Golf Classic Sancta Maria College Parents Association are running a Golf

Classic on Friday the 13th of May in Newbridge Golf Club.

There are a number of ways you can support this wonderful

event in one of Kildare's most beautiful and challenging golf

courses. The event will run from 9am to 3pm so there is plenty

of opportunity to pick a tee time that suits you. The competition

is a four ball scramble type event with a number of team and

individual prizes to be won.

Ways to support the event,

1) Enter a team of 4 players to play in the event (€200.00 per team) includes golf and a meal

afterwards

2) Sponsor a hole.

If you are not a golfer and would like to support the event you can sponsor a hole.

If you are involved in business and your Company would like some advertisement they also

can sponsor a hole. If you sponsor a hole your company will also get a free page to advertise in

our event programme.

Cost to sponsor a hole is €50.00

3) Buy a page or two in our event programme. If you are involved in business this is an ideal

opportunity to advertise your business to a wide audience for a small fee.

One page advert is €50.00 and two page (facing pages) is €75.00

To book a team in to the competition or if you are interested in sponsoring a hole or buying a

page in the event programme you can contact the College directly for more information.

Sancta Maria College Swimming Team

Poland Trip

On Sunday March 20th a group of Senior Cycle

students and seven members of staff will be em-

barking on a Four day visit to the Polish city of

Krakow. The group will visit the concentration

camp at Auschwitz and also the world famous Salt

Mines. We will also have a guided tour of the city

and visit the Schindler museum. All those travel-

ing are really looking forward to the trip.

Sancta Maria College Build a Bank Award Ceremony

The Sancta Maria College Choir which

participated in the Emmanuel performance

in the National Concert Hall on March 7th.

S A N C T A M A R I A C O L L E G E , B A L L Y R O A N , D U B L I N 1 6 .

H t t p : / / w w w . s a n c t a m a r i a c o l l e g e . c o m

E m a i l i n f o @ s a n c t a m a r i a c o l l e g e . c o m

Sancta Maria College News

Volume 14, Issue 3 Spring 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians

We are now in Week 27 of the 2015/2016 academic year. Christmas and February midterm breaks have come and

gone, 3rd and 6th year students have taken their trial examinations and are currently reviewing their performance, setting

new goals and focusing on the steps that need to be taken as they plan for their state examinations in June.

Transition year students had an extremely enjoyable and successful run with the musical „Soul Sisters‟ and are now

busily planning for the transition to Senior Cycle in 2016/2017 with subject and programme options on their minds and

career and subject counselling sessions taking place for all students.

All parent/teacher meetings and most year group retreats have now taken place and planning for 2016/2017 is well ad-

vanced, with incoming first year meetings, senior cycle night and subject fair added to the list of those key events that

have, by now, taken place.

This newsletter will help demonstrate some of the ongoing initiatives and the many extracurricular activities that keep

everyone busy at the College and give rise to moments of extreme joy and also some moments of disappointment!

On Monday March 14th our Senior Camogie Team played against Scoil Chaitríona in the final of the Senior Shield.

Sadly, on this occasion we lost, but the spirit and determination of all Sancta Maria College players was to be admired

and we congratulate the girls for reaching the final of this prestigious competition. To both Ms. Rowan and I you are

all winners! Well done girls! We congratulate and thank all involved both students and teachers.

Progress on the redevelopment of the college has been very considerable since our last newsletter. We encourage eve-

ryone to keep an eye on the College website where photographs are posted on a weekly basis.

Proclamation Day at Sancta Maria College was marked on Tuesday, March 15th in a beautiful commemorative ceremo-

ny where we paid tribute to all who fought and died in 1916 that we might inhabit a better Ireland. As President Mi-

chael D. Higgins stated in his address to students and teachers in Croke Park on Monday, Marth 7th “the Easter Rising

of 1916 can, in many ways, be described as a stunningly ambitious act of imagination.”

Sancta Maria College will continue its commemoration of the event in a further ceremony which will take place on the

evening of April 21st at the College. We hope to see many of you there. Our next issue will have further details and

some photographs from both events.

May I issue another reminder at this stage please to anyone who has forgotten to respond to our Annual Voluntary Con-

tribution appeal for 2015/2016. As we continue to deliver the highest quality teaching and learning along with the

highest standards in resources, facilities and equipment your support is vital in ensuring out continued ability to deliver

on this promise.

On behalf of everyone at Sancta Maria College I would like to wish all members of the Sancta Maria College commu-

nity a very happy St. Patrick‟s Day and also a very happy Easter.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig agus Cáisc Shona daoibh,

Gearóidín Ní Chinnéide

Príomhoide

Soul Sisters This year the Transition Year Musical was “Soul Sisters”. Rehearsals began in Sep-

tember and continued until January. In December we devoted an entire week to our

Musical. During the week we performed dances, put energy into our songs, found

our props and painted the stage and set. We also sold tickets every day at lunchtime

in Sancta Bia Café.

Everyone was working flat out. The work beginning the twenty fifth of Janu-

ary saw us performing seven shows, what with performances for our local Primary

Schools and our three evening shows. “Soul Sisters” was a huge success. “Happy

Days” were enjoyed by all! Everyone in the school became part of the Show. It

wouldn‟t have been possible of course without the help and support of our teachers.

Some of our teachers worked directly on the show with us, others participated in the show, others were audi-

ence members. We would like to say a big thank you to all the teachers. The Musical has definitely been the

highlight of Fourth Year so far.

Sadhbh Byrne-Hanna, Saoirse Carey and Aoife Cusack.

Sixth Year Music students with Ms. Mc Carthy,

who recently attended their set work “ Symphonie

Fantastique Berlioz” in the National Concert Hall.

Ski Trip

We started off our trip in Dublin airport, bright and early on Saturday morning . After a three hour plane jour-

ney and another hour on a bus, we got to Verona. We went to see Juliet's balcony from Romeo and Juliet,

signed our names on the walls, saw one of the coliseums and had some of the best pizza ever. We then got back

on the bus for another two hour journey to the hotel.

The next day we started our lessons, we got our ski boots and skis, and went off into our groups. We

quickly learnt how tiring skiing was, as we were all exhausted by lunch, but we walked back up for our after-

noon lesson. On Monday, after skiing, we got to go to the swimming pool. We were all glad to finally be in the

warm water and had great fun going down the slide.

On Wednesday, we really got to see our progress because we went down a red slope (the second hardest

type of slope!). We were slow and fell down a bit, but we got back up and made it to the end, that evening we

went ice go-karting. It was so much fun going around the track, spinning around uncontrollably. After skiing

the next day, we went ice skating, most people got the hang of it pretty quickly, but Mr. Flynn still needs a bit

of practice.

On Friday some the girls went down the red slope again and flew down it, falling into some very deep snow on

the way, but they were all delighted when they got back to the hotel.

Before we knew it, we were on our way home. Even though we were all tired and missed our families, we

could have stayed for another week and we all want to go skiing again.

1916 Flag Presentation in Croke Park On March 7th 2016 the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins extended an invitation to all Se-

cond Level Schools to attend a gathering in Croke Park. A presentation was made to each school

of a national flag in commemoration of the 1916 Rising. Mr. Noonan and Ms. Fogarty along with

three Fifth Year students represented Sancta Maria College.

First Year History students busy at work on their 1916 projects based on The Women of 1916. Their re-

search on women such as Countess Markiewicz, Margaret Keogh, Helena Moloney Dr. Kathleen Lynch

Elizabeth O Farrell. Margaret Skinnider and many more will be on view at the Sancta Maria College cele-

bration of the 1916 Rising in April.

Second Year History students are researching the Locations of the Rising and The Children of 1916.

Parents’ Association

Coppers!!! The Parents‟ Association are collecting copper coins

as a fundraising initiave for The Redevelopment Fund. Please

bring any coppers that you or your family might have to the Col-

lege before the Easter break.

Maths Lunch Maths Lunch is on every Tuesday at lunch time in Ms Gough‟s classroom, B23. Maths

teachers will be on hand to answer any questions students may have pertaining to current

class work or revision of previous topics.

All students are very welcome to come along and bring their lunch.

Seachtain na Gaeilge Beidh Seachtain na Gaeilge á cheiliúradh againn ón 2-16 Márta i mbliana. I measc na n-imeachtaí

beidh toraíocht taisce, comórtas na bpostaer, tráth na gceist boird agus céilí leis na buachaillí ó

Choláiste Éanna. Chomh maith le sin beidh turas go Feirm Causey ag an Idirbhliain. Beidh „focal an

lae‟ ar an idirchom gach maidin chun labhairt na Gaeilge a spreagadh sa scoil.

Seachtain na Gaelige will be celebrated this year from 2-16 March. A treasure hunt, a poster competi-

tion, a table quiz and a céilí with the boys from Colaiste Éanna are just some of the activities that will

take place. Also the Transition Year students will visit Causey Farm. „Focal an lae‟ will be announced

over the intercom every morning to encourage spoken Irish in school.

Céilí Mór i Halla na Scoile Tráth na gCeist Bhoird

Comórtas na bPóstaer

Sports News Leinster Swimming Championships.

Our relay team won bronze medals in both the Intermediate Freestyle and Medley Relays at the Leinster

Schools Championships held on January tenth in Tallaght. They were very narrowly beaten, by less than

two seconds, by Loreto College Kilkenny and King‟s Hospital. In the individual events Niamh Coyne

won gold and bronze and Robin Lynch won two silver medals. Well done to all who competed – Han-

nah Mc Eneaney, Robyn Lynch, Niamh Coyne and Jenny Zhai. The Inter Provincial competitions will

take place in May.

Ladies Football / Basketball.

Congratulations to Ciara-Anne Carroll who has been selected on the Dublin Minor team and to Sinéad

Doyle who was selected for the Dublin Under 18 basketball team. Grace Dent has been selected on both

camogie and football for Dublin Under 14 teams.

Netball.

Congratulations to Cameron Renwick and Jennifer Baker on their selection for the Irish Under 17 Net-

ball squad. They will travel to the European Championships in March.

Badminton

Congratulations to the College Under 16B badminton team, who have qualified for the Dublin Finals.

The team members are Candela Martin, Julia Camana, Kellie Hoag and Aylin Karimaghaei.

Athletics

The College cross country team travelled to compete in the Castleknock College race. We are proud to

say that Sancta Maria College finished in fourth place overall. Two First Year students, Erica Doyle and

Ellie Stapleton came third and seventh in their respective races.

Camogie.

The College camogie team has embarked on a fantastic

run of form in recent months. All the dedication to

training at lunchtime is paying great dividends. The

senior team played Coláiste de hÍde in the Dublin Quar-

ter Finals and won with ease. The opposition in the

semi-final was provided by Pobalscoil Setanta and once

again Sancta Maria College emerged victorious. The

team are training hard for the final. We wish them

every good fortune!

Build a Bank Award Congratulations to the Sancta Maria College 'build- a-bank' team which won the Community Out-

reach Award at the Regional Finals last Tuesday, February 23 which took place in the Leopardstown

Pavillion. The team was selected for the award from 23 schools who took part. This award is for

teams who donate time and resources to benefit their school and community.

The bank has been operating every Wednesday at lunch time and is run by Ella Crowley, Molly Cart-

wright, Seadna Doherty, Niamh Goan, Ciara Liu and Eleanor Sweeney. Lots of students have signed

up for new accounts and have been saving hard. The theme for the bank this year is „Banking with

the Stars‟ and even Kylie Jenner made a guest appearance!

Thanks to Meadhbh Morrisey, student officer in Rathfarnham branch for all her help and assistance

with the bank.

This year we are using iPads in Sancta Maria College! I personally have mixed thoughts about using them,

as they are a great way to learn, but there are lots of responsibilities to go with them. I find them easy to

read my books off and study with. There are so many apps are available to download which help me learn

more. But overall the iPads are a much easier way to learn things and it also makes your school bag much

lighter! Maya Allman 1A3

My time in Sancta Maria College since September with the new iPads we use as books, has been a good

experience so far. We still do a lot of writing in class, which I like because I find it easier to study that

way, but different people have different opinions! I like using iPads for some things but for other things I

prefer books.

We are not allowed to have any sorts of social media or games, but it is always going to be tempting to

download fun games or things like Instagram or Snapchat. Overall I would recommend getting iPads to

everyone because we will always still continue to do a lot of writing in class.

By Ellen Gallagher

Examples of Maths

Constructions

completed in class

using i-pads.

Experience of using iPads

For most people using iPads in school is a completely new experience.

All of our books and some workbooks are all on our iPads. Using

iPads in school is very different from using paper books in school. We

can send each other notes and pictures from class. We can also help

each other with homework and communicate with our teachers for help

as well. There are so many different apps available for us in the App

Store to really help us with different difficulties we might have. Using

dictionaries is much easier and faster on the iPads than it is using the

paper version. We can send out teachers notes or essays we have writ-

ten and they can read it and give us a mark on it. This has made the

teachers work a tiny bit easier. There are advantages and disadvantages

of using iPads instead of books. The advantages are: apps to help us to

study, easier to make projects and essays, educational games and we

can use the Internet for research. The disadvantages are: having to

charge the iPad every day and distractions like non-educational games.

What I like the most about iPads is that they are light so our backs

don‟t hurt every time I go home.