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Career Guidance Notices
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Welcome to St Mary’s Secondary School Edenderry
St Mary’s Secondary School is a large co-educational, voluntary secondary school serving the communities in and around Edenderry. We have 838 students following the Junior Cert, Transition Year, Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied courses. In St Mary’s we seek to pursue excellence in everything we do. We encourage all of our students to set high expectations and to bring a positive approach to their learning.
St Mary's is implementing change and improvements all of the time. Our school has advanced in numerous ways in recent years. We hope that our website can keep up with all of the changes on the ground. You are welcome to explore our site.
Rob Halford
Principal
School Notices
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St. Mary's On Twitter @SMESecondary |
Latest news and articles
1st year ice-cream sculptures
Well done to 1st Year class Nore who made delicious looking Ice-Cream sculptures in art class.
ty playwright award
On Tuesday, 1st of May, students from Transition Year in St. Mary’s Secondary School Edenderry, travelled with their English teacher Ms. Dunne to the Dean Crowe Theatre Athlone, to congratulate three of their fellow students who were awarded “Highly Commended’ in the RTE Transition Year Playwright competition. All students who entered the competition had to write a 2,000 word, one-Act play. 231 students entered the competition and these three students made it to the final 16. The class were invited to attend the awards ceremony at the theatre in Athlone. Students enjoyed an inspirational talk from an Irish Playwright and Director and were given the opportunity to watch a live performance of the play awarded 1st prize. Congratulations to Tessa Kane, Sarah Rickard and Maeve O’Connor from TYD.
scifest success
Some 450 students representing 20 different schools thronged the halls of Athlone IT last Wednesday for the regional finals of SciFest 2018. Over 450 projects were on display with an incredibly vast range of topics investigated for a competition which continues to go from strength to strength. Especially in St Mary’s Edenderry who this year were represented by 34 Transition Year students and 14 projects, 12 projects in the Life Sciences category and two more in the Technology category.
The day itself was an early start for all involved and huge praise is worthy for the many students who were ready to depart the school for 7.30am having just taken part in the overnight Sleep Out in aid of Focus Ireland in the Town Square. The bus journey over provided some respite for the weary but on arriving at Athlone IT the students were straight into action setting up their displays before the intensive 2.5 hour judging session began, with up to 7 judges interviewing each group. Following a welcome lunch all the groups reconvened for the awards ceremony at 2pm. After working so hard since last September between researching, experimenting and making such hugely impressive posters and models, hopes were high among the St Mary’s contingent that all their efforts would get some well-deserved recognition. And so it proved! Four groups picked up awards with Evelyn Coughlan, Sile Holton and Michaela Killeen receiving a Highly Commended Award in Intermediate Life Sciences category for their project on new sources of renewable fuel. Molly Morrin, Amie Nolan and Rachael Keelaghan took home the third place prize in the Intermediate Technology Category for their project on road safety at winter time while one place ahead were Agata Drabik and Emma Norman with an investigation into the effectiveness and usefulness of lie detectors. Finally, Ciara Choudhury and Cathal Moran took the ‘Best Overall Display’ award back to St Mary’s for their very impressive poster. A huge congratulations to all the students who took part and a massive thank you to their teachers, Ms Rigney, Mr Costello and Mr Hanley for preparing them all so well. SciFest continues to grow in St Mary’s and is now an integral part of the Transition Year Science programme national success for equestrian team
The equestrian team of St. Mary's Secondary School Edenderry once more set out for Mullinagar on Sunday April 15th for the final of the Novice Interschools Championship. Teams from all over the country, including Northern Ireland took part. Our team of Ellen Dunne, Lucy Carroll, Anna Lacey and Laura Carty had an early start with the coarse walk at 8.45 am. The competition kicked off at 9.30 am and we were fourth into the ring at 10.00 am. Three double clears ensured we were the first team to qualify for the jump off later in the day. Two riders, Lucy Carroll and Anna Lacey were selected to take part in the jump off against very stiff competition. St. Mary's were drawn as first into the ring for the jump off meaning we were setting the pace for the rest to beat. Both girls performed well against the clock and ensured we finished 6th overall. It has been a very successful year for the school's first year in the competition and finishing 6th in the National Final has ensured we finish the year on a high. We are looking forward to next year already!
6 nations and triple crown come to st. mary's
There was great excitement in St. Mary's when Ireland's magnificent victory in the 6 Nations and Triple Crown were celebrated. The two trophies won by Ireland were brought to the school thanks to Leinster Rugby.
bus shelter petition
Everything comes to those who wait! On Tuesday, 20th March twenty five TY and fifth year students were invited by Edenderry Municipal District to attend a meeting in the local Town Hall where they received a warm welcome from the District’s chairman and councillors. The reason for their visit was to celebrate the success of their petition, submitted over three years ago, for a covered bus-shelter for use by the residents of the community and its environs. In 2015, having been asked by their English teacher Ms. Byrne what they would like to change in their town the students, then members of English class ‘Boyne’, undertook research and concluded that a covered bus-shelter was long overdue. Their petition was forwarded by the Council to the NRA (National Roads Authority) and plans were drawn up to install a shelter that would complement the works currently being completed in the town’s square. Attended by our school principal Mr. Halford and deputy principal Mr. McDonnell, Offaly County Chairman Declan Conlon and Councillor Noel Bourke thanked the students for their endeavours, congratulated them for their civic spirit and presented them with a framed and signed declaration in recognition of their efforts. Well done to the 2015 class of ‘Boyne’! You have contributed to bringing about a much needed amenity in our town. May this be just the first of many civic-minded projects with which students from St. Mary’s will be involved in the future. Equestrian team success
St. Mary's Secondary School Equestrian Team had great success on Sunday 11th of March in Mullingar Equestrian Centre, coming second in the novice competition on their 3rd day out representing the school. It was an early start for our students and their parents as the competition started at 10.30 am. Our second team into the ring, Laura Carty, Anna Lacey, Ellen Dunne and Isabelle Lawless jumped brilliantly with only one pole down between them and so qualified for the timed jump- off. Laura Carty and Isabelle Lawless were selected by their Chef d'equipe Ms Rigney to compete in the jump- off. Both girls went clear with good times putting us in second place at the end of the competition. This is a great result for such a new team and an indication of more success in the future. We would like to thank the parents of our showjumpers for their support. Our next outing will be the Interschools League Final in Mullingar Equestrian Centre on April 15th.
lgbt week in st. mary's
This week not only saw the schools re-open after the snow but there was also an LGBT Week in St. Marys Edenderry organised by the student council in the school. Even though preparations were hampered by school closures the week was a massive success, as the saying goes “the show must go on”. Starting on Tuesday there was workshops for every 2nd year class from the LGBT organisation Shout Out. These speakers discussed issues with students in relation to LGBT and made students more aware of what these terms mean and how the use of certain terms in our everyday language can be offensive to some.
On Wednesday we had the raising of the Rainbow flag with members of the student council and 5th year. Mr. Halford, Ms. Ryan and Mr. McDonnell were also present showing their support. There was also the erecting of the Safe Zone sign outside of the schools guidance counsellors office. This sign represents that this is a safe space for students to come and talk about any issue that may be troubling them, not just issues of an LGBT nature. It signifies that Ms. O Sullivan is an ally of the students as are all the teachers. Thursday saw a past pupil of the school and Voice of Ireland contestant Colm Conlon come in and speak to our Transition Year and 5th Year Students. Colm shared his experiences with the groups of being a gay student in school and coming to term with these feelings and understanding these. He spoke so wonderfully to the students and was brilliant at telling them it is ok to feel the way they feel and not to worry about the judgement of other people in society for being a member of the LGBT community. On the last day of the week saw a grand finale to the week. We started off with a Non – Uniform day with a focus on Bright Colours, there was also some face painting for those willing to brighten up their faces in the morning. The student council on Friday also performed workshops with all of the 1st year students in relation to LGBT which was hugely positive and successful. At lunch there was a concert for the students in the GP. Here some of the wonderfully talented students of St. Marys performed. This was a huge success and there was also some goodies handed out the students during lunch as a thank you from the student council for everyone’s participation in the week. A big well done must go to the student council and St. Marys for a well organised and executed week and one which will hopefully show that St. Marys Edenderry is pro LGBT. music trip to london
On Monday 26th February 54 students and 4 teachers embarked on a music trip to London to see the West End musical School of Rock. Arriving in a very cold London the first visit of the day was to The British Museum. Following that the group walked to Leicester Square for some shopping and food. Then after a short walk through Covent Garden we arrived at the New London Theatre for the musical performance of School of Rock. It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance with the acting and musical talents of the children in the cast the stand out feature of the show.
The following day we took the London Underground to the London Dungeons where we were treated to a very enjoyable if not frightening account of London's history. It was then back to the hotel to collect our bags and a bus journey to Stansted airport. The snow was beginning to fall as we left but with a great sigh of relief from the teachers and disappointment for the students we managed to get our flight back to Dublin before Storm Emma hit. A big Thank You to Mrs. McEntee for organising the trip and to the students who were a credit to the school. athletics news
Outstanding Performances from St. Mary’s Athletic Students at National Indoor Arena:
30 First and Second year students from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry, attended the inaugural Leinster Schools Athletic Union Indoor Competition, at the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown, Dublin. First years competed in the 6o meter sprint, Shot putt and 4 X 200 meter Relay, while Second years competed in the 200 meters, Long Jump and 4X 200 meter relay. In the Field competition First year student Eoin Sheehan came third claiming a Bronze medal in the Shot putt with a distance of 8m 75cm in only his second Shot putt competition, while Second year student Michael Downing won gold in the Boys Long jump competition with a jump of 4m 88cm . On the track there were some fine performances with First year student Paidi Farrell coming second claiming a Silver medal in the 60m Sprint final after winning both his heat and semi-final races. Oisin Higgins and Luke O’ Connor both finished second in their heats and competed well in their semi-final races. First year student Adam Lynch narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot in the 60 meter sprint with a photo finish denying him a spot in the next round . In the First year 4X 200m relay the team of Paidi Farrell, Oisin Higgins, Adam Lynch and Luke O’ Connor finished second in their heat in a very competitive heat. Daniel Dowling, Michael Dowling, Cathal Tyrell and Mimi Goloba all won their races in the Second year Boys 200meters all clocking times in the top 10 in a field of over 70 students. These four boys then competed in the 4 X 200m relay winning their heat in a time of 146.2 seconds and claiming a Silver medal for their fine performance narrowly losing out on a Gold medal by 0.7 seconds to Castleknock Community School. Sian Corrigan won her heat and clocked the 5th fastest time in the Girls 200meters, Lucy Carroll placed third in her 200m heat. In the 2nd year Girls 4 X 200m relay St. Mary’s placed third in their heat rounding off a very successful day for all who attended. All the students are too be commended for their fine performances and it is hoped they will build on their fine performances in the coming months. Forty first year students from St.Mary's took part in their first schools' indoor athletics competition in Athlone IT on Tuesday 19th of December. There were some fantastic results on the day including a silver for Paidi Farrell in the 60m sprint and long jump and a gold shot putt medal for Ria Kenny. Ruby Steven took silver in the girls' 800m race. The competition highlighted the promising athletic potential of our first year students who got the chance to try sprinting, middle distance running, long jump, shot putt and the relay. Well done to all involved.
2nd years' mini company
Second Year Art and Design students formed a mini company called ‘Jingle Bells Stationery Company. They handcrafted Christmas stationery over a number of weeks; including cards, wrapping paper, gift tags and bags, to sell at St. Marys Craft Fair on the 9th of December. Fifth year students also helped out on the day. The second year students are also entering the County Enterprise Awards next spring with Transition Year students. All proceeds will go towards the purchase of new equipment for the art department. A great collaborative experience by all students involved.
U19 Girls' Basketball
Return to the Final for Defending Champions St. Mary’s U19 Girls' Basketball
U19 Post Primary School Basketball Midland Regional Semi-Final Result St. Mary’s Edenderry 60 Borrisokane CS 17 ty shoe-box appeal
St Mary’s Transition Year students have been working hard at making sure that this Christmas, children less fortunate than they get a gift. Students from 1st to 3rd year also contributed, and we are proud to have gathered 60 boxes. Well done to all those who put in a great effort to organise this.
ghosts and ghouls in st mary'sCongratulations to all students who took party in the Halloween fancy dress in school today. The event was organised by the prefects who collected €2 from all students for charity. Click on the link below to view the winners.
Also 1st year group Brosna designed and made large spider sculptures for our Halloween art display. Students researched the work of Louise Bourgeois and drew spiders before making their own creepy creatures. Students only used found materials like bottles, newspaper, branches, plastic bags and black carpet. Some even sourced led lights for the eyes! Great fun but a very scary display…. 
mental health awareness week
The week just gone (9th to 13th of October) was National Mental Health Week, a very important week in the school year. The week was a great opportunity for individuals, workplaces and communities to bring awareness to and highlight mental health and wellbeing where we work, rest and play. With the help the Student Council, School Management, Teaching Staff and Students a number of small activities were organised. We started on Tuesday with the 5,000 Steps Challenge in association with Mental Health Ireland. This was with the aim of encouraging exercise and the benefits it brings to everyone. Every student in the school took part in a fun warm up and were then brought down the canal to complete their 5,000 steps. We were very lucky with the weather and it was a great success. Tuesday also so the raising of the schools Amber Flag which was awarded to the school last year in recognition of the outstanding work done by the school and the students in relation to Mental Health. Also Tuesday and Wednesday saw free fruit provided in the canteen for every student, courtesy of the school canteen and was very much appreciated.
Friday again saw the Student Council organise a non-uniform day with all proceeds from the day going to the charity Walk in My Shoes. This is a charity which helps those who are struggling with mental health difficulties. The emphasis of the non-uniform day was on wearing bright and colourful shoes. We would like to thank all the students who participated and who helped to raise much needed funds for the charity. There was also a concert at lunch time in the GP organised by the music department and the TY’s. This is always a lovely event and Friday was no different. We would like to thank everyone that contributed in some way to the Mental Health Week in the school and we look forward to next year already. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple actions you can do in your everyday life to feel good and function well.
lca handling course6th year LCA students have taken part in a day course in Manual Handling. This is providing them with most useful advice on how to keep well and be safe in the world of work, and a three year certificate.
1st year cross countryFirst year students from St. Mary’s participated in the annual Offaly Schools 1st Year Cross Country Championships on a bright and fine day, last Friday the 6th of October. The first year girls race began with a blistering pace set by Ruby Steven, who went on to claim gold with a significant lead over the rest of the field. Amy Carroll finished in a very impressive 2nd place followed by Shauna Comerford in 8th position. Ellen Dunne, Olivia Craig and Anna Lacey all finished well within the top 15 and have qualified for the next stage of the competition.
The boys team of Ryan Dunne, Eoin Smith, Declan Boyhan, Paidi Farrell and Steven Cox all ran impressively in a congested race of over ninety competitors. Well done to all involved. 
Culture day celebrationsCulture Day was celebrated in style in St. Mary's with a very entertaining concert being held during lunch-time on Friday 22nd September.. There were various performances of singing, music and poetry and even an impromptu performance from some of the teachers. Well done to all involved.
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national outdoor class day
Observational drawing, texture gathering and rubbings sourced outside the class on National Outdoor Class day. We now have the source material for a wonderful Printing project! We love learning outdoors!
6th year construction studies
Congratulations to the 6th Year Construction Studies class who have just completed their construction projects as part of their Leaving Cert exam. This particular group of students are making history in St. Mary's as they will be the first group to sit the Construction Studies Leaving Cert. exam in the school.. We wish you all the best in the exam.
prefects raise money for irish cancer society
lough boora visit
A number of students from St. Mary's Secondary taking the Art and Design module in Transition Year, recently visited Lough Boora Sculpture Park. Students were able to see and interact with the many wonderful sculptures commissioned and designed by individual artists for this amazing landscape.
The students were lucky to receive a guided tour around the park looking at the history of the site and the efforts that Bord Na Mona has made over the years to create this amazing recreational resource for the public. The students are currently working on sculptures in art class. They will be unveiling their amazing chair sculptures at the end of year art exhibition on TY graduation night in May. St. Mary's Got Talent
On Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd of March the school gymnasium which was turned into a venue to rival any concert venue in the country, reverberated to the sounds of the most talented musicians and singers as they performed in St. Mary's Got Talent. 12 acts took to the stage on Wednesday night with six acts going through to the final. MC's for the night were Ms. Sharon Ryan and Mr. Finian Newman.
On the final night all acts had to sing their first song again and then sing a Michael Jackson song picked for them. The audience were enthralled by the level of musical talent on show both nights with the judges having a very difficult decision in picking a winner. The eventual winners were a four piece band called Livewire consisting of Tamara Sztanko on vocals and piano, Nicole Brady on vocals and bass guitar, Daniel Maguire on lead guitar and Fionn O Reilly on vocals and drums. They performed an amazing version of The Beatles classic Come Together followed by a mash up of Smooth Criminal and Beat It. They won a recording session in Lakelands studio - watch this space!! A big Thank You to all involved in making this such a huge success especially to Ms. Collette McEntee our musical maestro. Berlin 2018. In the early hours of Monday 5th March 2018, 20 5th year Chemistry and Physics students from St. Mary’s Secondary School Edenderry departed a snow covered school grounds. The students along with three teachers passed through many snow drifts and icy roads to make their way to Dublin Airport.
On arrival in Berlin the group made their way on their first fact finding mission a tour of Berlin. On this walking tour the students got to walk along the site of the Berlin wall and got a first-hand experience of the differences between east and west. Amongst the many sites the students got to visit were the Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial), and the site of Hitler’s Bunker, Checkpoint Charlie and the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park. They also got to see the magnificent exterior of the Reichstag and heard about the modern history of the German House of Parliament. After the walking tour the first scientific tour of the trip was to visit the Ottobock Science Centre where the students learnt about the manufacture of prosthetic limbs and how they are developed to help improve the lives of people. They got to see how the limbs work and managed to take part in an activity to see how wheelchair athletes can drive on different surfaces. The second day of the trip involved a visit to the Deutsches Technikmuseum, a museum of Science and Technology. The students got to a see the first ever computer which was made in Berlin and got a guided of the museum. After this a trip to the Berlin life Science lab took place. Here the students split up into two groups. Chemistry students took part in an Organic Chemistry Lab and got to extract Caffeine from tea and Coffee. During this activity the students got to work in a research laboratory and got to use many industrial grade apparatus. While the Physics students took part in a Radioactivity Lab and carried out six experiments related to Half-Life and penetrating ability amongst other activities. The second day rounded off with a visit to a Bowling alley where all involved had an enjoyable evening. The third and final day of the trip involve a visit to the Archenhold Observatory where students visited the longest point-able telescope in the world. The students then travelled for Lunch before they made their way to Edenderry. lca face painting
On Tuesday 30th January the LCA 1 Craft and Design students got to create their face paint design on themselves using the array of professional brushes, face paints, gemstones and cosmetic glitter.
A week after Ms Casey did a demonstration and masterclass of a Sugar Skull Face Painting Design with the LCA 1 Craft and Design Students. These students are currently designing their mask ideas for their Craft and Design three-dimensional studies Task. Ms Casey showed the students her Professional Face Painting kit and how to use the brushes and the paints. The students created very unique and creative face paint designs and photographed their finished artwork. lca craft and designOn Tuesday 23rd January Ms Casey did a demonstation and masterclass of a Sugar Skull Face Painting Design with the LCA 1 Craft and Design Students. These students are currently designing their mask ideas for their Craft and Design three-dimensional studies Task. Ms Casey showed the students her Professional Face Painting kit and discussed her business ‘Rainbow Twist’. She showed the students her array of professional brushes, face paints, gemstones and cosmetic glitter. The students had the opportunity to create a small face paint design on their arm. The demonstations intention was to inspire and showcase how to create a professional face paint design and help the students design their own creation. The students will create their own face paint design and photograph the finished artwork.
art trip to museum
On Friday 8th December 2017 St Marys Art Department brought their 2nd, 5th & 6th Year Art students on their annual Art Trip. We visited the recently renovated National Gallery of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland.
We had an informative guided tour around the current exhibitions in the National Gallery of Ireland including the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2017, Kathe Kollwitz and general highlights. We visited the National Museum of Ireland to see such wonders as the Ardagh Chalice, the Tara Brooch and the Bog Bodies exhibition. It was a very successful and enjoyable Art trip lca road safety6th year LCA students completed a 1 day course in road safety on Thursday 23rd November. During the day the students learned about road safety and the importance of keeping good safety standards when using roads.
ty baking academy
lca hair Workshop
st. mary's goes pinkOn Tuesday November 7th, St Mary’s Transition Year students organised a cake sale in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation. With the help of Mrs O’Malley, the cookery class prepared beautiful and delicious buns, while other pupils made paper flowers with Ms Farrell’s class, and a few took on face-painting to raise awareness of this worthy cause. Over 200 euro was raised. Thanks to all who supported us!
5k sponsorship runOver 240 students took part in a sponsored 5K run to raise funds for sports in St. Mary's. On a chilly autumnal morning the students headed out to the Mount-Lucas wind farm for the 5K run. Well done to all who took part and to the winners who are pictured below.
maths week in st mary'sMaths week was held last week in St. Mary's. Throughout the week a range of activities were held to promote students awareness and enjoyment of Maths. 1st years enjoyed a table quiz based on Maths, 2nd years took part in an on-line maths competition on Mangahigh, and TY's and 5th year students took part in Maths Bingo. The pictures below show our 1st years taking part in the Maths table-quiz.
lca tie dye project
In our LCA Craft and Design class we created tie dye t-shirts. It is part of our Fashion and Textiles class and the module we are doing is Surface-Pattern Design. It was an exciting process exploring both natural materials and fabric dyes to create samples for our Visual Diaries. We are thrilled with our vibrant finished pieces. Each t-shirt is a one-off individual piece of art.
camogie jersey presentation
A big THANK YOU to UPPRO who very generously presented our Senior Camogie team with a new set of jerseys on Monday 10th October. Catriona Molloy and Roberta Farrell from UPPRO visited the school on Monday and presented the jerseys to the team and to the manager Mr. Nally. This is the first time in a number of years we have a senior camogie team representing the school. We wish the girls every success in the coming season and again a big thanks to UPPRO.
academic awards night
On Tuesday evening 3rd of October a very special ceremony took place where we acknowledged the outstanding results of our students in the State Examinations of 2017. 23 Junior Cert students, 8 L.C.A. students and 10 Leaving Cert. students received a specially commissioned medal and certificate to honour their superb achievement in the State Exams. Congratulations to all who received an award and we wish you all the very best in your future studies.
ty trip to achillOn Wednesday 27th September the TY class from St. Mary's made a trip to Colaiste Acla in Achill for 3 days of fun and adventure all through Irish. The TY class along with teachers- participated in all sorts of sports including surfing, cliff diving, bog hopping and hiking. The also participated in ceili's at night time. The group arrived back on Friday afternoon tired and weary but with very fond memories of a memorable trip to Achill.
5th years visit the theatre
On the 21st of September a group of 5th year students with their teacher Ms. Byrne travelled to the Gaiety Theatre to see a productions of Donal Ryan's acclaimed play A Spinning Heart. This was a fantastic introduction to their Leaving Cert. English course as the students got to see a unique dramatisation of one of Ireland's most unique accounts of contemporary Ireland.
Next month our 6th year students will attend the Gaiety School of Acting's production of King Lear as part of the English Department's ongoing commitment to enabling students to experience the magic of live theatre. |
ty's go baking
poetry recital
Saint Mary's Secondary School students celebrate National Poetry Day in Edenderry Library on Wednesday, May 25th. Congratulations to all the students who participated for their wonderfully eloquent poetry recitations.
enterprise success
Well done to second year Art and Design students won first prize with their Seasonal Stationery Company at the county enterprise board awards in Tullamore on March 8th.
Jordan Judge, Ava McCormack, Tara Mc Dermot, Jake O Callaghan & Aaron Gorry designed and made a selection of handcrafted stationery and gifts with their teacher Miss F Farrell. The company will now represent school & county on May 2nd at the national finals in Croke Park. Best of Luck! 
Junior cert business awards
On Wednesday 21st February, 13 students from St. Mary's were presented with an award from Maynooth University Business Department in recognition of their results in the Junior Cert. Business examination. All students achieved an A grade in the exam. Presenting the award, our school principal Mr. Halford congratulated the students on their success and also congratulated their teachers, Mrs. Potterton, Ms.Luttrell and Ms. Griffin.
The 13 students were - Edmond Agbaje,Evelyn Coughlan, Agata Drabik, Tessa Kane, Anna Martin, Bernard McVeigh, Eoin Tyrrell, Ciara Choudhury, Tadhg Dulohery, Andrea Galligan Jordan Loughlin, Aoibheann Mc Andrew and Connor Mulligan. Well done to all. creative writing workshop
Is it better to be born lucky or rich? This question was put to one of St. Mary’s 5th Year English classes this week and they voted marginally in favour of ‘lucky’ by 10%. And weren’t they lucky last Tuesday the 27th February when they beat the ‘Beast from the East’ by 24 hours and visited the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare for a creative writing workshop co-hosted by the Riverbank Arts Centre and personnel from Maynooth University and Fighting Words. Fighting Words is the organisation set up by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love and head-quartered in Dublin 1 to assist students of all ages in the creative writing process. Accompanied by teachers M. Byrne and T. Canton, this group of 5th Year English students were the first post-primary group to engage in this collaborative effort in the Riverbank. Not knowing quite what to expect, students were engaged from the outset using their listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The result is a collection of short stories, written and developed by the students themselves, comprising all the essential elements of successful short-story writing including setting, characters, plot, conflict, tension and eventual resolution. Almost without realising it, students were learning by using a methodology that was both original and enjoyable. With a large number of facilitating personnel available to give students nearly individual attention, and prompt them to use their imaginations, everyone participated, everyone had fun and everyone learned something useful! Well done 5th Years! 
spectroscopy in a suitcase workshop
5th year Leaving Certificate Chemistry students from St. Mary’s Secondary School Edenderry recently took part took part in the Royal Society of Chemistry Spectroscopy in a Suitcase Workshop.
Spectroscopy in a Suitcase gives school students the chance to learn about spectroscopy through hands-on experience. As well as covering the principles of spectroscopic techniques, the activities use real-life contexts to demonstrate the applications of the techniques. The workshop was led by Dr John O’ Donoghue from the Royal Society of Chemistry and Trinity College Dublin. He was assisted by Post graduate students from Trinity College Dublin who presented the workshop to the students. During the course of the workshop the students got to use Analytical Instruments an Infra-Red and an Ultra Violet Spectrometer to complete a chemistry forensics workshop with the students. The students were able to determine the results from the chemistry forensic workshop from the data they received from using the instruments. Each student got the opportunity to use the professional analytical devices and it is hoped that the workshop will be highly valuable to Leaving Certificate Chemistry students. This is great experience for the students to participate in such an activity as it allows them to see the practical side to analytical chemistry that the syllabus and resources which are available to second level schools due to their cost. The workshops which have a strong emphasis on encouraging school pupils to consider studying chemistry and also highlight the career opportunities available with chemistry qualifications. This is the third year that the school has participated in the Spectroscopy in a Suitcase workshop and it is hoped that it will encourage students who take Chemistry as an option subject to see that there are many different aspects to the world of Chemistry. St. Mary’s Chemistry teacher is an associate member of the Royal Society of Chemistry which allows the Science students in the school to have an opportunity to participate in events organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. history trip to northern ireland
On Monday 4th December 94 5th and 6th year students embarked on an educational history trip to Northern Ireland. The first activity on the itinerary was a guided bus tour of Belfast, taking in the historical sites of the city, culminating in a trip down the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. Then followed a trip to the Titanic Centre. Evening entertainment consisted of ice-skating. The next day the students visited the CarricK-A-Rede rope bridge, and then on to the Giant's Causeway. They then traveled to Derry. Bowling was the enterainment for the second night of the tour. On day 3 the students took part in a guided tour of the Walls of Derry, followed by a visit to the Free Derry Museum and a visit to The Apprentice BOYS of Derry Hall.
The students along with their teachers arrived back in St. Mary's at 7pm on Wednesday evening. A Big Thank You to all the teachers who went on the trip and to Mr. Flynn and Mr. Henry for organising the trip. st mary's wins battle of witsFour St Mary’s students were successful last Friday (November 17th) in the “Battle of Wits” Quiz organised by the County library in Tullamore. They came first out of six Offaly schools, doing us very proud. The national final is to take place on December 6th. Well done and good luck to Síle, Shay, Sean and Evelyn.
lca painting and TILING
lca crafts day
open night 2017
On Wednesday evening 25th October, St. Mary's opened its doors to 6th class pupils from our feeder schools to give them a flavour of life in St. Mary's. A hugh number of students came along to view the many subjects and activities that are on offer in St. Mary's. Thank you to all who came along and we hope to see you all in the new year
hat exhibition launch
Congratulations to our art students and to Ms. Farrell who launched their exhibition Head Full of Dreams in the County Council offices in Tullamore last Thursday. Click on the link below for more news and pictures on the event.
ty irish workshop
On the 4th of October 2017, our TY year got the wonderful opportunity to participate in an Irish Drama Workshop. We took part in multiple games and activities mostly in Irish. For example we practiced different voices and tried different walks and entrances. We even put on our own production of ‘Noah’s Ark.’ We were provided with a script but we made it our own. From dramatic deaths to heroic saviours we embraced the lot of it. It was a very enjoyable experience and a credit to the two facilitators and our Irish teachers, Ms Manion and Ms Ní Chaisil
By Shauna Furey hat exhibition
1st years croghan hill challengeOn Monday 25th September 160 1st years went on a bonding trip to complete the Croghan Hill Challenge. Weather conditions were perfect and as can be seen from the pictures all students thoroughly enjoyed the day. We hope that by now 1st years have settled into life in St. Mary's and they are enjoying secondary school.
ty's visit ty expoThe TY class of 2017/2018 began their year by visiting the TY Expo in Punchestown on Friday 8th September. The students attended talks and workshops which showcased the various opportunities available to TY students for the coming year. We hope you got lots of ideas for your TY year.
ty chair sculpture
This chair sculpture is currently being made by the TY Art class in St. Mary's.
It represents the high chair we were all placed in as babies to be nourished, secured and cared for. As we grow, the chair grows with us. The branches gathered from the majestic bogs all around us, represent how our lives become intertwined in the community of Edenderry, and how in the future we will always be rooted in Edenderry. Junior cert results
There was great excitement around the school this morning, 13th September when the Junior Cert. results were distributed among the students. The results were excellent and the management and staff of St. Mary's would like to congratulate all students on their results. Pictured below are Aoibheann Mc Andrew who attained 10 A's and a distinction in English and Evelyn Coughlan who attained 10 A's and a high merit in English. Congratulations and well done girls.
1st years' welcome massOn Thursday 21st September our 1st year students came together with their parents and staff for a welcome mass, celebrated by Fr. McEvoy. In his sermon Fr. P.J. welcomed the first years and their parents into the community of St. Mary's where it is hoped they will play an important part and participate in school life and reach their full potential during their future years in St. Mary's.
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The Management and staff of St. Mary's would like to welcome back all our students for the new academic year and a special welcome to our new 1st Years who are beginning their journey through secondary education. We wish them all the best.
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