Please read the attached letter from the Career Guidance Department relating to upcoming interest and aptitude tests.

A reminder that students will be receiving their Junior Cycle results just before 1pm tomorrow, Wednesday, and are permitted to leave school at 1pm. Full attendance is expected, as per usual, tomorrow and Thursday. 

Many thanks.

Welcome back! We hope everyone is well rested from Carlingford Adventure Centre and back to a normal sleep schedule! This week everyone returned to their usual classes after an exciting and eventful few days in Louth. Be sure to keep an eye on the TY Google Classroom for new sign-ups and opportunities, you don’t want to miss out!

World Mental Health Day

On Tuesday, we celebrated World Mental Health Day, and students received a badge with a positive quote during their Pastoral Care class from the Well-being Committee. It’s very important that we all remember to look out for each other and take care of our own mental health. Prioritise your wellbeing and embrace your emotions!

HPAT Seminar

On the 10th of October, OLS held a talk for 4th, 5th and 6th years who were interested in pursuing medicine as a career. The talk was intended to help inform students about life as a medical student and offer tips for studying for the HPAT. The first speaker, Darragh Geraghty, taught us about how to approach studying for the HPAT and some of his advice for each section. The second speaker, Catherine, was a past pupil of OLS and she spoke about studying medicine at Trinity and her experience of the Leaving Cert. She also spoke about the importance of taking breaks and looking after your mental health while studying. The final speaker was a representative of Med-Entry, and he taught students about the structure of the HPAT and how to go about studying, some of the other entryways to medicine, and general Leaving Cert advice.

Hike to Ticknock

On Monday, TY1 and TY2 hiked up Ticknock with Ms McGinley, Ms Doran and Ms Shanley as part of their Sports and Recreations course. Although the up-hill climb was tough, once they arrived at the summit the girls got to enjoy the day’s lovely warm weather and, of course, the incredible views of Dublin City, Dublin Bay and the Wicklow Mountains!

Junior Camogie 

Congratulations to our Junior Camogie team who played their very first league match today against Coláiste Íosagáinin Bushy Park which they won 5-05 to 1-07!

Jersey Day

Today, our school participated in Jersey Day to support GOAL- a charity the school takes pride in supporting who work towards preventing extreme poverty and crisis. Everyone donated €3 to the worthy cause, and wore their PE uniform into school, along with their favourite jersey.
 

TY Reminders

Maths Week

Our Lady’s is getting excited as the most anticipated week of the year approaches! During Maths Week everyone is encouraged to go to the GPA to participate in a Countdown competition on Thursday, which is a great opportunity to represent your house and earn points.

Lab Leaders

OLS Science Dept will invite students from 6th class St. Pius X GNS to visit our school and have a chance to take part in a science lesson. TY Students are invited to attend and help out at a lab session where you will be able to demonstrate a science experiment. You would be required to be available for at least 2 Wednesday afternoons (until approx. 2.30pm,).Any TY student who would like to be a Lab Leader, please fill out the form on the TY Google Classroom.The first lab leader session will take place on Wednesday November 15th 2023 and the second one will be the first OR the second Wednesday in January 2024.

Work Experience

A reminder to all TY students to fill in your work experience/community care details on the Google form that is posted on the TY Google classroom. This form must be submitted by 27th October. If you do not have a work placement and/or have not filled out the form by this time, you must attend school as normal for this week.

Timetable Changes

Everyone keep an eye out for schedule changes during this week and next. The Sports and Recreation block will be rotating on Monday the 16th, make sure to look at the TY notice board in the corridor so you know where to go!

Run In The Dark

In 2010, Mark Pollock fell out from a two story building. He broke his back and had damaged his spinal cord which left him paralysed. Run in the Dark was created to help support Mark in his early days - if you are able to, please join the mission to cure paralysis in our lifetime by signing up for Run in the Dark on the TY Google Classroom. Run, for those who dream to walk on Tuesday 14th November @ 5pm. 

TY Hoodies

All TY students should have received an envelope from the TY Enterprise class, which will be collected on Thursday 19th October. Please make sure to include the price of the hoodie (€35) in the envelope as well as your preferences marked on the front of the envelope in relation to size and colour. The year groups’ names will be on the back of the hoodie within the ‘TY’. If you do not want your name included, please email Ms.Cassidy. 

What’s On Next Week

Junior Certificate Results

The highly anticipated Junior Certificate Results are being released next week, on Wednesday 18th of October. We wish everyone the best of luck and we hope everyone is pleased with their results!

Haunted House

All students attending the Kenya volunteer trip, please remember to bring in decorations and equipment for the first year Haunted House taking place next Friday. Don’t forget your costumes!

Written by: Kate Smyth, Freya Lilly Eggen and Ciara Brereton (TY5)
Contributed by: Estella Graham (TY2) and Kate Heffernan (TY5)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The Junior Cycle results will be issued by the State Examinations Commission on Wednesday 18th October. TY students will be presented with their results in school at 12.45pm and can be collected/leave school at 1pm. Results are also available on-line from 4pm. Please note that classes will be underway as usual from 8.30am on Wednesday morning and from 8.30am on Thursday morning.

Many thanks,

M. Gorby

Principal

Please read the attached letter regarding this meeting which is on Thursday, October 19th. It contains important instructions for you to follow in order to book appointment slots with your daughter's teachers.

Many thanks.

Wear a Sports Jersey on Friday and donate. Please see the link below to donate.

https://jerseyday.raisely.com/our-ladys

Thank you to the Amber Flag committee for getting our much loved Friday Feeling sessions up and running last week - a great, active way to start the day on a positive note @Pietahouse @MentalHelthIrl @ActiveFlag

Another busy week at OLS! 

On Wednesday Miraj Ranpura from the Amazon Web Services Dublin office came to give a presentation to the 1st year students about the Amazon Get IT programme and competition. AWS GetIT is a fully-funded education program and competition that works with students in schools—across 13 countries and 14 languages in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Australia—to inspire the next generation, especially girls, to consider a future in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The programme helps schools bring tech role models to their classrooms and gives them a curriculum designed to help students build foundational skills, learn about cloud technology, and design app ideas to solve problems in their communities. The students gave Miraj a great welcome to OLS. They enjoyed hearing about working in the world of technology and about the AWS Get IT programme. Thanks to Miraj for visiting and sharing his expertise with the students. Any first year students who are interested in joining the programme which runs on Thursdays from 3.30pm to 4.15pm in room 32 should complete the form shared with them in their first year google classroom. This extracurricular activity will start on Thursday 11 January.

TY’s have had an action packed few days in Carlingford. They immersed themselves wholeheartedly into the various activities available to them. As soon as we landed a group of students headed to the harbour to build their very own life raft, they didn’t quite make it to Co. Down before capsizing, however they embraced the challenge and enjoyed the splash around. An amazing start to the trip.

Over the course of the few days student’s completed high intensity laser combat in the forest, perfecting the Bear Grylls survivor skills, they spent time wall climbing, axe throwing, and a trip to the Skypark where they channelled their inner spiderwoman Ziplining and climbing up the high ropes! 

In the evenings they enjoyed the Carlingford challenge and an evening campfire. They toasted their s’mores and had a sing song all together. The outdoors proved tiring and all have slept well! Students will make the most of the last day and will bid farewell to Carlingford at approx 5pm. We should arrive back to OLS at 6:30/7pm approximately. 

We would kindly ask that you park in the staff car park beside reception. Alternatively you can park near the Le Chéile Trust building. Please avoid parking just inside the gate outside St. Joseph’s Hall as this is where the three buses will pull in and allow students disembark safely.