October 2013, No 38

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Welcome back to Newpark in a new—temporary—school, in prefabricated classrooms and offices behind the hockey pitch. That reflects an enormous achievement by a large group of people who literally moved the old school to a new site in a very short timescale over the summer.

The contractors—Duggan Brothers—moved onsite in early July and by the end of August, the temporary building was fitted out and ready to go. Nobody expected it to be perfect that first week and it wasn’t! But the problems are being sorted, and we’re settling down with ringside seats of the demolition and construction process.

The demolition crew started by painstakingly stripping the empty school of asbestos so during the first few weeks there was little visible sign of demolition. Towards the end of September there was more action as first the internal walls and doors, then the windows and frames, then roofs and floors were stripped away. The concrete bricks have been smashed up for hardcore and lie in giant piles (some multi-coloured!) on the site.

All that remains standing is the metal frame and part of the A corridor wall. There is a clear view of the redbrick building from the other side of the campus that hasn’t been seen for over 40 years! Now the foundations of the new school have been laid and the structural framework is rising from the rubble. Here’s to new beginnings and exciting times at Newpark Comprehensive!

Arrival of the temporary school!

Last view from the inside

Site for Sore Eyes? Business as Usual!

Mr Derek Lowry Firstly I want to express our condolences to the Ramdane family on the tragic loss of Jackie, Mum of Kenza and Isam. Jackie was a valued and positive member of our Parent Teacher Association and was very committed to the values and ethos of the school. Like all our PTA members she was willing to give up her own time to assist in the various activities of the PTA. She always made her contributions in a thoughtful and kindly way and will be a great loss to the committee. During the summer holidays two other Newpark families also lost parents. To the O’Sullivan and Sullivan families we want to express our sorrow at the sad loss of Michelle, mum of Rebecca, Adam and Bianca and past student Stephen, and Dermot, dad of David and Julia and past students Ryan, Michael and Dónal. As a school community we will try to assist and support all these families over the coming weeks and months. This was also a summer of momentous change on the school campus—as you are all aware. A building which had been delayed and stalled at so many stages over the past thirteen years suddenly ignited into reality at the beginning of July. Through the huge effort of so many—contractors, staff and students—the task of getting into the temporary accommodation was achieved. There have been teething issues due to the very tight timeframe but it is a major boost to the overall project to have the temporary accommodation in place now. The logistics involved would have made it a hugely more complicated task during the school year. We will continue to try to address issues which have been brought to our attention by staff and students.

I want to thank especially the students from Sixth Year who helped us out so much with the move at the start of term and wish them every success in their Leaving Certificate. Unfortunately they will not experience the benefits of the new building when it is completed but we will work with them to ensure that their experience in school this year is as positive and smooth as possible. During construction there is a significant reduction in campus parking. I urge all staff, students

and parents/guardians to be very respectful of all 2

our neighbours. I appeal especially to parents driving students to school to leave home a few minutes earlier, drop off your daughters/sons a safe distance from the school and allow them to walk the rest of the way. The same message applies when collecting students to avoid congestion in local estates and on Newtownpark Ave. This year there are 842 students in Newpark. We are at full capacity with numerous applicants on waiting lists for all Years. This ongoing demand for places is very heartening. We welcome all our new students to the school and wish them a very positive experience over the coming years. We especially welcome all 143 First Years as they embark on their secondary education. I thank Ms Costello and all the First Year form teachers for all they have done to make the sometimes daunting transition as seamless as possible. On the 14th August the 2013 Leaving Certificate group came in to collect their results. Their reaction was very positive and feedback indicates a large number are now doing their chosen courses. It was also very encouraging to see how well the Leaving Certificate Applied class performed. We wish all our 2013 graduates every success in the coming years. For the 2013 year group Newpark broke with tradition by holding the Debs reception in Blackrock rugby club whom we thank for their hospitality. As usual the PTA did a wonderful organisational job and the event in Stradbrook was greatly enjoyed by the large number of students, parents and teachers who attended. This was followed by a great evening in the Hamlet Court Hotel near Enfield Co. Meath which went on into the very early hours of the morning. Congratulations to the Debs Committee on doing a wonderful job. The following day the school was delighted to receive an email and phone call from the hotel complimenting the students on their behaviour, friendliness and general maturity. It is very heartening to receive such positive communication: this was also a tribute to all the parents/guardians of these young people. Every year group has its own dynamic woven out of all the individuals involved and the year of 2013 was certainly a very cohesive and friendly group. The reality is that every year-group is made up of a great majority of positive, caring and talented young people who will have come through a range of different experiences and hopefully will move on to the course that best suits their aptitudes and interests. This year we are reviewing our Anti-Bullying policy. Pat Courtney, an SPHE Co-ordinator with the Professional Development Service for teachers, will be assisting in the process of putting the new policy in place. There is a committee comprising of staff, parent and student representatives in place. Pat has undertaken work with Third Year and the staff so far.

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The next stage of the process will be for the committee to work on the policy. The policy must be in place next Easter and we will keep you updated on its progress over the coming months. As an important aspect of our continuing focus on literacy, we have extended the ‘Book in the Bag’ scheme to First, Second and Transition Year. All students in these years should always have in their bag a book which they can read in the case of a teacher being absent or where work has been completed. The support of parents is invaluable in helping to promote this culture of reading which has been clearly shown to assist with improving student achievement. I encourage parents to talk to your son/daughter about the book he/she is reading. The book is being read for pleasure and not directly connected to schoolwork. It can be a novel, biography or factual book. It would be great if parents/guardians could consider books or eBooks/Kindles as presents this Christmas. Many of you will be aware the ASTI is currently in dispute with the Department of Education. As a result no meetings can take place outside school hours and therefore the presentation by Pat Courtney took place in the afternoon. While we await progress in the resolution of the dispute, most meetings which would normally take place in the evening will be deferred. As a priority we will go ahead with the Sixth Year parent teacher meetings on the 14th November. With regard to the other parent teacher meetings we will let you know the arrangements in due course. You can see from this newsletter that it is business as usual in Newpark with many exciting projects on the go—both inside and outside the classrooms . I wish a happy, restful and well earned Mid-Term Break to all students, staff and their families.

Green Schools Launch

With our new school building on the horizon we are very excited to announce the launch of Green Schools at Newpark. T h e G r e e n S c h o o l s Committee is to be formed—anyone may volunteer to be part of it, or to contribute on occasion. It is hoped that one or two parents may be

amongst the volunteers, although it will predominantly be a student-run initiative. The first theme we will tackle is Litter and Waste and we will aim to apply for our first Green Flag in the next school year. Wishing us all the best in this endeavour!

Kim Achari

Comhairle na nÓg

On Thursday 17th of October two Transition Year students, Kirsty Nolan and Daniel Airey,

represented Newpark at Comhairle na nÓg Daniel and I went to our first session at Comhairle na nÓg on Thursday. This is basically the Junior County Council and there are many of them around the country. We met in Dun Laoghaire and then we got on two coaches which brought us up to Killiney Hill. There we played some games such as the Human Chair and then went orienteering around Killiney Hill (which was long and tiring). Afterwards we played a few more games in smaller groups before getting back on the bus to return to Dun Laoghaire County Hall. We stood around and talked; some played snakes and ladders while others took a tour of the exhibition that was there. After a long wait we had sandwiches and biscuits. After lunch our guide Cathal came in and played some more team building games with us before taking us into the Chamber Room where all of our meetings will be held. This is the room where Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council meets. Each desk has a microphone but only one mike is turned on at a time. You press a button which will make your mike turn green. When your mike flashes green it means that you are next to speak. Only one mike is red at a time which means that it is turned on and that you can speak. We will be discussing things like learning First Aid in schools and mental health. If you have any questions or ideas that you would like raised please let either Daniel or Kirsty know. We have decided that we will meet every third Thursday of the month from 4:00-6:30.

Daniel Airey 4LW and Kirsty Nolan 4AMcC

Mr Derek Lowry

A student run Amnesty International group has been set up in our school. We meet in G1 at Thursday lunch-time. Amnesty International is a worldwide organisation that works to defend human rights around the world. Amnesty International groups campaign to free innocent prisoners, protect people from torture, call for LGBTI rights and much more. Young people and teenagers make up 40% of Ireland’s population making us one of the youngest countries in the European Union. So teenagers have a very strong voice and can to use their freedom of ex-pression to help change things. Amnesty school groups can carry out campaigns like petition gathering, aware-ness raising etc. Keep an eye out for our posters and notice-board and come along to our meetings to see what you think.

Méabh Hennelly 5CG & Marie Chantal Hamrock TY

Newpark training for the new basketball season started in early September. We are delighted to have seven teams competing in the South Dublin Basketball League this year. Best of luck to all the players and their coaches. I would especially like to welcome Dean Rowe to the coaching staff. Dean is coaching the Second Year and Under 19 boys this year.

All students need to wear proper sportswear and runners for training. Valuables should not be left in the changing room. We encourage parents and siblings to support the teams when they are playing matches at home and away. I would like to thank everyone in advance for their continued support, encouragement, financial contribution and commitment to Newpark basketball. Hopefully this season will be as successful as last season. Go Newpark!!!

Siobhan Costello, Basketball Co-ordinator

Senior Boys Newpark hockey has had a very strong start to the season—especially the seniors. So far this year the seniors are unbeaten in all six

competitive matches played and that includes beating last year’s runners up in the All-Irelands and League, Wesley College.

T h e aims at the start of the season were to qualify for the All-I r e l a n d S c h o o l b o y Championship and to reach at least the semi-final stages of the League competition. As of now, both these goals are still very much intact. On the 25th of September we beat both High School and King’s Hospital to reach the All-Irelands which all the team were delighted with. The team is looking very strong this year with players ranging from Fourth to Sixth Year adding to the squad and this has shown in our results to date. Every player is battling hard for a place on the All-Ireland squad and cannot wait to represent the school in the prestigious tournament. The competition takes place from the 23rd-25th of October and we would really appreciate as much support as possible. It is being hosted in a number of schools: our first match is in St. Andrews on the 23rd of October at 1:30. It will be a great chance to support your school and create a great atmosphere for this important match against our big rivals, St Andrew’s!

Andrew Ramsay (Captain) 6CC

Training Schedule Monday 4 - 5.30 U16 & 2nd Year Girls Ms Costello Tuesday 4 - 5.00 1st Years Ms Cloney Weds 1:15 - 3.30 2nd and U19 Boys Dean Rowe Thursday 4 - 5.30 Senior Girls Ms Steele Friday 4 - 5.45 2nd and U19 Boys Dean Rowe

Senior Girls

We started the hockey season with a new team and we were unsure how it would go. We realised in our first match that we adapted well to each other. It provided us with our first win and an enthusiastic mindset for the future. Since that first match we have only improved and have had success in the subsequent three matches. Now we look forward to our next league match against Loreto Dalkey with optimism—and plaits in our hair! Watch this space!

Beatrice Ritzen and Erin Jennings 4

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Cross Country

Cross Country training has started. Dates for training and race events are on the Cross Country board near the front office. The upcoming Community and Comprehensive Schools race is on the 14th of November 2013 and the Leinster Schools event is on the 5th of February 2014.

Gormlaith Ormond, Athletics Co-ordinator

Mountainbike Champion

After months of preparation, Newpark Sixth Year Stephen McCormack has finally become Irish Downhill Mountain-biking champion. Stephen has been traveling the world racing and competing against some of the best racers in the world. Next year will be a big year for him as he has been chosen to ride for a local shop in Dublin.

Congratulations to Stephen on his recent mountain-biking successes. You can check out Stephen’s progress on his Facebook page (Stephen McCormack racing). Mountain-biking is a relatively new sport for Stephen as he previously focused on Motocross and was the 2012 Under 18 National Champion.

Remember These Faces?

In our summer edition of the newsletter we profiled many of the young sportspeople in Newpark who are making their mark in national or international events as diverse as gymnastics, skiing, fencing, football, badminton, swimming, judo and Irish dancing. Since then we have heard of many others including water polo player Sean Gul of Second Year and swimmer Jeff Fahy of Third Year who are both excelling in their chosen sports. In a non-competitive experience Alex and Paul Blake Knox (Fifth and Third Year) undertook an 800km walk through the mountains of Spain and France this summer when they walked the Camino de Santiago in thirty three days. You can read Alex’s account of the walk in this newsletter on page 23. One very unusual sporting event at which miscellaneous Newpark teachers, students and parents were spotted taking part was the third annual Dublin Dragon Boat Regatta in Grand Canal Dock. These magnificent boats are paddled by large crews of paddlers accompanied by a helmsman and a drummer. How about Newpark student and staff teams for next year? Check out the Irish Dragon Boat Association or vikingpaddlers.com to find out more. Viking Paddlers is a Dragon Boat club based in Grand Canal Dock, Ringsend.

If you are involved in sports or other activities outside school, let us know how you are getting on so the Newpark community can support and celebrate your achievements.

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Maths Week Ireland 2013 took place from 12–20 October, in the eighth year of this event. Maths Week promotes awareness,

appreciation and understanding of maths through a huge variety of events and activities. Maths Week is a partnership of over fifty universities, institutes of technology, colleges, museums, libraries, professional bodies... and of course, Newpark School! Many maths teachers had special games and activities during class this week. In addition, there were several school-wide competitions and events. Read below to learn more about Maths Week at Newpark!

BIMDAS Bingo

BIMDAS Bingo is one of the most exciting maths week events! Junior Cycle students work in teams to solve maths problems, giving them the numbers for their bingo cards. BIMDAS, as all first year students can tell you, is the memory aid for the order of operations in maths—Brackets, Indices, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction. The correct use of BIMDAS was essential to work out these sometimes quite tricky sums! First to finish with five in a row were Jessica Bergin, 1DON and Zoe Coyle, 1MT, soon followed by others. There was lots of fun and excitement, and sweets for all competitors. Well done to all who participated!

Senior Table Quiz

The Senior Table Quiz is the big Maths Week event for senior cycle students. In this table quiz students answer general questions about maths at Newpark, maths vocabulary, and maths equipment. Can you name five maths teachers at

Newpark? Name the type of triangle with two equal sides? What piece of equipment is used to measure angles? Spelling counts, so for full marks on these questions students would need to correctly spell teachers’ names, isosceles triangle, and protractor!

This was an extremely competitive event, but coming out on top were The Mathletes: Yulia Baturova 5LT, Ethan Hamman 5EG, and Caroline Roessing 5EG. A special prize was also given to the team with the best name, Pythagoras Pirates: Lorena Halpin-Doyle 5CG, Matthew Needham Doyle 5CG, Grace O’Leary 5CG and Lee Shortall 5LT. Well done to all competitors!

Newpark Celebrates Maths Week

BIMDAS Bingo winners Jessica Bergin & Zoe Coyle

The Mathletes

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PRISM Maths Competition

The Problem Solving for Irish Second Level Mathematics Competition, or PRISM for short, is an annual event which takes place during Maths Week. Coordinated by NUI Galway, the emphasis is on using ingenuity and lateral thinking to solve very challenging maths problems. Twenty-one Newpark students took part in PRISM this year, competing at either junior or senior level. At Newpark the top result at junior level went to Finn Howley 3RS, and at senior level the top score was achieved by Simon O’Neill 6CC. All Newpark mathematicians put in a very impressive performance!

Senior Poster Competition

The Senior Poster Competition was an opportunity for students to use their artistic talents to express an appreciation of mathematics. This was an extremely difficult competition to judge, but after much consultation it was decided to award first prize to Stephen Nelson 4TC for his beautiful drawing of a tree with branches and leaves made up of numbers and maths symbols. Josh Sherlock 4AK was awarded second prize for a very creative drawing where numbers and symbols make up a human face. Honorary mention was given to three other posters—Caroline Roessing 5EG and Aaron McLaughlin 5HH’s humorous poster “Be rational, get real”, Astrid Ryan 4AK’s lovely drawing of a Maths Week calculator, and Kim Irwin 4AMcC’s BIMDAS poster. All winning posters will be on display on the wall opposite B4.

Daily Maths Question

Each day of Maths Week students in all years were presented with a daily question, designed to get everyone thinking mathematically! Because there could only be a single winner each day it was necessary to hold a draw from the many correct responses. On Monday the prize went to Aisling Grogan 3JB; Tuesday Honor Hennelly 3JB; Wednesday Richard Harvey 6CC; Thursday Fiachra Kennedy 6MK; and Friday Lucy Lou Gallivan 3CG. Well done to all other students who

Irish Science Olympiad

Congratulations to Transition Year students Jonah Byrne and Cillian O’Brien! Based on their Junior Cert. results in Maths and Science, Jonah and Cillian have been invited to compete in the Irish Science Olympiad 2013. This will take place on October 26 in Dublin City University. Jonah and Cillian will compete against talented science students from all across Ireland. From this group, six students will be selected to represent Ireland in the International Junior Science Olympiad in Pune, India in December, and the European Union Science Olympiad in Athens next April. Well done to both boys, and we wish them the best of luck!

participated! Special recognition must also go to the three students who correctly answered the question every day of Maths Week—Savannah Power 3JB, Ethan Hamman 5EG and Michael Hall 1EL. Solutions to all the daily maths questions from Maths Week are posted on the wall opposite B4.

Try them out yourself: Monday: A ball is dropped from a height of 12 metres. It falls to the ground then bounces up half of its original height, then falls to the ground again. It repeats this always bouncing back up half of the previous height. How far has the ball travelled by the time it returns to the ground for the fifth time?

Tuesday: The mean of three numbers is 31. The mean of the other two numbers is 36. What is the third number? Wednesday: A knock-out table-tennis tournament took place over one weekend. By the end of the weekend 39 matches had been played before the outright winner was decided. How many players entered the tournament?

Thursday: In a game consisting of eight players lasting for 45 minutes, four subs alternate equally with the eight regular players. This means that all twelve players, including the subs, are on the pitch for the same length of time. How long is that?

Friday: My house number is the lowest number on the street that when divided by 2,3,4,5 or 6 will always leave a remainder of 1. However, when divided by 11 there is no remainder. What is my house number? You can check your answers on the back page.

In the culmination of a whole school project which began in 2011, a book of words and images by Newpark students has been published in a limited edition and will shortly also be up on the Newpark school website. The project was a reflection on the universal themes listed above. In this article teacher Fiona ní Fhaolain explains how it all started! Some years ago it crossed my mind (as it often had before) that there is something lacking in the school system about how we care for ourselves and each other. We have no time to think about what it is that connects us all as human beings. We are often racing to get things done for the points system and miss out on what is really important in our lives. Sometimes it’s only when we are troubled and disheartened that we are instantly aware of the importance of compassion and humanity. I knew it was possible to create a space to express feelings on some global themes that connect us and I wanted to find a way to do this quietly in classrooms throughout the school. I chose twelve universal themes, asked management and colleagues for support and launched the idea at a whole staff meeting. Simple guidelines were given to staff about what to do, why we were doing it and teachers were invited to join in with their classes. We began working with the students in January 2011; we put up big posters of the twelve themes around the school to get us in the mood and create a buzz. We stopped in our usual daily routine and deliberately created a space to express our feelings and thoughts on the global/universal themes. It was an invitation to everyone to come together and share, listen and touch each other’s hearts. It was not an academic, competitive or migrainous, for making money or marketing the school. People responded

from the heart about what really mattered to them 8

at that moment, and one could feel the struggle and sincerity of the effort to express these feelings. When students were asked to name the songs that reminded them of the themes there was instant response,

excitement and fun—many brought their music in to share. Feelings were expressed through music in the music room; collages, paintings and drawings in the art room; poetry, stories, even simple one line sentences were written in other classes. Some

participants shared their feelings or submitted written responses, others just listened. It was an uplifting experience and naturally created good feeling. We had a lot of laughs and fun about it all. After the initial

phase in the classrooms, we collected all the written submissions and images, collated them and compiled the book. Connor Clark, a graphic designer and his colleagues at The Design Factory did all the design

work and liaised with us for many months. This work was done for free and for this we are truly grateful. In schools we tend to search for answers outside ourselves, but the answers to life’s truly important questions like Who am I? and What is my life’s

purpose? can be only be found by going inside and connecting with our inner selves. Meditation and mindfulness are life tools with infinite benefits. We could do with them being at the heart of what we do in schools.

Fiona Ní Fhaoláin

Listen - a Book by Newpark Students

Freedom Love Peace Abundance Joy Beauty Awareness Compassion Simplicity Patience Hope

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2013 is ‘Bliain na Gaeilge’ and we have seen a major shift in the attitude toward the language. Coláiste Lurgan have really dusted the cobwebs of the old approach to learning Irish. We have now swapped ‘Peig’ for ‘Avicci’. The Irish classes in Newpark are close on their heels now, getting the chance to sing their current favourites as Gaeilge. In order to further encourage our students in learning the language, Coláiste na bhFiann are once again offering scholarships for their summer courses exclusively to Newpark students. This is a great opportunity so please ask your teacher for further details. Mr Gallagher and Ms Ní Laoghaire will be conducting interviews for the scholarships just after mid-term break. Here are some of the testimonials our students have given about their trip to the Gaeltacht.

I mí Iúil, d’fhreastail mé ar Choláiste na bhFiann i Rath Cairn. An dara huair ag freastal ar an gcoláiste. Bhuaigh mé scolaireacht nuair a bhí mé san idirbhliain agus bhí sé go hiontach. Bhuail mé le cairde nua agus d’fhoghlaim mé a lán Gaeilge freisin. Ní raibh mé sásta le mo chuid Gaeilge roimh an turas go dtí an Ghaeltacht ach anois tá mé líofa go leor. Is aoibhinn liom an

Ghaeilge anois! Kelly D’fhreastail mé ar Choláiste na bhFiann freisin. Bronnadh scolaireacht orm nuair a bhí mé sa dara bliain. Tháinig feabhsú ar mo chuid Gaeilge gan dabht. Bhain mé taitneamh as an tréimhse sa Ghaeltacht. Bhí spraoi againn ann.

Úsáidim an Ghaeilge anois gach lá gan stró. Kirsty

Chuaigh mé go Coláiste Bhríde i Ranna Feirste anuraidh. Bhí mé neirbhíseach mar ní raibh mo chairde ag dul liom. Tá sé suite i dtuaisceart na tíre agus bhí muintir na háite an-chairdiúil ar fad. Rinne mé a lán cairde nua agus táim fós i dteagmháil leo. Fuair mé seans chun mo chuid Gaeilge a chleachtadh ar feadh trí seachtaine agus thaitin sé go mór

liom. Shane

D’fhreastail mé ar choláiste Lurgan anuraidh agus thaitin sé go mór liom. Tá clú agus cáil ar an gcoláiste anois de bharr an t-amhrán ‘Wake me up’. Rinneamar amhráin le chéile nuair a bhí mé ann. Chabhraigh sé go mór le mo theanga. Bhí spraoi againn ag caint ‘s ag canadh trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Tháinig feabhsú ar mo theanga agus táim beagnach líofa

anois. Leigh

Get your Irish Learner’s Card

The Transition Year students in Mr Gallagher’s class have produced an Irish learner’s card. The card is a valuable resource to all students. It is a colourful handy card jam-packed

with useful phrases for exam questions, verbs in all the different tenses and loads of vocabulary you might

need. The card costs €1—amazing value. Pick yours up today from your class teacher or Mr Gallagher in A1.

The Site

Dust spreading Machine buzzing Crane swinging Truck beeping

Builders chatting Cement pouring

Hammer banging Fuel smelling

Smoke annoying Building crazy.

Emily Grubsch 1SH

The Building Site

The noise of diggers Mixed with crashing

And crushing alongside With builders shouting

The dust going everywhere

In your eyes! Up your Nose! Even in your mouth!

The sight of the old School crumbling to Pieces. The diggers

Tearing it down.

Muddy puddles and Tracks from the diggers

Linger on the path. Shoes Getting wet in the process.

But it’s all going to be worth

It when we get our new SCHOOL!

Lucy Murphy 1SH

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Sounds

Drillling Hammering

Beeping Shouting crumbling crushing

Diggers driving Cement mixing

Crashing Ripping claw digger

The crane swinging around A big hand ripping the roof off.

Maebh Healy 1SH

Site Works by 1SH

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Building Site The constant humming of the drills buzzes in my ears. The musty smell of dust wafts up my nose. Someone brushes past, the smell of their perfume scenting the air around me for a split second. I catch the sound of a girl laughing above all the noise. I avoid the muddy puddles scattered across the uneven pavement. A builder in a bright yellow high visibility jacket tells us to stop while he opens the gate allowing the noisy mud-splattered van to cross into the build-ing site. He closes the gate again and we are free to go back to class. I look up at the crane lifting bits of material into the sky. I see the chains dangling, banging off each other. The builders are chatting and point-ing to something on the ground beside them. People bang purposely into the gates, saying rude things. I hear a builder swear-ing. They shoot a dirty glance in my direc-tion. I raise my eyebrow and keep on walk-ing. What used to be a school is now just piles of broken rocks, bricks and other mate-rials lying abandoned on the sealed off ground. Dust hovers above the rubble. I keep walking and see a builder with a drill, breaking up the ramp where cars used to pass day in, day out.

Mayka Aberasturi 1SH

Construction I hear the different sounds like a chorus of banging. Each one doing something different. The drills sound like woodpeckers banging away on stone. The diggers sound like great big beasts chomping away at the ground. Then creaking from above as the crane moves slowly like an ancient beast. The sounds of workers stomping by like marching soldiers. The buildings being smashed sounds like an avalanche and the little trucks push the rubble away like worker ants.

Louis Roche 1SH

Born Again Big strong jaws tore it to the ground

Dust everywhere to be found A new day came, the dust had settled

No more damp, dark or creaking The bricks are being laid

Like the new foundations we are now We come for a third of our day

2013—a new beginning for us all.

Ethan Warnock 1SH

Construction Sight

A clothes messer A mean machine A coffee drinker A clever clogs A high climber A tune gatherer A building killer A morning waker

A task collider A truck driver

A tool user An eye duster.

Seafra Monks 1SH

Many thanks to Bobby Ryan and John O’Neill for the site

photographs.

Compétition de posters

Pour célébrer la Journée Européenne des Langues, nous avons organisé une compétition de posters. C’était super et amusant. Nous avons ramasse tous les posters le vendredi et le lundi nous avons annonce les gagnants. Nous nous sommes bien amusées. Ça a été un vrai succès!

Katie Lowry, Anna Bielenberg,

Hannah Drumm, Sophie Phelan,

Juliette Mc Bain (4e année)

Les gagnants (Poster competition winners): La classe d’irlandais de Melle Ni Fhaolain (1er prix), Matthias Greferath (2e prix), Emily Hogarty, Dara Neville Fulena et Gabrielle Gabat (3e prix)

Vente de crêpes

Pour la Journée Européenne des langues, nous avons organisé une vente de crêpes. David Lyons a appelé Olivier Colas (Crêpes & Craic), un maître crêpier, pour lui demander de venir à l’école pour vendre des crêpes aux élèves et professeurs.

La Journée Européenne des Langues est célébrée chaque année par des milliers d’école et d’organisations à travers l’Europe. Elle a été créée à l’initiative du Conseil de

l’Europe et de l’Union européenne. A cette occasion, les élèves de 4 année Section Européenne de Newpark ont organisé cette année divers évènements: une journée sans uniforme (les meilleurs looks français ont été récompensés), une vente de crêpes, une compétition de posters ainsi que la projection d’un film français. Nous avons aussi organisé un “goûter européen” en cours de cuisine avec les élèves de 3 année Section Européenne. Les différents évènements ont remporté un franc succès. Nous espérons renouveler l’expérience lors de la prochaine Semaine française en mars.

Laetitia Tessier

Journée sans uniforme

Pour la Journée Européenne des Langues, j’ai organisé une Journée sans uniforme avec mes amis Coley McManus, Elaine Cullen, Eva Freeney et Kirsty Nolan. Nous avons décidé de faire cet évènement car c’était pratique et facile.

N o u s avons d’abord ramassé l’argent pour Make A Wish Fondation, France, ensuite nous avons sélectionné les prix pour le meilleur look français et nous

avons finalement annoncé les gagnants. Nous avons récolté 400 euros. Au final nous nous sommes bien divertis. C’était super et amusant.

Ross Coleman-Davis (4e année)

Les gagnants (Best French look competition) : Sam Penny (1er prix), Katia (2e prix), Leila Merabet (3e prix)

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La Journée Européenne des Langues 2013 European Day of Languages

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David et Oisín Mannion ont aidé Olivier à donner les crêpes aux clients et à encaisser l’argent. Alice Pyper et moi, nous nous occupé de gérer la foule. Nous avons aussi délivré des crêpes aux profs dans la

s a l l e d e s p r o f e s s e u r s . L’évènement a été un vrai succès! Tout le monde a adoré les crêpes et c’était super pour la Journée européenne des langues.

Marie-Chantal Hamrock (4e année)

Paris Je t’aime

Pour marquer la Journée Européenne des Langues, Aoife Corscadden, Zoe Osbourne, Ciara Grogan et Abbie Raynor (4e année Section Européenne) ont organisé la projection du film français Paris Je t’aime en F1 pendant la pause déjeuner. Des bonbons étaient distribués durant le film. Tous les élèves presents ont apprécié l’évènement. Il n’y avait pas beaucoup de monde mais nous nous sommes bien amuses.

Aoife Corscadden, Zoe Osbourne, Ciara Grogan & Abbie

Raynor (4e année)

Goûter Européen

3e année Section Européenne (cours de cuisine)

Pour le goûter européen, j’ai choisi de faire des crêpes parce que c’est délicieux et elles sont faciles à réaliser; c’est moi qui les ai faites. C’est un dessert de Bretagne. J'ai trouvé la recette d’un livre de recettes.

Elvira Guiomard (3e année)

Moi, j’ai choisi de faire des biscuits napolitains; c’est un dessert de l’île Maurice. C’est moi qui l’ai fait. Pour le

réaliser, j’ai utilisé plusieurs ingrédients: de la farine, de la confiture, du beurre, et du rhum. J’ai bien aime mon dessert mais c’était un peu difficile.

Dara Neville Fulena (3e année)

Moi, j’ai fait un g â t e a u a u chocolat. C’est un dessert d ’ E s p a g n e . P o u r l e réaliser, il faut p l u s i e u r s ingrédients: de la farine, du s u c r e , d u beurre, du sel,

des œufs et de la poudre de cacao. Je pense qu’il était très riche mais il était moelleux. J’ai adoré le g o û t e r européen!

Karen Mc Guirk

(3e année)

Ways to get involved Dance is the core of this project in all the European schools but music, art, PE and all the language departments are also involved. When you feel like dancing, your favourite dance song comes to mind—clearly music and dance go hand in hand. The art department is already working with students to create a logo for the project with a prize for the best one. The language departments are approaching the project themes through poetry and creative writing. Participants will be learning about the history of dance in other cultures as well as creating new dance. Throughout the project we will keep in contact with students from the partner countries by email as well as through the international get-togethers. Newpark students from all year groups can apply to take part. At least twenty four students will be chosen to travel abroad but more than 80 students will be involved in the entire project over the two years. Travelling students will stay with host families as guests and Newpark families will host the international students when they come to Ireland. So, if you love to dance and you love music, Take a Chance and get an application form at the front office.

Fiona Ní Fhaoláín

Newpark is one of six schools involved in a new Comenius project called Take a chance: Let’s Dance! The other five schools are from Germany, Portugal, Turkey, Poland and Italy. Over the next two years we will be travelling to the other schools to take part in various activities such as Art, Poetry, Music as well as Dance. The first activity is to design a logo for the project which will be used on all the documents, on the project website and on T-shirts. In November 2014 the entire group will be coming to Ireland for a week-long visit and workshops. We are asking students from all years to get involved in this exciting project. If you are interested please get an application form from the office and fill it in. We would like to have the student team in place before the mid-term break.

John O’Neill, Project Coordinator

Good Vibrations on the European Dance Floor

The idea for this project started last September when Elisabetta, a teacher from Venice, strolled into Newpark looking for the salsa teacher. Like me she loves dance and we talked about why it’s important for us to be dancing in school. She convinced me to submit a detailed application form to Léargas so I could be involved in the first stage of planning of a European dance project in Venice. This application was accepted, so I went to Venice along with European partners from Italy, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and Portugal. Together we submitted the second application which was also approved by the EU. This project is an exciting opportunity for something new.

What’s it all about? In Venice we planned a two year international dance project with a story line. There is a theme for each country (ours is Freedom) and they are all interconnected. It’s not a dance competition or a big dance performance; it’s more about expression rather than impression. It’s about dancing, passion, having fun, being in the now, feeling free, doing what you love to do, being able to laugh at yourself, taking a chance, hearing new languages and learning both about

yourself and new cultures. Most importantly it’s about being yourself and making new friends. 14

Take a Chance: Let’s Dance!

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On Saturday the 7th of September, three Teen Curators from Newpark organised and hosted an interview with awarding winning author Patrick Ness, as part of the DLR Mountains to Sea Book Festival.

The Teen Curators were Aaron Williams (me!), Sinéad Gallagher and Olivia Coghlan. We agreed to take part as Teen Curators this time last year in the beginning of our Transition Year after the success of the event in the previous year (also curated by Newpark students). Basically we had about a year to create and design our very own event in the festival for teenagers. We did this with the help of Sarah Webb and Tom Donegan, who oversee the running and management of the festival. After several short meetings with them throughout the year spent discussing how we would manage our event, we finally decided on a live Q & A with Patrick Ness, the author of The Chaos Walking Trilogy and A Monster Calls,

We had all read his books and were very fond of them so it seemed like the logical choice. With the help of Sarah, we were able to send Patrick an email outlining the event and asking if he would be interested in attending. Patrick soon replied saying he would love to and looked forward to it! Lucky for us, Patrick was releasing a new book for teenagers called More Than This, in September so the event fitted perfectly! This new novel is about a boy who dies but then wakes up in his old childhood town that he hasn’t

seen since he had to move away. The town is deserted and the boy is alone as he tries to work out where he is and why. During the summer we were given pre-release copies of Patrick’s new books and read them along with his adult books. We came up with a load of questions about his books and his

writing process in general and then split the question between the three of us. When the day of the event finally came, it was a weird feeling as we had spent a year talking about it and now it was actually going to happen! We had decided to have the event at 7pm on the Saturday night. It took place in the Assembly Room of DLR County Hall. We meet Patrick about ten minutes before we were to go on. We chatted in a room as we told him the outline for how the event would run and if he had any questions. It was nice talking to him beforehand as he really helped break the ice.

We went on the stage at 7pm and were a little surprised to find that that all the seats were full with teenagers and adults! We asked Patrick Ness our questions and he proved to be very interesting as well as very witty! Patrick really helped the questions flow and made

it feel like the four of us were just having a normal conversation—just with an audience. Beside our questions, Patrick also did a reading from his new book and answered question from the audience. The event lasted an hour and then Patrick did a book signing afterwards.

We were so happy with how the event went: it couldn’t have turned out any better! Patrick was very nice and seemed to really enjoy himself and the audience really engaged with him. At the end of the day we all were so glad we had decided to take part in this event and were even little sad it was over. It was definitely worth all the hard work!

Aaron Williams, Fifth Year

In Conversation with Patrick Ness

Ms Keating’s TY English class have written their own versions of Jabberwocky and below are some examples…

Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll (1832 – 1898), is a nonsense poem written by Carroll in his 1871 novel, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice found there, a sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. A nonsense poem is a poem that features words that have no meaning, but because of the whimsical, rhythmic tone to the verse, we can well imagine the story that the poet is trying to

tell us. Read Jabberwocky here and see if you get any ideas!

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Have you met the Jabberwock?

Jabberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

by Lewis Carroll

“Jabberwocky”

The wind whispered a ghostly whisper, The trees froze in fear, Everyone anticipating,

Anticipating, The arrival of the Jabberwock.

The Jabberwock, With claws as sharp as razor blades, A tongue with venom like a snake,

It struck fear into our hearts.

There was one, One who wasn’t afraid, He slashed and slashed,

First came the heart, Then the head,

The monster was slain,

The monster was slain, The forest rejoiced in their new hero, But the whisper in the wind remained.

Daniel Airey, TY

“The Jabberwocky”

It was cold and dark, and the wind whistled

through the trees, with a breeze so cold it would

cause shivers inside.

Beware of the Jabberwocky, Who comes from the woods, He chews on human skull,

Until he’s full, Oh, beware of the jabberwocky,

As he’s a creature of fear.

Then he was among us, With his nail-biting stare.

We saw for ourselves That this creature was fierce And as he primed for attack,

Only the bravest would stand near.

I responded to his stance by showing no fear, As he stormed to attack,

Expecting a feast, I stabbed with my sword, slaying the beast.

He fell to the ground with a hard thump, I stood in amazement at what I’d achieved.

Years have since passed since that great day, Yet the fog at the forest still remains grey,

And the wind still whistles, And the breeze is still cold.

Although the monster is gone, The village people still speak of him.

They laugh and mock, But they will never forget the fear

Brought by the Jabberwock.

Karl McMurry, TY

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On Sunday the 6th of October the entire cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream escaped from the Hunter Theatre and went to rehearse in the stunningly beaut i ful gardens at Kilruddery House in Bray. A f t e r w e h a d warmed up, the cast split into groups and went off to

different parts of the gardens to find the perfect locations for our scenes. In Kilruddery there is an amazing mix of formal gardens, a huge maze of hedges, open woodland and tangled thickets. Later we all met up to travel around the gardens and see each scene in its chosen location. We even got to act in the actual amphitheatre in the gardens! Rehearsing at Kilruddery was an important and enjoyable experience for the whole cast. The

gardens and forests evoked a strong sense of magic within us – it was wonderful to g e t i n t o o u r characters in their natural setting. The magic of the gardens helped to improve and enhance the performance.

Thanks to Ms Devis, Ms Johnston, Mr Byrne and all of the other adults who gave their time to facilitate us in this magical experience.

Chloe Smith, Transition Year

Many thanks to Ciaran Byrne for taking photographs at the Kilruddery rehearsal.

The Great Escape: Rehearsing The Dream at Kilruddery

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

More than eighty students from First to Sixth Year auditioned for parts in A Midsummer Night’s Dream back at the beginning of September. The standard was really high—we could have cast the play several times over

with the talent on show. Since then the cast has been working hard in rehearsal and the student design team led by staff members Dee Mulrooney and Avril Crampton have been working on the magnificent costumes. Set Designer (and Newpark parent) Brien Vahey has kindly stepped in to help design and construct the set. Past pupil Josh Johnston is collaborating with Hayley O’Keefe and her team of student musicians to produce an exciting and innovative musical score. This promises to be a wonderful production: tickets will be available from the library after Mid-Term. Performances take place on the 27-30th of November in the Hunter Theatre. Would you like to support this production further? You can become a

Friend of the show with a donation of €15 (or more!) See Newpark website for further details.

The Fairies

Oberon

The Mechanicals

Lysander & Hermia

Snug, the joiner

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Can you remember your first weeks in secondary school? This year our First Years joined Newpark at a moment at which even the Sixth Years and teachers were having trouble finding their classrooms and navigating round a building site. Now that the dust is starting to settle, we hear from some students about their impression of those first days of Newpark.

Before Before I came to Newpark I used to come to the

Sports Centre for swimming and gymnastics. Lots of people from my old school had already gone to Newpark. I was very excited about going to Newpark and getting a locker.

I knew that it was a great school for art, music, rugby, hockey, basketball and swimming. Other people told me there was going to be a great new building for 2015.

I only started hearing stuff about Newpark during Fifth and Sixth Class. From kids that were going to go to other schools I heard that Newpark was a really unstable, dangerous and out of control type of place. But from people that had ACTUALLY been there, they said the complete opposite.

I knew that the teachers were really kind, that the arts were really good and the school was very inclusive.

I knew that the old school had an old damp smell but that it was a very good school for art and music.

My brother had made it out to be really scary as he had gone to Newpark too. My sister just kept saying: Just be nice to everyone and you’ll make loads of friends.

People told me it was very good for individuality.

All I had heard about Newpark before I came was that you had to wear wellies because the roof leaked.

First Day I wasn’t scared. Just a bit nervous. I was hoping

that I would be in a form with a friend. Since I was in Fourth Class I had decided that I was ready to leave primary school. And going to the assessment test just proved my point. I had to get out. So, on my first day, I didn’t feel the butterflies, fluttering about in my stomach. I didn’t feel like going back to my old school and saying “How ‘bout I stay just one more year?” Instead I felt fresh. Like a clean sheet of paper.

I was really tired and nervous and (I always do this) I tried to be really cool and act like I was a lone wolf. The hardest thing about joining a new school is trying not to embarrass yourself in front of everybody. There is a lot of new people and I think first impressions are everything. If you make a joke or slip and knock someone over you don’t stand a chance. The best thing about joining a new school is making friends and making a new person laugh—I love making people laugh.

As I walked into the new prefabs I was greeted and taken to my new form room; nervous faces sat around the room and everyone sat alone. I noticed that everyone seemed lost although we knew what to do. I felt in one way comfortable that I knew a few people but slightly lost.

I felt shy at first because all my friends from primary school were in a different form to me and I didn’t know anyone in my form. The hardest thing on the first day was moving around from class to class and finding where they were.

When I got to my classroom I saw none of the people I knew so I was a little nervous. There was someone who looked friendly so I sat beside him and chatted with him.

And Now? I really like the options allowing you to pick a few

of your subjects that you really want to do. I don’t like when I have to get from one end of the school to the other.

I was surprised to find that now, seven weeks into first year, not everyone is out to kill you. Not even remotely half. Only the Second Years. I thought that was strange because they were only just in our place. They’re already big-headed about not being the smallest fish any more.

It’s great fun: the new school’s going to be great and the teachers are nice.

I find it difficult to remember to bring or have everything I need. I don’t have all of the equipment I need for some classes and that makes it difficult and can also get me into trouble.

I like the always changing classes and the making of new friends. I don’t like the long days or the constant work and it’s really difficult to remember books and homework. I would recommend the ECAs because they are very good. Newpark has a comfortable and friendly atmosphere because it’s easy to settle in.

The walk from the Dart is long and with a heavy schoolbag it is torture. I nearly fall over sometimes and when it’s raining … don’t even get me started. Otherwise it’s really good and I love all the people in my year.

I like that there are loads of clubs.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be to make friends.

I like having a set time for each class and I love moving from class to class. Newpark is a really inclusive and fun environment.

Advice to next year’s First Years Talk to the other people in your form and make

friends with them. Don’t get too stressed. SL Just be yourself Don’t let anyone push you around.

On the first few days walk in pairs so that you don’t get lost. LM

Don’t worry.

Stay organised and on schedule!

First Impressions

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North America

The long awaited rugby and hockey tour to Canada and New York took place this summer. Fifty students from Transition Year and Fifth year made up the teams. They had a fantastic time both on and off the sports-fields making friends and memories to last a lifetime. As well as playing some cracking

matches they took in the sights: Niagara Falls, the CNN Tower, the Circle Line boat tour of Manhattan. The Newpark group made great friends when billeted with families in New York and even had a taste of University life staying in the residences of

Guelph University outside Toronto. M a n y thanks to the o r g a n i s e r s , fundraisers and the staff who travelled with the students. Here are some images of what was clearly a wonderful trip.

On Saturday the 12th of October, twenty five students and staff from the drama and design team of A Midsummer Night’s Dream gathered at Dublin Airport at 4.45am. The destination: London and the chance to see a performance of the play at The Globe. In spite of sleep deprivation there was great excitement and enthusiasm even at this early hour: for many of the students (our group included First to Sixth Years) this was the first time to visit London or even to travel without family members. From Stansted we took a coach to Liverpool St.—in spite of lengthy delays due to road closures the mood was high particularly when the first red bus, post-box and telephone box were spotted. Some of our group snoozed, some sketched, some sang … all the way for two and a half hours—the other passengers must have loved us!

In London the staff practised counting students endlessly on and off the Tube and learned how to navigate the labyrinth—eventually! Our first destination was the National Theatre which is dramatically situated on the East Bank of the Thames. Here we were taken on a backstage tour of the three theatre spaces including the workshop areas for set and prop construction and decorating. The three theatres are very different from each other. One is a promontory

stage in a huge auditorium designed to reflect an ancient amphitheatre. The next is a more traditional proscenium arch theatre where we watched the cast begin their energetic vocal warm-ups for the matinee as our guide told us all about the stage and how its shape can be changed and adapted for different

productions. The last space is a ‘black box’ theatre 20

which is much smaller and is used for more contemporary and experimental work. One of our groups got the chance to see a Touch Tour here. A group of blind people who were about to watch the play had been brought in to speak to the cast and director beforehand. They were given a chance to hear and feel what the set looked like and to touch important props and costume to give them a better sense of the texture and visuals of the play. After checking into our hotel briefly, we made our back to London Bridge and dinner at Nandos or Wagamamma: lovely food in both. Then we walked along the river to The Globe.

Everyone was exceedingly excited. The Globe is a reconstruction of the theatre where most of Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed. It is open air and we were the groundlings standing round the stage. Performances stop in the winter season (for obvious weather reasons!) and we were watching the final show of the season. You could see that the cast had really loved this production and were sad to see it end: some of our group even caught roses thrown by the actors at the end. The theatre was beautiful, the night was cloudless (hooray!) and the acting was magnificent: many of our group thought it the best and funniest play we had ever seen. There were fabulously choreographed fights and chases. The fairies were feral and physical and their music was haunting. In spite of aching feet there was a buzz of excitement and inspiration afterwards.

In Search of Shakespeare: London 2013

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On Sunday we divided into two groups: one bound for the Science Museum and the other for the National Gallery. The National Gallery was deemed “amazing”, “magnificent” and “spectacular” by the art students. The Science Gallery had an interesting mixture of exhibitions from technology to medicine to genetics to decoding—and plenty of hands-on interactive material to play around with too. With massive queues outside the Natural History Museum we sadly gave up on the dinosaurs and went into the fabulous V&A instead. The theatre exhibit there was a great hit especially because we got to dress up and pose in some of their costumes.

We joined together in Camden Market for the afternoon where the older students browsed and roamed in groups, shopped for gorgeous clothes and saw many interesting and different styles blended together in one place. After Camden we headed back for our evening flight from Stansted—exhausted and wishing we had had more time for everything, but delighted with all we had done. Many, many thanks to Ms Devis for seizing the opportunity during the summer to get the very last tickets available for The Globe and for organising every last detail of the trip—even though she wasn’t able to come and enjoy it herself. Thanks also to the staff who led the trip, Ms Mulrooney, Ms Keating, Ms Crampton and Ms Johnston, and most of all to the students who made it so enjoyable and worthwhile.

Solenn Reeves Long & Esme Galloway (Transition Year),

Anna Johnston

All we can say is that it was an amazing and wonderful experience that was unforgettable for all involved .

Esme Galloway & Solenn Reeves Long, Transition Year

I loved being with everybody. Everything was so much fun: shopping, The Globe, the Science Museum, the V&A. The theatre was so cool and the play was so funny—I had the

time of my life! Ayesha Coyle, First Year

The experience of going to The Globe theatre was amazing—standing in the open air and watching a Shakespeare play. It was definitely the highlight of the trip. The play was brilliant and hilarious.

Cian Malin, Transition Year

I loved seeing all the different stages in the tour of the National Theatre. The play was really funny and I would

love to see it again. Louis Roche, First Year

The trip was incredibly enjoyable. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream was hilarious and very enlightening with regard to our production. The Science Museum was definitely my favourite part: it had an almost infinite range of displays; everything from polyhedral and slide rules to vitamins.

Eric Jordan, Sixth Year

I loved being with people of all ages—everybody was so nice and friendly. I absolutely loved going to Shakespeare’s Globe to see the incredible ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ - I don’t think I have ever laughed as much during a play. Even the bus journey to London was fun ; it took a while but it was fun drawing, singing and chatting. Going on the Tube was a such a cool experience and I loved Camden Market—I really enjoyed looking at the funky arty clothes and other things. And the hot chocolate in the hotel was

AMAZING! Katie Killarney, First Year

How about some Shakespeare closer to home? Don’t forget to get your tickets for Newpark Theatre Company’s production of Othello. Showing in the Hunter theatre for three nights only. Tickets available in the Library from Ms Martin.

Sixth Year History took a trip to Belfast recently to visit the Titanic Exhibition and take ‘The Black Taxi’ mural tour. The group left Dublin by train only after one student had made a heroic dash from Huston to Connolly and Iarnród Eireann delayed the train ever so slightly for us.

After arriving in Belfast the group was whisked away immediately by the Black Taxis for the mural tour. The group was taken to locations on the Shankill and Falls Roads, where

everyone snapped plenty of photos.

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The taxis then dropped the group to the Titanic Quarter where we were awed by a very modern exhibition on all aspects of the Titanic from construction to the

discovery of its wreckage sitting a mile and a half down off the coast of Nova Scotia. Ms Kennedy’s navigation skills were tested on the return journey to the train station and despite the rain the group made it with time to spare.

Mary Kennedy

History comes to Life in Belfast

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So what did you do this summer? You might have gone on holidays with your family. You probably got to spend loads of time with your mates. What did I do? My family and I went for a walk—a really, really long walk. We walked the Camino de Santiago from St Jean de Pied de Port in France, across the Pyrenees, across Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela—about 800 kilometres. It took us thirty three days walking every single day.

My brother Paul and I didn’t want to walk the Camino. We would have preferred to spend time with our friends but we had no choice. My dad had wanted to do it for years and my mum also wanted to do the walk. So we arrived in Jean de Pied de Port on the 23rd June. We stayed in a hostel overnight and started walking at seven the next morning. The first day we had to reach heights over1,500m in the Pyranees… that’s higher than anywhere in Ireland. We walked for about seven hours that day—it was a really tough walk. That night (and every night) we stayed in hostels called albergues. Some albergues were very big—especially the ones in the cities—with huge dormitories. Others were smaller and we got a room for the four of us. All the showers and toilets were shared.

In most towns and villages restaurants had a Pilgrim’s Menu (a pilgrim is someone walking the Camino) which were three course meals and drinks for nine euro. We would get up at five thirty every morning to start walking at six and stop for breakfast at about eight. We had toast or a croissant and hot chocolate called Colacao. We would stop again for lunch at about eleven or twelve. We had incredible bacon, chorizo or tortilla sandwiches. We would finish walking at about one or two o’clock. After resting for about an hour my brother Paul and I would play some football—Paul carried a football in his rucksack. We also went swimming; we came across six swimming pools on the walk. We met lots of Spanish girls at the pools. Along the way we talked to loads of people from all over the world. I talked to this guy who I thought was a monk but was actually a vet walking the Camino without shoes or money. He told me that Jesus had told him to do the walk without money or shoes. We arrived in Santiago de Compostela on the 26th July—two days after the train crash. Seventy nine people had been killed in the crash. We were walking into the city and could see TV cameras outside the hospitals and in the main square. When we arrived in the main square we all gave each other a big hug and congratulated each other. We were so happy to finish the walk. After we had rested we went to get our certificates. I really enjoyed the Camino and would recommend anyone to do it—even at my age. It is really good fun and you meet lots of people. For the boys you meet lots of Spanish girls and for the girls you meet Spanish boys.

Alex Blake Knox, Transition Year

A long walk… a really long walk Tackling the Camino

Paris Trip

Samedi 19 octobre, 17 étudiants des classes d’histoire et de français iront à Paris avec Mme Berteloot et Mme Kennedy. Nous y resterons quatre jours. Pendant le voyage, nous visiterons beaucoup d'endroits intéressants comme la Tour Eiffel, la Crypte de Notre Dame, Le Louvre, Le

chateau de Versailles. Nous ferons un voyage sur la Seine dans un Bateau mouche. Nous sommes tous très excités! Nous vous en dirons plus à notre retour! Merci beaucoup à Mme Berteloot et Mme Kennedy pour l'organisation de ce voyage.

Aoife Jungmann 5LT

TY to the Theatre

On the 15th of October a group from Transition Year Drama went to see The Hanging Gardens at the Abbey Theatre. Our seats were in the second row so we were really close to the stage. The play is about an elderly father who has dementia, and his family. He imagines seeing people such as a little black girl who he thought was his daughter and he creates situations such as his wife being a hairdresser. The man hates not being able to remember things and wants to die. It was sad to watch him be distressed and upset. However, it was amazing to see the play because the acting was incredible. The actors made the scenario so realistic that you felt it was genuinely real.

Ciara Grogan, Transition Year

October Newsletter compiled and edited by Anna Johnston Thanks to all our contributors.

Please email contributions for the next issue to newsletter@newparkschool.ie

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Newpark PTA

The PTA Committee is back up and running and, like the rest of you, we are amazed and excited by the progress the builders are making with knocking down the old school and pouring the foundations for the new one. The Buy a Brick—Build a Future campaign is progressing well with over 10,000 euro donated so far but we need to continue to support this campaign in order to raise the 35,000 euro which we estimate will be necessary to address the shortfall for equipping the new school and providing the best possible environment for all of our children. If you have already bought your brick, thank you very much. If not, please visit http://newparkschool.ie/fundraising for further information.

There will be other fundraising events during the year, including a sponsored walk for the students (date to be decided—watch this space!) and of course the ever popular Christmas Raffle. The draw will occur in December after the Carol Service and there are a host of great prizes. Tickets will go on sale shortly—please buy lots, and encourage your friends and family to do the same! If anyone has any raffle prizes to donate please contact pta@newparkschool.ie The PTA recently hosted a Reception for last year’s Sixth Years and their parents and families prior to their Debs on Sept 9th 2013. Due to the building work the venue had to be changed at the last minute and it took place in Blackrock Rugby Club on Stradbrook Rd. Thanks to all the PTA members involved who made it such an enjoyable event. On a sad note, the PTA and all the school community were devastated to hear of the recent tragic death of Jackie Murphy, one of our committee members. Our sympathy and love go to her children, extended family and friends. She will be missed by us all.

Becky Johnston, PTA

Parents’ Prayer Meetings

In this group we pray for our school and our children and their education in an open prayer group. All are welcome. The school Chaplain Suzanne Harris can provide more information at email: suzanne.harris@newparkschool.ie

Mornings: Generally every second Friday morning in the month (15th November & 13th December) Chaplain’s office from 8.45-10.00am.

Evenings: Generally every fourth Thursday evening in the month (24th October, 28th November & 19th December) Room TBC

Please text your mobile telephone number to Tracey at 086 3892098 to be placed on the contact list. We text prayer meeting reminders and any changes, new info and/or updates to the schedule.

Tracey Gevers

Please, please

support our

Buy a Brick - Build a

Future

campaign for our

new school building

Monday: 34.5 metres. (1st: 12 metres down, 2nd: 6 up and six down, 3rd: 3 up and 3 down, 4th: 1.5 up and 1.5 down, 5th: 0.75 up and 0.75 down. Add together for the total distance travelled)

Tuesday: 21. If the mean of three numbers is 31, they must add up to 31x3=93. If the mean of two numbers is 36, thyey must add up to 36x2=72. Thus, the third number must be 93-72=21

Wednesday: 40 players. In each of the 39 matches the losing player was eliminated. Thus 39 players were elimi-nated from the tournament over the weekend. To this 39 we must add one as the winner was never eliminated. So, 40 players in the competition

Thursday: 30 minutes. The game will have eight players on the pitch for 45 minutes. This means there will be 8x45=360 minutes of total playing time available. If this time is shared equally among the twelve players then each player will have 360/12=30 minutes on the pitch.

Friday: 121 This could be worked out using trial and error testing multi-ples of 11 until one is found that leaves the remainders described above. More mathematically, since there is a remainder of 1 when my house number is divided by the numbers above, the numbers before my house must divide evenly by those numbers. This house number must be a multiple of 2,3,4,5 and 6. The LCM of these numbers is 60. 61 is not divisible by 11 so we must consider the next multi-ple which is 120. 11 divides evenly into 121 so this must be the house.

Maths Solutions