St. Aidan’s C.B.S.,Whitehall, DublinScoil Aodháin, Fionnbhrú, Baile Átha Cliath

News UpdateNews UpdateNews UpdateSummer 2017

Happiest Years

I would like to take this opportunity to saygoodbye to all in the St. Aidan's community.I started in St. Aidan's in 2010 and greatlyenjoyed my time at the school. It was apleasure working in such a vibrant anddiverse school. I always enjoyed reading theNewsletter as it showcased all the excellentevents involving the students and teachersas well as celebrating the many achieve-ments of our student body.

Although it was my decision to seek a newchallenge, leaving St. Aidan's was very difficult. I returned recently for the AwardsNight and was reminded of the wonderfulvariety of the student's talents, the commitment of their teachers and the support of the parents. With the combinedefforts of the students, staff and parents I amsure the school will continue to thrive and Ilook forward to hearing about more greatachievements in the future.

I would like to take this opportunity tothank all of the students, staff and parentsthat I have had the pleasure of working withand getting to know over the last sevenyears at St. Aidan's. I can honestly say thatthey were the happiest years of my career inteaching.

Mr. B Harrington.

Awards NightMr. P Ward always organises the event so well. Ms. K Morris MC on the night dida wonderful job, in her very efficient way introduced speakers and moved thenight along so smoothly.Our guest speaker on the night was Mr. Noel Rock T.D. a past pupil of the school.Noel Rock is the youngest Fine Gael Dublin T.D. representing the BallymunElectoral Area, which includes Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Whitehall, Beaumont,Santry, Finglas and Ballymun. He is a member of a number of OireachtasCommittees, including: Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Public Accounts andBudgetary Scrutiny. Thanks to Noel informing the Principal, we entered theEuroscola competition. Twenty four students and two teachers won a trip to theEuropean Parliament in Strasbourg. Warmest congratulations to all nominees and winners on this very special night.We appreciate and give a special thanks to all the sponsors on the night, StudentCouncil, and all the staff who without their help it would not be possible. Welldone to all involved.

Leaving Certificate GraduationThe Sixth Year graduation ceremony took place in the new PE hall. Ms. A MDunne our acting Principal opened the ceremony with words of praise for theboys and their sense of community both within and outside the school.The 6th years looked so grown up and stylish in their very smart suits. TheirYear head Mr. P Hastings spoke so highly of the 6th years and Mr. N Sheridanread out some very funny comments by the boys. The class tutors presentedan award to the 6th year form student from each class. Mr. A O Neill thankedthe Student's Council for all their terrific work over the years. The Student of the Year 2017, was announced by Ms. H Thompson our actingDeputy Principal. She spoke so highly of Keith Hudson and then Ms. Dunnepresented him with his trophy and gift.The music was excellent, we had Kevin Rooney, Eoin Lombard, Ben Deane,Conal Cullen Fleming and Luke McArthur.It was very emotional as we knew it wastheir last time preforming in school.Naturally tied in with that is all the joythey have brought us over the yearsthrough their music and hearing Kevinsing. Ms. A M Dunne closed the ceremony by wishing them every successin their examsand on theirjourneythrough life.There were afew tears, butcertainly a lot ofvery proud parents andstaff.

Ballymun Music ProjectBallymun Music Project involves studentsfrom several schools from the Santry andBallymun area coming together to form amusic ensemble under the guidance ofconductor Ron Cooney. In the Axis they performed a speciallycommissioned piece for them called 'TriColoured Ribbon' written by Irish filmcomposer Michael Fleming.

European Parliament StrasbourgAs a result of Rodrigo Soberon Pena winningthe Euroscola poster competition lastNovember twenty four students, Ms. D McQuaid, Ms. K Morris and Mr. A O’Neill all gotto visit the European Parliament inStrasbourg. We departed before sunrise, witha great sense of excitement. We flew toFrankfurt and then had a three hour bus rideto Strasbourg the home of the EuropeanParliament. In the afternoon we had a guidedwalking tour of Strasbourg. The following day30th March, it was up and out early to arriveat the European Parliament for 8am. We wereall so impressed by the buildings and the interior. There are twenty eight member statestoday and there were 10,000 students presenton the day from the various member states.They wanted the students to experience a birdseye view of what goes on in the EuropeanParliament, to reflect on what to expect or wantfor their future in the EU. The previous week inRome the European Union had celebrated its60th anniversary and had spoken about makingEurope a stronger, safer place.The students then discussed questions askedand at the end took a vote just like the 750MEP's would when in parliament. There wasthen a debate on the development of Europe.After lunch there was an EU quiz, followed byworking groups who met to discuss Europeanpriorities based on themes that were given tothe schools. Each group selected a representativeto present their conclusions. Malcolm Ajaifrom our school was selected by his group anddid a terrific job reporting back the conclu-sions and dealing with tricky questions. Theday concluded with some games, presentationof prizes and Euroscola certificates. We allenjoyed this very different experience and theboys made plenty of new friends, mostly girls.The following morning we took a river ride inStrasbourg and had lunch before we departed.Who knows one of the students with us couldbe back working as an MEP in years to come.A terrific experience for all of us.

International DayMr. P Traynor and Ms. Z Kennedy organised a Fair Trade Breakfastand an International Day on the 6th April. It was a great day whichcelebrated the inclusion and diversity in our school in a fun and interactive way for the students.The idea behind International Day in the school was to recognise andcelebrate the diversity of our student body. The day started with a free Fair Trade Breakfast in the GPA where

tea/coffee/bananas were served at 8am and even with the early start alarge crowd gathered. Students had permission to wear in their ownclothes and were encouraged to wear in their country colours.The teachers had organised the students to make flags to decorate theGPA, which looked fantastic. On the day in the new PE hall therewere tables representing the various nationalities, with food, flags,posters, national dress and music going on.A recent survey showed that we have 41 different nationalities, otherthan Ireland represented in the school, from a total of 144 boys. Thisrepresents 20.3% of our student body, which definitely shows that weare an inclusive school which values diversity.In the afternoon the Student's Council ran a quiz for all 2nd years.During the day there was also an opportunity for 1st -5th year students to visit the International tables in the new PE hall.The boys were fantastic setting it up, teachers and students alikeenjoyed tasting the international cuisine. Damian Kubik's mother evenmade Polish cake for the teacher's, which was delicious. The day was a great celebration and clearly visible on the day was thepride the boys displayed for their respective countries. Well done toall involved.

The Hound of the BaskervillesThe TY Drama/Music group wowed audienceswith their unique take on 'The Hound of theBaskervilles' staged in The Axis in Ballymun.They are a hugelytalented groupably led by Ms. LO'Flanagan, Mr. RGill and Ms. N NiBhraonain.

Green Schools Art Competition

Damian Kubik in 1 North won bestrunner up in the East and Midlandsregion of a nationwide Green SchoolsArt competition, imagining Ireland in2040. There were over 3,100 entries.He went to the Mansion House to col-lect his prize from Minister SimonCoveney on May 4th. Well done Damian!

Tales from The Dark Pool

Ms. L Flanagan's 2 South class took part in a project with Near FM in

which they read stories and poems for a programme called "Tales from

The Dark Pool". Well done to all involved.

If you would like to listen to them the producer has posted all

programme content (stories/poems/authors' names) and all podcast

links on the “Tales from the Dark Pool” facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pmpld/ .

Transition Year Accenture Workshop & InterviewsOn March 8th TYPN & TYPS went into the Accenture building at Grand Canal Dock to take part in mock interviews,having completed workshops here in St. Aidan's the previous week. This involved online modules which they completed in the computer lab and then workshops, which 10 Accenture volunteers conducted in the school. Theywere practical, hands-on, small working groups and the students learned directly from the volunteers. Then while in Accenture each student was interviewed and received full feedback on his performance. It was a greatsuccess and is beneficial when it comes to their preparation for future careers and interviews. As ever the feedback onour students was tremendous. The rest of the transition year group had completed theirs before Christmas.

Italian TY TripDuring the Easter holidays, Transition Years went on a trip to northern Italy. The flight was atfive in the morning, so there were plenty of groggy faces going onto the plane. After landingthere was a long bus journey to Venice, followed by a boat ride across the lagoon. The city itself was beautifully built, but became a little boring to a lot of people who were still very tired.Personally, I spent a lot of time helping somebody decide which mask to buy.The next day was spent in Verona. Sights included a Roman amphitheatre, a very tall bell tower,with a very long staircase and the balcony that Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet on. Some ofthe lads got 'acquainted' with a statue of Juliet and we all got hissed at by a security guard whospoke no English.The following day included a trip up Monte Baldo. The views up there were incredible, or atleast I thought so. Those of us who are less in tune with nature visited the town at the foot of the mountain. Unfortunately I did pay for the experience with some very bad sunburn.After that we took a boat trip on Lake Garda, which was lovely. The lakeside town Sirmione, was also home to a castle and top quality ice cream.The next day, we went to Gardaland, where many people experienced rollercoasters for the first time. The theme park included a ninety degree drop, which caused one person to faint. Most of the year agreed that this was the best day of the trip.On the final day we went to Milan. We first went to a Science and Technology museum, which was quite frankly kind of boring. We then visited the beautiful Cathedral Il Duomo. After that most of us relaxed in the square before we left for the airport. We then said goodbye to Italyand a great trip.

Ciaran Mc Gannon TY

TY's Good Deeds for Charity

Margaret Rodgers from Heart Children

Ireland at the TY Graduation. She was

presented with a cheque for €750 from the

TY mini-company Christmas card sales.

There were four charities in total that

received a cheque for the same amount.

The other charities were Simon

Community, Pieta House, and Whitehall

Social Services. Well done to all the boys

involved.

DC Dragons Dublin EnterpriseBoard Minicompany

CompetitionOn 15th March Conor Bowles

TYPS won the senior category

first prize. Conor will go on to

represent Dublin at the National

Finals in Croke Park on 3rd May.

Conor's company called DC

Dragons breeds a type of lizard

called bearded dragons. Conor

breeds the baby lizards and sells

them to pet shops. Well done

Connor!

Active School's Week Basketball MatchAs part of Active School's Week the teachers played a basketball game against the 6th years and the teacherswere narrowly beaten by the boys. Well done boys!

Beauty of Avon RíFirst Years went on a school outing to Avon RíCentre in Blessington on the 3rd May. Theyparticipated in zip lining, orienteering,archery and an obstacle course. They returnedto the school hall for even more sports activities followed by an outdoor pizza picnic.They really enjoyed the day and a big thanksto all involved.

Sports Day SuccessHere in St. Aidan's we had our first Active Schools Week with variousactivities ending with a wonderful sports day. It was the second yearin a row to have blue sunny skies at Morton Stadium for our sportsday. The students participated in events such as relays and sprints,poc fada, long jump, high jump, welly throwing, quizzes, tug-o-warcompetition and novelty races. There was a funny teacher quiz wherestudents tried to match teacher toddler photos to the now adultteacher, not easy! The day was a terrific success thanks to Ms. HannahMcDonnell and her wonderful organisational skills, not only organis-ing the boys but the teachers as well to ensure we had a fun filled day.Well done also to all in the PE Department and the staff who helpedout in any way to make some of the fondest school memories for thestudents.

1st year/2nd year BasketballThe first years won the Dublin “A” basketball shield vs Oatlands 27-25in a very close game. The Second years were narrowly beaten by thesame school 27-21.

St. Aidan’s First EverProvincial Title In Soccer

Our U-19 team secured the Leinster 'A' Cupthis year defeating Coláiste Éanna in the final.This is a massive achievement for the school,as it was the first time winning the trophy.Steven Nolan scored the goal in normal timeas the match ended 1-1 after extra-time.Darren Barry scored the winning penalty in anenthralling game watched by a large crowd.Well done to the team for all their hard workand commitment to training during the year.

Team: Mark Kenny, Adam Duffy, AaronMalone, Keith Campbell, Eric Andrews, GavinHarney (Jamie Byrne 75), Jamie Delaney, JackMcMahon, Steven Nolan, Sean Cummins (JackMurray 70) and Darren Barry. Subs: Cillian Carroll, Dean Duffy, OisinGannon and Sean Lowry.

Evening Herald Sports Stars 2017

The following sportsstars attended theEvening Herald SportsStars Awards in theAviva Stadium.

Lee Gannon, SeanLowry,Cameron McCormac, Fintan Farryand Stephen Nolan.

By all accounts theyhad a fabulous timealong with two of thecoaches who nurturedtheir talents, Ms. CPeoples and Mr. MKelly.

Congratulations to allinvolved.

Role of HonourThis year alone, St Aidan's were U17 Dublin A Metropolitan LeagueSoccer Champions as well as Leinster U19 A Soccer Champions andsent two players - Gavin Kilkenny (Bournemouth) and Robert Dunne(Sunderland) - to the Premier League. The result of the efforts to improve facilities and coaching at theschool speak for themselves. Here, for example, is this year's trophy haul:

o Leinster U19 A Soccer Champions

o U17 Dublin A Metropolitan League Soccer Champions

o U16 Dublin A GAA Champions

o All-Ireland Senior A Basketball Champions

o Senior Dublin A Basketball Champions

o 1st Year Basketball A Shield Champions

o Leinster Athletics A Champions

o All Ireland Track and Field CBS Schools Champions 2016

o Fintan Farry 64kg Individual Judo All Ireland Champion

o 5 Evening Herald Sports Stars of the Week

Climbing HighThe St Aidan's climbing club had a fantastic first year. The club is heldeach week on a Wednesday and Thursday at the climbing wall in St.David's C.B.S. in Artane. Students have learned a range of basic skills suchas belaying and have developed their technique and strength throughoutthe year. Students finished the year on a high coming 13th in the School

Competition held in Awesome Walls on May18th. Students also got to experience outdoorclimbing for the first time when we took a tripto Dalkey Quarry with the club members fromSt David's C.B.S. The club will continue nextyear so watch out for more events and speakto Ms. E Byrne if you are interested in joiningnext year.

Karate Champion our MatthewLast November saw Matthew's selection to theNational Karate Squad for the European KarateChampionships, one of 16 athletes in the countryto be given the honour of representing their coun-try at such a high level. This is the first time in thehistory of Larkhill Karate Club that an athlete wasselected at this level. Matthew's selection was aresult of his high achievements in previous yearsat both national and international level.The build up to the EKFS (held in Sofia, Bulgaria)saw Matthew train incredibly hard, most days ofthe week and included intense training over hisChristmas holidays in Dublin, Cork and Glasgow.He had countless hours of physical therapy andhours of mental coaching in preparation for theevent. Matthew fully embraced every aspect of histraining.Matthew performed to a very high standard at theEKFs doing his country proud, an experience hewill remember for the rest of his life, no doubt.Since February Matthew has competed in theIKKU International Open Championships takingSilver. The ONAKAI National championshipstaking Silver and also taking Bronze for Ireland atthe Scottish International Open.After years of campaigning Karate will make itsdebut into the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020and who knows maybe someday St. Aidan's willhave a Karate Olympian!

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