NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2015
A Thuiste, a chara, We thank you for your continued support for your son’s education here with us here in Salesian College. We would like to share our news of the last few weeks and to give advance notice of upcoming event.
1st Year Soccer Success
Well done to our first year soccer team who won their final against Ashbourne Community School on Thursday 5th March in the West Dublin Schools Soccer League. The team were ably led by Captain Cian Walsh. Congratulations to Adam O’Connor and Adam Kenny who scored the goals. Team members said it was a tough and tight match. Coach Mr. Cryan complimented the players for sticking to their game plan and working tightly and consistently together. Mr. Lane, coach, also complimented the players for their discipline and continued effort. Congratulations to all students and we wish them every success as they continue on to the Leinster semi-final of the competition.
Transition Year News
Transition year students completed a week of work experience in various placements just before the mid-term break. We would like to thank all of our employers for facilitating this valuable experience. We encourage our TY students to continue and complete their chosen activities for their GAISCE Bronze Medal. The hike which is part of the adventure activity will take place in Glendalough towards the end of May. A meeting for all parents and guardians of 3rd year regarding the TY programme for 2015-2016 was on held on Wednesday 4th March. Ms. Crean, TY Coordinator outlined the programme for the year. Sincere thanks to Ms. Noeleen Mc Elroy who spoke as a parent who is presently in TY. Also congratulations to Luc Voudrion, a current student in TY who gave an excellent presentation of his experience of TY to date. The deadline for applications is Monday 9th. Interviews will take place on Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th and Friday 13th of March. The TY1 vs TY2 rugby match took place on Tuesday 3rd March. It was a keenly fought match with victory going to TY 2. We thank Mr.Mc Govern, Mr. Cryan, Mr. O’Sullivan and Gareth Murray, from Barnhall Rugby Club, for organizing this match. Students really enjoyed it. Adam Sheeran deserves a mention for taking responsibility for the photography, all 211 photos!! The TY Parent Teacher meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th March 3.35-6.05pm.
DATS- Differential Aptitude Test Series
In the next two weeks all 5th Year parents / guardians will receive a letter informing them of the DATs, Differential Aptitude Test Series which we will hold for our 5th year students. These tests are administered in most second level schools and are an invaluable tool in helping students choose a Third Level course or a career pathway. The tests assess a student’s aptitude in eight different areas; Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Perceptual Speed and Accuracy, Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, Spelling and Language Usage. More and more employers are using aptitude testing and we strongly believe that it is a very good exercise for all our students as they consider their future career and study options. Students will complete their DATs on Thursday April 16th. Students must have their signed form with the €8 fee with Ms. Harris by Monday March 23rd. Students who miss this deadline will not sit these tests. We would like to encourage all students to complete these tests.
Late start planning meeting – Tuesday 10th & Thursday 19th March & Tuesday 24th March
There will be a late start for all students on these days to facilitate school planning. Classes will begin at 9.35am. Students are requested to be on the school premises by 9.20am. Students who are here before this time must go to the hall for supervised study. Students are not to be in their resource areas.
1st Year Day of Self-Reflection.
All 1st Years will participate in a Salesian Day of self-reflection on Friday 11th March. The students will participate in various workshops and presentations including “Realising your dreams” and “Difference and self-confidence. Students are asked to bring in €5 for this day. This is a normal school day and students must wear full school uniform.
Ceangail & Cinnirí applications
At a 5th Year assembly on Tuesday 3rd March all 5th years were given information on the Ceangail and Cinnirí Leadership programmes in the school for 2015-2016. Ms. Dolan, Ms. Moore, students Conor Halpin, and Christian Koek gave an account of their experiences working in these teams. Being a member of Ceangail and Cinnirí is a very prestigious and important role in the school. We encourage 5th years who would like to show and develop their leadership skills to apply. Interviews will take place on 18th, 19th and 20th March. We look forward to meeting our new team and wish all applicants the very best of luck.
Study Skills Workshop 2nd Years
I commend and thank all second year students who participated in the study skills workshop which was organized and presented by Ms. Harris on Tuesday 2nd March. Students responded very positively to this presentation. We hope the guidelines, advice and direction given will assist our second years to engage in good study habits.
2 Spanish Teachers
We welcome Señor David Carmona and Señor Manuel Lopez to Salesian College. Señor Carmona and Señor Lopez are presently studying in Colegio Salesiano Carabanchel in Madrid and are spending this term with us as part of an Erasmus programme. They will work in the PE department. We look forward assisting them in their training and work experience. Already they are very enthusiastic about getting involved in our extra-curricular activities.
Easter Study
We will offer supervised study sessions over the Easter holidays. Application forms will be available next week. We strongly encourage all our Junior and Leaving Certificate students to sign up for these sessions. As all parents are aware we have reached an important stage in the academic year for our students and really all Junior and Leaving Certificate students should be following a serious study programme at this stage if they are to achieve the results they deserve and we expect from them. Supervised study in the school offers students the organized and focused experience in the school. They can plan their study time and legitimately when at home feel relaxed and take a break in the full knowledge that they have completed a certain amount of study in the school. The formal atmosphere and setting in the school is also one which assists students in studying as they are away from possible distractions. Any student who is interested may collect an application form from Mr. Malone’s office next week.
School Uniform
We remind all parents and guardians that in accordance with the school rules students are obliged to wear the full and correct school uniform at all times and for the full school year. Students who do not produce a note explaining uniform issues will be assigned an afterschool detention.
6th Years – full attendance
As we get nearer and nearer to the exams, I ask all parents to support the teaching and learning of all our 6th years. It is imperative that students continue to attend school as normal and to participate in all school activities. As we draw nearer to the end of the term, teachers will be continuously and intensely reviewing, revising and preparing students as best they can for the exams. We ask parents and guardians not to give notes to students to excuse them from PE or any other subject that a student may deem “not part of the Leaving Certificate”. Should we notice a pattern emerging of a student “picking and choosing” which classes he will attend, in the interest of fairness and continuity for the teachers, this student will be asked to remain at home to study until the exams start.
Subject options information meeting M Harris
Parents and Guardians of all present 3rd and TY students who are going on to 5th Year in 2015-2016 are invited to attend an information meeting on Thursday 26th March on Leaving Certificate subject options. This meeting will start at 7.00pm.
Facebook page
We welcome our new followers to our Facebook page. This is updated on a weekly basis. We share information and photographs of student news and events. To keep up to date with school events log on to our Facebook page: Salesian College Celbridge.
Business and enterprise awareness week 2015
This week we highlighted the importance of business throughout the week, to both junior and senior classes. The teachers in the Business Department have prepared for this event for the last number of weeks, through researching guest speakers and organising competitions. The week is an initiative to illustrate the various ways in which our students are actively learning and engaging in business. Through the week, the teachers found new ways to try to improve our students understanding of various business concepts. There was somewhat of a movement away from books, and a movement towards a more hands- on approach to gaining an insight into the world of business. Our first years received talks on enterprise- where a successful entrepreneur visited the class and spoke to the students about risks and rewards, challenges and opportunities of being your own boss. Our speaker was very impressed with the level of questions and interest among our boys. The second and third years took part in the “accountathon”, a competition to see who can balance a final account in the fastest time, while attention to detail is not compromised! 14 minutes is the new record!
Our junior classes welcomed a guest speaker from ICTU, where they learned about the functions of trade unions and what to do if one is unfairly dismissed. Our TY students were very interested in Brendan Fay’s presentation, a past pupil and executive Manager with the IDA. He spoke to the students about the importance of exports and why Ireland is attractive for foreign direct investment.
Mark Kenneally, past pupil, former Olympian and local entrepreneur spoke to the 3rd years about setting up your own business, and gave the students lots of advice about believing in your product and having determination to see it through to the end.
Our 3rd year students are actively understanding the importance of advertising and market research as they opened their enterprise-“Grab ‘n’ go”, the school shop. This was opened each day at lunchtime and the students worked very well. Concepts such as teamwork and leadership were actively illustrated by our boys! There is no doubt about their ability to calculate gross profit margins after a very successful 5 days! Thanks to all the customers!
The annual "BIZ QUIZ" took place on Thursday. For some of our students meeting up with fellow Business, Accounting and Economics students from St.Wolstans may have been the highlight. Students from both schools took part in 8 rounds of business related questions. Prizes from Eason’s and Studyclix were well received, along with pens, notebooks and confectionary, everyone enjoyed the afternoon!
It was a very successful week, and Ms. O’Connor, Ms. O’Meara, Ms. Moore, Mr. Leonard, and Mr. Carolan would like to thank all the students for the excellent behavior, questioning and participation throughout the week.
Upcoming events:
St. Patricks Day National Holiday 17th March
TY Parent Teacher Meeting 18th March
Ceangail & Cinnirí Interviews 18th-20th March
2nd Year rugby blitz 24th March
5th Year Subject Choice Information Meeting 26th M
A Thuiste, a chara, We thank you for your continued support for your son’s education here with us here in Salesian College. We would like to share our news of the last few weeks and to give advance notice of upcoming event.
1st Year Soccer Success
Well done to our first year soccer team who won their final against Ashbourne Community School on Thursday 5th March in the West Dublin Schools Soccer League. The team were ably led by Captain Cian Walsh. Congratulations to Adam O’Connor and Adam Kenny who scored the goals. Team members said it was a tough and tight match. Coach Mr. Cryan complimented the players for sticking to their game plan and working tightly and consistently together. Mr. Lane, coach, also complimented the players for their discipline and continued effort. Congratulations to all students and we wish them every success as they continue on to the Leinster semi-final of the competition.
Transition Year News
Transition year students completed a week of work experience in various placements just before the mid-term break. We would like to thank all of our employers for facilitating this valuable experience. We encourage our TY students to continue and complete their chosen activities for their GAISCE Bronze Medal. The hike which is part of the adventure activity will take place in Glendalough towards the end of May. A meeting for all parents and guardians of 3rd year regarding the TY programme for 2015-2016 was on held on Wednesday 4th March. Ms. Crean, TY Coordinator outlined the programme for the year. Sincere thanks to Ms. Noeleen Mc Elroy who spoke as a parent who is presently in TY. Also congratulations to Luc Voudrion, a current student in TY who gave an excellent presentation of his experience of TY to date. The deadline for applications is Monday 9th. Interviews will take place on Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th and Friday 13th of March. The TY1 vs TY2 rugby match took place on Tuesday 3rd March. It was a keenly fought match with victory going to TY 2. We thank Mr.Mc Govern, Mr. Cryan, Mr. O’Sullivan and Gareth Murray, from Barnhall Rugby Club, for organizing this match. Students really enjoyed it. Adam Sheeran deserves a mention for taking responsibility for the photography, all 211 photos!! The TY Parent Teacher meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th March 3.35-6.05pm.
DATS- Differential Aptitude Test Series
In the next two weeks all 5th Year parents / guardians will receive a letter informing them of the DATs, Differential Aptitude Test Series which we will hold for our 5th year students. These tests are administered in most second level schools and are an invaluable tool in helping students choose a Third Level course or a career pathway. The tests assess a student’s aptitude in eight different areas; Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Perceptual Speed and Accuracy, Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, Spelling and Language Usage. More and more employers are using aptitude testing and we strongly believe that it is a very good exercise for all our students as they consider their future career and study options. Students will complete their DATs on Thursday April 16th. Students must have their signed form with the €8 fee with Ms. Harris by Monday March 23rd. Students who miss this deadline will not sit these tests. We would like to encourage all students to complete these tests.
Late start planning meeting – Tuesday 10th & Thursday 19th March & Tuesday 24th March
There will be a late start for all students on these days to facilitate school planning. Classes will begin at 9.35am. Students are requested to be on the school premises by 9.20am. Students who are here before this time must go to the hall for supervised study. Students are not to be in their resource areas.
1st Year Day of Self-Reflection.
All 1st Years will participate in a Salesian Day of self-reflection on Friday 11th March. The students will participate in various workshops and presentations including “Realising your dreams” and “Difference and self-confidence. Students are asked to bring in €5 for this day. This is a normal school day and students must wear full school uniform.
Ceangail & Cinnirí applications
At a 5th Year assembly on Tuesday 3rd March all 5th years were given information on the Ceangail and Cinnirí Leadership programmes in the school for 2015-2016. Ms. Dolan, Ms. Moore, students Conor Halpin, and Christian Koek gave an account of their experiences working in these teams. Being a member of Ceangail and Cinnirí is a very prestigious and important role in the school. We encourage 5th years who would like to show and develop their leadership skills to apply. Interviews will take place on 18th, 19th and 20th March. We look forward to meeting our new team and wish all applicants the very best of luck.
Study Skills Workshop 2nd Years
I commend and thank all second year students who participated in the study skills workshop which was organized and presented by Ms. Harris on Tuesday 2nd March. Students responded very positively to this presentation. We hope the guidelines, advice and direction given will assist our second years to engage in good study habits.
2 Spanish Teachers
We welcome Señor David Carmona and Señor Manuel Lopez to Salesian College. Señor Carmona and Señor Lopez are presently studying in Colegio Salesiano Carabanchel in Madrid and are spending this term with us as part of an Erasmus programme. They will work in the PE department. We look forward assisting them in their training and work experience. Already they are very enthusiastic about getting involved in our extra-curricular activities.
Easter Study
We will offer supervised study sessions over the Easter holidays. Application forms will be available next week. We strongly encourage all our Junior and Leaving Certificate students to sign up for these sessions. As all parents are aware we have reached an important stage in the academic year for our students and really all Junior and Leaving Certificate students should be following a serious study programme at this stage if they are to achieve the results they deserve and we expect from them. Supervised study in the school offers students the organized and focused experience in the school. They can plan their study time and legitimately when at home feel relaxed and take a break in the full knowledge that they have completed a certain amount of study in the school. The formal atmosphere and setting in the school is also one which assists students in studying as they are away from possible distractions. Any student who is interested may collect an application form from Mr. Malone’s office next week.
School Uniform
We remind all parents and guardians that in accordance with the school rules students are obliged to wear the full and correct school uniform at all times and for the full school year. Students who do not produce a note explaining uniform issues will be assigned an afterschool detention.
6th Years – full attendance
As we get nearer and nearer to the exams, I ask all parents to support the teaching and learning of all our 6th years. It is imperative that students continue to attend school as normal and to participate in all school activities. As we draw nearer to the end of the term, teachers will be continuously and intensely reviewing, revising and preparing students as best they can for the exams. We ask parents and guardians not to give notes to students to excuse them from PE or any other subject that a student may deem “not part of the Leaving Certificate”. Should we notice a pattern emerging of a student “picking and choosing” which classes he will attend, in the interest of fairness and continuity for the teachers, this student will be asked to remain at home to study until the exams start.
Subject options information meeting M Harris
Parents and Guardians of all present 3rd and TY students who are going on to 5th Year in 2015-2016 are invited to attend an information meeting on Thursday 26th March on Leaving Certificate subject options. This meeting will start at 7.00pm.
Facebook page
We welcome our new followers to our Facebook page. This is updated on a weekly basis. We share information and photographs of student news and events. To keep up to date with school events log on to our Facebook page: Salesian College Celbridge.
Business and enterprise awareness week 2015
This week we highlighted the importance of business throughout the week, to both junior and senior classes. The teachers in the Business Department have prepared for this event for the last number of weeks, through researching guest speakers and organising competitions. The week is an initiative to illustrate the various ways in which our students are actively learning and engaging in business. Through the week, the teachers found new ways to try to improve our students understanding of various business concepts. There was somewhat of a movement away from books, and a movement towards a more hands- on approach to gaining an insight into the world of business. Our first years received talks on enterprise- where a successful entrepreneur visited the class and spoke to the students about risks and rewards, challenges and opportunities of being your own boss. Our speaker was very impressed with the level of questions and interest among our boys. The second and third years took part in the “accountathon”, a competition to see who can balance a final account in the fastest time, while attention to detail is not compromised! 14 minutes is the new record!
Our junior classes welcomed a guest speaker from ICTU, where they learned about the functions of trade unions and what to do if one is unfairly dismissed. Our TY students were very interested in Brendan Fay’s presentation, a past pupil and executive Manager with the IDA. He spoke to the students about the importance of exports and why Ireland is attractive for foreign direct investment.
Mark Kenneally, past pupil, former Olympian and local entrepreneur spoke to the 3rd years about setting up your own business, and gave the students lots of advice about believing in your product and having determination to see it through to the end.
Our 3rd year students are actively understanding the importance of advertising and market research as they opened their enterprise-“Grab ‘n’ go”, the school shop. This was opened each day at lunchtime and the students worked very well. Concepts such as teamwork and leadership were actively illustrated by our boys! There is no doubt about their ability to calculate gross profit margins after a very successful 5 days! Thanks to all the customers!
The annual "BIZ QUIZ" took place on Thursday. For some of our students meeting up with fellow Business, Accounting and Economics students from St.Wolstans may have been the highlight. Students from both schools took part in 8 rounds of business related questions. Prizes from Eason’s and Studyclix were well received, along with pens, notebooks and confectionary, everyone enjoyed the afternoon!
It was a very successful week, and Ms. O’Connor, Ms. O’Meara, Ms. Moore, Mr. Leonard, and Mr. Carolan would like to thank all the students for the excellent behavior, questioning and participation throughout the week.
Upcoming events:
St. Patricks Day National Holiday 17th March
TY Parent Teacher Meeting 18th March
Ceangail & Cinnirí Interviews 18th-20th March
2nd Year rugby blitz 24th March
5th Year Subject Choice Information Meeting 26th M