’No one has ever become poor by giving’ {Anne Frank}
This year once again staff and pupils in St. Mary’s have been very busy raising money for various charities. The grand total raised in 2017-18 was £17,040. We are very proud of the efforts of ) everyone involved in organising fundraising events throughout the year. We would also like to say a massive thank you to the parents, families and friends who support all our fundraising each year. Without your generosity this would not be possible. Well done staff, pupils, families and friends of St. Mary’s
Staff and students at St Mary’s High School celebrate yet another successful year where the 'A' Level students have achieved excellent results. The Principal, Mrs Margo Cosgrove, expressed her congratulations, “These superb results reflect the students’ dedication and commitment to their studies and I am delighted that this success enables them to progress to Higher Education and follow their chosen career pathway. As ambassadors and role models representing the Student Voice, these students have had a very positive impact on school life clearly demonstrating their fine leadership qualities". The Principal thanked staff for their excellent teaching and pastoral guidance and acknowledged the commitment and support from parents. Mrs Cosgrove praised the successful collaborations with St Mark’s High School, St Colman’s College and the Southern Regional College which has ensured students are enjoying 'A' Level success through a wide range of academic and vocational subjects
St Mary’s High School students celebrate another very successful year’s GCSE results. The staff were delighted by the outstanding results achieved by the students which consistently out-perform the targets set for non-selective secondary schools across Northern Ireland. Mrs Cosgrove, Principal, praised the students, teachers and parents, commenting, “These are excellent results are reflecting everyone’s hard work and commitment not only after five years in St Mary’s but also keeping in mind the sound foundations laid in our “feeder” primary schools. Valuing every pupil and having high expectations of each one is at the core of the ethos at St. Mary’s and this group of students have certainly lived up to these high expectations.
St Mary's celebrated Junior Presentation Award Ceremony in September. The ceremony celebrated the many achievements of those students who have completed Key Stage 3. Principal Mrs Margo Cosgrove congratulated the girls on their magnificent Junior results. She commended the hard work of the teachers, pupils and thanked parents for their support. "There is indeed no secret to academic success – it is the result of working to the best of your ability, attending school and being focused on class work and homework. The students have definitely lived up to the school motto - Optimum Semper Facere - “always to do one’s best.” The guest speaker Miss Judith McCartan praised the achievements of the students for their many successes, academic, pastoral and sporting. She spoke warmly about her experiences as a student and encouraged the students to work hard, aim high and follow their dreams.
Present and past students of St Mary’s High School celebrated their achievements at the annual Presentation Evening. Mr Eugene Magee MSc, an Olympian, was guest speaker and congratulated the students on their excellent GCSE, GCE Advanced Level results and on their many curricular and extracurricular achievements while at St Mary’s High School. His inspiring words encouraged the students to nurture the values and opportunities they have experienced in their lives and enjoy the rewards of an excellent education. The students have again maintained the high standards of previous years and followed paths to Universities in Northern Ireland and England as well as the SRC to begin Foundation degrees. We acknowledge their success and are grateful for the inspirational role models they have been during their senior years in St Mary’s.
Year 13 student Hannah Chambers was presented with the CCEA award for top student for Preparation for Adult Life. Hannah attended the ceremony in Titanic Belfast along with Miss Bartlett and family members. This CCEA event recognises the hard work and achievement of the top students in Northern Ireland. Well done Hannah for this amazing achievement.
St Mary's students, Caitlin Murphy, Jennifer Carragher, Shannon Taylor and Bethan O'Flaherty were finalists in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust’s, Student Healthcare Debate in the King Edward Building of the Royal Victoria Hospital. They challenged the pupils from Royal Academical Institution, Belfast on the highly controversial topic “The health service is less safe at weekends because there are too few medical staff on duty�. The students delivered well-articulated and thoroughly researched arguments in their speeches and were faced with a range of challenging questions from the pupils from the Royal Academical Institution, Belfast as well as from an illustrious panel of doctors from the Royal Victoria Hospital. After a closely fought debate the pupils were runners up in the final and congratulated the winning team from Royal Academical Institution. The adjudicators praised the students for their fine debating skills and commented on the wonderful work and preparation by all the students. Huge congratulations to the debating teams in both the final and semi-finals, St Mary's High School, Rathmore Grammar School, Banbridge Academy and Royal Academical Institution who were superb ambassadors for their schools and debated with great skill and knowledge.
In August 2017 we welcomed our new Year 8 pupils to St Mary’s who enjoyed an action-packed week of drama, dance and music, during the annual Summer Scheme, directed by the Sheridan Stage School. The students enjoyed the opportunity to challenge their dance, singing and drama skills as they performed “ New Beginnings�.
St Mary's welcomed Amazing Brains to host workshops with our Year 8 and Year 11 pupils. The Amazing Brains concept is that every student, through effort and hard work, can achieve great things. Their mission is to nurture students' intrinsic motivation for learning and help them understand that they truly have an amazing brain. The programme has been designed to captivate, motivate and educate young people about their brain and learning. It aims to create a success oriented mind-set amongst students, boost academic performance and foster a positive, lifelong attitude to learning. Parents also attended an evening seminar to enrich their knowledge about strategies to support their children with home school study.
St Mary's held a fundraising walk in aid of the Samaritans. Year 10 students and their teachers walked along the tow path to raise money for the charity. St Mary's staff and students are dedicated to helping local, national and global charities.
St Mary's were delighted to present a cheque for ÂŁ854.70 to Kathleen and Eileen, representatives from The Samaritans. Our Year 10 pupils recently participated in the annual Samaritans Towpath walk to help raise funds for the cause. Well done everyone.
Everyone in St Mary's enjoyed a wonderful day of Christmas spirit at our Christmas Fayre. Pupils and staff dressed up in their best Christmas jumpers and fancy dress to join in on the fun and indulge in some Christmas treats. Everyone enjoyed a cake and bun stall, a chocolate fountain, a tombola, a photo booth, face painting and festive games. The day was a tremendous success raised £300 for charity. Proceeds will go towards Habitat for Humanity and school charities. A massive congratulations to everyone involved in organising the event. .
Once again St Mary's has risen to the challenge to support the wonderful work carried out by St Vincent de Paul through the annual Christmas Hamper appeal. Pupils, staff and parents donated 50 hampers as well as presenting a cheque to SVP Society for £500. Special commendation to the senior students from the Rights Respecting School Council who organised the campaign throughout the school. We have always been privileged to enjoy the support from Mr Louis O’ Donnell from St Vincent De Paul and our St Mary’s community will hold his memory very dear.
Mrs Novaski and pupils from the Rights Respecting School Council began fundraising activities for this term with a staff coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Congratulations to the School Council, The Home Economics Department and also Mrs Novaski for such a fantastic effort and huge thanks to all those who donated very generously to help improve the lives of all those people affected by cancer.
In November, Year 13 students accompanied Mr Magee to Lisburn to assist at Habitat ReStore. ReStore is a low cost DIY store that delivers volunteering opportunities and raises funds to build hope and homes around the world. Habitat ReStore serves thousands of local families by creating access to low-cost home improvement materials. Every week more than 50 volunteers from across the community give their time to Habitat ReStore and today our students assisted the charity by up cycling and painting furniture.
In February, the Year 13 pupils involved in the Habitat for Humanity project held a bag pack in Sainsbury’s. It was a great day raising money with a total of £260 donated. We would like to thank the staff of Sainsbury’s who made us more than welcome and to all those who contributed to our collection.
Since September, a group of ten Year 13 pupils have embarked on the Change Makers project with Habitat for Humanity. Accompanied by Mr Magee, the girls completed three workshop days along with Newbridge Integrated College, including a day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in their Re:Store premises in Lisburn. The girls were set the challenge to raise £1250, the average cost of building a house with the charity. Miss Bartlett facilitated and planned collections to ensure the girls reached their target. In April, we were delighted to welcome Victoria Trimble from Habitat to present her with the cheque.
In developing its global outreach, St Mary's High School is actively working with Fr Donall O'Cathain SMA to support the development of education in Africa. As a Rights Respecting School, St Mary's is keen to improve the life opportunities of children in developing countries by supporting quality education. Before travelling back to Africa, Fr Donall visited St Mary's to attend a special assembly where he spoke to the school community about the progress made in developing education in Africa. He praised the work of the students through their fundraising activities and curriculum links. To date, St Mary's Newry has raised £38,000 to support Fr Donall in his school building programme.
Several girls from St Mary's High School volunteered to help with a PIPS bagpack in Tesco's in December. The girls were thanked by Thelma Thompson from PIPS Hope and Support (PIPS Newry and Mourne) and they each received a certificate to thank them for their support at a very busy time of year. The girls helped to raise a grand total of £3,055. St Mary's is proud to support this wonderful cause and we are thankful that so many girls volunteered to help. Well done girls.
This year, over 80 shoeboxes have been donated by the staff and pupils of St Mary's to The Blythswood Shoebox Appeal. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed this year. The boxes were delivered to families who otherwise would have no presents to open at Christmas.
Year 8 pupil Ciara O'Brien has raised the most money in school during a fund raising day. The money was donated to Southern Area Hospice and also towards buying ICT Equipment. Congratulations Ciara.
Pupils in St Mary's recently participated in a Health and Fitness Day and raised money for The Southern Area Hospice. The pupils who raised the most money in each Year Group are pictured presenting a cheque for ÂŁ500 to Mrs Andrea McCann. Also in the photograph is Mrs J McGinn (Health Coordinator) and Miss D Crawley (Vice Principal).
Our Year 14 Business Studies students set up a mini enterprise in Buttercrane as part of their coursework. This year the two classes ('Flour Power' and ‘Frosty Bites') had a very successful day selling all types of tasty treats ranging from cupcakes to tray bakes and biscuits to cheesecakes. All proceeds from the day were donated to school charities including PIPS, Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and The Zambian Street Children. The girls also donated some cakes to The Simon Community.
St Mary's celebrated a Health and Fitness Day with the whole school community joining in with the fun activities. Our PE Department welcomed Danielle Gilmore who held Zumba and hip hop classes for our pupils and staff. The activities were a fun and exciting way to get pupils active and highlight the importance of lifelong physical activity. We would like to thank Danielle for a wonderful day of exercise, dance and fun.
St Mary's Student Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) were also busy organising some healthy treats for staff and pupils. Everyone enjoyed sampling smoothies, fruit kebabs, vegetables and hummus and guessing the identity of some exotic fruits. SNAG are committed to encouraging healthy lifestyle and healthy eating with the aim of promoting our students selfconfidence. The day was a great success and further enhances our school theme of "positive well-being and self-care".
As a Rights Respecting School, St Mary’s is committed to supporting a range of local and national charities. During Lent a number of fundraising events took place to support the school’s two African Projects (Africa School Project and Zambian Street Children). The school is delighted that in total £5,000 has been raised. Special thanks goes to all students, parents and teachers who enthusiastically took part in the fundraising to purchase much needed educational and medical resources for children in Africa. The school also thanks the many businesses who sponsored prizes for the raffle. 0824 presented Barry Traynor with £2500 for a shelter for street children in Kitwe Zambia. Another £2500 was also raised for St Mary’s schools in Nigeria. Barry thanked staff and pupils for the tremendous contribution and he informed us how every penny will go directly to the project to facilitate teams seeking out the street children and then providing medical treatment, education, food and accommodation. Hundreds of lives have been saved already through St Mary’s contributions and we are very proud to support this vital project. Many thanks to Barry for his help in coordinating the fundraising
Our Rights Respecting School Council and Mrs Novaski kicked off St Mary's Random Act of Kindness activities with a whole school assembly highlighting the exciting events taking place throughout the week. Our St Mary's community became “Raktivists� and enjoyed a range of activities including posting on our shout out board, playing kindness bingo cards, giving out compliment cards and having a hug in a mug during coffee morning. #BeePositiveBeeKind
In March, pupils from St Mary’s High School joined up with around 1000 schools across the UK making the news. The pupils took part in BBC News School Report, a BBC project to engage 11-16 year olds in the news. Over the past few months the students in Years 11 and 13 have been working hard, training to be top journalists, carrying out interviews and producing reports. Principal of St Mary’s Mrs Margo Cosgrove said “The students are really excited about becoming involved in the nationwide news report. Their stories are extremely varied and representative of the many extra-curricular activities they excel in. The girls look forward to the pressure of becoming BBC school reporters for a day and indeed it has inspired many to consider a career in the media.” Reports this year included ‘Dance for Africa’, a story on our fundraising for our partner school in Nigeria and for The Zambian Street Children Appeal. We also had a special message from Strictly Come Dancing star, Anton Du Beke wishing us luck for the day. Another fundraising story came from pupil Hannah Chambers who recently did a sky dive to raise all important funds for The Southern Area Hospice. Our last report highlighted the ongoing project to introduce a 15 acre green public space in the location of Albert Basin for the people of Newry.
St. Mary’s High School were delighted to be awarded Ambassador Eco-Schools status from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful in recognition of their outstanding work on the Eco-Schools programme and acknowledgement of the whole school’s engagement in exemplary environmental practice. The school’s role as an Ambassador Eco-School is to build on their strong foundation of eco work and share their good practice with other schools and the wider community. Eco-Schools is the world's leading environmental education programme. It is a pupil-led initiative with the aim to make environmental awareness and practical action an intrinsic part of school life. Eco-Schools NI is operated by environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. St. Mary’s have targeted eight of the nine topics in the Eco Schools Programme including global perspective, litter and energy. Through data collection, they have been able to see a reduction in energy usage and water. Eco Schools has become thoroughly embedded in their curriculum and is a key aspect of their whole school development plan. Ruth Van Ry, Environmental Education Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “We are very happy that St. Mary’s High School is now an Ambassador Eco-Schools and look forward to seeing their great eco actions continue in school and reach out into their community too. They should be justly proud of this achievement.” Miss McCann, Eco Schools Co-Ordinator reiterated Ruth’s words; “Having been awarded our third green flag in March this year, it is a true honour to receive the highest accolade of the Eco Schools Programme. As a Rights Respecting School we understand the importance of promoting student voice and our Eco Committee has risen to the challenge yet again, bringing the Ambassador School Award to St. Mary’s.”
In April Hannah Chambers, Aine McParland and Aoife McParland accompanied Miss McCann (Eco Schools Co-Ordinator) to CAFRE Greenmount Campus to be officially presented with the Eco Ambassador Award by Eco Schools NI and environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful; an accolade we were awarded in October 2017. As an Ambassador School and Rights Respecting School, St Mary’s has demonstrated exceptional levels of pupil leadership and whole school support which ensures sustainability is embedded in the school ethos.
As part of our role as an Eco Ambassador School, we were delighted to welcome students from St. Mark’s High School, Warrenpoint, St. Joseph’s High School, Newry and St. Marys Primary School, Mullaghbawn as we hosted a Media Workshop in collaboration with BBC News Report and Eco Schools NI. The students were involved in two workshops, where they were upskilled in report writing and journalism, in addition to video making and editing. All students thoroughly enjoyed the day and no doubt, have acquired a new range of skills as they continue their eco journey.
2018 has proven to be another successful year in the Speech and Drama Feis for St Mary’s High School. Pictured are pupils who entered a range of competitions from solo verse speaking to good conversation. These competitions tested their performance skills in different ways. The students showed their versatility and commitment. They were rewarded with a plethora of prizes. Winners from Newry Feis 2018: Over 11 and Under 12 Poem 1st Sophie McConville rd 3 : Eva Smith Highly Commended: Caitlin Treanor Over 12 and Under13 Poem 1st Kayla Keighery 2nd Eve Carolan Highly Commended: Rebecca Brannigan Jessica Campbell Rachel McConville Holly-Rose Powell Over 13 and Under 15 3rd Katie Sands Highly Commended: Olivia Pentony Good Conversation 1st - Megan McCann, Ellie O’Hanlon, Emily Anderson, Katie O’Hare 2nd - Katie McGuinness, Emma McCloskey, Kayla Keighery, Oriah Coleman Public Speaking 1stKatie McGuinness, Megan McCann, Ellie O’Hanlon, Emma McCloskey nd 2 - Emily Anderson, Katie O’Hare, Kayla Keighery, Oriah Coleman *Katie McGuinness was awarded The Newry High School Shield for best speaker in the competition.
St Mary's High School's English Department held their bi-annual Public Speaking Competition which proved to be, once again, a great success. The aim of the competition is to encourage all pupils to develop the skill of speaking effectively and to articulate with clarity. It is also aimed at improving self-confidence and communication skills. The competition was open to Years 8, 9, 10 and 11. The finalists spoke on a wide range of topics from "Homelessness" to "Social Media" to 'Terrorism". The event was adjudicated by Mrs Anne Garvey. Congratulations to the winners Year 8 1st Place: Neamh Quinn Runner Up: Michelle Kunjumon Year 9 1st Place: Madison Murphy Runner Up: Sarah McDonnell Year 10 1st Place: Louise McLoughlin Runner Up: Katie Grant Year 11 1st Place: Lauren McCaul Runner Up: Caoimhe McShane Overall Winner: Katie McGuinness
In September students were encouraged to get involved in the National Poetry Day celebrations in St Mary's. They visited the Library and selected a poem from the many poetry books on display. They enjoyed the Put a Poem In Your Pocket template and carried it around with them. They selected an autumnal poem and decorated it with a range of materials. Many read favourite poems out loud. Thanks to Mrs O'Rourke for organising the event.
Our ICT Ambassadors and ICT Coordinator Mr Twohig launched Safer Internet Day 2018. Events began with a powerful assembly which highlighted #DigitalWellbeing: how we conduct ourselves online and how our social media accounts can have a profound effect on our mental wellbeing. The presentation highlighted the need for everyone on Safer Internet Day to join in and engage with others in a respectful, positive way in order to ensure a better digital experience. Our ICT Ambassadors also delivered their "Staying Safe on Social Media" assembly. The majority of our school community, both staff and students, have some form of a social media account and the presentation offered tips and advice on how we can stay protected in an ever changing digital world. The students emphasised how we are in control of our online activity, it’s not in control of us! #ItStartsWithUs Year 8 pupils were provided with social media “Stay Safe Cards” to place into their homework diaries. Each card gave useful tips on protecting young people when accessing each of the social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. St Mary's students also gathered together to create a Heart Emoji to show how we can unite for a better internet. New line Create, Connect, Share Respect = together we can make the Internet a better and safer place.
St Mary’s were delighted this year to host the Digital Age Project. It was an initiative that focused on the promotion of digital inclusion, with senior citizens. By getting senior citizens online, the project hoped to open up a new world of information, whilst enabling communication, access to services and keeping in touch with others. In October our Digital Mentors volunteered to help attendees with all things Digital, at the Positive Ageing Event, held in Newry Sports Centre. Some of the attendees learned to create an email address, Facebook editing, capturing photos of the fashion show and editing, looking up Pinterest and much more. Great fun and learning was had by all!
St Marys High School staff and pupils embraced ‘The Digital Age Project’ – an initiative to bring digital and social inclusion to older people in Northern Ireland. This initiative, was funded by the Big Lottery Fund NI ‘Reaching out, Connecting Older People Programme’. Year 13 pupils volunteered to work alongside learners from the local Ballyholland Sunshine Club to become more confident in using technology and supporting them to apply their newly acquired skills in their everyday lives. In liaison with St Marys ICT staff, the project was established in the school and co-ordinated by Linking Generations NI with sessions overseen by Paul O’Hare, computer tutor for partner organisation Ignite IT. The aim was to bring generations in communities together to build positive relationships and enable older participants to develop their digital and online skills. The Sunshine members, supported by the students, developed new skills and worked side by side creating content for a website, showcasing their life stories, local events and shared activities/skill swaps. Paul O’Hare computer tutor said “As the sessions progressed it was clear to see that the more mature learners were becoming more proficient in the use of tablets and smartphones, they expressed that the younger learners lack of fear of computers and this was an inspiration to them. The younger learners clearly enjoyed the opportunity to teach. As much as the participants gained from the experience of teaching and learning from one another, they’ve equally enjoyed the social element.” Mrs Williams, Head of ICT stated “St Marys students found the project very satisfying and enjoyed sharing their IT knowledge with others and seeing individuals understand and become confident in using websites and apps relating to their specific interests. Also the students benefited from the wealth of experience and advice from the older generation and many friendships were formed”. At the recent Newry and Mourne Active Ageing Day, the students were again on hand to support older attendees struggling with smartphones, ipads and tablets, not to mention Facebook pages. So inspired are St Mary’s pupils, that some are now involved in sharing their IT knowledge with students from Rathore Special School and plans are underway to celebrate these initiatives through the BBC School Report Day in 2018. The Digital Age Project IT toolkit which is a free, easy to use resource, can be downloaded by any individual or organisation from www.digital-age.org.uk.
Our ICT Ambassadors enjoyed a creative and informative day at Ulster University as part of The BBC Academy's Digital Cities Event. The digital day involved workshops in developing filming skills using mobile devices, digital journalism and a cinematic session. The girls were given a great insight into careers within the media industry and discovered the range of trainee schemes and apprenticeships offered by the BBC.
Year 14 students have taken part in three life skills workshops supported by Barclays Bank. The students explored how to market themselves for employment including the importance of developing a positive online reputation. Pictured is the workshop facilitator Dervla Strong and Adrian Doran, Head of Corporate Banking with Barclays together with Year 14 students.
As part of their study of GCE Professional Business Services, Year 13 students interviewed Dianne Gallagher, Human Resource Manager from Liberty IT. The interview allows the students to explore best practice in a modern IT based Professional Services company.
In February, St Mary’s Library hosted a Book Fair to celebrate Literacy Week. It showcased a great selection of books and stationery for students and staff to browse. Thank you to everyone who supported the event.
Numeracy Week has been the biggest and best to date! From a whole school Numeracy treasure hunt, puzzles of the day, photography competitions and the Mental Maths Madness Morning it had been a busy week! Congratulations to all who participated, both Staff and Students!
Year 10 pupils were working with local charity Young Enterprise developing skills for a future in business through the Learn to Earn programme. Pupils took part in a series of interactive tasks that inspired students to develop enterprising skills and attitudes while exploring the work-life balance. The programme was facilitated by Ruth Young from Young Enterprise. The charity works with young people of all ages and abilities to encourage entrepreneurial qualities at a young age. confidence to succeed in life and work. The Learn to Earn programme is supported by Bank of Ireland UK
In January Catholic Schools’ Week celebrated the role of the family in Catholic Education. There was a particular emphasis on the importance of grandparents and we were delighted to take the opportunity to thank our St. Mary’s grandparents. Many of our Year 8 and 9 grandparents came into school to hear our special assembly, listen to their grand-daughter’s poetry and renew old friendships over a cup of tea. A huge thank you to all those who came up to school and we hope you enjoyed the afternoon.
Our Year 8 RE classes learned about the life of St. Brigid and Mrs Woods, School Counsellor, visited RE classes to teach the girls how to make a St. Brigid’s cross. Pupils and teachers had good fun learning a new skill and everyone made a cross to bring home.
St Mary’s High School students Fern Mc Loughlin, Eimear Thompson and Judith Kunjumon enjoyed the experience of travelling to Lourdes with the Irish Pilgrimage Trust during the Easter break. The student reported…. “It was a fantastic experience, we met so many lovely people and we really enjoyed the experience of travelling to such a special place. It is our ambition to return as helpers in the future. We are so grateful to the Irish Pilgrimage Trust for providing this opportunity through the school. We would also like to thank the St Mary’s PTFA for contributing to the IPT on our behalf to support our trip. We would encourage anyone to visit Lourdes, it is such a wonderful experience that is difficult to describe, so please go and see for yourselves”.
The RE Department in St. Mary’s proudly celebrated the achievements of four Year 14 pupils who have received the Pope John Paul II Award for voluntary work carried out in their parishes and local communities. The award required a total of 40 hours voluntary work and the girls received their awards at a special ceremony in Banbridge Parish Centre. The pupils who received the award are Seana Gribben, Niamh Fallon, Shannon Taylor and Shannon Ciara Maguire and they are pictured with Head of RE Mrs T Kearney. Many congratulations girls!
In September, St Mary’s held their annual Year 14 formal. A wonderful evening was enjoyed by both staff and students.
In May, students, parents, families and staff gathered together to say an emotional farewell to our Year 14 girls. A beautiful mass was celebrated by our School Chaplain Fr. Corr. Head girl, Aoibheann O'Hare made special presentations on behalf of the Year 14 students to Mrs Mc Clory and Mrs Jennings to mark their retirement. We wish the girls success and every good wish for whatever path they will embark on. Everyone in St Mary's would like to thank the girls for 7 wonderful years.
After a ceremony of mixed emotions St Mary's bid farewell to our Head Girl, Deputy Head Girls, Rights Respecting School Council and Sports Captain 2016-2017 and welcomed our new team of girls who will hold these special posts for the new school year. We are proud to announce that St Mary's new Head Girl is Laura Grant. Hannah Chambers and Lara O’Neill have been appointed as Deputy Head Girls. Tiarna Tumilty has also been appointed as Sports Captain. The remaining members of the new School Council are Grace Cahill, Lauren Donnelly, Sarah Kelly, Amy Moran, Emma McAleenan, Danielle McHugh, Emma McKavanagh, Erin McMahon, Aine McParland and Eimear Thompson We would like to wish the girls the best of luck in their new roles and are confident they will do sterling work in representing St Mary’s. We would also like to thank our Year 14's for all their hard work and commitment to their posts throughout the year. This ceremony is the time where our Student Voice representatives can be formally acknowledged.
St Mary’s Senior Netball team became Netball Champions for Northern Ireland when they beat Banbridge Academy 23-20 in the Northern Ireland Netball Plate Final, held in Lisburn Racquets. Well done to the squad and their dedicated coaching team
St Mary's Year 8 Gaelic team competed in a Gaelic Blitz held at St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook in June. Congratulations to the girl’s on winning the Shield. Well done everyone.
St Mary's annual inter-form netball tournament began with competition from Year 8, 9 and 10 pupils. Well done to all teams who participated as they showed great skill and teamwork and there was plenty of healthy competition on display during the matches. Congratulations to the winning teams and the second placed teams. Year 8: Winners 0827 Runners Up 0806
Year 9: Winners 0917 Runners Up 0913
Year 10: Winners 1005 Runners Up 1036
St Mary’s Year 9 pupils have recently returned from a very successful trip to London. The pupils visited Madame Tussauds and met a few famous faces, braved The London Dungeons and saw The West End Show The Lion King. They also visited The Tower of London, The British Museum, The London Eye, Thorpe Park, Westfield Shopping Centre and had a guided tour around the city. A great time was enjoyed by all.
Our Year 9 pupils had a busy start to their Retreat Week, which focused on looking after mind and body, developing team building skills, learning martial arts, relaxing in Pilates and picking up some tips for relaxations from MACSNI! Day 2 was another busy fun filled day, starting with a visit from Young Enterprise! Our Year 9’s were challenged to set up their own jewellery business with the aim of making the most profit. They then had to come up with an original product and plan their marketing strategy before presenting it, Dragons Den style! They chilled out in the afternoon with the help of our Diocesan Youth Director Frances leading in some mindfulness and self-awareness! There was a very adventurous day in Kilbroney Park for Day 3 of the retreat; Pupils took part in activities such as the climbing wall, archery and disc golf! It was no bother to our fearless Year 9’s! Some team building and mindfulness helped them relax that afternoon along with time to reflect on the week so far. To round off a great week, the pupils enjoyed a whole day of team competitive sports and made the most of the wonderful weather.
The Home Economics Department hosted a trip to the Balmoral show for Year 9 pupils. This event showcased all the best in food and farming that Northern Ireland has to offer and the pupils tasted a wide array of food samples from local Northern Ireland food producers. A great day was had by all.
Year 10 Citizenship pupils were invited by Roisin Mulgrew, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down Council to the council chambers. The girls had an opportunity to discuss the work of the council and to discuss some local issues. It was a great day and who knows, maybe it will have inspired some future councillors.
In November our Year 8 Historians travelled to Stormont where they enjoyed an interactive presentation on the Northern Ireland Assembly, a tour of Parliament Buildings and joined in a debate in the Assembly Chamber. They put forward the motion to ban school uniforms for secondary school students. An enjoyable, informative day was had by all.
Year 10 History students enjoyed a trip to The Somme Museum in Newtownards as part of their unit of work on World War 1. The museum offered guided tours which brought the visitor back in time to 1910 where they learn about the Home Rule Crisis and the recruiting and training of men and of life in the trenches. Our students enjoyed interactive activities including viewing various weaponry, exploring the reconstructed trenches of the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and understanding the reasons behind recruitment.
Bank of Ireland and St Mary's High School launched the 'Innovation Matters' school bank initiative. Photographed are Geraldine O'Hagan, Bank of Ireland Manager and Emma Louise Murphy, Bank of Ireland, Mr A Twohig, Head of Business Studies, Mrs S Barry, Business Studies Department and the Post 16 students.
In January, the Year 11 Learning for Life and Work and Year 12 Preparation for Adult Life pupils, attended a workshop given by Ann Green from the Bank of Ireland. It was a very informative session about financial decisions, budgeting, loans and credit cards. A great support for students with the GCSE Business Studies as well as helping them with financial decisions in the future.
Year 9 were involved in a Dragon's Den pitch with local entrepreneurs, Martin Murtagh, Suzanna Hall and Sarah Totten who was on placement with Young Enterprise. The girls were highly commended on their presentation for Picture Perfect and really impressed the judges with their business idea
Siobhan Reel, owner of Deli Lites, visited St Mary's to speak with our Year 13 Cambridge Technical Level 3 Business class. The girls had the opportunity to see their theory put into practice as Siobhan explained how Deli Lites efficiently uses their business resources on a day to day basis and described the key components needed to become the successful business that they are today. A wonderful opportunity to bring learning to life.
In October, Art & Design A level students visited The Ulster Museum along with pupils from St Mark's High School. The students enjoyed a creative drawing workshop with inspirational artist Nathan Crothers, artist in residence at The Ulster Museum. They also visited The Royal Ulster Academy Arts Exhibition and all enjoyed this great opportunity to engage with contemporary contextual resources.
Year 8 pupils enjoyed a fun-filled day of IT, Art and Crafts and PE workshops supported by Sentinus and St Mary’s Staff. Pupils participated in an app development session where the girls showed some very impressive ICT skills. The Art sessions saw the girls getting creative with paper and making some beautiful Christmas trees and decorations. Students also got involved in problem solving and team building activities in the Gym.
The A2 and AS Art and Design students enjoyed a fabulously creative printmaking workshop hosted by St Mark's High School. It was a hugely enjoyable and rewarding day. We are most grateful to our collaborative learning Art and Design Department for facilitating such a wonderful opportunity.
Pupils from St Mary's High School and St Mark's High School enjoyed an educational visit to The True Colours Art Exhibition in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.
In May, our Art Department hosted their annual exhibition and invited pupils, parents and guests to view and appreciate the many GCSE and ‘A’ Level Art works. The audience were impressed by the high standard of work and praised the talents of the students. Well done everyone.
Congratulations to all our Year 8 pupils who competed in St Mary's Bake Off. The event was a huge success and showed our very talented pupils who baked to an incredibly high standard. While all our bakers were worthy of the top prize, the judges had the difficult task of choosing the top three bakes. In third place was Phyrne Glenn with her 'Mourne Mess' while second place was awarded to Niamh McGrath who baked a marble cake. Well done to Lara MacKenzie who was the champion on the day with her chocolate cheesecake. We look forward to the next Bake Off in St Mary's.
Phyrne Glenn – My first thoughts of becoming a First Year in St Mary’s was, I’m going to be so scared and I’m going to be nervous. I was so wrong. I’m at the very end of First Year and I have enjoyed every single bit of it. I would like to thank all my teachers but I would have to single out Mrs Tennyson my Form Teacher. She has been so kind to me since the day I walked through the door. I love all the subjects in school from Science experiments to Home Economics, I could go on and on. Overall, I have enjoyed my First Year in St Mary’s and look forward to the years to come. Michelle Kunjumon – When I first came to St Mary’s I felt very nervous as many First Years do. Last year in primary seven I was a senior student and then suddenly, I was a First Year in a High school. The staff in St Mary’s are very supportive and kind. Without their help it would have been difficult for me to settle into this new school. They always encourage me to try new things. I brought in a 3D graph for my Maths project, it was greatly appreciated and I was asked to show it to all the other Maths teachers. I was given merits and the teacher displayed my project in her classroom to show all the other pupils. My teachers are always there, any time of the day, to listen to my doubts and worries and give me advice. In St Mary’s I have enjoyed doing lots of fun projects and joining in many after school activities such as Soccer which helped me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. With the encouragement and motivation from the staff of St Mary’s and the support of my friends and family I have been able to achieve a merit badge, pupil of the month and many other achievements. My advice for the new First Years joining St Mary’s next September, would be to not to worry, be confident and enjoy your years in St Mary’s because it is not just about studying and exams, it involves a lot of fun too. The teachers are always willing to help so don’t be afraid to ask a teacher if you have any doubts and try new things. You are in safe hands and always remember to do your best.
o Tell us a little about when you first started in St. Mary’s. What was it like? When I first started teaching in St Mary’s over 30 years ago, it was a very different place both in terms of the building and teaching Staff. Mrs Florence McMahon was Principal and Sister Regina was the Vice Principal. There are still a few present members of staff who were here when I began along with Marion from the office staff. When I first taught in St Mary’s I didn’t have my own classroom instead I moved around the school to different classrooms, thankfully I did eventually get my own room. At that time pupils had to move to a new school after fifth year. o What subjects did you teach when you first started? Did you have a form class? When did you become Year Head? When I joined St Mary’s, I became a member of the English Department which was led by Mrs Kate O’Hanlon. English was the only subject I taught although I did teach a little RE when I was a temporary teacher. I have great memories of my very first exam class of 20 pupils. I still treasure the beautiful, engraved carriage clock they presented me with in their final year. Some of these girls are teaching today and I also had the pleasure of teaching two of their daughters. I was appointed Year head for fifth years in my early years but in the late 90’s I took on the role of Year tutor to first years and also Transition Coordinator, two roles that I absolutely loved. Mrs Mc Clory’s first Form class
o Are you looking forward to your retirement? Absolutely but I know when September comes I will find it very strange. Retirement will give me the chance to spend more time with my family and also to travel and I do look forward to that. However, I will certainly miss my life in St Mary’s. Teaching English was my passion and I thoroughly enjoyed my role as year tutor o Is there anything you won’t miss? As an English teacher there is always a lot of marking both in terms of classwork and coursework, so I won’t miss that. o What will be the biggest change to your life? The greatest change will be not having to set the alarm clock, not having to follow a timetable and having full control over my diary. o What are your highlights from your time in St. Mary’s? I have too many to mention but some are; Our Staff trip to Rome on the occasion of the school’s 50th anniversary. Being awarded an ‘Outstanding School’ My role as year Tutor to first years Staff outings. Have you any words of wisdom or advice for new teachers starting out in St. Mary’s? I am aware that teaching has become more demanding and there’s a lot more paper work but St Mary’s is a lovely school to work in, warm, friendly, and caring. I would describe it as an exceptional place to work and that is the reason I spent all my teaching life here. Best wishes to all new teachers starting in September, I hope that you will enjoy the same very positive experiences that I have enjoyed over the years. To all present pupils of St Mary’s, best of luck for the future. Mrs Mc Clory’s Form class 2017 - 2018