SIXTH YEAR GRADUATION
‘Every sunrise is a new chapter, waiting to be written.’ The Graduation ceremony for the Class of 2023 took place on Thursday night, 25 May. The school community came together to celebrate the experiences and achievements of our Sixth students in what was a beautiful evening of readings, reflections, music and speeches. There was an array of talents from both students and staff on show which contributed so much to what was a joyous occasion for all. The graduation was an all-round team effort from staff, students and parents working collaboratively to create a memorable evening. Thank you sincerely to Fr Donal for his kind words and to everyone who contributed to the ceremony. We wish the 2023 Class success in their exams and in their future life paths.
TY NIGHT OF CELEBRATION
Our Transition Year came to a close on Thursday night, 18 May, as we came together for the TY Night of Celebration. During the night, students presented on many different aspects of the year from trips, classes, work experience and the various activities they took part in throughout their busy year. The culmination of the night saw each student presented with a folder of certificates earned during the year. The students were also presented with medals for completing the Gaisce Bronze Award.Congratulationsto Emmet Ronan and Aoibhe Mitchell for scoring the highest credits for the year. Alsocongratulationsto Katie Geoghegan and John Crowley for winning the Spirit of TY award. The extensive awards and presentations given were a reflection of the participation and commitment of the students with the TY programme.
We would like to wish all of our TY students the very best for summer and for the remainder of Senior Cycle, and to acknowledge their teachers’ efforts in the opportunities they provided for them.
SCOLÁIREACHTAÍ 2023
Well done to Transition Year students, Cuan Beirne and Matthew Dowling, and Second year students, Aoife Hunter, Lily Neville and Caoimhe Lawlor, who have been awarded scholarships to residential Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht in Waterford and Galway this summer under the DEIS programme. Many thanks to the Irish department which has given four scholarships to students worth €250 each. These scholarships come from KWETB and have been awarded to Abbie Mai Delaney, Jack Nolan, Eoin Mitchell and Eoin Cleary. Well done to all!
TY STRASBOURG TRIP
After a short walk from Hotel Esplanade, on their first morning in Strasbourg, students arrived at the impressive European Parliament Building and were shown to the hemicycle. At once, they realised how big a gathering we were part of as we joined about 400 students and teachers, with more observing online. We all had one thing in common, we were all from EPAS schools all over Europe and had a keen interest in learning more about the key issues affecting Europe. The morning session allowed students to question Roberts Zïle, Vice President of the European Parliament, on a wide variety of topics, from the war in Ukraine to the voting age, to corruption and the environment. He was generous with his time and encouraged all young people to continue to take an active part in their future and to always exercise their right to vote.
The first event on the second day allowed students to enjoy a Batorama Canal boat tour, a great way to see some of Strasbourg and learn of its rich history and culture. In the afternoon students were given free time to explore the city centre and have their lunch. Some of the highlights included the Notre Dame Strasbourg Cathedral, the very pretty ‘ Petite France ‘ area, and time for some souvenir shopping.
A great time was had by teachers and students, with students delighted to have made some new friends with other students from a variety of EU countries.
POLYTUNNEL INITIATIVE
Coláiste Chill Mhantáin Community Garden Coffee Morning took place on Tuesday, 23 May, to celebrate the work of the many students, staff, parents and community members in this initiative. Parents, grandparents, siblings and friends of the garden all gathered for a morning of music, refreshments and chat alongside school staff. Thankfully the sun shone and many headed home with some new plants for their garden. Thank you to the generosity of our community; parents, students, management, teaching, SNA and maintenance staff as well as local businesses (Joly's Garden Centre Glenealy, Burke's Homevalue, Hopkins, Wicklow Hire, Wood Industries Rathdrum, Countrylife, Ashford) for your support in this venture.
A FOND ADIOS
A group of Fifth year students decided to hold a small fiesta for our Language Assistant Haizea with a Spanish-themed lunch. On the menu were Spanish pastries, croquetas, tortilla de patatas, Mexican rice and turrón, together with a range of delicious Irish treats prepared by the students. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Haizea for her energy and passion while working with our students. We wish her the very best for the future.
LEINSTER SCHOOLS' TRACK AND FIELD
Well done to Toby Keating and Daniel Mitchell who travelled to Tullamore on Wednesday, 17 May, to compete in the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships. Toby competed in the U16 shot put and Daniel in the junior 1500m.