PCS Brochure Nov 08
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL YEARBOOK Cuimhní 2009 - 2010 PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL – CUIMHNÍ 2009-2010 Mocks uation Friendship Week 6th Year Grad Easte ming r Cakes Competi nal Swim tion Internatio Debating Moodle Germany Trip Portmarnock Community School Yearbook ough and the Friendship W The Pl Six Nations C eek Stars up Cuimhní 2009 - 2010 South A frican Trip Ski Trip Grease ols Green Scho All-Ireland Bask Sponsored Walk etball Final 1 PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL – CUIMHNÍ 2008-2009 So what’s in here then . TABLE OF CONTENTS The Year That Was Irish Play – Caitriona Quill Foreword – Mr. P. O’Riordan The Plough and the Stars – Ciara McCabe Foreword – Mr. V. Rattigan Grease – Laura Byrne, James Fagan, Sarah Fitzgerald & Foreword - Ms. E. Deeney Adam Kelly Staff and the Board of Management Transition Year – Stephen Thornton Staff Photo Work Experience – Philip Mariotti Farewell to Ms Bury – Ms. M. Cahill Glendalough Trip – Brian Willis A message from our School Chaplain – Sr. G. Mullen South African Project – Sinead O’Kelly, Matthew Gavin, Darragh Reynolds & Mr. N. Fitzgerald Library Life – Ms .M. Keane Ski Trip – Conor Keogh Entertainment Survey Surf Trip – Anna Cox A message from Mr. H .Maynes Scotland Trip – Glen Francis & Joey McCarthy A note from the Head Boy & Head Girl (Sean McKiernan & Catherine Healy ) Paris Trip – Laura Whelan Sixth Year Class Photos Sports Awards Night and Sports Foreword – Mr. P. O’Cearra Prefects – Maria Coughlan & Group Photo Rugby – Mr MacDermott Where are they now? - David Melvin Hurling – Mr O’Cearra First Year (Ellen Rogan) & Second Year (Andrew Killeen ) Boys Basketball / Girls Basketball – Third Year (Kelly Ford) & Fourth Year (Patrick McHale ) Ms Bolger, Ms Deeney & Mr Michael Westbrooks Fifth Year (Amy Shannon) & Sixth Year (Conor Kelly) Golf – Mr Fitzgerald / Bowling – Ciara McDunphy Green Schools – Green Schools Committee – Hockey - Ms Geoghegan Ms.M.O’Kane Swimming – Mr McNeive & International Swimming – ‘Let Them Eat Cake’! Sean O’Brien First Year / Fourth Year Home Economics – Boys Soccer / Girls Soccer - Mr Bedford Seana Ward & Ms.M.Maguire Gaelic Football – Mr Conroy Peer Alcohol Educations – Orlagh Geoghegan Volleyball – Mr M cNeive & Rachel Boyle Six Nations – Ms.D.O’Brien First Year Class Photos School Walk – 1OR Second Year Class Photos Photography Competition – Cormac Breen Third Year Class Photos Senior Debating / Public Speaking – John Lenihan & Mr.D.Clarke Fourth Year Class Photos Student Council – Amy Brennan & Siobhain Corish Fifth Year Class Photos Justice and Peace Committee – Ms Doherty Autographs / Notes ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS his yearbook is a collaboration between the staff and students of TPortmarnock Community School. The following people deserve particular thanks for their hard work without which this publication would not have been possible: G Fantastic editorial team of Sarah Fitzgerald, Shauna Hanlon & Laura Whelan (50D) G Fionan O’Connell for all his assistance with the photographs Sarah, Shauna & Laura G All students and teachers who offered (agreed!) to write articles G All students and teachers (especially Mr Dempsey, Mr Fitzgerald & Mr O’Mahony) who donated and helped with photographs G All Fourth Year students who provided invaluable help on the day of class photographs G Paul Byrne and all at Santry Printing for all of their help 2 PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL – CUIMHNÍ 2009-2010 THE YEAR THAT WAS . Nationally in the headlines & in Portmarnock Community School September: 1st September 2009 ‘Expenses bonanza as Senators claim €5.6m’ • Mr Fitzgerald welcomed his group of 147 First Years through the doors of PCS • New teaching staff were welcomed to Portmarnock Community School • First and Second Year students headed off around Portmarnock on their sponsored walk October: 1st October 2009 ‘Fitzpatrick not paying off 100m loan interest’ • The cinemobile came to Portmarnock • Paris is the destination for 40 students and 5 teachers November: 1st November 2009 ‘No let up in flight of shoppers North’ • A very successful production of ‘The Plough and The Stars’ ran over three nights December: 1st December 2009 ‘Cover-up clergymen to get off the hook’ • Annual Carol Service • Staff put together Christmas Hampers which were presented to the St Vincent de Paul • Christmas exams for First, Second and Fifth Years January: 2nd January 2010 ‘We’re snowed under’ • Two very busy weeks for Third and Sixth Years as they began their mocks • Annual trip to Scotland to see Celtic play February: 1st February 2010 ‘ TD’s salaries slashed by €17,000’ March: 1st March 2010 ‘New plan to keep us working beyond 65’ • 49 enthusiastic students and 7 teachers departed for Andalo in Italy for a week of skiing • ‘Grease’ was the word for four very successful nights April: 1st April 2010 ‘ Court’s head shop ban hailed as positive move’ • Third and Sixth Year students were once again kept busy with practicals and orals May: 1st May 2010 ‘ Tears for Gerry’ • A very busy Sports Awards Night saw our talented sportsmen and sportswomen applauded for their efforts on the playing fields. Paul Caffrey was the special guest. • ‘Crossroads and New Horizons’ was the theme for the Sixth Year Graduation and a very fitting end to Second Level education for 198 students. • Our Green Schools Committee was awarded the Green Flag - the culmination of a lot of hard work over a number of years. August: Tanaiste and Minister for Education , Mary Coughlan, is on hand as Leaving Certificate students receive their results 3 PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL – CUIMHNÍ 2009-2010 FOREWORD t is always nice to pick up a good read and this publication is Icertainly one. It provides a very welcome boost to everybody’s spirits. As has been said, working with young people means that you are working with the future…and as you read through the pages of this yearbook, the future looks very bright indeed. The past year will be remembered for many excellent achievements on the stage, the playing field and the debating podium. Both the Junior and Leaving Certificate results are evidence of our continuing high academic standards coupled with the provision of a broad educational experience. Many of our Leaving Certificate students were represented at the scholarship awards of the main universities, Maynooth, UCD and Trinity in addition to one student receiving an All Ireland Scholarship Award. Further evidence of this is reflected in the visit by Mary Coughlan, Tánaiste and Minister for Education, to PCS, on the day of the Leaving Certificate results, to personally congratulate students. Over the year many students took part in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. These activities featured on our website however, the Yearbook provides a lasting memory for the bookshelf of those achievements while also presenting an opportunity for us all to reflect on the hard work and sacrifice put into providing them. I would like to thank all concerned who gave so much of their time to make possible these opportunities for our students. At least one team got to go to South Africa! It was a pleasure to witness our strong and well prepared group of PCS students, staff and parents who went to work with Marian Finucane’s Friends in Ireland project. It was another very successful venture , building on the work of the previous four groups helping to bring some relief to areas ravaged by AIDS and poverty. The Green School’s committee finally has had the outstanding work which they have done , both in the school and wider community , recognised by the award of a Green Flag to PCS. They are also delighted to be associated with the award of a Blue Flag for Portmarnock beach. The end of the year saw the retirement of one of our longest serving members of staff and Deputy Principal, Mr Vincent Rattigan. The tributes paid by pupils, both past and present, colleagues and parents were a true reflection of the esteem in which he was held. He will be missed greatly from the corridors of PCS. As a teacher and Deputy Principal he contributed greatly to the education of so many students , men and women on whom we now rely to lead us into the bright future we all deserve Pat O’Riordan PRINCIPAL 4 PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL – CUIMHNÍ 2008-2009 FOREWORD n 1993 Portmarnock Community School published its first yearbook. The objective of the editorial Iteam at that time was to capture the true spirit of our school and to give an insight of its everyday life . They achieved this goal as has each publication since then. Congratulations to Ms O’Dea and her team for producing this record of school life in Portmarnock Community School 2009/2010. Portmarnock Community School has always placed great emphasis on the provision of extra and co-curricular activities for our students and their numerous successes and endeavours are well chronicled in the annals of this yearbook. Such involvement in these activities helps to equip young people with the creative and innovative skills necessary to meet the challenges of the future. Once again we witnessed an outstanding production and performance of this year’s school musical, GREASE. The South African Project continues its development of centres in the Cape while the Green Schools group keep the environmental issues to the fore. The Sports Award night afforded us the opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of all the students who represented the school in a myriad of sporting events, in particular the Second Year Girls’ Basketball team who reached the All Ireland Basketball final. Last August, on the release of the Leaving Certificate Examination results, Portmarnock Community School was honoured with a visit from The Tanaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan who met with the students as they collected their results and congratulated them, their teachers and parents on their achievements. We wish the class of 2010 every happiness and success.