Welcome to St Mary’s Secondary School Edenderry
Welcome to all of our visitors!
You are very welcome to the website of St Mary's Secondary School. We are delighted that you have logged on to find out more about or school. Please explore our pages here on our website as well as our twitter account (@SMESecondary ) and our App (stmarysedenderry).
St Mary’s Secondary School is a large co-educational, voluntary secondary school serving the communities in and around Edenderry. We have 885 students following the Junior Cert, Transition Year, Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied courses. We have an extensive and expanding curriculum and a wide range of supports.
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. We have a great tradition of achievement, academically and in extra-curricular areas. The successes in the classroom and exam halls are matched by magnificent achievement on the playing fields, stage, competitions and elsewhere. We put equal value on the quality of relationships throughout the school with emphasis on students' well-being and welfare. These are supported by policies and our daily practice.
St Mary's is implementing change and improvements all of the time. Our school has advanced in numerous ways in recent years. Development of our facilities will continue with a substantial extension due to start in early 2020.. This will greatly enhance number and range of classrooms and other
facilities.
We hope that our website can keep up with all of the changes on the ground. You are welcome to explore our site or our other media platforms. Feel free to contact the school for more information
Rob Halford
Principal
You are very welcome to the website of St Mary's Secondary School. We are delighted that you have logged on to find out more about or school. Please explore our pages here on our website as well as our twitter account (@SMESecondary ) and our App (stmarysedenderry).
St Mary’s Secondary School is a large co-educational, voluntary secondary school serving the communities in and around Edenderry. We have 885 students following the Junior Cert, Transition Year, Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied courses. We have an extensive and expanding curriculum and a wide range of supports.
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. We have a great tradition of achievement, academically and in extra-curricular areas. The successes in the classroom and exam halls are matched by magnificent achievement on the playing fields, stage, competitions and elsewhere. We put equal value on the quality of relationships throughout the school with emphasis on students' well-being and welfare. These are supported by policies and our daily practice.
St Mary's is implementing change and improvements all of the time. Our school has advanced in numerous ways in recent years. Development of our facilities will continue with a substantial extension due to start in early 2020.. This will greatly enhance number and range of classrooms and other
facilities.
We hope that our website can keep up with all of the changes on the ground. You are welcome to explore our site or our other media platforms. Feel free to contact the school for more information
Rob Halford
Principal
Enrolment for 2020/2021
The process for enrolment for the 2020/2021 school year is now well underway. In excess of 200 applications have been received for the 168 places available. Places will be offered to students week beginning Nov 11th. A waitng list will apply to those not offered an initial place. See our Admissions Policy above.
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Child SAFEGUARDING Statement 2019
The Board of Management of St Mary's Secondary school has updated and ratified the school's Child Safeguarding Statement for 2019/2020. This is a mandatory, annual requirement. See 'Child Protection' under policy tab at the top of this page.
AND THE WINNERS ARE..............
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Follow St. Mary's on our new social media Platforms
Download the St. Mary's Edenderry School App on the Play Store or App STore 
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Vision 2025
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We are at the final stages of writing and designing our Strategy Plan for the period 2019 to 2025. Built around 8 pillars the Strategy sets ambitious but achieveable targets for our school community. This extensive plan follows broad consultation and reflects our shared purpose to be the best that we can be.
Details of the plan will be published over the coming weeks and the full Strategy will be launched in early December. |
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Latest news, articles and Tweets from @SMESecondary
lip sync extravaganza
What a night! What a show!
After many months of preparation, practicing, fund-raising and organising, St. Mary's Lip Sync finally took place in The Hamlet Hotel Johnstownbridge. And what a show it was. Everyone in the packed ballroom was treated to a spectacular show of song and dance by 14 so talented and polished acts. Every act had the audience singing, clapping, and shouting out for more. The judges had a near impossible task of picking a winner but eventually after much tension and excitement the winning act was announced ...... PRINCIPAL ACT. Consisting of our own Principal Mr. Rob Halford and 5 so talented students, Miss Dylan Foy, Liam Farrell, Lee Pearson, Luke McNmaee and PJ Reynolds the lads performed an amazing medley of songs from Singing in the Rain to Umbrella to Don't Stop Believing to The Greatest Showman. Well deserved winners everyone would agree. It would be impossible to thank everyone who was involved in this amazing fundraiser. So many people and businesses helped and supporred and to each and everyone of you we say a huge THANK YOU student council newsletterClick the link below to view the latest Student Council Newsletter
open night a great successOn Wednesday evening 23rd October the doors of St. Mary's were opened up for all incoming 1st years and their parents' to view for themselves what life in St. Mary's is like. A huge number attended and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to come and visit and we look forward to seeing you all next September.
Mona lisa selfiesMiss Casey’s creative first years have created modern day Mona Lisa’s. Students studied the famous portrait by Leonardo Da Vinci. We discussed what it might be like to be Mona Lisa as a student in St Mary’s Secondary school. What clothes would she wear out of school, what hairstyle would she have, what background would she be in for the painting? Students took a Mona Lisa inspired selfie for their art homework. The results are excellent contemporary snapshots of the St Mary Modern day Mona Lisa.
1st year well being banner
During their Taster module IN Visual Art, Incoming First Years made beautiful leaf linear patterns with oil pastels scratched through black acrylic paint. This is a technique called Sgraffito or Scratcher Board.
Miss Farrell’s group made a Well Being banner for the First Year area with the many leaves made, choosing the quote: I AM A LEAF IN THE WIND, WATCH ME SOAR! visual artIn Visual Art this month, first years have been learning to be free with their mark-making by using charcoal and pens on long bamboo sticks like the great Henri Matisse. They have also been drawing with their feet! We looked at the work of our own wonderful Christy Brown. Students now have an appreciation for the work of these two great artists who overcame their disabilities so as they could remain creative. Great fun!!
Miss Farrell’s Second year Visual Art students have been focussing on Colour Theory in art class. They have been learning about the mechanics of colour mixing as well as the powerful expressive quality that the use of Colour has in Art, Design and market branding. The class have been experimenting with the kaleidoscopic effects of colour when food colouring catches onto the fat molecules in milk! Integrating STEAM initiatives into class can be so much fun.
Mr Gerry Connolly RIPThe St Mary’s Secondary School Community extends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr Gerry Connolly (principal in Oaklands Community College) upon his untimely passing. It is a great shock for Edenderry and the surrounding areas. Gerry was held in very high regard by all. He made an enormous contribution to the development of education in Edenderry and much further afield. He ensured that a solid, practical and close relationship was maintained between Oaklands and St Mary's. He will be deeply missed.
We wish the students, parents and staff of Oaklands every comfort through these difficult days. May he rest in peace. R Halford Principal darkness into light/ pieta house
Last Tuesday morning members from the Darkness into Light Group and Pieta House visited the school for a tree planting ceremony. On a beautiful sunny morning the LCA students along with their teachers, took part in the tree planting ceremony with the aim of making students aware that there is always someone to talk to if they are feeling a bit down or anxious. It's ok not to be ok..
1800247247 Gaisce awards
Well done to last years TY class who were presented with their Gaisce President's Award last week. Over 50 students completed the Award. Congratulations to you all.
welcome to our new 1st yearsAll in St.Mary's would like to give a big welcome to our new 1st Year group as they embark on the start of their secondary education. This is the biggest group of 1st years the school has had, with 191 students beginning. It has been a busy week for the students with each student getting a taster of the various subjects on offer.
We hope that their time in St. Mary's will be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. We also would like to say WELL DONE to last years' 6th Years who did themselves, their families and St. Mary's proud in the Leaving Cert 2019. We wish them all the very best as they embark on their next part of their life. 
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maths weekIt was Maths Week in St. Mary's with lots of fun activities and games taking place throughout the week. From Countdown to Build the Dice to Table Quizes there was something for all.
mullingar arts exhibitionSaint Mary's Art & Design department entered their students plastic head pieces and photographic portraits into an open submission exhibition in the hope that we might be selected from the hundreds of hopeful entries applying nationally.
We heard last week that we have been selected to go into an exhibition in Mullingar Arts Centre as part of the Creative Schools Showcase for 2019. Our work was extremely well received by the selection committee and they loved both the quality of the work and its powerful message. The exhibition will take place on the week beginning November 4th, when our Visual Art students will attend bringing some pieces with them to model. Students used collected discarded single use plastic items from their daily lives to design and make 3D pieces that would make a strong visual impact. Our pieces aim to draw attention to the ongoing dilemma of single use plastic in our daily lives. We are linking with our Green Schools committee in this endeavour. The portraits and a sample of the headpieces will also be unveiled on our Open Night. 
pop art portraits
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY IN THE ART CLASS
Miss Farrell’s Second Year Visual Art students are currently working on a Pop Art block in class. They have been looking closely at the art movement from the 1960’s that is still very much part of our contemporary world today. They have been looking at the work of its leading artists: Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. In an effort to use more technology in our artistic endeavours, students have been getting used to Pop Art editing apps that they downloaded on to their phones. They were then able to experiment with colour and layout in class using their own selfies! We got great results with our phones and made prints for our Pop Art exhibition. Students are now going to use all this visual research to design and paint their very own Pop Art portraits…… watch this space! school equestrian
St Mary's Equestrian team who represented the school in Coilog. From left to right, Lucy Carroll, Ciara Staunton, Amy Carroll and Anna Lacey.
A strong team represented St Mary's in their first interschools showjumping competition in Coilog on 22nd of September. Anna Lacey, Lucy Carroll, Ciara Staunton and Amy Carroll jumped very well over the coarse. Unfortunately a team score of twelve meant we did not qualify for the jump off. Three of our rides, Ciara Staunton, Anna Lacey and Ellen Dunne took part in the open individuals competition in the afternoon with Ellen qualifying for the final in the spring. Well done ladies and we are looking forward to the next event in JAG Equestrian Centre on 5th of October.
ty students visit microsoft hq
TY students had a very enjoyable day visiting Microsoft HQ in Leopardstown, Dublin. They visited the DreamSpace.section where they completed tasks in Virtual Reality and coding. At the end of the visit they got a pleasant surprise when the C.E.O. of Microsoft, Satya Nadella visited DreamSpace and talked to the students.
A big THANKS to all in Microsoft for welcoming us and to Mr. McEvoy for organising the visit. lip sync fundraiserA big thanks to up and coming star Curtis Walsh for entertaining the entire school last Friday afternoon in the school gym. The event was one of the many fund raising activities taking place in conjunction with the Lip Sync Battle Fundraiser. Curtis had the whole school clapping and singing for the afternoon....perhaps we could make it a weekly event!!
Many thanks again Curtis and we look forward to seeing and hearing great things about you in the near future. 
Great Start to School YearWe are delighted to see a strong start to the school year. Over 870 students are enrolled and are engaged in thier learning. Our 191 First Years are finding thier way through the corridors and social areas while everyone else is settling back to thier routine. Teachers meanwhile are busy planning schemes of work and preparing lessons and assessments. A great start for all.
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