ST. COLMCILLE’S COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS

ENTRANCE EXAMS
On Saturday the 7th of February the Entrance Assessment exams for our incoming first years was held in the school. Mr. Mc Kennedy and a number of teaching staff were delighted to welcome all these students to the school and congratulate them on the high results achieved on these assessments.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS SCHEME
The school final of the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme was held in the school on Wednesday February 4th. There were 8 finalists representing junior (1st years), Intermediate (2nd and 3rd years) and senior (TY, 5th years) categories. Ms Hilda Dolan, a Bank of Ireland representative adjudicated this event. The winners from the school final went on to represent the school in the South County Dublin Enterprise Board awards.

St Colmcille’s Community School had the honour of hosting these awards in our school on Sunday the 8th February. Schools from all over South County Dublin displayed their enterprises and members from the County Enterprise Board adjudicated the awards. There were a variety of different businesses displaying services and products that the students had made. It was a very successful event both for encouraging entrepreneurial activities in the school and for our students who came 2nd place at Intermediate level and took 1st prize for best display at junior level. Well done to all involved.

TRANSITION YEAR
TY Students from the school went to Delphi Adventure Centre in Co. Mayo from the 11th-13th of February. They participated in the following activities. Surfing, rock climbing, high ropes, low ropes and archery. They also enjoyed the scenery from the top of Croagh Patrick, which they climbed with their teachers. It is said to be the highlight of their Transition Year programme to date and is much talked about among all students.

EXTRA CURRICULAR UPDATE
The 1st Year Indoor Hurling team won the Inter- Schools Indoor Hurling competition and all players received a medal. In Table Tennis the under 13 Boys are top of their league and the senior boys recorded a historic win by not only winning their league for the second time but also remaining unbeaten in all forty-eight matches. The girls’ cadet team in Basketball reached the semi finals but were narrowly defeated. However, the second year girls were unbeaten and went through to the quarter finals. Two students from 1st Years represented the school in the Swimming Inter-schools National finals in Salthill on the weekend of the 7/8th of February. They won 3 medals between them with Lydia Flynn finishing overall 2nd in the I.M. event. Volleyball started for the first time in the school last September. The junior girls league will be starting this month so best of luck to all involved.

BADMINTON
The badminton players in our school swept all before them and captured the Dublin title on Monday 1st March. The team members are as follows: Alan Fanning, Stephen Neary, Eoin Leonard, Karl Fitzharris and Gavin White. They had to beat seven school teams before reaching the final. There they played Sutton Park School and won comprehensively. The team will now go forward to represent Dublin in the Leinsters in Baldoyle on the 11th of March.

GAISCE AWARDS
Twelve Transition Year students are presently completing their bronze Gaisce President Award. The 4 components are physical recreation, personal skill, community involvement and a venture activity. All students hope to have completed the award by May 2004.

CONCERN FAST
The school raised €1922.22 for Concern this year. Many thanks to all who got involved and to the people of the community who supported us.

Finally
On behalf of all the staff at St. Colmcille’s Community School we would like to congratulate Ruth Kelly and Des Murphy who got married on the 21st of February and wish them a lifetime of health and happiness together.