We were delighted to welcome past Leaving Cert Applied students and LCA Students of the Year back to CPC last night to view the unveiling of our new LCA Awards Board. 

 This Awards Board displays the names of the past winners of the Leaving Cert Applied Student of the Year Award and will display the names of future recipients of this award also.

 We were delighted also to dedicate our new board to our dear colleague and friend Maria Barton who worked tirelessly as an SNA with our LCA students. 

 We are so very proud of our Leaving Cert Applied Programme and of all the students who have completed this programme in our school. 

 The previous recipients of the Leaving Cert Applied Student of the Year Award were:

2016 - Kerri Nolan

2017 -Martin Behan and Jade Glynn

2018 - Alison Healy

2019 - Sean Treacy

2020 - Dylan O Driscoll and Jack Bathe

2021 - Margaret Pearson

2022 James Ryan

2023 Tadhg Havelin

2024 Hannah Moloney

Congratualtions to all. 

Ms Mills 

Congratulations to 6th year student Enda Byrne who received the Excellence in Music Performance Award last night. 

Enda is a very talented musician and singer. He plays a number of instruments including the guitar and banjo. 

Enda has always shared his musical talents with the school community and has performed at numerous events over his six years in CPC. 

Enda has recently become the leader singer of the band the Rockabilly Rebels.

We wish Enda every success in what will no doubt be a very successful musical career. 

Our newly appointed Fifth Year Prefects for the school year 2024-2025 warmly welcomed some of our incoming First Years on Friday 24th May. 

Prefects completed a craft activity with the students and also gave them a full tour of the school building. 

The Prefects were also on hand to answer any questions that our new first students had. 

Our Fifth Year Prefects will continue to work with our new First Year students in September and help them to settle into a new school. 

Well done Prefects and First Years!

Time is running out to join and support us!

A reminder that everyone who has a ticket in our fundraiser lotto on Thursday 30th May 2024, has a chance to win our Jackpot and has a FREE chance to win one of three sensational Summer Giveaway Competition prizes (this nationwide competition is open to all people who have a ticket in a lotto run by our service provider ‘Our Fundraiser’). Prizes include:

·       2 x VIP Taylor Swift Concert Tickets

·       2 x Platinum Coldplay Concert Tickets

·       €1,000 Holiday Voucher

If you already have a ticket for our fundraiser lotto on 30th May 2024, you will be entered into this Summer Giveaway Competition. If you do not have a ticket, please visit our fundraiser website to join: https://www.ourfundraiser.ie/org/cpckilcullen

·       If you previously registered on our fundraiser website, then log in using the mobile number and password you used before and click on the ‘Play’ button.

·       If you have not previously registered on our fundraiser website, then click on the ‘Join’ button and follow the steps, it just takes a minute!

If you need any assistance, please email support@ourfundraiser.ie

To Win - at 7pm on Thursday 30th May 2024 a participant will be chosen at random by ‘Our Fundraiser’ for each prize. They must answer a phone call within 5 rings and answer the below quiz question correctly to win a prize. This competition is subject to the terms and conditions which can be found at https://www.ourfundraiser.ie/terms-and-conditions

Taylor Swift is playing her June 2024 concerts in Ireland’s capital city. Which city is it?    (a) Dublin  (b) Galway  (c) Waterford

Please spread the word with family and friends. Thank you so much, your support makes a big difference.

Congratulations to all our 3rd year award recipients and nominees! It was such a lovely occasion to celebrate our 3rd year students' achievements for this academic year 2023/2024. All our 3rd year students, school staff and management created a wonderful atmosphere in our Assembly Hall to congratulate their classmates and friends. A big thank you to Ms Fox and our 3rd year Music class who provided our beautiful music and to our surprise guest Mr O’Toole who led a rendition of Wonderwall. Nominated by their teachers, students were acknowledged for their great efforts in many areas of school life. These areas included achievements in academics, co-operation, sport, music, school attendance, school leadership, JC Student of the Year and the CPC Principal’s Prize (JC Contribution to school life). 

Well done to all this year’s recipients and nominees!

Message from HSE:

In our most recent HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing Podcast, we had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Ciarán Boylan, Psychologist in the HSE. We discussed exam stress and practical tips for parents and guardians on how to support young people through exam time. Dr. Boylan began by explain what stress is; a response to demands placed on individuals.

For young people, exams are a significant source of stress, manifesting both physically and mentally. Physical signs include an increased heart rate and sweaty palms, while mental signs can be excessive worrying or rumination. Recognising these signs is the first step in providing the right support. During our discussion, Dr. Boylan made an important distinction between stress and anxiety. Stress reactions typically subside after the stressful event, but anxiety can linger, independent of stressors. He advised parents to be vigilant for signs of irritability, decreased tolerance, and disengagement, which are common indicators of exam stress.

A key point Dr. Boylan emphasised was respecting a young person's choice not to talk about their stress or anxiety. It's crucial for parents to offer support and understanding while also giving space if the young person prefers not to discuss their feelings at that time. We learn strategies for parents and guardians to help manage exam stress, highlighting the importance of a supportive and organised environment. This includes ensuring nutritious meals, adequate sleep, and quiet study spaces. Emotional support is equally vital, respecting the young person's unique experience and offering a listening ear without projecting parental experiences or stress onto them. 

We hear about the importance of self-care, with an emphasis on activities that replenish energy, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques. Dr. Boylan highlighted the need for young people to stay present and focus on what they can control during exams. He suggested that students could practice some techniques during the weeks before the exams. We learn practical tips for the night before and the morning of exams as Dr. Boylan recommended maintaining normal routine, taking some time to engage in relaxing activities, and providing support for young people to unwind and prepare. On the morning of the exam, he suggested sticking to routine and have something to eat, even with a reduced appetite. Prearranging transportation and allowing extra time for unforeseen issues like traffic can also alleviate stress. It's important to respect what works for each individual, as different approaches to exam preparation may work for different people. Parents and guardians can play a supportive role by helping pack bags the day before and making a to-do list of what to bring to the exam. 

The importance of both practical and emotional support, self-care, managing expectations, and accessing available support and resources cannot be overstated. Dr. Boylan mentioned several resources for young people worried about exams, including websites like Jigsaw, SpunOut, and the HSE website. SpunOut also offers a 24/7 text service where young people can text 50808 for free to chat anonymously with a trained volunteer. Supporting young people through exams is a collaborative effort, and with the right tools and understanding, we can help them navigate this stressful period with confidence and resilience. 

Sports Day began with a 1st Yr Disco in the Assembly Hall. There were some great moves by both old and young alike. Many thanks to our 5th Yr Prefects to 1st years for hosting the event and a special thanks to our resident DJ Adam Mc Nally who played some super tunes to get everyone up moving and grooving. It was an excellent and fun start to the day. 

A chara, tá súil againn go bhfuil tú go maith,

The Kildare Wicklow Regional Officers for the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) are very excited to inform you that we have released a survey in regard to democracy and how it is put into today’s society and how it is used in action.

We are planning on putting a survey together which we are sending to our membership schools in counties Kildare and Wicklow; the survey statistics will be then used to make a useful resource that will assist students and show how democracy is really important in today’s society.

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/Poe5X1MZ9gV2o9DQ9 

Our aim is to have this resource prepared before the 2024/2025 academic year so we would mostly appreciate it if you could complete the survey before 27th May, 2024. Please get in touch with one of the Regional Officers who are CC’d if you have any questions about this email, and we will respond.

Le gach dea-ghuí,

Jason Tamayo & Aoibhe Toft

On behalf of the ISSU Kildare Wicklow Regional Officers