TY Student Visits the European Parliament
Shane Lynch, a transition year student, has received the opportunity to go to Strasbourg for four days next year. He will visit the European Parliament and will take part in Euroscola, a youth parliament, and participate in discussions on a number of topicsabout the European Union. This prize was sponsored by the European Parliament. Shane took part in a quiz on Graduate.ie. Graduate.ie holds free online competitions for secondary school students to take part in and learn about topical issues. A huge congratulations to Shane on this achievement!
Product Design
This year I started a new subject called ‘Product Design’, with Mr. O’Brien. This subject is a new one for me going into transition year. Product design clashes with enterprise at times which I feel is good as you can use the two strengths from each subject to make something useful out of the subject. So far in product design, we have learned to sketch properly, which is a must when it comes to product design as you must be able to accurately draw what you intend to eventually turn into a product, so the more accurate you are the better. We have also looked at things such as different artists abroad taking a different approach to their line of work, which I felt benefitted me hugely as it made me think about designs for various products differently. Overall I am glad that I am able to do product design this year, and I look forward to doing more of this kind of thing in the future.
Thanks to product design, I have been able to find a new interest and is something I would have an interest in when I leave school
By Daragh McHugh
The Ploughing Championship 2018
Originally, we were meant to go to the Ploughing Championships on Wednesday the 19th of September. However, due to the weather conditions it was called off and we had to turn back after driving for 3 hours. It was frustrating but we went the next day instead so it turned out alright. We departed the school at 8am on Thursday the 20th of September. It was a very wet windy day so we made sure to wear suitable clothes. It was quite a long journey and there was lots of traffic but the wait was definitely worth it. We arrived at about 11am and straight away were blown away by the spectacle. The sheer size of the area was unbelievable and there was an amazing variety of stalls and shops. There were stalls selling food, drinks, clothes and countless other things. There were many machines and vehicles also. The food was delicious. It was very interesting and I learned a lot. After about 5 hours we left at 3pm. We arrived home at 7pm. It was a great experience and something I would recommend to everyone. By Joe Sayers
Home Economics
Since the beginning of transition year we have been doing home economics on a Thursday afternoon for a double with Ms. Moore. So far we have made carbonara and a cake. We have also looked at staying healthy. It is something new and that’s what I like about TY - you get to try new things. I would highly recommend it! By Steven Morgan and Ben Thomson
你好 - nĭ hăo
We are doing Chinese as a language this year with Ms. Sheridan. we learn about the Chinese culture, the foods and the history of the country. We are learning about the different roles in Chinese society. To date, we know the numbers, the days of the week, the months of the year and family. It is a great experience! By Cormac Meegan
Achill
From the 10th - 12th of October we went on a trip to Achill Island just off the Mayo coast. We departed the school at 8:30 on Wednesday – with a 5 and half hour bus journey to Achill. When we arrived we were warmly greeted by the instructors and the Bean an Tí’. We handed up our mobile phones. We participated in activities such as, bog snorkelling, surfing/body boarding, river walking. Every evening we had a céilí and we learned some dances and had a dance off with the other school that was there. A favourite activity was the bog obstacle course, the bog was up to our necks and it was very fun to try complete the course. The teachers joined in with the fun and did the activities with us (Ms. Conlon, Ms.Bugler, Mr. Graham, Mr. Farrell). We left early on Friday due to the storm. It was a great trip and everybody enjoyed it! By Donat Sabjan, Cillian Tracey and Johns Roice
Claire Byrne Live
Last Monday on the 21 st of October, we got the chance to go to the Claire Byrne Live show in the RTE studio, with the 5th year politics class. It was very informative and a great opportunity. When we arrived we were seated and it was explained to us how the show would be run. Topics discussed that night were the effects of a marathon on the body, gender influences and deportation. We were all immediately interested as there was a lot of heated debates. One student in 5 th year had the opportunity to ask a question, which we later found out was disused on Twitter. It was an excellent trip and it was good to be in the RTE studio and see how shows are these shows are organised.Huge thanks to Ms. Hackett!
Exchange Students
Hi! We are Alejandro Repiso and David Carulla, and we are Spanish exchange students, one from Valladolid and another one from Mallorca, we are studying here this year. We are really enjoying our time here so far; we are so happy with the school and it is very different from our schools at home. We are in Transition year, so this year is about gaining new skills and trying out a range of different subjects. Our English is already improving! We are so happy with all the students and teachers, they help us with anything that we may need. At this moment we couldn’t be happier! Thank you so much!
1st Year Gaelic Football
We have training every Thursday with Mr. Callan, Mr. Corrigan and Mr. McQuillan. So far we have played one blitz in Darver. Two teams were picked and both teams won their games. We have done 5 weeks of training so far. We are enjoying it!By Alex Matthews, Paul Murphy, James McGlew (IF)
1st Year Basketball
We play with the 1st year basketball team and we play in the A division. We have started a tournament with six other teams. This will start in January. We are training very hard now. Our coach, Coach Ciarán, is very good. We are having loads of fun and enjoying basketball so far! By Sean Kearney and Eoin Diskin (IF)
U16 Hurling
St. Joseph’s U16 hurling team won their match against Lusk Community College. This match was part of the Dublin Top Oil Junior League. At half time, Lusk C.C were leading by 1 point but St. Joseph’s had a very strong wind against them. In the second half we were able to turn the game around. Lusk had a player sent off. The final score was 3-8 to 1-6, to St. Joseph’s. Thanks to Ms. Bugler and Mr. O’Brien. Thanks also to Mr. Ryan and Mr. Stephenson for accompanying us to the match.By Shane Reilly (2F)
U14 Gaelic Football
We played St. Mary’s in the Wolftone’s pitch a few weeks ago. When we got off the bust we went to the dressing rooms to get ready. Mr. McCole and Mr. Mathews announced the starting teams. After this we went and completed a very intense warm up. The first half was a great display of strength and composure from St. Joseph’s. Going into half time the score was 2-3 to 2-3. At half time our coaches had a chat with us. We think both teams had the chance to take the lead but in the end the final score was 4-6 to 4-6. Hopefully if we play St. Mary’s again we will beat them! By Tadhg Martin and Conor McGuirk
Junior Rugby
Last week the Junior rugby team played Ardee Community School in Ardee. It was a close game. St. Joseph’s couldn’t come out with a victory as a missed tackle led to a last minute try to Ardee. We gave it our best shot and we are ready for the next game! Thanks to Ms. O’Rourke! - Jack Carley (2R)
Golf
I play golf with St. Joseph’s every year. Ms. Moore and Mr. Farrell run golf in the school. We meet during the year to play against each other. I have a handicap of 6 and I’m a member of Baltray Golf Club. I won golfer of the year with my club two years in a row. - James Fanning (5.1)
Senior Basketball
On Monday 22 nd October the U19 team played Dunboyne in the U19 Northeast A league. We won this match. The U16 team also played Dunboyne but unfortunately they lost. We train Monday, Wednesday and Friday afterschool with Coach Ciarán. We are looking forward to the year ahead!
The India Project
For many years now groups of mainly Transition year Students with their teachers have visited Schillong in North East India and helped develop and support a school for underprivileged children from its humble beginnings. The school provides academic and life changing skills for children who otherwise would have ended up on the streets. The India Project is fundraising again and we would really appreciate your support at any of the following events.Bag Packing in Dunnes, Scotch Hall on August 10th & 11th. We will be bucket collecting at the Fleadh on August 15th. We are having a coffee Afternoon will be held in Termonfeckin Credit Union at 2pm on September 8th. We are having a table quiz in The Westcourt Hotel at 8pm on Friday September 7th. All are welcome! We will be having a clothes collection in the school (date to be confirmed). Any old clothes can be donated.
Littering in the River Boyne: An Issue We Can No Longer Ignore.
The River Boyne is one of the defining natural features in the town of Drogheda. It is a river that has played an integral role in the development and history of our town. Yet it is somehow beyond our capabilities to adequately maintain and keep clean this vital asset in our community. You need only to take a look over any of the bridges spanning the river and you will likely witness plastic bottles, non biodegradable packaging and even the occasional shopping trolley carelessly thrown into this river which not only is an asset to the people of the town, but is a vital ecosystem that is home to several species of animals and plants.The Green Schools Committee in Saint Joseph’s Secondary School here in Drogheda decided to carry out an investigation into the issue of littering in the River Boyne in various locations across the town but it was primarily focused o the area surrounding Mell Football Pitch and Saint Dominic’s Park. On various dates in February 2018, members of our Green Schools Committee travelled down to the river bank and photographed a truly disgusting amount of litter that was present,These photos reflect the complete lack of regard or consideration for others or for the natural life that inhabits the river that is held by some members of our community. But as well as just identifying the problem of littering in the River Boyne we have also tried our best to come up with a series of solutions to the problem.
Possible Solutions To This Problem One solution that the Green Schools Committee came up with was an increase in the financial penalties that are handed down to those who are caught perpetrating this crime. We believe that the current fine of €150 does next to nothing to deter people from carelessly discarding their potentially hazardous waste into the river. We believe that if we are going to properly stop people from ruining this great natural feature, the financial implications need to be severe and have a lasting impact. However, increasing the fines imposed on those who litter is pointless if those who litter are never caught and prosecuted. It is for this reason that we believe that another possible solution for the problem of littering in the River Boyne is an increase in the amount of Closed Circuit Television cameras and litter patrols present along the river bank. These are absolutely vital in tackling issues of littering in any area. People need to know that if they are going to litter than they will be caught, they will be identified and they will face the consequences. Another area that needs to be considered in tackling littering problems in Drogheda is an increase in the amount of adequate waste disposal areas in the town itself, particularly in housing estates surrounding the river. Much of the litter in the River is centred around these estates yet there is little to no means for people to properly dispose of their waste. If there are no bins around, then you might considering dumping that litter in any way you can, which in many cases means carelessly discarding that litter into the big River Boyne. Even in the town centre, there is a noticeable lack of waste bins in many areas and it is no coincidence that these areas are areas with large amounts of litter. Even where there are bins, these are often overflowing which leaves people with little choice but to throw that litter in another place.
A Final Word One thing that we have discovered while researching this problem is that it is not going to solve itself, people don’t just grow out of littering. We need to educate people on the dangerous effects of littering on their communities, we need to pressure our local and county councils and urge them to implement these solutions that we have highlighted and any other that may present themselves. As our town continues to grow and with events such as Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann coming to Drogheda this August and with the increasing tourism that we have experienced through the Ireland’s Ancient East initiative, the problem of littering in the River Boyne needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
By Michael Traynor, Seán Carolan and the rest of the Green Schools Committee at Saint Joseph’s Secondary School, Drogheda. We hope to spread this article through our School Newsletter, School Website www.droghedacbs.ie and through local newspapers.
Culture Week: A celebration of Diversity
A rich vein of nationalities permeates our student population with over thirty countries represented in 1st Year alone. These students who hail from countries such as Nigeria, Latvia, Germany and the Philippines are valued members of our school community and at the end of April (23rd to 27th) we will celebrate their contributions. The week will begin with an inter-faith ceremony for all 1st Years to be attended by representatives from our Board of Management, our Parents Association, our trustees E.R.S.T and our sponsors for the week Drogheda Credit Union. Throughout the week students will engage in various workshops provided by Boomerang Youth Café, Give Racism the Red Card and Create School. Fund raising events taking place will include a World Cup Final for 1st Years, a Basketball play-off, Food Culture Day and a non-uniform day. Student works of art, technology and poetry will be displayed whilst language students will deliver presentations. The week will also celebrate the official launch of the Immersion Project and students travelling to India later in the year will deliver a number of presentations on the nature and purpose of their trip.
Not to be left out our teachers will attend a presentation by Lizzy Noone from Worldwise Schools who will talk about development education. All in all it promises to be a noisy week as we come together to applaud all members of our student body.
St Joseph's donate to Drogheda Women's Refuge
Rugby Update