Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) and Students,
This weeks email is designed to look back at the past week or so and as it is 2 weeks to the Mid-Term Break, it is an appropriate time to draw your attention to a few matters that are in need of attention. So, to begin with I hope that you all found the Soar Foundation Workshop worthwhile, that you all know one another more by now and that you are perhaps ready to face the rest of TY with a new perspective. I want to thank you all for your courage, bravery and good humour throughout the day on Thursday last and I hope you got something for yourself out of it as well as contributing to the group. I know that Tony, Ciara and Moira enjoyed and were grateful for the time they spent with you and were very fulsome in their praise and gratitude on leaving St. Anne’s last Thursday afternoon. Thank You also to Ms. Daly and Ms. Starr and indeed all of the TY teachers for their support. Remember there is a lot of support for you in the school. Such was the impression you left on Soar that they have requested to return to St. Anne’s in the very near future to conduct a workshop with the TY Boys. I am currently trying to finalise a date with Soar for this.
The Community Outreach group continue to make impressive progress and were taking a stand this week to understand Dementia and promote awareness of the national campaign to be more Dementia and Alzheimer’s aware. I believe this is a ground-breaking if not pioneering first for any school in Ireland and huge credit is due to last year’s TY students and indeed the current TY students for starting and for continuing to lead such a worthwhile initiative. Ably led by Ms. Kearney and supported by Christina McKenna in Waterman’s Lodge Ballina, this project is gaining a lot of attention in the community and on Twitter. Well done to all involved.
The students are learning about the European Union in the Current Affairs module and St. Ane’s has been chosen as an Ambassador School in the European Parliament Ambassador Schools Programme. While Brexit is very much in the news this is an important time for our young people to learn more about Ireland’s place in Europe and how our daily lives are being affected by decisions taken in Brussels and Strasbourg. Many thanks to Ms. Looby for taking on this worthwhile project.
The Environmental Awareness students continue to assist in keeping their school looking well and keeping us all litter and recycling aware. We should all know now which bins are the correct ones to use and how to respect such scarce resources as water etc. Thank you Ms. M. Ryan for your continued enthusiasm for this aspect of school life.
It’s Fresh Film Festival time again, and you will no doubt be hearing from Ms. O’ Brien, if you haven’t already, about the art and creativity of film making. Good luck with your film-making and best wishes in the competition in 2017.
Maths Week is upon us and I know that the TY students have been doing great preparatory work for the upcoming Maths Trail and Table Quiz. Teams have been organised with Junior Classes and it’s all stations at the ready for this important week.
By now everyone should know what their mini-company is and be sourcing products, writing business plans and thinking ahead to Christmas. It is now a tradition almost to have a mini-company fair in the school hall in early December and you should keep in touch with Ms. Egan, Ms. Ryan and Ms. McNamara about these important events.
We have an enormously talented group of students in TY again this year, who are liable to burst into song and rhythm at any opportunity so we hope to tap into that talent throughout the year.
Sailing continues, although the weather on the lake hasn’t always fully co-operated with us. At least the students are getting good instruction on water safety and paddle-boarding as well as having been on the water. Thank you to the UL Activity instructors and indeed Mr. Gleeson for organising this and also for being so accommodating where students have been able to go sailing and make up for a session lost because of other circumstances.
Mr. Murray and his hard-working team had a very successful fundraiser last week and are all set to take on the renovation of the Memorial Garden. We look forward to this and it has huge potential for teamwork, the school environment and for the school community. It is an important part of the school for many.
If you are walking around the school next week you will notice a lot of ‘Positivity’. The TY’s have taken on a Positivity Project for YSI and are all set to commit random acts of kindness, distribute hugs, sit with people and chat at lunchtime and even hold doors open for others. We wish them the very best of luck with this fantastic idea and look forward to the outcomes.
Before I turn our attention to upcoming dates and events I would like to draw the attention of everyone to one matter that has cropped up a lot in recent weeks. I have been approached by some TY students to organise a trip outside of Ireland. I am very conscious that we live in a time where resources may not be as plentiful as we would like,. Therefore, I would like to get some feedback from all the TY students and in particular the TY Parents and Guardians. Last year, I conducted similar research and put together a number of options for a TY Tour both abroad and in Ireland. In the end the students and parents/guardians opted for a trip to Westport for an Adventure Weekend at the start of the February mid-term break. After some negotiation with the tour operator the trip cost €164. TY Tours can cost anywhere from €150 to €450+ depending on the destination, type and duration of the trip. Trips on offer include sporting and cultural ones to Premiership or Five Nations Matches, European cities like London, Paris, Brussels, Madrid etc. So, if you could please let me know firstly if you would like a trip to take place? Secondly, Ireland or Outside Ireland? Thirdly, what type of trip interests you? Based on what I get back I will then research venues, costs etc. and come back to you to see if this is a ‘runner’ or not.
In other news, I have registered the school on the SmartFutures website which allows us to book guest-speakers on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and I will consult with the relevant teachers to see when we can finalise a date or dates to invite a speaker to meet the TY students. It might be that all the TY students are met together or else one class group at a time. assuming a guest-speaker volunteer is available in our area.
The School Banks are about to take shape. All the applicants for AIB will be interviewed and the interviews take place this Monday coming Oct. 17th 1.45 to 5 p.m.
While Friday end of school was the deadline for applications for the BOI School Bank, I am willing to accept late applications up to Monday 4 p.m. because there was a lot of activity the last few days and not everyone may have had a chance to submit their application on time. Again, depending on the number of applicants it may be possible to offer everyone an interview.
AIB applicants please note that you do NOT need a cover letter or CV for your interview. Full school uniform is essential. Neat appearance is expected. Good luck to all of you!
BOI applicants will have to complete a CV and bring it to interview. You will be notified within the next few days of interviews and times etc. Again, good luck to all of you.
I haven’t heard back from the Law Society yet if our application for the Young Solicitors programme was successful or not.
Best of luck to our 2 TY students attending Comhairle na nOg in Ennis on Thursday next. Also, many thanks to the 22 TY students who have volunteered to help out at the ‘Fourathlon’ Event in Boher National School on Sunday October 23rd next.
On Tuesday next TY 2 Students will be given all the documentation they need for their Work Experience which begins on Nov.22nd and the relevant documents must be given to your Employer and also the documents which must be returned to the school have to be returned immediately after the October mid-term break. Don’t forget please!
Many thanks to the TY Students helping with the Gaisce Awards Presentation on Friday night next. Remember this time next year it will be you!
Please take good care to be filling in the appropriate sections of your TY School Journal as I showed you in Assessment Class this past week and also you and your teachers should be filling in your Skills Record Book. Do not leave these until the last week before the modules changeover. You want to avoid the stress and panic of this!!!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. See you Monday and as always if I can help in anyway do please let me know,

So now, at this point I will list the dates for the next two weeks:

Oct. 17 TY 2 Sailing.
Build A Bank Interviews 1.45 to 5 P.M.
Oct.18 TY 1 Work Experience.
TY 3 Sailing.
Oct.19 11 a.m. to 12 Noon Some TY students to Boher National School to prep for ‘Fourathlon’.
Oct. 20 Comhairle na nOg 2 TYs to Ennis – Bus collecting you at 9 a.m. and returns to Killaloe before school finishes.
Oct.21 TY 1 Sailing.
Gaisce Awards Presentation to TY 2015/16 7 p.m.
Oct.23 22TY Students helping at ‘Fourathlon’ Boher National School 1p.m.
Oct.24 Soar Foundation Workshop for TY Boys in the afternoon for 1 Hour Approx. – To Be Confirmed.
Might be possible to have BOI Interviews in the morning – To Be Confirmed.
Oct.25 TY 1 Work Experience.
Oct. 28 Mid term Break begins at end of school at 3.20 p.m.
Nov. 7 Back To School.
Nov.8 TY 1 Work Experience.
Nov.11 Chess Masterclass.
Nov.15 Last Tuesday Work Experience for TY 1.
Nov.21 Changeover of Modules.
Nov.22 First of Tuesday Work Experience for TY 2.

Again, many thanks for your patience and support,
Brendan O’ Brien.
TY Co-ordinator.