An outstanding achievement for CPC 5th year student, Aoibheann O' Brien who took gold in the overall women's section in her very first Half Marathon which took place in Donadea Park over the weekend. Aoibheann put in a lot of training to win this accolade over the Christmas and it really paid off. We are looking forward to seeing Aoibheann's further endeavours in the South Leinster Corss-Country at the end of the month. Well Done Aoibheann! 

Dear Parents/Guardians/Students,

For a number of years Saturday study has been offered to 6th year students, free of charge.

Thanks to our Parents' Association, who generously volunteer to supervise, Study runs from 10am until 1pm on Saturdays (apart from holidays and other notified days via the school app), providing students with a quiet place to study here in the school.

If your son/daughter wishes to avail of this free service please send an email to <12>saturdaystudy@cpckilcullen.com with their details (name, class).

If there is sufficient interest, study will start on January 18th. 

Please only sign up if your son/daughter is committed to attending regularly. 

J Leonard, Principal.

As part of our Erasmus+ Accreditation, Ms. Quinto and Ms. Groome had the opportunity to visit our partner school in Belgium,  https://www.providencechampion.be to carry out a job shadowing initiative. The experience was both inspiring and eye-opening. We would like to share some of the highlights.

From the moment we stepped into the school, we were greeted with warmth and hospitality by the Belgian Erasmus Coordinator, Mr. Florian Coheur and his colleagues.The teachers, students, and staff went above and beyond to make us feel at home. The school itself, founded by the Sisters of Providence in the late 19th century, is a picturesque blend of tradition and modernity, surrounded by green spaces that make it feel open and inviting. 

Comparing School Systems
One of the most interesting aspects was observing the differences between the Irish and Belgian secondary school systems. The school day in Belgium starts at 8:30am finishing at 4:30pm. Students wear their own clothes and there are few or no textbooks in sight. Most of the lessons are delivered with teacher notes or students use their chromebooks/smartphones to research material. The school welcomes over 1,200 students every day which creates an energetic and lively atmosphere.

Another difference we noticed is the strong emphasis on multilingual education in Belgium. Students seamlessly switch between French and Dutch in addition to learning English and Spanish. It is inspiring to see how language skills are nurtured as part of daily life.

Discovering Namur
Outside of school, we had the chance to explore Namur, a city full of charm and history. The city boasts a rich cultural heritage, with landmarks like the Saint Aubin’s Cathedral and the iconic Belfry of Namur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

This job shadowing experience was a wonderful reminder of the importance of collaboration and cultural exchange in education. We return home with fresh ideas, fond memories, and a deep appreciation for the connections we’ve built across borders. We look forward to bringing Cross and Passion College students to Namur to participate in the Model United Conference next month and a further mobility in March to explore European values. We will also welcome teachers and students from Namur for a cultural exchange to Kilcullen in April.

A big thank you to the staff and students at our partner school in Namur for their generosity and kindness. Thanks also to our colleagues in CPC for supporting this initiative.

This project is co funded by the European Union.

Good afternoon all,

just a quick note of thanks to all students and parents/guardians for your patience and understanding this week during the exceptional weather conditions. It certainly was a challenging week, filled with uncertainty, but I have to say that the students have been fantastic in adapting and getting on with things. I know many journeys to and from school will have been challenging and certainly a couple of rooms have been chillier than others, such is the nature of our aging building in extreme temperatures. Nevertheless, it has been a remarkably "normal" week despite the conditions and that is thanks to the efforts of staff, students and parents/guardians throughout.

I am sure we are all looking forward to slightly warmer temperatures in the coming days.

Best wishes

J Leonard

The 1st clothes collection of 2025 takes place next Saturday, January 18th.

Organised by our Parents Association these collections have been a great success and have been well supported across the school and wider community.

It's a great opportunity to do a wardrobe clear out and start the New Year clutter free!

Collection will take place between 10am - 3pm at the bike shelter in front of the main school entrance.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I hope you are keeping well. As notified also via email, I am writing to you with regard to the Mock Exams which will take place in the coming weeks (Junior Cycle 10th - 14th Feb, Leaving Certificate 4th Feb - 14th Feb, Leaving Certificate Applied 11th - 14th Feb).

The mock exams provide an important objective and independent assessment in each subject as the exam papers for the mocks are set and marked by teachers outside the school. A small number of teachers set and correct their own exams as it suits the subject better. This is factored into the cost.

This gives each student a very accurate idea of how well their study and revision is progressing. In this regard students establish clearly the areas in each subject where they need to focus.  It helps teachers also to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching and learning of their subject.  

Arising from the cost of buying the papers and paying for their correction, the cost is: 

• €135 per student in 3rd year
• €150 per student in 6th year
• €80 per student in 6A (Leaving Certificate Applied) 

This needs to be paid by Monday 17th February 2025 at the latest please.

It was a real pleasure to welcome back Eddie O'Loughlin before Christmas to CPC.

Eddie graduated from the Class of 2024 and achieved the maximum 625 points in his Leaving Certificate examinations. Eddie described how good routines, maintaining a balance between study and other interests and most of all a dedication to hard work and effort led to his success. We are all incredibly proud of the Class of 2024 and congratulate Eddie on this outstanding academic achievement.

A presentation was made to Eddie and his name added to the Awards Board for Academic Achievement. Pictured are Eddie along with myself, his proud father Ed and year head Ms O'Malley.

Eddie is currently studying Actuarial and Financial Studies in University College Dublin and we wish him continued success with his studies.

Good evening all,

thank you to everyone for your patience and support during this very uncertain period of weather we are experiencing. It was fantastic to see over 90% attendance today. 

As you all know, Kildare is included in the current orange weather warning for low temperature. Temperatures are forecast to drop to as low as -4 degrees tonight in Kilcullen and are not expected to go above freezing point throughout the day (Wednesday). 

The current plan is to open school as normal tomorrow morning. 

Every parent/guardian needs to assess the local situation in the morning - some students live very near, some have more challenging journeys to undertake. Everybody should make an informed decision based on safety over the next couple of days. If arriving later to school please just sign in when you arrive.

In light of the low temperatures forecast for the next few days please encourage your son/daughter to wear some extra base layers / t-shirt etc under their uniform.

Hoping everybody stays safe during this period.

The situation over the next couple of days is quite fluid so please continue to check the app for updates.

Kind regards

J Leonard

Principal

Recycle used batteries for the Laura Lynn foundation - battery collection box in reception.