Newpark Newsletter February 2011

February 2011, no. 25

Myles Butler-Wolfe & Maureen Walkingshaw, HR director of BT

On Yer Bike: BT Young Scientist Want to know how to make yourself invisible, how to win at blackjack or how to make your car run on nuts? Then this year‟s BT Young Scientist Competition was the place to be. I was taking part in this famous competition for the first time and I was thrilled to be awarded prizes in two categories.

My project focused on the effectiveness of the Dublin Bike Scheme. I looked at the number of bikes and spaces there were at every station, every five minutes, between January and December 2010. I also carried out a survey of 116 users to establish what the public really think about the scheme. I discovered it‟s really popular and is getting lots of use!

Three thousand projects enter the BT Young Scientist Competition every year and only 500 make it as far as the RDS – so it was a great honour for me to be chosen to display my project and represent Newpark.

I entered the Intermediate Individual Category in the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical section. So what was it like to take part in this great competition?

On arriving at the RDS, all the participants received a student pack which included a list of all the projects, a meal voucher

for every day (which most people used to buy cheap burgers), a pen that glows in the dark and the password for the internet.

Tuesday was a slow day – it‟s when all the Dublin projects set up. Wednesday was more exciting. Students from all around the country got set up and I was able to chat to my neighbours.

There was a large opening ceremony at lunchtime and everyone gathered around in the BT Arena to be welcomed to the event. A juggling act was a part of the ceremony.

There was a disco on the Wednesday evening where everyone got to know each other.

Thursday was more eventful. The exhibition was open to the public and all the projects were set up. I went wandering around after lunch and saw some of the projects. Some of them were scarily good. One of them analysed the principle of invisibility with fibre optic cables; another was a study on card counting in casinos; while another had developed a fuel for a diesel engine made out of nuts. On Thursday evening there was a table quiz, partly in Irish, for all the participants and I came joint third.

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Mr Derek Lowry Newpark has had a fantastically busy time this halfterm, complicated by the arrival of the snow in December which precipitated an early Christmas break for the school. Many activities and events had to be rearranged for January and February and so we have have been busy catching up.

Congratulations to Myles Butler Wolfe for his excellent achievements in the Young Scientist Competition, Rory Boyle, Sorcha O‟Sullivan and Bryan Woods who performed so well in the Denny Senior Debating Competition, Oisín Lyons and Denis Stranjak who reached the finals of the All Ireland Poetry Aloud competition and to the 6th year history quiz team.

A big congratulations also to the Senior rugby team who captured an impressive Leinster double, to the girls‟ hockey teams who have reached the play-off stages of their cup and league competitions and to Transition Year student, Ben Purcell, for his international skiing achievements in the recent Austria Cup. Well done also to First Year students Satchel Madden and Ryan Kelly who have been chosen to play badminton for Leinster. Ryan is competing for Leinster U13 in Cardiff this weekend against teams from Ulster, Scotland and Wales.

In the light of these fantastic sporting achievements, I want to remind parents and students that PE Classes are a highly valued and integral part of the curriculum in Newpark. We are very fortunate to have a wide range of facilities and the variety of activities we offer our students reflects the importance we place on physical activity. It‟s important that students take regular exercise and enjoy the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle.

Swimming is a compulsory part of the Junior Cycle programme in Newpark. While we appreciate this might present some difficulties for some students, it is important to remember participation in this sport is extremely beneficial to their health. It is part of Newpark‟s balanced curriculum, of which we are very proud. All students are expected to take part in all PE classes. Should there be a medical reason why a student cannot swim, a doctor‟s note must be furnished to the PE department and the student will be assigned to another PE activity.

Please remember that students should always have both swimming and games gear available for all PE sessions. I would ask parents to resist pressure from their children to write notes excluding them from either swimming or PE Classes and to ensure they always have their PE gear. Students should also not leave valuables such as wallets, mobile phones, iPods and other personal equipment in the changing rooms but should secure them in their lockers prior to PE. The Sports Centre is open to the public during the school day and it is impossible to secure the changing rooms. Remember, all students should have 2 proper locks on their lockers to ensure their

valuables are safe.

Students should not bring expensive pieces of equipment to school There is a vibrant extra curricular programme in Newpark and there are a large number of dedicated teachers and coaches who give up their own time to organise matches, training, rehearsals, plays, competitions and events such as rugby, hockey, basketball, swimming, drama, debating and lunchtime clubs in Chess, Gaeilge and Comics. These teachers and coaches are providing students with the opportunity to participate in very beneficial lifelong learning activities.

Therefore it is crucial that parents/guardians make every effort to ensure that their daughter/son is committed to turning up to training, rehearsals, matches and events.

We want to see as many students participate in these extra-curricular activities as possible and that requires encouragement from their parents/guardians and a commitment on the part of the students themselves. ECA participation generates real skills in terms of commitment, teamwork and organisation – skills which are invaluable to the students and and which significantly enhance their CVs and employment prospects.

Best wishes and good luck to all the Third and Sixth Years who are currently completing their Mock Junior and Leaving Certificate Examinations. Many thanks to Brigid McCarroll and the teachers who have worked hard preparing students and running the exams so smoothly. Finally I wish a happy, safe and restful mid-term break to all in the Newpark community.

[On Yer Bike—continued from front page] Friday was the most exciting day as this was the day the prizes were awarded. No one knew who was going to win beforehand so there was a great air of expectation.

I was completely caught off guard because I won the second prize announced: an award from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government for Design and Built Environment . I later won another prize for coming third in my category. I was shocked but delighted – after so much work it was great to get some recognition. On Friday evening there was a Karaoke disco which was great fun.

Most of the public visited the Exhibition on Saturday and it was great to discuss my project with complete strangers. Most people visit the projects that win prizes so lots came to see mine. I was asked to be an ambassador for the Science Gallery in Trinity. The winner‟s project (a tennis sensor that analyses your tennis stroke to help you play better) had been moved to the back of the hall and got lots of attention from the public.

I loved being a part of this event. It was great fun and I really recommend other students to take part next year.

Myles Butler-Wolfe 4CB

Slalom Success for Ben

Well done to Transition Year student Ben Purcell who had great success in the recent Special Olympics Austria Cup. Ben came fourth in the skiing competition which was held in Swartzberg, Austria.

Twelve countries took part in the event and this was Ireland‟s first time to send a team. Only six athletes could take part (three boys and three girls) and Ben was picked. He competed in the Super G, Giant Slalom and Slalom races.

Ben has previously competed in Novice skiing events in Boise, Idaho but because he had improved so much he was put into the intermediate division this time. He competed against very experienced skiers but to his great delight he came fourth in both races.

This was a huge achievement for Ben who was delighted with his brilliant performance. The team and his family are incredibly proud of him. Overall the Irish team got three gold medals, three silver medals, two bronze medals and four fourth places.

Well done and congratulations to Ben on his success.

Ben Purcell 4CB:

On Wednesday the 26th January I went to Austria with five other skiers. We were representing Ireland in a Special Olympics competition. Our team had three boys and three girls.

We practiced skiing on snow on Wednesday and Thursday and had competitions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

I was put in the Intermediate Division which was very hard. I raced in the Giant Slalom and the Super G and I came fourth in both races. We had a great time.

Ready for DELF My class has been preparing for the DELF exam since September. This is a French exam which (if you pass it) entitles you to study in France. It is a really prestigious exam and it‟s great because you can put it on your CV as it shows you have a very high level of French.

The day of the exam was Wednesday 27th January. We all went into town and took the exam in a special centre. The exam consisted of a reading comprehension, a written part, listening and finally an oral. The listening part was very difficult but we think it‟s worth the effort as it is good to practice taking exams. The class worked really hard for this exam: we hope it will pay off when the results come in!

Genevieve Healy 5DBT & Robyn Maguire 5MK

Debating Times The Junior Debaters continue to meet on a Tuesday at lunchtime. New members are always welcome. A Junior/Senior Newpark Debating Competition will take place in March so anyone who would like to take part please come along to prefab 2!

The Senior debaters are still progressing through the Lenister Schools Debating Competition.

On the 31st January Ruairi Boyle, Sorcha O'Sullivan and Bryan Woods took part in the second round of the competition which was held in Trinity College. All debaters were exceptional, in what is now an extremely competitive and lively competition.

Ruairi was competing as an individual speaker and Ruairi and Sorcha as a team (in separate debates). All three were opposing the motion that ‘This house would abolish trial by jury’. A very enjoyable discussion took place.

Sorcha and Bryan have successfully progressed to the quarter finals of the Leinster Schools Debate.

Well done to all Senior Debaters who have taken part in the competition this year and we hope that Sorcha and Bryan do well in the quarter finals! Good Luck!

Peggie Caldwell, debating co-ordinator

Money Making Munchies Fifth Year LCVP set up a catering company for their Enterprise Week. This event was held in the canteen and comprised of Monday Munchies, Teddy‟s Thursday and Fast Food Friday.

All three days were a great success and ran smoothly. For Monday Munchies we sold bags of jellies at €1 each and these sold out in twenty minutes!

On Teddy‟s Thursday we hired the necessary equipment from Teddy‟s Ice-cream parlour in Dun Laoghaire. We sold over 200 candy flosses and more than 150 ice-creams. Finally, for Fast-food Friday we ordered pizza from a pizzeria and sold them on at €2.50 per slice. Overall it was a successful week and it‟s safe to say that the LCVP class enjoyed it thoroughly.

Aishling Rowden, 5DMY

Forty for Dinner? No Problem!

On the 21st January the Leaving Certificate Applied catering class prepared a veritable feast for forty guests. The evening was organised to remember and celebrate Howard McCabe, a former teacher who died last November. Howard taught maths, physics and applied maths during his lengthy career in Newpark .

The LCA, under the guidance of Ms Farlow, planned and prepared a three course meal. The food was beautifully presented and won praise from all present. Starters, main courses and desserts included crudites and dips, smoked salmon and brown bread, mini quiches, sausage rolls, crackers and cheeses and a giant cake.

This was a big undertaking and the LCA can be very proud of their achievement. The food prepared was such a success that guests are still requesting recipes!!

Carol Edge 3

Can You Hear Us?

Bake sale for DSPCA

Reading poetry aloud was the central point of a competition that I, along with several other N e wp a rk St ud ent s , entered this year for the first time. Organised by Poetry Ireland, the competition is called Poetry Aloud and it‟s an Fiona Ross (Director of the National Library event in which young of Ireland) presenting Oisín’s cerificate people learn and recite poetry in front of judges and an audience. Our English teacher Ms Keating got us involved and she gave up a lot of her own time to coach us.

For the Dublin entrants the competition took place in the National Library but other students around the country there were fifty other venues near them.

The heats took place back in November and Denis Stranjak and myself made it through to the semi finals which took place on the 14th January 2011.

Denis performed very well but unfortunately didn‟t make it through to the final - so lucky Denis got a half day! I made it through to the final. In my view all the participants there were exceptional and it was a really great evening. I didn‟t win but I enjoyed taking part immensely.

Thanks again to Ms Keating from all of the participants. She gave up lunchtimes and free classes to coach us and stayed the full ten hours of the semi finals and final. I‟m looking forward to next year.

Third Year CSPE (Ms Edge‟s class) organised and held a bake sale on the 27th January in aid of the DSPCA. The work involved the entire group who baked, set up the room, got involved in selling, cleaning up and counting the money!!.

The event was a great success and needed someone on the door to manage the queue who wanted to get in. They raised €130 from their hard work which they hope to present in person to the DSPCA later in the term.

Oisín Lyons, 4CB

Maths Minds The second mathematics competition of 2010-2011 was completed before Christmas, although the snow delayed the announcement of winners until the new year! As usual, the competition was designed to allow students to apply knowledge from the classroom to solve fun and creative problems. The competition included a senior question, open to all Newpark students, a junior question for years 1 to 4, and a question for First Years only. Correct answers to the questions were entered into a draw for cash prizes.

There was good interest in the competition, with correct entries at First Year level submitted by Robert Meagher 1EL, Claire Mullen 1VM and Cillian O‟Brien 1EL. Correct answers to the junior competition were submitted by Myles Butler-Wolfe 4CB, Seb Dungan 2JH, Alice Hamman 2JH, and Conor Walsh 1EL. At senior level, correct entries were submitted by Thomas Lee 6CQ and Paul Sharpe 1EL. Well done to all, and special congratulations to the winners of the draw for the prizes, Claire Mullen, Seb Dungan, and Thomas Lee. The first competition of 2011 will take place after the midterm, so look out for posters around the school. Everyone is encouraged to have a go!

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Ellen Lawless, Newpark Maths

History Buffs Get it Right In what war did Operation Overlord play a central role for the Allied Cause?

This was just one of the questions in the recent H i s t o r y Teachers Association of Ireland 6 th Form Quiz in whi ch t he N ew p ark Team of Eoin Hanan (6AMcC), Brendan Meighan (6EG) and Jakub Jadwisckzak (6DM) achieved a very creditable sixth place.

Twenty-one schools from around Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Westmeath competed. This annual event has been running now for the past 29 years and was held in St Conleth‟s College this year.

The Newpark team performed very well on the night but were thrown a curve ball by the Fashion Firsts round. The Quiz was eventually won by Colaiste Chillian, the Clondakin Gaelscoil. Sandford Park and St Conleth‟s College came second and third respectively. A great night was had by all and well done to the lads. And by the way, the answer is the Second World War. Mags Downes, Newpark History

Living a foreign language Total immersion among native speakers is the best way to learn a language, but parents need to choose wisely before sending teens off for long stretches abroad, writes Sheila Wayman in the Irish Times.

Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock, Co Dublin, for example, has a European section which gives 20-plus students in each year up to four extra French classes a week and a range of cultural activities. The highlight is the exchange they do to Lyon in Second Year, which often results in lasting friendships that can facilitate return visits in years to come. “When they come back, they are more confident and they see the point of the language,” says Daisy Berteloot, French teacher and co-ordinator of the European section.

The Irish Times - Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Rugby lads on the double!

Newpark defeat Skerries in great style Newpark overcame the omens of their Junior Cup defeat to Skerries by putting the same team to the sword in an enthralling Senior McMullen Cup showdown in Donnybook Stadium.

Within 45 seconds Skerries were already playing catch up as the ferocious intensity of Newpark was just too hot to handle. Delightful quick hands from the backline combined with Fergus Halpin‟s impressive footwork and an outstretched arm left Newpark already five points up. Skerries didn‟t even have time to realise what had just happened: minutes later James Sheehan and Joseph Wheatley quickly turned over the ball and it was whipped out to Zac Jungmann (a forward who thinks he‟s a back) who shrugged off the first defender and left the rest trailing in his wake. Zac dived over the line for a 10-0 lead in as many minutes.

As the half rolled on, fly-half James Kelly slotted over his first penalty of the match: 13-0.

Newpark were now in cruise control with Evan Thornley orchestrating. When Newpark‟s set move Sex-Bomb went wrong, the team was quick to fix its mistakes as Jungmann gathered the loose ball and shifted out to Odhran Duignan who turned on the gas and finished well: 18-0 at half time.

Skerries started off the second half promisingly but were overshadowed by a Newpark blitz counter attack which saw Fergus Halpin score his second try of the day. As the half ticked on Skerries didn‟t seem to have much to offer, but from a surprising lineout error by lock Rafe Garland Skerries seized their golden opportunity and scored their only try of the match. The score was now 23-5.

The game was in its final quarter and at its most entertaining with Newpark moving up through the gears with every chance they got. The Stadium

was swaying with the excitement of the crowd. Once again Newpark closed in on the Skerries try-line through a rush attack from Fergal Howley, who slickly offloaded to his captain who was then bundled into touch. With the last play of the game Newpark played a swift backline move. Sam Crowe side-stepped the last defender and finished well with Kelly converting.

Newpark ran rampant all day giving Skerries no room to breathe and they deservedly triumphed 30-5.

Peter Collins 5DM

And then for the double!

The Newpark Senior rugby team completed the double last Wednesday 2nd of February with a comfortable 29 -5 Section A league victory over Mount Temple. The match was played in Ashbourne, Co. Kildare. It was the second time we had met Temple this season, having won the previous encounter in the McMullen Cup semi final.

Newpark always looked comfortable to win, after two early tries from Luke Hanratty and James Kelly. A third try from Fergal Howley and a penalty from Kelly meant we ended the first half with a 22-0 lead. The second half was always going to be difficult as we were playing into a strong wind, but the forwards coped with the conditions well to ensure we played most of the half away from our try line.

Although Mount Temple eventually forced their way over our line for a try, we responded with a fourth try of our own to ensure a comfortable and deserved victory.

This may well have been the last ever match that the Sixth Years will play for Newpark, but they can look back with pride at all they have achieved over the past six years.

Fergal Howley 5DBT 5

Junior Girls have no fear!

The Junior Girls‟ hockey team are maintaining the good standard set by the team last year. Our team spirit has been fantastic with a 90% turnout for training after school every Tuesday and Friday (except Transition years who can‟t make Tuesday training) and our good results reflect this upbeat attitude. So far this year we remain unbeaten in the Junior B league - we‟ve beaten St Andrew‟s (2-1), St Columba‟s (1-0), Loreto Dalkey (3-1) and St Raphaela‟s (1-0) while we drew against Sutton Park (1-1) and Dundalk Grammer (0-0).

Our only defeat has been to Rathdown in a friendly match and Muckross A in our cup match - but we have high hopes of doing well in the Junior Plate in which we have drawn Santa Sabina at home.

There are nineteen of us on the Junior squad with two new important additions this year. Ann Anton, a Third Year who is already a great basketball player for Newpark, has become our goalkeeper and is a fantastic asset to our team. She‟s learning fast and gaining confidence thanks to the great specialist coaching she has received from the brilliant Junior Boys‟ goalies, Lee Heffernan and Stephen Young. Ann has been a real find for the team and we all hope she‟ll keep it up over the next couple of years.

Another new member of our squad is Sinéad Malin, a new Third Year pupil. Sinéad is one of our two centre-backs (although she‟s also a great midfielder) and a superb athlete who has already brought Newpark success in the Cross Country Championships this year in the Phoenix Park. We‟ve relied on Sinéad‟s excellent pace and strength to get us out of some sticky situations this year.

Lara Dawson, Kelly Burke, Jenny Archer, Jessica Mullen, Kristin Nyquist and Bekkah Molony are our strikers who take their chances when presented with them. They have scored some great goals this year and hearing the ball hit that backboard has to be one of the most satisfying sounds any hockey player can hear.

Our midfield players Beatrice Ritzen, Inga Gillham, Megan Rankin and Erin Jennings have really improved this year and are gaining in confidence with every match. They have learnt the hard way just how difficult it is to be a good midfield player at this level.

Their fitness has improved with all that marking and passing and their ability to stick to the task encourages us to keep going.

As well as Ann and Sinéad, our defensive line up includes Jorinde Coffey, myself, Siza Oliveria, Nina Gevees, Laura McCullagh, Toni Childs, Kelly Coulahan and Zareen Moore. We swap around playing in all the defensive positions and our coach Ms Downes expects us to play like the All Blacks Rugby Team – we have to step into our tackles, give 110% every time, show no 6

hesitation and be there to support each other at all times. Also helping out with the coaching are Gavin Kelly and Alex Kula, two Transition year hockey players, who are completing their Community Action Programme with us.

Our team motto this year is “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” American president Franklin D Roosevelt said it to the American people during the US depression to get them through the hard times.

We thought it was quite appropriate for today‟s times and we use the quote to inspire us before a match - it helps us to believe that we can win no matter what the odds.

Aly Malseed 4CD (player & team manager)

Minor Girls make major waves Congratulations to the Minor A hockey team who have qualified top of their group in the Leinster League. They had a tough section in which they beat Mount Anville and Our Lady‟s Terenure, drew 2-2 with Loreto Beaufort and narrowly lost 0-1 to Loreto Dalkey.

The 2-2 draw with Beaufort was crucial to finish the section with eight points. A three way play -off will now take place between Mount Anville, Loreto Dalkey and Beaufort for the runner-up position in the group while Newpark are straight through to the Leinster League semi-final. We await with interest the match between the eventual runner up of section A and winner of section B to see who we will meet in the semi-final.

This promising team has also won their first two Leinster Cup matches: 1-0 against King‟s Hospital and a cracking 6-0 against Newbridge.

All supporters welcome for the important upcoming matches. Best of luck, girls.

Karen Clarke, coach

Senior Girls Keep the Faith Following a long break due to the December snow and ice the Senior girls returned to training to face two league matches. We were unlucky to lose 3-1 against Loreto Bray. They had several excellent players who gave our defence plenty to do but we managed several strong attacks ourselves with excellent play in midfield.

The girls turned their luck around though when, three days later, they faced Holy Faith Clontarf and won 3-1 with a solid performance. A guest appearance by a fearless Emma Rooney, a hat-trick by Sarah Henry and a super game by Yvonne Nyingi among others made it one of the best games that the squad has played all year. We are eagerly waiting to find out who we will meet in the first round of the Plate!

Vicky Meredith, coach

First Year Girls Congratulations to the First Year girls‟ A team who got through to the quarter finals of our league. We had easy wins in (nearly) all our matches in the early campaign. Unfortunately we went out in a really tough quarter final against St. Gerard‟s on Tuesday the 8th of February.

Everyone has been playing brilliantly and training hard - keep up the good work and we‟ll live to fight another day! Ciara Grogan 1VM

Basketball Players Jump to Success Well done to both the Newpark girls and boys U16 teams who reached the South Dublin Basketball League semi-final. The girls played Sion Hill and the boys played Oatlands College. Although they failed to progress to the next round, both teams played with great determination, commitment and passion and showed great potential for senior basketball next year.

First and Second Year teams have been training since September and their leagues started at the end of January. Best of luck to everyone involved.

We are looking for senior basketball players or parents to run in the Newpark Run for Sport (organised by the PTA) on Sunday the 10th of April 2011. We are all collecting sponsorship for this event to raise funds for ECA equipment. If you are interested please contact Ms Costello at the school or email sco@newparkschool.ie or email Mr Byrne on cb@newparkschool.ie Siobhán Costello, basketball co-ordinator

The Christmas gala was a great success having been re-scheduled due to extreme weather conditions in December. Great fun was had by all participants and the Sixth Years narrowly beat the staff in the hotly contested fancy dress relay race We are hosting the Community and Comprehensive Schools swimming gala on the 15th March 2011. All those wishing to take part please see Ms Devis ASAP. Cathy Devis, Newpark Swimming

Are you faster than a teacher?

The teachers began their training for the sponsored 10 km run in the last week of January with enthusiastic groups setting out on Monday afternoon and Sunday morning.

Our training schedule has been expertly planned and the teachers have made a flying start to preparations … are you brave enough to take us on?!!

See back page for more details.

Leinster Badminton Congratulations to First Years Ryan Kelly (1KC) and Satchal Madden (1HH) who are playing on the L e i n s t e r badminton squad this year. Ryan is part of a six player Leinster U13 team at the Celtic Challenge in Cardiff this weekend against Ulster, Wales and Scotland. Best of luck to both of these promising players. We look forward to hearing more about them.

Life on the Ocean Wave

Newpark students were told of the importance of reducing pollution and of disposing waste correctly by French marine biologist Emmanuel Reynaud.

Reynaud came to the school on the 1st of February to talk to the Fifth and Sixth Year European Section about what it was like to live and work at sea as a marine biologist.

He spoke to us about the voyage of a ship called Tara which has a crew of fifteen marine biologists. Their purpose is to conduct experiments on micro-organisms and zoo plankton. Although Tara is currently on the South American Coast it has sailed all over the world since it went to sea in 2009.

Reynaud told us many startling statistics about the pollution in our oceans. For example, one third of the sand on our beaches is not sand but particles of plastic. Reynaud‟s speech was given in both French and English and at the end we were encouraged to ask questions in either language.

The slideshow presentation which accompanied the speech reinforced the given facts with images of complex micro-organisms and viruses.

Marine biologists estimate that they have discovered only 5% of the ocean‟s creatures and that the entire dolphin population of the earth makes up 0,00001% of all the organisms in the sea.

We all enjoyed this presentation and it made us all more aware of the pollution and waste disposal problems we face.

Fergal Howley, Ronan Healy & Ronan Sherlock, Fifth Year

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Shooting Captain Europe Eight Transition Year students from Newpark have entered the European Union short film competition this year. Students from all around Ireland were invited to make a short film with the theme My vision for Europe and eight students from Mr Byrne‟s film class decided to make a film. Sinéad Keegan, Emily Cahill, Oran Desmond, Aeden Hamrock, Dylan Kingston, Kieran Byrne, Conor Murphy and myself were all chosen to be a part of the film making team – we had to do everything from write the script, act the parts and be the director, editor and producer. It was really hard work!

The original closing date was before Christmas but because of the snow it was extended to 21st January 2011. The film team was excused from its regular classes(!) and we got down to some serious work. It took us a while but eventually we created a storyboard and after many arguments and lively discussion we decided on a „Captain Europe‟ theme.

Our story centres on a boy daydreaming about „Captain Europe‟ – only to realise that there is no such figure. He realises that the citizens of Europe must be masters of their own destiny and put forward their own ideas as to what they think Europe should be like in the future.

Sinéad Keegan played the role of Captain Europe and the filming kicked off up the top of Killiney Hill where we got some shots of Sinéad looking out over Dublin Bay. Then we went down to Dun Laoghaire baths to get some more shots. Sinéad, Oran, Conor, and Aedan went into town the next day to take some more on location shots of GreenAer. There they shot some scenes of eco-friendly cars while the rest of the team stayed at school to start the editing process.

During the editing process we discovered just how complex and difficult it is to put together even a short film. The technical side of things was very challenging and we had some difficulties with laptops and camcorders working properly but with help from Mr Kelly we solved the problems. We entered the film into the competition and uploaded it onto YouTube.

Despite the hard work, we really enjoyed taking part in making this film. We now have a greater understanding of how a film is made, from the concept stage to the editing stage and we will never look at a short film in quite the same way again.

Tanya Reid 4SCO

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Drama Fifth Years are reprising their production of Richmond Avenue for the St Andrew‟s One Act festival on the 15th of February. This thirty minute comedy was written by three Transition Year students last year for performance by their drama class so it is an original and striking production – and very different from the other plays at the festival.

Some current Transition Years are taking on roles to fill the gaps. We would love to have plenty of Newpark support at St Andrews: please let Ms Devis know if you are interested in attending.

Newpark Theatre Company Newpark Theatre Company is up and running with a talented group of past-students working on Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer. This inaugural production is currently in rehearsal with past-student Jessie Doyle at the helm as director. The play is a centrepiece for the celebrations of the Hunter Theatre‟s thirtieth birthday in April. Any parents, students or teachers who would like to help with set building, design etc please contact Ms Devis.

Cathy Devis

Comic club—Monday lunchtime in the art-room

Sampling the Science at W5 The 2nd Years enjoyed a trip to the fantastic interactive science experience at W5 in Belfast on the 13th January. Here‟s what they thought of the visit.

Kevin: there were all sorts of cool things in W5 which stands for What? Where?

Who? Why? and When?

There was a seat you could sit in and pull yourself up using ropes.

Aaron & Lorena: the musical stairs looked like normal stairs but each step you stepped on sounded like a piano key. When most of us went up or down it sounded like a very bad song, but if you knew how you could play Mary had a little lamb!

Kitty: I enjoyed the stop-motion movies you could make with the animal figures, camera and background.

There was a built in camera with a button on the top and a screen in front so you could see the finished shot. You move in the little figures tiny bit by tiny bit and take a picture each time. Eventually all the pictures taken like this play really fast in a little movie and it looks like they‟re moving. It was really fun and interesting and you could create different scenes.

Another thing I enjoyed was the time on the bus catching up with all my friends. There was a lovely friendly atmosphere and it was great.

Robert: there was a huge marble ball that weighed a

Jasmine: there were things like bugs and butterflies that you could look at through a magnifying glass.

Dean: the trip on Thursday was a blast. It was really fun and funny. I saw lots of cool things that day. It was great because there was just our school in the whole place. I liked the trip because I hadn‟t been up North in my whole life. All in all it was worth the money and effort.

Rob & Ben & Eoin We had a flight workshop with a scientist who explained how planes work. Then we conducted experiments including making paper airplanes and seeing whose went the furthest!

Olivia & Aaron & Lorena & Jas: A big favourite was the weather news. You basically stood on a platform in front of a blue screen and TV camera.

You chose your script (volcano or hurricane) and read from a small screen like a true weather person. Of course you didn‟t have to stick to the script – you could improvise! When the recording finished you stood back to watch your performance on the big screen. Lots of us made programmes - great craic!

Lorena & Siobhán: On a touch screen you could make and paint your own butterfly. When you pressed „Fly‟ it would appear on a massive screen on the wall with all the other butterflies and you could watch

yours flying away. Aaron: Another version of this let you make strange insects: you chose a head, body and wings and set them free on the big screen.

Siobhán: there was a musical harp with a sensor. It didn‟t have any strings: you just put your fingers through the sensors to make the sounds.

lot and water helped you to spin it ... there was a machine that made rings of smoke when you pressed down on it ...

Jordan: you could pick between interactive games including football, volleyball or recycling where you had to put waste, recycling and large items into the right bins! If you got a high score in one of the games it took a picture of you or your team and showed it on the screen at the end of the game.

Jake: the best thing was the giant touch screen with pictures of different types of habitat like sea, urban, jungle and desert. I went into the sea section which showed me pictures of seals, coral, reefs, rocks etc.

You were able to make images bigger, smaller or get rid of them to focus on your favourites.

Alexis: we came across a machine that created sand dunes. You pressed a button and the wind blew all the sand away like a sandstorm. There were a lot more fantastic experiments and we could work them all which made it really interesting. This was one of the coolest trips I‟ve been on.

Thanks to form 2SO for contributions to this article

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Newpark Team in Albania Helping out at a day camp for children with learning difficulties and disabilities was the purpose of a week long visit to Albania by two Newpark students (6th Year Naomi Byrne and 5th Year Shannon Barr) and teacher Ms Rowan. A town called Lushnje in Albania was their destination where they were participating in a project being run in partnership with their local church.

Here are some of their memories of this extraordinary trip.

Shannen: In the early hours of 2nd January 2011 a motley looking bunch of misfits gathered at check‐in area nine in Dublin Airport. It was the first meeting of all seven participants in the project and there was no turning back.

We were to be spending the next week together in Albania. It was not the most usual of scenarios but it was one that God was in the midst of and we can only give thanks to Him that we all “clicked”. By the end of the week, eating together in Budapest airport waiting for our connecting flight home, we were like a family.

Ms Rowan - This was my third time in Albania and my second time working with disabled children in Lushnje. I was very excited to be returning, especially as I now had two of my students with me. The project there works with disabled children who don‟t attend school. Many spend their days housebound with their mums. Our long term goal is to see a day care centre established there, providing music and art therapy along with games and massage, staffed by local people.

I was, once again, overwhelmed by how special these beautiful children are to God. The plight of their parents, often feeling isolated, overwhelmed, frustrated and worried for their children‟s futures touched my heart. To be some small part of letting them know that they are never alone was and is a great privilege. Our centre was a place for those on the margins of society to receive love and to share their love. At one point, a mother of one of the children was overcome with emotion and gave full expression to her tears. It has been very moving to see how little effort it takes to make such a difference in their lives. Seeing the joy on the faces of the children has definitely been the highlight of my visit.

Shannen: When I was told I was going to Albania I didn‟t know what to expect. But as soon as I got off the plane I knew it was going to be a good time! I was really nervous on the first day of the Camp but as soon as we got comfortable with the kids it was great. As the week progressed my heart just melted for each child. I‟m really glad to have been given the 10

opportunity to come to Albania. I still can‟t believe I lasted the week and was very emotional when I got home. The people here in Lushnje will always be in my thoughts, head and my heart and I am thankful for having God to help me do this.

Naomi: I was a bit nervous about working with people with disabilities because I have no experience, but there was nothing to fear! They were all so nice and their parents were there to help out if needed.

Gary, Shannen and myself were in charge of the crafts room. My highlight of these crafts was making frogs from toilet rolls. The kids absolutely loved them and I was so happy to see the smiles on their faces when they had finished. The abilities of the kids varied but each craft reflected their effort and progress.

Apart from the crafts I loved visiting the children at home. We went to three houses in the village. All of the children were housebound and couldn‟t travel to school and found it difficult to get around. I found this heartbreaking but enjoyed being with them and praying with them. All of these children really had an impact on me. They are really happy regardless of their disability. Coming on this trip I only knew three other people. Thinking back

now it doesn‟t feel like Lucy, David and Tony were strangers; all seven of us ended up as a family. God was definitely with us all the way.

We brought out twenty old Newpark jumpers which were hugely appreciated by the parents. The weather was very cold and none of the houses had heating.

This presents problems, especially for the children who have little or no movement. Staying warm with limited clothing is a constant struggle and the jumpers were greeted with great delight! We also brought presents of knitted teddies for the kids, jewellery for the mums, wheelchairs, crutches and money to help run the centre for the week. Thank you again to the whole Newpark community for your support.

Metalworkers on track

Patin á Glace

On the 19th of January 2011, Newpark 2nd y e a r metalwork options A & B went on a gokarting trip to Kylemore Karting. We were joined by Mr Murray, Mr Power (the very experienced go-kart driver), Ms O‟Dwyer, Niamh and Wanda. After watching the very important safety video and a couple of practice rounds, three circuit heats of intense speeding and skidding began.

Surprisingly, Ms O‟Dwyer came last.

The Grand Prix gave us all a chance to come in first place. Ms O‟Dwyer zoomed past everybody (well, one person…) at the speed of light and came first!

In the end, round winners were Cormac Comerford, Shane O‟Sullivan, David O‟Shea, Jake Forsythe, Eoin Malin, Toli Mooney, Sean Bean, Jordan Williams and the overall champion was… Jack Keegan!!!

Afterwards we relaxed in McDonalds and snacked on burgers, chips and hot fudge sundaes.

Everyone had a great time and - most importantly we beat Ms O‟Dwyer!

Le 12 janvier, on est allés faire du patin à glace avec la classe de section européenne.

On est allés au centre-ville à Arnotts. On a pris le bus.

La glace était en plastique mais c‟était quand même très glissant. On est restés là-bas toute la matinée. Il y avait des fraises et du chocolat, c‟était très bon.

On est beaucoup tombés mais c‟était génial; on s‟est aussi beaucoup amusés.

Hannah Murphy 2CKR & Conor Noonan 2MT

Herbie Fowler-Hudson, Josh Beck and Ngor Tong were the top three fastest First Years on the track when the two First Year metalwork classes went to Kylemore Karting on Wednesday 26th of January.

There was great competition in the teachers‟ race. Mr Murray, Mr Power and Mr McKenna all badly wanted to win. Mr Murray took first place, Mr Power was second and Mr McKenna came third.

After a bite to eat the coach brought us back to school.

It was a great trip and everyone had a lot of fun whether they won or lost.

Amy Kelly & Holly Seymour 1VM

Solenn Reeves-Long & David Lyons, European Section

See you in court On the 16th of November our form (3HG) went on our CSPE action project to the Criminal Court of Justice (CCJ). The aim of the trip was to learn about the legal system and to see how our country was run and it proved extremely beneficial. Each group in the class had a different job: to brief the class before the trip, to get permission from the parents and from Mr Lowry and to organise our transport.

So on Tuesday 16th November our class took the Dart to Tara Street Station and squeezed in a quick visit to McDonalds before catching the Luas to the CCJ. On arrival we were checked for dangerous items and our phones had to be switched off. The building was huge and there were police everywhere.

We were given a tour by one of the barristers who gave us information on the CCJ. Then we got to have a funny mock trial to see how a court operated. After this we finally got to see a real court case.

The first case we watched was about a drunk guy who attacked a pizza delivery man and threw a bottle through a car window. A police officer witness told the judge what he had seen. Then we went to a case about a guy who had murdered his drunk dad: this case was on the news and many members of the public were there to watch it.

We all had a good time, nobody got lost or left behind and everybody will have taken a good bit of knowledge from the tour.

John Cummins, Nathan Huggins, Picabia LaHart & Kelly Burke 3HG

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Newpark PTA Happy New Year from the PTA. We hope all the students have settled in well to the new term.

Limited Draw If you fancy a chance to win some money, then put your name and €10 in the PTA postbox in the foyer and you'll be entered into the February LIMITED DRAW. Alternatively, go to the school website and pay with Paypal. With less than forty names in the draw, there‟s a very good chance of winning!

Talk for Parents A talk will take place on Wednesday 23rd March for all parents (date and venue to be confirmed). The topic is Internet and Mobile phone Bullying. Trinity College Anti-Bullying Centre will provide a speaker for the evening.

First Year meeting The First Year parent evening on Wednesday 9th February provided an enjoyable opportunity for First Year parents to meet each other. Many thanks to Janet Doherty, the school chaplain, who gave a short talk on issues around parenting secondary school children.

Second Year meeting Parents of Second Year pupils are invited to come along to an informal get-together on Thursday 17th February at 8pm in the library. We will have a guest speaker Sheila O'Malley who is a parenting mentor. Sheila will discuss the relationships we have with our fourteen year old teenagers and how to keep the lines of communication open in these sometimes challenging times. Sheila trained with Dr Tony Humphreys and comes with a very logical and often entertaining approach to the topic. We had a very enjoyable evening last year so do come along to this very informative evening.

Refreshments will be served.

Newpark Run for Sport A group of Newpark staff, students and parents will take part in the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park on Sunday the 10th of April 2011. This is a 10km race through the park. We will be collecting sponsorship to raise funds for equipment for ExtraCurricular Sport in the school.

Who can do it?

Anyone who is sixteen or older. Among the staff already committed to run are people who have never run before, experienced runners who have been „resting‟, and more committed runners.

There is enough time to train from Sofa to Startline, so this could be a great chance to start something new or get back into an old habit.

There is also a lot of interest from the „Walkers‟ in the school community. So if running is not your thing, then get your walking shoes out and take part in this really fun and worthwhile event.

Do you want to take part?

Register for the race using an entry form (available from the school) or online at www.greatirelandrun.org. Let me know that you are taking part, and receive your sponsorship card.

You might like to get involved in the Monday after-school training runs, or with the Sunday morning breakfast runs. Training in a group can really help.

Teacher Purchase Request Scheme The PTA has co-coordinated requests from the Teaching Staff for the purchase of a diversity of new equipment that will ultimately assist teachers and also improve the overall level of educational and classroom experience for all of our students. Final purchase submissions will be received by Friday 4th of February and, following successful approval, items will be purchased accordingly. The PTA will keep you informed of these exciting new additions to our school.

Communication As always, we are always happy to hear from you. Use the PTA post box in the school foyer or email us at pta@newparkschool.ie Aideen Jones PTA

Student Council Officers have now been elected for the Student Council. Remember that the Student Council represents you: make sure your voice is heard by contacting your class representative about any issues you want to have raised.

Junior Student Council Chairperson: Mark Ball (3CH) Deputy Chairperson: Kate Whelan (2JMcC) PR officer: Eoin Spencer (2JMcC) Senior Student Council Chair: Rosalie Lockhart (5DL) Vice-chairperson: Leah Hanley (6EG) Communications: Oisín Lyons (4CB) Secretary: George Hannaford (4CD)

February Newsletter: Anna Johnston, Mags Downes & Ferdia Marnell Thanks to all our contributors this month.

Please email contributions for the next issue to newsletter@newparkschool.ie

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