Dear Parents

Thank you for attending the talk online yesterday. Please see the link to the school youtube channel where the video is posted.

youtu.be/coqgD_8tzRg  

There will be no after school supported study in the library. Students are invited to attend their main centre. Thank you!

Dear 3rd Year Parents,

The TY Talk takes place online today 13th March at 4.30pm. 

Please see attached the link to access the meeting. meet.google.com/fmo-zxyk-wzp

Students should log on using their own school email addresses. 

Wellbeing Week

It's wellbeing week at OLS! There were some wonderful events that have taken place-Friendship bracelet creations, well being talks, active walks, how well do you each other quizzes etc. Thanks to Ms Reilly for organising the wellbeing week. There was a students vs. staff dodgeball game during Monday's lunch and a students vs. staff obstacle course during Tuesday's lunch. Check out the photo gallery! Thank you so much to the ASF Class for organising all of the fun activities!

ASF Colour Run

The ASF Colour Run is tomorrow! A reminder to all participating to wear your leggings and a white t-shirt underneath your tracksuit. Ols runners are recommended. Wear sunglasses or goggles to protect your eyes from paint getting in them. Our charity partner is the Special Olympics so remember to bring 5euro for the charity chosen by the TY ASF class. You can pay by card in the GPA tomorrow. 

Cross Country

Well done to Róisín Hanley-Byrne who represented OLS in the Schools All-Ireland Cross Country finals in Tymon Park on Saturday (see photo gallery)! Róisín competed in tough conditions against over 100 athletes from all over Ireland. 

Library Competition 

Congratulations to Yajing Hu for placing 1st in the school library's Design Your Own Bookmark Competition! She won a small stationary prize and her bookmark is laminated and available at the library desk for those in need of a bookmark. The librarian was so impressed with the quality of the entries that the two runner-ups will also have their design laminated and copies available at the library desk. Thank you to all those who submitted something! 

Minor Camogie winners

Well done to our Minor Camogie team who started their defence of the A Championship with an emphatic win against Coláiste Íosagáin. A great effort from the whole team to win by a scoreline of 7-4 to 1-3.

5th Year AG Science Trip

The 5th year Ag Science students went to UCD today on a farm trip.

A reminder that the colour run will take place this Thursday. The ASF are organising the colour run in conjunction with Special Olympics Ireland. They will collect 5euro from students tomorrow and they will be in the GPA at breaktime tomorrow for any student who wishes to pay by card. 

Dear 3rd Year Parents,

The TY Talk takes place online tomorrow 13th March at 4.30pm. 

Please see attached the link to access the meeting. meet.google.com/fmo-zxyk-wzp

Students should log on using their own school email addresses. 

• HOCKEY
• A massive week of hockey this week for Our Lady's with one semi final and two finals all taking place during the week.
• It all started off with our Senior A side facing up against a familiar side in Newpark on Monday in the semi final of the senior trophy competition. In torrential conditions, the girls came up against a strong Newpark team and unfortunately we could not find the net despite leading the stats for short corners and circle entries. Newpark were extremely clinical and took their chances well and eventually won out by a scoreline of 2-0. Hard luck to all the team but they will be back stronger for next season ready to fight for the league and cup with the experience of this season behind them!
• On Tuesday morning, the Junior A side headed up to Three Rock Rovers hockey club for the final of the Junior 1A league. We were up against Newpark, a side we had beaten once and lost to once already this season. The girls were well set up and knew their game plan and despite some early pressure from Newpark, we found ourselves one nil up thanks to a superbly taken goal by Helen Duignan. The game ebbed and flowed after that but the chances were few and far between for both sides and as the time ticked away, we held our lead and when the final whistle went, the crowd and all of the players went wild as we became Leinster Champions! This was well deserved for all of the girls as they have worked so so hard all season and have done everything that the coaches have asked of them! Congratulations girls!
• On Friday, it was the Minor A's turn to head to Three Rock for the final of the Minor 1 league. The girls have been excellent all season and had set up a tie with Loreto on the Green. Neither side had lost a league game all year and our girls had not conceded a single goal all throughout the league campaign. A truly incredible feat. The game was tight at the beginning with neither side wanting to give much away but in the 12th minute a brilliantly taken goal by Mia Jones saw us go 1-0 ahead. We took this lead into half time and some words of encouragement and slight tactical tweaks saw the side go out for the second half ready! There wasn't much between either team all day and the Our Lady's defence showed their class all game long to keep Loreto out. There was one final opportunity for Loreto when they won a short corner on the final whistle but our defence were out so quickly and blocked the shot at the top and cleared ro leave us as winners and Champions of the Leinster Minor 1 league! A deserved result for a brilliant team.Well done girls!
• On behalf of the coaching teams of both sides, we want to say a massive congratulations to each and every one of the girls involved in Minor and Junior Hockey this year. The success the A sides have had was a result of the strength in depth in both groups and it would not have been possible to achieve what we have done without the effort and enthusiasm to learn and Improve shown by all. Well done girls, the entire OLS community is proud of you all!
• Saturday Sports fixtures
• Hockey
• AWAY
• First yr -v- St Andrews college 9am
• Minors -v- St Andrews college 10am
• Juniors -v- St Andrews college 11am
• Have a super sporting weekend!

Three extraordinarily accomplished women were inducted into the school’s Wall of Inspiration today at our annual International Women’s Day celebration. Congratulations to Ailbhe Smyth, Niamh Byrne, and Alisha Weir. 

Ailbhe Smyth is an Irish academic, feminist and LGBTQ activist. She has worked extensively in the area of human rights and social justice. She was the founding director of the Women's Education, Resource and Research Centre (WERRC),  at UCD). Smyth began her involvement in activism in the 1970s with the women's liberation movement.  She received the 'Lifetime Achievement' award in 2015 at the GALAS, Ireland's LGBTQ Awards Ceremony. In 2019, Smyth was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. She was conferred the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin in 2022 (at the time 3 women were conferred with the Freedom of the City and 2 were past pupils! 

Dr Niamh O’Brien is a GP with her own practice in Galway city,. She also works for the HSE-West Drug service, where she provides treatment to patients with opiate dependence disorder and other addiction issues. Niamh is a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights and provides a full spectrum of reproductive healthcare to women. Niamh has also represented her daughter Annie, as part of a test case, in challenging the government’s decision to close special schools. Annie has non-verbal autism. In 2023 Niamh was awarded the National Dr Fiona Bradley Award  which is given to an individual who has made a sustained difference in health care in Ireland and internationally. Niamh’s advocacy for those too vulnerable  to speak entirely for themselves has made a sustained difference to health care in Ireland.

Alisha Weir is a current second-year student at OLS, actress, and singer. She began her career in theatre and rose to prominence when she starred as Matilda Wormwood in the film Matilda: The Musical (2022). Her two older sisters took drama classes, which Alisha  joined when she was old enough. When the musical Once played in the Olympia Theatre in 2017, Alisha played Ivanka. She also performed a rendition of Justin Timberlake "True Colors" on the Late Late Toy Show. She made her feature film debut in the 2018 thriller Don't Leave Home and her television debut as Laura in the 2019 crime drama Darklands. Alisha was eleven when she was cast as the Matilda Wormwood in the film adaptation of Matilda the Musical for Netflix and thirteen by the film's premiere in 2022. She was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2023 for her mesmerising performance in Matilda. She has also starred in Wicked Little Letters with Jessie Buckley and Olivia Coleman. She plays the lead role in the upcoming movie Abigail. 

We are so proud to have you as members of the OLS community today and always.

International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day to our students, staff, and the entire school community. The school held its annual celebration in St. Joseph's Hall from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. We were delighted and inspired after hearing from Ailbhe Smyth and Niamh Byrne. Huge congratulations to Ailbhe, Niamh, and current student Alisha Weir on their induction onto the school's Wall of Inspiration. 

Thank you to Ms. Donlon for organising the day! We are so lucky to be surrounded by dozens of inspirational women at OLS every day. See the first photo in the gallery.

Hockey Win

Congratulations to the second year minor hockey team on their win today! 

Seachtain na Gaeilge

It was a very successful Seachtain na Gaeilge this year with lots of activities taking place during the lunch break. Thank you to everyone involved in organising! See the last photo in the gallery. 

Ceilí Mór

Thank you to Siofra, Cecily, and the Coiste group on organising the annual Ceílí.

World Book Day

Thursday marked World Book Day in Ireland and the UK. There were a few activities happening at the school library during the lunch period, including Book Speed Dating (where students had two minutes to assess a book and decide whether or not they wanted to take it out). Check out the second photo in the gallery! Students also had the chance to work on their entry for the World Book Day's National Book Token Competition. Details of which can be found here: https://www.worldbookday.com/competition/design-a-nbt/