January Edition 2015St. Nessan’s Newsletter

Staff Zone

The Year AheadMid-Term 1

Monday 27th October to Friday 31st October 2014

inclusiveChristmas Holidays:

All schools close on Friday 19th December 2014All schools reopen on

Monday 5th January 2015Second Term

Monday 5th January to Friday 27th March 2015

Mid-Term 2 Monday 16th February to

Friday 20th February 2015 inclusive

Easter HolidaysAll schools will close on Friday 27th March 2015

All schools will reopen on Monday 12th April 2015

Third TermMonday 12th April 2015 to

Friday 29th May 2015State Examinations

Commence on Wednesday 4th June 2014

Parent Teacher Meetings 2014/2015

3rd Year & 6th Year Wednesday 19th

November 2.30 to 5.45

2nd Year, 5th Year & TY Wednesday 21st January

2.30 to 5.45

1st Year Wednesday 11th February

2.30 to 5.45

BT Young Scientist Senior Technology Category Winners

Pictured: Kevin Hanley, Jonathon Roche, Mr. Treacy (Asst. Principal), Mr. Doyle (Teacher), Mr. O’Brien (Principal), Jason Hannon & Jamie O’Connell.

All parents are welcome to come to our bookclub in St Nessan’s cosy library every Tuesday from 11.15 to 12.15. We talk about books we are reading and have coffee afterwards. All books for the bookclub are provided by the library free of charge. Please feel free to drop in and join us!Some of the books we have enjoyed reading this year:“The Boy in Striped Pyjamas” by John Boyne “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn “The Mammy” by Brendan Car-roll “The best of me” by Nicholas Sparks “Wonder” by RJ Palacio

JCSP Library Parents Bookclub

Many thanks to all the students and staff who

contributed to the annual Fr Gerry Daly Christmas Food Appeal. The food donations were all collected yesterday

as well as a cheque for €445.

The annual campaign, which was started over 25 years

ago by Father Gerry Daly of the Redemptorists Fathers

gives out almost 8,000 ham-pers each year to families

after weeks of fund raising.

Fr. Gerry Daly Christmas Food Appeal

SMILE School Completion Programme would like to welcome their 3rd year Social Care Placement

students - Nicole Moloney, Claire Quinn, Ashleigh

Hickey .

We’d also like to welcome back former students Emma

Roche. Emma is in her 3rd year of study at Mary Immaculate College,

Limerick.

Eight St. Nessan’s students set to share in €88,000 LITEight students from the north side of Limerick are set to share in an €88,000 fund for the duration of their third level education thanks to the expansion of a bursary programme unveiled by LIT today. The students, who all graduated from nearby St. Nessan’s Community College secondary school this year, have begun their third level education supported by individual scholar-ships worth €11,000 each to help them through their four years at the institute. The LIT Foundation has secured funding pledges totalling €143,000 for the five students who started last year and eight who commenced this year.The scholarships, which are funded by private sector entities, are an initiative of the LIT Foundation and were inaugurated last year when Dublin based IPB Insurance funded the very first entrants to the programme as they sponsored five St. Nessan’s students on a four year programme. This year IPB are back again to give scholarships to a further five students, while three more companies – BHP Laboratories, Averian and Grant Thornton - have come on board with individual student bursaries, bringing to eight the total number of students who will benefit from the programme. The programme was expanded this year based on the success of the intake for the 2013/2014 academic year when the multifaceted individual support programme, which in addition to financial aid includes professional coaching and mentoring, commenced. The bursaries were presented by Liam Woulfe, founder of Grasslands Agro, which won Business of the Year at the recent Limerick Regional Business Awards.

Speaking at the presentation, LIT President Dr. Maria Hinfelaar said, “We pride ourselves on the efforts we make, very much on a one-to-one basis, that our students receive the level of supports required to ensure that they see out their education and this bursary programme is an evolution of that approach. At a time when financial concerns are a significant reason for students dropping out of third level early, these bursaries help relieve any financial stresses and allow them to concen-trate fully on their education. “In the recent inaugural Irish Survey of Student Engagement, which looked at student experiences at third level institutions around the country, 86% of all participating LIT students selected ‘good’ or ‘excel-lent’ when asked how they would evaluate their entire educational experience at their institution. This was six percentage points above the national average and, again, a reflection of how we engage and support our students.”The students themselves made it clear just how much the scholarships mean to them. Said Jade Foynes, from Granagh but originally from Ballynanty, Moyross, who is studying Applied Social Studies in Social Care, “For me education is the most important tool in the box. It is the

passport to life. This scholarship means a lot as it will help me buy books and go on trips with my class”. “I’ve never been as determined as I am now as I want that education passport. We know there are difficult times ahead, including late night studying, but we are up for the challenge.” One of last year’s scholarship cohort, Nicola Murray, from Caherdavin, who is studying Hospitality, had a solid piece of advice also for this year’s bursary winners. “I would also say, be wise with your money. I started second year this year still with some of my scholarship from last year as I thought I am going to need it.” Another student, Donogh Flannery, who is studying Sports Strength &Conditioning at LIT’s Thurles campus, said, “The money is just making everything so much easier. I live in Limerick and travel to Thurles for my course but don’t have to worry about that cost now and can just worry about the things that matter, my education.” Dr Hinfelaar also said that it is the institute’s intention to expand the Student Scholarship Programme and encouraged

LIT alumni as well as companies from the region to support this initiative. Under the Foundation’s charitable status, participating companies and individuals qualify for tax relief for their donations to the bursary programme. “There are many generations of LIT alumni out there and we have had discussions with a number of them already. There are strong indications that we will have further commitments. We would appeal to others who have been through LIT and gone on to success in whatever walk of life to support this initiative, as it is a great opportunity to help others who are trying to follow in their footsteps. Likewise, we would ask companies from the region and beyond to row in behind this programme as it could make a huge difference in not just the student’s education but their lives outside education,” she added.The initiative is warmly received at St. Nessan’s, which is currently in an amalgamation process with the Salesians secondary school for a new entity to be named Thomond Community College. I can only heap praise on LIT and the sponsors of this programme as it provides much needed support and will have a positive ripple effect for generations for the people of this area,” St. Nessan’s Principal Eugene O’Brien stated. “I don’t think we can really grasp the significance that this makes to students’ lives. On a monetary level alone, the parents of the stu-dents would have to earn double the amount that the students are getting if they were able to supply this. They can now concentrate on their education and hopefully go on beyond the primary degree. “We are at all times trying to impress on our students, through our career guidance teacher Mary O’Sullivan, to stay in education and go onto third level. Now we can come at the other side and say to our students that these bursaries exist and it can be your goal to not alone go for third level, but apply for these scholarships also” Guest speaker Liam Woulfe said, “The most important I would say is to enjoy the time but keep a clear focus on the end goal, getting that passport to move on in life.”

Contact Details : St. Nessan’s Community College, Moylish Park, Limerick. Phone: 061 - 452422 Email: info@stnessans.com www.stnessans.comPrinted by: Limerick printing 061 422 300

BE COOL _ STAY IN SCHOOL SMILE School Completion ProgrammeNewsletter Coordinator: Michael O’Connor

Turbo Titans are a group of Transition Year students here in St. Nessan’s Community College who are competing in the ‘F1 in Schools Competition’. The team consists of Kim Kiely, Hannah Müller, Britney Ryan, Jake Sheehan, Adam Slater Buckley and John O’Mahony. We have recently qualified for Regional Finals which will be held on the 3rd of March in the University of Limerick. In order to promote a buzz within our school for the ‘F1 in Schools’ competition, and also for our team promotion, we decided to hold a competition in which a member of staff in our school dressed up as ‘The Stig’ and paraded about the GP area during assembly while the students had to guess who it was.

We chose ‘The Stig’, as he is an iconic figure, who would be commonly associated with cars and racing! The event was staged in our GP Area with a PowerPoint presentation taking place on a large screen overhead. Our marketing team did the MC for the St Nessan’s ‘Top Gear’ Special Event, along with help from Mr McAuley. We then had JP (better known as your favourite 5 to 9 to 9.10 guy) and the ‘Stig’ compete in a Go-Kart race around the GPA while students cheered them on in a time trial race. The Stig was “too posh to push” so our own special engine ‘The Doody 2000’ stepped in to push her around. The students loved every second of it and were then asked to visit our website or Facebook page to comment with their guess and their name on our poll, which was found on our website in the ‘Competitions’ tab.

From there, we gathered all the correct answers and pulled one from a hat. After the midterm break the winner of a hamper, gener-ously donated by Lloyds Pharmacy, will be announced. This was a huge success as it generated great publicity for our team and for the ‘F1 in Schools’ competition particularly in the junior school who haven’t come across the competition yet. Thanks to everyone involved, especially Mr. McAuley, Mr. Tracey, Ms. Dunne, Ms. O’ Driscoll and Mr. Doody. We couldn’t have done it so successfully with-out the fantastic performance from ‘The Stig’. Her royal wave and break-neck speed at taking the corners made her the best ‘Stig’ the school has ever seen. To the ‘Stig’: Huge Thank you for taking control of the Power’. Please visit our website: turbotitans.wordpress.com or ‘like’ us on Facebook at Turbo Titans to help us increase our numbers!

Jake Sheehan, Britney Ryan & Hannah Müller

Turbo TitansTop Gear Special Edition

SupportTurbo Titans

www. turbotitans.wordpress.com or ‘like’ us on Facebook at Turbo Titans