St. Mary's Secondary School

Baldoyle
Dublin 13.
Phone: 8325591
Fax: 8323554
Principal: Sr. Eliabeth Slattery
Vice Principal: Mr. F. Kelly
Student Population: 510
E-mail:stmarys@edunet.ie

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Board of Management

The Board of Management oversees the day to day running of the school. It manages the income and expenditure requirements from upkeep of premises to educational aids. The Board meet on a monthly basis.

The Parents' Committee

The Parents' Committee assist with fund raising and the organisation of social events. They also participate in courses that deal with social pressures on young people i.e. Drugs etc. They are also updated on Curriculum developments and any other changes within the educational system.

Foreward

St. Mary's Seconary School is situated by the sea in Baldoyle Village, 16 kms from Dublin City Centre . The school is twenty nine years old. It first opened its doors in September, 1967, offering second level education to girls from Baldoyle and its surrounding area. The school was first sited in the old Primary School opposite Baldoyle Parish Church. In 1972 it moved to its present location. Over the period of time the school has had many impressive achievements. Although our school is a traditional Convent School it is a none selective school which welcomes students of all denominations. The school's aim is to help each girl to realise her full potential while striving for academic excellence. A high value is placed on helping our young people take their place in society as maturecommitted Christians. At St. Mary's, the staff and management take a genuine interest in the pupils' well being. Care is organised through the Form Teacher/Year Head system and the work of the Guidance Counsellor. Career Days and 'Mock' Interviews are organised in conjunction with the Year Heads and Form Teachers. The Form Teachers and Chaplain assist in counselling pupils when the opportunity or need arises. The school also operates a home-school liason programme which allows for exchange of ideas on student progress. We have wonderful support form our Board of Management, Parents' Committee, and our Parents' Tuck Shop Committee.

Sr. Elizabeth Slattery
The Principal

Transport To School:

School buses from Malahide, Portmarnock, Donaghmede, Howth, Donabate and Swords: Bus Routes also: 32B, 32A, 32 and 102. The school is convenient to Sutton and Bayside DART station.

WELCOME TO : St. Mary's Secondary School St. Mary's is a Catholic girl's Secondary School run by the Sisters of Charity. The staff comprises of The Principal, Vice-Principal, Specialist Teachers, Guidance Counsellor and Remedial Teacher. There is also a Home-School liaison Sister and a school Chaplain. The school has many established local community and business links which help prepare our students for their life and work. Our school is open to all, no selection procedure is used. We do, however, use an assessment test to help in the evaluation of each student's ability before entry. Application is normally through the Howth Deanery Education Committee. Parents outside the Howth Deanery should apply to the school a year before the date of entry. EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS JUNIOR CYCLE This is a three year cours leading to the Junior Certificate. CURRICULUM *Irish *French *Art *English *German *Civic and Social, *Maths *Spanish *Political Education *History *Music *Religion *Geography *Science *Physical Education *Business Studies *Home Economics TRANSITION YEAR This is an optional extra year between Junior and Senior Cycle. It allows students to continue their studies in their academic subjects while developing and experiencing new subjects and responsibilities. They take part in work experience and run mini-companies while studying subjects including Political Studies, Psychology and Computer Applications. The students also have extensive career education and guidance during the year. All Transition Year students undertake work of service to the community. We strongly recommend this course to all our students. SENIOR CYCLE This is atwo year course leading to the Leaving Certificate, all subjects are offered to Honours Leaving level: Examination subjects offered Irish Accountancy Home Economics English Business Organisation Social and Scientific Maths Economics Music French Physics Art German Chemistry Leaving Certificate History Biology Vocational Programme Geography L.C.V.P. This year we are introducing the L.C.V.P. - the programme is designed to foster in pupils a spirit of enterprise and initiative. It also aims to develop their interpersonal, vocational and technological skills. Essentially it is the Leaving Certificate with three additional modules (short course). It can be regarded as the Leaving Certificate Plus. MINI COMPANIES : St. Mary's Budding Entrepreneurs The Mini Company is a project for Transition year students which was set up to teach pupils about the running of business and the real world. This is a fantastic scheme because the students are left to fend for themselves, organise their own products and find out how much they are going to cost and where they are going to sell them. Within each mini company there is management team of seven or eight students who are chosent by interview by the supervising teacher and a staff member of the Bank of Ireland, sutton, Dublin 13. Within the Transition YEar students manage to form usually 2 to 3 mini companies including General Manager and a number of democratically appointed managers. Names of companies range fromt he exotic to the practical and the products have been many and varied over the years. If the product proves a success selling on our premises the students will almost certainly find a market re local shops and businesses. This means they deal with the outside business world and learn to produce products for deadlines in a team work situation. Second level school with Mini Companies from all over Dublin meet at a Trade Fair at the end of the school year and here they set up stalls to show what they have been making and selling throughout the year. Trading takes place between all the participating companies and one group is declared overall winner for the success of their Mini Company. SPORTS Basketball, Badminton, Table-Tennis, Soccer and Tennis are played in the school. Basketball and Soccer are played at competive level and we have been very successful over the years. We also have students who complete at national and international level in Swimming. One of our students is currently on the Irish Soccer International Team. St. Mary's under 18 Soccer Team were FAIS Cup Finalists in March 1996 and were only narrowly defeated after a very exciting match. Our Basketball team were very involved all year in the Dublin Basketball League. They trained every Monday and Wednesday and entered enthusiasticaly into the various events. Joy McGlynn swam at the Leinster Group Championships in New Ross in April 1996 and won 5 Gold medals. In running Sarola Finnucane won the 1500 metres in the North Leinster Running Championships and Deirdre Thompson was runner up. OUTINGS: Field Trips in History, Geography and Science are now an integral part of the Junior Certificate Course. In addition, visits to the National Concert Hall, Theatre or Cinema are arranged. CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING. We have a full-time Guidance Counsellor on Staff. Mock Interviews, Aptitude Testing, Career Talks are provided in addition to individual counselling for students. There is access to a comprehensive library of careers information. Computers At present we have sixteen 486 Personal Computers, two of which have full multi-media capabilities. These will be networked next year. Computer literacy is an important part of the Junior Certificate Business Studies Course. All students are given an opportunity to develop basic keyboard skills and a working knowledge of the P.C. , including familiarity with Windows '95. During Transition Year students have practical experience of a Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Data Base and Desk Top Publishing (using Microsoft Works and Microsoft Publisher) and are encouraged to use these applications widely to present essays, projects, etc. in other subject areas. They are also encouraged to use Encarta and other educational programmes as resources in their own studies. Next year's students will also have access to some Internet services via the Nitec Network initially and we look forward to a large expansion in this area. L.C.V.P. students continue to develop the skills they have acquired in Transition Year and can progress to using Microsoft Office. YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS SCHEME Y.E.S Fifteen new businesses run by thirty students raised capital and produced and sold products. Market Day took place on Tuesday 5th December. Products sold included Bookmarks, Jewellery, Candles and Christmas Logs and Decorations. The products were also sold in local shops. The students received generous support from local businesses and the Fingal County Enterprise Board. On Thursday 18th January, the 'In School' Competition was held. The entrants had to display products and present a written report. The competition was judged by Mr. Martin McEvoy (Chairman - Fingal County Enterprise Board) Ms. Fiona McCann (Bank of Ireland), Mr. Paul Kennedy (Bayer Diagnostics) and Mr Ray McCabe (FAS). Winners in three categories were chosen to represent the school at the County Final as follows: Junior Category: Elaine Carroll (1st) Ingrid Nolan (2nd) Intermediate Category: Alison Murray (1st) Aine Reville (1st) Muireann Carroll (2nd) Senior Category: Geraldine and Denise McQuillan. Runners up were Sarah Ryan and Sinead Whelan(Junior) and Deborah Clancy (Intermediate). The winners each received a Trophy and Perpetual Trophies were sponsored by Doyles Supervalu, Baldoyle. Every participant received a Booktoken. The Y.E.S. Parents Committtee (Mrs S. Clancy, Mrs M Carroll and Mrs C Kenny) raised funds to buy the prizes and received sponsorship. Geraldine and Denise McQuillan, who run a very successful Jewellery and Accessories business, qualified for the Regional Final on 31st March 1996, when they were runners up. This was a considerable achievement in the Leinster Region. St. Mary's Young Entrepreneurs had a very successful year. We are looking forward to more enterprising initiatives next year. Start up this summer. A successful product\services may earn students money during the holidays. Then they enter the competition in September. TALENT SHOW As an alternative for the alternative for the academic year 1995/1996 we did not stage a musical, but instead we decided to showcase a wider variety of talent. So a Talent show was staged. This proved most successful and it was wonderful to see just how much talent our students pocess and to feel justifiably proud. MUSIC DUBLIN SECONDARY SCHOOLGIRLS CHOIR On a annual basis a group of our students participate as members of the Dublin Secondary Schoolgirls Choir. The choir is generally composed of 500 girls from twenty different school from the greater Dublin area. They perform usually around February in the national Concert Hall are accompanied by members of the prestigious Radio Teilifis Eireann Concert Orchestra. The students enjoy this experfience and these concerts are always a tremendous success. DRAMA AND THEATRE Throughout the school year our students and their teachers attende Night Theatre shows i.e. plays and films relevant to their school courses. They visit the City Arts Centre Project Theatre and Career events in Dublin City University and University College Dublin. Each year a Drama group 'Team Theatre Company' come and perform for our students. These plays are usually reevant to a teenagers life both academic and social with regard to the 'highs and lows' of passing through the teen years and they also deal with wider broader social and political issues of the day. After each production a work shop is held and students actively participate and express their ideas on the issues they have covered. This proves most popular with our students especially at Senior Level. Team Theatre have visited the school twice this year. They presented their play 'Fixing Bill Haley' to both Transition Year and Fifth Year students. The majority of First Year students have been to 'The Ark' in Dublin's trendy Temple Bar. They enjoyed the play ' Dear Jack' in april as well as their trip to town. Throughout the year, students and their teachers have gone to night theatre shows to see plays and films relevant to their school courses. The students have also visited the City Arts Centre Project Theatre. CHARITY: Our students over the years have assisted in many ways in raising money for Charities through sponsorship etc. They have raised money in particular for Trocaire, which distributes funds and equipment to the Third World Countries. Our staff and students also raised funds for Sandra O'Donovan an astounding ś9,000. Sandra is a Transition Year Student who is confined to a Wheelchair and this money was used to purchase a new wheelchair which could be operated by her chin. The balance to be invested to be used to purhase special aids which will make life easier and simpler for her. This was an extraordinary achievement. STUDENT EXCHANGE: We have participated over a number of years exchanging our students with German groups, French groups and we have also participated in a North\South exchange with students within our own country. These exchanges have always proved enjoyable and successful both from an educational and social perspective. Only recently we had a visit from two groups of Danish students who wanted to see an 'Irish' school in action. On their visit they learned about our school life and ways. We also gained knowledge of life in Denmark. In return for our hospitality we received many invitations back to Denmark. On a yearly academic basis we usually accept students from europe who wish to study here for a year - we have had a number of Spanish, German, Mexican and Chinese students. COMMUNITY WORK: As part of the Transition Year Course - students undertake voluntary work within the Community. Our students often assist in St. Michael's House, Raheny and in St. Mary's Hospital, Baldoyle. They give of both school and free time to undertake these duties and both students and the children benefit from this experience. THE SCHOOL ORATORY Our school is has an Oratory within the main building and it is quite lovely. We boast of our Stain glass windows - four of which are by the renowned stained glass artist of international acclaim - Harry Clarke. The Oratory was built at the same time as the main building, the Christian Doctrin Room over the Oratory was the organ loft and part of the Chapel, most likely built a short time before 1900. The present Chaplain's room was a sacristy and confession room. The marble altar has the inscription 'Pray for donor'. The donor was a tea merchant named Healys', Parnell Street. FINGAL ROTARY CLUB LEADERSHIP AWARD St. Mary's has participated in the Fingal Rotary Club Awards since 1990. Students who participate are interviewed by business people and college professors. The students must organise and plan their own particular projects. Having been interviewed they may then qualify for the next stage. A prize is awarded to the winner and in addition to this the school receives their own prize. The students benifit from the experience of the interviews , meeting new people etc. MUSICALS St. Mary's have always been associated with musicals. In fact, in contrast to other schools, the entire production is staged by the staff who look after all aspects of each show from production to costumes and lighting, with the help of senior students. But the musicals could never have got underway if it weren't for the encouragement of the Principal who supported us all the way. Productions such as 'West Side Story', 'Fiddler on the Roof', and the 'The King and I' to name but a few have been very successfully staged in the school. In all productions, there are students from all years and everyone gets on well together, works as a team and has great fun. When the big night arrives there is always tension, nerves and excitement but once the curtain goes up, it makes it all worthwhile. We feel music is a vital part of schoollife as one learns a lot from it both musically and otherwise i.e. co-operation with others, self discipline, time management and finally confidence in oneself. TUCK SHOP Presently we have no canteen facilities so a Tuck Shop was introduced to St. Mary's. The Tuck Shop is made possible by the voluntary assitance of parents and students attending the school. There are nine breaks per week. So a panel of at least 16 volunteers was formed. These parents give 30 minutes of their time each week. Since the Tuck Shop started it has been an overwhelming success. It is popular with students, teachers and parents. It has also proved to be a financial asset to the school as any profit is used to furnish the school with necessary equipment etc The operation of this Tuck Shop involves effort, hard work, and time. SCHOOL TOURS School Tours have always been a feature of life at St. Mary's. In the early days the tours were predominantly to England and Scotland; the favourite and frequent places were Stratford, London, York, Bath and the Cheddar Gorge. However, since the early eighties the school has move further afield and we have had several enjoyable tours to Paris, Amsterdam and the Rhineland. One of the highlights has been a tour to Russia. The students have also traveled to Switzerland and Barcelona, Spain. SCIENCE NEWS 1996 Three second year students presented a project for the YOUNG SCIENTIST 1996 investigating the levels of water pollution on a large area of land referred to in our locality as the Baldoyle Racecourse. A years had work paid off with their teacher, Mrs. Griffin, when the girls were 'highly recommended' by the judges and received an award for their work. The students later presented their project at an 'EARTH WATCH SEMINAR' where they received yet another award. Also at a recent ENVIRONMENTAL SEMINAR run by FIANA FAIL the girls project was put on display. According to Councillor Martin Brady 'there was a phenomonal level of interest' in the project by the people who attended the Seminar, including Mr Noel Dempsey T.D. (Front Bench Spokesperson on the Environment, and Dr. Michael Woods T.D. ******************************************************************** Congratualtions to six enthusiastic students from St. Martins class took part in an Irish National Energy Watch competition that involved completing six tasks including making a short video, which they showed to other students. The girls won a Bronze Sun Award, a Certificate and T-Shirt in recognition of their hard work. COMPETITIONS Science Students participate on an annual basis in the Young Scientist Award and have enjoyed success at different levels. Our Home Economics students have also been successful over the years in the Cook Electric Competion sponsored by the E.S.B. at the Regional and National Level. With in the school we give a prize for the Student of Year and this is sponsored by the Bank of Ireland and is awarded each year. Tansition Year English students enter the National Rehabilitation Boards 'Challenging Images' Competition. This involves the production of a four page Tabloid Newspaper and one entry this year was placed second in the District Final. Congratulations to Sandra O'Donovan and Tracey McGlynn. A number of teams also entered from a 2nd Year class and again they had to produce a 4 page newspaper aimed at their own age group, basing the content on issues affecting young people with disabilities.

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