PRINCIPAL’S INTRODUCTION St Mary’s is a place of breadth and brilliance and the academic year 2014-2015 was no different. We were watching with interest the innovations yielded by iPads and embedding further those things which enable our pupil voice to be heard, when we received the news that the school was to be inspected by ETI and the date Monday 23- Friday 27 February. With mixed emotions- having spent nine years as part of Inspection teams, I set about supporting and guiding staff. Initial dread soon subsided, and every member of our committed and talented school community set about the preparations that would ensure that those who came to see the daily practices in St Mary’s would be impressed. We set ourselves high goals, confident that as a staff who give our best because our valued parents and gifted and talented pupils deserve no less, that we would succeed. And succeed we did. It was a humbling and proud experience to hear the daily feedback on ETI’s findings. Before the final outcome was shared, I was confident that the school community would receive the highest accolade. And we did: Outstanding Leadership and Management; Outstanding Achievements and Standards; Outstanding Provision; Outstanding Overall Effectiveness…Simply Outstanding! The Inspection was only one part of this half of the academic year. So many other successes and achievements are recorded. We continued to foster links with our local community, our industrious PTA and our parents and guardians. Sadly, we must also say goodbye to some staff, such as Senior Teacher Mr Paul Campbell, Mr N McShane and Mrs S Fullerton, and members of our invaluable Board of Governors, such as Chairman Mr Paddy Bradley, Vice-Chair Monsignor O’Byrne, Ms Mary Diamond, Mr Seamus McNeill and Teacher Representative, Mrs Maeve Carr. They have also been simply OUTSTANDING in all that they shared for the good of our school community. We thank them sincerely for their service, loyalty and friendship and wish them every blessing in the years ahead. Mrs D. Gillespie Principal

INSPECTION REPORT EXCERPTS

“The quality of education provided by this school is outstanding. The school is meeting very effectively the educational and pastoral needs of the learners; and has demonstrated its capacity for sustained self-improvement.”

“The leadership and management at all levels is outstanding, and is underpinned by a focus on the school’s well formulated key priorities and strategic goals.”

“The pupils are mature, courteous, well-motivated and articulate young people with high expectations.”

“The teachers have excellent subject knowledge and a very good understanding and expertise in a range of effective teaching strategies which they use consistently and ‘cre‘ atively to ensure that all of the pupils achieve to their full potential.” “The pastoral care is highly effective and is led well at all levels. The programme is reflective of the needs of the pupils, and flexibly takes account of contemporary issues; it is interwoven well with the pupils’ academic progress, and their personal, social, emotional, spiritual and moral development.”

“There is a clear focus on meeting the individual needs of every pupil, within a very supportive and inclusive ethos.”

“The governors have a wide set of skills which enables them to carry out their roles effectively; they are highly committed and provide high levels of both challenge and support to the work of the leaders and teachers in the school.” ’’ CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE AND THANKSGIVING St Mary’s hosted a very special evening on Tuesday 9 June. It began with a MASS OF CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE AND THANKSGIVING which was celebrated by Monsignor C O’Byrne and concelebrated by Fr J Gates. At the close of the Mass, Principal Mrs D Gillespie, extended her gratitude to both celebrants and the RE and Music departments for organising a very fitting Mass. She then extended her warmest welcome to all invited guests, representatives of pupils, parents, teaching and teaching support staff, Board of Governors, sponsors, educational experts, and other members of the St Mary’s community. She then explained her reasons for hosting the evening: “In February we were recognised, after rigorous inspection, that we were an Outstanding school…we already knew that…but it was still nice to be told it by ETI. As a staff we had a special lunch in April, and while it was great, I felt that it was important to celebrate with others- people like you. Our school is the sum of many parts: when we all work together, the results are incredible.” At this point, Mrs Gillespie reflected on the many cards and words of congratulation received by the school in the days and weeks following the report, and then she read from one card, received from former Principal Mrs Una O’Kane, present on the evening with her husband, a former teacher of Chemistry in St Mary’s. Mrs O'Kane was thanked by Mrs Gillespie for her inestimable friendship and support, before she was presented with flowers. Mrs Gillespie then explained that the evening was also to recognise the members of the Board of Governors whose time had ended. In addition, she thanked Mrs Pauline Devlin and Mrs Anne Marie McErlean who were stepping down from their role with the PTA. Everyone was then invited to Café Bordeaux for the Gala Buffet prepared and served by Mr Sean Owens and his team. In Café Bordeaux, speeches were co-ordinated by Master of Ceremonies Mr Thomas Niblock, who before becoming a BBC Sports reporter, walked the corridors of St Mary’s as a pupil. In between courses he invited people to speak: Mr James McKee, the new Chair of the Board of Governors, who paid tribute to the outgoing Chair Mr Paddy Bradley and Monsignor Chris O’Byrne. They received school related paintings by former pupil and renowned artist Adrian Margey, who was also present on the evening. Fr John Gates was next to speak and he thanked Ms M Diamond, Mrs M Carr and Mr S McNeill. Thomas also interviewed these Governors before hearing the views of some staff, pupils, Dr Sam McGuinness and Mrs D Gillespie. At the close of proceedings, Mr Paddy Bradley presented Mrs D Gillespie with flowers in recognition of their friendship and to pay tribute to her for continuing the legacy handed down from her predecessors.

Inspiring Excellence, Celebrating Achievement SIOBHAN RECEIVES CCEA'S AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Principal, Mrs D Gillespie, paid tribute to Year 13 student Siobhan Comer on her outstanding success, having gained first place in Northern Ireland in GCSE PE. She attended CCEA’s prestigious Excellence Awards ceremony in the Stormont Hotel, on Wednesday 26 March, with her teacher Ms C Donnelly. The Celebrating Excellence Awards is a key event in CCEA's yearly calendar that recognises the highest achievers in Northern Ireland at GCSE in the previous summer exam series. Richard Hanna, Chief Executive at CCEA, was there to congratulate the students. He commented: For 20 years CCEA's core ethos has been "To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised" . In addition to recognising the amazing achievements of young students, CCEA's Chairman Trevor Carson also paid tribute to the outstanding teaching workforce across Northern Ireland, “a workforce that nurtures, is dedicated to educating and goes that extra mile for our young generation.”

PHYSICS OLYMPIAD Well done to seven Year 12 pupils who participated in the GCSE Physics Challenge in March: Conaill Prenter, Sé O’Kane, Ryan Quinn, Ruairí O’Kane, Brendan Kearney, Sarah McNeill and Niamh McKee. Particular congratulations to Brendan Kearney who achieved a Bronze Award. The following Year 13 pupils participated in the AS Physics Challenge in March: Paul McCarron, Connor Devlin, Estella Tohill-Reid, Megan Monaghan, Laura Mockeviciute, Cormac Mackle, Kyle Johnston, James Tennyson, Dermot Donnelly, Eoghan McDonald and Hugh-Roe O’Donnell. Well done to all eleven pupils and congratulations to Megan Monaghan, Cormac Mackle and Eoghan McDonald, who achieved Bronze Awards.

PAST PUPIL ‘POWERFUL’ SCHOLARSHIP Northern Ireland Electricity launched their scholarship scheme in 2011 and they normally sponsor at least 4 students on the Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree each year at Queen’s University, Belfast. The scholarship, which is worth up to £25k over the duration of the scholarship, is open to first and second year electrical and electronic engineering students. It includes a bursary and a book allowance every year, payment towards university fees, paid summer training experience, one year training experience, a mentor and student membership of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). We were CHEMICAL REACTION therefore delighted to learn that Past Pupil, Margaret Taggart, a student from Toomebridge, has been awarded one of these scholarship by Northern Ireland Electricity. Between the 13 and 22 March 2015, forty one Year 10 students from took part in the Chemical Reaction Challenge. The Challenge measured participating Margaret is in the first year of her studies at Queen’s University. Margaret will be working with Northern Ireland Electricity students’ speed and accuracy in chemistry topics taught at Key Stage 3 in the this summer. Commenting on the scholarship, Margaret said “I am delighted to have been awarded a scholarship by National Curriculum. 125 schools from across the UK participated and 3729 Northern Ireland Electricity. It is great to not only get financial support during my studies but also to have the opportunity students took the online challenge. With a total of 865 points, Barry McErlean to put the theory I learn in the degree into practice, through work placements with the Company.” came 12th in the UK. With 631 points Cate Bateson came 84th in the UK and Dr David McNeill, Assistant Director of Education for Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Queen’s commented, “I would like with 263 points Caoimhe Mullan came 435th in the UK. Well done! to congratulate Margaret on receiving this scholarship and wish her all the best in her future career as an electrical engineer. Today we face global challenges to provide clean, green energy for all and electrical engineering will be the key to delivering this, so Margaret is joining the profession at an exciting and challenging time.” Creative and Expressive CREATIVITY AWAKENED Key Stage 3 Art and Design pupils are often encouraged to transform the blank canvas or to shape an innovative design: there follows a few captured images portraying the breadth of talent in the Junior School.

Shauna McConomy, Anna McGorrey, Cianan McCann, Aaron McAlynn, Hannah Scullion, Jessica O’Neill, 10E 10B 10B 10E 8D 8D

SPECIAL OPENING Year 14 Art and Design student Emma McKay, accompanied by Mrs Patton and Mrs McErlean from the Art Department, had the Sean Hendry, Eva Hirst, Orrin Johnston, pleasure of attending the True Colours exhibition private opening Luke O’Neill, Therese Convery, 9C 9E 9E in the Ulster Museum on Thursday 15 January. The exhibition is an 8D 9E annual event showcasing the best and most creative pupil work in Northern Ireland. Emma’s AS ESA project titled ‘Living Machines’ was chosen for display this year and we are incredibly proud of her achievement. The exhibition was opened by Emmy award winning costume designer Caroline McCall whose work has featured on film GETTING KNOTTED and TV shows such as Downton Abbey. McCall, a former Portadown College student whose own A-level work featured in True Colours Mrs McErlean organised and ran a 6 week course with Year 8 pupils creating personalised many years ago, spoke of the diverse creative talents of the students polymer clay bracelets. The pupils created beads from the clay which were then baked in the work on display. oven. Nylon thread was then used to create a sequence of knots which became the structure of the bracelet that held the beads in place. The students learned how to make a wearable piece of Art. Adam Rocks 8B said, “I really enjoyed the experience of participating in the Love of Languages school art club. As it was Mother’s Day that week and it was the perfect present for her.” ABAIR ACCOLADES Four Year 12 GCSE Irish pupils recently competed in the annual Gael Linn Public Speaking competition Abair in the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown. Miss M McGouran explains: “The girls put a lot of time and effort into perfecting their speeches (which they had to deliver through the medium of Irish!) They each spoke for 3-4 minutes and faced competition not only from local schools but also schools from Donegal, Fermanagh and Monaghan....as well as fluent native speakers. Out of thirty participants, our girls came out on top with Caoimhe O'Neill winning 1st place and Roseanna Mullan winning 2nd place.” The girls secured a place in the All-Ireland final which was held in An Carn, Maghera on the 17 April. They represented the school admirably on the day and the judges commented on the extremely high standards prevalent amongst all participants.

COMHGAIRDEAS! Comhgairdeas ollmhór le scoláirí na Gaeilge i mbliain 10! Huge congratulations to all the Year 10 students who achieved their Fáinne Airgid recently following an oral examination with language assistant, Mr Ó Bheart. In addition to the presentation of the fáinne, the prestigious award, Corn Bhríde, was bestowed upon the top three girls and boys for their proficiency in spoken Irish. Donated to the Irish department in 2007 by Bean Uí Dhoibhlin, the awards for 2015 went to the following students: Mollaí Ní Néill (10D), Siobhán Nig Uidhir (10D), Clár Ní Chaiside (10C), Donnabháin Mac Cathmhaoil (10C), Pól Mac Fhirléinn (10C) agus Seán Ó Coileáin (10D) Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí !

GLOBAL CHALLENGE 2015 Spanish students from Years 11 to 14 took part in the VocabExpress Global Challenge 2015 in March. It was one of the most competitive VocabExpress championships to date. Organisers were delighted by the response to the competition – both from individual students and their encouraging teachers. There were numerous stories on Twitter of students hard at work, desperately trying to move themselves and their schools up the leader boards. The Global Challenge saw a total of 25,393 students competing from 157 schools both in the UK and overseas. There were 26 schools in the Challenge Cup Piccolo, 60 in the Medio (our category) and 71 in the Grande. Our Spanish students were placed 17th in the Cup Medio Challenge open to medium size schools. (Not bad considering there were 60 schools in our category!) Our top scorer was Emma Boyle (Year 12) with 6200 points. Emma and a further 29 Spanish students received Official Genius Certificates from VocabExpress. They also received House Points for their hard work and dedication. In a multiple record-breaking week of vocabulary learning, almost 12 million questions were answered and over 30 million points scored. We are looking forward to the League of Champions in September where the students who take part will be competing not only for the reward of learning vocabulary but also for House Points, certificates and cash prizes as promised by the organisers! Roll on September! Helping Hands THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERING A street collection in Magherafelt Town Centre on Saturday 31 January 2015 raised £1052.85 for Saphara, a charity which helps to educate disadvantaged children in India. Pupils from our school volunteered during the collection and they would like to express their thanks to those who kindly donated. The pupils participating in the Saphara trip to India in July 2015 from St Mary’s are Kyle Johnston, Siobhan Comer, Tara McGrogan, Una McCoy and Connor Devlin. (Missing from the photograph is Ellen Groom).

ACTION MS THANK YOU LUNCHEON

On Wednesday 14 January, four Year 10 students, namely Maria Bradley, Molly McAllister, Jill McNeill and Rory McMullan and Mr Brady (Head of Year 10) enjoyed a celebratory lunch at the Ramada hotel in Belfast for the Action MS Thank You Luncheon. Mr Brady explains, “This was in recognition of the great work and the huge amount of money raised with our sponsored walk at Meadowbank Sports Arena last June. The total amount raised by the school was £3,612.46. Maria, Molly and Jill each raised over £100 and were presented with a certificate from Cool FM’s Conor Phillips. Rory McMullan raised the quite astonishing amount of £452.15 and he received a special award for being the runner-up to top fundraising pupil. Well done to the four pupils mentioned and indeed all of current Year 10. Once again your generosity knows no bounds.”

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NEPAL DISASTER RELIEF FUND

In response to the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on 26 April this year, a team of Year 11 volunteers, alongside Miss C McKillop , organised an emergency response collection to help those affected. They chose to work through Habitat for Humanity due to the school’s long-standing relationship with this NGO and also feeling safe in the knowledge that Habitat for Humanity workers are on the ground delivering relief exactly where it is needed. In the first week of May, the Year 11 volunteers visited registration times and assemblies during which time many pupils and staff donated whatever they could spare. “We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus, those who show his compassion on earth” Sister Teresa of Avila. Pictured: Clodagh Mullin, Michael Lagan, Eve McFarlane, Tiarnach Donnelly, Anna Martin, Eamon Kelly and Gabriella Lupari.

FRIDAY TREATS For a few months in the year, staff in school engage in what could be described as the SMG Bake Off. Once again, the charity guru Miss McKillop, co-ordinates proceedings. Staff bake and bring their culinary delights to the staffroom every Friday; those who sample the scrumptious, delicious Friday Treats then donate some money to a chosen charity: this year’s charity is the very worthy MacMillan Cancer Care.

LITTLE PRINCESSES Head of Year 8, Mrs Anderson, was delighted to learn of the selflessness of two members of the year group. Rosie McElroy explains, “In April 2015, I donated 9 inches of my hair to a little girl currently battling cancer; Eimear Fowley donated 8 inches. The Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs to boys and girls across the UK and Ireland that have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment. We just hope that our small gesture made a positive difference.” Healthy Living POINTS MAKE PRIZES

Healthy Eating points were presented in early March. Congratulations to the following pupils who each received a £10 voucher on their dinner card. Year 8 SEAN WALLS (8C); Year 9 EMMA DACE (9B); Year 10 ROBBIE MCKEE (10B); Year 11 CLARE MULHOLLAND (11A); Year 12 TIERNA DEVLIN (12B); Year 13 MARK RUSHE (13) and Year 14 ENYA LOUGHLIN (14)

YEAR 8 STROKE ASSOCIATION NI PRESENTATION

As part of the ‘Health Education’ programme in St Mary’s, Year 8 pupils attended a presentation from the ‘Stroke Association NI’ on Wednesday 11 February.

Pupils were informed on how factors such as alcohol, diet, exercise and smoking relate to stroke and the signs and symptoms they might identify for stroke.

Pupils fully engaged in the session, some remarking in their evaluation “I have learned that anyone at any age can have a stroke” and “I now realise the importance of having a healthy lifestyle to avoid stroke.”

FOOD ON THE MENU E-SAFETY WORKSHOPS

Our Year 13 AS Home Economic students attended a Nutrition Awareness course at Loughry College Year 8,9 and 13 students recently engaged in workshops focused on E-Safety and learned how in March. Mrs M Carr explained, “This resulted in them all passing their RSPH Level 2 Award in they can protect themselves against risks, both at school and at home. They also explored how to Healthier Food and Special Diets exam. We were then delighted to welcome Liz Simpson from maintain a positive online reputation and how to enjoy social media responsibly so that it will not Loughry College to St Mary’s; on this occasion, she congratulated the achievement of all Home impinge upon their personal safety or impact their future career pathways. These workshops were Economics students and presented the certificates.” followed up by E-Safety information evenings in May, for their parents and guardians. We are indebted to Mr P Campbell for co-ordinating these workshops and to the facilitator, Aisling Hagan, from iTeach. E-safety is constantly evolving. As a school, we are keen to use new technologies but determined to do so in a climate of respect and responsibility. The workshops explained how we can keep up and empower students and parents with the knowledge to identify and avoid online risks. Leaders of the Present HEAD GIRL/BOY AND DEPUTIES 2015/2016 Head Girl Head Boy Deputy Head Girls Deputy Head Boys Siobhan Comer Kyle Johnston Bernadette Henry • Ella Heron • Ella McCann Connor Devlin • Manus McAllister • Ben McKinless

EUROSTARS: FEBRUARY 2015 In the last Newsletter, details were offered about some pupils who won a trip to Strasbourg. Lauren McStocker takes up the story: “When Miss McAllister suggested we created a brochure on the millennium goals in November never did my classmates and I envisage such an exciting and challenging reward for our endeavours! We headed off to Strasbourg in February 2015 for a day in the European Parliament and a whistle stop tour of Strasbourg city. It was a long and tiring journey from St Mary’s to Strasbourg but one well worth embarking upon. The day of Euroscola began with breakfast and with it the chance to socialise and make friends with people our own age from all over Europe. After taking our seats in the hemicycle, which is where the European Parliament members get together once a month to debate and vote, each participating school elected one student to introduce their school. James did an excellent job of describing life at St Mary’s in German. After a question and answer session with four MEP’s, came the chance for us to have our say and we voted on topical issues using the electronic voting system. Over lunch we played the Euro game, where we had to get into groups of four, with each person representing a different country, and answer a quiz on the European Union. After this came my personal favourite part of the day: the 500 students present were split up into 8 groups and each was sent off to debate real European issues. My group discussed Migration and Integration, and I loved giving my view on the matter and hearing feedback from people from each of the 28 European Union member states. The debate grew quite heated, but we eventually agreed on some possible reforms, which our spokesperson then shared with the rest of the students when we returned to the hemicycle. The day ended with the announcement of the Euro game winners, and then it was time to say goodbye to our new friends and leave the European Parliament and return to our hotel. The day was long and tiring, but certainly never boring! This amazing opportunity has given me an insight into not just how the European Parliament works, but also of the importance of cultural diversity and working together for a better future, and I would really recommend to others to take part in the Euroscola project in the future.”

EUROSCOLA PRESENTATION Congratulations to Year 12 students Hannah Neely, Lauren McStocker and Emma Boyle who represented our school at the European Studies Programme Annual Conference held at the Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick on Saturday 21 March. The girls addressed a conference of over one hundred delegates, consisting of educators from across Europe on their participation in the Euroscola competition and their experiences in Strasbourg where they spoke at the European Parliament. The students gave a very polished, confident and informative talk and were highly praised by both the conference organisers and the audience for their wonderful presentation.

ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD 2015

Siobhan Comer recently returned from her whistle stop visit to the European parliament in Strasbourg- taking in Belfast, Dublin and Frankfurt on the way! She gained so much from the trip. Asked about one highlight, she said: “The highlight of the day for me was most definitely the debate in the parliament. With Ireland having 4 of the 6 chairpeople, 3 of the 6 spokespeople and asking 10 of the 35 questions during this session, it's fair to say that our ‘wee’ Island definitely had its say! I personally had the opportunity to ask one of the questions during the debate. To have that experience of speaking in front of almost 600 pupils was truly surreal and most definitely an experience that I will never forget! Meeting so many amazing people and acting as ‘mini MEPs’ for the day, getting to have our say on topical issues in the EU… It was simply unbelievable.”

PEER MENTORING PROGRAMME A number of Year 14 pupils received a certificate of appreciation for their work, time and commitment to the Peer Mentoring Programme in school. Mrs McNeill said, “From the beginning, I was struck by the level of maturity and enthusiasm that this group of peer mentors conveyed. They attended mentoring sessions weekly/fortnightly to help pupils with work or organisational issues. As well as tutoring pupils on subject material, they worked hard at building good relationships, based on confidentiality and trust. This often encouraged and motivated the pupils to try their best in all of their subjects. The pupils who were mentored spoke of it as being an invaluable resource and of the benefits the experience has brought them.” DIGITAL LEADERSHIP TEAM

With iPads an integral and innovative vehicle to aid learning and teaching in St Mary’s, it soon became necessary to address the need for ICT experts to share tips and talent with teachers and pupils alike. Mrs Gillespie, in consultation with Senior Teacher Mr P Campbell, decided that a way forward could be a Digital Leadership Team made up of ICT champions. One such member of this group, namely Niall Conlon, Year 12- who applied and was interviewed for this role- takes up the story. “We are a group composed of eleven students across the year groups who form the DLT and we are tasked to help both students and teachers with problems or queries around the school about digital problems. We have offered help to other students with their problems relating to the iPads, such as not receiving the apps the school has paid for, or email problems. We have created an area in school that is now known as the digital hub for all, so that any problems, no matter how big or small, can be addressed. Our first task was to speak at the Year 8, 9 and 13 assemblies (as they are the year groups with iPads) and to inform that that we would be in D2 at lunchtime on Thursdays. Furthermore, we backed up previous points that the school had given them to make sure they had all heard them. Overall, we made sure they understood that if we were needed, we would be available and prepared for any problem. During our first week, we welcomed about fifty students. We were able to help and assist with the problems. Once we had established our roles, we were then encouraged to assist teachers in delivering some lessons through iPads. This was a daunting task in the beginning but we were so warmly received and so inspired by the opportunity given…I can only hope that we build on this in the future.”

PASTORAL HOUSE LEADER BOARD FOR TERM 2 (5 January – 31 March 2015)

TERM 2 WINNERS – HAWTHORN Congratulations you did it again!

HOUSE NO. OF POINTS IN TERM 2 PLACING IN TERM 2 CEDAR 5487 4th ELM 5976 2nd HAWTHORN 5968 1st OAK 5245 5th WILLOW 5723 3rd

PTA - REWARD AND RECOGNISE Our invaluable and selfless PTA have had a busy year, contributing financial support to our most recent Musical, and two sports strips for the Junior camogs and the Rannafast team. The Rannafast team made the Ulster Final; the Junior Camogs won the Ulster Final. At their AGM on 14 May, it was agreed that a contribution of £500 would be made to supporting the House System of Rewards and Recognition. The PTA is also keen to recruit new Committee members, acknowledging the support of those whose time has ended: Mrs Anne-Marie McErlean and Mrs Pauline Devlin. If a parent is interested in finding out more, they are asked to contact Chairperson Mrs Deirdre Doran, Secretary Mrs Barbara Devlin or Teacher Representative Mrs AM Anderson. Investors in Pupils WORKING TOWARDS ‘INVESTORS IN PUPILS’ “The Investors in Pupils programme provides a unique pupil participation framework, for all schools and education settings nationally. Investors in Pupils is a simple concept that builds on the principles of Investors in People, to empower all pupils, increase motivation and contribute to raising achievement across the Key Stages.

The programme offers schools a framework for involving pupils in decision making, and developing responsibility and leadership in relation to their learning, behaviour, attendance, school management, classroom management and induction.

‘Investors in Pupils’ Award is an extension of already existing work in St Mary’s, whereby we empower pupils to take on leadership roles; encourage them to accept responsibility for their own learning and personalise learning experiences to pupils individual abilities and aspirations.” Miss McAllister IIP Coordinator

Eco Committee member: St Mary’s is in receipt of the Eco Award and are rightly proud of their Digital Leadership Team Year 8 Representative: Declan Larkin who received his eco credentials. Pictured is Conal Heaney, the Year 8 representative on the Eco Committee. Digital Leadership Team badge from Mrs Gillespie.

Digital Leadership Team Year 8 Representative: Declan Larkin and his fellow School Council Year 8 Class Representatives: Digital Leaders are available every Thursday at lunchtime to support pupils and staff who have issues ‘St Mary's has a Student Council. I really feel that this has benefited my form class and me because our with their iPads or other digital technology. voice has been carefully listened to. I listen to others' opinions and I communicate effectively with the Year Eight Representative.’ (Helen Doherty 8E) Investors in Pupils pic collage competition winners: All Year 8 pupils created a pic Investors in Pupils pic collage competition: The winning student pictured was collage that represented their contribution to school life in 2014-15 and how St Mary’s had listened and Cliodhna Ni Mhianain 8C responded to their needs . Oisin Quinn, Niamh McErlean and Miss McAllister (Investors In Pupils co-ordinator)

Year 8 Class Prefects: ‘Since becoming a prefect, students give me more respect and I am trusted Student Council Elections: Helen Doherty receives her ballot paper from Mrs Gillespie with more jobs. Good behaviour is expected of prefects at all times.’ (Adrian Bell 8A) (Principal), Rory McGurk and Kate McKeefry, members of the Student Leadership Team.

Miss McAllister asked Year 8 students to reflect on what they understood by Investors in Pupils. Helen Doherty offers the following thoughts: “My induction into St Mary's was very informative and captivating. Before I came to St Mary's I was very nervous but, as the taster days progressed, I was so thrilled to be part of St Mary's. In June and September, for my taster days, I was introduced to the surroundings and provided with an induction booklet that helped me settle in. In my induction days, the pastoral team explained to me how vital the academic Student Planner is as a learning tool. The ice breakers definitely helped me to familiarise myself with the people in my form class. The Induction Programme provided by St Mary's helped me to settle quickly and comfortably into Year Eight. In St Mary's there are two types of targets that help us to fulfil our potential: the class targets and the Investors in Pupils targets. They really help me focus on my class work and my extra-curricular life. My Investors in Pupils target for term two was to join an extra-curricular activity and my term three target was to achieve over forty positive marks. These targets are personal to me and I have achieved both of them. My class targets reflect my performance in previous Continuous Monitoring (CM) Tasks and I feel that the teachers have a great communication system with pupils when we set targets. St Mary's has a Student Council. I really feel that this has benefited my form class and me because our voice has been carefully listened to. Just after Christmas I was elected to be Form Class Representative on the Council. I was delighted and felt honoured to be given this responsibility. I recommended themed food days in the canteen to the council and my recommendations were taken on board. To gather these ideas I listened to others' opinions and I communicated effectively with the Year Eight Representative. In St Mary's, I know I can receive help if I need it. My Form Teacher (Miss Donnelly), my Head of Year and my Head of Junior School are always there to lend a helping hand. Form Teachers can also offer mentoring for pupils and there is Literacy Support offered for anyone who feels in need of it too. There is a homework club after school too which places pupils' needs first. I definitely feel St Mary's really cares about me in every way! There are numerous extra-curricular activities that I can be involved in in St. Mary's. At lunchtime on Wednesdays I attend the Junior Orchestra and on Tuesdays I attend the Spanish Club! Teachers give up their time for the pupils. We are all advised for our personal development to have at least one activity outside the classroom. There are also countless sporting activities which take place during the school day and after school too: gaelic, camogie, hurling, athletics, cross country and lots more! In all subjects and activities on offer in St Mary's, we can be given House Points as a reward. St Mary's is split into five 'houses': I enjoy meeting other year groups in these activities. This is the Pastoral House System. We learn the important role teamwork plays inside and outside the classroom. I am in 'Willow House of Kindness'. So far this year, there has been a Halloween disco with prizes for the best costumes, Christmas Door Competition for the best decorated door, and, a House Christmas Tree Competition for the best decorated tree. Willow has been quite successful so far this year. This system gives me a sense of belonging. We all have house badges too, colour coded for our different houses. We complete an evaluation for every subject after each CM task. This is an excellent way of reviewing our work and also improving. After Christmas, we were asked to complete Teaching and Learning Evaluations to help the teachers review and plan for our future progress. We also completed a Building Learning Power Evaluation in LLW. This was based on the single day with our form teachers in January with the focus being on Learning to Learn. I found this session stimulating and engaging and it helped to devise learning strategies to help me achieve my potential. Now that we have iPads, we can now receive and complete evaluations online. I know St Mary’s has invested in me and in every other pupil!” By Helen Doherty Community Links…and Beyond YOUNG ENTERPRISE BUSINESS SEMINAR

Year 10 pupils recently attended a Young Enterprise business seminar. They were put into different groups with their peers and took part in a number of activities. Catriona McCoy explains, “The first activity involved us working as a team to produce as many bracelets as possible which then had to be sold to pay the wages. The group had to appoint a manager who was in charge of selling the bracelets, paying the tax, putting money in the bank for the employees’ wages and buying more beads so the employees could make more bracelets. The second activity required us to create a new product, which had to be designed and then marketed, sharing the name, slogan, price and where it would be sold, essential things you have to think about when creating a new product. I found this experience very enjoyable and I learned a lot from it. I’m not ready to be Lord Sugar’s next apprentice but I gained a wonderful insight into the intricate world of big business.”

TAYTO VISIT

On a crisp morning (pardon the pun!!) on Tuesday 10 March, Year 11 and Year 12 Business Studies students visited Tayto to learn more about the manufacturing process of making crisps. The visit provided many practical examples of concepts that have been introduced during the GCSE Business Studies course. The visit helped illustrate what it is like to actually produce a product. Students and staff enjoyed the trip particularly the free crisps that were given out at the end.

‘OPPORTUNITY EUROPE’ QUIZ

On Thursday 23 April, six pupils, accompanied by Mr McShane, took part in the European Commission’s “Opportunity Europe” Quiz. The quiz took place in the renovated Guildhall and it provided a stunning background for the day’s event. He explained, “The Opportunity Europe Quiz is designed specifically for Key Stage 3 students in post-primary schools. It is based on the Key Stage 3 curriculum and tests students’ knowledge of a range of areas like Geography, Music and Food, to name but a few. Unfortunately, our team didn’t qualify for the National Final but they distinguished themselves very well and, most importantly, enjoyed a fantastic day out, grateful that when opportunity knocked that they accepted the challenge.”

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE WITH MADRID Eleven GCSE students will be visiting Madrid in June as part of our exchange with Colegio Europeo Aristos. They will have the opportunity to improve their Spanish as well as sample authentic Spanish cuisine, admire their art and architecture and different way of living. All of these students have been in contact with their partners through videoconference (as seen in the photograph). Our students will be hosting their partners the last week of June and we will be showing off many of the beautiful sites in Northern Ireland. All of the pupils going study Spanish and half of them also study Art. Our partner school also has partners in the USA and they will be there at the same time as us. We are sure they will all be mad about Madrid. The World Around Us THE GREEN SCENE The Eco-Committee has been very busy this year at St Mary’s, from planting trees and nectar-producing wildflowers, to building bird boxes as well as recycling. The latest St Mary’s Eco-code was decided after receiving competition entries from Key Stage 3 pupils. The winning entry was designed by Niamh Walls 10A, and was launched in January 2015. The Eco-Code encourages everyone in school to take responsibility for our school environment by: recycling, not throwing litter and turning off lights and computers to save energy. Year 10 pupils Caitlin McKeever and Ciara Hazlett take up the story: “Earlier in the year, pupils took part in the RSPB Big School Bird watch and identified over eight different bird species that visited the school grounds. In March, Year 14 pupils helped to plant over 60 trees supplied by The Woodland Trust which will create new habitats for wildlife and improve biodiversity in the school grounds. St Mary’s is also taking part in the Mid Ulster Biodiversity Project which involves creating habitats for at risk species in our local area. To date we have erected a swift box, sown native wildflower seeds and created habitat piles. The Eco-Committee has also been very successful in promoting the classroom recycling scheme as there has been a 15% increase in recycling since January. The Eco-Committee would like to thank everyone in the school community for trying to make St Mary’s a sustainable school as every small energy saving or recycling action makes a difference.”

GEOGRAPHY CLUB WAVING OUR GREEN FLAG

Catriona McCoy and Eimear McKernan share their views on lunchtimes well spent: “At Geography St Mary’s Grammar School was delighted to receive the news, on Friday 22 May, that its Eco-friendly Club this year, we have taken part in a variety of fun activities and games. In January, we made bird initiatives and commitment had earned the school its 3rd Green Flag. Principal Mrs D Gillespie cakes from lard, cheese and seeds to feed the birds that visited our feeding station behind the Cashin praised Mrs Stevenson for, “leading our Eco Campaign: I’m delighted.” Mrs Stevenson offered building. We also used the iPads to create a walking map of the school grounds as well as making special thanks to Cathal Hinfey and his brilliant team for all their hard work and to all the pupils paper mache globes. If you want a fun filled lunchtime come along to Geography Club!” on the Eco-Committee explaining “this wonderful accolade would not have been possible without the contribution of so many people.” The Sweet Sound of Music IN FINE VOICE St Mary’s ‘Stage Musical Group’ attended Ballymena Festival on Wednesday 4 March to participate in the ‘Song and Chorus’ competition. The group was directed by three upper sixth students, Enya Loughlin, Shannon Donnelly and Catherine Devlin, who rehearsed with them every Thursday lunchtime and many evenings after school. They were unrecognisable leaving St Mary’s dressed as the ‘Revolting Children’, from the musical ‘Matilda’. The adjudicator commented on their enthusiasm and energy in their performance and the spell-binding acting from Year 10 soloist, Anna McCloskey. Unfortunately, they were beaten by Cambridge House players, but Catherine Devlin commented on how “proud” she was of the students and that “their dedication to the group produced a stunning performance” . The girls reprised this performance at the annual Spring Concert held on Thursday 26 March.

SPRING IS IN THE EAR The annual Spring Concert was held on Thursday 26 March. The concert featured all of the extra-curricular groups from within the Music Department: Junior and Senior Choirs; Junior and Senior Orchestras; Traditional Groups; Stage Musical Groups; and, a number of smaller ensembles and soloists. The GCSE Music class of 2015 presented some of their own compositions. Mrs Gillespie remarked on the outstanding performances given by Ruairi O’Kane (Year 12) and Catherine Skelly (Year 9). It was a poignant occasion as a number of our Year 14 students represented the school for the final time. Particular recognition was given to Year 14 traditional musicians, who have represented the school on numerous occasions at both national and international level. The Year 12 GCSE Drama and Performing Arts students also treated the audience to an extract from the play ‘Steel Magnolias’. The concert finished with a lively performance of ‘Happy’ by Pharell Williams. Around 120 musicians took to the stage and left the audience dancing in their seats. Miss U Donnelly was delighted with the contribution each student has made to Music and Drama departments during this busy year. TESTING TALENT Congratulations to the Music students from Years 8-13 who passed instrumental and theory examinations during the month of March. These students have dedicated many hours of practice times thus ensuring that they were fully prepared for the examinations.

Grade 1 – Dan Convery (Year 9); Grade 2 – Rosie McElroy (Year 8) and Kate Lavery (Year 9); Grade 3 – Anna McGale (Year 8); Grade 4 – Lewis Young (Year 9) and Niamh McElwee (Year 11); Grade 5 – Mary Lagan and Anna Ledgwood (Year 10) and Ruth Dace (Year 11); Grade 6 – Ella McCann (Year 13); Grade 7 – Eamonn Devlin (Year 13).

Preserving the Past; Protecting the Future DOWN MEMORY LANE Year 13 History students attended a series of lectures on Germany 1918-45 at the Somme Heritage Centre. The lectures were delivered by Dr Robert McNamara from the University of Ulster. Luke Doyle commented: “I found it to be a very informative lecture which gave me a better understanding about the level of detail required to be successful in my upcoming Nazi Germany exam.” And Niamh Martin added, “It was very insightful and enjoyable and I think the information provided will be useful for my exam in June.”

FAITH MATTERS! ASSUME SUMMER CAMP On Wednesday 11 March 2015, over 50 students from St Mary’s attended the Fifth annual Armagh Diocesan Faith Award ceremony which was held in Armagh Cathedral. This event was celebrated by On Friday 22 May, Mr Brady welcomed Dermot Kelly and Father Thomas McHugh from the Armagh Archbishop Eamon Martin and it was set up in order to rejoice in the gifts and talents of 300 young Diocesan Youth Commission to talk about the ‘Assume Summer Camps’ at Year 10 assembly. The people who were there to collect awards for their role in their respective parishes, communities and camp provides opportunities for boys and girls aged 12-14 to come together, have fun, make friends schools. Representatives from all over the Diocese collected the awards, namely the Muiredach and to grow in faith. Dermot provided the pupils with a fantastic and informative insight into the Cross Award and the Pope John Paul II Award in an event that has been described as “ a fitting types of activities that are on offer at the Summer Camp each year. He then showed a promotional celebration for the work of young people in the Diocese.” video and at the end gave out an information leaflet to interested pupils. There is sure to be a big uptake from St Mary’s pupils this Summer. The two guest speakers at the event were Sr Maire McAteer from Sisters of Adoration and Reparation, Falls Road, Belfast and Br Philip Mulryne ex professional footballer, now a Brother with the Dominican Pupils in the photo were Darragh Madden and Kate Loughlin 10D. Order, St Saviour’s, Dublin. Sr Maire and Br Philip each gave a humbling testimony of their life, their challenges, their achievements and the importance of their faith. The evening concluded with two inspiring young people creating an opportunity for questions and answers to the guest speakers. Promoting Literacy and Numeracy YEAR 12 SUCCESS IN INTERMEDIATE UK MATHS CHALLENGE Year 12 Mathematics students participated in the recent UK Intermediate Maths Challenge. The UKMT Individual Maths Challenges are intriguing multiple choice question papers, which are designed to stimulate interest in Maths. Paul McVey achieved a very prestigious Gold Award. The following pupils achieved a Silver Award: Christopher Larmour, Meabh McGirr, Rebecca Doyle, Ciaran Quigley, Caoimhe McAteer, Thomas McQuaid, Rory McAuley, Eoin McAuley, Ellen Skelly, Ruairi O’Kane, Conor McCluskey, Paige Devlin, Damien McCoy, Daniel Bradley, Lucy Cassidy, Sean Kinoulty, Eoghan Doherty and Niall Conlon. The following pupils achieved a Bronze Award: Erin McIvor, Sarah McNeill, Matthew McKee, Ellen O’Connor, Shania O’Boyle, Tom McGlinchey, Roseanna Mullan, Orla McGurk, Cara Fullerton, Cathal Donnelly, Nicole McKee, Peter Mulgrew, Shauna Lennon, Beth Kilpatrick, Erin McKenna, Amy Shivers, Kealan McCann, Conor Doran, Sarah Downey, Francess Connery, Ryan Quinn, Meaghan Lagan, Clodagh Martin, Alicia McAuley, Sebastian Layden, Conaill Prenter, Dylan Cleary, Ellen McGhee, Katie McKeown, Conor Keane, Luke Maguire, Kathryn Gallagher, Anna McGurk, Sinead McCann, Gerard McAteer, Caitlin McKee, Niamh McKee and Ryan McClelland.

A SWEET DISCOVERY! Year 10 pupil, Cian McStocker, received the great news that his poem, ‘A Sweet Discovery’ was selected as one of just twelve UK finalists out of 9,500 entrants in the ‘Young Writers – Creative Voices Competition’. Cian made a video to accompany his poem which was posted online; the pupil who received the most votes was declared the UK overall winner. He was runner up in the UK.

A Sweet Discovery We left, to the field The field we heard so much about We walked, our wellingtons Were our shields against the Squishing, Squishing, Squelching the Mud Over the Wall, as brittle as twigs A stream, a small Bann feeder I was behind, my cousin was a natural born Leader, ‘born with Trumpet in hand’ they said. Under the thorn filled hedge And finally down the rocky ledge. The Fabled Strawberry Field. It was Legend And we were the Columbus MATHEMAGICIAN Wind rustling through the sweetened grass We ate like a cow in a new pasture. LEAVES CALLING CARD The Sweet, Scrumptious Strawberries. On 3 March, we were honoured to welcome Colm Mulcahy, Professor of Mathematics at We left as swiftly as we came, Spelman College in Atlanta. Colm earned a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in mathematical science from Hopeful that we would return again. University College Dublin and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. For more than 10 years, he has But we never did. been at the forefront of publishing original "mathemagical" principles and effects, particularly Later that year the farmer passed away. in his long-running bi-monthly ‘Card Colm’ for the Mathematical Association of America. His 380-page book Mathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects was published in The strawberries soon followed August 2013. As sudden as the birds migration. But still I yearn for a strawberry day. Colm delivered a very entertaining workshop to Year 10 students. He revealed the secrets behind two of his maths tricks, the Ice Cream Trick and Little Fibs. You can see these on his website www.cardcolm.org and follow him on twitter @CardColm. WORLD BOOK DAY FESTIVITIES Literacy co-ordinator, Miss Hatchell summed up how St Mary’s marked World Book Day: “St Mary’s was buzzing all week in the run up to World Book Day as assemblies and form rooms were filled with discussions surrounding the importance of reading, not just for pleasure but also to develop and enhance lifelong literacy skills. Pupils and teachers alike shared their current reads, as well as books that have impacted them throughout their lives. The focus throughout the World Book Day celebrations was that everyone is a reader, not just of books, and that we can all learn something from books – simply as an escape or a way to develop critical thinking skills, spelling or vocabulary. The World Book Day celebrations were not just confined to assemblies; many classes were involved in book quizzes within their registrations and English classes - many of which got a bit heated and competitive! As well as the quizzes, a number of pupils across all year groups gathered in the Read/Write Café for tea, hot chocolate, cake…and of course enlightening and inspirational discussions and recommendations regarding books! These pupils hope to make the Read/Write Café a regular occurrence in school life as it was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved.” Una Campbell, Year 9, added “The Read/Write Café was a creative idea and much loved by all who had the privilege of attending. I thoroughly enjoyed talking about different books and authors, as I sipped on the hot chocolate and nibbled on the tasty treats.” “An Art Competition was also launched as part of World Book Day – Portrait of an Author or Design an Alternative Book Cover. The winning entries have been copied. On the whole, our celebrations were inclusive of all skills and talents and hopefully inspired pupils to relax with a good read.”

1st Prize: 1st Prize: 2nd Prize: 2nd Prize: 3rd Prize: 3rd Prize: Anna Maria O’Donnell, 11D Olivia Harney, 9E Eva Maguire, 10A Caoimhe Meeke, 11A Aoife Gribbin, 11D Abigail Law, 14GGM

2020 VISION OF COLIN BATEMAN A group of twenty-nine Year 8 pupils attended an inspirational talk given by one of Northern Ireland’s best known authors, Colin Bateman. The event was hosted by St. Pius X College on 27 April. The writer spoke about the importance of books and reading; he also spoke candidly and humorously about his own writing career. After the talk the pupils involved were given the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Mr Bateman’s best-selling children’s book, “Titanic 2020” . It was a most enjoyable and worthwhile experience. One pupil, Helen Doherty, commented, “I felt that his talk was very inspirational. He mentioned how he became an author and then we got a chance to purchase a signed copy of a book of his called, ‘Titanic 2020’. I particularly liked when he talked about meeting Liam Neeson in a penthouse in New York! I thoroughly enjoyed the visit!” Clara Quinn agreed. She said, “I really enjoyed Colin Bateman’s talk because he didn’t only talk about his book, ‘Titanic 2020’, he also talked about his first job, how long it took for his first book to be published and he told us how he developed ideas for his writing. I found this really interesting and I thought it was an excellent experience.”

HOMAGE TO HEANEY The death of Seamus Heaney on the 30 August, 2013, was a huge loss for his family, friends and the literary world at large but it also planted a creative seed in the minds of St Mary’s English Department and St Mary’s pupils. Since a range of Heaney’s poetry is studied by our pupils in both Year 9 and Year 12, it was unsurprising yet touching that pupils wished to ‘do something’ to celebrate the life and writing of the, ‘greatest poet of our age.’ After much lively discussion, debate and collaboration with the Art Department, Mrs Reid and Mrs Anderson (two Heaney enthusiasts!) it was agreed that we should create a life-size mural, which would be painted on the wall of the English Corridor, to mark the life and passing of such a literary giant. With two outstandingly talented Year 12 GCSE Art students (Emily Quinn and Emily Laverty) ready, willing and poised to take up their pencils and paint brushes at any moment, all we needed was to agree what would actually go in the mural. This is where the pupils took charge! Pupils in Years 8 – 10 shared their most memorable Heaney images and quotations and these were meticulously selected to reflect the wide range of poetry our pupils had enjoyed. In June 2014, Emily and Emily began the painstaking process of sketching the mural and over the course of the next six months, both girls gave up lunchtimes and evenings after school to bring these shared images to life. It is fair to say that staff and pupils alike watched the mural unfold daily before their eyes, often speechless at the precision and flair of our two Year 12 artists. By February 2015, our Heaney mural had transformed into a Heaney masterpiece, described by Mr John McCusker, visiting English Inspector in February 2015, as “quite simply breath-taking.” For the pupils and staff of St Mary’s, our mural echoes the words of the Nobel Committee who, when awarding Heaney the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995, described his “works of lyrical beauty as a gift to the world” . The Mural is a gift from our extremely talented pupils to the St Mary’s community and we thank them for it. One thing is certain - within the walls of St Mary’s, Heaney’s ‘lyrical beauty’ will be celebrated day and daily, by staff and pupils, for many years to come. As he once wrote, “The aim of poetry and the poet is finally to be of service, to ply the effort of the individual into the larger work of the community as a whole.” We honour his memory: our Homage to Heaney. Helping to Build Careers Ms C Donoghue has been tireless in her efforts to ensure that Careers is a vibrant, stimulating and relevant subject in St Mary’s. Recognising that the most up-to-date information is of paramount importance, she has invited and welcomed experts from universities, FE colleges and Industry to ensure that our students have the best advice possible. In addition, she has also facilitated past pupils who have returned to offer advice from the student perspective. She summarises some recent events. “We were delighted to welcome Total Mobile to the Careers Department. This is a very successful and innovative local company who talked to students about the opportunities available with IT at Higher Apprenticeship and graduate level. The Careers Department also welcomed Michael McCamley to talk to students about the wide range of courses available through Belfast Met (Alternative Pathways.) These included A Levels, BTEC Level 3, Foundation degrees. Year 12 and 13 students had the opportunity to learn more about Newcastle University and Northumbria University, two popular universities in the North East of England. Courses discussed included Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing. Sticking with the North, pupils also had the opportunity to take a whistle stop tour of seven very popular Scottish universities – Dundee, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Heriot Watt & Edinburgh. Aberdeen University is a highly rated Scottish university offering a wide range of courses from Medicine to Education. Pupils had the opportunity to learn more about the university and were encouraged to consider applying for their Gifted & Talented Summer School. We also had a representative from Liverpool Hope, a small campus university, which offers many degree programmes including Education and IT.

Closer to home, students of English had the opportunity to learn about the breadth of modules offered through the English Department at Queen’s University, Belfast. Many exciting careers are open to those who have a degree in English: as writers, broadcast journalists, or, as teachers. The Careers Department really appreciated the opportunity provided by QUB for Year 14 students to discuss queries prior to making their final Firm & Insurance choices. CAFRE came to tell us about the wide range of courses available to students post GCSE and post-A Level. We particularly enjoyed learning of the success of past St Mary’s students who have enjoyed studying at CAFRE. Julie Hemphill spoke to interested students about the range of courses available through NRC at BTEC Level 3 and 5. She also helped explain the application process.

We were delighted to open our doors to University of Ulster Environmental Health: Dr Marie Vaganay told us about the wide range of job opportunities available locally through the study of a degree in Environmental Health. NUI Galway delivered a presentation to interested students outlining the wide range of courses offered . Details were also given about the Feasability scheme for Northern Ireland students who only study three A Levels. Many other universities offered speakers. In addition, a group of successful Phase 1 students shared their experiences and challenges with aspiring Year 13 students. Excellent advice and tips were given and I would like to thank them for their invaluable guidance. Students have also had the opportunity to learn more about the opportunities available with football coaching and about ensuring that they are mindful of breadth in completing their Personal Statement.” A School that Specialises in Sport

UNDER 16 GIRLS IN ULSTER FINAL Our Under 16 girls reached the Ulster final in Gaelic football. They beat St Louis, Monaghan in the quarter-final, St Columba’s, Glenties, Donegal in the semi-final and faced Colaiste Oiriall, Monaghan in the Ulster final. This match took place on Monday 2 March, at Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown. They played with great skill and determination and we congratulate them on their success.

SKY IS THE LIMIT Three students from Northern Ireland were shortlisted as finalists, as they all showed exceptional development during their schools’ Sky Sports Living for Sport projects in the 2013/14 academic year. We are very proud of the achievement of Year 9 student Declan Murray who was one of the finalists and received a medal from Paralympian Michael McKillop on Friday 15 May. Declan showed unbridled and infectious enthusiasm whilst participating in his school’s Sky Sports Living for Sport project and has since gone on to organise activities for his classmates outside of the project. Mr McElholm commented, “We have never met anyone who has such a love of sport and who is so willing to organise activities for his classmates. Having been particularly inspired by the Sky Sports Living for Sport Athlete Mentor visits from Dermot Gascoyne and Paralympian Michael McKillop, the development in Declan as both a young person and a student was evident for all to see. He became increasingly confident and his levels of enthusiasm grew even further. His popularity amongst his peers also rose as a consequence and he was elected to the Student Council in school where he really began to bring about positive change. This was perhaps best demonstrated when Declan approached PE staff with a plan for introducing additional extra-curricular activities for his year group. These included organising a lunchtime indoor football tournament for the boys in his year group as well as an after school Gaelic Football competition for all pupils, thus ensuring the girls did not feel left out. He got teachers to supervise, organised fixtures and even refereed the games himself. He is a most formidable and persuasive young man: he presented his idea and made this a reality. He won so much for every soccer loving student in his year group and proved the importance of the pupil voice in impacting on school life. It was great to see him develop skills that he acquired through our Sky Sports Living for Sport Project. Declan has developed into an outstanding ambassador for SSLFS and for our school, and the staff and pupils of St Mary’s Grammar School are very proud of him and delighted with him for making the shortlist for Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year. With Declan, the sky is the limit!”

ATHLETICS IN ANTRIM Key Stage 3 pupils attended the annual NEBSSA district athletics competition at Antrim Forum on Friday 1 May. Fourteen girls and sixteen boys participated in various events including the 100m, 200m, 1500m, long jump, high jump and shot putt. Cathaoir Purvis in Year 10 came 1st in the U14 1500m final while Emmet Murray finished 4th in the same race. Courtney Quinn in Year 9 came 2nd in the U13 girls 800m and Frank Duffin in Year 8 was 3rd in the U12 boys 800m. Dominic O’Connor finished a notable 4th in the boys shot putt final. Those pupils represented the school in the NEBSSA finals later in the year. TAKING GREAT STRIDES Frank Duffin (Year 8) and Cathaoir Purvis (Year 10) both finished in second place at the recent North Eastern Board Track and Field finals at the Antrim Forum. Frank was awarded the silver medal in the 800m while Cathaoir was second in the 1500m, both running very well against a quality field of athletes. Courtney Quinn (Year 9) finished in 4th place in her 800m race. We congratulate them on their incredible achievements.

TRIPLE CROWNS!

On Friday 27 March, the annual Ulster Colleges’ All-Star awards ceremony was held at the Europa Hotel in Belfast. In a first for St Mary’s, we had three representatives on this year’s football team, the most from any school in Ulster. Callum Mullan-Young was selected as Goal-Keeper, Niall Keenan as corner back and Conor Small as right half forward. MacRory managers Mr Brady and Mr Conway are immensely proud of the three boys. Mr Brady added “These awards are for the very elite at Ulster Colleges’ level and the three pupils from St Mary’s are worthy recipients. They have displayed all the attributes of an ‘All-Star’ from the beginning of the season and are role models for every pupil in the school. We wish them every success moving forward with their sporting careers.”

GIFTED AND TALENTED The Ulster Colleges’ camogie All-stars 2015 team was announced by the Colleges’ Honorary President Sr Máiréad Fearan in late December: for Year 13 student Eimear McGuigan receiving the news that she was a recipient of the much desired award it was the perfect Christmas gift, doing justice to her exemplary skill, tenacity and proficiency. Eimear plays her club camogie for Ballinascreen and she has represented her County at underage level and she is now on both the Derry Minor and Senior camogie panels. Mr R Kennedy added, “Having won the League and Championship double this year I was very disappointed that the All Star committee overlooked many of our players for All Stars. On a more positive note I was most pleased for Eimear McGuigan who won her first award this year. We had a fantastic night at the Awards ceremony in the Elk.”

TYRONE TIPS On Monday 23 February, Year 11 and Year 12 GCSE PE students attended a Player Welfare Workshop in the school Sports Hall. The Workshop was led by Ryan Mellon, who won three All-Ireland medals in his time with the Tyrone Senior Football team. Ryan is now the Player Welfare Officer for Ulster GAA. Ryan gave the pupils some advice and strategies to use when analysing their own performance and general lifestyles. The information was very well received by all our Gifted and Talented Athletes. ORIENTEERING THE PALACE Our Year 11 GCSE PE pupils recently visited the beautiful surroundings of the Palace Stables in Armagh to learn about orienteering. This included map reading skills as well as compass work before pupils were given the opportunity to put the theory into practice and navigate some of the courses. They started off doing the ‘Star’ course and finished the day with the main ‘Point to point’ course. Their times were recorded and for some these will go towards their final GCSE PE practical mark. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed it despite the inclement weather conditions.

FOREST FUN As part of their study of GCSE PE, students are required to complete an Orienteering task. To facilitate this course requirement, a trip to Drum Manor Forest Park, Cookstown was organised by the PE Department on Thursday 19 March 2015. A total of sixty Year 11 and 12 GCSE PE students took up the challenge of finding their way around the forest. Liam Quinn in Year 12 was the first St Mary’s student home finishing in 6th place overall out of two hundred and fifty competitors.

NET SUCCESS An enthusiastic team of Year 10 Netballers represented St Mary’s admirably in the NEBSSA netball league this year. The girls had a packed schedule, playing four matches against: Parkhall Integrated; St Patrick’s, Ballymena; Ballyclare High School; and, Magherafelt High School between Tuesday 24 February and Friday 27 February. St Mary’s recorded two very convincing victories against Parkhall and Ballyclare and battled valiantly to narrow defeats in their matches against St Patrick’s and Magherafelt High School. Miss McCloskey, who coaches the girls, added, “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.”

HEALTHY HEARTS In the week leading up to Mid Term Break and the all-important ‘Valentine’s Day’, pupils themed their ‘Health Education’ with ‘Heart health’ and took part in the ‘AVIVA School Mile Challenge’. All pupils in Key Stage 3 participated in the ‘Mile Challenge’ which not only raised pupils’ awareness of the benefits of exercise to their lifestyles but also raised money for a Charity close the hearts of a number of pupils: the ‘CLIC Sargent Paul’s House, Belfast (Falls Road)’. A total of £298.77 was raised by pupils across the school with a number of Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils getting involved during their ‘Gym Periods’ and over their lunchtime break. Miss Donnelly (Health Co-ordinator) remarked that she was “absolutely overwhelmed” by the participation and true spirit in which pupils engaged in the event. She continued: “The costumes in which the pupils dressed up in for the fun run were extremely colourful and imaginative. I warmly congratulate the thirty boys who ran under the 7 min/ mile pace and the thirty girls who ran under 8min/ mile pace. Frank Duffin in Year 8 smashed the school record running the mile in an absolute superb 6.08 minutes, with Ciara Malcolm in Year 10 setting a new girls’ record at 7.18 minutes. Congratulations to all involved.” HANDING ON THE BATON We were delighted to welcome high profile athlete Kelly Gallagher MBE, on Tuesday 14 April. Kelly is a Northern Irish skier and the first athlete from Northern Ireland to compete in the Winter Paralympics. She won Britain's first ever Winter Paralympic gold medal during Sochi, Russia 2014. She finished first in the visually impaired Super-G competition. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to sport for people with a visual impairment. Head of PE, Mr J McElholm explained, “She presented us with a baton from Get Set to make a Change for our work in the community through the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. She also made a presentation to our ‘Legacy Leaders’, namely Paula O’Neill, Niamh Quinn, Niamh McGarry and Diarmuid Logan.”

BRING ON THE BLITZ! Monday 27 April saw the trials take place for the U-14 Hurling team. With upwards of fifty players trying out, we were very privileged to have some of the senior hurling team come along and help out. Also thrown into the mix were the U-14 camogs who entered a team too. Ultimately, it was the camogs that shone through in the end to win but as one Year 8 pointed out, “They have been training for longer” . In the years ahead, we are confident that our hurlers will prove that they are a force to be reckoned with!

YEAR 8 CAMOGIE On Tuesday 28 April, over fifty camogs represented St Mary’s in the league section of the Ulster Year 8 Camogie Championship. We entered both an ‘A’ and ‘B’ team in the blitz and played teams from Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle and St Catherine’s, Armagh. The girls played at an extremely high standard throughout the day and despite the ‘A’ team beating St Catherine’s, Armagh comfortably, they just fell one point short against Cross and Passion, which was an extremely tight and competitive game. All our Year 8 girls have developed their skills immensely over the past few weeks in preparation for the blitz, under the guidance of Miss O Donnelly, Miss S McKeown and Mrs A McKee. We hope to host a number of additional matches over the rest of the term in order to enable the progression of all our girls and encourage them to keep up their efforts with their clubs over the summer.

THE GRASS IS GREENER …ON THE GOLF COURSE! This year, the St Mary’s Golf team had a very successful campaign in the Darren Clarke Schools’ Golf League. The SMG team members were undefeated in their three matches, defeating Holy Cross College, Strabane, and Strabane Academy, whilst drawing with a very accomplished Omagh CBS team. Unfortunately, Omagh had a higher scoring average and went through to the Quarter Finals but, nonetheless, we are very proud of their efforts. Here’s to next year! PUTTING THE FUN INTO SPORT Thursday 14 May saw almost one hundred Year 8 pupils trek the journey to Meadowbank for the eagerly anticipated beginning of the Sky Sports Fun Sports programme. Tom Crozier explains: “In a fun way, we were given the opportunity to improve our health and fitness. The sports included: Basketball, Tennis, Football, Badminton and Uni hock. Some chose just one activity; while others sampled all on offer. I really loved being involved. I am keen on sports but I really liked the emphasis being placed on fun rather than competition. It was also great to see the teachers getting involved and having fun as well. We know that the programme can only happen because staff give up their precious time after school, so on behalf of all Year 8s, I want to say thanks to those teachers who made Fun Sports possible.”

NANNERY CUP 2015 Niall Higgins, our Ulster Sports Outreach Placement Student, describes the Nannery Cup campaign: “The Nannery Cup Squad finished second in their group behind St Patrick’s, Maghera after comfortable victories over St Patrick’s, Dungannon and Omagh CBS followed by a narrow defeat to neighbours Maghera. This was enough to book a semi-final meeting with St Michael’s, Enniskillen up in Garvaghy GAA complex. The St Mary’s lads started the game very well and raced into an early 5 point lead after a wonderful solo effort and goal by Adam Canavan. However, in true fighting spirit, St Michael’s fought their way back into the game with back to back scores and a well- taken goal of their own. St Mary’s went in at half time 5 points ahead but Enniskillen had a very strong wind to their advantage in the second half so it was always going to be a difficult task to hold onto the lead. The second half saw our boys penned into their own 45 yard line and under constant pressure with our opponents chipping away at our lead; with just 2 minutes to go in the match, Enniskillen scored a goal to level the match for the first time. It wasn’t to be our day as we struggled to work the ball out of our defence. With such a strong breeze against us, Enniskillen won possession of the ball and scored the final point of the game thus winning by the narrowest of margins. This was a development competition and it gave those players in Year 9 who didn’t get much football all year a chance to represent their school and they did themselves and the school proud by reaching the semi-finals of the competition. Team captain was James O’Connor.”

PE Technician / Camogie Coach Mr M McCullagh shares a few thoughts… YEAR 12 HURLERS KIRK CUP TEAM “The Kirk Cup team (5th year hurling) had a very successful year, all things considered. At the outset there were only about 10 Hurlers but intake from the U14’s and a few pupils taking up a hurl to support their friends meant this ended up a decent squad. This competition began with a group stage blitz held in MUSA, Cookstown. Other schools in attendance were Buncrana, Letterkenny; St Colm’s, Draperstown; and St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon. The boys from St Mary’s, somewhat surprisingly, won this section and so progressed to the quarter finals where they would play St Columba’s, Portaferry. St Columba’s were strong favourites with all their players hailing from very strong hurling areas and clubs but on the day they just couldn’t cope with a very determined St Mary’s team. After losing Captain Cathal Donnelly to injury just 6 minutes in Matthew Rogers, Liam Quinn, Kevin Small and Dermot Carey in particular stepped up and led the school to a great victory. In the semi-final, the school again faced Down opposition in the form of Our Lady & St Patrick’s, Knock. We were right in the game up until the last ten minutes when unfortunately we lost shape; Knock capitalised and went on to win by six points. There are some great hurlers in this group: Kevin Small and Dermot Carey have the potential to win Colleges’ All Stars in future years; in addition, true stars of this campaign were pupils like Declan Cassidy, Kevin McGuigan and Odhran Devlin- they don’t play hurling, don’t even own sticks, yet they put themselves out there so that their friends could play and in doing so some even surprised themselves with their ability. They were a real credit to themselves and to St Mary’s!”

MAGHERAFIT “MagheraFIT was a school initiative aimed at raising awareness of childhood obesity. We had two fantastic sponsors in Cathcarts Centra and Lidl who were more than supportive in the venture. It was a 6 week course aimed at not only getting children active but also educating them in good nutrition and hydration habits. Each week had a different focus each built around the young kids being active. The lovely twist was that parents could actually join in with their children while they were training, doing circuits or playing games. Approximately forty people were ‘active’ on any given week. The ages ranged from 1 right up to……. Well, Vicky won’t like me telling you her age! In Week 5 we were delighted to showcase the innovative programme in front of the BBC cameras”

CAMOGS “The school’s Senior and Junior camogs were unfortunately both defeated in the All Ireland semi-finals though both under completely different circumstances. The Juniors took on Athenry in Slaughtneil in what was an awful day for all involved. Though the score line suggested a tight enough affair, our girls weren’t the free scoring, hard running team we had come to expect this year. In the end there was no shame in reaching and holding our own in an All Ireland A semi- final: the girls developed and improved as players during the long campaign; the future is certainly bright for SMG Camogs!

The Senior Camogs ended up going out in the semi-final to the eventual All Ireland A winners Kinvarra from Galway after a replay. A massive crowd gathered at the school for the replay. The girls went down to a goal scored after the opposition player had massively overcarried but was allowed to continue. The real story, however, was the game in Kinvarra. It had everything: there was great leadership shown by players such as Megan Diamond and Rebecca Bradley; there was the never say die attitude of Kirsty McLeod and Megan Kearns; there was individual brilliance from Niamh McKee and there was the stand out performance of any player in Ulster this year at top level, Eimear McGuigan, whose free taking, composure under pressure and sheer ability are as good as anyone her age in the country. SMG only loses three players from this senior team ahead of next year so here’s hoping that we can go one step further!” St. Mary’s Grammar School 3 Castledawson Road, Magherafelt, Co. Derry BT45 6AX T: 028 7963 2320 F: 028 7963 4250 E: [email protected]