A LIFE REMEMBERED...“In all, for all, in spite of all, for everything”It was with deep sadness and regret that the community of St Mary’s Grammar School learned of the death of former teacher and Principal, Sister Immaculata O’Connor (1977-1995). Staff and pupils travelled to Kildare on Monday 3 February to attend her funeral. In school, a minute’s silence called everyone toremember. That week special mention was made of her at assemblies and pupils and staff wereencouraged to drop into the Prayer Room to reflect and pray. Current Principal, Mrs Deirdre Gillespie, paid tribute to her saying: “Sister Immaculata was highly regarded by everyone in the St Mary’s community.Her leadership, vision and dedication to St Mary’s contributed immeasurably to the development andsuccess of the school we know today. Members of staff, past and present, and former pupils of the school,remember her with great fondness and affection, recalling her kindness, understanding and regard forothers. She remained an interested and loyal supporter of the school.”

On Friday 28 February, a special Mass was celebrated- the celebrant was Monsignor Christopher O’Byrne,and it was concelebrated by Fr John Gates, School Chaplain and Father John McKeever, former pupil. It was held in the Sports Hall which came about because of the vision and fundraising efforts of Sr Immaculata and the Friends of St Mary’s. Mrs D Gillespie said she was humbled to see so many teachers past and present, pupils past and present and parents past and present return to bid a fondfarewell to a woman renowned for her quiet tenacity, intelligence and infinite wisdom. She touched the lives of so many with her infectious wit and her warmth.

It was so special to see her nephews and their families in a school that grew from two hundred to over nine hundred during her time. Monsignor O’Byrne offered the homily- a most fitting recollection of a liferemembered and a lady revered. May she rest in peace.

PRINCIPAL’S INTRODUCTIONAs we reach the end of another school year, it is fitting that we reflect upon the year that has passed. It has,as usual, been an eventful year. The school has been a hive of activity with pupils and staff participating inan array of competitions, trips, charity work, community projects and so much more. Within the classroom,there has been a strong focus on preparing for examinations and I am confident that pupils and teachers willreap the reward of their hard work when results are released in August.

This issue of ‘Nuacht Mhuire’ provides a flavour of the life and work of St Mary’s in recent months. As youwill see, the school and its pupils continue to thrive. This is due to the dedication, loyalty and skill of everymember of staff. As this year draws to a close, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the staff of St Mary’sfor their commitment to the school and its pupils. I also wish to thank parents/guardians for their support andinterest in the school throughout the year.

In February, we learned of the passing of former St Mary’s Principal, Sister Immaculata O’Connor, who wasinstrumental in shaping the outstanding school we have today. I, therefore, dedicate this issue of ‘NuachtMhuire’ to the memory of Sister Immaculata. May she rest in peace.

Mrs D. GillespiePrincipal

EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLECongratulations to Claire Shields, Ciara Scullion, Claire Kilpatrick,Mairead Hughes, Louise Lennon, Niamh McCrory, Emer Donaghy,Niamh Mullin, Kerri Wilson, Margaret Taggart and Mebh McGee, Year 13and Year 14 pupils, who were commissioned as Extraordinary Ministersof Holy Communion in Magherafelt Chapel on Holy Thursday evening,during the Mass which was celebrated by Monsignor O’Byrne. Throughthe JPII Award, the girls had expressed a strong interest and desire tobecome EMHC in their own parishes and were prepared over manyweeks by Damien Quigley, a Seminarian from Maynooth. Head of RE,Mrs Irene Hynds, said, “We are very proud of them and will continue to pray for God’s blessing upon them.”

FAITHFUL FOLLOWERSOn Wednesday 26 March, sixty four students attended andparticipated in the annual Diocesan Faith Awards ceremony in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh. Thirty three Year 14 students and thirtyone Year 12 students were presented with the prestigious John Paul IIAward and Muiredach Cross Award, respectively. The Awards werepresented to the students by Archbishop Eamon Martin. During theceremony, Ellen Groom, a recipient of the Muiredach Cross Award, was invited to speak with Archbishop Eamon Martin, to discuss thethings she had enjoyed, the challenges involved in participating inthe Award and how her faith had deepened as a result. Ellen explainedthat participating in and receiving the Award had “quite simply enabledme to put my faith into action”.

SPREADING THE WORDMrs Gillespie was delighted to receive a letter of thanks from Book Aid. In February, the schoolhad responded innovatively to World Book Day.

Literacy co-ordinator, Miss Maria Hatchell, had encouraged staff andpupils to dress up as literary characters- some of the money raised was then sent to Book Aid. As Harriet Beaumont from Book AidInternational explained, “The books we send thanks to you will make an enormous difference to the people who read them- firing theirimagination, imparting knowledge, illuminating possibilities- just onebook can do so much. Every £2.00 raised enables Book Aid to send abook to Africa (to libraries, universities, refugee camps, hospitals andprisons) that will be read by at least five people.”

Miss Hatchell said, “I was absolutely delighted by the pupils’ generosityover the course of our Literacy Week as they raised over £600. Half ofthis has gone towards funding our school musical ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’and the other half was sent to Book Aid International, a great charitywhich funds the provision of books for children in Africa. The pupils and teachers alike were extremely supportive of the Literacy Week andshowed great spirit in dressing up. Many teachers participated in thefancy dress, providing a great example to the pupils and encouragingreading throughout the school.”

SOROPTOMIST SUCCESSShannon Donnelly, a Year 13student, achieved third place in the Northern Ireland Final of the prestigious SoroptimistInternational Public SpeakingCompetition, held on Saturday 22 February in GlenolaCollegiate, Bangor. Sixteen pupilsfrom across Northern Irelandparticipated in the final. Shannondelivered a 6 minute prepared

speech on the topic: Does Lobbying make an impact on our PoliticalLeaders? She then had the challenging task of delivering a two minuteimpromptu speech on the topic, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if…’

Her teacher, and Head of English, Mrs Reid said, “Shannon wascomplimented on her polished and poised delivery. She richly deservesthis success.”

Shannon explained, “I am absolutely ecstatic to have achieved third place in N Ireland. I received the Margaret Gregg Salver for my efforts, as well as £50.00 for saving, £20.00 for books and £50.00 to be donated tomy school for educational purposes. I am so grateful to have been giventhe opportunity to represent my school and the Ballymoney and Districtarea in the Soroptimist competition, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting girlsand fellow Soroptimists from across N. Ireland. Special thanks is offered to Mrs O Reid for her faith in me and her selfless support throughout theprocess. It was a hugely enjoyable and inspirational experience which has served to build my confidence further and has allowed me to gainexperience in delivering an impromptu speech, how to think on the spot,communicate effectively and hold the attention of my audience. These areskills which I believe will be invaluable in the career path I hope to pursuein the future as a barrister.”

THE LANGUAGE OF LOVELiteracy co-ordinator Miss Maria Hatchellexplained, “Love was in the air – for the most part – in St Mary’s on St Valentine’s Day as Year 8 and Year 9 pupils, with the help of Year 13 and 14, took to the stage to declare theirlove. For their teachers? No. For their school? No.Mostly for football! But also for their love of poetry! Staff and pupils alike shared their favourite poems that related to love. Many pupilsdemonstrated their fondness for local poet Seamus Heaney and thework they have studied of his this term. Others very bravely shared thepersonal poetry they themselves had written. A number of teachersjoined me, including Mrs Anderson, Mrs Fullerton, Miss Donnelly, Mrs Reid, alongside senior pupils, who demonstrated a great example to the pupils through their recitals. All credit, however, goes to the pupilswho were confident, well-spoken and extremely respectful throughoutthe event. They demonstrated a deep appreciation for poetry and foreach other!”

FOND FAREWELLTo mark the end of DamienQuigley’s (4th Year seminarian)very productive time in ourschool, where he played an active role in the pupils’ FaithDevelopment Programme, a trip to Maynooth College took place in April.

A Year 12 student remarked, “It was spiritually uplifting and a great day out.”

MEET ME INST MARY’SSt Mary’s PTA held aSponsored Walk on Friday 11April. The money raised will gotowards the School Musicalfund. St Mary’s will present the family favourite Meet Me in St. Louis in November 2014. All those already cast in the Musical joined in the walk.

MEET ME IN ST. LOUISANNOUNCED AS NEW MUSICALIn February, an announcement from the Drama and MusicDepartments confirming the intent to stage a musical in 2014generated huge curiosity and excitement throughout the school. Eagerly anticipating details of the chosen show’s title, many pupils andstaff took part in a “Guess the Musical” competition before the title –Meet Me in St. Louis - was revealed to a large crowd which hadgathered at break-time in the Assembly Hall.

Meet Me in St. Louis is a heart-warming family musical based on the classic 1944 MGM film of the same title. Following confirmation of the musical, interested pupils had the opportunity to attend ascreening of the movie beforeregistering to audition for a role in the show.

The audition process began in March and many pupils weredelighted to be cast in a chorus orprincipal role. At the end of March, the Cast and Production Teamtravelled together to the Great Hall in Downpatrick to see a production of the show presented by St Patrick’sChoral Society.

Meet Me in St. Louis will be staged in St Mary’s between 25 - 29November 2014. Tickets will go on sale in September. Bookinginformation and further details about the production will be posted on the St Mary’s website.

ALWAYS A DRAMAAs usual, it has been a very busy few months in the Drama Department.

In February, Year 11 and Year 12 pupils travelled to the Lyric Theatre, Belfast to see a production of Brian Friel’s Philadelphia, Here I Come! As a follow up to theperformance, the Creative Learning Department of the Lyric Theatre facilitated a dramaworkshop in St Mary’s for Year 11 pupils who attended the play. Also in February, Year11 – Year 14 pupils attended an Opera Workshop facilitated by NI Opera in the EuropaHotel, Belfast before attending the NI Opera production of Verdi’s Macbeth in theGrand Opera House.

Year 11 pupils were back in the Grand Opera House in March to take part in a CreativeChoices careers event which gave them the opportunity to participate in workshopsexploring aspects of theatre such as costume, lighting, sound, stage managementand marketing.

In April, the children’s theatre company, Cahoots NI, visited St Mary’s to present its newproduction, I Predict, to Year 10 pupils. Also in April, Simon Goldrick and a film crewfrom NI Opera came to St Mary’s to interview Year 11 pupils about their experience ofand attitude towards Opera as a performance genre as part of a documentary beingmade by the company about Opera in Northern Ireland and the UK.

In addition to theatre visits and workshops, pupils in the Drama Departmentdemonstrated their own skills in a range of performance work.

In February, Year 13 students presented An Evening of Monologues and Duologues.In March, Year 12 Drama pupils performed plays such as Dancing at Lughnasa, Be My Baby, Lay Up Your Ends and Of Mice and Men while A2 Theatre Studiesstudents presented devised dramas entitled Still I Rise and Through the Loopy Glass.

In April, Year 12 Performing Arts students presented their showcase performanceentitled For Peace Comes Dropping Slow and, in May, AS Theatre Studies studentsperformed the comedy-drama, Steel Magnolias.

For further images of Drama Department visits, workshops and performances, please visit the Media Galleries section of the St Mary’s website.

KEEPING UP THE TRADITIONFollowing their success in the early stages of the Gael Linn competition, St Mary's traditional musicgroup, Cóiriú, (Stephen McKee, Brigeen Mitchell, Eoghan Mc Kee, Maria Mitchell, Mairead Mitchell,Jack Warnock and Eimhear Mulholland) travelled to the All Ireland Final of the Siansa competition inApril. Mr Mac Feilimí explained, “The much renowned traditional music and Irish medium competitionculminated in an exuberant display of talent from Ireland’s top eight young music groups whoperformed to almost one thousand people in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on Sunday 6 April. The process began back in December when forty seven groups submitted a thirteen minutearrangement of traditional reels, jigs and polkas as well as a suitably chosen Irish language folk song.Thirty two of these groups proceeded through to regional workshops where distinguished judges,Ciarán Ó Maonaigh and Mary Bergin, listened once again to their piece and this time offered counselto the up and coming talent. Cóiriú, a group formed largely by students of St Mary’s, progressedthrough the regional workshop held in the Four Seasons Hotel, Monaghan to earn their place on the big stage.

The atmosphere back stage in the Concert hall was electric. As Cóiriú arrived at 4:00pm for their sound check, they were pounced upon byphotographers, the national broadcaster, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, and TV cameras from TG4. Amidst the excitement, the group kept their calm andwhen they took to the stage five hours later, it was obvious that they were in their element. Beginning with a lively jig, the group extracted cheers fromeven the most sedate audience members and this became a recurrent sound throughout. As the last group of the evening, Cóiriú didn’t have long towait until the judges verdict was in. As Mary Bergin took to the microphone on behalf of the judges, a hush fell on the audience: then, in reverse order,third place was called, and with that Cóiriú secured a much deserved place in the competition. Although somewhat caught unaware at first, EimhearMulholland eventually stepped forward on behalf of the group to receive medals and a cheque for 750 euro in recognition of all their time and effort.”

The St Mary’s community is very proud of the achievements of these young musicians and will continue to support them in their quest for the elusive first place. They are very grateful to the selfless efforts of the Music and Irish departments. The competition was presented by Áine Hensey and broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. The final was also recorded live for TG4 and was televised on 23 April 2014.

Eimhear Mulholland said, “It was a great experience to be back in the Concert hall again this year and achieving 3rd place made it all the moreworthwhile. It is a great recognition of all the work and practice that we did as a group throughout the year and some reward for the incrediblesupport of Music teachers, Miss U Donnelly and Miss McKillop, and Head of Irish, Mr Mac Feilimí.”

SPRING IS IN THE AIRSt Mary’s recently held the AnnualSpring Concert which was a feast for the eyes and ears, such wasthe breadth and diversity of the acts who entertained andenthralled. Mrs Gillespie paid

tribute to all who had made the night a musical success. She said, “It was simply a super night and the atmosphere was wonderful. We are so privileged to have so many talented young people and staff.They give us so much every day and it was great to have the opportunityto share some of that with their families and friends.”

ALL THERIGHTNOTES Head of Music, Miss Una Donnelly,expressed her delight at the students’ recentsuccesses in ABRSM and Trinity MusicExaminations, many

of whom gained a Merit or Distinction. Congratulations to: EireannMcCusker, Catherine Skelly and Caoimhe O’Kane who achieved Grade3; Orla McGurk, Ellen O’Connor, Mary Lagan, Molly McAllister, LorcanDarragh, Aidan McCloskey and Emma Dace who achieved Grade 4; and, Nicole Clerkin and Faoiltiarna Burke who achieved Grade 5.

SWEET SOUNDS OF SUCCESSThe Music Department, for the first time, entered three groups in theBallymena Festival of Music and Drama. The Senior Traditional Groupwon the Crawford Ulster Challenge Cup. The players were commendedfor their excellent transitions between tunes and the arrangement of theirset. The newly formed St Mary’s Junior String Orchestra took secondplace against a very experienced group from Assumption Grammar –there was only one point difference in the score! The adjudicatorremarked on their energetic performance. Finally, the Junior Choirperformed and came first, winning the McIlveen cup, beating choirs from St Louis, Cambridge House and Loreto. They were complimentedon their sensitive singing and their passion and commitment to both of their songs.

Music teachers, Miss McKillop and Miss U Donnelly, explained, “Ourstudents thoroughly enjoyed participating in the festival and particularlyenjoyed hearing groups from other schools perform. To have achievedsuch success is an added bonus and we are very proud of them!”

“OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS”Year 12 student, Hugh-Roe O’Donnell, recently returned from a trip of a lifetime. He explains, “This year, for St Patrick’s Day, I found myself in Abu Dhabi, nearly five thousand miles away from home, and playing the viola as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. Around one hundred musicians in the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (about four fifths of the full orchestra)were invited over for a four day, all-expenses paid trip, to perform in theNational Theatre of Abu Dhabi on St Patrick’s day, officially kick-startingmusic in Abu Dhabi’s education system. We were treated incredibly well.We were booked into the luxury, five star ‘Dusit Thani’ hotel, which hadglass-walled lifts, which constantly soared up and down the thirty sevenfloors at dizzying speeds. We were also taken out for dinner at one of the Etihad Towers, where we had the opportunity to explore theObservatory, 305m high, and with views of the Emirates Palace!

It was a great experience as you might imagine, seeing another side ofthe world, experiencing another culture. It was also another reminderthat I’m very, very glad I never gave up playing the viola years ago, asyou never know when opportunities like this might come around!”

ST MARY’SYOUNGSCIENTISTThree of our top Year 11 Scientists,James McTeague, Erin McIvor and Niall Conlon, competed in theBT Young Scientist competition inDublin this year and report it was one of the best experiences of theirlives. James McTeague said, “All school trips tend to be good, but whenyou combine great people, an excellent opportunity, experience andprizes you know that you’ve signed up for one of the best.” The pupilsadmit that in order to get ready for the competition in Dublin they had to spend many lunchtimes working on their experiments, which at times proved challenging. However, under the excellent supervision of Dr Hamill and Mr McAuley it was all so worthwhile when they producedsome exciting results. James said, ‘We spent four days in Dublin and wemet lots of young people from all over Ireland. After the competition eachday, there was an organised social event in the evening for the students (no teachers allowed!) and this was a great time to make new friends,chat and relax. We were awarded a display award for our poster and arealready making plans on how we can expand our Investigations for nextyear. It was a fantastic experience and I’m glad that we were part of it.’”

LAB COATS &BREAKING BADYear 13 students, Keeva Madden,Paula O’Neill and Alisha Toner,were recently awarded “HighlyCommended” by the Institute ofChemistry, Ireland for a chemistrynewsletter they wrote entitled

“Chemistry-Is it just lab coats & Breaking Bad?” The school was one of only two schools in Ireland to receive this accolade. The theme of the competition this year was “Teenagers’ perceptions of Chemistry”. The newsletter developed by the girls contained the results of a surveycarried out with nearly three hundred students across the school aboutwhat they thought Chemistry was and why it was important to study it. In addition to this, the girls carried out research into new chemicaldevelopments happening in Northern Ireland, finding out about newchewing gum repellents, and, drugs being manufactured in N. Ireland to cure cystic fibrosis.

MINDS ONPHYSICSTwenty Year 12 pupilsrecently took part in theBritish Olympiad GCSEPhysics Challenge, aprestigious competitionorganised by theUniversity of Oxford.Pupils answered a onehour paper consisting

of stimulating questions which tested their understanding and problem-solving skills in answering real-life Physics problems. Six pupils wereparticularly successful, receiving Bronze Awards (Emma Quinn, EoghanMcDonald, Paul Mc Carron, Hugh O’Donnell, Mark Friel and AoifeMcErlane) and fourteen pupils received Commendation Awards.

Thirteen Year 13 Physics pupils took part in this year’s British Physics Olympiad AS Challenge. All pupils performed very well in the competition with twelve pupils achieving a Commendation Award. Roshan O’Donnell did exceptionally well and achieved a Bronze Award.In May, Year 13 Physics pupils visited the Radiology Department inAntrim Area Hospital. Pupils had the opportunity to observe medicalimaging equipment in operation and view a range of imaging techniquesand scans including MRI, CT and Ultrasound. Medical Physics ImagingTechniques is a sizable topic on the AS Physics specification and thevisit was invaluable to the students’ understanding of this area of the course.

FULL STEM AHEADA-Level pupils engagedin an all day workshoponboard the NEELBSTEM Module. The Module aims topromote Science,Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics ascareer choices for youngpeople within education.The Year 13 and 14pupils, who werestudying for their ASLevel Product Design, availed of this unique opportunity to develop their skills in project work using the latest state-of-the-art Computer AidedDesign software and manufacture processes. This also included use of the five CNC Laser Cutting Machines and three 3D Printers onboardthe mobile workshop.

GOOD MORNINGVIETNAM Congratulations to Fintan Devine, a Year 14student, who has been selected to representIreland at the International Chemistry Olympiadin Hanoi, Vietnam in July.

Fintan's route to selection started in Februarywhen he won a Silver medal in the 2014 All-Ireland Science Olympiad in Chemistry. This competition is held annually in Dublin CityUniversity and is open to all secondary levelstudents from Northern Ireland and theRepublic of Ireland. As a result of his success in the All-Irelandcompetition, Fintan was selected on to a panel of fifteen students (with fellow student Bronagh McGuckin) who received additional trainingand assignments, including an intensive residential training programmein Dublin City University over the Easter holidays.

The fifteen shortlisted students then sat a very demanding practical and theory exam on Friday 25 April; and, based on this, Fintan and three other students have been chosen to represent Ireland at theInternational Chemistry Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam in July. Fintan, along with the other three members of the Irish team, will receive aweeklong intensive residential training programme in Dublin CityUniversity on the International Chemistry Olympiad syllabus prior to their departure for Vietnam.

Head of Chemistry, Mrs Assumpta McGuckin, offered her sincerecongratulations to Fintan on his exemplary achievement and paid tributeto his teacher Ms Teresa Mullan, Irish Olympiad co-ordinator, who gaveexpert advice and guidance in preparing Fintan for such a demandingbut prestigious competition.

SCIENCE MATTERSYear 14 students took part in the British Chemistry Olympiad Competition 2014. Congratulations to Fintan Devine, Aaron Leung,Bronagh McGuckin, Katie McKee and Patrick Kielt who achieved Silver awards and to Conor McPeake who achieved a Bronze award. Other pupils participated at a very pleasing standard: Eimer McGuckian,Frances Carmichael, James Carey, Kay McAlary, Andrew Sweeney,Claire Totten, Emma Glenn and Kerri Burke.

HOLOCAUSTSURVIVOR TALKOn Tuesday 11 March, a number of Year 10 History pupils attended a talk by Joanna Millen, a Holocaustsurvivor from Berlin. During the courseof her talk, Mrs Millen spoke of herexperience as the orphan of parentswho died during the Holocaust and as a woman who spent time inTheresienstadt Concentration Camp, in the Czech Republic.

Her words and reflections were very touching and will prove invaluableas these pupils study Nazi Germany. Their teacher Mr McGuckincommented, “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students to hear a living testimony from a survivor of one of the most horrificevents in world history.”

DISSOLVING BOUNDARIESThis year, we have been involved in a North/South schools’ basedproject that brings pupils together using technology. Entitled TheDissolving Boundaries Programme, the initiative has been running since1999 and is funded by the two Departments of Education and managedby the University of Ulster and National University of Ireland, Maynooth. It aims to develop principles of good citizenship through collaborativeproject work which means that our school is partnered with a school inthe Republic of Ireland - St Nathy’s College, Ballaghderren. Pupils in thetwo schools correspond with each other and work in collaboration on atopic on the curriculum. The topic this year was ‘Energy Efficiency withinboth schools’. This project has worked alongside the ‘Eco-Committee’ inhelping to reduce energy consumption within St Mary’s; they have alsoaddressed a reduction on the use of paper and plastic. The link schoolhas also been trying to do the same and is now working towards theirequivalent of the ‘Green Flag Award’.

LINKING GENERATIONSResidents ofBrennen Court inMagherafelt hadcompleted a 10week basic ICTcourse with acommunityorganisation. To assist them infurther developingtheir ICT skills andconfidence, a

number of students in school volunteered to offer additional support.They worked together for eight weeks, and this time was most enjoyable for all concerned.

The students and the residents of Brennen Court compiled a photoalbum which consisted of past and present photographs, as well as photographs taken throughout the course. Niamh McCrory said, “We all thoroughly enjoyed this beneficial experience, learning anddeveloping friendships that we hope to continue with the residents of Brennen Court.”

CHARGED AND READY FOR BUSINESSHead of Business Studies and Economics, Mrs Marion McKeever, expressed her delight at thepupils’ recent success in a very prestigious competition. She explained, “As part of their extra-curricular activities, a group of enterprising Year 13 students (sixteen in total) got involved insetting up a company and became part of the Young Enterprise organisation. They wereassigned a ‘mentor’ (Mr Mark McSwiggan) who visited them every Tuesday and Thursday andadvised them on business matters. They met twice a week. After a wealth of research, theydecided to sell Iphone chargers. They sourced the product from China and successfully soldthese to the school community and to the Young Enterprise Trade Fair in the Abbey Centre,Belfast. We had such confidence in the product and in their innovative ways, that they wereentered into the Young Enterprise Competition, which involved producing a booklet outlining the issues involved in organising and running thebusiness and what they had learned from the experience. The competition in the Young Enterprise head quarters in March was very gruelling. Four members of the group were interviewed by a panel of judges about the whole experience. We were therefore delighted to win the Best SocialEnterprise company. In addition, the Chairman of the judging panel awarded the group a ‘highly commended’ accolade and named them runner up in the Overall competition. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have certainly acquired greater business acumen.”

ACTION NOWThe Social Action Committee of St Mary’s was recently established and seeks to provide students with opportunities for spiritual and personal growth, so that as socially responsible leaders of their generation they may fulfil the words ofArchimedes; “Give me but a firm spot on which to stand, and I shall move the earth.” Co-ordinated by Mr A. McGuckin, he explained, “Our objectives are to affect real change in the local and global community; to alleviate human suffering in the local community and further afield; and, to raise awareness on international issues of social justice. I believe such objectives can best be achieved through the qualities of youth.”

COMPANYMATTERSThe Year 11 GCSEBusiness Studies group set up a business as a wayof seeing how the theorythey were learning in classcould be applied to the realworld. They decided that a football jersey could beprofitable and enjoyable todesign and promote. They carried out market research to test the marketand to see the sort of products and the specification of a product thatpotential customers wanted. They then designed their football jersey andwent about marketing the product. This resulted in a significant numberof sales and provided invaluable experience of some of the issuesinvolved in running a business. At the end of the process, the companydonated £300 to the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Mr Francisexplains, “The company still have ideas that they would like to develop in the future. The process of setting up and running a company hascomplemented the theory they have been learning in GCSE BusinessStudies. Many of the students want to set up their own business in thefuture as a result of their experience.”

HEALTHY OPTIONSMagherafelt Learning Partnership (MLP), thanks to the Big Lottery ‘Living and Learning Together’Project, recently held a ‘Health Fair’ in St Mary’s Grammar School. The target group was Year 10 pupils. Research has shown that pupils of this age are faced with many more choicesand challenges regarding their health and general wellbeing than their peers of yester year. The MLP Principals were anxious that Year 10 pupils would be given the opportunity to haveaccess, in a carefully controlled environment, to the outside agencies and professionals who canprovide information, advice, support and guidance in a range of pastoral issues not only now, butalso in the future. Some twenty agencies were in attendance at the ‘Health Fair’ with each school,on a rota basis, visiting the fair and spending about one hour there. Naimh McFlynn explained,“There were lots of stalls representing many charities and organisations including Barnardos, Dunlewey Substance Advice Centre, Northern IrelandAnti-Bullying Forum, and stampEd. I was extremely surprised at the number of stalls and organisations that are situated locally that can offer help toall members of the community. Throughout the fair, there was a great atmosphere from people laughing, learning and having a great time together!Overall it was a great day and I would highly recommend it to other schools.”

SMART CHOICESWe promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle amongst all pupils from Year 8 to Year 14. Healthy eating awards are presented to those pupils whoregularly make healthy choices in the school canteen. The pupils were congratulated at Year Group Assemblies and rewarded with credit on their‘Smart Cards’ for use in school.

CAUGHT IN THE NETKey Stage 3 pupils watched a play and did a workshop on staying safe on the internet. Eva Hirst explained, “A group of actors came into St Mary’s and performed a brilliant play. The mainaim of the play was to communicate the dangersof the internet. The play was about a girl who meta boy online and she thought that she could trusthim, but she was wrong. She met up with him inthe real world and he was not what she had expected. After the play,they told us that this has happened to many young people and that theyhave never been seen again. In the workshop, we played a few gamesand they told us a very sad story about a young girl who had beencyberbullied. They told us how we could prevent this from happening tous. They also told us that if we see someone is being cyberbullied weshould report them. They called out a few social networking sites, and ifwe had them we were asked to raise our hands. Nearly everyone in thehall had an account on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc. They advisedus not to add anyone we didn’t know. They told us a lot of very usefulinformation in urging us to understand the dangers of getting caught up in the ‘net’!”

TO BE THE BESTOn 27 February, Year 12 students spent the day learning from Ben Best a motivational speaker. They completed a range of activities showing the importance of relaxation, positivity and self-motivation to succeed with their many hopes anddreams later in life. They were educated on the parts of the brain and preferred learning styles thus enabling them toimprove their revision techniques. One of the most effective activities involved the students being given a polo, a piece ofstring and a circle card with directions on it. Putting the string through the polo they were asked to hover it above the card.The students were so attentive to what Ben was saying that they moved the polo themselves but fully believed he was theone controlling the movement. The subliminal message behind this being that the students are in complete control of their future and what they wantto do with their lives but they must realise this in order to succeed. Many of the students commented on how enjoyable the activity was and howmotivated they now are to succeed. Joseph Craig said, “I enjoyed going back to my childhood ways using plasticine to create an image of mydreams like I would have done years ago although now my dreams are slightly different.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHTYear 11 pupils were served up an innovative and informative ChemistryDemonstration Lecture and later a Careers Presentation by LoughryCollege. Sandra Witherspoon and Liz Simpson presented an interactiveand engaging demonstration lecture to all Year 11 students on the roleof acids in food. The students were given an insight into the number ofdifferent career opportunities through studying Food Science/ FoodTechnology and various other courses at this College.

POSITIVEACTIONA regular visitor in St Mary’s, Ann Walker, came to presentsome certificates to Year 10pupils on behalf of Action MS(Northern Ireland’s MultipleSclerosis Charity). When inYear 9, they contributed£1,576.54 to the charity bydoing a sponsored walk round Drum Manor ForestPark. Ann also presented a ‘Gold certificate’ to Year 10 pupil Lorcan Toner who raised over £100 for the charity.

KEEPINGWELL VANThe staff of St Mary’srecently had theopportunity to visit aKeeping Well van whichwas located in school forseveral days. Mr Dunlop, Vice Principal and

co-ordinator of the Health and Wellbeing Committee, had made thenecessary arrangements as the school recognises and promotes theimportance of staff welfare.

The Cancer Focus Northern Ireland Keeping Well vans are mobile drop-in units which deliver free health checks and cancer awarenesssessions directly to workplaces, sports and community groups acrossNorthern Ireland. The resources available on board help empower localpeople to take control of their own health and lower their risk of cancer.

The sessions offered are interactive, positive and designed so thatparticipants see how they can pro-actively adopt a healthier lifestyle,step by step. The health checks available on board the van include:blood pressure, pulse, blood sugar, carbon monoxide monitoring (forsmokers), BMI and a body composition analysis, and, health awarenesssessions offering advice on improving health and providing informationon the early signs and symptoms of various cancers. Those whoattended were very grateful and many are determined to follow the good advice received and to keep well!

BEYOND THE CLASSROOMThe Geography department members ensured that our buddinggeographers got to experience the subject beyond the classroom. Mrs Bradley explained, “All Year 11 Geography students visitedNewcastle, Co. Down in April to investigate the strategies used tomanage an area of the coast affected by coastal erosion. As part of ourAS Geography course, Year 13 students took part in river fieldwork atCrawfordsburn Country Park to study the changes downstream alongthe Crawford’s Burn. We measured the width and depth of the river using ranging poles and a measuring tape. Everyone had an opportunityto participate in the fieldwork and we all had a great day. Year 14Geography students attended an Earth Sciences Conference in RaineyEndowed School in March. The keynote address was by ProfessorAdrian Moore, Head of the School of Environmental sciences at theUniversity of Ulster, who delivered a fascinating and enlightening sessionentitled Geography Matters, which had a particular focus on Careers with Geography and the use of Geographical Information Systems.” Mrs Bradley added her views on the importance of going beyond the classroom, “...as fieldwork and educational visits offer learnersopportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in ways that add value to their everyday experiences in the classroom.”

SEACHTAIN NA GAEILGESeachtain na Gaeilge took place between the 6-28 March 2014. During this time frame, St Mary’s held many events for the pupils. Year 8-13 were at the top of the calendar competing for scholarships to attend the Gaeltacht courses in both Machaire Rabhartaigh and also in Bun an Inbhir. Many pupils took part in the scholarship scheme andmany were also rewarded for their hard work and high levels of spokenIrish. Year 8 pupils were very busy during Seachtain na Gaeilge withvarious activities. All of the Year 8 pupils participated in a céilí in Marchand on the 13th March 2014 many pupils took part in RITH whichinvolved them running a short distance to raise awareness, promote theIrish language in communities throughout Ireland and collect money forthe development of language at the same time. The Silver Fáinne examproved also to be very popular for Year 10 pupils. The standard ofspoken Irish at the top end of Key Stage 3 was exceptional. Not only didpupils receive their Fáinne badge after passing their exam, the three topgirls and boys across all of the Irish classes were presented with CornBhríde. These pupils were: Lorcan Ó Tomhnair, Niamh Nic Giolla Bhuí,Seosamh Mac Fhirléinn, Caoimhe Nic Fhilib, Aodh Mac Cionaith andSorcha – Labhaoise Ní Dhuifinn. For the Year 14 students, a literatureworkshop was organised. As part of A-Level Irish, students are requiredto study relevant Irish literature and this workshop helped them to gain a better understanding of various poems and other works of literaturethat are on the course. They were also fortunate to meet some of theauthors and poets who composed these pieces of writing. Seachtain na Gaeilge proves that the Irish language and culture is alive and thriving in Scoil Mhuire!

THE MAGIC OF MADRID

Eight Year 12 Spanish students set off on the first part of their Spanishexchange visit just before Christmas. Bronagh McFarlane explained: “For eight months, we had been in regular contact with our friends inColegio Aristos via videoconferencing. When we arrived, we stayed in the school’s accommodation block but spent the majority of our time inthe company of our host family. Many exciting events and visits wereorganised for us. We went on a day trip to Toledo; we visited the RoyalPalace; and, we spent an evening in Madrid and enjoyed the beauty of the Christmas lights. We also visited the school and deliveredpresentations to the English classes about Irish culture and enjoyed theschool’s Christmas concert. We also went ice skating and bowling. Wewere treated incredibly well and look forward to returning the hospitalityin June 2014 when we open our doors to receive our Spanish visitors.”

ADDING A LITTLE COLOURThe GCSE, AS and A2 Art and Design Students recently attended theannual ‘True Colours’ Exhibition at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. The pupils found the exhibition to be inspirational and beneficial as itdisplayed an exceptional standard of work created at GCSE, AS and A2level throughout Northern Ireland. Students were also fortunate enoughto go on a guided tour of Modern Art at the Ulster Museum and the A Level students participated in an Experimental Printmaking Workshop.

The trip then took the students to ‘The MAC’ in Belfast. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed viewing the architectural design of this building and they attended an Art exhibition on display in the centre’s galleries.Ethlinn Walls said, “All the work that was on display was excellent; it gave us motivation to excel in our own work because the majority of the exhibition was done by people our own age. It was a reallyinspiring presentation.”

James McTeague said, “My visit to the True Colours Exhibition was eyeopening. I now know the level that is expected of me and have gainedsome brilliant ideas that I can use and hopefully bring my artwork up to standard with the projects that were on display at the exhibition.”

FIELD OF DREAMSYear 8 pupils enjoyed much success in the sporting field in June. The girls played in the Ulster Final in Camogie and were only narrowlybeaten. The occasion was heightened when permission was granted for all the Year 8 pupils to go to the final. They cheered their peers fromthe sideline. Mrs Anderson, Head of Year 8, offered her congratulationsto the team and paid tribute to their coaches, in particular Miss CathyCarey. The girls fought to the end and although disappointed not to win were exceptionally gracious in defeat.

SKY IS THE LIMIT!Congratulations to Year 9 students, Joe O’Hagan and Katie Walker,who were successful in the Sky Sports Living for Sports Awards in theHighly Commended category. They were presented with their awardsby David Beckham and Jessica Ennis in London at Sky Studios on Tuesday 20 May 2014. Head of PE, Mr John McElholm, explained“These prestigious awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate the way in which students, teachers and schools are using sport to increaseattainment and achievement. Katie and Joe fully embraced the FunSports organised to promote the Sky Sports Living for Sports initiative.Personal challenges were overcome with motivation and determinationand so these two pupils are wholly deserving of such an award.Recently, they featured in a short film demonstrating their skills andtenacity. I am delighted that their efforts were suitably acknowledged and rewarded in a star-studded event.”

TOP CANDIDATENiamh McGarry pictured receiving an award for being Top Candidate (GCSE Physical Education) in N Ireland at the CCEAAwarding Excellence ceremony held in The Stormont Hotel onWednesday 26 March 2014.

She is pictured with Head of PE, Mr J McElholm, PE teacher, Miss O Donnelly and Vice principal, Mr F Dunlop.

YEAR 8 ULSTER CHAMPIONS The Year 8 boys’ Gaelic team travelled to St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast inearly June to play in the Ulster Colleges ‘A’ Tournament in the hope ofemulating the St Mary’s team of 2000, the last team to bring the title backto Magherafelt. The top two teams qualified for the semi finals out of eachgroup and with a number of exceptional teams in the same group as the St Mary’s boys it was going take a massive effort in every game toensure they finished in the top two. They played: St Patrick’s Academy,Dungannon; Abbey, Newry; St Patrick’s, Maghera; and St Patrick’s,Armagh. Their success led to them playing St Michael’s, Enniskillen in the semi final. It was a tough match but they held on for a victory to claim a place in the final against a fancied St Colman’s, Newry.The final lived up to its expectations with points being exchangedbetween the two sides in a very tight first half, the boys workingrelentlessly to keep the ball out of the back line and trying to pick off asmany scores as they could. With the start of the second half, both teamsfound it hard to get their scores as both sets of defenders were on top oftheir game. Fortunately, they held on for a one point win at the finalwhistle. The players and management were ecstatic at the full timewhistle after a gripping final. Ethan Carey-Small was presented the Year 8 Ulster Colleges ‘A’ Cup for the first time in 14 years and only the second time in the school’s history; a massive achievement for the team and management. A big thank you must go to Derry coachEnda Muldoon who worked with this group of boys since September.Coaches: John McElholm, Nathan Rocks and Cathy Carey.

AMBASSADORS FOR SPORTNiamh McGarry, NiamhQuinn, Paula O’Neill,Diarmuid Logan, Dominic Quinn and ConorMcCluskey attended the N. Ireland Young AmbassadorConference in UUJ organisedby the Youth Sport Trust. The first 4 pupils addressedthe conference about theirOlympic/ CommonwealthGames experiences.

CHARITY AND CHALLENGEYear 8-10 pupils participated in the ‘AVIVA SCHOOL MILECHALLENGE’. Miss O Donnelly, PE teacher and Health Education co-ordinator said, “Key Stage Three pupils ran a mile during their PE class which not only helped them become more aware of their‘health and well being’ but they also raised money for an electedcharity. I will be volunteering with the OLA nuns in Tanzania thissummer along with three friends. We will be teaching English in a local school just newly built by the nuns. Many of the pupils alsobrought in items of clothing and toys they no longer use – I have been amazed at both the pupils’ participation levels and generosity,and I want to warmly congratulate each and every one of them for the fun, spirit and overall enthusiasm they brought to the event. In total, we raised more than £400 with many still bringing indonations. Their kindness will make an invaluable differencein Tanzania!”

SETTING THE PACEStudents competed in District ‘C’ Cross Country Championships inColeraine in February. Congratulations to the following pupils whoqualified for the Ulster Finals: Courtney Quinn, Aidan McCluskey, Johnny McErlain, Emmet Murray and Peter Tohill.

AMAZING FEAT!On Bank Holiday Monday, thirty two Year 14 students went to Belfastwith Mrs McGee, Head of Year 14, to take part in the Belfast Marathon.Twenty five students took part in the relay event in teams of five and therest took part in the fun run. The money raised will be divided equallybetween the two charities nominated by the students: the Donal WalshFoundation and Alzheimer’s Society. Mrs McGee summed up the day,“I am so proud of these young people who, despite the pressure ofimpending A level exams, thought of others and put themselves out for these good causes.”

GO WALKING!Over sixty Year 8 and 9 girls volunteered totake part in a PHD research study whichinvolves pupils engaging in a health relatedbrisk walking programme during theirlunchtime in school. Miss Donnelly (HealthCo-ordinator) explained, “With the currenttrends in relation to obesity and lack ofphysical activity in today’s young people, I feel it is important that our young people are given opportunities to get involved inactivity during their school day which ofcourse is in addition to the extensive range ofextra-curricular sporting activities available inour lunch time and after school programme.”

Research has shown that there is a decline in physical activity levels as individuals move from childhood into adolescence,

with this decline most notable in females. In order to reverse this trend, interventions need to be targeted at this population to increaseparticipation in physical activity. Previous research into influences onphysical activity in young girls has highlighted a need for interventionsthat are fun, informal and that allow girls to take part in activity withfriends. This research therefore aims to assess the impact of a twelveweek walking programme on physical activity levels of girls (11 - 13 years old). The Year 8 and 9 girls were most excited to go walking!

YEAR 8 AND 9 PUPILS ATTENDHURLING COACHING DAY

Twenty one Year 8 and 9 pupils from St Mary’s Grammar Schoolattended a Year 8 and 9 Hurling coaching day on Thursday 5 June atOwenbeg. The event was organised by Derry GAA and was attended bymany of the local schools. On the morning of the coaching day, all thepupils were split up into various groups and got to work with some of thetop coaches from the Ulster council. After lunch, the players were onceagain split up into six different teams and played a ‘mini All-Ireland’. Theday was of great benefit to all who attended, pupils and teachers alike.

WELL MATCHED!

We recently won the Brock Shield. Mr K Brady, PE teacher and coach,explained, “Our boys played Abbey CBS in the Brock Shield final atSherry’s field in Armagh on Tuesday 6 May. The teams had alreadyplayed each other twice, winning one each, so it was apt that this finalshould decide who would eventually come out on top in this saga. The poor weather conditions failed to dampen the players’ spirits andthe game was played at a frantic pace from the first whistle. St Mary’sedged ahead in the early stages with some fantastic points only for theAbbey to get back on equal terms with a well taken goal. Indeed, thiswas to be the pattern for the rest of the game: just when St Mary’sthought they had opened up a commanding lead the Abbey wouldbounce back with another goal. At the end of normal time the gamewas all square so extra time was played. This time St Mary’s made no mistake and so the game finished in their favour on a score line of1-19 (22) v 4-8 (20).

The St Mary’s scorers were: Kevin Small 1-5, Declan Cassidy 0-5, Simon McErlain 0-2, Liam Quinn 0-3, Cathal Donnelly 0-1, Odhran Devlin 0-1, Matthew Loughran 0-1 and Kealan McCann 0-1.”

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVENMiss O Donnelly, PE teacher, explains: “This was a great year in both camogie and football with seven players in total receiving UlsterColleges’ All Stars – two awarded in football to Hannah Lydon andKayleigh O’Neill and a remarkable five awards in camogie to AineMcAllister, Jackie Donnelly, Meaghan Diamond, Kirsty McLeod andNicole Clerkin. The ladies’ gaelic awards were presented following theUlster team’s success in the Inter Provincial Post Primary Schools’Annual tournament where they won the shield. This is the first award forboth Kayleigh and Hannah. Five out of six camogs who attended trialswere awarded Ulster Colleges Camogie All Stars to complete a fantasticseason for the girls. Nicole, Kirsty, Meaghan and Year 12 Jackie allreceived their first award with Aine McAllister picking up her third award.The girls represented Ulster in an exhibition match in The Dub over Easter.”

WINNERS AND LOSERSKickham’s Creggan: Junior Club All Ireland Club champions…with lots of Drama on and off the pitch to FINALLY secure victory. Who wouldhave believed that sporting circles could have been so unsporting? Who could have suspected that a sweet victory would lead to a sourappeal? Without quite knowing how it happened, the Kickham clubfound themselves hurled into a battle to do with our very own ConorSmall. His eligibility was questioned on the grounds of being too young.Fortunately, reason finally prevailed and our Creggan boys were namedrightful champions. Well done to James Carey, Conleth McGrenaghan,Kevin Rice, Donal Carey and the now infamous Conor Small.

GOING FOR GOALThis year, a keen bunch of Year 9 netballers competed admirably in the NEBSSA netball league. The girls represented themselves and the school remarkably well,losing only one match to Magherafelt High School and convincingly beating both St Louis’, Ballymena and St Patrick’s, Ballymena. This run of good results was furthercemented with a deserved second place in a recent NEBSSA netball tournament heldat Dunluce College, Bushmills in April. Miss S McCloskey, who trained the girls, said,“There are many rising stars among the team, notably captain Eimear McAleer, who has been selected to train and play with the North Eastern Education and Library Board team. It is great to see the success of St Mary’s netball this year and the dedication and enthusiasm shown by the girls involved indicates that netball will continue to flourish in the years ahead.”

ULSTER SPORTS FINALSCongratulations to Year 8 pupils Johnny McErlain and Aidan McCluskeywho represented Derry in the Ulster Sports hall Athletics finals in March.

A PUNCHY LESSONYear 8 pupils enjoyed an inspirational talk from former internationalprofessional boxer, Dermot Gascoyne from the Sky Sports Living forSport Project. Dermot spoke about how getting involved in boxingchanged his life at a young age and the benefits of sport to health andwell being. Head of PE, Mr John McElholm said, “We were delighted towelcome Dermot into our school community and relished hearing abouthis boxing skills against such legends and world champions as EvanderHolyfield, Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis. The Year 8’s were intrigued by Dermot’s story to success and I’m sure Dermot’s advice will be takenon board by each of those who got the opportunity to listen to him.”Following Dermot’s visit our next Sky Sports Athlete Mentor Visit camefrom Paralympian Michael McKillop. Double gold medallist MichaelMcKillop visited school on Thursday 27 March. And to say that the pupils(Yr 8 – 14) and teachers who heard him speak were inspired would bean understatement. He paid tribute to his mother and father, explainingthat he attributes much of his success to their commitment and supportfor him to achieve at the top level despite his disability. He spoke withsuch honesty and passion- he said wonderful opportunities came hisway and he was lucky to turn them into golden moments!

CROSS COUNTRY CHALLENGE Over 150 pupils from five Magherafelt schools gathered at St Mary’splaying fields in January for the Year 8 – 10 Boys’ and Girls’ CrossCountry competition. The proceedings began with the Year 10 boyssetting the pace for the following five races and the Year 8 girls closingthe competition. Mr John McElholm, Head of PE at St Mary’s and co-ordinator of the event, paid tribute to all the schools, offering hispersonal thanks for their interest and attendance. He was obviouslydelighted at the many successes of the St Mary’s pupils. He explained, “Eighteen medals were presented throughout the day: the St Mary’s team gathered an impressive ten medals acrossthe six races; a fantastic achievement. All participants put in a hugeeffort with Emmett Murray (Year 9) particularly impressing with thefastest time of the day.”

CAMOGIE CHAMPIONS… BY OUR OWN ‘CHAMP’…CATHY CAREY

“The junior camogie team began their season with a tough encounter withCross and Passion, Ballycastle but from this point, the junior team neverlooked back during the whole Ulster Championship remaining unbeatenin the group stages, finishing top of their group and preparing for the Ulster semi finals, where they played old rivals St Patrick’s, Maghera andwho they beat quite convincingly. They played Cross and Passion in the final. The game finished with them winning convincingly completing a senior and junior double and treble junior Ulster winners. As UlsterChampions, the team could now set their sights on the Munster juniorwinners, St Mary’s, Charleville, as their next opposition. Charleville provedto be the toughest opposition for the juniors to date. After a hard fought60mins of intense camogie, the dreams of reaching a junior All Ireland finalwere shattered by a strong Charleville team. However, we are so proud ofwhat our team achieved and feel confident that more success will cometheir way in the years ahead!

The Senior team were to play a fancied Cross and Passion, Ballycastleside in the Ulster semi final. In a low scoring and windy encounter St Mary’s pushed through to defy the odds and win by 3 points. Theyplayed St Patrick’s, Maghera in the final: a fantastic team display wasproduced and we were ecstatic as the final whistle was blown with a 3 point lead to become Ulster Senior Champions.

The Munster champions had to make the journey to Ballinascreen for theAll Ireland semi final. Again, as underdogs, the St Mary’s girls fought forevery score against a strong wind in the first half and only went in at halftime a few points down. St Flannan’s were the first off the mark from thewhistle, scoring a goal within the first minute but from this point St Mary’sstepped up a gear and a fighting performance from the team put the girls into an All Ireland final for the first time in 7 years and only the secondtime in the history of the school.

For the last time this year, the team and management set off for Parnell’sGAA in Dublin for what was to be expected- a tough encounter againstPresentation, Kilkenny. The result on the day was a disappointing end to an otherwise remarkable year for both the senior and junior teams- the girls can feel justifiably proud of all that they achieved!”

NEW TERM

UCAS Training DaysThursday 28 & Friday 29 August 2014 – Year 14 students only

Term BeginsFriday 29 August 2014 – Year 8 students onlyMonday 1 September 2014 – All students

University Open DaysThursday 11 September 2014 – University of UlsterFriday 12 September 2014 – Queen’s University

Staff Development Days (Staff Only) Monday 29 September 2014

Mid TermMonday 27 – Friday 31 October 2014

Meet Me in St Louis Performance DatesTuesday 25 – Saturday 29 November 2014

Term EndsFriday 19 December 2014