A Word from the Headmaster
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e BelvedereSummer Edition 2018 | AMDG NEWS A WORD FROM THE HEADMASTER hey say the secret of getting ahead is getting started and while some may think summer is a time when students and Tschool stops, that is a misconception. The summer is one of the busiest times and presents us with an opportunity to develop and grow in so many different ways. Summer is upon us and the fine weather is welcomed by all, except those sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificate! Hopefully all will have achieved their best results to date in these exams. Those students going into Sixth and Third year need to reflect on their summer results and do some study over the coming weeks. Developing the self-discipline to learn independently is an essential part of maturing as a student. The value of reading cannot be overstated and while no one can be forced to read – encouragement is required. As you leaf through this excellent production, I hope you get a In August I will update you on the newly appointed staff, who will sense of the diversity of achievement in the College. I want to thank no doubt bring their talent and energy to the classrooms in Belvedere. all the students, their parents and teachers, for creating the conditions I have written elsewhere (Development Update) about the building where striving to achieve your potential regardless of ability, is the developments and again I want to thank all who contribute to the norm. I also want to thank Joanne Ryan for producing this Newsletter, fundraising to make this all possible. In addition thank you to those which successfully attempts to give a snapshot of life at Belvedere. who contribute their time and talent to ensure the College is in a We will miss Joanne’s expertise in the Development Office which has position to achieve excellence in all it endeavours. We challenge successfully organised our fundraising campaigns. She was also a our students to do this in other educational experiences, so it is significant member of the Publications Committee which co-ordinates the standard we aspire towards in all we do. The Board, its Sub- our communications with the wider Belvedere Community. We wish Committees, the Parents and Ladies Committees, the Past Pupils and her every success in her new career. so many individuals, all give generously of their time and energy to Others too move on to the next chapter of their life. Mr Seamus ensure continued improvement in the educational experience of the Finegan, who is retiring in August, has shaped the educational students. Thank you to each and every one. experience of so many at Belvedere for 36 years. As I write, he We continue the process of School Self-Evaluation, using feedback is working relentlessly in organising the State examinations and from staff, students, parents and others as well as the evidence from preparing for the coming year. He has always been a dynamic force a variety of assessments of student achievement and engagement. in the College and he will be missed, but his legacy will continue for Thank you to all who complete the surveys, parent feedback forms and generations to come. other questionnaires. These are used in our review and planning and Mr John Connell, Mr Gerard Conran and Mr Ronan Jacob have given hopefully the ongoing improvements are noticeable from year to year. long-service and we wish them well as they open another chapter in I wish you a wonderful summer, filled with laughter, reading, some their careers as educators. Ms Audrey Geraghty is moving to a school time for reflection and some action to make life better for someone nearer to her home and she too has been an excellent member of the less fortunate. In the meantime the non-teaching staff, maintenance SEN department. Mr David O’Grady is embarking on a career break and many others will be very busy ensuring that the students and and moving to Brussels – we hope that he enjoys his new teaching teachers return to new and improved facilities in August. I want to role there. Mr David Dougherty has moved home to Belfast and we thank them for their hard work and dedication as well. him every success in his teaching career. After an outstanding career, Mr John Walsh is leaving us and he too has been an outstanding Gerry Foley, educationalist. We wish him every success in what will no doubt be an Headmaster active retirement. A.M.D.G. In this issue: News & Faith & Belvedere Sport Music Achievements Services Union p2 p6 p11 p14 p18 News & Achievements Junk Kouture Huge congratulations to Daniel Bisset whose creativity resulted in him being selected as a Dublin competitor in the Grand Final of Junk Project Newton Kouture, the recycled Belvedere Science Department has been taking fashion competition part in a Horizon2020 EU funded research project, for Irish secondary titled Project Newton. It is developing innovative schools. This was technology, enhanced science teaching and Belvedere’s first ever learning methods and tools, and investigating entry to Junk Kouture. their effectiveness when compared to traditional Daniel’s costume was methodologies. made from materials such as Mass leaflets, Our Second Year students have piloted a number of aluminium cans, these tools over the past two years and are hoping wire coat hangers to be part of a larger pilot next year. and coffee and he The College has partnered with DCU (the wanted to express a primary co-ordinators of the project). Stuart message of creativity Wheeler and David O’Grady have contributed with his design, taking to the development of these tools through the inspiration from implementation, follow up discussion of content, performers such as practicalities and goals of this cutting edge STEM RuPaul, Lady Gaga, and project. Björk. Gael Linn Irish Debating Debating Competition This year we had two teams take part in the Gael Linn Irish Schools Debating Competition. Our Junior team lost out narrowly but our Seniors were victorious went on to the National Finals. Back row: Cathal McGuinness, Luke Harmon, Dara McGrath. Front Row: Conall O’Briain and Oisin Keating McDermott with Headmaster Gerry Foley and Mr John Broderick. Missing from photo is Cathal Aherne, Junior Captain. Congratulations to the Grammar Congratulations to Fiachra Nolan debaters for their success in the and David Boylan on an outstanding Junior Debating Final in UCD achievement and of course to Philip recently. Liam Keating and Lorcan Hogan for giving so generously of O’Brien from Third Year won Best his time, energy and talents to the Team. It is the first time in 14 years students. that Belvedere has won this title. Both truly remarkable Mark Heanue, took runner up in the achievements and it was great to see individual category. the events supported by so many of We are also delighted to inform the College’s debaters both present you that Belvedere College SJ took and past, a further testament to home the trophy at the Senior the great culture of debating that is Final of the L&H Debates in UCD. thriving in the College. 2 News & Achievements Belvo Spelling Bee The annual Spelling Bee took part this May with Talks visitors from Castleknock College, Gonzaga College, Loreto Foxrock, Loreto on the Green By Raj Upadhyaya (EF) and Stratford College but it was David Olowookere from King’s Hospital who took When I first heard of BelvoTalks, the trophy! I thought a good while of doing one on cricket, so I asked Ms Ivory if I could do it. It was approved and reserved for the 29th of January, 2018. When the date came along, I was confident in my notes everything seemed alright, until I saw the audience, it was filling the entire Library! Amazingly people were not allowed to enter the Library! I felt really nervous, until I started to go deeper, my confidence grew so much, and it felt so amazing to have been Pictured is our own the first student to have filled Evan Wyatt (EK) who the library and become the first was an excellent Elements student to have done participant and a future a BelvoTalk, and I was all in glee spelling bee champion! afterwards. Mastermind Urban Farm We were thrilled to be part of RTÉ’s The black chair and spotlight “Big Week on the Farm” this year returned to the Library this year which showcased every type of with students showing a wealth farming nationwide. Our students of knowledge in a number of took part in a live show where they interesting and obscure subjects! shared the different types of projects Congratulations to Junior winner they have been working on, they Conal O’Brien (GK) and Senior were complete naturals! winner Eoin Walsh (SX). Fantastic Mr Fox The O’Reilly Theatre was turned into the woods near the farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean for this year’s Elements play. Featuring original music by our very own Daniel Bisset (SK) and Cathal Ahern (GL), the play went down a storm with every audience! 3 News & Achievements Elements Business Club Visit to CitiGroup The Elements Business Club had their first to the trading floor by Paul O’Reilly OB outing of the year to CitiGroup in April. 1997 The Business Club, formed by Garret Molloy • Innovation lab - what they do, outputs (EX) is a group of students that meet each • Took a business case from the business work to discuss areas of interest they have group (phone case with an attached in the business world. This visit is the first in solar panel charger) and work it through, a series of planned activities they have.