• Basketball
• Our U16 Basketball team travelled to Loreto Dalkey on Thursday afternoon to play their U16 side in the Dublin league semi finals. The girls have put in some super performances all year to make it to this stage but unfortunately they came up against a strong Dalkey squad who ran out 70 points to 49 winners in the end. Hard luck girls!
• The side have qualified for the All Ireland knockouts which will take place in the new year so there is plenty still to play for. Congratulations to all of the players and coaches.
• Saturday Sports fixtures
• AWAY AT YMCA CLAREMONT RD
• Minor 3 -v- Loreto St Stephen's Green @ 10am
• Minor 4 -v- Loreto St Stephen’s Green @ 11am
• Have a super sporting weekend!

Well done to all Junior students on completing their exams! 5th & 6th Years have one more day to go on Monday - best of luck! We look forward to welcoming our TYs back from Work Experience on Monday!

We are beyond proud of our 5th year student Nikishi who is competing today in the SciFest National Champions Final in Marino College today. 

The Knitting (K)nook is Open every lunchtime in the GPA. Get your wool (chunky or knit two balls together) and needles (size 6 or bigger). Square size 10 inches x 10 inches and join us from next week. Family and friends are invited to join in by knitting/crocheting squares to add to our collection. House points up for grabs!

Please note that the canteen service will be in place as normal for breaktime tomorrow. The lunch service, however, will not be in place due to the exams. If you wish to order a roll, wrap or sandwich for lunch you can do so using the pre-order facility online and collect during the breaktime service.

Please find attached the canteen menu for next week. A reminder that pre-orders can be made online.

TY Update & What’s On Next Week

Science Week

Science Week this week was action-packed with many daily activities, such as an educational scavenger hunt! On Wednesday, the Pius X GNS girls came to the school to learn about science! The TYs performed experiments in chemistry, physics, agriculture science, and biology, fascinating the budding scientists.

Run in the Dark

Our active TYs had a bright and charitable night on Tuesday as we celebrated Run in the Dark and raised money for those in need! We went for a run or walk together, accompanied by face paint and glow sticks in aid of those who dream to walk. 

Guest Speaker

On Tuesday, during Pastoral Care, Aoife Murphy talked to our TYs about her work in Agricultural Science. She talked about her experiences working with the Kerry Group. Aoife had no background in Agricultural Science before she joined the company, as she graduated from UCD business school. She encouraged us to apply for jobs in many different fields, even if we are not qualified in that specific area, as companies look for people with a variety of skills. Aoife talked about all the trips she made throughout her job and her time living in Kentucky, USA. After Aoife spent some time off travelling around the world, she returned to Ireland and is now the Internal Communications manager for Kerry Group. Our TYs thoroughly enjoyed listening to her experiences!

TY Development Day

Yesterday, our TYs took part in their second Development Day this year! Everyone had a fantastic day with lots of fun and laughter!

TY 1 headed to Dublin Zoo, where they met their Guide for the day, Ms McGinley. They started the morning with a very educational conservation module before all students took a tour of the Zoo and had the chance to interact with all the wonderful wildlife and animals on offer there.  

TY 2 took part in a Self Defence Course in St Joseph’s Hall, where they learned how to defend themselves without having to do any complicated manoeuvres. A great opportunity for the girls!

TY 3 worked on their independence skills as they made their way into town to meet their spiritual guide, Anita Phelan, for ‘A Pilgrim Path’ retreat held in Dublin City Centre. Participants did a ‘pilgrimage’ visiting the main churches on both sides of the Liffey, learning about the historical, political, social and spiritual significance of the parish church communities. The retreat also included time for reflection, and TY3 enjoyed lunch while sitting at the Garden of Remembrance, leaving them with lots to reflect upon and explore! 

TY 4 met Ms Finnegan outside The Little Museum of Dublin, where they learned about the history of Dublin City. They then listened to a 1916 walking tour with their earphones before having a tour of Dublin Castle, including the State Apartments. They finished the day by having a tour of the exquisite Irish Emigration Museum (EPIC).

TY 5 completed their Certified First Aid Course. This is a very valuable course as it improves students’ self-esteem, teamwork and communication skills, prepares them for unpredictable situations and responding to others’ injuries with methods such as CPR. They were treated to an engaging, hands-on set of workshops from experienced first aid instructor Joanne in Lourdes Hall. 

Nuns Feast & Celebration Day

Today, the whole school attended the annual Nun’s Feast day, organised by L5, a tradition unique to Our Lady’s. Our TYs participated by making their Anam Cara’s cards and being ceremony readers. This wonderful experience was enjoyed by all!

TY Reminders

Terenure Musical

If you are interested in the Terenure Musical, please see the TY Google Classroom. 

Please note that Terenure College and not OLS run this. All queries relating to this must go through Olwyn Boyle in Terenure. Please bring your application form with you on the day- auditions for chorus and committees will be on Tuesday, 21st of November, in Terenure College. Callbacks will be on Thursday, 23rd of November.

Study

As exams approach, TYs are being offered after-school study. If you are interested, please fill out the consent form and pay by today. The form must be completed and returned, as per the form, to reception.

What’s On Next Week

Work Experience

Next week, while the rest of the school is doing their November Exams, TYs will be going on their first week of work experience! All students must fill out the daily reflection forms that will be put up on the TY Google Classroom. These assignments will close each day and must be filled out on time. In addition, an evaluation form must be given to your employer by the end of the week for them to complete. This form is to be submitted by December 1st. These forms must be filled out on time to receive the credits for your placement. Best of luck to all, and we hope everyone has an enjoyable experience!

Written by: Kate Smyth, Freya Lilly Eggen and Ciara Brereton (KFC) (TY5)

• Basketball
• A super win for our U16 basketball side on Wednesday afternoon when they travelled away to Holy Faith Clontarf for the Quarter final of the Dublin league. The girls remained composed throughout and in an extremely professional performance they came away with the all important win, 65-42. They now await the draw for their Semi final tie which will take place in the next two weeks. Well done girls, super performance!
• Hockey
• The Minor 2 team opened the fixtures for the week away to Templecarrig school on Wednesday afternoon. The girls had high hopes of continuing their strong start to the season but unfortunately came up against a resolute home side who took their chances when they came and defeated us by 2 goals to 1. The team will now look to bounce back in their next game as they still have a great chance to progress to the knock out rounds after Christmas.
• The Junior 1 team welcomed Sandford park to Our Lady's on Wednesday afternoon. Both sides have had mixed starts to the season but the girls struck early through Helen Duignan to take a deserved 1-0 lead after a great start to the game. Some strong defensive performances throughout meant that Sandford could not equalise and the team held firm to take all 3 points. Well done girls, a super win!
• Camogie
• A great return to winning form for our Junior camogie team on Wednesday. On a very cold morning, the girls played brilliantly to win by a scoreline of 6-9 to 2-1. They will now proceed to the knockout stage of the championship. Well done to all on a fantastic win!
• This weekends sporting fixtures are as follows
• AWAY at Loreto Dalkey
• Junior 3 -v- Loreto Dalkey @9am
• AWAY at St Andrews College
• Senior 2 -v- St Andrews College @9am
• Please note, there will be hockey training after school next week. Keep an eye on Google classroom for the day and time for your team.
• Have a super sporting weekend!

Well done to the 6th Years (Sophie Gorman, Lisa Noble, Maria Reid, Sofia Mohd Nazir, Elle Walsh Giguere and Ciara Fagan) who represented the school at the ISTA Senior Science Quiz at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute last night. They were super - an absolute credit to the school!

We had a very special whole-school ceremony today to celebrate the order of the Religious of Christian Education on their annual feast day. This year marks 70 years since the Sisters established Our Lady's School. In 2023 it continues to flourish under the order's care and we are very proud and thankful to come together to celebrate the occasion today.

Best of luck to all our students with Assessment Week next week and to our TYs on their first block of Work Experience. The canteen will run at breaktime throughout the week of the exams with lunch service available for those students taking afternoon exams.

A reminder that after-school study will take place at the earlier times of 12.45-2.45pm tomorrow.

Many thanks.

A reminder to 1st Year parents that the €30 payment link for the trip on November 30th is on Easy Payments: here

Many thanks.

Please see attached important information for 2nd Years about upcoming events and deadlines this term.