School Newsletter 3 – 2012/13

The National Ploughing Championships being held locally this week has touched school life in a variety of ways. While there were no classes held on Wednesday to allow all those who wished to do so attend the event, the obvious traffic issues made travelling difficult for some on the Tuesday and Thursday. All 82 of our Transition Year students were offered employment over the 3 days, an opportunity which the vast majority of them gratefully seized and which will no doubt have given them a greater appreciation of the world of the workplace. Many other students and their families will have been involved as exhibitors and helpers during the week which will hopefully have brought much needed benefit to the local economy and which will have highlighted the wonderful amenities and resources of the south east to a wide audience.

Next week there will be a specific focus on study skills and planning for all Junior cycle students, 1st to 3rd year with a presentation to each year group on time management, study techniques and general learning skills. We would encourage all parents/guardians to speak with their sons about the issue of study and how to make best use of both school and home study time.

As anyone visiting or passing the school will see the building of the new town swimming pool is moving forward at a great pace and it is expected that it will be fully covered before Christmas and ready to open in the summer of 2013. Having such a facility on our doorstep is of course very attractive and means students taking swimming modules as part of their PE programme will be spared the traipse back up Mary Street hill hauling their gear bags behind them. In addition the huge and unsightly mound of earth which grew on the left hand side of our avenue as the swimming pool site was being dug out has now been moved over to the Irishtown pitch which will now be levelled and reseeded in the near future.

Our sixth year Geography students will undertake their Field study work over the next week, visiting Woodstown beach to study coastal erosion while 6th year retreats will also take place in school. Best wishes to all involved in these events.