NCP Halloween edition 2020

The NCP

OCTOBER 2020 "ISSUE 1 - VOLUME 16"

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A note from the editors Hi, this is the new NCP, myself, Sophie and AoibhĂ­n have taken over the NCP from the previous amazing editors Alex Byrne and Ciara Munnelly. We hope that you will still enjoy reading the articles that students and teachers of Newbridge College produce. We want to make sure that the people of the school have the chance to show off their writing skills by ensuring that they feel comfortable to publish something that they feel passionate about writing . We don't just accept essays, you can submit letters, photographs, thoughts or anything else you can think of.

The October issue has been amazing to put together and read all of your entries.

All of our contributors who have submitted their work have worked so hard to bring the best quality articles possible.

We hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together, after reading the articles you may feel motivated to maybe write something of your own.

Sophia Deasy- Editor of the NCP

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Hello, AoibhĂ­n and Sophie here,This has been an honour to take over such a great roll from such amazing and talented people. We hope to encourage and motivate more students to present articles to us for future issues. We hope you enjoy reading our first production of the College Press. We loved receiving and reading through the many articles submitted for this issue. Students are welcomed to submit an article of their choosing and express their opinions through their writing and English skills.A lot has happened in the World and the College since we brought to you our last issue. Autumn 2020 has seen us facing new challenges with returning to school under the new restrictions.

The students and teacher alike have faced these challenges with great determination and open minds. The way the school has worked together to adapt and overcome the challenges and changes this new school year has brought is very inspiring and hopeful.

We are now facing Level 5 lockdown due to the rising numbers of cases in the country.

However, a big story that has shook the country just as much is the suspected death of the famous 37-year-old dolphin Fungi from Kerry. Fungi is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Ireland so this so very tragic news for the country. AoibhĂ­n Dunleavy and Sophie Byrne Editors of the NCP.

LATEST

A special thank you to Ms. McCluckey

A HIKE IN CLONGOREY BOG- WRITTEN BY SOPHIA DEASY A FIRST YEARS THOUGHTS ON 2020 - BY SARAH RODGERS

INTERVIEW WITH SCHOOLS' CAPTAINS- DOIREANN HALPIN, PATRICK TREACY AND CEOLA DONLAN. KEEPING THE BALANCE- WRITTEN BY CHRISTIAN HOULIHAN CHRISTMAS PRESENTS 2020- WHAT'S HOT WHAT'S NOT- WRITTEN BY LILY RYAN AN INTERVIEW WITH SCHOOL CAPTAINS A SCHOOL FOOD REF REVIEW- WRITTEN BY RUTH DILLON AN INTERVIEW WITH MS GRAINNE MCCLUSKEY- INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTTE REDDY VAR- WRITTEN BY DERMOT COLEMAN PREFECT PICKS HALLOWEEN BOOKS

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HIke in Clongorey Bog The hike in the bog of Clongorey On the 14th of October 2020, two TY classes from Newbridge College set off on a hike to the bog in Clongorey, Kildare as part of our Gaisce Bronze award. In order to complete and earn a certificate you have go on two recreational hikes. Ms. Hearne, Mr. Corbett, Mr. Milani and Fr. Jesse joined us too, I was quite skeptical about this hike because I had never been here before. We started walking from the school at 8:40. I had imagined that there would be a track of some sort marked around the bog where many people would walk, needless to say there wasn’t, I guess that made the whole experience even more entertaining.

It took 40 minutes to get from the school to the actual bog by foot, luckily enough this part of the walk was on a footpath, little did I know that in a few minutes my shoes would be drenched! When we arrived at the bog I felt completely isolated, it did not feel like we were anywhere near Newbridge. The weather on the previous day was not very good which meant that there was going to be a lot of muddy and slippery spots. The walk began with lots of people falling, was I surprised? This added to my experience of one of my legs getting sucked into a hole in the middle of the bog, thankfully enough my friends were close by and had to pull me out, I was in hysterics after this happened.

Although my expectations for the bog were not high, when we finished the walk I actually really enjoyed it.

Written by Sophia Deasy - Editor NCP

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Some pictures of the bog

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KE E P I N G T H E B A LA N C E Keeping the Balance. Everything on our planet needs to be balanced. The balance of acidity in our oceans, the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in our atmosphere, the balance of global temperatures, and of our weather. If these balances start to become un-balanced, major problems start to occur. Because of our unsustainable actions, some of these balances are starting to get disturbed and therefore causing problems like global warming and more extreme storms in tropical areas. While these global balances are extremely important, the balance in our daily lives should be just as important to us. Our lives are a balance between work and play, school and fun and relaxing, socialising and spending time alone. Everything has its own time and place in our lives. If we spend too much time on one thing and not enough on another, the balance of our lives gets disturbed.

Being over obsessed with something disturbs our balance too, doing too much studying can be just as harmful as not doing any, the same with exercise. Our daily lives were “normal� and balanced, until the Covid-19 pandemic came and we were forced to stay isolated from each other in hope of bringing the virus under control. We never interacted with people outside of our families face-to-face for a few months, all sports training and competitions were cancelled for the summer and we attended school online. Everything was extremely different. Having to prepare for our summer tests online was a big change, because we didn’t have as much structure to our studying as we would have had normally.

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Because all team sports were stopped, and we weren’t allowed to gather with other people, we depended on the internet to stay connected with our friends. I personally found that very hard as I wasn’t on any social media at the time. Without the usual sports, we needed to find another way to get exercise. Cycling, walking, and running became very popular during lockdown. I ended up going on cycles and mountain biking in the Hills in my locality. During normal school weeks this is fulfilled as we have to get up at the same time each morning to go to school, we eat at the same times each day (at break and lunch), and we have to go to bed at a reasonable time each night so that we are able to get up again for school the next day.

Talking to people is always very important, it provides us with many benefits including, relieving us of worries or stress, keeping us connected with our family and friends, and many other things.

During lockdown people didn’t have as many opportunities to have a proper conversation someone, this led to people feeling lonely. What many people don’t realize is that God is always there to talk to, he listens, he answers as well, but just not like a human does, God waits until we are ready for answers, and he gives them to us when the time is right. No matter how big a problem is, there is always a solution, some solutions are obvious, others aren’t, some solutions are easier than others to apply, but there is always a solution. I think it would be helpful if we looked to God for the solutions to our problems, because after all he knew every single problem.

Now that we have returned to more normal lives, and the balance that we used to have is starting to return, I am sure we have all learned something about ourselves and don’t take our daily lives for granted. I hope that after reading this article you will realise how important it is for things to be balanced.

Written By Christian Houlihan

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Climate Strikes Thousands of students and protesters throughout Ireland took to the streets, calling for vital action to stop climate change and ensure a sustainable future. Students from Galway, Cork, Limerick and Dublin are demanding a change as they march around their cities.

The #GlobalClimateStrike is trending all around the world, urging students from the ages of 1317 to participate in finding solutions to help stop climate breakdown. Their inspiration came from a 17-year-old girl from Sweden, Greta Thunberg. In 2018, Greta sat outside the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks demanding stronger action on climate change.

This forced many students throughout the globe to consider what will take place in the future if we are to ignore our planet’s urgent issues.

The ‘Friday for the Future’ movement has become famous all over Ireland, insisting that students bring awareness and find solutions of the current problems they will eventually inherit. Irish organisers formed online protests throughout the duration of COVID-19 because they wanted to keep the movement going. Now digital striking and hashtags have become a huge part of spreading awareness about climate change. Along with this, physical protests are still prevalent globally.

Thousands of students from schools across Dublin planned to meet outside the Daíl on Friday the 25th at 1pm. Holding signs and calling out the present issues of climate breakdown, the Dublin students stood in front of government buildings criticizing the current government’s environmental policy. Led by teachers, parents and administrators, these students proceeded to voice their opinions about such a pressing issue, chanting ‘we need to act now’ and ‘climate justice now’. The students were then brought to a rally in Merrion square, this is where many young speakers described the effects of Global warming.

Written by Hannah Rooney

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A School Food Review A School Food Review– The Spice Bag On Thursday the 15th of October, we were all treated to a delicious new lunch option in the school Ref, the humble Spice Bag. The Spice Bag became popular nationwide circa 2015 after being invented in Carlow a few years previous. It was even voted 'Ireland's Favourite Takeaway Dish' in the 2020 Just Eat National Takeaway Awards. And so, it was no surprise that the prospect of our nation’s favourite takeaway meal being available at lunchtime excited many.I can most definitely say that this meal did not disappoint.

The Spice Bag was presented in a box, which I have to say was much more convenient than a bag. It had a fewer vegetables than I had expected, but still had a nice few peppers in there. The chips were very tasty and packed with just the right amount of seasoning.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the meal was the chicken. It wasn’t breaded like the regular Ref chicken goujons, but rather fried and smaller too. Despite it not looking the most appealing, it was definitely packed with flavour. The whole thing was topped with the typical curry sauce they use - delicious as always. Overall, I would rate the Spice Bag from the Ref an 8/10. I would definitely purchase again, as it was one hundred percent worth the €3.80 price tag. The perfect Thursday treat, we can only hope it will make a comeback soon.

Written By Ruth Dillon

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A first years thoughts on 2020 A First Year’s Thoughts on 2020 At the very least, you could say 2020 has been an unusual year. It goes without saying that everyone has been affected by the covid-19 pandemic in one way or another. On March 12th I left primary school for what I thought would be two weeks but turned out to be the last time. To gain some diverse perspective, I talked to Ella Magee in first year.

Q.When you first heard of Covid-19 did you ever imagine it would grow to this magnitude?

Definitely not. I thought it would be a fun two weeks, trying something new. I never imagined I would be home schooled for as long as 4 months. At the beginning we didn’t even have any of our books, Irish wasn’t even one of the subjects we were doing.

Q.How did you spend your quarantine, was it stressful or did you try and make it productive?

I’ll admit, I didn’t do much. I think we all know motivation is a rare resource when you’re socially isolated. At one point I did half-heartedly start an online fitness course. Needless to say, it didn’t last long!

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Q. Did you feel ready to move on from primary school, or if given the opportunity, would you have liked to finish 6th class?

In my opinion, I felt ready to move on. From an educational standpoint, maybe not so much. Home schooling didn’t work out for me at all and I feel like I actually forgot a lot more than I actually learned during quarantine. The only positive impact I could think of was it brought my family together. My brothers in college taught me how to make power points and we had regular board-game nights!

Q. Do you feel like you have missed out on any experiences previous generations have had?

I feel like 6th class is an important year to mentally prepare yourself for the secondary school transition.

The work is mostly revision, which is still important of course, but I don’t feel like I’ve fallen behind mentally. I wish I got the closure of saying goodbye to my classmates. I was most disappointed that I never got to go on my school tour. I had a zoom graduation, definitely not what I was expecting my graduation to be like! It was still nice to have some celebration to commemorate it though.

Q. Has it been difficult to make new friends or even maintain pre-existing friendships with the current restrictions?

Technology saved my social life! At the beginning of quarantine my friends and I didn’t talk much. I guess I was subconsciously thinking that I would see them in real life in just a few weeks, but alas, that definitely did not happen! Once we had given up hopes of ever going back to sixth class, we started meeting up every two weeks or so. The Newbridge College camp helped so far as preparing me to talk to new people. It was much easier for me as two of my friends from primary school ended up in the same class as me.

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Q. How is your experience in Newbridge college so far? Are you adjusting to the new sanitising protocol?

I had a fairly smooth transition. I never had to worry about friendships or being alone which was a huge comfort. Getting back to school was actually great. It had been so long since I’d had a proper routine! I love the extra freedom of secondary school and having 50 minutes for lunch. You get used to cleaning your desks and the one-way system doesn’t really affect me. My only complaint is that, as a glasses wearer, with a mask on it makes them steam up and I can’t see!

What are you hopes for 2021?

I really hope they develop a vaccine or at least get it under control. I don’t want to be wearing a mask in second year. And a message for all of you graduating primary school this year: Try not to stress, remember you are all in the same boat! I hope tha by reading this article gave you got some insight into what the life of a first year is like. Thanks for reading!

By Sarah Rogers

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An interview with the school's captains Doireann Halpin: Q.How did you feel when you were chosen as a school captain? Shocked!! I was in disbelief for a few days, but I am over the moon now. First year me cannot believe it! It’s a wonderful honour and achievement that I will always be proud of I’m sure, and I am delighted to be carrying out the role for the year, unusual as this particular year may be.

Q. Is there anything you specifically want to change or contribute to Newbridge College as a School Captain?

I definitely have a few things in mind. Personally, I am passionate about sport, and in particular rugby. Something I would love to continue to promote through this role is the girl’s rugby team in the school. A wonderful progression we have made in the last few years in the school is the formation of our own senior girls’ rugby team. Hopefully, this year I can keep on recruiting and promoting for the team so we can grow in strength and numbers and encourage more girls to participate in rugby and sport. If there are any senior girls interested in rugby, even with absolutely no experience at all, bring a friend out to training and give it a try. Don’t be afraid to ask Ms Courtney for more details!

On a wider scale, I would love to contribute to making Newbridge College a greener, more sustainable place, and this will hopefully be something we will look closely at this year. I think it’s really important to continue placing importance on the environment and all things green.

Q.What has been the biggest change since you were a first year? In the school, I think Walker House was a massive change, it opened when we were in third year though it still feels quite shiny and new to me three years later. It’s an amazing addition to the school! The biggest change in me personally, has definitely been confidence. I like to think I have come a long way from the nervous girl decked head to toe in Hollister tracksuits at the first-year camp. I have our school to thank for this, it’s an incredible community that has helped me to grow and build my confidence in a happy and supportive place.

What would be your favourite subject and why?

It generally changes on a weekly basis to be honest! French has always been one of my favourites though, I love learning languages but there’s something I find particularly lovely about the sound of the French language.

What advice would you give to first year Looking back, I think I needed someone to tell me to stop taking everything so seriously. I would tell first years to try not to worry so much, everything passes and at the end of the day you will probably laugh about the things you worried about in first year, or you won’t remember them at all! Remember to enjoy yourself as much as possible, and make the most of your time here, don’t wish it away because before you know it, it will be over!

Q. Which extra-curricular activities would you recommend to first years?

We are so lucky in this school to have so many things on offer to choose from.

If you are sports inclined, you may already be doing hockey or rugby but they are so many great ways to keep active in the school! Badminton with Mr. Howard is a great choice because it’s not too difficult to pick up but always lots of fun! The musical is also a great way to meet new friends and hopefully will be back up and running next year.

Q. Finally, have you decided what you would like to do after you leave Newbridge College?

Not exactly, but hopefully I will be able to continue two of my favourite subjects, Business and French in my course next year, and then I suppose see what happens from there! I would love to end up in Trinity College or NUIG. For now, though, I’m just trying to make the most of my last few months in Newbridge and focus on this little issue that is the Leaving Cert.

-Doireann Halpin

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Patrick Treacy How did you feel when you were chosen as a school Captain?

When my name was called out alongside the three other captains, I was delighted to say the least. I was so proud of all four of us and was already excited to work together.

Is there anything you specifically want to change or contribute to Newbridge College as School Captain?

One of my main goals as school captain is to encourage all the students to reach their highest potential in all aspects of school, from sports to academia. I would also like to create a greater sense of pride in our school and for the students to be active members in the school community. I hope for everyone to work together and make the school year of 2020-2021 as enjoyable as possible, especially with the year that’s in it.

What has been the biggest change since you were a first year?

One of the biggest changes in just the last year is the way in which we are learning!

After the big lockdown back in March, our methods of learning from home and in the classroom have changed dramatically. Both teachers and students now have access to platforms such as Microsoft Teams and OneNote which makes resources and material more accessible for learning. Back when I was in first year, I didn’t even know I had a school email!

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Q. What would be your favourite subject and why?

In all honesty I love all of my subjects, so I am very lucky because a lot of people can’t say that about their subjects. If I had to choose one though, it would probably be music because it is something that I have always loved. I learned the piano and clarinet from a young age, so I’m delighted that I get to play them as part of my Leaving Cert! I just love sitting in class and learning about Irish music, composition, and musical works, because I find them unbelievably interesting.

Q.What advice would you give to first years?

As cringey as it may sound, I would say to just be yourself. First year is a difficult time because people are trying to get used to a new school and new classmates. It is even harder to do it all while pretending to be someone else! Some students stress about trying to ‘fit in,’ but being yourself is the key to enjoying your first year in secondary school. This way you will do things that you are interested in, and this will lead to you becoming friends with like-minded people.

Q. What extra-curricular activities would you recommend to first years?

I would recommend all first years to participate in as many activities possible! I would especially recommend them to give hockey and rugby a try. Although some people don’t have any interest in these sports, I feel this is one of the best ways to make friends in your year. I would also highly recommend being a part of the annual school musical at least once during your time in Newbridge College. This year it won’t go ahead due to COVID 19, but trust me, it will be one of the most enjoyable things you will do in Newbridge College if you do it. For now, though, I suggest you do as much as you can handle because getting involved as much as possible will make your first year easier and more enjoyable.

Q.Finally, have you decided what you would like to do after you leave Newbridge College?

After I leave Newbridge College, I hope to study Pharmacy in Trinity because I think everything about chemistry is fascinating and I want to help people every day as part of my career. As we have seen this year, there will always be a need for vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and I would definitely be interested in studying them. -Patrick Treacy

Ceola Donlan Q. How did you feel when you were chosen as a school Captain?

I was over the moon! I felt honoured to have been chosen and excited for the year ahead.

Q. Is there anything you specifically want to change or contribute to Newbridge College as School Captain? I’ve always thought our school has a unique and warm atmosphere which I’d like to continue to contribute to as one of the captains. I’d like to be there for any other students and listen to any ideas or issues they feel need to be addressed. We all want to better our school in any ways possible, so I would like to be able to help in whatever way I can.

Q. What has been the biggest change since you were a first year?

The first thing that comes to mind would have to be the pandemic unfortunately. Corona has changed everything for students and staff. For everyone, it’s been a challenge to get used to masks and all the sanitizing etc.

On our lighter note, many of our sports teams have succeeded in winning a lot more since I was in first year!

Q. What would be your favourite subject and why?

Q. What advice would you give to first years?

To first years, I would say to use this year to get to know and become friends with as many people as you can. The time in school goes by scarily fast so get involved and make the most of it! This may seem like a simple thing, but I’d also say be kind to each other. It makes school far easier and more enjoyable.

Q. What would be your favourite subject and why?

At the moment, my favourite subject is art. I love getting to make things and it doesn’t feel like work when we have to do a project. It’s really enjoyable class and subject. However, I like all the subjects I picked for the LC and the favourite changes weekly!

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Q. What extra-curricular activities would you recommend to first years?

The school has a lot to offer for all types of people, so try to find some activities that suit you best. Hockey and rugby are great for some exercise and for getting to know each other. I’ve always loved different music related activities in school, like the musicals and choir, but unfortunately with Covid these aren’t currently running. Ms Ryan will undoubtedly be looking for new Junior Choir recruits! If you want your ideas for the school to be heard, the Learners Voice could be a great option. Also, the College Press of course!

Q. Finally, have you decided what you would like to do after you leave Newbridge College?

Like most people, I’m still a bit unsure. I’m currently between going on to study law, possibly with politics or Irish. On the other hand, I’m still keen on secondary school teaching as well, so we shall see. Still lots of time to figure it out! -Ceola Donlan

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Christmas Presents 2020-What's Hot What’s Not Okay, so I know this is a little tiny bit early for a normal year, but this is 2020. It’s not a normal year. In the wake of NPHET imposing level 5 restrictions, parents across the countries rushed to get the Christmas shopping started just in case we were locked down. The queues outside Smyth’s stretched the whole way around retail parks and online traffic on sites such as Amazon doubled. Due to Covid restrictions we haven’t been seeing as much of our relatives and friends as we would like. A couple of weeks ago I saw my little cousin for the first time in 6 months! I doubt he is still into the same things he was six months ago and your probably the same. That can make it hard you to decide what you might actually want for christmas.

I put myself in the position of a confuzzled relative, shopping for Christmas gifts and I did what I thought their first move might be. Mr. Google. When I typed in “Christmas 2020 Teen Gift Ideas” I clicked the first result. I couldn’t come up with many suggestions so I created an anonymous poll for my Snapchat story to see what other people my age thought.

A lot of the suggestions were phone-related so I thought those options would do the best but surprisingly it was the ivy vine string lights that came in first place with a phone bag in last place.

By Lily Ryan

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An Interview with Grainne McCluskey Q.What did you first think when you heard the schools were shutting down?

When I first heard that schools were closing, I felt very surprised – there was obviously so much uncertainty around when we could return safely and the longer the lockdown went on, the more I realised that we would not be returning until after the summer holidays.

Q.How did you find using teams to communicate with your students?

At the beginning, using Teams seemed quite daunting, but the more I used it, the more familiar I became with it and I began to use Screencast to record my lessons and upload them onto Teams so students could view them.

Q.How do you find wearing masks?

At the beginning of the year I found wearing a mask quite difficult – but as the weeks have gone on, I have got used to it and now it just seems part of my daily routine. I do look forward to the day when we don’t have to wear a mask anymore.

Q. What is one thing you miss?

I miss going back home to Dundalk to see my family and friends. I am in contact with them on a weekly basis, but it would be lovely to see them in person. I also miss hugs – being able to hug the people you love – sure even science has proven that a 20 second hug can lower our stress levels! .

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Q.What is one thing you enjoyed about Lockdown?

One thing I enjoyed about lockdown was quality time spent at home cooking dishes from scratch. I have a Neven Maguire recipe book that has been slowly gathering dust on my kitchen shelf over the last couple of years, but over lockdown it was therapeutic to spend time in the kitchen making a variety of different dishes, some of which turned out delicious, some not so delicious.

Q.How do you think the pandemic has changed you as a person?

I certainly have a new-found appreciation for what is important to me – my health, my family, my friends. The pandemic has taught me the importance of taking time for myself and over lockdown I focused on meditation, yoga, walking and listening to podcasts. This is still something that I now fit into my weekly schedule and offers a great escape from the anxieties and worries of what is currently happening in the world. I have also realised that life can be very unpredictable and there are no guarantees.

I certainly have a new-found appreciation for what is important to me – my health, my family, my friends. The pandemic has taught me the importance of taking time for myself and over lockdown I focused on meditation, yoga, walking and listening to podcasts. I have also realised that life can be very unpredictable and there are no guarantees. So, when the world finally reopens properly, I won’t have any issues buying the dress, taking the trip or eating at the nice restaurant because each and every day is a blessing and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

-Miss McCluskey, interviewed by Charlotte Reddy

VAR - this is currently a very hot topic at the moment, especially now that the new English football season is underway. So, for those of you that might not know what VAR is – it stands for Video Assisted Referee. The role of VAR is to assist the referee to determine whether there was an infringement and help decide if a goal/penalty should be awarded or not.

We are only in game week 5 and already some controversial decisions have been made by referees and the video assistant ref, These decisions have ultimately left some teams triumphant, with huge smiles on their faces, whilst others would go so far as to say it has lost them valid goals or worse, even games.

I feel VAR has been used positively and negatively in the beautiful game but I am still not sold on whether it should stay or go.

Some of it is down to the rules, for example, when a penalty is being taken, goalkeepers cannot move off their line before the ball is kicked. This has resulted in penalties having to be retaken, even after the goalie might have made a save. Another new rule states that if the ball strikes a player on the hand under the line of the armpit intentionally or unintentionally, a penalty must be awarded. Therefore it might make more sense to have armless players these days in the Premier League!

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Manchester United saw the short end of the straw on both of these decisions a couple of weeks ago, against a much improved Crystal Palace side. Palace’s Jordan Ayew attempted to chip the ball over UTD’s Victor Lindelof, but unfortunately ended up hitting the Swedish centre half’s arm, resulting in a penalty.

To celebrate or not to celebrate?

Another downside to VAR is waiting for the final decision to be made – as we wait should we celebrate, should we not? Only last weekend Liverpool took on Everton in the Merseyside Derby clash, Liverpool scoring a late winner with a sweet Jordan Henderson strike, only for it to be ruled ‘offside’ by VAR. So, all in all, I believe there are currently more negatives than positives . Although, at the end of the day, it’s all just opinion and regardless of whether I agree or disagree with VAR, it looks like it will be around for a long time to come.

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SPOOKY BOO-KLIST TO SEND SHIVERS DOWN YOUR SPINE NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE LIBRARY LOVES HALLOWEEN AND THESE ARE OUR TOP FIVE PREFECT PICKS TO READ...WE THINK THEY SPOOKTACULAR

BY JORDAN WHITFIELD #NUMBER 1 ‘UNNATURAL CREATURES’

BY NEIL GAIMAN A variety of literature stories or tales about mysterious beings, these stories range from the whimsical to the terrifying. They feature a variety of magical creatures from the werewolf to the sunbird, all of these characters grown and revealed by the New York times famous Neil Gaiman. There are 16 pieces contrasting from wonder to creepy bedtime stories. We highly recommend this and can guarantee it will send shivers down your spine!

#NUMBER 2 ‘ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD’ BY KENDARE BLAKE Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

#NUMBER 3

‘LIFEBLOOD’ BY GENA SHOWALTER Conflict and battles transpire between the areas of Troika and Mgraid. A young girl named Ten Lockwood is at the fore front and center. This happens in the place called Ever life where she gains a second life with the abilities of light projection. She must attempt to build a defense team of mortals while she fights the enemy Killian. He and her have a very complex relationship leading to inner convictions of whether to fight or allow love in an almost unconscious struggle. Even while everybody is hunting her down.

# NUMBER 4 ‘PAWN’ BY KAREN LYNCH Young adult Jessie James is not an out of the ordinary 18-year-old, that is until you add the factor of her intimidating bounty hunter guardians and the faie species who resides in New York City. She gains a ally with the arrival of a cryptic Faerie while being military equipped. After leaving a life of college financial problems she plays a game with the lives of people she confides in like a chess board and they are the pieces with little trust in those she doesn’t recognize and the end goal of ironically saving the very people above without knowing the eeriness that lies ahead.

#NUMBER 5 ‘THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE’

BY STEPHANIE PERKINS Makani Young thought she'd left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She's found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn't far behind. Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.

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Sport What’s happening with Covid-19?

As we all know, the recent pandemic has affected every aspect of life. Between social and physical distancing measures, the lockdowns of businesses, schools, and a complete change in overall social life and normality, we are all well aware of the impact it has had on our society. However, the virus has also disrupted many less obvious regular aspects of life, such as sport and physical activity. We have all heard the regulations and guidelines surrounding everyday life being discussed on the news or radio almost every day, however, something that has not been quite so widely or intricately talked about is the impact the pandemic has had on sport, both as an industry and as a local activity. By the end of March of this year over 100 countries had gone into lockdown in order to prevent the spread of the disease. With the immense amount of global restrictions regarding education and business, it was no wonder sport became the least of peoples’ worries. The effects the virus has had on sport not only affects local sports teams and clubs but also the wider world of professional sport. Sport is a huge part of our culture and society and is a major contributor to economic and social development. According to a recent evaluation, the global value of the sports industry is estimated to be at $756 billion annually.

In light of COVID-19, thousands if not millions of jobs are at risk globally. This not only includes sports professionals but also those working in retail and service industries connected with sporting leagues and events. These include the travel, tourism, infrastructure, transportation, catering, and media broadcasting industries. In addition to economic repercussions, the cancellation of games also impacts many of the social benefits that global and regional sport events bring. Through sport, various groups are able to play a more central role towards social transformation and development, particularly in divided societies. Sport is also used as a tool for creating learning opportunities and accessing often marginal or at-risk populations. If the interest and support for sport is negatively impacted, it could cause a devastating ripple effect and cause issues in many other aspects of society.

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The Effects on a Global Scale In order to ensure the safety and health of athletes and all involved, most major sporting events at international, regional, and national levels have been cancelled or postponed. From marathons, football tournaments, athletics championships, basketball games, hockey, rugby,, weightlifting to wrestling, all major events and leagues have been postponed until further notice. The Olympics and Paralympics, for the first time in the history of the modern games, have also been postponed, and will be held in 2021. Major sporting organisations have shown their solidarity with efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. One example of this is FIFA. FIFA has teamed up with the World Health Organisation and launched a ‘Pass the message to kick out coronavirus’ campaign led by well-known football players. It calls on people to follow five key steps to stop the spread of the disease focused on hand washing, coughing etiquette, not touching one’s face, physical distance and staying home if feeling unwell. As the world begins to recover from COVID-19, there will be significant issues to be addressed to ensure the safety of sporting events at all levels and the wellbeing of sporting organisations. In the short term, these will include the adaptation of events to ensure the safety of athletes and fans. In the long term, in the face of an anticipated global recession, there may also be a need to take measures to support participation in sporting organizations, particularly for youth sports.

Why Sport is so Important Of course, sport is an important activity for economic and social development reasons, but it also has a huge effect on people individually.

It provides social connections, improves your mood, reduces stress levels, and increases your energy. Exercise boosts serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels in the brain. These are neurotransmitters that are directly linked to depression and anxiety levels. Medications such as anti depressants, anti-anxiety tablets and ADHD medication affect the neurotransmitters in the brain in a similar way. This is why exercise has incredibly positive effects for everyone, but especially those struggling with mental health issues.

Playing Sport In the last few months local sport has come back and there have been precautions put in place in order to ensure the safety of participants. Some of these procedures include - Larger teams being divided into smaller groups referred to as ‘Pods’ - Before entering the pitch, you must receive hand sanitizer from the coaches - No sharing of bottles is permitted - No matches are currently allowed to take place - Certain extra training sessions, such as strength and conditioning, are being carried out on Zoom calls Though people may argue that these restrictions are disrupting the traditional aspects of sport, I think it’s important to remember that these are essential for the well-being of our society as a whole, and they are truly small sacrifices to make when looking at the bigger picture. Though we have been given the go ahead for sport in Ireland, some people may still be anxious about returning to play. If you are concerned about attending sport events and contracting the virus there are a number of preliminary steps one could take to prevent contraction. Here is a list of guidelines as published by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The government are currently discussing the possibility of another lockdown, which would mean the closure of all sporting events and clubs in the country. Another lockdown would also result in the closure of local clubs, gyms, stadiums etc. Under such conditions, many people tend to be less physically active, have longer screen time and irregular sleep patterns.

Should this happen, I know we would all miss the atmosphere of going to training, hanging out with friends, and doing things with your team, but that doesn’t mean you should stop training all together.

For many, exercising at home without any equipment and limited space can still be possible. For those whose home life can involve long periods of sitting, there may be options to be more active during the day, for example by stretching, doing housework, climbing stairs or dancing to music. For those who have internet access, there are many free resources online about how to stay active during the pandemic.

There are countless fitness demonstrations available on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.

Many of these do not require special equipment and some feature everyday household objects instead of weights.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had and will most likely continue to have very considerable effects on the sporting world as well as on the physical and mental well-being of people around the world. In the near future we can only hope to see the safe re-opening of sporting events and tournaments following the pandemic. In the meantime, all we can do is carry on with life. Though of course not everyone has access to a large space to train or fancy equipment, all we can do is the most with what we have. - Written by Sophie Byrne- ty

Sport

Library Poetry Competition Winners

Congratulations to our poetry competition winners. Their poems were spin tingling and really captured the essence of Halloween!

1st place Cliona O’ Meara 2nd place Tiago Dennehy 3rd place (Joint winners) Ella Cole & Lily Crawford

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Merciless With fiery eyes, mouth like the abyss A molten head, lips yearning to kiss.

A gaping hole, a gash so wide A violent attack one could not hide.

Brain matter spewed, it hit the ground A bulging head, a pulse not found.

The incisions deep, the blade so strong The pumpkin was perfect - it hadn't taken long.

Cliona O'Meara 2E

The Haunted Castle

By Tiago Dennehy I entered the cold, dark castle with my head held high.

My friends were waiting for me outside.

I wonder if they stayed when they heard my cry.

They probably ran.

I know I would.

All I had to do was explore the empty halls, and I wasn`t afraid of the worn-down decrepit walls, or the unlit candles, or the ghastly stench, or the paintings well past their prime.

But as I wondered into the black unknown I couldn`t shake the feeling that I wasn`t alone.

As I entered what appeared to be the dining room I saw a coffin; unopened, yet unsealed A sensible person would have left and that`s exactly what I tried to do as I prayed that the tales I was told were untrue.

As I hurried towards the exit Strange things began to happen The candles lit up, the stench got worse and the paintings and they laughed, they they cried and Just as I thought I was going insane I saw it And my worse dreams were realised

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Now I'm lying on the floor Blood drained from my body Like a leech it was sucked from my system I wonder if my friends stayed when they heard my cry.

They probably ran.

I know I would.

Halloween Halloween is a time of fear, And yet it’s one of the best times of the year.

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Children going door to door, They have plenty of treats, but they still want more.

Pumpkins carved with scary faces, Goblins in their hiding places.

Knocking on the door of a haunted house, And simply being scared at the squeak of a mouse.

Ghosts and Ghouls, floating white sheets, Have also decided, they want their share of sweets.

Skeletons are terrifying, made of just bones, But we still hang them up, outside our homes.

Witches are nasty, wicked, and scary, If you meet one you should be wary.

With zombies roaming round at night, And mummies prepared to give you a fright.

Wandering around by the light of the moon, Cemeteries haunted with mist and gloom.

And with the costume-contest at the centre of it all, We all roam around, as a celebration of fall.

Werewolves with their trembling howl, Black cats letting out a distressed yowl.

The cloak that you see belongs to a vampire, As the spiders spin their webs even higher.

Halloween is a time of fear, And yet it's one of the best times of the year!

By Lily Crawford (2B)

Seven for a Secret Never to be Told by Ella Cole (2E) It was a freezing October night, I stood in the haunted house’s driveway, It leered down upon me in a creepy sort of way The windows were smashed and broken, the roof was missing tiles, paint was peeling off the walls as though no one had been here in a long while I reached the porch and glanced around, I noticed a burning candle, someone or something had been here recently, I pushed down the brass door handle Sure enough the door swung right open, without the need for a key, I stepped inside cautiously, not prepared for what I was about to see In the centre of the room stood a huge round cauldron, emitting bright green bubbles, it was at this moment I realised, I had gotten myself into trouble I weighed out my options, trying to decide, would going further into this house, really be so wise I took a deep breath in, and stepped past the boiling potion, but my clumsy feet wobbled beneath me and I caused a huge commotion I tripped over a loose floor board, and tipped the cauldron on its side, bright green slime came oozing out, with terror my eyes open wide I scrambled to escape the spillage, but it had spread across my shoes, I tried to stand up but found to my surprise, I actually couldn’t move

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My shoes had stuck together, I attempted to pull them apart, but they would not separate, the slime had already dried hard, I was terrified someone would come, I knew I had to think fast, I slipped my brand new runners off, and scrambled away at last I crept up the stairs, listening closely the house was silent, and oddly ghostly I reached the landing, a bat swooped past my head, I began to worry, about what lay ahead I was faced with three doors, which one to choose what would the consequences be? I was confused I pushed through the door on the left, leading to a bright red light The smell of burning filled my nostrils, and it wasn’t a pretty sight The room was in flames, there came an evil cackle whatever was waiting, I wouldn’t be able to tackle I dashed out of the room and slammed the door, I headed for the door on the right, but when I reached it I got a huge fright What a horrible sensation, my skin was creeping through the door, blood was seeping

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I had to find the gold, then escape as quickly as I could, should I check the middle room, I wasn’t sure if I should I hesitated, then opened it wide, my heart stopped beating at this horrible sight A wolf howled and a clap of thunder, from the room echoed a bloodcurdling scream, I thought to myself, please let this just be a bad dream

I charged for the stairs and footsteps pounded from behind me, what was chasing after me, did I really want to see?

I hurtled down the stairs, forgetting about the gold, I opened the front door and felt a gush of air that was ice cold I sprinted down the driveway, leaves crunching under my feet, I tripped over and slammed down on the rock hard concrete I sat up and glanced behind me, staring at the chimney, I noticed something very strange looming over me The silhouette of seven birds stood out against the night sky, I quickly ran through the poem in my head and let out a cry five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told At that I picked myself up and ran away, never to know what had chased me that day

by Ella Cole (2E)