ONE GOOD SCHOOL (OGS)
The OGS committee is hosting a Mental Health Awareness Week from Monday, 6 March to Friday, 10 March. In preparation for this, the committee has invited students to submit a poster on the theme of 'Mind Your Mental Health - what do you do to keep positive?' Posters submitted on or before Monday, 6 March, have been displayed in the canteen area. Prizes will be awarded for the best submissions at the end of the week.
ARTS WEEK
Last week was Art Week in CCM. The Art Department held a variety of workshops throughout the week. Students worked together on a collaborative project on Monday, a wall display of a pair of wings. Each student created a feather to showcase how unique we are. Students used a range of drawing materials like colouring pencils and oil pastels. On Tuesday, students were invited to a screening of the paper episode from 'This is Art Club!' They learned about how to make handmade paper and created a chair from cardboard. Ceramic artist Christien Van Bussel held a workshop with Second year students in preparation for their CBA. She taught students a range of skills to use when working with clay. Everyone who partook made, decorated, and glazed a ceramic mug. We launched the whole school art competition about the theme ‘Our Town’ on Wednesday. Each entry is exhibited on the wall opposite the Deputy Principal’s office on LG. The winner will be announced soon. On Friday, students had an opportunity to get creative with marbling. They experimented with colourful ink, and they produced amazing works of art. Every morning tutors were sent a ‘Which Art Movement am I?’ riddle which required students to identify Impressionism, Cubism, Graffiti, Digital and Pop Art. A presentation about the various creative careers was shown to students to create awareness of different options.
SENIOR CYCLE MUSIC TRIP TO NCH
On Tuesday, 28 February, Fifth and Sixth year music students travelled to the National Concert Hall, Dublin. They had the opportunity to listen to a live performance of one of their Leaving Cert set works ‘Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture’ by Tchaikovsky. The conductor brought the students through key elements of the work and focused their attention on the main themes. Students had front-row seats and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of listening to a live orchestra.
WORLD DAY BOOK EVENTS
Thursday, 2 March, marked World Book Day. To celebrate the day, the library ran a number of events in the school:
Drop Everything and Read
A whole school 'Drop Everything and Read' event took place from 10.30-11.00 for all year groups. Students were asked by their teachers to stop their schoolwork and spend the last thirty minutes of the class reading. Students had access to books on their digital library or read a borrowed book from the library. Other students had their own reading material that they've brought with them.
Author visits
A number of authors visited the library during the week of the World Book Day event. Children's author Oisin McGann, performance and rapper, Karl Parkinson, and playwright, Colette Forde, visited the library during the week to read from their work. These visits help to promote reading by introducing students to the people behind the books they read.
Bookshop visit
A number of students will be brought down to the local bookshop during the day and they will be allowed to buy any book of their choice. For many of these students, it was their first time in a bookshop or even buying a book themselves.
Webcasts
The organisers of the event broadcast a number of 'webcasts', where children's authors read from their work online and were shown to students who had classes in the library during the day.
Bookmark art competition
A bookmark art competition has also been organised for junior students. The winning students of this competition will have their bookmarks printed up professionally and distributed to students through the library.
ROMEO AND JULIET AT THE MILL THEATRE
On Thursday, 2 March, the English department and Third Years set off to the Mill Theatre, Dundrum to see a production of 'Romeo and Juliet'. It was a thoroughly enjoyable show that featured music, dancing and modern costumes. For many, this was a first glimpse of theatre life and has hopefully sparked a lifelong love of the theatre! It certainly was useful to all in considering stagecraft and costume.
SENIOR HURLING
CCM 5-7 : Carlow CBS 6-12 (after extra time)
CCM senior hurlers battled hard throughout this very closely contested South Leinster semi-final. There were only two points between the teams at half-time, and CCM went ahead in the second half. However, Carlow got a goal to level the match 5-6 each at full-time. CCM got the first score in extra time but, unfortunately, Carlow replied with a goal and two points in quick succession. We were unable to find the scores needed and Carlow pulled away in the end despite a great overall effort from the team. Adam O’Brien was outstanding in goals and all the backs worked very hard with great displays from Senan O’Donovan, Ciaran Matthews and Andrew Lynch. Darragh Leacey scored two goals and Michael Óg O’Neill and Cormac Byrne were also outstanding in forwards and midfield. Well done to all the players on their hard work and effort. Thank you to Rathnew GAA for use of the pitch and referee, Eddie Leonard.
JUNIOR BOYS' GAA QUARTER-FINAL
On Monday, 27 February, CCM Junior Boys travelled to Wexford to face off against Wexford CBS in the quarter-final of the South Leinster Championship. With a place in the semi-finals at stake and with key players missing in key positions, CCM faced a tough challenge from an impressive Wexford CBS side and threw everything they could at them with great scores from Lorcan Sinnott, Liam Delaney and cornerback, Jack Neville, venturing up the field to kick a magnificent point from play. However, we faced a superior side and bowed out of the competition. Our lads handled themselves respectfully and represented the school in a classy fashion in a year where they had some great days out in the competition, particularly the win vs Bridgetown that secured a place in the quarter-final. Well done to all members of the panel throughout the year who trained and attended matches and to the coaches as well.
WICKLOW SCHOOLS SENIOR BOYS A CHAMPIONSHIP
Coláiste Chill Mhantáin and Coláiste Bhríde paired off in this last group A match, where winner takes the last spot in the A championship semi-finals. This was an enthralling game from start to end.
CCM started fast out of the blocks but didn't manage to convert their early dominance and, against the run of play, CB secured the first score of the game, which was followed by another. CCM, through Jamie Moorehouse Hayden, had a gilt-edged opportunity after some great team play to score a goal but his shot went wide of the post. CCM managed to get their first point through a Sam Healy free. CB went into their purple patch and tagged on a few points from play and frees, and this was the only stage that CCM's tackling was passive in the game. With a switch in team set-up orchestrated by Callum Clarke, CCM took the game to CB again through Clarke's marauding runs which were not rewarded on the scoreboard. The killer score came in added time of the first half when CB manufactured a goal when there was no real danger to be seen, leaving the halftime score 1-7 to 0-6.
The second half needed CCM to push forward for the win and wave after wave was met by a resolute CB defence. CCM left themselves exposed at the back as they pushed to narrow the gap. Some great forward direct runs from the experienced Alex Sinnott and the coming-of-age of Sam Culleton, resulted in tap-over frees for Sam Healy. This was how CCM hurt CB all game but could not find that killer incision to get the goal they badly desired. CCM's scramble defence was incredible when they were exposed from their forward play. Adam Byrne, patrolling the ground around the middle, cutting out ball after ball and all the boys, to a man, getting hands on ball! However, not even the soaring Mikey Óg, in a CCM shirt for the second day in a row, could get that decisive goal.
Alas, we tried and the bravery of the boys is in no doubt. We lift our heads and chests with pride till the next game. Well done lads, you didn't get what you deserved but there will be other days.
Final Score 1-09 to 0-10 in favour of Coláiste Bhríde.