collection on Nov 11.

Green Schools meetings and work is going on in pursuit of the Green flag. The first, second and transition year students are involved in an art poster awareness campaign to help promote proper use of recycling bins around the school. Thanks to Mr. Burke for all his hard work.

Mocktober exams for third and sixth years take place during week 17th to 21st of October. Good luck to all our students. The Junior Cert Art mock exam has been completed.

Auditions are taking place for acts for the  upcoming school show which takes place from Thursday November 17th to Saturday November 19th.

Thought for the week.

Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it. (Lou Holtz)

Table Quiz Night Fundraiser

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A table quiz night is being organised by our Parents’ Association on Friday 14th October in the school gym. The quiz will begin at 8pm. Tommy Cunningham and Ray Dolan will be hosting the show. Tables will have four members. Each table will cost €40 per table, but a student table will only cost €20. During the interval Katie Gallagher and Caillte a band composed of past and current pupils Mark McCormack, Patrick Flanagan, Jonathan Nally, Conor Beirne, Oisín Bennett, Áine McLoughlin, Ciara Casey and Conor O Brien and Kate Beirne will be providing the entertainment for the night. There will also be a raffle during the interval. All funds raised will go to Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Notes By: By Cian Belton, Kian Gilmore and Jamie Bermingham.

School Mass:

For the first time in our school’s history all our students and staff would not fit into St. Matthews Church, Ballymahon at the same time. As a result we had two Opening of the School Year Masses. We celebrated school mass for second to sixth year students on Friday September 23rd as we celebrated Mercy Day in honour of our founding sisters. This was followed on Wednesday September 28th with school mass for the first years. Thanks to Fr. Liam for celebrating the two masses. Thanks to the choirs and Ms. Malone for her work in preparing the music for both ceremonies and to the religion teachers.

Awards:

Congratulations to Conor Beirne who received a prestigious Naughton Scholarship at an Awards Ceremony in Trinity College on Saturday 24th. Conor won the award based on his excellent science and maths subject results in his Leaving Certificate exam and his personal Statement. Conor is studying Engineering in U.C.D. This is the third year in a row that one of our students has been awarded the Naughton Scholarship.

Congratulations to Patrick Flanagan who has won a JP McManus All Ireland Scholarship Award. Patrick is studying Economics and Finance in U.C.D. Patrick will receive his award on Saturday 19th November

Sport:

Congratulations to our U16 girls’ football team who got off to a winning start this year with a victory against Mercy Navan in Navan last Tuesday. Thanks to their coaches Mr. Bohan and Ms. McCann. Congratulations to our Senior girls’ football team who beat the Bower Athlone last Wednesday. Thanks to their managers Mr. Munds and Mr. Bohan.

Our U16 boys’ basketball team beat Lusk last Tuesday. Thanks to their coach Mr.Dempsey.

Two of our girls’ basketball teams played Virginia last week. Hard luck to U16’s who lost.  Well done to the U19’s who won their game. Thanks to their coaches Mr. Dempsey and Ms. Carr.

Transition Year:

Last week all TY classes had a talk from Youth Connect. Also Sadie Wheatley spoke with some transition year students about ideas for their mini companies. Two Ty classes have met with actor Alan Devin. Alan gave a Personal Development workshop which included ideas on speaking in front of other people.

All transition year students attended the Ger Carey show “Physco Spagetti” in the Back Stage theatre, on Monday 26th. This is a comic look into the life of a teenager. Thanks to their English teachers Ms. Gaffney, Ms. Daly and Ms. Towey for attending the show with them.

Thanks to Sean Donohue, Cronan Flood, Sam Maxwell and Dylan Farrell for helping out at the homework club in the Ballymahon primary School last week Also thanks to Lochlann Healy, Conall Mc Kiernan, Rory Howlin, Sean Donohoe, Cronan Flood, Dylan Farrell and Sam Maxwell for attending the Day Care centre last week.

We wish all our transition year students good luck in their work experience from 3rd to 7th October. Thanks to all the employers who support our students in providing the employment during the week.

Table Quiz Night:

A table quiz night is being organised by our Parents’ Association on Friday 14th October in the school gym. The quiz will begin at 8pm. Tommy Cunningham and Ray Dolan will be hosting the show. Tables will have four members. Each table will cost €40 per table, but a student table will only cost €20. During the interval Katie Gallagher and Caillte a band composed of past and current pupils Mark McCormack, Patrick Flanagan, Jonathan Nally, Conor Beirne, Oisín Bennett, Áine McLoughlin, Ciara Casey and Conor O Brien and Kate Beirne will be providing the entertainment for the night. There will also be a raffle during the interval. All funds raised will go to Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon.

Special visitors

Longford Ladies with Mercy Ballymahon students celebrating All Ireland win

On Tuesday 27 we welcomed some very special guests to the school- members of the victorious All Ireland winning Longford Junior Ladies Football team. They included past pupils Geraldine McManus, Claire Delaney, Michelle McCormack and Emer Dooley. Congrats to our other past pupils who were also on the team-Sarah Madden, Sarah Shannon and Michelle Noonan. It was a fantastic achievement. Congrats to all involved.

Other news:

Thanks to all the parents of first year students who attended the information meeting in the school last Tuesday 12th September. Thanks to Ms. Donohue, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Larkin for giving the information. Also thanks to Angela Egan from Midland Area Parenting Partnership who gave a very informative presentation on ‘Raising Competent Teenagers’..

Our first and second years attended a show called “Bin it” on Wednesday about the importance of disposing of chewing gum correctly.

Thought for the week:

The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. John Ruskin

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Notes By: Niamh Hanley , Cian Belton and Aisling McCormack

Welcome Back:

Welcome back to all students and staff. A special welcome to our first year students and to the new students who have joined us for the first time in other classes. We wish the new staff members Mr. Broderick, Ms. Bruton and Ms.Towey and the new S.N.A’s Claire Doyle and Kate Reilly a good year with us. Thank you to Ms. Minogue for organising the best buddy programme between first and sixth year students. Congratulations to Ms. O’Neill on the birth of her daughter Shóna recently. Our sympathies are with Ms. McManus at this time after the sad loss of her father Stephen. May he rest in peace.

Transition Year:

Thanks to Sarah Horan, Sarah Dillon, Jason Moorhead, Conall McKiernan, James Carroll, Lochlann Healy, Ciara Nally and Shannon Guy who visited the day-care centre during the last week .

The transition year students enjoyed a talk on Beat the Blues and Mental Health Wellbeing which was provided by Helen Emmerson.

Results:

Congrats to all past Leaving Certs on receiving their excellent results.  The school are very proud of their wonderful achievements. We wish them all good luck in their life ahead.

Sport:

Congratulations to Oisín Lane on winning third place in Kent in July in the Schools International Race Walking intermediate competition. Oisín was competing against race walkers from Ireland, England, Scotland and Britain. Oisín won the Connaught Junior competition, and as a result he qualified to compete in the Intermediate competition. Oisín also won the All Ireland Junior race walking competition in June  

Congratulations to Sarah Horan, Aisling McCormack, Ciara Foxe, Muirinn Claffey, Niamh Hanley, Rebecca O Kane, Cliodhna Allen, Ciara Healy, Juileann Moran, Petrina Carrigy, Áine Bannon and Dearbhaile Rooney who were part of the Longford Ladies under 16 football team who won the All Ireland C championship recently. We are proud to see Ms. McCann and last year’s U16 Girls, who were All Ireland finalists, featuring in the Lidl advert on television.

We wish the U16 and senior boys’ football teams good luck in the year ahead as they have resumed training. Thanks to their coaches Mr. Seery, Mr. O Gara and Mr. Mc. Cormack.

Good luck to U14, U16 and senior girls’ who also have resumed training under the watchful eyes of their coaches Mr. Bohan and Ms. Mc Cann.

Senior and U16 boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will be coached by Mr. Dempsey and Ms. Carr.

Mr. Burke and Mr. Broderick have organised soccer trials for U15, U17 and U19 teams.

The Green Schools Committee is also resuming its weekly meetings. 

Tip For Week:  Remember the three time rule for improving memory – Look over the topic before class, Listen in class and Look over topic after class. This is really effective, efficient way of improving your memory. It means that there is no such thing as having “no homework”.

Leaving Cert results

Congratulations to our Leaving Cert students on their great results! Wishing you all the best in your future.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

by Victor Shaw Maguire and Edward Heduan

Annual Awards Ceremony

There was great excitement last Tuesdy as the whole school body entered the school gym for our Annual Awards Ceremony. Mark McCormack won Student of the Year and nominees were Aisling Cahill, Lisa Nolan, Conor Whyte and Ciara Casey. The Ceist Award went to Patrick Flanagan. The Mercy Award went to Charlotte Madden 

Sport: For the Senior Girls the winner was Lisa Nolan, Under 16 girls joint winners were Aishling McCormack and Sarah Dillion and Under 14 girls the winner was Clodagh Dillion 

The Senior boys winner was John Shea, Under 16 boys winner was Sam Maxwell  and Jack Murtagh was the Under 14 boys winner.

Creative Subject Awards were as follows Senior Art was Lauren Guinane won and Junior Art student was Sarah Shea. In Technlogy Ciaran Conlon won Best Senior student and Cian Belton won Best Junior student. In Music Ciara Casey won Best Senior student and Aishling McCormack won Best Junior student.In D.C.G Charlotte Madden won Best Senior student and Cian Belton won Best Junior student. Home Economics Niamh Gavigan won Best Senior student and Orla Kenny won Best Junior student. Debating Katie Higgins won the Senior Award  and Katie Gouldsbury won the Junior Award.

Attendance certificates and medals were awarded to large group of students who attained excellent school attendance ranging from one year full attendance to an incredible 5 years full attendance.

Transition Year:

The T.Y’s had their end of year graduation ceremony last Tuesday. The students and their parents came in to hear about the amazing things that they had accomplished over the year.  The students recieved the certificates of the courses that they completed. We would like to thank Mrs Bohan for the outstansding work she did during the year  

We would like to thank Eoin Rheinisch World Cup Medallist and three time Irish Olympian in Canoe Slalom who completed a Sky Sports initiative for a group of our Transition Year students on mental toughness and wellbeing on Monday last.  The students who were involved were Emily Doyle , Clara O Shea, Anne Smyth, Aaron Farrell, Emily Campbell, Rebecca O’ Halleran, Michaela Quinn, Áine Bannon, Ellen Kelly, Louise Grogan, Nicole Fallon, Rachel Bermingham, Catherine Healy, Carol Anne Yorke, Sean Connolly, Molly Fox, Gavin Rynn, Aaron OConnor, James Foley, Colin Kelly, Brad Reid,  Kerryn O Sullivan, Courtney Richards, Neil Kilbane.

Leaving Cert Graduation:

The Leaving Certs had their end of the year barbeque and sports day last Wednesday where they said goodbye to their teachers and peers before they left the school to make final preparations for their Leaving Cert exams. On Thursday they had their Graduation Mass. We would like to thank Fr. Liam Murray our school chaplain who was the chief celebrant and for his work throughout the year with the school. Thanks to Mrs. D. Daly, Mr. Culbert and Ms. O Reilly for preparing the students for the mass. We would also like to thank Ms Malone for organising the music for the service.

Finally we wish all our Leaving and Junior Certificate students the best of luck in their exams. We wish all our readers an enjoyable summer and hope you will read about us in September again.

Pool table handover

The traditional pool table handover between 6th and 5th years students took place on 25 May 2016.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

by: Aoife Kavanagh and Emer Tyrrell

Transition Year News:

The final of the “TY Bake Off” was held in Ms.Minogue’s Home Economics Room on Friday 13th. Emma Campbell, Ruth Noonan, Cillian Flood, Jordan Rohan, Conor Casey and Aaron Farrell competed in the  final after qualifying through the earlier rounds. Congratulations to Jordan Rohan who was our victor in the end, winning with a delicious Spanish omelette!  

Transitions Years held a GAA Coaching course on Friday 13th for , Ballymahon, Colehill and Newtown Cashel primary schools. Thanks to Jordon Coll, Cillian Flood, Jade Tobin, Aaron Kennedy, Oisín Ryan, Rían Cox, Seán Connolly, Colin Kelly, Josh Madigan and Colin Murtagh for organising the event.

Congratulations to Aaron Farrell who won first prize in the Carlow I.T. Bridge Building Competition.. Thanks to his teacher Mr. Seery for his help.

On Thursday 12th, Helen Emmerson visited our TY classes to promote team bonding and initiative thinking.

Thanks to Aoife Ballesty, Aine Bannon, Erik Bogdevicius, Emma Campbell, Ciara Dixon, Emily Doyle, Ellen Kelly, Neil Kilbane, Eitvile Lengvinaite, Brandon Murphy, Josh Madigan, Ruth Noonan, Clara O'Shea, Arron O'Connor, Courtney Richards, Katie Smith, Carol-Anne Yorke and Jordan Rohan who took part in a litter-pick for Ballymahon Tidy Towns on Monday 16th and thanks to Mr. Burke for organising the event.

TY Spikeball coaches: Katie Smith, Aine Bannon, Emer Tyrrell, Ellen Kelly, Catherine Healy, Molly Fox, Clara O’Shea, Aoife Ballesty, Aoife Kavanagh, Emily Doyle and Michaela Quinn held their National Schools blitz on Friday 13th. A great day was had by all and congrats to the Colehill team who took home gold!

Tours on Friday 20th of May:

All our students were invited to go on tour last Friday. The sixth years went to Xtreme Ireland Balbriggan with their year head Ms Reynolds, Mr. O Gara and Ms. Nevin.

Fifth years went to Trobadden Wood in the Dublin Mountains thanks to their year head Ms Honeyman and Mr. O’ Rourke.

Transition years indulged in the Ultimate Outdoor Pursuits Experience, in Portlick for a 3 day camping trip with Ms Bohan and Ms. Ryan.

Third years went to Causey Farm, Kells, Co. Meath with Mrs. Daly, Ms. Cribben, Ms. Minogue and Mr. Culbert.

Second years went to Shannon River Adventure Centre, Roosky, Co. Roscommon with  Ms. Cooney, Ms. O’Donoghue, Ms. O Reilly and Mr. Munds.

First years enjoyed Bay Sports Athlone thanks to Ms. O Sullivan, Mr. McCormack, Mr. Kenny and Ms. Matthews

Other news:

 The Green Schools Committee carried out an online survey on recycling on the Junior Cycle classes as within our school, last Thursday
Congratulations to Ciara Casey on winning gold medal in 4 distinctions in her final tin whistle exam at Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann recently.

We welcome Mr. Seán Larkin to the staff. Mr. Larkin is covering Career Guidance for Ms. O Neill.

Thought for the week:

The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. (John Ruskin)