Newpark Newsletter May 2021 by newparkschool

Newpark Newsletter

Issue number 59 May 2021

The Principal Word There was creativity in evidence in the pursuit of other activities too. Well done to all who organised and participated in the ‘Fit Feb’ Strava challenge. The more recent Strava Cycle was also a great success and congratulations to the student organisers for their inventiveness in securing significant sponsorship leading to a very professional event. Our Green Schools team has also been extremely active despite external challenges. The development of the biodiversity garden, the tree sapling initiative and the #andshecycles campaign are just some examples of its laudable achievements this year.

Welcome to this May issue of the Newpark Newsletter. There is ample evidence in the pages ahead of great creativity and dynamism in the school community during our second and third terms. The activity and life that returned to campus recently with the springing back up of drama, and training in hockey, basketball, and rugby has been enormously pleasurable to see unfold. I hope this will continue apace next year. It was a privilege to be amongst the restricted audience to be present for the performances of the Junior Plays this year. The creativity involved in the online rehearsing and the outdoor staging matched the creativity of the writing, performances, and production. It was wonderful to see the pride and joy in the faces of all involved. Inter year group activities such as the Junior Plays are an important feature of the educational experience in Newpark. I recommend tuning into the online broadcast later this month to see all five plays.

Our Transition Year group were tormented all year with the ‘will we, won’t we (get to go)’ question in relation to Gartan Outdoor Adventure Centre. Despite the understandable disappointment, it was great to see the contingency plans, involving bike tours in the Phoenix Park and boat cruises around Dublin Bay, among other events, working out so well. There are many more curricular and co-curricular activities shared and celebrated over the coming pages. This is evidence of the great spirit shown in the school community this year. I congratulate and thank all involved. The school had a one-day incidental inspection from the Department of Education on Tuesday 11th May. The outcome from this inspection was very positive. Overall, the school’s teaching and learning practices were deemed to be very good (the highest category on the Inspectors’ Quality Continuum), with evidence of highly effective practices. The school was complimented on its Covid-19 protocols and interventions and a positive atmosphere around the campus was noted. The feedback from this inspection is welcome affirmation at the end of a challenging academic year. Four teachers are retiring at the end of this year. The Rev’d Suzanne Harris, Ms Gearoidin O’Dwyer, Ms Aedin McCarthy and Ms Mary Kennedy. All four have been consummate professionals, excellent teachers, kind, and considerate colleagues and greatly committed to Newpark during their time teaching here. Suzanne Harris joined Newpark as chaplain in 1992. She has shared her faith in both word and action over that time. She has been caring to our students, to her colleagues and particularly thoughtful to families in need. At times of bereavement for the school 2

community Suzanne has brought ballast and love. And at all times, she has brought a singular laugh which will echo around the school long after her departure.

and most recently Dr Chris Luke were well attended and much appreciated. I encourage all parents/ guardians to support the PTA with contributions for its upcoming second-hand uniform sale.

Gearoidin O’Dwyer joined Newpark as a teacher of Irish and CSPE in 1993. A dedicated and innovative teacher, Gearoidin has always been generous to both her students and her colleagues. I had the good fortune to be mentored by Gearoidin while training to be a teacher and I benefitted greatly from her pedagogical insight and expertise. Passionate about Irish of course, Gearoidin has always been committed to developing citizenship in Newpark and beyond and she has successfully done this through her work in CSPE, Transition Year Politics, the introduction of Politics and Society as a new Leaving Certificate subject, her development of textbooks for the national curriculum and, of course, through her work with Amnesty International.

l would like to welcome three new members who joined the Board of Management during the year. Ms Sandra Richardson and Mr Paul Kingston joined as Patron’s nominees and Ms Catriona Murphy joined as the nominee of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board. The school is grateful to all three for committing their time and expertise to Newpark. We had a successful whole school assembly on 12th May. This important annual school event took place this year over Teams, with students and teachers beaming in from their form rooms. While not quite the same as our traditional gathering in the gym, it was a pleasure to hear the cheers ring out from around the school as the different prize winners came down to the GPA to collect their respective awards. Thank you to our head boy, Adam Walsh, for his eloquent address to the assembly and to Ms. Suzanne Harris and Ms. Siobhan Costello for its usual seamless organisation.

Aedin McCarthy joined Newpark as a teacher of Irish, French, and Geography in 2008. A skilled, versatile, and quietly dedicated teacher, Aedin has been committed to her students and to education in Newpark in its broadest sense. Her contribution and commitment to the Transition Year team as a form teacher has been immense. Along with that, her understated yet deep commitment to Newpark hockey has been hugely appreciated by her students, her fellow coaches and by the school.

I wish our Sixth Year students well in their upcoming Leaving Certificate examinations. As a year group you have both endured and sacrificed much over the last two years. Yet to a person you have endeavoured to do so with cheerful and optimistic dispositions. I wish you well in your career and educational choices in the future and hope that the experience you have gained, and the skills and values you have learnt, during your time in Newpark will serve you well. On your behalf, I would like to thank your year leader, Ms. Sheena Odongo, for her time, care and attention working with you over the last six years.

Mary Kennedy joined Newpark in 1996 as a teacher of History and Geography. Many students and indeed some colleagues will not know Mary as she has been working on secondment in the European School in Brussels for the last six years. Mary has always been a sincere and hardworking teacher with high expectations of both herself and her students. Greatly respected both as a teacher and a colleague, Mary contributed to the school in numerous ways over her many years of loyal service, not least amongst which was her contribution to adult education in Newpark and her introduction and successful continued publication of this newsletter, which she initiated in 2007.

I will be in touch with all students and parents/ guardians in late August about arrangements for the start of the new school year. The indicators from the Department of Education are that it is expected that ‘pandemic schooling’ will continue after the summer and that the easing of current Covid-19 protocols and interventions will be gradual and cautious over the forthcoming academic year. The calendar for next year is available on the school website. We plan to welcome our new first year students to the school on Friday 27th August, with all the other year groups joining us on Monday 30th August.

On behalf of the school, I wish to extend a sincere thank you to Suzanne, Gearoidin, Aedin and Mary for their contributions to Newpark over many years. Guím gach rath ar an ceathrar múinteóir atá ag eirí as i mbliana.

Tá súil agam go mbeidh sos deas agaibh ar fad i rith saoire an tsamhraidh agus go mbainfidh sibh sásamh agus tairbhe as.

Thank you to the Parent Teacher Association for another great year. The PTA parent/guardian talks on Zoom featuring Bruce Sleeman, Enda O’Doherty

By Mr Eoin Norton 3

We had “Bible Weeks”, Special Assemblies, 24 Hour Prayer Events, Reflection Weeks, “Skate Church”, Pilgrimages, “Christian Cage Football” and many other outings and visiting speakers. All of these happenings were only possible, with the help and co-operation of the management and the staff, so sincere thanks to you all.

Goodbye from our Chaplain “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” 1 Thessalonians 5 v 6 As I leave Newpark, after 29 years as Chaplain, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped to make my time here so enjoyable. I have wonderful friends, fantastic colleagues and met so many inspiring pupils over the years. The support of management and the parents / guardians has always been great appreciated.

As many of you already know, I am retiring from teaching but moving to take up a full time position in the Church of Ireland. I have been appointed as PriestIn-Charge of the Parishes of Castlemacadam (Avoca), Ballinaclash and Aughrim and am really looking forward to this new ministry in a beautiful part of the Wicklow Hills. I have three churches and about 200 parishioners to look after and would kindly ask for your prayers for me and of course, prayers for the parishioners, who may need them more!

Most of all, it has been my privilege to journey with members of the school community – offering support and sharing in their celebrations and sad times. There have been many great occasions like birthdays, weddings, babies and special events like Musicals, Trips, “Newpark 25”, “Newpark 40th” and the “Celebration Day”. There have also been some very sad moments, particularly with the death of pupils and expupils, staff and people connected to Newpark.

I will be living in the Rectory in Aughrim so please do call in, if you are in the area for a cup of tea and a chat. A few weeks ago, Shirley and Rachel in the front office, very kindly gave me these Magnificent and Fabulous Pink Wellies as a present for my new job. I hope to brighten up many an event in Wicklow wearing them!

There are so many treasured memories but a few deserve special thanks. When I joined Newpark, in January 1992 – the Vice Principal - Derek Langran and the Matron - Winne Kelly were so good to me, helping me to settle in and develop the role as Chaplain. I will always be grateful to them for their kindness, help, good humour and great encouragement.

Newpark will always have a special place in my heart and in my prayers, so Goodbye and Thank You and May God Bless each and every Member of the School Community. Every blessing, Suzanne Harris

The Newpark Prayer Group has been an amazing blessing where a group of staff, parents / guardians met regularly, to pray for issues related to the school community. Over the years, this group has been a tremendous support to me, as Chaplain and to the school in general. The Christian Union Group has been another fantastic blessing with weekly meetings, inspiring student leaders and many great outings and events. Our Annual Weekend Away to Ovoca Manor, started by Ms Rowan over 20 years ago, has been one of the highlights each year. Always tiring but so enjoyable, with so much fun and laughter! The support of staff and colleagues has been incredible, particularly the members of the R.E. Department. We have had some crazy events, like Walking ALL the 2nd YEARS from Newpark to Christ Church Cathedral and bringing ALL the 1st YEARS on the DART to see “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the Mermaid Theatre in Bray ! (I wouldn’t do it now !) 4

What we’ll miss most about Suzanne Her big heart Her brilliant laugh—every Newpark event wanted Ms Harris in the front row Her encouragement and belief Her common sense and willingness to express it Her open door Her ability to listen to words said and unsaid Her sense of humour, fun and her delight in getting involved Her love of Newpark Much love and thanks from us all

Extracts from GOD’s Memoirs

have brought an end to that spontaneity but I hope, like the virus itself, it will be temporary as the front office encompasses the spirit of Newpark. During my time in Newpark I lost both my parents and was gifted two wonderful grandchildren. My colleagues supported and celebrated with me in equal measure, offering words of comfort and congratulations along with practical support in covering classes when necessary. I will always be grateful for such collegiality and friendship.

After 28 very happy and fulfilling years in Newpark the time has come to put down the red pen, stop living life in one-hour segments and for TEAMS to once again bring images of Kerry football and Tipperary hurling rather than class lists and assignments! I still can’t believe it myself!

I have been privileged to work with far-sighted, innovative principals. As a brand new teacher to the school I asked the then Principal, Derek West, if I could apply for Newpark to pilot the new Junior Certificate subject, Civic, Social and Political Education. Derek gave me his full support, not just in principle but practically. He made the time to sit down with me to discuss optimum timetabling and put a cohesive team of interested teachers together. Over the years he gave the nod to a huge variety of activities from headshaving to leg-shaving, sponsored dance-a-thons and day-long soccer leagues, cinema days and alternative Christmas shopping trips (to charity stores) as well as human rights demonstrations and a wide array of fantastic guest speakers. The thousands of euro raised went to buy sleeping bags for rough sleepers on the streets of Dublin, for emergency aid to victims of floods, wars and famines, books for children in Tanzania, build a fresh water well in Uganda and many other good causes. We became the first school from the Republic to visit the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast, presenting the Members with a bound book of congratulatory messages and good wishes from the Newpark Community, and being written into the history of Northern Ireland. Derek’s vision allowed CSPE to expand beyond the classroom into the real world and enriched the lives of so many in doing so. I was lucky too to work with incredibly enthusiastic, kind and hard-working students over the years, nothing was too challenging for them and they were always full of great ideas.

When asked to contribute some of my memories to this newsletter I gladly accepted the invitation. But to do justice to all my memories would take a book! Those who know me know that brevity is not my forte but I will do my best. At the age of three I decided that I wanted to be either a doctor or a teacher. I have never regretted my choice. Teaching must be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. You get to spend your days doing something you love, to work with people who are passionate about what they do, and to see a microcosm of life before you every day in the classroom. The worst thing about teaching must surely be the evenings and weekends of corrections (and the guilt when you don’t get them done!) but the best is definitely witnessing that ‘Eureka!’ moment in the classroom when a student finally ‘gets it!’, whatever ‘it’ happens to be. The slower burn of watching students grow in confidence and competence over the years is no less satisfying. I will miss this very much in the years to come. I was privileged to work with such great colleagues, from teachers to Learning Support staff, nurses, caretakers and cleaning staff, librarians and administration (in no particular order!). From the late Rob McCaul to our present-day Three Wise Men (David, Bobby and Paul) nothing was ever too much trouble and their practical assistance was always given with such good humour, not to mention their patience with me as I crashed their office for a coffee and a chat.

The next Principal, Derek Lowry and I shared a passionate interest in Politics and a belief that all students should understand the political system and how to use it before they left school. When the opportunity arose for Newpark to pilot the new Leaving Cert subject, Politics and Society, I was lucky to have a great partner-in-crime in Mr. Holmes. The subject is a wonderful addition to the curriculum and to the holistic education of our students. Mr Lennon also made room for a module on Politics in Transition Year,

My favourite photocopier in the school was definitely the one in the school office where I could multi-task by copying and having a quick chat and laugh with Shirley and Rachel, and latterly Karen. They were always so cheerful, endlessly helpful, and empathetic when you were having a bad day. The Covid screens and counter 6

which is now being replicated in many schools throughout the country.

production “Bliain na Gaeilge ar Inis Mór”, written by a very talented past pupil Ross Coleman. Loving Irish as much as I do, I cannot describe how happy I was to hear it spoken on a Newpark stage. I hope it won’t be the last time! Now I come to my favourite part of Newpark – the students! Such an eclectic, interesting, entertaining collection of young people. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every day of the past 28 years - at least in part! All teachers have from time to time ‘a challenging relationship with a student’, a ‘bad day’, even a ‘bad year’ but one of the great things about teaching is that you could come out of one class frustrated, angry, exhausted or feeling that the class did not go well only to walk into your next class to be cheered up again by the craic and good humour of a different group. I will miss that craic in the classroom more than I could ever put into words. It really has been a wonderful experience and a true honour to spend the best part of my life teaching such a bunch of young people who are so diverse in their personalities and talents.

I think it is often the Deputy Principals rather than the Principal who get annoyed most by staff! Newpark seems to have a way of selecting the most patient DPs in the world, from the late Derek Langran, to Derek Lowry, Mark Cookman, Andrew Adams and now Lynn Anderson. I don’t know how they did/do their jobs, as the saying goes, ‘not for all the tea in China’! Mr Cookman in particular was lost to the world of professional poker-playing as, no matter what complaint you brought to him, he would listen quietly and calmly but you could NEVER read his face!

I came to Newpark in 1993 after taking a few years’ break from teaching and returning via a Catholic girls’ boarding school. Newpark was so exotic in comparison with anything else I had experienced in my teaching career! From the double-barrel surnames to the unusual first names, the hair-styles and colours, the dress and the students’ interactions with the teachers. I was gob-smacked at first and it took me a couple of years to adjust to the shock! On one occasion I popped into the Deputy Principal’s office (the late Derek Langran) to seek advice about a 6th Year student who refused to work for me. I thought I had landed on another planet when Derek told me that the same student had been to see him a week earlier complaining about me! I was too authoritarian for his liking! Derek patted me on the arm and reassured me that he would come round once he got to know me a bit better, and of course he did!

I remember with great affection the first drama I helped out on with Claire Corcoran, who, like Ms Devis and Ms Glancy after her, did amazing work in drama and music with the students. The play Staysh The Shades Anasha! (roughly translated from Traveller Cant* as ‘Look out, the Guards are here!) was written by students and looked at the relationship between the Traveller Community and the Settled Community. The leading lady was a TY student, Faye Tierney who was talented enough to be on Broadway! Many years later in 2019 Mr McCarthy and I were honoured to codirect (not sure that’s what the student actors would have called it!) Newpark’s first bilingual, Irish-English

Many many students stand out in my memory and some get in touch from time to time via social media. I have kept every single one of my 28 roll books (I made one this year despite the availability of digital class lists) and I look forward in the quiet months ahead to looking back over the names and recalling the various characters. I will miss so much about Newpark – the craic in the classroom, the collegiality with my colleagues, Ms Harris’s laugh, Mr Connell’s witty way with words, the Friday ‘Pint of Therapy’ (only one, and often non-alcoholic!) with an un-named colleague and so, so much more. I will NOT miss Mr McCarthy’s 7

GOD We Will Miss You God we will miss you Oh lord where do we start To capture the essence Of the inimitable Ms O’Dwyer Down the corridors we’ll miss Her joie de vive, her time for all Her love of life, her confident stride Her authoritative and positive manner The school community benefited greatly from her passion believing in principles of equality, honesty and integrity democracy, gender equality, racial parity, an advocate for the downtrodden, muted and unheard.

puns! I apologise to all the students who waited so long for their corrections and to Management for always having to chase me when I missed report deadlines… nobody’s perfect! I wish all members of the wide Newpark community continued good health and happiness. I wish all Newpark students - present, past and future – a curious mind and a constant ‘joie de foghlaim’ (joy of learning…you will never be bored or lonely!). I hope you all find a career which you love as much as I have enjoyed teaching you. To quote Mark Twain, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Politics for GOD is a burning issue She sees how it infiltrates all our lives Students eyes were opened widely in politics and society For now we had students, who really knew how to care. Tá a croí mór lán de ghrá dár theanga dhúchais Gaelach go smior tuigeann sí a tábhacht, le ard mheas aici ar doimhneacht, oidhreacht, traidisiúin bhláthaigh sí síolta an ghaelachais I dtalamh a bhi sceirdiúil

One riddle remains… after a few years in Newpark I would come back in September to find a magazine placed into my cubbyhole in the staffroom. This went on for years. The magazine was called ‘Teaching Opportunities Abroad’. Although I always had my suspicions I never figured out for sure who was trying to give me a hint! If you’re still there, you can fess up now! If you’re gone...I outlasted you!

We’ll miss the voice of reason at staff meetings, Her contributions were always incisive and insightful Articulated brilliantly, as many our heads nodded knowing She had the ability to say what we were all thinking. GOD has it all, and is ever-giving as a teacher and a colleague, Generous to a fault, a team player, tirelessly supporting all, Effective and efficient with a passion for precision Her professionalism could be a template for many a young muinteoir

Guím gach rath is sonas oraibh go léir! Beir Bua, or as they say in Latin ‘Carpe Diem’. By Gearoidín O’Dwyer *Footnote: I found out a couple of years ago that many Cant words originate in Irish and often are just Irish words spelt backwards eg. gop is a kiss - póg. Ecsiu - is water: Uisce (though not 100% convinced that that's correct in Cant - I can't imagine how they'd pronounce it!)

So as GOD leaves us, we’ll miss her devilment, banter, and charm She definitely enriched our staffroom our classrooms and our lives She leaves behind a rich legacy that is difficult to compare For Newpark students, parents, staff she has always been there. By John McCarthy The complete version of Gearoidín O’Dwyer’s goodbye article is available on the Newpark website.

Sorcha Richardson

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir! Merci a tous! Thank you all!

Past student Sorcha Richardson has been hitting the headlines recently—you may have seen her on the Late Late Show with her song Don’t Talk About It (check it out via YouTube link below or RTE Player). Born 26 September 1990, Sorcha Richardson is a singer-songwriter from Dalkey. She writes lo-fi-indie pop songs. After attending Newpark, Richardson studied in Brooklyn, coming back to Ireland in 2017. In 2018 she performed at Longitude Festival and was named RTE 2FM’s Rising Artist of the year. Her debut album “First Prize Bravery”, on the theme of renegotiating friendships and relationships, was released in 2019 and was nominated for the Choice Music Prize.

As news filtered out about my impending retirement I have been humbled by the kind remarks of my colleagues and students over the past few weeks. It is I who should thank everyone for their support, patience and kindness over the years.

Check out Sorcha on the Late Late here: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnD77tdpJdo

Every day in Newpark brought a different challenge, another laugh, a chat or a word of wisdom from my junior colleagues because, believe me, you are all my ‘junior’!

By Flora Lyons, TY

Being Extra—Isaac O’Neill

I have had the pleasure of working in Roinn na Gaeilge, the MFL Department, the Geography Department and on the TY Team. The constant support, co-operation and dedication of colleagues has been immense.

In late April I acted in a short student film called Undertide in Dun Laoghaire.

Hockey is a huge part of Newpark sport. I have enjoyed helping with coaching over the years and I have worked with great coaches. It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching – getting to know the students outside of the four walls of the classroom. Experiencing their enthusiasm and enjoyment on the pitch eases the travails inside the four walls! I look forward to following the teams when the season returns to normal again. Thank you to all the parents who make sport happen in school.

It was a great experience and I had a fantastic time shooting it. The film was written by Ying Qi Loh, Karin Raksanugraha and Ross O'Riordan and Directed by Ying Qi Loh and was their final year project in Griffith college Dublin. The film follows the story of Jordan; A rebel without a cause who has left home and spends his time wandering the streets of Dun Laoghaire, talking to and trying to rob the locals.

I have so many fond memories. I will miss the camaraderie and humour – both of which have helped us all face the challenges of the pandemic. It has been an experience and a privilege working with you all.

It was a fantastic experience—I immediately befriended all of the crew and fellow cast members. The atmosphere on set was great as everyone involved put so much love into the film. I’d recommend writing, directing and acting to Newpark students opportunities are still out there even with restrictions and it serves as a great escape from the stress of school and Covid.

Beir bua! Bon courage! Take care and stay safe! By Aedín McCarthy

My final message to any film buffs is just go make a film and stop just talking about it. Oh, and hire me. By Isaac O’Neill, 6th Year

I made a bee-line for Aedín the minute she joined Newpark – knowing she was from a brilliant sporting family I wasn’t going to miss t h e ch an ce o f commandeering another hockey coach. She didn’t even need time to think about it and immediately agreed to take on the first year girls in a completely voluntary capacity; a lot more work on top of her full and hectic teaching timetable. She was always completely unflappable, providing steady guidance in a kindly manner no matter how busy her personal life.

There is no ‘I’ in TEAM. But there is an A and an M. Aedín McCarthy. Seamless segway there. Being part of the TY team is something I really love about my job. It is such a well-run ship, from top to bottom and it is made easy by the people who share the role. I was excited to enter the fold knowing that the country contingent would increase. Having an ally in a Cork person is a rarity being from Kilkenny, but we make do against the Dubs!

Always understated, it took me years to realise that Aedín would often hare off to Co. Clare to play a round of golf in Lahinch after a Saturday morning of hockey coaching in Blackrock. With an impressive handicap she kept her own skills under wraps and even during her tenure as Lady Captain of Lahinch she said little about it and kept up the hockey coaching at a time when most people would have buckled under the workload.

My first year with the team, I overheard Aedín give a rousing speech to her class. She told them “You just look after one another”. Sage advice for life. And she practices what she preaches. Anyone who has had any dealings with Aedín will know that she is direct, honest, considerate, thoughtful, and well able to laugh. She manages to do all of this in a quiet and unassuming fashion. For want of a better term, she is as cute as a fox. Anyone who manages to have a key for the side emergency doors is someone you should keep close! I’d gladly have her in my corner any day.

I loved about Aedín’s integrity and sense of fairness – she treated all the players equally no matter what their skill level and was a great advocate of keeping everyone involved. It was always brilliant though to build on a talented team and the highlight was in 2010 when an exceptional group of first year girls won the top division Leinster League under Aedín’s guidance. It was a nail biting final with the Newpark team under relentless attack from St. Andrews but thanks to brilliant defence and an outstanding goalie they kept a clean sheet and Newpark scored the first goal of the match in a stunning counter-attack thirteen seconds from the final whistle. What a day!

But such is life, things change, and people move on to the next stage. The time has come for Aedín to embrace a life of dryrobes, the golf course, Paddy Power’s and extended journeys to Lahinch. I will be eternally grateful for her levelheadedness, her ability to listen and process, her careful advice and her lifts home. There is great support and humour to be found in working as part of a team. There’s that word again. TEAM - The Era of Aedín McCarthy folks, has come to an end.

Aedín – thank you for all your work in hockey, for all the warmth and kindness in your interactions with everyone involved and for being a great role model in fair play for generations of girls. Have a very happy,

Eavan Delaney

long and healthy retirement.

Twila Cooper

Although now Aedín is now a lady of leisure I hope she will always remember that she remains THE Lady of TY. We’ll miss you heaps Aedín, all the best.

Since we began working together in Transition Year you have been an ever present in my life. Your good humour, positive disposition and unwavering support have made my job a pleasure and so easy! It is going to leave a great big hole in all of our TY lives.

Daniel Ludgate

Early morning chats in the staffroom, or the office were always a good start to the day. Coffee in Lahinch, Pizza in Basil’s, Olivetto, or Paulies, will always be highlights of time with one of the best! I look forward to plenty of visits to the west for games of golf and wonderful chats!

Goodbye and thanks to Aedín McCarthy

Your patience, sense of humour, calm, good nature will be missed so terribly around here. Even in the most difficult IT moments you always stayed strong. I hope you enjoy the retirement that you so thoroughly deserve. Enjoy the long beautiful walks on the beach in Clare and get that handicap down. Morgan Lennon

While it is entirely selfish of Aedín to leave before any of us were ready for it, we can’t hold her back from pursuing a professional golf career.

AMCC! The real boss of the TY team… It absolutely will not be the same without you. All I can say is thank you for being a fantastic colleague and friend to work with. You always keep us in check and remind us of all the important goings on. Some of us would quite literally be lost without you! Have the most fantastic adventures, we will miss you greatly.

It’s a sad day for Newpark. The students lose a talented and dedicated teacher who is always willing to go the extra mile, while the staff are losing a wonderful personality, advocate and friend.

Laura Morrissey

What will I miss about AMCC? Her famous apple cake at TY meetings. Her superpower for choosing nicknames. The knowing look she’ll give you when you’re having a bad day. Her secret trips to Butler’s Pantry for treats. Her ability to stay quiet while everyone else talks, then sum it all up in one short pithy comment. The rest of us are like conversational machine guns; she’s a sniper. Her smoked mackerel paté. Her way of quietly always putting the students first. Her Cheltenham tips. Her not-at-all-random acts of kindness that just make your day. She’s the heart and soul of the TY Team and I don’t know what we’ll do without her.

Aedín is someone who always looks out for those around her, she’s a brilliant person to have on your side. She was double jobbing this year looking after myself and her own form, carefully guiding me in the right direction with the many and varied forms, or nuanced explanations of the intricacies of TY. She never stops teaching, and what better person to learn from. ‘Cool Auntie’ always makes everything look effortless. Behind the calm exterior is a serious worker, one of the first in the building every morning and one of the last to leave in the evening. I’ll miss sneaking off for swims or golf in the afternoons. I’ll miss trading tips the week of Cheltenham and the excitement of watching the races in between classes. I’ll miss the wry smile that usually emerges after a well delivered comment from the corner of the office. Most of all I’ll miss the company, the craic, the gossip. Congrats on an amazing career, you are hereby evicted from the office!

Susi French

Lesley Ring

Newpark side in the final of the Senior Cup. We lost 10 to Loreto Beaufort in the final, which was held in UCD, but the support from the school was amazing – hundreds of people came to cheer us on and there were teachers and students arriving early to hang up flags and banners around the pitch. It was a brilliant occasion and a proud day to see Newpark competing on the highest stage.

Student, Player, Coach

Our last match together was a replay of that final when we played Loreto Beaufort again in the Claudia Tierney Cup semi-final. This time, we came out on top, winning 3-1 in what was easily the best performance the team had ever produced. It turned out to be the last match that I would coach with Newpark and although we never got to play the final due to Covid, I think it was a pretty perfect way for us to finish.

I remember being very excited to start hockey in Newpark when I was in 1st year, having stood on the sideline of my sister’s games for several years. Our team turned out to be pretty good and we caused a big upset in both 1st and 2nd year when we won consecutive Premier League titles. It was a great start to a very enjoyable six years of playing hockey with Newpark.

After six really enjoyable years, I’m stepping away from coaching in Newpark to begin a new role with Leinster Hockey as Development Programme Manager. The job involves setting up and rolling out a new underage development programme. The programme will run in various Leinster regions (North,

The year after I left school, I came back to coach the Minor girls and have coached various teams since then. I already knew that I was interested in a career in sport (I was studying Health and Performance Science in UCD at the time), but it wasn’t until I started working in Newpark that I realised just how much I loved coaching in particular. The players were always so welcoming, mature and respectful which created a strong bond between every member of the team and made training really enjoyable. I’ve no doubt that this contributed to the many successes we had over the years. One of these highlights was reaching the final of the Junior Cup in 2018 for the first time in the school’s history. In the same year, we beat St. Andrew’s in the semi-final of the league and progressed to win the Junior Premier League, again the first time the school had ever done so, beating Holy Child, Killiney, 4-1 in the final.

South, West and South East Leinster), with the goal of developing players, coaches and umpires across the entire province. We’ll also be rolling out some Leinster Development Summer Camps in July and August so I’m busy organising those at the moment!

Another special memory is when we beat Newbridge College in the semi-final of the Leinster Senior Cup in Three Rock with an army of excited Newpark supporters cheering us on. We won the shoot-out (thanks to our GK, Erika) after the match finished 0-0. I remember turning to our assistant coach, Lorena (Halpin Doyle) just as the final whistle went and each of us looking at each other in disbelief. Having come through the school together as players and coaches, neither of us had ever imagined that we’d see a

I’ve loved my time as both a player and coach in Newpark and look forward to supporting from the sideline in the future. Big shout-out to Karen Clarke, Aedín McCarthy, Twila Cooper and everyone involved (way too many to name) for the huge amount of work that has made Newpark hockey what it is today. And finally, a thank you to all the players for making the job so enjoyable. By Anna Richardson, a legend of Newpark Hockey

So Long Anna!

FitFeb Results 1st Year: Fia Scally (1RS) Ivor Davies (1HG) Daniel Gifford (1KD) Emilly Baryga (1SOS) Brianna Dwyer-Carty (1KCN) James Murray (1MT) Overall contribution – Kate Glanville (1KD) Top class – 1KD

From a minor B final to the 2020 Senior Cup final Anna has been with us the whole way. Her in depth knowledge and impressive understanding of the game as well as her insane on pitch skills have shaped us all into the hockey players we are today. She always created such a positive and fun training environment which resulted in such a strong bond between the girls on each team she coached. Our best memories of Newpark have been made on the hockey pitch and it wouldn’t have been possible without Anna . We can all agree that school hockey is the best hockey you’ll ever play! The amount of time and effort she’s invested in us is greatly appreciated and it’s safe to say Newpark hockey wouldn’t be what it is today without her. We wish her the very best of luck in her new job. We will miss her millions next year.

2nd Year: Martha Bray (2AK) Molly Sweeney (2KC) Patrick McCormack (2AL) Sarah Glanville (2CBR) Oscar Schmidt (2NCR) Evelyn Lysaght (2AL) Overall contribution – Leah Fine (2CBR) Top class – 2AN 3rd Year: Jamie Wright (3MOD) Marcus Reby (3KK) Dara McGrandles (3KK) Karina Alvey (3ACL) Hannah Kennedy (3SCN) Eva O'Donnell (3LF) Overall contribution – Nakai Mudiwa (3LF) Top class – three groups

By Lauren Moore and Erika Gallagher, 5th Year

Fit Feb During the lockdown period the PE department embarked on a whole-school Strava challenge.

4th Year: Luca Dowling (4LRG) Isobel McSweeney (4AMCC) Zoë Hand (4DL) Elliot Burns (4LMY) Naomi Breen (4ED) Alexandra Stewart-Miller (4SFR) Overall contribution – Hugh Kelly (4SFR) Top class – 4ED

The challenge was centred on our well -being programme. The main aim was to get pupils outside and enjoying some non -screen time during the online school period.

5th Year Individual Contributions: Seán Kelly (5AD) Maryam Butt (5AD) Gavin O'Connell (5AD) Hanni Schmidt (5JCY) Michael Gormley (5LCA) Top class – 5AD

The challenge was a massive success where the school walked an overall distance of 68,750km. The pupils weren’t the only ones who participated; the staff also had a separate competition where Ms Delaney was the winner.

6th Year Individual Contributions: Rose Davey (6JBN) Avril Liebing-Power (6AMR) Top class – 6CH

Well done to all involved! By Mr Micheal Doyle

TY Form Football

The Newpark Comprehensive Super League

After a long summer of staying at home spinning thumbs to keep ourselves busy, going back into school we all needed a nice, friendly (yet quite competitive) tournament in TY. So, on the 25th of September the Inter-form Football Cup was conceived. Thanks to the help of Ms Delaney and the other form teachers, our Tuesday and Friday lunch-times got a lot more interesting. The tournament games were eight-a-side mixed football teams which took place on half of the hockey pitch. We planned for each team to play each other once but after great interest was shown, the league doubled in length. The season started and everything was up in the air. The stakes were high, with each form arranging its own group of ‘ultras’ to attend each match. It made for some very intense, competitive games. Some insane matches were played; from the injury-riddled ED vs DL, to the absolute destruction of AMCC by LRG in a 7-0 loss. It was a tight league and almost every game had some truly narrow defeats and victories…bar perhaps the ones involving poor AMCC who definitely earned their name on the wooden spoon. Their record of losing every single one of their games was hard for any of the teams to match.

As our time in Newpark winds down and our final stretch of P.E. approaches I have had time to reflect on how the last year’s physical education events have unfolded. There have been plenty of thrills, spills, and a lot of controversy along the way. If you do not know by now, I am talking about the part of P.E. that actually matters, MONDAY FOOTBALL. I joined the battlegrounds of Monday football at the beginning of the second term this year so I cannot speak on how the first term went but from what I have heard from people that did play in the inaugural Monday football, it was nowhere near as intense as it has now become.

There were some lovely goals that all watching are unlikely to forget; the volley from Christian, the flick from Fallou … and some not so nice goals (any of Omar’s). The games were played with pride and good sportsmanship. There were also several questionable and crunching slide tackles by all teams fighting for the pride of their form. Leading the pack for dirtiest player was no other than Andrew McDonnell earning himself two red cards. We were grateful for the highly qualified football brain of Mr Doyle to make sure all fouls were called out.

I know it sounds a bit mad for the people not involved in Monday football, but I can genuinely say that everyone that takes part has actively looked forward to Monday. The excitement that rises within as you walk through the school gates, knowing there is only three classes between you and that sweet, sweet, nectar that is Monday football. The heart palpitations I get as I sit in my third class of the day, waiting eagerly and with impatience for the bell to ring so the battle can begin. I would describe the Monday football matches as having all the passion and anger of an Old Firm derby mixed with the footballing ability of a waddle of penguins (minus Sean of course). However even Sean is prone to the occasional dive, trying to deceive the

It was a season of highs and lows for all teams, memories and bragging rights shall be held for years to come. Sadly, there was no definitive winner because the season was cut short for obvious reasons we are all sick talking about. Last but not least, we would like to thank the fans—because what is football without the fans? Showing up rain, wind or snow to support your comrades. It has been a great journey. Until next season. By Conor Murphy and Matthew Sherlock-Robertson, TY

referee and often succeeding in doing so. There have been more controversial refereeing decisions than times Alessandro has been put on the weights, and that is saying something… but I will admit even the most experienced referee handpicked by UEFA may not be able to cope with the amount of abuse Ms Delaney has had to put up with throughout her time as head official of Monday Football. I applaud the fact she has not lost her head and punched one of us by now. Many memorable things have happened during Monday football, here are a few of the favourites as voted on by those who have taken part: I look back fondly and chuckle at the time when Kian Fortune, having a blinder of a game as always was struck down with an injury to the crown jewels. This forced him onto the side-line for the remainder of the game.

The award for most yellow cards (if they were given) goes to Ben Vincent, his no holds barred style of tackling puts him alone at the top of the podium for this award. Everyone on the opposite team to him always had to be wary of the second coming of Pepe flying around the pitch. The goal of the series has to go to Daire Begley, an outstanding volley on his weaker left foot after a delightful cross was floated over his shoulder by Sean Schutte. Everyone that witnessed the goal was astounded by the beauty of it. And it deservedly takes the prize for best goal. A special shout-out has to go to Suf Edris who finally ended his goal drought after 11 consecutive games upfront without a Monday football score to his name... well done.

We have had plenty of great saves throughout the various series of Monday football from two valiant goalkeepers in ‘Anto’ Anthony Ndeley and Ethan Kenny but one particular save sticks out in my mind. In our most recent match on the 26th of April a sneaky Eric Kendrick hovered around the back post behind all the defenders. The ball was floated in and Eric took the ball on the half volley; it looked destined for the bottom right corner until the outstretched fingertips of Ethan Kenny stopped the ball in its flight. This saved the skins of Ethan’s fellow blue teammates who went on to win the match 2-1. This was a save Iker Casillas would be proud of.

Monday Football has provided all of us involved with something to look forward to on an otherwise drab afternoon. It has strengthened the bond we have and helped to create some great memories that I know I will look back on with fondness and nostalgia in the years to come. I am glad I was able to participate in it with a great group of people. By Tadhg Clifford Brannock, 6th Year

There have been many controversial decisions throughout the series, but the cream of crop was for worst decision made by the referee goes to Ms Ní Chroidheáin for allowing a Thierry Henry style goal to stand after Aaron Nolan slapped the ball up to himself before poking the ball home. A howler of a decision and proof the school seriously needs to consider investing in V.A.R. 15

A Year In Hockey: On and Off The Pitch

Finally, I would like to mention Ms Clark who has always been the key organiser behind the scenes and on behalf of the hockey girls we can’t thank her enough for her kindness and generosity.

This year of hockey has been more than different. Along with everything else, Covid has completely taken away the 2020/21 season. This year I was supposed to train with the Ireland u19 hockey team, travelling throughout the year to take part in a number of competitive series’, finishing the year in Kazan, Russia at the European Championships. Hockey Ireland has been very accommodating in terms of keeping us active and fit throughout the season. The lack of certainty has made it very difficult to plan but we have been doing at home gym sessions and also a running every week. Team meetings on Zoom have kept the team engaged and focused and all things going well we will be able to compete this summer in Spain.

The community that is Newpark has curated an environment that has allowed me to not only flourish in my hockey career but also academically, culturally and socially, fulfilling my secondary school experience as a whole. I am very lucky to have enjoyed such a nurturing environment and I am profoundly grateful. It will be difficult to find a place unique and supportive as Newpark. By Millie Lynch, 6th Year

Walking Online! I knew before the module finished that I was really going to miss the bunch of 5th Year PE students that I was working with during lockdown after Christmas. I had the walking group for PE and many of my class really embraced the Strava walking challenge during FitFeb. Ellen Usher and Lucy Drumm were in high double digits with Sean Kellly ranking very well in the three digit zone!

Playing for Ireland takes a lot of hard work and sacrifices however I would not be in the position I am in now without the support and incredible coaching I have received in Newpark. Since first year I have had Anna Richardson coaching myself and my other extremely successful teammates Erika Gallagher, Zoe Watterson, Lauren Moore and plenty others. We have Anna to thank for providing us with elite standard coaching week in week out for the past six years. I would also like to mention one of the kindest souls in Newpark, Ms McCarthy. She has been nothing but supportive and benevolent throughout my time at Newpark and as she is retiring this year, I want to wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

I looked forward to getting the photos that they submitted of the locations they walked along or to. They were so interesting and really scenic. It was so wonderful to see places outside of my own 5km radius. The students also joined in online for short sessions of jumping jacks, breath work and chair yoga in addition to walking.

Although past faculty Mr Cookman, Mr Lowry and Ms Cooper have left Newpark, their encouragement has most definitely lived on. They were key supporters of the senior girls’ hockey team last year when we made the senior cup final and of course current principal Mr Norton was in the crowd too. Also, a massive thank you to Simon Moore who has been the core of fitness in Newpark and makes us have fun while we are doing it.

This bunch kept ME going throughout lockdown! See snapshots on right from 5th Year online walking group—many thanks to Luca Reuland, Arthur Lopes, Ellen Usher, Matthew Sweeney, Cian Burt’s dog (who didn’t want to walk that day), Abigail Doyle's gorgeous canine friend, Sophie Mason’s dog in glorious red. 16

By Ms Gormlaith Ormond

Cormac Comerford

An Irish Alpine Ski Racer, now that is something you would not hear often. Well, that is what Cormac Comerford has defeated the odds to become. He started skiing at 10 on the singular ski slope in Ireland, the artificial ones down at Kilternan, his family never went on a skiing holiday and his father has never even put on a pair of skis. So, he truly came out of thin air and shot straight into the word of skiing. Now he has gone on to represent Ireland in countless events and competitions. Some may be thinking, what school could such a young, inspired skier have attended? Well, Cormac went to Newpark. Yes, we do have a past pupil that is on his way to the Olympics! He has represented Ireland at two Junior World Championships, a European Youth Olympics, been selected for two World Championships and in February 2017 achieved a top 50 position in the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. In the World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2021 he finished in 23rd place! Someone from a country that does not have any real ski slopes achieving 23rd place is truly amazing. This is the best Irish finish in the Alpine ski world championships since 1999! Because of all his achievements he has succeeded in getting a sports scholarship to study engineering in TU Dublin! It took a lot of determination to get to where he is now. Before the 2017 World championships, due to the crash and the incredible price of skiing he spent many years competing with minimal training and busing around Europe to get to events with all his gear in tow. After that with his 2nd place finish in a national junior race slalom, he finally managed to establish a strong training base at Kronplatz racing Centre, which gives him a strong possibility of living out his dreams and going to the 2022 Olympics at PyeongChang. By Emily Rowe, TY

A Wider World

School in rural Mozambique

should. However, painting Mozambique – and African countries more generally – as unique places of war and famine does an enormous disservice to African citizens, African history, and African progress.

Mozambique: James Sheeran Mozambique is a big place. Between its capital Maputo in the south and its northern border with Tanzania, there are about 2,500 kilometres of coastline. All of it is white sand beaches, waters crowded with turtles, sharks, whales, and coral reef. Inland, the country is similarly stunning. National parks, ranging from rainforest to savannah, are home to a catalogue of African wildlife.

I moved to Mozambique about three years ago, not knowing more about the country than the contents of its Wikipedia entry. I initially worked with the United Nations, offering technical support to the Ministry of Education for education sector planning. In retrospect, parachuting into Mozambique at 24 with minimal knowledge of the country, seated in the Ministry of Education providing career long Mozambican civil servants with my best opinions on how to design their country’s education system, was at best ambitious and at worst arrogant. They seemed to like me however, so I continued to work alongside the Ministry for a few years, collaborating on adult literacy strategy (about 60% of the adult population cannot read or write) and the mainstreaming of environmental sustainability principles into primary curriculums.

Like most African countries, Mozambique is a mix of ethnicities and languages. African borders tend to have been pencilled by European colonialists, uncoupled from ethnic and linguistic divisions on the ground. It is therefore difficult to speak of an overarching culture in Mozambique: over 20 languages, for example, are spoken within the country’s borders. There are however a number of common characteristics that Mozambicans share. They are discrete and unconfrontational, and overwhelmingly welcoming. Music and dance are omnipresent and define all social occasions. Food is intimately tied to identity, and is a mixture of African, Arab, Indian and European traditions, reflecting the passage of traders and colonists over history.

I currently work within the Peace Process architecture in the country. Mozambique suffered a twenty year long civil war following its independence from Portugal in 1975, and it is only now that combatants are being definitively demobilized and disarmed. Used to a life of war and living on military bases, I support recently demobilized ex-combatants through the design of social and economic reintegration programs, facilitating their reinsertion back into communities through the provision of social support and jobs.

The country and its people are beautiful. They are also astoundingly poor. The United Nations Human Development Index, a ranking used to categorise countries based on their level of human development, places Mozambique 181st out of 189 countries. What this translates to is a population whose average life expectancy at birth stands at about 60 years. More than half of the county’s children do not complete primary school. About 60% of the population live in extreme poverty.

My work is interesting and it pays my bills. It also supports marginal improvements in the living standards of poor people. This is worthwhile. And whether you work as a teacher, or you design buildings, or you provide people with a friendly face in a restaurant, I think it is always important to try to bring improvements in people’s lives through work. For me, I am immeasurably lucky that this comes with the added benefit of living next to 2,500 kilometres of beach and 365 days of sun.

But we should not assume that Mozambique and the entirety of its population know only perpetual misery. Many Mozambicans are happy, including those that are poor. Life is difficult for most people, but people adapt to their reality and find joy, despite their circumstance. This is not to say that we should not be shocked by the scale and level of Mozambique’s poverty. We absolutely

By James Sheehan, LC class of 2011

Rwanda: Keiran Byrne

Concern: Sean Reynolds

Choosing a place to live based on a lottery may seem a strange approach to life. And though not quite the approach I chose either, it felt a bit like that on hearing... it's Rwanda! In any case, I knew little of the fifty-odd countries I applied to under the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) fellowship, which seconds economists to governments in the global south. Who knows! Perhaps luck was a better guide than my intuition would have offered.

Greetings to all in Newpark, I hope everyone is surviving this extraordinary year as well as can be. I graduated in 2010, and still have very fond memories of my time in the school, even the more rugged parts of the buildings prior to refurbishment! Since that time, I completed my undergraduate studies in Trinity and a masters in the London School of Economics, and, by accident as much as anything else, have ended up as a humanitarian aid worker working overseas with Concern. I started out my career in humanitarian aid after doing some traveling during my college years, which inadvertently landed me in Nepal during the earthquake in 2015. I had the opportunity to work in emergency relief in the months following the earthquake, and then received further postings in South Sudan and Tunisia, primarily focusing on issues affecting people displaced by conflict and extreme poverty.

Rwanda is a verdant landlocked country, wedged between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania. Most Rwandans live on its rural rolling hills, but even still, Rwanda has one of the continent's highest population densities; approximately 12 million live on land about the size of Munster! Every morning the roads are a bustle of traders on foot, on bikes, with carts, heaving mangos, pineapples, sugar cane, potatoes and more from the fields to the market. On Sunday, the roads are busy too; rather than goods, Rwandans show their flair for fashion, en route to church, or to the mosque.

I am about to start a new job with Concern in Afghanistan in the coming weeks. Throughout these early years of my career, I have often drawn upon things I learned as a student in Newpark. Whether it’s the sense of community and mutual solidarity that Newpark instils, or the commitment to respecting others that we learn beginning in our first days and weeks in the school, these experiences will stand you in good stead, no matter where life takes you after graduating.

At 2km (or so) above sea level, Rwanda never got too hot. It rained there too! Heavy, tropical downpours that could last an hour, or five. During the rainy season, the rains always came on-time. Once after lunch, and again after sundown. Although I miss the comforting din on the tin roofs of Kigali, I certainly do not miss the mosquitos that appeared shortly after the showers!

If any of you have any interest learning about humanitarian work, Trinity or any of the above, you are very welcome to contact me. Wishing all staff and students well over the summer—I hope the next school year brings better times for all of us! By Sean Reynolds, LC Class of 2010

For two years I worked as integrated capacity in the government of “the land of a thousand hills”, based in its capital, Kigali. During that time, I ran a rainforest marathon, visited mountain gorillas, cycled the shores of Lake Kivu, and had the privilege of thinking, together with my colleagues, about economic policies for Rwanda's future. Gladly, I made friends with whom I share these memories - one of them even came to Dublin to study at UCD last year! Though COVID has made a return visit more challenging this year, through WhatsApp I am periodically reminded: Turi Kumwe (we are together)!

Monkey Business In the next issue: past student Juliet Cummins (LC Class of 2012), zoologist and goldsmith, tells of her experience in the Cameroons this year working in a chimpanzee rehabilitation project.

By Keiran Byrne, LC Class of 2013

Why Women’s Rights Are An

to men, less deserving of attention and status, repeated so often that it became ingrained in women’s own minds.

Issue For All Of Us

A good example of this is in the testing of safety features for cars. None of the people doing the testing ever had the opinion that women don’t deserve safety, nor did anybody intentionally design cars to be more dangerous for women. Yet, (according to a 2011 study of the University of Virginia) women are 47% more likely to suffer severe injuries in a car crash than men. So why is this? The answer to that question is unconscious bias. It’s because the people who designed and tested the safety equipment in these cars were most likely men. And when they designed the seatbelts, airbags, seats and headrests in cars, they didn’t take into account that women are generally 10 – 15cm smaller than men, have different neck strength, are built differently in terms of body composition, and have different preferred seating positions. So when a woman is in a car accident, those safety features designed for men will either work less effectively or harm her (eg the seatbelt that is too high cutting into her neck) meaning she is more likely to suffer severe injuries.

In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as “women’s rights”. The same goes for pretty much all groups that are discriminated against in the world today – black people and people of mixed race, disabled people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, indigenous people… the list goes on. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. We live in a world that is only a safe haven for the lucky people, a world that can be dangerous and lonely and seemingly without comfort for those who are not so lucky.

This kind of unconscious bias is the problem. Anyone would agree that unsolicited violence against women should be stopped. But that is only part of the problem. Women of all ages and nationalities experience discrimination, rich or poor, black or white, of all religions and beliefs. This discrimination varies from brutal attacks to snide remarks. In fact, one of the worst places for gender inequality is in the workplace. Nearly 30% of women report being discriminated against in the workplace, and a woman will earn 77.5 cents compared to a man who earns €1.

One of those groups are women. For the majority, it will never be as bad as I just said. It can be easy for those women to pretend that there is no need for any improvement, for activism or protesting or even complaining. It is easier to turn a blind eye than to admit that change is needed. You might feel you are too insignificant to do anything, or that you will be seen as rude or problematic if you speak out. But we need to take that chance. It might not matter to us, it might be a small thing that your teacher treated you differently because of your gender, or someone doubted you could do something because you are a girl, but for a disconcertingly large group of women, it is a matter of life or death.

In a report published just this year, The World Bank measured gender discrimination and found that only six countries in the world give women equal legal work rights to men. The average country will give women three quarters of the rights that men have. According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 108 years to close the gender gap if we continue at the rate we are going.

One in three women will experience gender-based violence in their lifetime. Imagine that for a moment. How would you feel if it was your sister, your mother, your aunt telling you that something like that had happened to them? Wouldn’t you want a change? Wouldn’t you be angry and feel that this should not be something women have to be worried about, not in this day and age?

Gender equality is truly a mammoth task. This is why we need everyone to fight for it. It cannot only be the women who are victims of domestic abuse or workplace discrimination that are prepared to speak up. It must be all women, and indeed all men too. As I said before, discrimination happens against women from all walks of life. Gender equality and women’s right affect us all, because women’s rights are human rights.

The shocking part however, is that a lot of the inequalities women face are not intentional. A lot of it is a result of centuries of belief that women were inferior 20

By Nakai Mudiwa, 3rd Year

TY PHOTOGRAPHY

Etain Sievers, Aoife Cosgrave, Caithlin Doyle, Hugh Kelly, Naomi Breen, Poppy Evans

TY Times massive beasts which are commonly known as the kings of the jungle! We were informed on why red pandas do not make good household pets (teeth sharper than a knife) and all about how it was Oliver Cromwell and his plantations back in the 1600s that are credited with ridding Ireland of its wolves. According to our guide, it was Oliver Cromwell and the stories he brought with him featuring Little Red Riding Hood and those three little pigs infiltrated our country with the impression that they are vicious, aggressive beasts that will kill on sight, instead of animals that are much more scared of us than we are of them, as usual. Later that day we exited the Zoo leaving behind the sound of the red ruffed lemurs screeching in the trees and headed back to our world of pigeons, seagulls, and the occasional fox.

The Zoo

Due to the current circumstances, involving a global pandemic, we did some outdoor (i.e. Covid-safe) activities as part of our activity week programme. So, on the 29th of April 2021, we headed off to the Zoo. The journey there was an adventure in itself: bus, Dart and walking, accompanied by the full force of rain, hail, wind and even a sprinkling of sunshine (to give us a taste of what we were missing in Gartan). So, in essence, it was a typical Irish day. We located the rest of our class and headed in, along with a diverse selection of others some of whom could already walk, but most were still enjoying the life of getting pushed around in a buggy. I remember when I was one of those eager kids, dragging anyone who would take me to see the Zebras for the fifth time that month. Why I was partial to Zebras, in particular, no one, including me, will ever know.

By Emily Rowe, TY

For the first hour a tour guide escorted us around a few different animal habitats. We learned all about how Dublin Zoo is the fourth oldest zoo in the world at 190 years and how if you sit down next to the glass partition that separates us from the lions, they will tend to come closer, and you can get a full view of these

Phoenix Park Bikes

Dollymount Strand

One of the many activities we got to do during In Dublin Week was a treasure hunt while cycling in the Phoenix Park. We went in our forms and hired bikes from Phoenix Park Bikes which is located at the entrance to the park. We each got a bike, a helmet and an orange hi-vis jacket so we could be visible around the park.

Dollymount Strand, what a beautiful walk that was. We trekked long distances and hiked over mountains just to get to Raheny Dart station. From there our journey began. A three-hour long journey. With Ms Ring and Ms Sheedy leading from the front, the crew in tow, we headed straight for the beach. We made it to Dollymount Strand, the wind in our hair, the sand in our eyes, the soft crunch of the shells beneath our feet. To some people’s dismay, the long walk was only beginning. This walk was truly a bonding moment for us all. Some amongst us were exhausted five minutes in but we pulled together and continued. We got to see lovely views of the coast of Ireland and more importantly we got to see a lot of cute dogs as well, even petting them if the owners were kind enough.

To start off the treasure hunt we got into groups of about 4 or 5 people. We picked a captain who opened a link to a worksheet on our phones and we went through the instructions to get ready for the treasure hunt. On the worksheet there were different questions about different places around the Phoenix Park. For example, one of the questions was “How many steps lead up to the plinth of the Wellington Monument?”. Our group had to cycle to the Wellington Monument, count the steps and then write them down. There were 10 questions similar to this, so we got to cycle all around the park and see many different places.

We had overcome that leg burner of a walk (Ms Sheedy should be a professional race walker) but the real challenge was that long, long walk back to the dart. We might have lost a couple people on the way back but, you know, it’s all a part of the fun. In the end we made it home alive and well. It was truly a great experience.

While we were cycling, it started lashing rain (including hailstones!), so we got to experience a typical Irish weather change during our cycle! During the treasure hunt we also had a photo challenge. There were 8 different photos that we had to take doing a variety of things including a team selfie outside Dublin Zoo and a team photo blending into our surroundings. It was really fun to come up with different ideas for each photo.

By Caithlin Doyle, TY

Once we had completed the treasure hunt we cycled back to the entrance of the Phoenix Park Bikes where we returned our bikes and met back up with the other teams. Overall, the Phoenix Park was a great experience and I would love to do it again! By Danielle Boles, TY

Surfdock

Dublin Bay Cruise

Surfdock is a water sports course. At the start of the year some TY students did surfdock for PE and at the end of the year everyone was able to try out the water sports for two days. I

As part of the Transition Year activity weeks, we got to go on a cruise around Dublin Bay.

had not done Surfdock earlier in the year and I was very excited to try it out. One of the things I was not so excited about was getting into the Grand Canal while it was raining and hailing. We do live in Ireland though, so there isn’t really a way around this.

We met at the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin at 10:30 where we boarded the boat. First, we travelled from the Dublin docklands to Dún Laoghaire. We stopped there for about fifteen minutes, rumour has it some forms disembarked for ice cream, and then we sailed on to Howth. The boat trip lasted for about two and a half hours in total, and we were very lucky with the weather.

When we got to the Grand Canal everyone was given a wetsuit, thankfully mine was dry (however I was not so lucky the next day). After everyone was suited up with life javkets and helmets we were split up into groups and were speeding across the canal in motor boats. We reached a secluded area where there were kayaks and paddle boards waiting for us. One group went paddle boarding while the other were kayaking.

The boat was very nice, and there was a tour guide who told us all about the history of the buildings we sailed past. There were beautiful views of Dublin city, Howth, and the Wicklow Mountains in the distance. When we finally pulled into Howth harbour, I was glad to be back on dry land but also disappointed that the cruise was over. I had a great time, and I would love to do it again.

Now it is a lot easier to balance while in a kayak and some people may have taken advantage of that fact by capsizing the paddle boarders— all in good fun of course. After a couple of races the groups switched so the group that went paddle boarding first could take their revenge. After this everyone was able to jump off the side of the canal into the water, this was pretty fun, especially because our form teacher did it as well. The next day was pretty similar except the weather was better so we had a lot more space to travel on the canal, and kayak water polo was introduced. This is a very dangerous game, I may have accidentally capsized myself while reaching for the ball.

By Isobel McSweeney, TY

Overall Surfdock was exciting and fun and it was great to do something different than sitting at a desk at home or in school. By Edith Kelly,TY

A Selfie Hunt Shambles While sending a group of unsupervised children into a busy city to take pictures with landmarks sounds like a hoot, I didn’t exactly have the most wonderful day. Firstly, we were designated our groups then released; just before the release however one of our team members decided he had to go to the bathroom and boy did he take his time. Then we went to the Dart, got on and met Ms Morrisey, this part was quite speedy, and we went to take our first photos. Two members suddenly had to go across a bridge and sit down for ten minutes, why? No clue. As they started scooting their way back (also very slowly for some reason) it began aggressively hailing, which meant seeking shelter. A majority of the group was ready to take the picture and power through the heavy rain, but SOMEBODY didn’t want to get their scooter wet. We managed to get the picture and start moving towards our next teacher meeting location but every time there was shelter, we went stood under it for five minutes arguing about if we should keep walking or not, then we’d keep walking. The weather calmed as we approached the Ha’penny bridge—however the teacher was nowhere to be found. After ten or so minutes of searching we discovered he was not on or by the bridge but at a bar/cafe, that was blocked from the bridge’s view by a very large tree. He wondered “What took you so long?". We took our pictures and swiftly moved on. Our next teacher meeting spot was St Stephen’s green. Going down O’ Connell Street (that’s the direction where our next landmarks were) shouldn’t have taken all that long, right? It took us an hour. An hour which included three food stops, and two times when someone in the group separated promising they’d catch up with us. After getting to the teacher and having been given our landmark selfie spots, the group was in a shambles. And it didn’t help that many a teacher and classmate had been messaging saying how behind we were. Our last three pictures were lazy, and one wasn’t even with the right thing, but we had accepted our failure and therefore nobody cared. Although the biggest disappointment of the day was our spirit of Dublin picture. “Take a picture of something that captures the heart of our beloved city”. Of course, nobody specified we had to be in it, so we took a picture of a pigeon. We never got to show the class our pigeon, and we did come last. What didn’t help was the fact that some people in our class are very sore winners. Oh well...C’est la vie. 25

By Flora Lyons, TY

Exploring the World Of Work

make my characters move?”.

Just after the Easter holidays, TY had an online World of Work week. It was full of questionnaires, guest speakers, live Q & A’s and tours of some popular colleges. Newpark did an amazing job on this online week with a wide variety of people and careers to help us out. There was something for everyone.

The key to getting into an animation course is developing a good portfolio. Sabine’s first two submissions were unsuccessful but on her third attempt she finally gained a place in the IADT’s animation course. She now has a successful career in animation.

The idea of the week was for us to widen our perspective. Personally, I found that some careers I never would have thought of pursuing were some of the most interesting lectures, and some of the careers that I thought I would have been interested in, I realised maybe were not for me.

During our World of Work event, we were fortunate to have Sabine share her experience of learning and working in animation. Sabine shared an animated project with us which she worked on during her course. It was commissioned by the RCSI in conjunction with the mental health charity Spun Out. It was about why it is ok to feel down from time to time and how reaching out for support gives us help and hope.

The career lectures were really varied ranging from psychology and medicine to auctioneering and law. There were also virtual tours of UCD and Trinity College. Also very interesting and helpful were the lectures on apprenticeships. Some of the courses I would be interested in, recommend going down the apprenticeship lane. So, hearing what they are, the prime reason of doing one and how they benefit you, was really helpful and gave me a clearer perspective.

By Ms Sheila Ahern

Covid Cookery

My favourite lectures were physiotherapy and sports development. They were the ones I had was looking forward to anyway, but the speakers provided a lot of information about their career and were so passionate about it. They were also very honest about why you should and should not go into one of these careers. I think that’s what I appreciated most about the week. The speakers were so passionate and you really knew that they loved their job, but they were so honest and real. It didn’t feel as though they were trying to persuade you into going down their path, they seemed to want to make sure that if you invest in a career, you are doing so for the right reasons and you are equipped for the journey.

During March of the third lockdown m y s e lf a nd fi v e o t h e r g i rl s attended a healthy eating cookery course, run by the HSE. This course involved stir fries, banana muffins, veggie pasta bakes, frittatas and many more recipes I had never tried before. I was eager to learn how to cook for myself as well as learning how to change recipes to suit my own needs and preferences and learn how to balance any meal. It was a great incentive to find new recipes to use every day to have a more healthy and balanced diet, while simultaneously learning how to cook for myself.

The week was very informative and really well laid out. It was a really good way to help us gain more of an idea of what careers we want to pursue and how to go about doing so.

We received two healthy recipe books for free in the post and now have so many new meals to try out. These recipe books also detail the various food groups in each meal and teach you how to read the labels on food to find out what ingredients there are in each product. Cooking for yourself is especially important in a healthy meal as you can know what is going into your food to ensure there aren't any additives or overly processed ingredients.

By Naomi Breen, TY

Animation at the World of Work Sabine Jansone always harboured a hope that she could make her characters move. Sabine is a native of Latvia who arrived in Dun Laoghaire some six years ago. Sabine loved drawing and did not yet know that animation existed. One day while walking past the IADT she went in and asked, “will a course here help

Myself and my friends learned a lot about the food pyramid and having a well-balanced meal three times a day and we really enjoyed cooking together even if it was over Zoom. By Alice Nestor, TY

New Opportunities

while looking for opportunities for Transition Year students and I decided to do it because I like languages and problem solving. I practised lots of sample questions to prepare for the preliminary round and qualified for the national final where I came 17th out of the 100 participants. I really enjoyed taking part in this competition and it definitely improved my problemsolving skills and made me aware of languages and cultures that I had never heard of before.

We have all had a difficult year due to the Covid 19 pandemic and for me, one of the hardest parts was the impact it has had on my Transition Year. The trip to Gartan was cancelled and lockdown has made it very difficult to find work experience placements. However, I have managed to enjoy Transition Year despite lockdown, and I have had lots of great experiences. I got into the DCU Early University Entrance programme which allows Transition Year students to study modules from a first-year degree. They offer a great variety of subjects, and I chose to study engineering. For three months, every Tuesday from 10.00-4.00 I have been studying software development and statics. I chose to apply for this because it sounded like an amazing opportunity to get a taste for what it’s like to study in college while still in Transition Year. Unfortunately, all the classes have been online, and I haven’t been able to go to the campus, but I have learned so much over the last three months.

Since Christmas I have also done courses on computer science and botany with Trinity, law with the Law Library, medicine with the RCSI and biomedical engineering with a company called Palliare. As well as this I have been trying out new subjects such as economics and neuroscience on free online courses known as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) which are organised by universities from all around the world. Lockdown has made me more open to trying new things and I’m very grateful for this. I am starting 5th year in September so I have started thinking about choosing college courses and ultimately a career and these courses have broadened my mind to the great range of opportunities available to me and helped me to figure out what might suit me and what wouldn’t. I would advise future Transition Year students to take advantage of every opportunity you get and to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. By Isobel McSweeney, TY

Horseplay This year I got the opportunity to work a long side a farrier. Being a farrier is demanding work, we got up for work at six in the morning and left at half six in the evening. You are also under the weight of a horse nearly all day. As a farrier, you travel to your clients to change horseshoes, clean and trim hooves, and provide therapeutic shoes for lame horses.

I participated in the STEM@Universi-TY programme which is run by the Trinity Walton Club at Trinity College. I decided to take part in this course because I like science and maths, so I thought it sounded really interesting. I got to watch lectures from professors in Trinity about different topics within STEM. The topics covered were a mathematical problem called Buffon’s Needle, aquatic respiration and medical devices. There were calls every Thursday to discuss the lectures with PhD students and we had to do assignments as well. I learned so much about lots of different areas within STEM and I really enjoyed it.

Farriers also need to be able to communicate well with horse owners as well as have excellent horsemanship skills. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about horse anatomy and veterinary care.

I also took part in the Linguistics Olympiad competition. This is a competition where students have to solve problems based around rare languages such as Kairak, Zuni and Palmyrene. I came across it online

By Caoimhe Marum-Gallagher, TY

Arts Week

four words peace, joy, anger, anxiety and had to draw lines to portray two of the words.

One of the activity weeks in TY was Arts Week. This took place in the school and we got to do many different fun activities. The first thing my form got to do was weaving in the theatre. When we arrived we were shown other groups work, and then how to weave. We picked out the colours of wool that we wanted to use. I chose to use two colours, purple and grey. We spent the whole class weaving, switching between the colours and getting as much done as possible. It was really relaxing and satisfactory to weave and I really enjoyed the process. The next day my form had another weaving class where we finished off our weaving and started to add on different objects. There were lots of options like shells, pom poms, petals and much more. I chose to use shells and I tied them to the string at the bottom. All of our weaving is going to be shown at an exhibitions outside Dun Laoghaire library which I think is really cool.

Another activity we got to do was sound with Mr Kirwan during Arts Week. In groups, we went around the school recording different sounds such as water running, stamping or rustling leaves. We went back to the art room where we played the sounds together. It was really interesting to hear different sounds other groups made put together. I really enjoyed drama with Ms Devis. The day my form did drama, was really sunny and warm so we got to do it outside. We played some games like ‘Bang’ to get started and warmed up. We then were put into groups where we had to write a script and then perform it. We had to write the script in alphabetical order, so the first line began with A, the second with B, and so on. It was challenging but really fun to come up with a how script like that. My favourite activity we did over Arts Week was stop motion. We had two classes of stop motions, and in the first one we picked groups of 2-4 people and came up with an idea for our stop motion video. We used a tripod and a phone to film the video on a stop motion app. We practiced how to make a stop motion video for the first class so we would be ready to make our final video in the next class. We spent the second class making our stop motion video. I really enjoyed the process of making the video and watching how it turned out.

Another activity we did was instillation art. In the first class, we could choose between adding to a sculpture that was at the front of the school, or else painting on a wooden boards. I chose to do painting. We painted on each side, one side was to be something happy and positive, and the other side was to be something sad or negative. I enjoyed being able to come up with different ideas and using different colours to bring the piece together. In the second class of instillation art we did drawing. We were given a piece of paper and some colouring pencils and we listened to 2 long pieces of music. We had to draw lines of how we felt about the music and then compared the drawings both pieces of music. It was relaxing to listen to the music and draw freely. After that, we were given

By Danielle Boles, TY

Newpark’s Exhibition

Installation Art: David King led his students in exploring the exciting world of installation art. This work challenges the boundaries between painting, sculpture and environment and culminates in large collaborative art pieces and kinetic art installations.

This year, students’ artwork, created during Arts Week, will be exhibited at Dun Laoghaire Lexicon library both outdoors and indoors. This is a unique opportunity for the TY students to display their work in public. The library intends to display the work for May, June, July and possibly August. They intend to also celebrate the work as part of Cruinniú na Nóg event in July.

A special thank you to Ms Feighery for organising this exciting opportunity, to artist Mark Cullen for his assistance with all aspects of Arts Week and to Mike's Bikes in Dun Laoghaire for supplying the school with over 30 bicycle wheels.

The library intends to hold an official (socially distanced) opening with The Cathaoirleach and official photographers in attendance. The library would like a number of students to attend this launch. The date has yet to be confirmed but may be during week 17-23rd May. The work featured has been created by 4th year students as part of Arts Week at Newpark Comprehensive School, Blackrock. This year, Arts Week commenced directly after the majority of students returned to school in April after an extensive lockdown. Arts Week at Newpark gives students the opportunity to try out art in a variety of forms which includes hand weaving, stop motion, installation art, sound and drama. The projects on display include: Hand Weaving: Trudy Feighery led her students in a hand weaving workshop which incorporated the use of found and upcycled materials. The s t u d e n t s experimented with different colours, textures and fabrics to create unique and creative woven artefacts. Within these pieces you will be able to find hidden messages, reflections and observations made by the students in response to their own experiences of lockdown. Stop Motion: Naomi Good led her students in a stop motion workshop in which students created animated short films. Students photographed static objects and which were brought to life on the screen using animation techniques. 29

Celebrating Excellence Our summer assembly took place in now familiarly unfamiliar circumstances this year. In classrooms all around the main school building, form-groups gathered to listen and watch as Mr Norton, Ms Anderson, Adam Walsh, Ms Harris and others broadcast from the GPA via Teams.

Junior History: Jodie O’Hara (3 MOD) Senior Geography: Iona Hamilton (6 JBN) Junior Geography: Sava Pavlovic (3 KK) French European Section (Senior): Selma Reby (6CH) French European Section (Junior): Hayleigh Bowles

Bobby’s handpicked carpet wranglers were not needed in the gym. Junior students didn’t have to wonder how much longer they would have to sit on the floor. Sixth Years didn’t get to relish their exalted seats at the back. The student and staff body didn’t get the chance to raise the rafters for the retiring teachers and colleagues: Ms Harris, Ms O’Dwyer, Ms McCarthy, Ms Kennedy. Prize-winners and new prefects didn’t make the long walk to the top of a gym shaking with the collective noise of Newpark.

Senior German: Avril Liebing-Power (6 AMR) Junior German: Millie O'Doherty (3ACL) Senior French: Marcus Toole (6 EL) Junior French: Sava Pavlovic (3 KK) Orna Lavin Memorial Prize for Senior Chemistry: This award is in memory of Orna Lavin who taught Chemistry in Newpark and sadly died in 2001, aged 36. Lara Kiang (6AMR)

But at least we were there.

Senior Physics: Adam Walsh (6 EL)

Head boy Adam Walsh sat alone in front of a laptop and spoke to the whole school with heartfelt and engaging words. Together-not together, the sounds of delighted applause (with disconcerting time lags!) echoed round the corridors and stairwells as achievements were celebrated. The handful of people in the GPA watched the delighted, shy, embarrassed, proud, surprised faces of those coming down the stairs to receive their awards. We tried hard to make our clapping hands and smiling faces represent all the unseen others around the school.

Senior Biology: Marcus Tidey (6 RNIL)

Many congratulations to all those who were celebrated at the summer assembly—and to all of us who have weathered this extraordinary year together-not together.

Artistic Performance (Junior):

Junior Science: Seirian Nalty (3 LF) Parker Memorial Prize for Senior Music: Mia Byrne (6 RNIL) Phoebe Murphy Memorial Prize for Junior Music: James O'Brien (3ACL) Wilkinson Memorial Prize for Senior Art: Neala Yakub (6 RNIL) Junior Art: Eva O'Donnell. (3LF) Seth Vella Murphy (3 KK) Philosophy (Junior): Jago Hurley (2 NCR) Kim Stevens Memorial Prize for Senior Home Economics : Sophie Shepherd (2 KC)

Academic Prizes

Junior Home Economics: Abigail Gilmore (1 SOS) Senior Religious Education Cup: Rose Davey (6 CH)

Senior Irish: Maya Garcia-Verdugo Merin (6 RNIL) Junior Irish: John Lamanga (3 SCN) Senior English: Selma Reby (6 CH)

This award was presented to the school by Suzanne Harris in memory of her mum, Iris Harris

Junior English: Patrick McManus Garnes (3 LF)

Junior Religious Education:

The Parker Memorial Prize for Senior Mathematics Adam Walsh (6EL)

Charlotte Wride (3 MOD) Leaving Cert Physical Education:

Junior Mathematics: Art Flatley (3KK)

Milly Lynch (6 CH)

The Derek Langran Memorial Bell - Senior History

The Arthur O’Dwyer Memorial Prize for Politics and Society: Juliette O’ Flaherty (6 DM)

This award was presented to Newpark by Shirley Langran in memory of her dad, Derek Langran, who was a history teacher and deputy principal in Newpark

This award was presented to Newpark by Gearoidin O’Dwyer in memory of her dad - Arthur O’Dwyer:

Rachel Bennett (6 EL ) & Bruno Ciulli (6 EL) 30

“My father had a life-long interest in Politics. Although confined

in Newpark with a huge interest in the Arts.

to bed for most of his final year of life he insisted on getting up to cast his vote in the general election held just ten weeks before he passed away. Such was his belief in the important role which Politics plays in our lives and in the creation of a fair and just society. He would be delighted to know of Politics and Society and honoured that the prize for this subject would be in his name.”

Silvia Ciulli Cummins. (2 CBR)

CSPE: Luke Conaghan (3 AL)

This young person has shown complete dedication to the Arts over the last two years. She is committed, enthusiastic and talented. Whether it’s in piano, art, dance or the Junior Plays, she always gives all of herself and is a very worthy winner of this special award.

Senior Economics: Kevin Guo (6 EL)

The Harris Cup

Senior Business Cup: Muireann Ní Dhrisceoil (6 JBN)

This award was presented to Newpark by Suzanne Harris on her retirement

This award was presented to Newpark by Suzanne Harris in memory of her dad - Jimmy Harris

Victoria Burrell (6 EL)

Junior Business: Darragh Brien (3 LF)

For outstanding contribution to Christian Union over many years, a compassionate and inspiring leader.

Parker Memorial Prize Design and Communication Graphics: Shawn Lorenzo (6 DM)

Newpark Active Involvement Award

Technical Graphics (Junior): Zoe Gilmore (3 MOD) Construction Studies (Senior): Aidan Duffy (6 CH)

This award was presented to the school by teacher Philip Hollwey on his retirement

Junior Material Technology Wood:

Isaac O’Neill (6 RNIL

Nakai Mudiwa (3 LF)

His leadership in drama and the Student Council showed great dedication and commitment

M.E. Devlin Memorial Prize for Engineering:

The Margaret Moloney Award for Citizenship

Shawn Lorenzo. (6 DM) Metalwork (Junior): Liam Shepherd (3 LF)

This award was presented to Newpark by teacher Gearoidin O’Dwyer in memory of her mum, Margaret Moloney

The award for best academic citation of the year goes to Mr Val Connell for Shawn Lorenzo:

Bruno Ciulli (6 EL)

Rhiannon Lee Doyle Arts Prize

This young person has shown remarkable active citizenship within the school community. He has shown dedication to his fellow students and school in everything he does whether it’s in a play, in the classroom or being a prefect. He has led the LGBTQ group and the Cultural Council brilliantly. His work on the Model United Nations and the Foróige Leadership for Life Programme has shown his outstanding commitment and leadership.

In memory of Rhiannon Lee Doyle, a Newpark student with a great love and delight in the Arts.

The Anne Hickey Award for LCA

Ulyana Kuzmenko (6 AMR)

In memory of Anne Hickey, a Resource Teacher in Newpark

This multi-talented young lady has been committed to the Arts in Newpark for the last six years.

Dumi Kaponda (6 LCA)

“If I was incapacitated to teach my classes tomorrow morning, I’d be confident that if I put this student in charge, then everything would line up in the classroom.”

Extra Curricular Prizes

Dumi has shown great leadership in the LCA group. In a difficult year he has shown resilience and positivity.

She is a hard-working and diligent music student who has developed a high level of understanding. She has a lovely voice, and a very natural and comfortable energy when performing.

Rebecca Little Award In memory of Rebecca Little, a student who died shortly after leaving Newpark. Some senior students suggested a prize in Rebecca’s memory as she had been an extremely kind Prefect when they were in First Year. The winner of this prize is always selected by the First Years.

She is an incredible artist who has developed her skills and her visual world in a profound way. Her work is personal, poignant and unique. She is a versatile actress with excellent comic timing and a skilled director and writer. Creative to the core, she is a worthy recipient of this award.

Ben Vincent (6 RNIL) First Year Allegra Zipser read the citation for Ben: The Rebecca Little prize goes to a prefect who has been very kind and friendly to the First Years. He has made a big effort to help pupils settle easily into the school.

Georgia Murphy Cup This Cup is in memory of Georgia Murphy, a young student 31

Adam Walsh—Head Boy On this day, fourteen months ago, back on the 12th of March 2020, we found out school would be closed for the next two weeks. I remember considering myself cynical for thinking that school wouldn’t be back until after the Easter holidays, which were due to start in three weeks. In the same announcement we found out that outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people weren’t allowed and indoors gatherings were limited to 100 people. At the time I thought it was crazy that we weren’t able to do simple things like that but now it seems crazy that we would ever have been able to have something like one of these assemblies with 800 people all in the same room. It feels weird to me right now just to be in the building without a mask on. I think it’s safe to say none of us had any idea back then what we were heading into.

If you’re wondering where this comes from, start by looking around at the people in the room with you now. At a very basic level it is the people that make Newpark what it is, and what a unique collection of people we are. I would like to thank not just my classmates I’ve grown up with over the last six years but also the cleaners, caretakers, people in the office, nurses, SNAs and teachers who have made such a positive experience of my time here. My year got the chance to experience all the weird and wonderful aspects of life in Newpark and if you’re in First Year and there’s parts of the school you’re yet to get an opportunity to be a part of, I hope you understand that there will come a time when you get to do more in school than what’s been happening this year. Over the last fourteen months I’m sure it’s become clear to a lot of us, the importance of what we learn in school outside of the curriculum. There is a lot you learn simply by being around other people that we have had to work that bit harder to create during online classes but in some ways this year has been a better teacher of those ideas than most. I think the absence of regular contact with our friends has made us appreciate opportunities to be present among our peers that bit more. This year we have learned to help each other through difficult times and for a lot of us that is about more than lockdowns.

There’s been a lot of times this year when school has felt weird. The weirdest for me has got to be those two weeks leading up to Easter when school came back just for Sixth Years. At that stage we were used to the masks and wiping down the desks between classes was starting to feel normal but school felt empty without the other years. It got me thinking about whether this had ever happened before. For Summer exams there were always other years in and even for the Junior Cert. the sixth years were in for their Leaving Cert. I realised the last time it was just my year in the building and the only time it felt so weird to be in Newpark was those first two days in First Year, when we came in for two hours with our form teachers. I’m sure everyone remembers what those first two days felt like, before anyone knew what to think of their new school. I remember walking into T1 on that first day and everyone in my form sitting there not saying a word. Breado can confirm that we were never nearly that quiet again.

In August our friend and classmate, Alex Fayden, died and our year came together to support each other in sharing our favourite memories of him and celebrating what he means to us. I don’t know how it would’ve been if it had happened at a time when we couldn’t see each other and I am grateful for the fact that we were able to come together in the way that we did. If there’s anything that can help you in a time like that it’s surrounding yourself with people who will support you.

Since those first few days in March, once everyone figured out school wasn’t so scary, it hasn't felt the same. There’s been a constant energy around the school, with all the sports teams, drama, music and everything in between, there’s so many great memories. A lot of those things haven't been able to happen in the same way this year but I think anyone who saw the interpretive art, fish net, Killian Murphy shrine thing that was up above the benches in front of the school and probably had something to do with TY arts week, knows that, despite everything going on, Newpark still has that something you won’t find anywhere else.

If anyone ever asks me what the most important thing I learned from Newpark is, I know what my answer will be. It’s got nothing to do with anything you can put on an exam and it can’t ever really be quantified to have an award given out for. The most important thing I’ve learned from Newpark is the positive impact you can have by being there for someone when they need it. I’ve learned that through my friends being there for me when I needed them and I hope I’m able to carry that idea with me for the rest of my life. Thank you. By Adam Walsh, 6th Year

New Prefect Team 2021-22 Congratulations to the new prefect team announced at the assembly. Our prefects are elected annually by 5th Year students and staff. They are listed below in alphabetical order. Lucie Balay-Chawke, Rachel Baum, Caoimhe Burns, Maryam Butt, Sorcha Collins-O'Regan, Maeve Farragher, Leo Faulkner, Alexander Fleming, Erika Gallagher, Rosa Gildea, Michael Gormley, Orla Gul, Helen Hatter, Matthew Hogarty, Mia Holmes, Safia Hudson-Fowler, Malachy Jambrina, Fionn Jordan, Seán Kelly, Sophie Mason, Jessica McEvoy, Sophie McEvoy, Siobhán McTurk, Harry Merton, Lauren Moore, Dominic Noctor, Oran O'Sullivan, Dara Rankin, Ava Ryan, Johannes Schmidt, Daniel Shaw, Anna Shepherd, Tabitha Smith, Abby Whelan.

And heartfelt thanks to the Prefects of 2020-2021

Lilly Adams, Lily Bennett, Maeve-Aoife Byrne, Mia Chambers, Bruno Ciulli, Tadgh Clifford-Brannock, Rose Davey, Aidan Duffy, Lucy Geoghegan, Iona Hamilton, Liam Hurley, Lara Kiang, Ulyana Kuzmenko, Shawn Lorenzo, Amelia Lynch, Ben Marnell, Oisin Mongey, Kate Murphy, Tom Murphy, Fionn NagelMurray, Mui reann Ní Drisceoil, Aaron NolanMiralles, Robert Nugent, Isaac O’Neill, Zara O’Sullivan, Adam Pearlman Spencer, Jennifer Sheeran, Marcus Tidey, Ben Vincent, Adam Walsh, Zoe Watterson and Neala Yakub. 33

Georgia O’Rourke

Charlotte Wride

Nakai Mudiwa

Charlie Mills

Ruby MacDermott-Folley

Millie O’Doherty

Suleiman Shah

TY Artwork in exhibition at Dun Laoghaire Lexicon Photos by Trudy Feighery

Student Voice and Leadership-Overview

been an extremely productive year for the student council. We have solved issues such as the water fountains, lack of cover in the school yard, fluency with teams in the younger years, locker hygiene and now finally why there is one more 6th year in the student council than any other year. We are also hoping to earn the school an Amber flag through having a wellbeing committee and various supporting groups around the school.

In my capacity of co-ordinator of this important area of student life in Newpark, I’ve endeavoured to keep things going thanks to my brilliant Teacher team of Mr. Ludgate, Ms. Morrissey, Mr. Twamley and Ms. Brennan and the ever wonderful students of Newpark who’ve kept things running as smoothly as possible. There have been amazing developments in all areas especially The Student Council, Cultural Council and the Foróige .

We have been able to achieve so much as a council this year through regular meetings with the principal and both vice principals. So, I would like to take a second to thank them, all of the fantastic student representatives from the council and all the other amazing teachers and faculty such as Ms. Devis, Mr. Twamley and Ms. Morrissey who helped us facilitate these meetings in classes and through zoom. Thank you for your help.

Increased communication between the Student Council and School management has been a vey necessary improvement this year as well as the focus on wellbeing from the Student Council with a newly formed Student Wellbeing Group. This was further enhanced by the Cultural Council’s push on promoting creativity during our most recent lockdown.

By Isaac O’Neill, 6th Year

In TY, Ms. Brennan has introduced the Foróige Leadership for Life Programme to over sixty students. This year our first two graduates of the Foróige programme will graduate in the Autumn, Bruno Ciulli and Maya Garcia. Congratulations to them. Last but not least, the prefects have done an excellent job this year helping the school run smoothly and looking after the 1st years so well. Well done to Adam, Iona, Zara, Marcus, and all the prefect team.

News Splash! A new contactless bottle filler has been installed in the school yard. The student council have campaigned for a water supply for students and this outdoor solution is fully COVID compliant.

By Ms Cathy Devis

The New Wellbeing Group

The Student Council 2020-2021

This year we decided to create a wellbeing council because we believed it was incredibly important to support the mental health of all the students. We really want to help students strengthen their positive mindsets in an effective way so students can have a more enjoyable time in Newpark and outside school.

The student council has always been a concept that intrigued me. Even from a young age in primary school, I always made it my goal to make it on to the student council—always with little success. In Newpark I have been a member of the student council for four out of my six years.

Our main goal is to let the students know how and where they can be supported. Mental health is a delicate but essential topic that we want to address at Newpark.

It was a warm September morning and a fellow sixth year was making announcements to classes about the time and place of the first student council meeting. I arrived at the meeting to be greeted by several students and teachers eager to make the school a better place. This, alongside getting out of class, was my goal. When the vote for chairperson was announced at the end of the meeting I decided to go for it and given this piece is written by the chairperson of the student council, you can imagine how that went.

This year we had many ideas and fundraisers. We hope to put in place some of these ideas whenever it is safe to do so. We know that we can do this well and we want to do it safely. We believe that mental health is a serious topic and want to help everyone be at their very best. We are very passionate about this topic and are working hard coming up with effective events that we hope can positively influence everyone.

From that point I made it my job to help organise meetings, make all student council announcements and host meetings alongside the junior council chair. It has 36

This year was a tough year and we want to ensure all the students have all the help available in Newpark, such as our guidance counsellors, and chaplains. We would like to thank Ms Crampton and Ms Devis for supporting this initiative and helping us so much in how we can realistically help people in the school. By Allegra Zipser and Mia Seligman, 1st Year

Cultural Council and the Creative Challenge

The month of March was completely online for all of the school population except for sixth year students and their teachers, leaving the school echoey and empty. Unable to host any extra-curricular activities or even events at lunchtime, we decided to start something to make up for it. A creative challenge, open to all students and staff revolving around the theme of “Hope”. The submissions could take any form at all and then be submitted online.

Clubs have always been around in Newpark, some coming and going, others holding steady over the years, but it was not until early March last year that the leaders of each club came together for the first time to work together. This became what we now call the Cultural Council, a centralizing group dedicated to coordinating club activities, organizing school-wide creative projects and bringing student voices and ideas to the extracurricular side of Newpark.

We were pleased to receive a boatload of all kinds of submissions from a number of different years; pencil sketches, paintings, photography, dance, craft, poetry, videos, drag performance and more. With the first signs of the arrival of spring and better weather, the school community were enthusiastic to express “Hope” and share what brought them hope in their lives in a creative manner.

It has been a rocky start, the pandemic tripping us up just after having started but slowly, we have learned to work online and continue to work together to bring students experiences outside of the curriculum, something to brighten up these difficult times.

Students, staff and parents said that this challenge was a great outlet for them in these challenging times and gave them an opportunity to do something new and different other than schoolwork and general despair about the pandemic. It was wonderful to see the school community respond to the creative challenge in their own unique and individual ways. While the events of the last year ensure none of our original plans went ahead, we still have big hopes for the rest of the year. We are currently planning workshops and a creative challenge around the theme of unique Irish-language words which demonstrate our cultural connection with our coasts and the sea. We are even laying the groundwork for a mural to be painted on-campus! The Cultural Council is an alternative kind of student voice which encourages creativity, wellbeing and involvement in areas from theatre to environmentalism. We look forward to what can be achieved by the Cultural Council in years to come. By Maya Garcia and Bruno Ciulli, 6th Year

Junior Plays

my experience as a junior play director would be a few years ago! But nonetheless a great experience.

How strange it was not to welcome an audience to the Hunter Theatre...but nevertheless welcomed one to The Junior Plays to multiple locations OUTSIDE.

Adapting to a pandemic-safe theatre experience is something I will remember forever. All those hours rehearsing on Teams and outdoors round the school, preparing this play was such a new and enjoyable experience.

This year has been vey different but also just as fun and exciting. Beginning rehearsals online was challenging but also such a welcome addition to boring lockdown life.

I urge any and all students with even the slightest interest in drama and writing (or even just in being the boss for a while) to take part in directing the junior plays. It is a unique opportunity—and buckets of fun.

I was unsure about whether this would work but the Fifth Year directors and First and Second Year actors have shown a maturity beyond their years and complete dedicated to their plays. They worked tirelessly online after school, at the weekends, during the holidays. Finally, two weeks before the performances, they actually got to meet each other in person! It was incredible and emotional to see actors and directors interacting in person. Working outside has its own complicated list of issues to contend with— massive drills, screeching buses, finding appropriate performance spaces—but we’ve made it work through determination and ingenuity. Creativity is so important now more than ever.

By Abby Whelan, 5th Year

I have been so impressed with everyone involved from cast to crew and I am so grateful to Newpark teachers and the caretakers who went out of their way to help make them happen.

Given that I had acted in the Junior Plays myself, I had always anticipated directing my own. Now that I’ve done the whole directing thing, I have even more appreciation for it as a custom in the school.

By Ms Cathy Devis

It’s quite satisfying to see a story you wrote come to life, and it’s especially satisfying when it’s well acted (which it was). There’s something quite ceremonial about seeing the next generation of drama students before leaving the school. I still have another year in the school and Newpark is known for bringing past pupils back for drama so perhaps it’s not that conclusive, but it’s still nice.

The Directors Cut I remember back in Second Year taking part in Junior Plays for the first time thinking: I could never do this: I could never imagine myself directing a play! Fifth Years are practically ADULTS. Then fast forward a few years to 5th year and so far from an adult it is comical and you’re directing a Junior Play. Being a co-director with the fabulous Rachel Baum has been brilliant—not what I initially thought

Meeting and working with the younger years connects the whole school together in a way that it wouldn’t have been connected otherwise. Overall, it’s a lot of fun to do and it’s great way to learn about a different angle of theatre. I’d definitely recommend it. By Sunny Cooling, 5th Year

Artistic Performance - 3rd Year

Dominic Noctor and I wrote and directed a Junior Play about four normal school students who get recruited as sidekicks. They help save their city from the evil villain Dr Terrible-Horrible-Guy. We also have two cheesy newscasters who pop in and out to keep us updated on the latest news with the characters. It’s a very crazy, energetic, chaotic, mad play. We have six Second Years, and one First Year in our cast. They are all incredibly talented and very funny.

Newpark students have the option to select Artistic Performance as a short course which runs over two years and is assessed by a final Classroom Based Assessment project (CBA). The current Third Year class are the second year to complete this new course. What an amazing class this group has been. Their final CBA piece was an ambitious and clever idea and they pulled it off with great sophistication and hard work in challenging circumstances.

The Actors

They decided to make a play that was centred around A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The story goes like this: a group of students who are studying Artistic Performance don’t like Shakespeare but this all changes when their teacher sends them inside Shakespeare’s magical play. They discover things about themselves they didn’t know were possible, find new romance and friendship.

Deciding to partake in the Junior Plays – even in this strange year – is honestly one of the best decisions I could have made.

Their play was performed and filmed in locations around the campus and edited by one of the students in the class.

Familiarising oneself with a digital script proved to be difficult in many aspects. Luckily I had two great directors, who did not pressure us and were incredibly understanding, taking everything one step at a time. My biggest issue was trying not to smile or laugh while doing my lines. The play was so strange and quirky that it was hard not to crack a smile or break character every now and then. After we were cast in our roles, things only got better. The casting was perfect and the chemistry between the actors just helped to bring everything together.

By Ms Cathy Devis

Despite having to do the bulk of our rehearsals online due to covid-19 restrictions, all of our actors stuck with it, and their hard work really paid off. By Ruby O’Leary Murray

The plays were a lot more fun to rehearse face to face as an extra level was added to all of our characters. The rehearsals became more interactive and the sense of a play shaped up, replacing the initial sense of online classes. There was a really good atmosphere during rehearsals which only adds to the overall experience.

As this is a class that requires a lot of in-person work, online school and Artistic Performance are not the ideal combo – especially in 3rd Year when we had to put together our end of year performance.

After being cooped up indoors with little social interaction with people of my own age, spending time doing something that I love with kind and new people was really what I needed. This is an experience I would definitely recommend for anyone who is interested in acting or drama.

It wasn’t easy. There were plenty of breakout room mishaps, screen freeze fiascos and more. I can say with certainty that Ms Devis won’t miss those days! However, as a class, we persevered and by the time we got back to real school, we had a completed script! We have just finished filming our performance and with that, our Artistic Performance experience in the Junior Cycle comes to a close. I have really enjoyed it and I’m grateful for all the memories it has given me.

By Rhea Flatley, 1st Year Thanks to Nicolas Reuland and Anna Shepherd for Junior Play photos

By Jake Sweeney, 3rd Year

Production of a Pandemic

King Lear – in a Van Festival in a Van came back to Newpark this Spring with their fascinating version of King Lear in tempestuous weather conditions which were very apt for the occasion. Leading director, Conor Hanratty created a unique Covid-safe event, to bring key scenes from the play alive with moments for discussion as part of the plan. Featuring Arthur Riordan (co-founder of Rough Magic Theatre Company), Karen McCartney and Matthew Malone, both highly regarded Lir graduates, we were treated to 40 minutes of sensational Shakespeare. This amazing initiative is supported by Creative Ireland, and with funding from the Bank of Ireland / Business to Arts Begin Again Arts Fund. Festival in a Van is the brainchild of Gemma Tipton. Gemma is a well-established journalist and writer and a former student of Newpark. Created in 2020 to provide a traveling venue for Covid-safe live outdoor performance, Festival in a Van has been visiting schools, care homes, rural spots and town squares and is safe to tour at all levels of restrictions over the last fifteen months. We are very fortunate to have had them visit us twice since October. These theatre experiences have greatly enriched the English and Drama curricula and given students a greater understanding of the play texts. Many thanks to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council for funding this.

Sitting in the audience before it started, all I heard were murmurings about the pathetic fallacy of the rain. (I suppose it's a good sign we all know what that means!) They weren't wrong; even with the sun poking through the clouds, there was an apt gloominess hanging over the basketball court—until, of course, the rain stopped right as we reached the one scene characterised by violent storms. The play was King Lear by Festival in a Van, the first live theatre performance of the year. And what a performance it was. The back of a van painted with a woodland scene awaited us, and in the centre stood a single yellow chair. A simple set for a simple play yet, despite the modesty of the arena, once the play started it felt as if we were sitting in a theatre. The actors were captivating and dramatic, expressing their love of the craft through rousing and energetic performances. Being only three people, I was surprised at how deftly they handled the different characters and story lines, and I must admit I was insanely jealous of how natural it all seemed.

By Ms Cathy Devis

The script itself had gone through the chopping block and been pieced back together in a spectacularly effective way. Poignant key quotes (very useful for revision!), amusing interjections seamlessly integrated to further the story, and character switches any shapeshifter would be proud of. The director took this well-loved play and shaped it perfectly, a true testament to the talent of those in the industry. Although the weather was less than favourable, it did not hinder the show in the slightest. The actors were phenomenal and brought an interesting twist to a play I thought I knew almost too well. Thank you to Festival in a Van for the magnificent show. I'll certainly remember my key quotes now! 40

By Selma Reby, 6th Year

Lingue in Scena 2021 Lingue in Scena 2021 has been a bizarre journey starting way back in November 2019 when we held auditions for The Tempest. We honed our scenes to the required thirty minute version to present at the festival in Turin with schools from across Europe. Since then our journey has been a rollercoaster. The week-long multi-lingual drama festival planned for May 2020 was postponed to October, then to May 2021 and eventually after an international meeting, it was decided that the festival would go online.

decided to move to an online format. We created a film of the first scene – a storm – so that Marco Alotti, the eccentric leader of the operation could cast his film. I was assigned two scenes to film for him.

In this new incarnation, every country was given the opening scene of The Tempest to interpret in their own way online. This was very challenging and some of our cast (now in Sixth Year) understandably pulled out. We re-cast the play, inviting Lingue in Scena veterans back including Tano Faria (LC 2020).

I had heard so much about his dramatic teaching style so getting to see it for myself was a really cool experience. He was very picky so I had to take three emergency trips down to the Rockies to re-film my scenes, but overall, it was a great experience. I haven’t seen the final film yet but I am sure it will be very creatively woven together. This online format wasn’t what I expected to be signing up for last year but I’m glad I got to do it and that I had the chance to be involved in some drama to keep me going during the lockdown.

Our online film footage, (part Zoom Broadcast, part solo location filming during lockdown) was edited together by past pupil Sam O’Neill. From each country’s short film, international director Marco Alotto cast his multinational version of The Tempest. We were delighted to have many of our students featured as actors and dancers. Since then we have been recording new scenes, re-recording old ones and practicing beautiful dancing. The final multi-lingual film edited by Marco with his cast from seven countries was broadcast online on Friday 14th May.

By Rachel Baum, 5th Year

The logistics were extraordinary, but we filmed our Zoom shipwreck in spite of lags and technical hitches. Sunny found ways to coach us all through putting raging sea in our backgrounds for the online recordings; Rachel composed and produced a multi layer soundtrack for Sam’s film; Tabitha rearranged her entire house to create the space needed for her beautifully choreographed ballet as Ariel; Rhiannon filmed her Caliban scenes barefoot on the rocks near the Forty Foot in the bitter cold (thanks for being such a patient camerawoman, Isolde); Isaac braved rocky seashores in Bray to demonstrate his power over the waves; Cathy took storm footage on the days she couldn’t swim in the sea in Greystones.

By Ms Cathy Devis

There was a lot of shouting and crying and praying and ringing of bells as the ship broke apart in the storm, interspersed with the beautiful clear voices and outdoor footage of our Miranda, Prospero, Arial and Caliban.

In a time long before the word ‘quarantine’ was a part of our normal vocabulary, ten students from 4th and 5th year began rehearsing scenes from the Tempest for the drama festival Lingue in Scena. We spent weeks rehearsing and getting excited to eat pizza on the streets of Turin only for it to all come to an abrupt halt.

We would have loved to have been together in Turin this May (or last May for that matter) but this was a strangely enjoyably and challenging Tempest we made together. Many thanks to all who braved the storm.

After months of uncertainty and postponing, it was 41

By Ms Anna Johnston

LCA Enterprise Enterprise Week is a project we did as part of Fifth Year LCA. We had to set up and run our own business for a week. We did it to give us a better understanding of what it’s like working in a business. It helped us to develop skills like working as a team, management and dealing with customers.

I would like to say a big thanks to Ms Brennan, Ms Johnston, Naomi, Linda and James: we really wouldn’t have done it without you. By Bryn Cotter Ellis, 5th Year “Just to say a huge thank you for valeting my car. You did an AMAZING job and I am delighted with it. It is a really big car with very messy passengers so it was a difficult job for you. I am so pleased with it. Well done and thank you again.” - Ms Rowan

Our business had three parts: a tuck shop selling baked goods, a carwash and valeting service and sets of presson nails designed and made by students.

LL Nails

The Tuck Shop

For our Enterprise Week we decided to do sets of presson Nails for the staff and family members at home. We designed and made fourteen sets of press-on nails during the week. Lily Cross has a lot of experience

The Tuck Shop sold chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownies, Mars bar squares and Marshmallow squares. Sam White and I were responsible for baking the chocolate chip cookies. We started selling the baked goods on Monday, lunch time and all of the baked goods sold out by Wednesday’s break.

designing and making these nails and she taught me. I leaned how to use the electric nail fail and that less is more when using nail varnish!

Everyone who took part was very happy with the success of the Tuck Shop

It was a lot of work but we were so happy with how they turned out. So many teachers were supportive of our mini business and we are so appreciative. Many thanks to Linda Schutte for being our nail model in the staffroom. We also got so much help from Ms Johnston and we really can’t thank her enough.

on the day. By Michael Gormley, 5th Year

Spick and Span Car Services

By Lucy Drumm, 5th Year

For the LCA Enterprise Week a group of 5th Year LCA students decided to do a car wash for the staff of Newpark. The first thing we had to do was email all the teachers to let them know about it and give them all the information.

Pandemic Precautions I was the Covid officer for the LCA Enterprise. There were many extra challenges we had to face because of being in a global pandemic. We firstly had to try and come up with Covid friendly business ideas. We could not put ourselves, other students or teachers at risk. All of our ideas had to be well thought out before presenting them to the school management to give us permission to go ahead.

During Enterprise Week we had to get the cars to the yard for the cleaning process, with the great help of James Macklin who drove the cars over to the yard for us to start cleaning. After the first few cars we quickly realised that we needed to work as a team more and communicate a bit better. Once we got that down we then started flying through the cars.

We agreed to carry out car washes, a bake sale and nails. We had to run all of these events making sure that both ourselves and customers were safe. For the car wash we had to wear masks while cleaning inside the teacher's cars. We also wore gloves and maintained social distancing wherever we could. 42

Final Year Farewell

Ms Farlow kindly let us use her kitchen under supervision to bake products for us to sell. Again, we wore masks at all times, gloves, hairnets and plastic aprons. We even walked to Lidl to buy our ingredients, so we were not in a car together. We prepackaged all our baked goods in the kitchen. During the bake sale the students were asked to social distance in the queue and hand sanitizer was provided. Again, for the nails, face masks were worn at all times and hands had to be sanitized regularly before putting nails on the customers.

As the last couple of weeks come to a close for the 6th LCA and all the LC students, I just wanted to write a massive thank you letter to all the SNAs and teachers for the amazing job they have done and all the opportunities that were given to all the LCA students including myself. A big thank you to Ms Brennan and James Macklin for being there for everyone in the LCA.

After all of the hard work, Enterprise Week turned out to be a great success. By Jessica McEvoy, 5th Year

Design for Enterprise I enjoyed doing the graphic design work for our Enterprise. To do the logos I found a free online photoshopping application making it easier for me to edit and design. I wanted to represent the look and feel for the brand identity and used certain words and components to base the logo. I used photo to represent the product and then dropped another image behind it to give it an artistic approach. I used these logos in all of our posters and labels for the food products.

I am just so grateful to have gone to such a welcoming school, a school where no-one judges others for being different. I have made so many friends, not just in the LCA but also throughout the years of being in Newpark. Since our time is nearly at an end, I can say that I am going to miss going to this school as it was the best school to go to! The experiences I have had between the good and bad have been life motivating for me and my future. My classmates in the LCA have been genuinely caring and I hope to continue the friendships even after we leave. To sum up, I really am going to miss this amazing, friendly, and caring school to bits. I hope that one day I will come back to visit the teachers who have taught me throughout the years of being in this school and show them what I have become: a successful entrepreneur and investor.

By Iain O’Flynn, 5th Year

Money Matters Financial managers Tom and Lydia had to keep the accounts, manage the budgets and keep the money safe.

To my friends in the LCA: thank you so much for being amazing and supportive throughout our LCA journey. I hope that one day in the future we will meet up for a coffee and talk about our times in Newpark.

The students raised capital by selling shares but they limited ownership to their own student group. Shares cost €5 and were capped at a maximum per person so the ownership of the company was well distributed between its workers.

To all my fellow classmates: remember to never give up on your dreams and keep striving for greatness. By Denis O’Connor, 6th Year

At each meeting during the week the three sections reported back to the whole company. At the end of the week the financial managers were pleased to report that all three sections were profitable and that the overall company profits were in the region of €800. This meant that each share had a return of over €30— an impressive dividend for a highly successful venture. Huge congratulations to all involved for a week that showed the enormous merits of learning by doing. By Ms Anna Johnston

The Green Pages Tie-Dye Masks

The School Garden

Back in November of last year, a group of us were asked if we could Tie-Dye and sell reusable masks for Flossie and the beach cleaners, an environmental charity and action group who are cleaning Dublin’s beaches to stop plastic from ruining our marine life. Doing the TieDye masks was a great way to put in the community action hours and have a lot of fun. Since most things were closed at the start of the year it was a great help that Ms Achari and Ms Adams gave us the task of selling tie-die masks to raise money for Flossie and the Beach Cleaners.

For my second work experience I worked in the school garden. It was hard to find work experience so I The whole process was very enjoyable especially the decided to do one the school has dyeing of the masks! At the start we had to prepare the provided. masks and tie-dye them which took a good while since Myself and Lada were tasked with there were around 250 masks that we had to digging a hole deep enough for a individually wrap and dye. They had to be dyed in bathtub to fit in it. This bathtub acts as batches, and then arranged depending on colour (there a mini pond for the school garden. The were a lot!). This took about three days in total to finish difficult part of this was digging the with some that we had to do at home. Then we sold actual hole. However, we managed to them out to the various years which was good fun. We move the bathtub in the hole in the had to go around to classrooms, take orders and finally first day which was a good give out the masks. We got many of the masks sold accomplishment. We then had to make and then sent on the money to Flossie’s charity just an outdoor classroom so that the students who visits before Christmas. Sadly the selling was cut short due to the school garden will have a place to sit. We used logs lockdown but the whole experience was amazing! of wood as the chairs and wooden planks as a base for our feet and for the wood chips to go on. It acts as a By Amélie Ryan Griffin and Hugh Kelly, TY foundation for the wood chips so that our feet wouldn't sink in when we are walking around the outdoor Climate Ambassadors classroom. This day was also really fun because I was Members from the green school committee, are doing told to bring my speaker so that we wouldn't get bored. the climate ambassador programme this year. You may Ms. Adams connected to the speaker and she played be wondering what that is? It is essentially a selected some banging music. Her music taste was incredible. group of people from all over Ireland who come togeth- We were also tasked to create images/posts to put up er, to help the planet and spread awareness. This being in the school's gardening social media. your ‘climate actions’ and ‘climate communications’. On the 5th and final the plants that Ms. Adams ordered Currently the programme is all online, where I’ve had arrived and we had to plant these. This was fun because training days where we’ve talked about climate I learned how to plant shrubs for the first time. After we planted the plants I began change, Earth Hour and lots more. It may sound deto water them. While pressing, however amongst enthusiastic and devoted watering them I was cautious climate ambassadors, I can’t help but feel inspired and to not water board the plant hopeful. so that it won't drown and I recommend the programme to all of you. You don’t die. After watering the plants need to be an expert, you don’t need to be super outI had to give each plant some going, all you need to be is passionate and eager to sort fertilizer which makes them grow faster. After this make a difference. by Cerys Hanlon, TY we finally finished and the Newpark garden and it looks 44 wonderful! By Ethan Lorenzo, TY

It’s Tree Time! Gather around dear readers, for it’s tree time. The time where we appreciate all that trees do for us and to thank all those who collected and ( m o st i m po r t an t ly ) planted a tree! On a crisp Wednesday afternoon, myself, Olivia and Eve from the Green Schools committee, set up stalls to distribute trees, with help from Bobby and Ms Achari. We had bags and bags of oak, alder and birch trees, all calling to be planted and my first thought was, that nobody was going to show up to get some. I thought that students would be busy or just not be bothered or even care. How wrong I was.

Newpark Trees in their new homes!

The buzz was fantastic; students from all years and collected trees. I felt like Santa giving out presents or Willy Wonka giving out candy bars. It was amazing knowing that all these people are going to make a positive difference and that these trees are going to grow and thrive. More than four hundred trees were planted. I hope these trees will be around for hundreds of years and that all our efforts will not be in vain. Each and every tree will help immensely with biodiversity, birds finding shelter there, bugs that live there. These homes for wildlife are vital and will be such a haven for them. I was once on a tour when I learned about the trees in Stephen’s Green, which were planted around the time of the 1916 Rising—some are even older than that. Today they still stand. What is the future for our trees? Will our great-grandchildren see them? To conclude, I must give a massive thank you to Simon Moore from St. Andrew’s who also participated in the ‘tree giving’. Thanks to Mr Holmes and Mr Breaden who planted the remainder of the trees. Thanks to Ms Adams, Ms Achari and Bobby for organising and helping in the stalls. Fnally, thanks to all of you fellow students for planting a tree. I know our future seems small or even prohibited to us at times, our voices don’t seem to be heard, cast aside as meaningless and immature. But for each of our small steps, together; we are helping to change the world, for the better. By Cerys Hanlon, TY

Temporary Structures: The Answer to Sustainable Architecture?

A few months ago I was lucky to take part in the Open House World Wide virtual event on climate change, sustainability and design. The Irish Architecture Foundation mentored a youth panel of 14 15-18 year olds in 3 online workshops over several weeks, helping us to formulate our opinions and solutions to sustainable architecture into speeches. Then we gave our speeches as part of the virtual event, to a worldwide audience.

island special is that they could disappear within a year. The safari tents are made of wood from local and sustainable sources, lighting is by solar and wind-up lights, and all kitchen waste is taken back to the mainland to be composted in gardens. Even the toilets are dry composter loos. The Adventure Camp operates on the principle that if they packed up and left tomorrow, there would be no trace of settlement left on the island a year later. This is beneficial both to the environment and to the wildlife on the island – Domwe island is home to bald eagles, wild pigs and skinks (among others), many of which could be forced to leave if their habitats are harmed.

The theme I chose to speak about was Rebels and Activists, and their solution in the form of temporary structures to the problem of sustainable architecture in the communities of today. This was the speech I gave:

Domwe Island is not the only settlement that has embraced this idea. It is an example of a legal settlement, but there are other temporary settlements that are not. One of these is Chicoco, Port Harcourt in Nigeria, where architect Kunlé Adeyemi has built a floating school. It rises and falls with the tide. The Nigerian government has other plans for the waterfront, which would mean the eviction of many people living along it. Adeyemi’s

The idea of temporary structures has interested me since I visited the Domwe Island Adventure Camp in Malawi. Domwe Island is the largest unpopulated island in Lake Malawi and is part of the Lake Malawi National park. The camp was mostly designed and built by director Julie Shoeman, with the help of staff from a nearby village. There is space for five families in the Adventure Camp, in safari tents made of wood and thatch. What makes the facilities on the 46

floating school however integrates itself into the life of the inhabitants instead of disturbing it.

of Newpark, but especially Green Schools, should be very proud of.

Traditional, typically permanent architecture, though addressing one problem (for example homelessness) can add to another (such as the use of non-renewable materials for building, overcrowding and ruination of habitats). That is why both the negative and positive impacts of a new s t r u c t u r e s h o u l d a l w a y s be considered. For instance when considering building more houses in an area of town: they might mean that less people are homeless and that accommodation becomes more affordable. But they might also mean that the town will become more crowded, the trees that are cut down to clear the area decrease the amount of carbon dioxide absorption in the town, and the building is not energy-efficient because it was built to be affordable.

However, a conversation over Zoom is weird, it strips away a layer of communication with the awkward pauses , glitches etc. It was also hard to answer questions about things we’ve done because, well, lockdown seems to wipe away memory. Coming out of lockdown made my brain feels like a zombie and my eyes feel like screens themselves. All of you know that feeling by now in some shape or form. However, it was a pleasure to sit amongst our green school activists, those newly joined and those who’ve been there for years, and great to talk to Laura, who was very kind and impressed by all we’ve done. Resilience is something we’ve all had to acquire over the past while, and those in green schools are certainly resilient. By Cerys Hanlon, TY

I believe that temporary structures like Domwe Island are the way forward for sustainable architecture. They can cater flexibly to the needs of the people living both in and around them, in a way that is not possible for permanent structures. They are less detrimental to the environment and wildlife in the area, and they are cheaper both to build and maintain. People can live in harmony with their surroundings and, in a world that changes and moves faster than ever before, they can quickly relocate or deconstruct the building, leaving no trace behind.

Young Environmentalist Awards Congratulations to last year’s TY Young Environmentalist Awards students. Four groups made it to the finals and the Biodiversity Team won in their category. The Young Environmentalists Awards is about taking action and making a positive impact in school and within the community. The competition encourages young people to get informed about environmental issues and be the change they want to see in the world. Students learn new skills and make new connections as they become empowered though the undertaking of an action project.

This is obviously not a solution for everyone. It is not the only answer to the question of how to make architecture more sustainable. The population of each country and even area will have different needs. Each government has different laws and regulations. Temporary structures are not one-fits-all. But they are a good place to start.

Newpark has won five awards in the competition since 2017 for the outstanding work students have done to improve the environment in school and in the community. If you would like to get involved with the awards this year, please get in touch with Sue Adams.

By Nakai Mudiwa, 3rd Year

Green Flag Conversation On the first Thursday of May, Green School members, Ms. Achari and Mr. Power met Laura Astori, a Green Schools travel officer, via Zoom. This chat was about Newpark and the actions our school have taken to make our school a more sustainable and environmentally friendly place. We also talked about our goal to get the Travel flag, the main focus of Laura’s assessment.

This YEA award is shared by Sophie Mason, Lauren Gillham, Emily Hall, Meave Farragher, Milo Houlden, Sonny Noone, Harry Merton, Oran O’Sullivan, Sorcha Collins O’Regan and Oscar Hurley, for winning in the Biodiversity category in 2020. By Ms Kim Achari

Green School members answered questions on what we’ve been doing over the past two years. It’s been a lot, even with all the lockdowns, which is something all 47

#andshecycles

Since January, all the #andshecycles ambassadors have had 4 network gatherings. There was an introduction in January, and three workshops, training in leadership, video campaigning and media and communications. We have made the @she_can_cycle Instagram account, and conducted a survey over 5 schools, including Newpark, about who cycles to school/outside of school, why do/don’t they cycle and what their school could do to help. Each ambassador has also done their own thing within their school. Some are designing uniform trousers, getting bike racks, or planning events. In Newpark, we have done the Strava Cycle with the rest of our green schools committee. Now that we have mainly finished our ambassador training, we are in the action stage of the programme, and the awards will finish it off in October. We will still all be #andshecycles ambassadors after October though, and we plan to keep incorporating it with the green schools committee. We’ve also gotten badges, jumpers and more so that we can represent the campaign, and so that the #andshecycles allies can show their support, (we can wear our hoodies instead of our Newpark jumpers too, which is a nice bonus). Overall, I’m really glad we applied and got into the programme, it’s been a lot but it's very much worth it, the training was great, it’s all been fun and it’s nice to be a part of the campaign. By Silvia Ciulli Cummins, 2nd Year

In January of this year, Isobel, Nóinín and I became #andshecycles ambassadors. The #andshecycles campaign is a Green Schools Ireland and An Tasce initiative. Its aim is to encourage more girls to cycle, and to make it a nicer and easier place for them to do so. There are ambassadors from schools all over Ireland, and Newpark is one of only two in Dublin.

Strava Cycling Competition

There is a huge gender cycling gap, especially in teenagers. Only 0.4% of girls cycle to school, while 3.7% of boys do. That means that about ten teenagers cycle to school per 250, 1 girl and 9 boys (technically 9.25 boys out of 250). There are many reasons for this gender gap, stigmas, harassment, uniforms, etc. Skirts as part of the uniform are a huge problem. It is so difficult to cycle in a skirt, it gets caught, it’s freezing, it definitely doesn’t help with harassment and just general selfconsciousness. Newpark mightn’t have this problem but we are still very aware of it as #andshecycles ambassadors, and are trying to help other schools have optional, well designed trousers that students can actually wear. We aren’t forced to wear skirts and I don’t think it’s in any way a coincidence that the cycling gender gap is very small in Newpark. 48

This year the Green School committee banded together with the #andshecycles ambassadors to make a cycling competition for everyone in the school. Its similar the FitFeb challenge we did during February of lockdown.

2nd Year: Patrick McCormack with 56.76km

The cycling competition takes place on an app called Strava, where you can track runs and cycles. It is a four -week long competition which we are currently in the middle of. At the end of each week we give out loads of amazing prizes from our from our great bike shop sponsors: Ferris Wheels, Dublin Loves Bikes and The Bike Rack. We want to give a huge shout-out in gratitude to these shops for their generous donations. Other thanks must go to Sue Adams for donating Newpark Flasks, and Simon Moore for his Leglites. The PTA had offered sponsorship too, which we are very grateful for, but we have politely declined given the generosity from the three bike shops.

Darragh Brien with 125.37km

Katie Geoghegan with 11.93km 3rd Year: Nakai Mudiwa with 3km 4th Year: Jamie Wall with 46.80km Fionn Hunter with 6.57km 5th Year: Malachy Jambrina with 26.28km Peter Agnew with 16.78km 6th Year: Liadain Murray with 10.02km Weeks 3 and 4 to be announced! We are also giving extra prizes for girls, as the gender gap in cycling is pretty significant and want to encourage more girls to cycle.

Week One Winners: 1st Year: Muireann Breen with 66.65km, Ryan Gibson with 32.08km

Although we haven’t finished the competition yet, we have already seen an increase of cycling in Newpark which is a big success and we hope to see more of it in the future.

2nd Year: Patrick McCormack with 25.29km and Coco Evans with 14.67km

By Noinin Cooling, 2nd Year

3rd Year: Darragh Brien with 69.08km 4th Year: Amelie Ryan Griffin with 38.30km and Jamie Wall with 20.72km 5th Year: Malachy Jambrina with 79.28km and David Maxwell with 57.42km 6th Year: Avril Power with 30km and Liadain Murray with 16.96km

Week Two Winners: 1st Year: Daniel Gifford with 24.80km Simone Evans with 75.70km

On yer bike! 4LRG in the Phoenix Park 49

German Department

mehr jagen. Hier sind einige Statistiken wie COVID der Umwelt im vergangenen Jahr geholfen hat.

Despite the challenges of this year, we have managed some German experiences and learning outside of the classroom. With Julian from Dresden, our German assistant for the year on board, we were able to really expand our students’ horizons through dance, poetry, virtual city walks around Dresden and weekly podcasts.

Kraftstoffverbrauch: -50% Dieselverbrauch: -35% Erdgas-emission: -7% Verkehr: -68%

Other activities included the TYs writing an essay for the Austrian Embassy in the hope of winning an iPad and first years learning all about Easter in Germany through an egg painting competition at home. Oral practice for all years continued via Teams meetings until we were back in school.

Verkehrsbelastung: -30% Flüge: -99% Outdoor-Zeit aufgrund allgemeiner Verschmutzung: bis zu 93% Es kann langweilig sein, denn es gibt nirgendwohin zu gehen oder etwas zu tun, aber zumindest helfen wir der Erde zu wachsen und zu leben.

We are looking forward to a return to normality in September and reviving our German exchange programme with our partner school in Berlin.

By Luca Bradshaw, 4LRG

By Frau Margaret Dempsey

Ich denke COVID hat der Umwelt ein bisschen geholfen. Es gibt weniger Reisen. Es war weniger Flugzeuge in der Luft. Leute sind nicht geflogen, in Urlaub Fahren oder Ferienarbeiten. Arbeiter benutzen jetzt videoanrufe. Der Himmel ist jetzt sauber.

Transition Year Austrian Essay Competition Here are some of the essays written by Ms Dempsey’s TY German class for a competition held by the Austrian Embassy. All entries have been submitted.

Die Schülerinnen und unwesentlich Arbeiter haben öffentliche Verkehrsmittel nicht benutzt, weil sie zu Hause geblieben sind Deshalb gibt es weniger Bahnen und Busse. COVID hat auch Fabriken geschlossen denn sind sie nicht sicher. Dies verringert die Verschmutzung.

The theme of the essay was Covid and its impact on the environment: Ist COVID ein Segen für die Umwelt? (Is COVID a blessing for the environment?) The names of the winners will be announced in the second half of May 2021 – Viel Erfolg!

COVID hat sich auch negativ auf die Umwelt ausgewirkt. Viele Leute haben online-Einkaufen begonnen. Das bedeutet, dass viele Flugzeuge benutzt wurden. Der Gegenstand geliefert aus Europa und UK. Leute haben viele schnelle Mode gekauft. Der Missbrauch und Entsorgung von Masken, Desinfektionsmittle, Handschuhe und anderer Medizinabfall hat sich auch negative auf die Umwelt.

Ist COVID ein Segen für die Umwelt? Seit Ende 2019 hat COVID existiert. Wir haben seit Sommer 2020 eine fünfmonatige Aussetzung. Obwohl zwei Millionen Menschen an COVID gestorben sind, hat es der Umwelt sehr geholfen. Weil die Leute drinnen bleiben, bedeutet das, dass die Leute nicht zur Arbeit gehen. Wenige Arbeit bedeutet weniger Umweltverschmutzung und wenige Abfall. Fast keine Leute fahren Autos. Anstatt Busse oder Züge zu nehmen, fahren die Leute stattdessen mit dem Fahrrad. Die meisten Grenzen sind geschlossen, das bedeutet, dass die Reisemenge gesunken ist. Die Leute nehmen nicht so viele Flugzeuge und Boote. Die Schließung bedeutet, dass weniger Verbrennungsanlagen und Kernkraftwerke aktiv sind. Korallenriffe sterben nicht. Es gibt weniger gefährdete Tiere, weil wir sie nicht

By Ella Norton, 4AMCC

Ich denke dass COVID ein Segen für die Umwelt. Einige positive Aspekte von COVID sind weniger fahren und weniger fliegen. In 2020 gab es 40% weniger Flüge und 70% weniger Autos auf den Straßen während der Sperrung. In Orten wie Wuhan, Italien, Spanien und Frankreich die Verschmutzung hat sich bis zu 30 Prozent verringert. Die Luftqualität in Paris und London und die Wasserqualität in Venice hat sich verbessert. Weil große Industrien so lange geschlossen waren, hat 50

We accompanied him as he pointed out the sights of this beautiful city. We wandered together through the cobbled squares of the old town and admired the majestic buildings that are testament to the vision of

sie Treibhausgasen Emissionen gesunken. Da die Fabriken geschlossen wurden, hat sich die Luftqualität in New York um fast 50% verringert (seit letztem Jahr). Sie konnten zum ersten Mal seit einiger Zeit blauen Himmel in Mumbai sehen. Es gibt viele positive Aspekte von COVID, aber es gibt auch negative Aspekte. Gibt es viel Müll auf den Straßen, weil Leute Masken und Handschuhe wegwerfen. Wegen COVID konnte ich keinen Sport treiben und konnte ich meine Freunde nicht besuchen. Ich würde gerne Urlaub machen, kann es aber wegen COVID nicht. Ich bin gerne zu Hause, aber ich vermisse es, zur Schule zu gehen und Sport zu treiben. By Daragh Grogan, 4LMY

Julian Gester German Assistant Newpark 2020 - 2021 August the Strong. We saw the Zwinger, the Semperoper, the castle, and the Art college, all lovingly restored to their former glory after the devastation of the Second World War. We gazed at the Frauenkirche, whose bombed-out shell was once among the most iconic images of the destruction of Dresden, now restored and standing proudly in the city centre. We crossed the Elbe River on the tram, always mindful to validate our ticket by means of the ubiquitous “Stempel”.

Due to Covid, Julian had a very different language assistant experience during his time in Newpark between lockdowns and social distancing, we wondered how it would work. We need not have worried! Julian was not going to let a little thing like Covid deter him and our students were incredibly lucky to have access to weekly podcasts from Julian, walking tours of his home city of Dresden and constant engagement via Teams and YouTube. His podcasts were super for all students as they were subtitled—not only improving their language skills but also giving a valuable insight into German culture and life. Through the podcasts Julian showed the students that learning German was more than just the language; he opened up the culture and gave them an experience that reached way beyond the confines of the classroom. You can subscribe to Julian’s YouTube channel. Go to the link here to get a taste of what to expect: Newpark Podcast

For an hour, we were somewhere new and different, and it was wonderful. In total, Julian spent 14 hours live streaming the walks around Dresden. for Newpark’s 263 German students and three teachers. Julian was in school for all of the first term and used this time to not only assist with language learning but also to teach our TYs some dance moves (auf Deutsch

#4: Mein Alltag in Dresden - YouTube

One of the more difficult aspects of living and learning during a pandemic is the feeling of claustrophobia. There is a vast difference between choosing to stay at home and being obliged to stay at home. It is in this context that our students were given the most wonderful learning experience. Over the course of a fortnight, Julian, our German Language Assistant left his apartment each morning and brought our students on a walking tour of his native Dresden.

of course—and social distanced). The final product was a dance video which you will be able to look at before the end of term on the Newpark website. 51

German Languge

exchange but remember to give three weeks’ notice and not to miss the last week of any module or activity weeks.

Exchanges

Fifth Years should arrange for the bulk of the away leg take place in the school holidays, not missing more than three days of school. We have found that we see much better results if students do not go to Germany or France at the same time as friends. It is all about total immersion – this is how you make the most of the language learning experience. If you would like an application form, please email: margaret.dempsey@newparkschool.ie

As we start to open up, we are very hopeful that we will be able to continue our exchange programme for senior students with our partner school in Berlin. We really encourage students of German to do a language exchange. There is no more effective way to learn a language than to be immersed in that language environment for two or more weeks, staying in a family and experiencing the culture and way of life in a way that is impossible in a classroom. It is also the least expensive option – all you really pay for is your flight and some pocket money.

First Year Easter Egg Competition Here are some of the fantastic eggs decorated by first year German students including the worthy winners who were Kate Guilfoyle 1KD, Daniel Gifford 1KD and Linus Carlsson 1HG. Gut gemacht!

We have established a link with the Arndt Gymnasium in Berlin and thus far have had successful exchanges in TY that have been thoroughly enjoyed and beneficial for both the German and Irish participants. Berlin, the capital of Germany is a fantastic city full of historical importance. Arndt Gymnasium is an easy tram ride into one of the most iconic, historical and thriving cities in the world. The Gymnasium has a similar ethos to Newpark and their students would love the opportunity to pair with a Newpark student in either TY or Fifth Year for an agreed period of time.

Liberté Egalité Fraternité

Here’s how it works: The exchange programme is open to Transition Year or Fifth Year students of German in Newpark.

During the month of February, the 3rd year European Section class took part in a nationwide poster competition organised by the Alliance Française de Cork as part of their culture class. They worked very hard to create posters that would reflect the diversity of Francophone countries.

This is an exchange, so you must be willing to have a German student to stay with you, just as they have you to stay in Berlin. You fill out a form all about yourself, and we do our best to match you up with someone with similar interests. We then put you in touch with each other via email. Together you decide the dates and duration of the exchange, make all your own travel arrangements, and sort everything out between your two families.

392 Junior Certificate students from 19 different countries participated, and the European Section are very proud to say that Mea Gigon won joined third prize with her extremely creative depiction of Francophone countries united around the French motto of Liberté, égalité, fraternité. Un grand bravo Mea!

4th years can apply for TY leave for the away leg of the

By Ms Jeanne Bombon

First Year Religion Projects

At the end of First Year, for their summer assessment, pupils are asked to make a 3D model or image of any item related to Religion.

Others made physical projects and brought them into school for displaying. They included places of worship like Hindu temples, a pyramid, churches, a model of Newgrange and the Kaaba.

As usual, this year we received a very high standard of projects.

Others created symbols like a prayer block, the Yin and Yang symbols and crosses made from wood and clay. There was some scrolls, a needlework of the Empty Tomb, paintings of religious scenes, a model of the parting of the Red Sea and one student photographed his family re-enacting the Last Supper which was amazing.

Many students decided to bake and they produced crosses, a Star of David, the Kaaba, Yin and Yang, Amish Cookies and churches made from different materials like chocolate biscuit cake and sponge. They all looked delicious and were sent to the teacher by photographs on Teams.

They were so many outstanding and a great collection of wonderful imagination and creativity by the First Year pupils. By Ms Suzanne Harris

35 Things To Look Forward To

10. Grace Patterson, 3rd Year What I look forward to most is physical touch. Hugging my friends again being able to have a hand to hold. 11. Hannah Butt, 3rd Year Being able to sit with my friends in class, not at separate desks with a seating plan. I miss being able to hug my friends and not keep a distance. 12. Hannah Kennedy, 3rd Year Hopping on a plane to go away somewhere nice. Hot weather, no school, not a mask in sight. 13. Maeve Cooper, 3rd Year Hugs and affection from other living human beings who are not my family or my dog. I miss being a big sap with my friends and not always having to think of covid. I miss travelling and seeing people outside of my 20km. I really miss the feeling of waking up at 4 in the morning to drive to the airport in the twilight and seeing all the groggy people there. I can't wait to take the 8 hour flight to go see my family in Canada who I miss very very much, and I cannot wait to hear "how tall I've gotten". 14. Oliver Gordon, 3rd Year I’m looking forward to going on holidays outside of Ireland. The idea of getting out of the country and into an unknown world to explore and enjoy is amazing. Visiting places I’ve never been in the world will be my top priority! 15. Rachel O’Sullivan, 3rd Year I am looking forward to a big family dinner. My whole extended family used to get together once a month on a Sunday afternoon and we'd have dinner and hang out in my grandparent's house. It's the thing I miss the most. 16. Susi French Breaking someone’s ribs with a hug. Redacted. Spontaneity. 17. Eavan Delaney A substantial meal, light refreshments and a DJ. A full tank of diesel, my Spotify and the open road. Continuing not having to hug people. 18. Mark Twamley Meals out, watching football in redacted, hotels. Not having to check my back pocket for a mask every time I walk out the door. Not having to drive all the way home again FOR a mask, having walked my trolley to the door of the supermarket and then realised my error. Being able to hug people without drawing suspicious looks. Seeing people smile more. The realisation that many people rely on my facial expressions to get my silly jokes. Getting on a plane to see my wife’s mother for the first time in five years. Having a cinema night!

Continuing with our newfound tradition of ripping off articles from the Irish Times, we asked staff and students to describe what they are most looking forward to post pandemic. Here are the results: 1. Siona Cameron: I am looking forward to two things, one thing for my kids and one thing for myself. Libraries reopening - I particularly enjoy taking my kids to musical story time. A weekend trip to London to visit my sister. 2. Gormlaith Ormond: In my little world, I'm looking forward to long, lazy warm sunny days filled with walking, swimming, reading, sleeping and lots more eating. 3. Robert Nugent, 6th Year I am looking forward to staying inside and sleeping and avoiding all contact with people (including my family) 4. Paul Van Der Linde, 6th Year I am looking forward to me and the boys just hanging like ornaments. 5. Kian Fortune, 6th Year I am looking to being in a football stadium screaming my head off with the other fifty odd thousand people there, getting lost in the moment and forgetting about everything else that’s going on. 6. Lesley Ring I am looking forward to having something else to talk about. Covid was the Superbowl of small talk but it got old fast. I’m looking forward to talking about really boring stuff like the weather and asking people what they’re doing for the weekend! That and having a nice meal in a restaurant with lots of redacted. 7. Calisto McManus, 3rd Year I am looking forward to visiting my grandparents over in France. I haven’t seen them face to face since last February and the lockdown has been tough. I can’t wait to go swimming with them in Corsica next summer. 8. Charlie Balance Maguire, 3rd Year Going back to football. Going home after school and knowing you have training that night, going asleep early on the Friday night and waking up early on the Saturday morning ready to play a match, not caring who it’s against , just knowing you get to play football. 9. Eva Fleming, 3rd Year I’m looking forward to being able to go to the airport early in the morning so when you step off the bus or out of your car you can see the sun rising and feel the breeze in the air. 54

26. Mollie Byrne, 5th Year Going out and avoiding my family at all costs because I’ve seen enough of them to last me a while. I’m also looking forward to going shopping especially in Penney’s. I can’t wait for that feeling of sitting in a restaurant waiting for your food to come, while with my friends talking about anything other than the pandemic. 27. Phelim Kavanagh, 5th Year Going out with my friends. Hopefully the restrictions are lifted by summer so I can socialise again with people and friends out in public for the first time in a while. 28. Rachel Baum, 5th Year If you had asked me this question a year ago I would’ve said something like ‘going to concerts or parties’ but now, what I’m looking forward to most is going to get the bus without having to worry about forgetting my mask. 29. Billy McCullagh, 2nd Year Going to a packed out Aviva stadium to watch a game ANY GAME! Sitting down with a can of coke and a bag of chips discussing the tactics. 30. Henry Carmody, 2nd Year Seeing live music again. I don’t care who I’m watching live, I just want to be in a crowd watching a band play together in real life. I have bought tickets to about four concerts since July and I cannot wait to finally get to all of them, especially after all of the waiting and rescheduling. 31. Ian Johnson, 2nd Year Going on holidays at last! The last time I was on a plane was in 2018 and I don't know why but even the thought of being in an airport excites me. Going into my friend's houses and just eating all the food in their house, watching a movie and fighting over which one to watch. I miss not freezing to death whenever I'm actually meeting my friends. 32. Lisa Gilceava, 2nd Year I’m looking forward to going shopping and wasting my money on things I don’t need. 33. Marina Jimenez King, 2nd Year Not being stuck with my family and them being able to leave so that the house is empty. That hasn’t happened in a while! 34. Zoe Hand, Transition Year Going away on holidays again when COVID finishes. I can’t wait! 35. Freya Dolling, Transition Year I’m most looking forward to going to a concert and going out to eat in a restaurant.

19. Cathy Devis Despite finding all sorts of lovely new past times to enjoy with my family like discovering new places on walks, I really miss going for our family swims at the pool and having a Happy Pear treat afterwards. Going to the cinema and watching my children’s faces as they watch something new on the big screen. Seeing my friends and family without having to think about how safe and whether it’s within the county boundaries. Going to the theatre of course! At school seeing smiling faces instead of imagining them will be brilliant. The most selfish want I have, is getting my hair done...oh what a treat that would be! 20. Anna Johnston Holding Amy's baby. Hugging my parents without worrying. Real Christmas dinner for 25 with my crazy extended family ending with Bohemian Rhapsody at 2am. Seeing faces and hearing voices properly in the classroom. Talking nonsense all night long with friends. Celebrating missed celebrations, laughter and singing, staying over at my friend's new house in Tipperary. The smell of unfamiliar places. 21. Daniel Ludgate Leaving my house, and not having to do the neighbourhood circuit (lovely as it is) but having the freedom to venture out and explore further afield, even if we decide to just do the neighbourhood circuit. Having choices is great for the mental health it would appear... 22. Ava Ryan, 5th Year I want to feel that sense of anticipation mixed with relief when a waiter finally walks out of the kitchen holding exactly what I ordered and begins walking towards my table. 23. Hasan Al Sader, 5th Year I'm looking forward to going to the cinema, either by myself or with others. I miss having a laugh with friends watching bad or funny movies or being blown away by what's on the big screen. I also miss going to concerts. I really can't wait for some of my favourite bands to go on tour. 24. Lauren Gillham, 5th Year I’m most looking forward to being able to visit family and friends inside a warm house and not have to sit outside in cold, wet weather. One thing this pandemic has taught me about Ireland and the weather is that you can never have too many layers! 25. Lucy Roe, 5th Year Going to the pub with my grandad and having him get me a treat consisting of a bottle of Cidona and a bag of cheese and onion Taytos.

PTA May already! This time last May, we were all certain, that this year would bring us back together after going through our fair share of unprecedented circumstances. I truly hope this finds you and all your families well, and ready for the summer whatever it brings. At this time of year, we are thinking about those students who will be sitting state exams. We wish all those who are finishing their time in Newpark and moving on with their lives, the very best of luck, wherever your future paths may take you, while not forgetting those students sitting house exams.

The PTA continue to raise funds to support a number of ongoing projects which include: the Trinity Walton Science club, Newpark Drama Club, Nurse supplies, School Bus insurance, to name but a few. Without your continued support we would not be able to do this.

With Christmas and Easter behind us, I think a massive thank you should be extended towards our principal, teachers, and most of all the students for mastering Zoom school! (ok, so it was Teams!) Not only did they pull through this together, but they excelled with online school, which is more than we ask. A challenging time for all, but with a joint effort from the government, school, students, and parents/ guardians we somehow managed to get through, not easy, but we did it!

The annual uniform sale will take place on Wednesday June 2nd. Details to follow. We ask the students of 3rd year, and all those who have outgrown their uniforms to donate washed, clean, and bagged uniforms to the school. Drop off to the left of the office under the TV screen. This is an opportunity to obtain a second hand uniform in near perfect condition at a fraction of the cost.

Starting back in January, the PTA hosted a talk on the topic ‘Study Skills’, given by Enda O’Doherty by Zoom. The night was very well attended, with many reporting getting some much needed tips.

The PTA continue to meet by Zoom every month or so, to discuss matters that are important to the wellbeing primarily to the students. However this is only possible with the continued support of the whole school, as we continue to echo the government’s strategy of staying healthy, with good eating and exercise habits, and positive mental health. As we enter the final term, the PTA will continue to strive to beat the challenges put in our way! We are organising our final fundraiser, details to follow, and will end 2021 term with enthusiasm, appreciation, and of course, your input, your ideas, your team effort. We are a community coming together for the good of our students. Let’s lead by example.

March saw the PTA’s first ever ‘Bingo online’. While the pandemic has continued to keep us apart face to face, we have defeated it in coming up with alternative avenues of amusement. We had a fantastic turnout for the event, proving to be a lot of fun with prizes for best costume, on the line, and full house. There was way too much excitement on the night to choose one winner, so, we chose a few. The night was brough to a conclusion with Darragh Cullen and a few wee tunes which ended the night on a high ‘note’!!

The PTA extend their best wishes, and never-ending appreciation to all the staff and parents/guardians and wish you all the best for the coming months, as we exit level five lockdown, in unprecedented times and plough forward to create a solid future. Chairperson: Lizzy Pashley Treasurer: Jonathan Chawke Secretary: Phoebe Crowe Secretary: Trisha McKinney

Newsletter Team: Lesley Ring, Anna Johnston, Kevin Kirwan, Emily Rowe, Isobel McSweeney, Danielle Boles, Edith Kelly and Flora Lyons. Front Cover Image by Naomi Breen.