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.