April 2011, No. 26
Award Winning Newpark Comedy
On 15th February 2011, Fifth and Transition Year students reprised their fantastic original production of Richmonde Avenue to much deserved acclaim at the St Andrew’s One Act Drama Festival. They were competing against six other schools and not only did they win the overall Best Production but also Best Actor (Denis Stranjak) and Best Ensemble awards. Festival adjudicator Cathryn Brennan responds to the production in the article below.
Congratulations to all concerned but particularly to the three author/ actors, Tommy Cullen, Hugh Mulhern and Denis Stranjak, who gave me hope for the future of situation comedy in Ireland. People like Hugh Leonard and Bernard Farrell have had success in this genre in the past but you guys bring a fresh and modern approach and I commend you for it. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. You may have noticed that all the really good sit-coms on TV are written by a team of writers, Father Ted for example, so you should try to stick together as a team and write some more. There was great support from the rest of the cast and crew which allowed things to move along quite smoothly. The relationships within the various groups of characters worked really well. The choreography for the muggers was tight, the madness of the Alley Cats was fun (particularly the girl in the
bin—what a pair of lungs!) and Alexander Chisnall and Robyn Maguire interacted well in their contrasting characterizations. A great group effort. I have to mention Maria Hogan as the Mum as well. She really set the tone for the rest of the play with her OTT performance— not easy to come in at so high a pitch. And of course Cathy Devis and Hugh Mulhern deserve praise for marshalling the troops so well. I would like to wish you all every success in the future, whatever your path in life, and to thank you for making me laugh out loud. You’ve added years to my life!
Cathryn Brennan, adjudicator
A word from the 2011 director:
The cast and crew put a huge amount of work into Richmonde Avenue and were an absolute pleasure to work with. This is an enormous achievement and we are very proud. Well done to all. Cathy Devis
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This has been a long and eventful term which culminates with the Hunter Theatre 30 year celebrations (HT30) from the 7th April to 10th April. It is exciting to see past students returning to the theatre (alongside some present students and staff) for Newpark Theatre Company’s production of Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy. The combination of dramatic, musical and artistic events in HT30 promises to be an excellent celebration of the Hunter Theatre. Leaving and Junior Certificate orals in Modern Languages and in Gaeilge take place in the weeks beginning 4th and 11th April respectively. Practical tests in Home Economics and Music will be done in the same weeks. After Easter further practical exams will take place for both Leaving and Junior Certificate Engineering, Art, Construction Studies and Metalwork. The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme exam will be taken in the first week after Easter. Students in both Leaving and Junior Certificate have had time to consider their Mock results. It is important that the results are seen as an indication of where the student is at a particular moment in time. Whatever the result earned, there is time now to improve on that. A well-considered choice of levels is crucial and students should discuss the issues involved with Guidance Counsellors, teachers and parents in time to make good decisions. Every student should now have a clear homework and study plan worked out. There are no alternatives to putting in time each evening and at the weekend to give yourself the best opportunity of reaching your potential. At this stage of the year focus on using the past exam papers as the basis for revision. With answer schemes now available in all subjects you can build up your confidence by knowing the exam paper well and clearly understanding what is required in the answers. The last school term will be very short with only three weeks after Easter before the summer exams. Therefore students in First, Second and Fifth Year need to start preparing carefully. Teachers will produce revision lists and give advice on the exam timing and layout. Students should have a clear revision timetable in place for the upcoming weeks. Parents can help with this and by making sure that appropriate space at home for study is identified. Newpark Management are very aware that many students are dropped to school quite early in the morning. This can pose some issues for the school as formal supervision does not start until 8:25am. For students who do arrive early we are happy to open the canteen—however, students are asked to use only this area prior to 8:25. Thanks and congratulations to all the staff and students who participated in Seachtain na Gaeilge and La Semaine Francaise. There was a great variety 2
Mr Derek Lowry
of activities in both weeks and it was great to see both languages being spoken and enjoyed by so many. In February many years of hard work came to fruition when Newpark Drama won three major prizes (including Best Production) at the St. Andrew’s College One Act Festival. The play was written by three Fifth Year students: Tommy Cullen, Hugh Mulhern and Denis Stranjak. It reflects the magnificent work of Cathy Devis in nurturing the talent, skills and confidence of the students. I know that there is now a depth of talent both on and off stage right down to First Year which augurs well for the future of Newpark Drama. Congratulations also to Transition Year artists (and teacher Ciaran Byrne) for their thoughtprovoking and striking contribution to the Amnesty arts project Voice Your Concerns. Their painted frieze is so impressive that Amnesty have asked to keep it on permanent display. One sporting highlight was the superb performance by the Minor Girls’ hockey team who beat Mount Anville 2-1 in the League final at Grange Road. This is a very talented group of girls who have now won successive league titles. It shows how hard work, skill and great coaching can overcome all obstacles. So well done to Karen Clarke and the Minor Girls! The Junior Girls also showed great skill and determination in reaching the Junior Plate final before going down to defeat in another fine match. This team has made great strides with coach Mags Downes who has worked tirelessly to improve their skills. On Friday 1st April the Senior Boys’ hockey team won the Senior Shield competition beating Dundalk Grammar School 4-3 in a tense and exciting final. It was a great way to end off an excellent season for a young and promising team. Well done to Stephen Cullen, Carl Breaden and Peter Murphy on their dedication in helping the team to fulfil their promise. The Senior rugby team ended the year by beating High School 9-6 in a hard fought encounter to win the Vinnie Murray Shield. This was a well deserved finale to their outstanding season. In terms of dedication, hard work and skill they have laid a great foundation and example for all those who follow. The first Newpark chess tournament started on Wednesday 30th March in a packed A9. It was great to see such a large number of participants in a competition extremely well organised by Hugh Holmes and Mick Power. We look forward to the hotly contested knock-out stages. We see here an amazing array of activities taking place in Newpark. It is a wonderful reflection on the teaching and non-teaching staff willing to give so much time and effort, on all the students who participate and on the vital support offered by parents. I thank you all for your contribution.
Hunter Theatre 30th Birthday Festival
7th—12th April 2011 Newpark’s Hunter Theatre was opened thirty years ago following a massive fund raising effort by parents, students, teachers and friends of the school. There was huge delight when it opened in 1981: we were so proud of our custom built theatre which reflected Newpark’s love of drama. There were dressing rooms, proper stage lighting and storage, a raised stage and wings, even storage space for sets. This was a far cry from the early productions which had to make do with D8 as a performance space! Since then the Hunter Theatre has been at the heart of drama in Newpark. Pantomimes and musicals (with casts of thousands), improvisation, dance, mime, original plays, specially commissioned work, frothy farce and caustic comedy, Shakespearian tragedy, drama both of the absurd and gritty kind all have had their moment. The theatre has also hosted lectures, debates, concerts, fashion shows, discos, films, battles of bands, sponsored stay awakes and a myriad of other events. The names and the comments on the back of the flats hint at the fun, fulfilment and friendships so many students have found there. . The Hunter Theatre is looking a little battered round the edges now, but she is still holding her head high and is replete with new stage lighting in recent years. It is time to celebrate an exciting thirty years and look forward to the future. With this in mind Cathy Devis has masterminded an exciting programme of events. The past students that comprise Newpark Theatre Company are presenting their inaugural production and there is also an exciting collection of short plays devised by four teams of Fifth Year writer-directors. The drama will
The Junior Plays
Four Junior plays directed and written by 5th years will be performed on Tuesday 12th April 2011.
Love Thyself, by Tommy Cullen, Hugh Mulhern and Denis Stranjak, is the tale of young storyteller Ovid, and the egotistical brat, Nicole, that he has for a sister. One morning, Ovid is fed up with Nicole’s attitude and inflated self-image, and decides to teach her a lesson by telling her the tale of Narcissus. However, Ovid soon finds out that he may have bigger problems on his hands than fixing Nicole’s vanity. Snow White and the Seven First Years by Alex Chisnell and Megan Jungmann, is a play loosely based on the classic Snow White tale. Seven First Years in Newpark are met will the arrival of a new girl ‘Snow’ (the grand-daughter of Barry White). Sophie (the popular one) attempts to bring about the
be accompanied by performances by Newpark musicians past and present. On the Saturday night we want a chance to celebrate some of the people and events that brought the theatre to life. We would love to see faces from the past and present of Newpark Drama: bring your old photos, programmes, posters, memories and stories as we hope this will be the start of an archive of the Hunter theatre. Please spread the word and come along. Anna Johnston
HT30 Programme of events
Thursday 7th April 7.30 Hunter Theatre Josh Johnston & Sam Comerford (music) Black Comedy Newpark Theatre Company
Friday 8th April 7.30 Hunter Theatre Transition Year Music and Bands Black Comedy Newpark Theatre Company
Saturday 9th April Black Comedy
7.30 Hunter Theatre Newpark Theatre Company followed by Celebrating 30 Years & Art Exhibition in the Red Brick Building
Tuesday 12th April 7.30 Hunter Theatre Junior Plays: Love thyself Snow White and the Seven First years Brainstorm Bunker The results of the First Year Poetry Competition will also be announced on Tuesday night Tickets from the School Library (mornings only) or Cathy Devis (afternoons) Newpark 01-2883724 €12 Adults €6 Students
demise of Snow but her plans backfire. The play deals with the idea of first relationships in school. This theme is combined with modernised versions of the whimsical dwarfs: ‘First Years’ such as Dope, Glee, Brain, Mentler, Snooze, Mouse and Swiners. Set during the zombie apocalypse, The Bunker is the story of Jane the accountant who, while on her way to the office one morning, discovers that the world has ended. On her travels she meets the flamboyant Dilbert and together they embark on a quest to find a safe place. Join Jane on a journey jam-packed with zombies and dance numbers in this peculiar short comedy, written and directed by Laura Boland and Aoife O’Ceallacháin. The play features two original songs by the cast and directors, ‘The Ballad of Kevin’ and ‘Countries I’m Not The Prime Minister Of.’ Brainstorm, by Naomi Kumar and Rachel Cooney, is about two friends Shaun and Sinéad who are left with the task of writing a play. Watch as their fantastical and imaginative ideas come to life. 3
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2011
I mbliana bhí Seachtain na Gaeilge den scoth againn idir an 10ú lá Márta go dtí an 16ú Márta, ag teacht suas go dtí an sos go Lá Le Padraig. Baineadh an-taitneamh as na himeachtaí eagsúla agus bhí níos mó ná “cupla focail” le cloisteáil timpeall na scoile. Ar an Déardaoin an 10ú lá tháinig damhsóir sean-nós Mary Beth Taylor go dtí an amharclann agus mhúin sí na bun céimeanna don chiúgiú agus don séú bhliain. Is Méricéanach í Mary Beth a bhí níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil! Ar an Aoine bhuail seanathair Lauren Shaw, Lorcan Shaw, isteach chugainn agus chas sé ceol iontach dúinn go léir, agus bhí an lucht éisteachta ar bís. Ar an luan chuir Pat Ó Connor ranganna ceoil ar fail - an fheadóg stáin don chéad bhliain. D’éirigh le cuid mhaith den bhliain máistreacht a fháil air, cé go raibh sé torannach sa leabharlann! Bhí dáltaí cur ceiste ar mhúinteoirí an “Fugitive Gaelach” iad. Tháinig Spin 103 isteach agus thug siad cabhair do na daltaí a bhí i mbun Raidió “Ruaille Buaille” – seo stáisiún Raidió a bhí ag dul ar aghaidh i rith na seachtaine. Ar an Máirt bhí Cluiche Peil Gaelach idir an fhoireann haca agus an fhoireann rugbaí, agus ar ndóigh bhí an lámh in uachtar ag lucht rugbaí. Bhí tráth na gceist ann an lá céanna don séú bhliain agus baineadh an craic asti. Chuir Brian O Connor, Saoirse O Coineen, Alexis Fitzgerald, Arlan ceol agus siamsaíocht ar fail don cheathrú bhliain, agus bhí na múinteoirí ag canadh (nó ag iarraidh canadh!) sa seomra foirne. Le deireadh na seachtaine bhí bronnadh na nduaiseanna agus céilithe don 5ú agus 6ú bhliain. Caithfimid buíochas a ghabháil do na daltaí agus muinteoirí a chabhraigh go mór chun seachtain thar a bheith taitneamhach agus Gaelach ar chur Seán Mac Carthaigh ar fail.
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La Semaine de la langue Française
6th year French Café
On Tuesday 29th of March, Sixth Year students were able to practise their French in a very relaxing situation. They had biscuits, drinks and a set of questions. For the Leaving Certificate oral exam, students have a twelve minute conversation with the examiner and they need to be able to talk about different topics such as school, pastimes and holidays. Bonne chance à tous !
Awards for La Francophonie Concours internet
On Wednesday 23rd of March, as our prize for coming second in La Francophonie internet competition we were awarded membership to the Alliance Francaise, given a voucher for a workshop and were invited to a French luncheon and film screening. We went to the IFI with Mlle Berteloot and Julia where we were greeted by Julie Marot and Mickael Lenglet who led us to one of the many cinemas in the building. After an introductory talk to the movie we watched Les Enfants de Timpelbach. It was about children and adults getting revenge on each other. C’était bien! Afterwards we attended a French luncheon with French drinks and sweets. C’était un Hannah Drumm, Sophie Phelan & très bon après-midi!
Anna Bielenberg 1KC
Le meilleur look Français
Félicitations à Emily Elliot Walsh et M. Byrne qui ont gagné le concours du meilleur look Français. Emily représentait le Mime Marceau.
Réponses au quiz
Félicitations à Conor Cody, Alexander Chisnall, Peter Vero et Claudia Anderson qui ont gagné des chocolats de Pâques. The statue of liberty was a gift from France to the USA. If you laid out the cables from the lifts in the Eiffel Tower end to end, you would stretch for 16 km. La Seine is the river that flows through Paris. The French president is Nicolas Sarkozy. La Marseillaise is the French National Anthem.
Daisy Berteloot, French Department
See page 9 for news of the Second Year French trip to Lyon
‘La Francophonie’ is the community of people and countries using French. Félicitations à tous les élèves qui ont participé et aux gagnants. We are very proud to have two prize winning groups from Newpark this year: Hannah Drumm, Sophie Phelan and Anna Bielenberg from First Year Section Européenne came second and Roisín Brophy, Anna Richardson, Síofra O’Donnell and Katie Halpin from Second Year Section Européenne took third place. Nous tenons à remercier le service de coopération et d’action culturelle de l’ambassade de France et L’Alliance Française qui ont organisé ce concours et cette cérémonie. Daisy Berteloot, French Department
TY—la semaine française
La semaine du 28 mars au premier avril était la semaine de la langue française. Dans la section européenne, nous avons organisé des activités, avec Mme Berteloot, pour les premières années. Le lundi, on a joué à deux vérités et un mensonge ( nous avions préparé les règles et du vocabulaire) et après on a joué à la salade de fruits avec la Classe de Mme Berteloot. Nous avons trouvé que ces élèves étaient très actifs et pas faciles à contrôler! Ils ont appris du vocabulaire et c’était amusant pour nous. Aedán Hamrock 4CB 5
Final Heave for Rugby Triple Victory
For many players it was their last ever game in the blue colours of Newpark, but that didn’t seem to faze them when they took on The High School—defending champions in the Vinnie Murray Shield. Newpark sailed past Sandford in the last round to reach the final by running in a host of spectacular and well worked tries. The final took place in Ballycorus, a familiar stomping ground for Newpark. Once again Newpark needed to be on top of their game to have a chance of overwhelming a team a whole section above them. They had done it so many times before, so what was to stop them now? They couldn’t have asked for better conditions: the sun was beaming down and cast a shadow on High School as they cowered under the sheer might of Newpark. The boys in blue took an early lead in the form of a penalty from half-back James Kelly. This left them three points to the good. The sides were pretty even except Newpark lacked the aggression that their opponents brought to the game. But where High School were weak Newpark capitalised. Newpark pulverised the opposition scrum all day showing no mercy with debutant prop Aaron Campbell filling in for the sadly missed Killian Sundermann. As the half was nearing an end High School capitalised on an uncharacteristic Newpark defensive error and barrelled over for the only try of the game. The kick was duly converted and the half was brought to a close at 7-3. In an intense second half Newpark’s defence was impenetrable with High School struggling to make any progress. For the second time in the match James Kelly calmly slotted over another penalty, just left of centre of 6
the post. The match was nearing an end and Newpark were trailing by a single point. They were making line breaks from every position on the pitch but it didn’t look as if it was going to be enough. Then High School were penalised for not rolling away after a tackle, which gifted the lads in blue a shot for three points to put themselves in front. The penalty was nonchalantly knocked over and Newpark overtook their opponents on the score board. Newpark held strong for the closing minutes. The final whistle sounded and Newpark were crowned champions. They had defeated the title holders 9-7 in an enthralling encounter. Newpark had done the treble: League, Shield and most importantly the Cup. Who would have thought it? Thanks to Luke Johnston for rugby Peter Collins 6DM
& hockey photos
CCSSA Athletics
The annual Community and Comprehensive Schools’ Athletics meet is on Thursday 12th May in Santry stadium. Training Schedule: Monday & Tuesday 4-5pm: throwing and running events Tuesday 1.15-1.40pm in the sports hall. We already have great interest and participation: any student interested in competing can sign up on the notice board in the mall and attend training sessions. Events include 100m, 200m, 800m, 1500m, 2000m, 3000m, 100m relays, shot putt, javelin, discus, long jump and high jump. Why not give it a try? Gormlaith Ormond, coach
Cracking victory for Minor A girls
Newpark’s Minor Girls recorded an excellent win in the Minor A Leinster League Final on a wet and cold Three Rock Rovers’ Friday 11th March. Defeating rivals Mount Anville, the score line 2-1 provides an indication of the exciting but very determined display the Newpark girls put on for their supporters. From the whistle the two teams appeared evenly matched, with Mount Anville placing the Newpark team under a lot of early pressure. However, the Mounties missed any chances that fell to them and Newpark quickly got into their stride. About fifteen minutes into the first half Lorena Halpin Doyle sprinted up the line, deftly passing two defenders and made a lovely cross to Kate Whelan who hit it into the top left hand side of the Mount Anville goal. Not to be outdone, Mount Anville replied with an excellent goal of their own and half time saw the score line read 1-1. The Newpark girls, coached by the talented Railway Union player, Karen Clarke, came out on the
CCSSA Gala at Newpark
On the 15th of March, Newpark hosted the CCSSA swimming gala. In total there were ten schools participating. It was a huge success and everybody had a brilliant time. Everyone swam really well and our team swept up a lot of medals. Out of 32 events Newpark got sixteen gold, nine silver and six bronze medals. A big congratulations to the Senior boys and girls who performed excellently and the First Years were fantastic too, especially Leo Kurevlev and Katie Somers. Anna Richardson, 2CKR
pitch after their half time talk with the sort of focused determination to win that one usually associates with tennis champion Roger Federer. They set about proving that putting your opponents under pressure in all areas of the pitch usually yields dividends. The entire team’s hard work off the ball paid off as Katie Lowry did what she does best: drove with speed up the right side, into the D and smacked off an excellent goal. 2-1 to Newpark. The supporters once again voiced their approval. But it took some excellent quick thinking on the part of the Newpark defence, particularly Christine O’Neill and Siobhan Franks who cleared the ball off the Newpark line, to maintain that score line. When the final whistle was blown the Newpark players and supporters celebrated a hard fought but well deserved victory. This is the second League title this team has won in the past two years so a big well done to the team. The future is certainly looking very promising for Girls’ Hockey in Newpark in the years to come. And a word from the organiser
When we were asked to host the annual swimming gala for Community and Comprehensive Schools this year, it was a challenging prospect. However it was extremely rewarding to see Newpark swimmers dominate the swimming gala. Everything ran very smoothly and the visiting schools were very impressed. A huge thank you is due to Andrew Adams and all the 5th and 4th Years who helped run the event. A special thanks to Jonno Maguire who really went out of his way to be helpful. Cathy Devis, Swim Team Co-ordinator
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Voice Our Concerns
Throughout Module 2, the Transition Year Option B Art class has been working on a piece for the Amnesty International Voice Our Concerns project. Every year Amnesty looks to involve Transition Year students in a project exploring the theme of Human Rights through creative writing, film, drama, photography or visual art. This is the second time that Newpark has taken part. In 2003 the TY drama class and teachers worked with playwright Conor McPherson on ‘First Person in Newpark’ as part of the very first Voice Our Concerns. This year artist Paul Seawright suggested that we start with ideas and then try to find a way to express them in a visual way. So we did workshops, brainstormed and discussed our way around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We set up a ‘Chocolate Economy’ in the Art Room, and made a short documentary film about it. ‘When are we going to start making something?’ and ‘I thought this was meant to be Art class,’ came the calls from the students. Eventually Deborah O’Brien crystallised the whole discussion into one word: labels. If you put labels on others and define them as part of a group it is easier to discriminate against them, or to ignore their needs as people. We decided to make a large painting of the whole class group to look like a sculpted architectural frieze. Traditionally these sculptures are on important buildings like parliaments and banks and tell the story that the powerful people who commissioned them want to tell. We were making a frieze that would tell our story. We decided to paint it in a uniform way, but each student chose one aspect of themselves that they painted in colours and a style of their choice. The finished painting is over five metres long and was put together for the first time on the wall of 8 the Amnesty International offices in Temple Bar.
On Wednesday 23rd March we all went in for the opening of the exhibition. The space was crowded with work and students from other schools. We were generally very impressed by the work on show, with a powerful sculpture by St Joseph of Cluny in Killiney commanding great attention. Our painting - which we decided to call ‘Classless Class’ - was also very popular at the exhibition. The success of this project is due to the perseverance, dedication and open minds of the Option B Art Class. Apart from producing a beautiful and lively artwork that expressed a personal and authentic message about Human Rights, the group worked in a way that was a model of a respectful, cooperative and considerate democracy. Congratulations team! Ciaran Byrne, Art Department
IMTA Maths Competition
All First Year students at Newpark recently participated in a maths competition organized by the Irish Mathematics Teachers Association. This was the first round of a national competition open to all first year students in Ireland. The exam was very challenging, demanding not only mathematical knowledge, but creative thinking and problemsolving skills. To add interest to the competition the Newpark maths department decided to offer prizes to the top three students at Newpark. Many students came in with very impressive results, but the best score came from Claire Mullen 1VM, followed by joint second Jonah Byrne 1EL and Cillian O’Brien 1EL. Congratulations, and well done to all! The Newpark results have now been submitted to the IMTA. We are waiting to see if any of our students will be invited to participate in the final round of the competition, which will take place later this year. Last year Newpark had two finalists, Síofra O’Donnell and Alice Hammon, who both finished among the top 20 students in Ireland. We wish our current First Years the best of luck! Ellen Lawless, Maths Department
Comic Club in action
Henry was created by Cian Malin 1 Comics Club takes place at Monday lunchtimes in the art room
St. Patrick’s Day Prayer Room
In the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day, we held a prayer room in B2. The room was set up with music, candles and various stations. Each station was designed to help people to reflect and pray about areas of their lives and for Newpark School. One station was an arts and crafts table and work was displayed on the walls as it was completed. Another station was an encouragement line where people could write prayers of encouragement for their friends or teachers and hang them on the line. Over 500 prayers were written and delivered to staff and students the following week. Another station had a world map where students could write post-it prayers for people they knew in other parts of the world and stick them on the map. There was a prayer post-box where private prayers could be posted. In the afternoons, the post-box was opened and Christian staff would pray over the prayers written there. Christian staff met each morning to pray from 8am. RE classes were brought during class times. It was open to any students during lunch and break. In the afternoons, local Christians from the surrounding churches were invited in to pray from 4pm - 5pm. In total, over 500 students visited the prayer room during that week, approximately ten staff met to pray together and approx twenty-five parents and local people came in the afternoons to pray for the school. Feedback from all was very positive and we hope to run similar events more regularly. We hope you felt the effects of their prayers! Below are some students’ reactions to the prayer room: Charis Rowan, RE Department
“The prayer room is a room that has different sections for each type of prayer. While I was there, I sent a prayer for a boy I know in Japan” “The prayer room is a nice place where you can pray for anything you want. It is relaxing and lets you think about things and you can express your thoughts through words in prayer but also in pictures!” “The prayer room is a very nice place where you can relax and spend some time when you feel sad and lonely, but also when you are happy and joyous. I like it here a lot.”
Are you listening?
The people who don’t speak up are often the ones who need to the most. Just because they do not ask to be heard does not mean we shouldn’t listen. Everyone needs to be heard sometimes - anonymous 9
The Lyon Tour
2nd year European Section
The trip to Lyon went very well. The weather was fantastic and the French school (Bellevue) was very welcoming. The Irish students had a real taste of French culture through the different visits such as Le Musée de la Résistance, Le Musée des Miniatures, Le Palais du Facteur Cheval as well as a chocolate factory and a cheese one. They also had free time to do some shopping and buy souvenirs from Lyon. Even though some of them felt a bit homesick on the first day, by the end of the week they all felt very at ease and really enjoyed the experience. “Je me suis bien amusé et je me suis fait pleins de nouveaux copains.” Clovis “The trip was really good, my French student was really nice and I enjoyed myself in France.” Alex “I loved the trip. Most of the places we went to were really fun. I really liked my student!” Anna
The overall experience was very positive and beneficial. Ms Laetitia Tessier, Section Européenne
Art? Science? Drama? London!
Starting on St. Patrick’s Day, a ragtag bunch of 5th and 6th Years embarked on an action packed two-night trip to London, crammed with activities relating to drama, art and science. Supervising the Patrick’s weekend shenanigans were Ms Devis, Mr Byrne and Ms Hannan. Over the three days we students were exposed to the culture and beauty of the sprawling city. Activities ranged from a Hamlet workshop in the Globe Theatre, to visiting the Tate Modern art gallery, to a walking tour of London’s most notable monuments. Numerous trips on the Underground were often frantic and nerve-wracking, but never boring. Let loose in Camden, we were assaulted on all sides by t-shirts and tattoo parlours, cyber goth shops and cannabis lolly pops. We all behaved ourselves. We also went to see two plays, the first of 10
which was War Horse. Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, the play is a drama about a boy whose horse is sent off to fight in World War 1. Excellent and truly touching, the play features breathtaking full-sized horse puppets. We were also lucky enough to attend a workshop with one of the puppeteers where we learned about some of the techniques used to make the puppets come alive on stage. The play was fantastic, and most of the group thoroughly enjoyed it. The other play we saw could not possibly have been more different: Priscilla Queen of the Desert. So, we went from heart-wrenching drama (with more than a few tears) to drag queens traipsing across the desert singing pop tunes. Big, colourful and lots of fun, the play was actually quite an eye-opener for many of us. One student mentioned falling asleep during the play. The reality? We all woke up. The players’ rendition of ‘MacArthur Park’ was particularly haunting, and will stay with us forever. Visits to both the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum (the latter of which featured a life-sized animatronic tyrannosaurus rex) were also very enjoyable. The more artsy creative types among us enjoyed a trip to an artists’ studio, where we got to both see real art being made and meet one of Mr Byrne’s good friends - a man bearing a remarkable resemblance to the big B himself. The two old chums entertained us all with stories from back in the day, which sadly cannot be repeated here. When the worst thing you can think of to say about a school trip is that it rained briefly on one of the days, you know it was probably a pretty good one. Huge thanks to the teachers who made it possible, it was an unforgettable experience and we enjoyed it very much. Tommy Cullen 5MK & Denis Stranjak5SH/PH
Guinness Storehouse
Sixth Year LCA visited the Guinness Storehouse in February as part of their Science course. The group got an insight into the art and science of brewing and perhaps the odd taste or two of the famous ‘black stuff’. One of the surprising facts
learnt was that Guinness is actually a deep red colour and not actually black at all The panoramic view from the tower was breathtaking with the whole of Dublin laid out below. All in all it was an excellent visit. 6LCA
SOS Catering
On the 10th of March 2011, business partners Ross O’Sullivan and Dan Sheridan won second prize in the County Enterprise awards, senior section.
Cúpla focal –TY
Obair Thaithí Bhí mé ag obair le St. John Of Gods í Gleann na gGaorach. Bhí mé ag obair le daoine. Is maith liom an obair mar bhí me ag caint le na daoine agus d’eist mé le ceol! Bhí brón orm mar bhí saol deacair ag na daoine. Bhí mé ag obair gach lá Luan go hÁoine ó a naoi go dtí a chúig. Emily Cahill 4TC
Rinne me mo taithi oibre cupla seachtain ó shin i cafe i nDeilginis. Is ‘Mugs’ an t-ainm dó agus bhí mé ag obair le cúpla daoine eile. Bhí said an-dheas agus is cuma leo nuair rinne mé cúpla botúin. Craig an tainm atá ar an bainisteoir agus múinigh sé liom conas a dheanann espresso ceart leis an machine mór. Bhí saghas deacair freisin. Bhain me taitneamh as mo ama ann agus d’fhag me a lán taithi mhaith as freisin. Oscar Field 4SCO
Chuaigh mé go dtí Nua Eabhrac le mó chara Simon do m’obair thaithí. Bhí mé ag obair le m'uncail i Sector Media. Bhí mé ag fanacht in Brooklyn in árasán m'uncail. Thaistil mé go dtí on Sector Media ar an trán gach lá. Bhí an obair suimiúil. D’fhoghlaim mé faoi ceol distribution i Meiricá. D’eagraigh mé dluthdisceanna san oifig. Chonaic mé Droichead Brooklyn, Realbh na Saoirse agus An Foirgneamh Statue na hImpire. Chuaigh mé ag siopadoireacht agus cheannaigh mé a lan eadai! Bhain mé taithneamh as. Is aoibhinn liom Nua Eabhric! Sinead Keegan, 4CB
Seachtain na Gaeilge Seactain na Gaeilge, seachtain tiománta don teanga gaeilge agus culture na hEireann a bhí ar siúl. Bhí imeachtaí difriúla eagraithe i rith na Seachtaine. D’fhoghlaímar Amhrán na bhFiann. Bhí daltaí ag seinm urlisí ceol: an cruit, an bodhrán agus na piobaí uillinn. Bhí na ceolteoir í cumasacha agus bhain mé sult as Seachtain na Gaeilge i mbliana. Janelle Ampeloquio 4CR
Nuair a bhí Seachtain na Gaeilge ar siúl bhí a lán iomachtaí ar siúl. Cáin muid Amhráin na bhFiann gach lá. Lá amháin, chuamar go dtí an leabharlann agus chualamar fearr ag cáint faoi Coláiste na bFiann. Ar lá eile chualamar Saoirse O’Coineen ag sheinm an gcruit sa leabharlann. Sheinn Alexis Fitzgerald an bodhrán agus sheinn Brian O’Connor na píobaí uillinn. Bhain mé taitneamh as Seachtain na Gaeilge i mbliana - ba an-speisiúl é. Ari O’Connell 4CD & Saoirse O’Coineen 4CR
Ross O'Sullivan, Cllr. Lettie McCarthy, Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Mr. Patrick Beare, Chairman of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, Dan Sheridan
We set up SOS Catering as part of our minicompany class in Transition Year. The company provides high quality, low cost catering and services. We attended the event in the Royal Marine hotel in Dún Laoghaire, setting up a stand along with 32 other businesses. The event was open to other schools and the public until judging started at two o’clock. We were interviewed by three judges and were delighted to get compliments from all of them. At 5.30 we attended the award ceremony. Dan and I were anxious to hear the results. In fourth place was a company called Memoires which had produced a history book for parents to fill out so children could know about their family history. In third place was a digital cookbook which Dan and myself had been impressed by. At this stage (in spite of our confidence in our company) we thought we were out of the running. Then the chairman of the Dún Laoghaire County Enterprise Board announced that SOS Catering had come second in the senior section. We were surprised and delighted to have done so well and to put our school on the enterprise map. Many thanks to Ms Cloney, my family and the Dún Laoghaire County Enterprise Board for supporting SOS Enterprises throughout the year.
Ross O’Sullivan 4TC
Basketball area
The PTA and school are currently upgrading the basketball area behind the Astroturf and replacing the hoops. Many thanks to Paul Ampeloquio for his input.
Calling all Scientists
Are you interested in taking part in the BT Young Scientist Exhibition next year? Come to E1 at Thursday lunchtimes: bring your ideas and your lunch! 11
A word from the PTA
The PTA is very pleased with the recent news regarding the granting of planning permission for the new school building! Well done to all those who persevered with this long process.
Speaker on Internet and Mobile Safety A seminar on this subject was held on Wednesday the 23rd of March in the Hunter Theatre with guest speaker Benne Simpson from the National Parents Council Primary (NPCp). She delivered a presentation prepared by NPCp in conjunction with the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) which covered many aspects of safety on the mobile phone and web. She suggested a number of websites that could inform and help parents with cyber safety issues such as www.internetsafety.ie (the website for the Office of Internet Safety), www.webwise.ie (a site that provides parents, teachers and children with educational resources, advice and information about potential dangers online), www.watchyourspace.ie (which gives advice on managing childrens' profiles on social-networking sites) and www.hotline.ie (the Irish hotline for reporting illegal content on the internet).
Newpark Run for Sport We are looking for interested participants to join a group of runners and walkers (made up of staff, parents and students) to participate in the 10km run in the Phoenix Park on the 10th of April. They are raising funds through sponsorship to invest in the area of sports and fitness in the school. It’s not too late to register on line for this event, www.greatirelandrun.org We have walkers and runners training together on a weekly basis. This is a very enjoyable way to get fit and motivated. So, with the long evenings upon us, why not get those running/walking shoes out?!
Cardiac First Responder and General First Aid Courses The PTA will be running a series of Cardiac First Responder and General First Aid courses as a fund raising initiative for the school. They will be run by a registered and approved trainer on a Saturday and/or over a few weekday evenings. The Cardiac First Responder Course will be a certified eight hour course and the General First Aid course will be a noncertified course including four hours of basic cardiac first response training and four hours
of general first aid training including sprains, strains and scalds etc. Information on these courses will be posted on the school website and circulated to parents by email in early April.
Work Party Volunteers needed Even though we have made progress with the recent planning permission to build a new school, it will be quite a while before we move out of our current building. It’s important that we still maintain a reasonable standard and pride in our school as many students will be finished their education before the new project is completed. We want to freshen up some areas of the school that are in need of a fresh coat of paint. Are you free on Saturday 16th April to join a group of parents to do this? The more volunteers, the quicker we’ll get the job done. A good work party should get the job done in two hours. Our Children are the ones who will benefit so it will be time well spent! Contact Aideen Jones on 087 6559324 if you can help.
Grandstand Sports in Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre A loyalty card has now been set up in Grandstand sports shop for Newpark School. When somebody connected to the school is making a purchase, they simply announce the name of Newpark School and Grandstand sports will credit the Newpark account with 10% of the value spent - i.e. spend €50 and €5 credit goes on the school account. No identification is needed to partake in this initiative. Credit builds up and is redeemed by the school to the value on the loyalty card. Enjoy the Easter Holidays! Newpark PTA
TY Art Expo
You are cordially invited to an exhibition of painting and sculpture by Newpark Comprehensive Transition Year students at The Grainstore, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown’s Youth Arts Facility in Cabinteely Park.
April newsletter: Anna Johnston Thanks to all our contributors this month. Please email contributions for the next issue to newsletter@newparkschool.ie
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