News from 2018/2019
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A wonderful yearCheck out all the photos and text below to see all our news.
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Our 2019 Musical - Legally Blonde
We had great excitement here in St. Patrick's Comprehensive School as we built up to the announcement of our 2019 musical. We are delighted to announce that Legally Blonde will be performed by our students this December. As more details follow we will post them to a new section coming here soon and to our social media. Watch this space!
Generous Donation
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A massive thank you to CHC for their generous donation to the SEN department in the school. We are truly grateful. We will be using the funds to purchase elephant beanbags, weighted blankets and punch bags and mitts. Thank you!
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Graduation 2019
Yesterday we celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2019. It was a wonderful afternoon of reminiscing, rejoicing and the sharing of hopes for the future. Although we are sad to see this remarkable group leave, we are very much excited to see what the future holds for these talented, dedicated and skilled young people. We are sure they have a very bright future ahead. We are very grateful to Gerry O'Malley, past pupil and Key Account Director for The Limerick Post for his inspirational words at the event.
A day like this doesn't take place without the hard work and cooperation of a number of people and we are so thankful to all those who made it possible. We have an outstanding team of staff who work tirelessly each year to ensure that our students know that they are appreciated and cared for. This year was no exception! Our students were phenomenal in all their roles -presentations, music and unforgettable speeches etc. Our thanks to Eugene McCafferty for the incredible photos we can now share with you.
More photos can be found in the 'Class of 2019' album here and on our website (including individual presentations). Please note the class photo will be available again next week for anybody yet to receive it. More posts to follow on this. Please PM the page or email media@scnp.ie with any queries.
Congrats again to the Class of 2019
A day like this doesn't take place without the hard work and cooperation of a number of people and we are so thankful to all those who made it possible. We have an outstanding team of staff who work tirelessly each year to ensure that our students know that they are appreciated and cared for. This year was no exception! Our students were phenomenal in all their roles -presentations, music and unforgettable speeches etc. Our thanks to Eugene McCafferty for the incredible photos we can now share with you.
More photos can be found in the 'Class of 2019' album here and on our website (including individual presentations). Please note the class photo will be available again next week for anybody yet to receive it. More posts to follow on this. Please PM the page or email media@scnp.ie with any queries.
Congrats again to the Class of 2019
Appreciation Day 2019
Here’s the scoop on Thursday....The sun may not have been shining bright but the smiles on the faces of our students and staff certainly were. This year has had a dash of change, a sprinkle of progress and churned up some new transformation. In true #CompStyle the resulting recipe has risen to new heights a become a very successful year! The latest addition to our menu here is Appreciation Day 2019, where we celebrated and lauded all the wonderful achievements made by students and staff this year - more than all the 99s consumed today 😉 The ice cream truck served to mark all the hard work, dedication and effort that went into the 2018/2019 school year here at The Comp. Today we also celebrated our TYs as they graduated and festivities will continue tomorrow as we celebrate our lovely Leaving Certs and LCA 2s.
Active Schools Week 2019
Last week marked our 5th annual Active Schools Week and what a week we had! The sun was shining and we were smiling from start to finish. There were some fantastic workshops and activities throughout the week ranging from tag rugby, soccer and basketball blitzes, dance workshops with Breakthrough Dance, Brazilian jiu jitsu and kickboxing demonstrations to a visit from past pupil and professional World Kickboxing Champion Liam Alford. The week was wrapped up on Friday with a sports day for all first year students and the teachers taking on our Leaving Certs in a closely contested soccer match, youth trumped experience in the end😉
A big thank you to TY students for helping our PE Department run a busy but enjoyable week. Roll on ASW 2020!
A big thank you to TY students for helping our PE Department run a busy but enjoyable week. Roll on ASW 2020!
End of year schedule
1st year Art Exhibition
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We are delighted to announce an exhibition of art by some of our talented first year students. It’s an exhibition of self portraits based on different artists techniques/principles throughout art history. Students did a lot of research and preparation before they approached their final piece.They gave careful consideration to light and dark which is an intrinsic element to any portrait. They then spent a lot of time on getting their work just right so that it gave a true representation of themselves while paying homage to their chosen artist. We hope that you will take the time to check them out from May 13th. Our thanks to Shannon Library.
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Ecology trip to Tayto Park
Some of our 4th and 5th years took a trip to Tayto Park on Friday as part of their biology course. The students had an opportunity to work on an ecology investigation. They may even have had time for a rollercoaster or two, although we have no photographic evidence of this!
Olympiad Win
A huge congratulations to one of our 2nd year students on his first place win in the national finals of the Pangea Maths Olympiad in Trinity College Dublin. What a wonderful achievement! 8 of our students qualified for the national finals. Well done to all these students.
First Aid Certificates
Well done to our LCA 2 group on receiving their certificates for doing First Aid training!
School Improvement Plan - Thank you parents!
A big thank you to the parents who came to our workshop on our School Improvement Plan 2019 -2022. We really appreciate their interest and invaluable insights into planning St Patrick’s Comprehensive School's future.
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Trip to Zimmer Biomet
Our first year students were lucky enough to have a site visit to Zimmer Biomet here in Shannon this week. It was arranged as part of their science course. We are very grateful to Zimmer Biomet for taking us in for a very informative visit and are delighted to continue our link to this company that has many past pupils and parents associated with it. They were also a very popular stand at our recent careers fair so our thanks go out to them again.
Inspirational Talk
We were delighted to welcome extreme adventurer Damien Brown to The Comp today to discuss his recent solo voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The insights he shared with our exam students about the importance of visualisation, the power of positive thinking and not giving up in the face of adversity will be very beneficial in the weeks, months and years ahead. Thanks to Elevate - Raising the Banner for Youth Wellness
Eurovision Talent Show
Well done to all those involved in the Eurovision themed Talent Show! Thanks to TYs for organising the event. We had a packed house for the show and an abundance of talent on display. We could not have asked for a more supportive audience for our contestants as everybody was encouraged to work through their nerves. We even had an old school sing-song! We very much appreciate all the effort made by students and staff to make it a special afternoon.
Student Induction Days 2019
We were so happy to welcome 6th class students into The Comp as part of our Induction Days. It was really special to be able to see them take their first steps into the big transition to secondary school. We hope that these days ease the process of going to secondary school for these young people. It was a pleasure to get to know them and we look forward to them joining us in August. It’s wonderful to see so many happy students leaving with new skills, knowledge and friends at the end of a very productive day! We cannot thank our staff and students enough for all their dedication and work. We would also like to thank all the sixth class students and parents for their commitment to our induction days. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we did!😁
European Ambassador Status
A huge congratulations to all the TY students who gained European Ambassador status for St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School. The junior ambassadors were chosen for their hard work and dedication. They attended an award ceremony on Friday at Brú Ború Cultural Centre in Cashel to recieve their certificates and a plaque for the school. Well done to all students and staff involved!
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The Comp Careers Fair 2019
A massive thank you to all those who made The Comp Careers Fair a resounding success. We were blown away by the sheer volume of people in attendance. Our exhibitors were a fantastic to resource to people and proved to be a fountain of knowledge for those looking into options for their future. We hope to continue on this success and plans are already underfoot for the next careers fair.
Thanks to Eugene McCafferty for his wonderful photos of the event.
Thanks to Eugene McCafferty for his wonderful photos of the event.
Senior Cycle Information Evening
Our Senior Cycle Information Evening will take place on Thursday the 4th of April. This will follow The Comp Careers Fair on Wednesday the 3rd of April. We urge our students to attend both of these evenings to take full advantage of all the information available. We hope that by providing these events we will help our students made an informed decision on their subject choice at senior cycle.
Ireland Skills Live
“We want our students to explore their futures”.
48 Senior Cycle students attended the Ireland Skills Live Apprenticeship showcase in the RDS. This experience gave students the opportunity to meet and chat with employers, view apprentices at work and try a skill, even their teachers got to hone their talents too. Many students were amazed at the employment opportunities available along with earning potential when following the apprenticeship route. Although this was the inaugural year of this event both students and teachers are looking forward to making it an annual event.
48 Senior Cycle students attended the Ireland Skills Live Apprenticeship showcase in the RDS. This experience gave students the opportunity to meet and chat with employers, view apprentices at work and try a skill, even their teachers got to hone their talents too. Many students were amazed at the employment opportunities available along with earning potential when following the apprenticeship route. Although this was the inaugural year of this event both students and teachers are looking forward to making it an annual event.
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The Comp Careers Fair
Announcing The Comp Careers Fair.....
Climate Strike - March 15
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To say we are proud is an understatement! Our fantastic students and staff worked together to make a real stand for our voices to be heard in relation to climate change. Our human chain, led by our Student Council, wound its’ way through the school and we all gathered in the hall to show unity in this cause. Thank you to all who took part. In a moment of kismet, past pupil Gavin Higgins sent us a truly beautiful piece from his portfolio in his LCFE course. We feel it’s very apropos to our work today.
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Class on Climate Change
First Year Bríde spent Thursday’s English class finding out about climate change. They spent the class coming up with their own slogans and created some beautiful posters. 🌍
Hurling Win
Great win today for our Under 15 hurlers, beating Waterpark Secondary School Waterford on a scoreline of 1-8 to 4 points. Both teams deserve huge credit having to play in such awful conditions and a pitch with a just about playable surface. The commitment and dedication from this group of lads is incredible and are performing so well at both codes this year. Proud of ye all lads!! A really Great team performance and exceptional individual performances from Peter McEvoy, Riordan brothers Craig and Colin, Tan Greene, Cian Lynch and Ben OConnell. On to the next round, our opposition yet to be decided!”
Pi Day 2019
Come to The Comp. We have Pi. Today we celebrated international ‘Pi Day’ marking the mathematical constant on the 14th of March (3.14). They say promises are like a pie crust and are easily broken but that wasn’t the case with our wonderful students today. An extreme effort was made to celebrate ‘Pi Day’ by both students and staff. There were extra smiles in the classrooms and corridors today and a wonderful sharing of ideas and pies.
Thanks to all those who took part and a special mention to the wonderful students who made a video to celebrate ‘Pi Day’.
Thanks to all those who took part and a special mention to the wonderful students who made a video to celebrate ‘Pi Day’.
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History Talk
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We were privileged to have guest speaker Charlie Morrison in the library speaking to third year history students from Ms. Graham & Ms. Flanagan classes on his life & times in Derry.
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Climate Strike Preparation
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Have you heard of the March 15 Climate Strike? It highlights the lack of voice that young people have in relation to climate change.
Here at The Comp we are putting our twist on it! Rather than walking out as individuals we are working together to create a silent human chain throughout our building to showcase how young people are being silenced. Ní neart go cur le chéile. We want to show our passion for this urgent issue. As our motto says...beart de réir ár mbriathar...deeds to match our words. Support us by wearing green on Friday to coincide with our Lá Glas too. |
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Seachtain na Gaeilge 2019
Bhí an t-ádh linn freastal ar chaint ó Ré Ó Laighléis inniu sa leabharlann anseo i Sionainn. Bhaineamar an taitneamh as! Thanks to Shannon Library and Ré for a wonderfully fun, interactive and educational afternoon! Go raibh míle maith agaibh 😉💚☘️ @Clare County Library
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Applied Maths Quiz
Our students participated in the applied maths regional quiz Thursday night and as usual did us proud. Congratulations to all those who took part and especially to Éanna Crimmins, Aedan McFall and Conor Skelton-Bundy who were pipped at the post and ended up in 4th position.
We look forward to even more success in next years final.
We look forward to even more success in next years final.
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Business Studies Award
Huge congratulations to Allia-Jai Marren O’Callaghan & Lisa Quinn who received an award in UL for having achieved an A in Higher Level Business Studies in their Junior Certificate. Pictured here with the Dean of the Kemmy Business School & their Business Studies teachers, Ms. Frost & Ms. Magee
World Book Week 2019
Rounding up a great week, our first years had a 'world book day' themed table quiz organised by our TY students. Well done to our fancy dress entrants too! A special shout out to our resident 'queen of hearts' Jackie in the library who was our judge for the day. Congratulations to our TY's for a great week, thank you to all the teachers involved.📚📚
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Visit from Atlantic Air Aviation
At the Comp, we love to bring back our past pupils. As part of Design & Engineering Week, Danny Quinn Drumgoole and Christy Carey who now work with Atlantic Aviation Group, today came to speak with Leaving Certs about their careers in aviation engineering. Both Danny & Christy excelled during their time in The Comp and are role models for anyone wishing to seek an apprenticeship in aviation.
Don’t forget AAG apprenticeship closes on March 27th.
Don’t forget AAG apprenticeship closes on March 27th.
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Clare Enterprise Awards
Well done to the 5 teams of TY students who took part in the Clare Enterprise Awards today in the West County. Great creativity shown on their ideas.
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Spectroscopy Workshop
Leaving Cert Chemistry students enjoying a Spectroscopy Workshop with UCC PhD students today. The students analysed samples from a "crime scene" utilising Ultra Violet and Infra Red Spectrometers while getting an insight to college courses in UCC.
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Design & Engineering Week
We welcomed two programme leaders from LIT as part of Design & Engineering Week. Thanks to David Honan, Built Environment and Ciarán O’Loughlin, Precision Engineering who spoke with senior cycle DCG, Construction Studies and Engineering students about the opportunities at LIT and the link between our practical subjects and programmes @ LIT. This was a very informative talk and opened many students eyes to possible careers.
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JCPA - Class of 2018
Drug and Alcohol Awareness Programme
Both TY groups and LCA 1 students completed a Drug and Alcohol Awareness Program with Clare Youth Services. Here they are receiving their certs. Thanks to all at Clare Youth Services.
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English Excursion
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Some pictures from today’s stop to Glór to hear the poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin discuss her poetry.
Leaving Cert and 4th year classes attended with their teachers. 
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Farm Trip
Our TY's went on an Ag Science trip yesterday to Pallaskenry to learn all about the Dairy industry and the courses they offer at Pallaskenry.
Mindfulness CourseOur first years received their certificates for completing their recent Mindfulness Course. A very worthy and beneficial course for all involved.
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Soccer SuccessWell done to Jamie on his recent signing for Galway Utd.
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Bright future in basketballCongratulations to John, Joshua and Carlo who have all been selected to be part of the Clare under 17 basketball team. Well done lads!
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We are running the Design a National Book Token competition again this year. There are lots of prizes up for grabs so call in to the library and chat to Jackie if you want to enter!
https://www.worldbookday.com/…/make-your-mark-design-a-nat…/ |
Bake Sale in aid of Pieta HouseOur fantastic LCA1 students held a Valentine's Day themed bake sale.
They've been very busy over the last few weeks organising the event as part of their mini company for English and VPG. There were some delicious treats and the event was a great success. The students are donating all proceeds from the bake sale to Pieta House. Well done to all involved. |
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Football success
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Well done and congratulations to Blake and Charlie on signing up with Limerick FC. Blake will be with the under 19s and Charlie with the under 15s. We’re all very proud of you lads!
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Irish Heart Foundation
Our TY students supported the Irish Heart Foundation by bag backing at Dunnes in Shannon today
Wheelchair basketball
Our TYs were in UL yesterday taking part in the regional wheelchair basketball finals. Our students got to take part in this competition because of their fundraising efforts for the Irish Wheelchair Association. It was a fantastic day spent learning a very skilful sport. Well done to all.
Maths Seminar
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Our higher level Transition Year maths students took part in a 'Maths in UL' seminar
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'I Wish' Conference 2019
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“Believe in yourself and be the best you can be”. That was the message of leading women in the field of engineering at the ‘I Wish’ Conference in Cork yesterday. 29 girls from TY and 4th year went to Cork early yesterday morning for this STEM showcase in City Hall. ‘I Wish’ will meet over 12,000 girls over four days in both Cork and Dublin who wish to pursue engineering related careers. Students who attended felt the showcase opened their eyes to careers they never knew about. Students also got to meet leading engineers from VM Ware, Stryker and Johnson & Johnson.
Also back this year will be Design & Engineering Week running in school from March 4th - 8th. Full details of events will be announced next week. |
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Digital Learning in PE P.E at The Comp goes digital! Some of our Leaving Cert PE (LCPE) class with the iPads which are used in the course. This new leaving cert option subject puts a big emphasis on the use of digital technology in physical activity and sport. We are so proud to be in the first wave of this new course!
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Past Pupil SurveyDid you attend The Comp? If so, then we’d love to hear from you! We are trying to get in touch with past pupils both near and far! We want to see what you have done since leaving us and your thoughts on your time in The Comp now that you have moved on. Please get in touch by filling out the survey below. We can’t wait to hear from you all! Feel free to share.
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Visit to The Late Late Show
Well done to Darragh and Eoin on their appearance on The Late Late Show on Friday. |
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Visit to Carrigoran
Some of our students visited Carrigoran to give out St. Brigid crosses and play some music for the residents. It was a lovely thought by all involved.
Some of our students visited Carrigoran to give out St. Brigid crosses and play some music for the residents. It was a lovely thought by all involved.
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CAO Deadline February 1st (5.15pm): Closing date for normal applications to the CAO, for entry to all first-year undergraduate courses. People applying for restricted application courses (those with early assessments such as interviews or portfolio assessment) must list any such course on their CAO application by this date. February 5th: Online facility to amend course choices becomes available for a late fee of €10 until March 1st. Link: https://www.cao.ie/ |
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Irish drama visit
Some of our 4th & 5th year students took part in a drama workshop today that is based on the Sraith Pictúir for the Irish oral. They were given lots of tips and advice on doing the Irish oral. Teachers and students really enjoyed the drama.Ghlac grúpa daltaí ón 4ú agus an 5ú bliana páirt i gCeardlann Dramaíochta inniu sa leabharlann. Bhain na daltaí agus múinteoirí an-taitneamh as an seó ó Caith Amach É. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
Some of our 4th & 5th year students took part in a drama workshop today that is based on the Sraith Pictúir for the Irish oral. They were given lots of tips and advice on doing the Irish oral. Teachers and students really enjoyed the drama.Ghlac grúpa daltaí ón 4ú agus an 5ú bliana páirt i gCeardlann Dramaíochta inniu sa leabharlann. Bhain na daltaí agus múinteoirí an-taitneamh as an seó ó Caith Amach É. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
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Physics trip to University of Limerick
Our 4th year physics class attended the Tyndall lecture on Friday on the physics of waves. They thoroughly enjoyed their experience in UL. |
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We were thrilled to welcome Alison Carey back to her alma mater today to speak to our budding artists. Alison works in Paris as an exhibition manager. Today she shared her experience and journey in the art world to her current illustrious position. This speech was invaluable to the art students in The Comp. She has reinvigorated and inspired our students who were so impressed with her story. |
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Well done to all our students who took part in North Munster Schools Cross Country. A special mention to Jamie on winning a silver medal in the Senior Boys race. He will now progress to The Munster Schools Championship again.
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Congratulations to Jake on the commendation he received from his Texaco Art Competition entry.
Football win
Congratulations to our under 15 Gaelic footballers on their win against Kildysart. The final score was 6-9 to 9-7.
Physics Trip
Our physics Leaving Cert class benefited from a revision workshop in UL. Thanks to all those involved for such a wonderful opportunity.
Our physics Leaving Cert class benefited from a revision workshop in UL. Thanks to all those involved for such a wonderful opportunity.
Presentation to Fr. Tom Ryan
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We recently held a presentation in the library for Fr. Tom Ryan. Fr. Tom has been a wonderful support to our school community throughout his time in Shannon and we have been very fortunate to benefit from his wisdom and kindness. We wish him luck in his new posting.
Senior Citizens Christmas Party
We had a wonderful time at our Senior Citizens Christmas Party. It has become a fantastic tradition in The Comp and it is one that we are very proud to host each year. Our LCAs and student volunteers in the entertainment section were amazing as always! Thank you to all the students involved and the dedicated staff who make it such a great event.
We had a wonderful time at our Senior Citizens Christmas Party. It has become a fantastic tradition in The Comp and it is one that we are very proud to host each year. Our LCAs and student volunteers in the entertainment section were amazing as always! Thank you to all the students involved and the dedicated staff who make it such a great event.
Maths Mentoring Initiative
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We were delighted to welcome past pupil Martin Hartigan from Intel to our school to launch a 'Maths Mentoring' initiative for our Junior Cert. and Leaving Cert. maths students.
Martin and his colleagues at Intel will begin this exciting programme on Monday next and it is hoped that it will expand to include more students in the coming months. |
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Leaving Cert PE - Science of an Athlete
Certificate of Excellence Scholarship
Congratulations to Katie Bergin who received a Certificate of Excellence Scholarship at NUIG recently.. We are incredibly proud of Katie having scored more than 600 points in her 2018 Leaving Cert. Katie was among a number of students who achieved high results with us this year and she now continues the great tradition of scholarship winning students in The Comp.
Schools Cross Country
Congratulations to Jamie who won the County Senior Boys Cross Country event at Lees Road on Thursday 16th November. Jamie will now compete in the North Munsters in early 2018 and we wish him the very best of luck.
Intel Scholarships 2017
Congratulations to Dominik Przychodnia who received a Paul Whelan Memorial Scholarship from Intel Shannon.
Dominik is a first year student at UL studying Computer Science and was one of only eight students from across the country to receive this much coveted award.
Dominik is a first year student at UL studying Computer Science and was one of only eight students from across the country to receive this much coveted award.
Junior Cycle Talent CompetitionTransition Year's organised a very successful talent competition for Junior Cycle students on Friday 7th April.
Twelve different acts competed in total with prizes going to: 1st - Sally & Julita Fox 2nd - Emmanuel Okubanjo 3rd - Evan Gavin (See Gallery for more photos) |
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TY'S SLEEPOVER FOR NOVASOn Friday 3rd March Transition Year students participated in a sponsored sleepover in the school gym and raised €1,206.76 for Novas.
Novas is a voluntary organisation and Approved Housing Body working with families and single adults who are disadvantaged and socially excluded; primarily those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. They provide a range of services and accommodation for marginalised households throughout Ireland. In 2002, Novas established its first service in Ireland – a temporary supported, low-threshold accommodation service in Limerick. Since then they have grown significantly with more than 20 services in counties Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Dublin, Cork and Kerry. They support clients through Housing, Health and Recovery. They recognise the complex issues that cause homelessness and endeavour to offer holistic, long-term solutions. |
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LIT SCHOLARSHIPCongratulations to Kornelia Przychodria who received a Leaders@LIT Scholarship at an awards ceremony in LIT on Wednesday 22nd February.
Awards were presented to 26 students by Mr. Paul O Connell who was also the guest speaker. Kornelia is a first year science student. |
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One Million trees in one dayFirst year students participated in the One Million Trees in One Day initiative to plant a million young native trees at many different sites across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in 24 hours on Saturday 11th February 2017.
The One Million Trees in One Day Charity plant small woodlands, coppices, orchards, hedgerows, shelter belts and larger woodlands. They work with farmers, smallholders, community groups, councils, schools, colleges, and many other landowners to co-ordinate sites to accommodate trees each season. First years planted 100 young trees on school grounds and are looking forward to monitoring the progress of the trees during their time in the school. See Gallery for more photos. |
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Jersey PresentationBackBaller Shannon have presented us with a beautiful set of Rugby jerseys.
The BackBaller, which is a back specific dual mounted foam roller, is the brain child of Noel Marshall and is manufactured in Smithstown Industrial Estate.. Already it has taken social media by storm with huge demand in free competitions run by Noel on Facebook. Respected physical therapist Gerard Hartmann assisted Noel in designing the invention having been very impressed with the original concept. It will benefit sedentary workers, individuals struggling with back and muscle pain as well as active sport enthusiasts. |
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TEXACO WINNERCongratulations to Jake Justice, 3rd Year, whose entry in the 2016 Texaco Children's Art Competition earned him first place in the 14-15 category.
Jake and his family holiday in Killarney and he chose Ross Castle as his subject for the competition. As well as receiving a prize Jakes painting is also featured in the 2017 Texaco calendar. |
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ARMY BANDThe No1 Brigade Army Band visited St. Patrick's Comprehensive on Tuesday 24th January.
Under the baton of Company Sargent Noel Galvin the band played a wide selection of well known numbers from stage and screen along with some jazz and popular marches. The band are based in Cork and visit approx. 20 schools every year. To have the band in our presence was a great privilege and we look forward to them returning some time in the future, |
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APPLIED MATHS CLASS FUNDRAISERWe were delighted to welcome Ms. Avril Power, CEO of the Irish Asthma Society to receive a cheque for €4000 raised by Ms. Gallery's Applied Maths class.
These brilliant, brave and enthusiastic students undertook many tasks in their fundraising efforts, including bag-packing, waxing and being waxed, gathering sponsorship from all around the community and they topped off their efforts by Sky-diving from a height of 10,000 feet at the TandemSkydive club in Longford. Ms Power commended the students and explained just how important their fundraising is. In Ireland, on average, one person a week dies from Asthma and with government funding to the charity having been cut by 50% in the last few years, efforts such as those made by St Patrick’s Comprehensive are now more necessary than ever. |
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LCA BONDING TRIP - September 2016Recently Leaving Certificate Applied 1 students spent two days on Spike Island experiencing military themed outdoor games and activities. Our students were challenged with a variety of tough assault courses and teambuilding games. They learnt how to light a fire with stones. They were taught daytime and night time orienteering skills and during the night were shown how to get started in stargazing. All these activities help to strengthen self-belief and self-confidence in our students and it also gave them the opportunity to create a strong team spirit amongst themselves.
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MUNSTER CHAMPIONS
St. Patrick's Comprehensive were crowned Munster U161/2 football champions after holding off a strong challenge from Cork's North Mon. at Quaid Park Coolyroe on Friday 22nd April. Played in ideal conditions the game was a tense affair throughout but The Comp. held out to secure a memorable victory by 0-10 to 1-5.
The game was attended by a large group of supporting students and parents and all were instrumental in bringing home the silverware. See Gallery for photos of match. |
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California here we come!
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Science Week
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Science Week 2015 finished on a high when students were given the opportunity to visit an inflatable planetarium which was set up in the school gym for a day. Students who visited the planetariun enjoyed a very entertaining and informative talk on our solar system and all seemed to be "over the moon" after the experience.
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Fr. Sean launches geography week
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Columban missionary priest and internationally renowned environmentalist and campaigner, Fr. Sean McDonagh launched Geography Week at St. Patrick’s Comprehensive on Monday 16th of November.
Fr. Sean addressed students on the topic of ‘Climate Change and Global Warming’ and involved students in a Q & A session afterwards. During his address he illuminated the causes and consequences of issues such as global warming, genetically engineered food, water pollution, extinction of natural environments and the dangerous impact of modern patterns of production, distribution and consumption. In 2011, Fr. Mc Donagh was awarded the Eighth Annual Partnership for Global Justice Award in New York. He is the author of nine books, including Climate Change, The Challenge to All of Us, Care for the Earth and Dying for Water. He is also a member of the Papal Commission on the Environment and was one of the chief advisors to the Vatican in the composition of the recently published Papal Encyclical, Laudato Si. While he was on the Philippine island of Mindanao, he developed reforestation and land use projects with the T’boli people. Father McDonagh has attended and reported on many of the UN Climate Change Conferences’ and hopes to attend the Paris Conference in December 2015. |
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rachael returns to alma materRTE's Rachael English returned to her old school to speak to the graduating Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students on Friday 22nd May.
Rachel addressed the 120 students, their parents and staff and as well as recounting her school days she also offered some very welcome words of advice and encouragement to students preparing for exams. |
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PE EXPO 2015 WINNERS
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PE Expo 2015 was hosted by Trinity Comprehensive, Ballymun on 30th April. There were 15 schools represented exhibiting 45 PE related projects and including a total entry of 200 students. St Patrick’s Comprehensive were represented by 4th yr. students Lauryn Dooley, Elora McFall, Cliodhna McNelis, Clara Moore and Jenny Power with their project entitled “Skill Components of Fitness in Rugby and Gaelic Football; specifically Coordination and Punting”.
The study initially involved an analysis of video recorded matches to identify the use of each of the six skill related components of fitness in both rugby and Gaelic football. The second phase of the study required the students to use their knowledge of both PE theory and applied maths as they used applied maths formulae to calculate the range and velocity of punts (kicks from the hand) taken using the knowledge that the ideal angle of projection for such a skill is 45°. The findings illustrated that both sports require the use of all skill components of fitness and that the ideal 45° angle of projection elicits the punt with greatest distance. The project from St Patrick’s Comprehensive was awarded the prize for Best Overall Project. The girls were each presented with a medal and a plaque and prize fund for the school in recognition of their achievement. |
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Choir win at Limerick Choral Festival 2015
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St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School Choir ‘Composition’ took first place at the 2015 Limerick Choral Festival. Last year, in their first competitive outing, 'Composition' took the runner up spot in the Secondary Schools Section (mixed voice) and so were delighted to progress to first position this year. They were required to sing two pieces, one sacred and one of their own choice. 'Composition' also got to the semi-finals of Clare's Got Talent in 2014. The choir is an SAT (soprano/alto/tenor) choir and range in ages from First to Fifth Year. They rehearse every Monday after school and like to sing contemporary songs, learning by ear. The Choir Director, Karen Barrett, is a past pupil of the school and is also the Director of the renowned Shannon Gospel Choir.
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Transition year students win "compass 2015"
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A deepening of the understanding of port activity on the Shannon Estuary and its contribution to the economy was played out on Monday in Foynes as St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School, Shannon won the inaugural Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) Transition Year Schools Competition.
Titled ‘The Importance of Ports in the Mid-West’, the competition was held to spread greater awareness amongst students in the estuary counties of Clare, Kerry and Limerick of the pivotal role that the estuary and ports play in the life of the region and their function in a modern economy. Some 34 schools across the three counties took part in the competition, with five shortlisted for today’s final, held at the Flying Boat Museum in Foynes, at which they delivered enlightening ten minute presentations before a 300 strong attendance. The finalists were Causeway Comprehensive, Co. Kerry; St. Patrick’ Comprehensive, Shannon; Scoil Mhuire agus Íde, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick; CBS Sexton Street, Limerick City and Salesian College, Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick. The judging panel comprised Helen Downes, CEO of Shannon Chamber; Captain Jim White, retired harbour master at SFPC; Frank Lynch retired company secretary at SFPC and Martin Morrissey, Commercial Manager, SFPC. The winners were presented with their medals plus a €2,000 cheque for their school and an ipad for each team member, all sponsored by SFPC, by Minister of Education Jan O’Sullivan, who said that the competition will help generate greater awareness of the pivotal and largely underestimated role that SFPC and the estuary plays in people’s lives across the region. |
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Shannon Foynes Port Company Compass Competition
Article from Clare Courier - January 2015
Students from St Patrick’s Comprehensive have reached the shortlist of five schools out of 34 entries to a new Transition Year competition designed to give them an understanding of the pivotal role that sea-ports play in the life of the region.
TY students from the Comp will proceed to the final on February 9th next of the Shannon Foynes Port Company Transition Year Schools along with three schools from Limerick and one from Kerry.
The winning schools will receive a cheque for €2,000 while team members will each win a new iPad (teams are confined to a maximum of seven).
In this, its inaugural year, the bi-annual competition adopted the theme ‘The Importance of Ports in the Mid-West Region’.
This was devised to encourage the to develop a greater understanding of ports and their function in modern economies.
It will also foster greater awareness amongst students of their local region, particularly on the businesses and resources which play an important role in its development.
The competition was open to schools in Clare, Limerick and Kerry, all with shorelines on the Shannon Estuary.
Many of the 34 participating schools availed of the opportunity to visit the port facilities, with given tours under the supervision of Captain Hugh Conlon, Shannon Foynes Port Company’s community liaison officer and schools coordinator Evelyn Adams.
Commenting on the experience, Emer Magee, Transition Year coordinator at St Patrick’s Comprehensive said, “We found the tour really informative and allowed for the students to take ownership of their projects.
“It gave us a great insight into the port company and the Shannon Estuary. The competition and tours were very well run and I would definitely recommend taking part in this project in the years ahead”.
Pat Keating, CEO of Shannon Foynes Port Company, said he was very pleased with the interest shown in the company’s first schools competition.
“We see this as a vital initiative as part of our mission to engage with the community and region.
“So much activity happens in our ports that impacts positively on virtually every household across the region, from fuels that heat our homes or feedstuffs to feed livestock, and a programme like this really helps grow awareness of this activity.
“In addition, this competition creates a platform for the second level students of the region to become more aware and involved in a large scale maritime business such as the port, while at the same time providing them with an opportunity to test their creativity and initiative.”
On 9th February students from St Patrick’s Comprehensive and the other finalists will make a public presentation of their projects at a gala event in the Foynes Flying Boat Museum and a winner will be chosen. The event is open to all contestants, their school colleagues and guardians.
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Intel GIFTed Programme
10 Second Year girls took part in the Intel Gift'ed ( Girls influenced for Technology in Education) programme aimed at promoting,engaging and influencing female students on the career opportunities in technology through providing female role models from industry. The programme took place over a 10 week period and included trips to the CSIS and ECE departments of UL and also a tour of Intel in Shannon. The girls learned html coding which they used to create a website based upon their experience of the programme |
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U16 Boys Basketball
Our U16 boys won silver medals in the regional finals played in Killarney on Friday 12th December. They now go on to play in the All-Ireland series. |
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