090 64 53600

School Principal
Mr. Garrett Buckley
Deputy Principal

Ms. Stacey Guinan

Gallen C.S News Updates Oct 14th 2013

 

 

CAREERS AND STUDY SKILLS NEWS–  Thanks to  Kay  Mitchell  from  NUIM  who spoke to our sixth years  last  Monday. It  was  a  very informative  talk where Kay challenged our sixth years to take responsibility for their learning this year , to be actively engaged in all classes, to have questions ready for their teachers, to lead their learning because when they go to university they  will have to do all of this. She encouraged them to work hard, that the Leaving Cert is their passport onto to higher or further education . To achieve good results students must be hard workers and active learners in class.  Kay them went through the various courses NUIM offer students through the CAO.

In the afternoon Kevin from Super Generation  spent three hours  with the sixth years bringing them through the POKER method of study skills. All sixth years believed it was very worthwhile and were grateful to Mrs Finnegan for organising both events on the day.

 

SCIENCE  CLUB–  this  excellent  club  continues in our school and is   doing a great  job  in giving  our students  a   continued  appreciation and  knowledge of the appliance  of  Science. We have students currently finalising some applications to the Young Scientist competition.

 

TY– enjoyed their visit to the  Offline Film Festival in Birr on Friday last- more details in future newsletter.

 

LIBRARY NEWS–  the    Library  club  continues at  lunchtimes  and this   has proved popular with  students  as has the  research facilities  available in our school  library.

 

ECOLOGY  TRIP –  our  6th  years  had a  very  invaluable and enjoyable  Ecology    field trip  recently  which is a compulsory part of the Biology curriculum.

 

HARD LUCK –  to our  juvenile  football  team who went  down   to  Ballymahon  VS   in the opening round of the  North Leinster  juvenile   championship.  They play Killina and Granard in their next two group games.

 

LADIES FOOTBALL- well done  to our Junior  Girls team who  had a resounding win over  Ballymahon SS  on  Tuesday of last week .Gallen got off to  a good  start with a  goal  by   Ffion  Boland and this wasfollowed  by  goals  from  Aoife  Corbett  who  scored 1-7 and  Ellie  mc  Evoy who  scored 2-11.  Gallen   led  by 3-7 to  2-2 at  half  time and further goals by  Kaithlin  Rigney who  moved out to wing forward and Ellie McEvoy  saw  Gallen   close out the  game.  Gallen   were excellent particularly in defence and in their point scoring.

 

PANEL- Natasha  Lynam , Avril  Spain,  Emma  Maher,  Ciara  Flynn,  Grainne  Kenny,  Roisin  Egan, Tara  Egan,  Roisin  Cockram  ,  Eimear  Flynn,  Ava  Flynn,  Aoife  Corbett[1-7] ,  Ffion  Boland [1-0],  Sinead  Egan ,  Ellie  mc  Evoy [2-11] Kaithlin  Rigney[1-0].  Amanda Keena [0-2], Sarah Kenny, Tara Dunican, Aoife Coughlan and Anna Grehan.

The  junior  girls also play  The  Bower  and  Athlone CC  in their  next two  group games and the  Senior  girls will  play  Oaklands CC and  Mercy  Kilbeggan in their  group  games.

 

Best of luck to the St Ciaran’s girls in their   Leinster    Junior   championship   match against St Helens of Longford. The girls had a great win over St Martins of Wexford in the last round.

 

BEST OF  LUCK    TO –  Ferbane –  Belmont  and  Tubber –  Ballycumber in their respective u 16  county finals on  Saturday  next.

 

 BASKETBALL –   well done to our u16 and u19 basketball teams who both beat Moate   CS   last week.

 u16- Gallen CS 46 Moate CS 20

Panel-  Roisin  Egan ,  Ellie  mc  Evoy,  Anna Grehan ,  Kaithlin  Rigney,  Emma  Maher,  Eimear  Flynn , Roisin  Cockram ,  Laura  Devery ,  Laura  Bracken ,  Laura  Kenny ,  Natasha  Lynam ,  Molly  Stevenson,  Avril  Spain  and Alannah  Corcoran.

 

U19 Gallen CS 47 Moate CS 15

 Panel-Roisin Egan ,  Ciara  Casey ,  Aoife  Corbett ,  Ellie  mc  Evoy ,  Emer  Nally,  Noelle  Egan  ,  Ailbhe  Doolan,  Ciara  Flynn and  Ruth  Hennessy.

Thanks to Ms mc Keogh for her work with the teams.

 

PITCH AND PUTT –well done  to our   pitch and  putt  teams who  competed in the  Leinster  Schools   championship in the  Lucan  club on  Friday last.

 

 

Gallen C.S. annual Mental Health Week took place from the 7-11th October in our school. This year our theme was “Walk in my shoes”. St Patrick’s Hospital Dublin provides support and care for young people and adults with mental health issues. A few years ago they set up ‘Walk in My Shoes’ as an awareness and fund-raising campaign. Fronted by U2′s Adam Clayton, ‘Walk in My Shoes’ was established after a 16 year old in St. Patrick’s University Hospital said he wished his friends could put themselves in his shoes and gain a better understanding for mental health difficulties

At  morning assembly each day , the head years followed a prepared reflection on some aspect of mental health for the students. In their SPHE  & Religion classes  all students  look at the issue of Mental Health and gain more understanding  around some of the issues that arise for young people and mental health. We used some excellent resources from Walk in my shoes campaign, Jigsaw, Mental Health Matters and HSE material. Lovely reflections and posters are hung on the school walls. On Thursday Joan Tierney, Substance Use Education Officer from the HSE spoke to our fifth and sixth year classes.

On Thursday we held a  “Funky Shoe Day ” where students were allowed  wear whatever footwear they liked to school. We asked them if they can afford it to donate €1 to St Patrick’s Hospital. We had a “fashion show” in the Canteen at lunchtime hosted and judged by the student council with a prize for each year.

 The serious message however which has been reinforced all week is: Our Mental Health has got to do with us taking care of ourselves, our wellbeing; having friends and people we can go to if we need to. It is about being positive, trying things out and doing our best. It is about being resilient when the going gets tough.  It is also about being friendly to others and allowing others to help you when you need it.

  “You do not set the standard. You have not walked in my footsteps, danced in my shoes, or lived in my world. Do not judge me, point your fingers at me, or become experts on my life. Instead, celebrate with me in times of joy and cry with me in times of pain. Only then will we begin to understand each other”.

               ”Always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you feel that it hurts you,                       it probably hurts the other person too.