Mission Statement


	LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3		St Louis Community School , Kiltimagh Page 1. Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) As the school year moves on I hope this Newsletter will keep you up to date on the major happenings at the school. Now that the school building is complete, it is hoped to issue a newsletter at more regular intervals. School Building Project The final phase section of the project was handed over to the school on 16^th January 2004 . Some work remains to be done, particularly around the school grounds, but we are all very proud of the work that has been done. We now have one of the most modern schools in the country which is being equipped with the latest in modern technology and furnishings. However, I do not expect that everything will be in place until the end of this school year. I would like if the school could have more classrooms as it would free up the school’s canteen, church, library, stores, etc which are at present being used as classrooms. This situation has arisen as a result of the increasing student enrolments. The school has no problem in accommodating students but it would be better if those designated areas of the school were made available for the purposes for which they were intended. An application has been made to the Department of Education & Science for a permanent extension to the school and for temporary accommodation to cover any intervening period. First year enrolments in 2002 were 70, in 2003 98 and having just visited the primary schools it would appear the figure for 2004 will exceed 100. Our Post Leaving Cert students numbers have gone from 40 in 2001 to 58 in 2002 to 92 in 2003 with a similar or increased number in 2004. This, of course, is a very healthy sign for any school and indicates an appreciation by parents and students of what the school has to offer. The work done over the years has been rewarded with the provision of a new school. It is now up to us to use it properly, and to good effect. Entrance & Exit Arrangements With the completion of the new school project, students will from now on enter the school by the gateway beside the vehicular traffic gateway and by the main entrance doorway and foyer. They will not enter the school’s car parks unless escorted by a parent or guardian. In case of emergency, eg fire, they may leave the school by any exit. Parents/Guardians may enter and leave the school by the main front entrance. St Aidan’s National School ( Old Building ) St Aidan’s National School which has been used by St Louis Community School for many years has been demolished and now provides a site for the possible provision for extra classrooms for our school which has an increased enrolment and requires extra student space. For past pupil’s of St Aidan’s recent published photographs will have brought back many memories of bye-gone days. One unsavoury happening, however, is the disappearance of the stone bearing the school’s name, etc. A request was made by the Kiltimagh Historical Society that this stone be preserved and given to it but it seems the stone disappeared. I would ask whoever took it to return it to the people of Kiltimagh to whom it should belong. Mock Exams & State Exams Preparatory (Mock) examinations for Leaving & Junior Certs begin Thursday 12 February 2004 . Junior Cert examinations will be held in classrooms and Leaving Cert examinations in the Library and Room 403. They are, of course, of great value to students in many respects as they not only give the students an independent evaluation of their standards but they also are a rehearsal of and preparation for the State Examinations. Our students are progressing very well with 81.2 % gaining Third Level acceptance but this is gained by the good and sustained work of our students, their teachers, the work ethic of the school, and the support of parents. As you appreciate this is a very high rate of success and well above the national average. However, real success is not measured by those figures alone but also by the achievements of the weakest students whose achievements in this school have been outstanding because of the fostering of care, and teaching that is practiced by their teachers and special needs assistants in collaboration with their parents who are constantly kept in touch with their progress. Here I must also add the assistance that is given by other students who see to it that our weaker students receive the respect and attention they deserve. Evening Study Supervised Evening Study takes place on school days between 3.50pm and 6pm Monday to Thursday. It provides an excellent environment for students to study. 67 students are attending Supervised Evening Study this term. Evening Classes Cooking classes will commence Tuesday 3^rd February at 8 pm . Gardening classes will commence in March. Parents who have applied will be notified at that stage. About 7 parents have applied for each of the courses in First Aid and Caring for the Sick, Interior Design and parents plus. We need about 10 applicants to make a course viable. If we receive further applications for these courses they will commence immediately. If you have queries about any of the above courses contact Joe Waldron at 094-93-81228. Computer Courses in September Now is the time to decide if you would be interested in doing a course full-time or part-time, commencing in September. The school offers a Business/Secretarial Course where you can study computers, typing, book-keeping, computerised accounts. Participants can also do the ECDL course and the Advanced ECDL course, in word processing, spreadsheets, database and powerpoint. Post Leaving Cert Course (As well as the existing PLC courses) We will be offering a Post Leaving Cert course in Environmental Science in September 2004. This will be offered to NCVA Level 2 and successful candidates will be able to progress to Third Level degree and diploma courses. Subjects covered include: Laboratory Techniques Biology Chemistry Mathematics Health & Safety Communications Environmental Science Work Experience Enquiries to the school. Science Department Congratulations to all the Senior Science students who participated in the annual ISTA Quiz in Sligo in November. Special recognition to the Leaving Cert students who qualified for the National Final in Trinity College, Dublin – Aine King (Biology), Kristina Grybaite (Chemistry) and Bernadette Monaghan (Physics) and to the teachers who helped and accompanied the pupils to Dublin for the event. Our 1^st Year Science pupils will be travelling to Galway in early March to attend the European Science Exhibition at Leisureland. The event will hopefully give our Junior pupils some insight into various aspects of Science and its valuable impact on our everyday lives. Transition Year Transition Year students are currently working in conjunction with a school in Castlewellan, Co Down and project entitled ‘Dissolving Boundaries’. The students from both schools have chosen a subject area, Nutrition and Diet, and will work together comparing various aspects of nutrition and diet among second-level pupils north and south of the border, through video-phone connections, e-mails etc. Graduation As the school’s church may still not be available for this year’s graduation Mass a similar procedure to last year’s will be followed. The time for same is being discussed at present. School Uniform will be worn. Cross Border Exchange A group of 35 students from Transition Year will travel to Belfast on the 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th February 2004 as part of the second leg of a cross border Civic Link Exchange. They will visit Victoria College , attend workshops on their civic link project, visit City Hall and Stormont and participate in other cultural activities. School Policies Planning days eg no students at school on Monday 9^th February 2004 . Parent-Teacher meeting for First Years on Wednesday 11^th February 2004 , 4pm to 6pm . Sports Facilities It is expected that the new Gym will become available to students in March or April on a limited basis and will be in full use by September. Application, with substantial community support, has been made to the Department of Art, Sport & Tourism for financial funding towards the development of outdoor sports facilities at the school. It is envisaged that this might include Gaelic, Soccer and Rugby playing fields, basketball/tennis courts. Running track and changing rooms and showers. It appears a substantial local financial contribution will be required if a public grant is to be gained for such a development. However, such a major development is needed for both the school’s students and for the Kiltimagh area in general for all of whom it would be a tremendous asset. Broadband Kiltimagh is the 1^st of 19 towns in Ireland with fibre MAN’s installed last summer to go live with Broadband internet. Our school will be linked to this network at the earliest opportunity at the end of February. This service will greatly enhance the internet service in the school and will benefit students and staff. Achievements Day An Achievements Day will be held at the end of the school year when students will be presented with awards for their successes during the course of the year. These awards will include many activities that take place in the everyday life of the school as well as major achievements. “Fill the Shoe Box” A sincere thanks goes out to all of you who contributed in any way to the LCA campaign – “Fill the Shoebox”. From its launch on 16^th October 2003 until its closing date of 1^st December 2003 120 shoeboxes were packed with wonderful presents for the less fortunate. These shoeboxes were then wrapped and labelled by all the LCA students during the following week and representatives from S.V.P collected them for distribution on Monday 15^th December. A special word of praise must be given to the students of the LCA classes for their hard work and dedication during the course of the campaign. Their tireless effort to make other children’s Christmas morning a happier one was truly rewarded by the success of the campaign. Endless hours were put into preparing for the launch of the project and many pleas were given to students, teachers and members of the community by means of posters, speeches, letters and even radio interviews. Not only were they aware of the recipients of the shoeboxes but also those who contributed and held a raffle for all students who had returned a filled shoebox to the campaign. On that note, congratulations to Emma Goldrick, winner of the 20 prize. On behalf of LCA a sincere thank you once again for your commitment and contributions to this very worthwhile campaign. Technology Achievements Congratulations to both Jonathan Campbell and David Rattigan on receiving 1^st and 2^nd place in the Galway/Mayo Technology Awards for Junior Certificate projects. Both projects then went on to represent the region in the National finals held in Cahir, Co Tipperary . Jonathan’s project won 1^st Runner-up and was awarded with a beautiful piece of crystal and a national certificate. The competition is organised by the Engineering and Technology Teachers Association and all the top projects around the country are entered. Jonathan’s project was a working model of a conveyor belt which operates automatically with electronic controls. David on the other hand had to design and make an educational toy for a pre-school child. Remainder of Calendar Wednesday 11 February 2004 - Parent-Teacher Meeting for 1^st Years 4pm-6pm Monday 16 February 2004 to Friday 20 February 2004 (inclusive) February Mid-term break Wednesday 17 March 2004 - St Patrick’s Day – School Closed Monday 05 April 2004 to 16 April 2004 (inclusive) Easter Holidays Monday 03 May 2004 - May Bank Holiday Thursday 03 June 2004 - School year ends Wednesday 09 June 2004 - Leaving Cert, LCA and Junior Cert State Examinations begin Volleyball Congratulations to the Cadet Boys who are through to the All-Ireland Volleyball Final – John McNicholas, Fintan Coleman, Colm Costello, James Flanagan, Edward Carroll, Jason Gill, Sean Costello, Francis Harrison, Philip Larkin, Donal Walsh, Colm Hyland, Joseph McHugh. Congratulations to Cadette B Girls who were narrowly defeated in the All Ireland Semi-Final – Sinead Flatley, Grainne Byrne, Grace Doyle, Hazel Jordan, Teresa Raftery, Michelle McNicholas, Kathryn Ansboro, Michelle Jordan, Sarah Byrne, Marian Flatley, Katie Carroll , Annie McKeown, Kelly Forde.. Young Pioneers Quiz Congratulations to the following students who were winners of the quiz organised by Swinford Young Pioneers – Elaine Regan, Claire Lavin, Christina Rowan, Shauna Rowley. Congratulations also to Christina Cannon, Mary McHugh, Sarah Killeen, Sandra Costello who came 3^rd. Parents’ Committee I would like to thank the parents’ committee of 2001 to 2003, and particularly its officers, for their work on behalf of the school and their good natured co-operation and assistance during the difficult two year period of the building project and the daily difficulties which it involved. Their endeavours in school fund-raising and advice regarding the introduction of the now school uniform is much appreciated. They were of course, also involved in the initial stage of the framing of school policies under the recent Education & Welfare Acts.