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.

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)