News Category: News

Caoimhe McKay has recently reached the final of the prestigious, ‘Richmond Centre Miss Earth NI’ competition. Miss Earth, which is one of the top four beauty pageants in the world, is unique because it uses the beauty pageant platform to promote environmental issues. This meant, in addition to questions about hobbies and interests, Caoimhe had to outline how she would utilize such a platform, as part of her application

St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt has recently become a Fairtrade School and has been awarded ‘FairAware’ status from theFairtrade Foundation. The ‘FairAware’ award represents the first of three tiers; the School aims to work towards the highest of these and win ‘FairAchiever’ status as part of its ongoing commitment to the charity.

Our Year 14 pupils attended a prayerful Faith Awards Ceremony in Armagh Cathedral to collect their John Paul II Award. Archbishop Eamon Martin presided over the ceremony which recognises and celebrates the participation of youth in the faith life of Armagh Diocese.

St. Mary’s Grammar school wishes to alert parents to an increasingly popular app named SimSimi. We strongly advise against the use of this app and recommend that it is deleted from all mobile and personal devices immediately. This app randomly generates generic messages and responses, the content of which is inappropriate and, therefore, can lead to incidences of cyber bullying.

St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt has become the 2017 Danske Bank MacRory Cup.

Making its third appearance in a MacRory Cup final on St. Patrick’s Day, the school made history when it collected the trophy for the first time following a 0-19 to 0-13 victory over St. Colman’s College, Newry.

St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt is hoping that it will be third time lucky for the school when its senior football team meet St. Colman’s College, Newry in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ MacRory Cup competition in Armagh on St. Patrick’s Day.
Having previously made it to the final of the competition in 1996 and 2003, St. Mary’s has yet to enjoy a MacRory Cup victory but there is optimism within the school that this could change this year.

St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt has established a new Fair Trade Committee.  Led by Miss Burns, Head of Religion, and Miss McGouran, Head of Citizenship, the committee will organise events to raise awareness of Fair Trade throughout the school and work towards becoming an accredited Fair Trade School.  Throughout ‘Fair Trade Fortnight’, awareness of fair trade matters has been promoted through assemblies, lessons and food tasting events. 

St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt is joining the global Safer Internet Day campaign to promote the safe and responsible use of technology.

Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, Safer Internet Day will take place on Tuesday 7th February 2016 with the theme ‘Be the Change: Unite for a Better Internet’.

Celebrated in over 100 countries, Safer Internet Day will see St. Mary’s Grammar School join hundreds of organisations right across the UK and globally to ‘be the change’ and help create a better internet.

Year 8, 9 and 10 pupils participated in the NEBSSA Cross Country event at Ulster University, Coleraine on Tuesday 13th December 2016. The Year 8 boys finished fourth overall with Year 8 girls finishing in seventh place. The Year 9 boys had an excellent result finishing first overall.  The Year 9 girls finished fourth in their competition and both Year 10 boys and girls finished third.  A fantastic effort was displayed by everyone who took part.  These were extremely impressive results considering there were a total of 19 schools participating and, therefore, made St. Mary’s one of the top finishing schools on the day.
A special mention to Niall O’Donnell (Year 8), Frank Duffin (Year 10) and Annie Kilpatrick (Year 10) who all finished in third place in their respective races in which over 60 competitors took part. 

St. Mary’s has been announced as a 2016 Capita and C2K ICT Excellence Award winner.  Having been shortlisted in the category for ‘Transforming Teaching and Learning through Technology’, the school was named as the overall category winner at an awards ceremony in The Merchant Hotel, Belfast on 8 December 2016 which was attended by Miss Hagan, Director of e-Learning,  and Mrs Gillespie, Principal.

On 1 December 2016, world concert pianist, Ruth McGinley, visited the Music Department and  gave an inspiring piano master class to Year 11 and Year 12 GCSE Music students.   Three Year 12 students - Katherine Shields, Aoife Mulvenna and Catriona O’Neill - performed a variety of pieces for her and were guided through the importance of communicating a story or emotion to an audience.  Ruth worked with each girl in turn, paying particular attention to one aspect of their chosen piece.   She also discussed her life as a concert pianist, including the challenges she faced and how she overcame the difficulties of always having to be ‘perfect’.   Ruth was most recently seen performing in the Last Night of the Proms concert at the Titanic Slipway in Belfast and has just launched her own album.

The 2016-17 Eco-Schools Committee was formed in September 2016 and, since then, the group has been busy promoting environmental awareness within the school.  As well as the ongoing focus on reducing litter and saving energy, the Eco-Schools Committee has been involved in three main projects this term. Firstly, the school’s greenhouse has been prepared for the planting season.  Secondly, as the cold weather approached in November, the Science Club and Eco-Schools Committee worked together to make ‘bird cake’ which was distributed around the grounds of the school, including the House Garden, in the hope that this effort will entice the birds back to our school following their absence as a result of the work in developing our new school extension. Finally, in December, this year’s ‘Cash for Clobber’ initiative was launched to promote the recycling of old clothes.

The well-established Irish language lunch time club, Club Mhuire, was back in action this year for another term of promoting all things Irish.  So far, Year 8 Irish pupils have been learning songs in Irish, playing a variety of games using Irish vocabulary and generally enjoying the language beyond the classroom environment.  The Irish Department is grateful to former A level and current Ulster University student, Medb Ní Dhúláin, who has joined the department as part of a Tutoring in Schools project.  Medb has been the driving force behind Club Mhuire this year.  For any student who has enjoyed the Club Mhuire experience, we recommend a Gaeltacht course this summer!

In September, we welcomed our new Year 8 pupils. It has certainly been a busy term for Year 8 as they made the transition from primary school. As the end of the first term approaches, the pupils are happy, settled and very much part of the St. Mary’s school community. We wish them every success throughout their time in St. Mary’s and look forward to their contribution to the life of the school.

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On Tuesday 6 December 2016,  Year 12 pupils took part in a Study Skills workshop to launch their revision for the Mock Examinations in January 2017.  The workshop was presented by Young Enterprise and focused on individual learning styles to allow students to maximise their performance.  We wish them success in the forthcoming examinations!   

On Wednesday 1 December 2016, Year 11 pupils took part in the Young Enterprise Personal Economics Programme.

Congratulations to Year 14 students who were successful in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. Emma Boyle, Daniel Bradley, Sarah Downey, Shania O’Boyle and Ellen Skelly each achieved the Copper Award in this prestigious competition.  Organised by Cambridge University, the Chemistry Challenge requires students to complete a ninety minute written examination with the aim of stretching and challenging students in all aspects of A-Level Chemistry.

On 1 December 2016, 17 Year 10 pupils joined 55 other pupils from across the MLP at Queen’s University, Belfast to celebrate the culmination of the three-year RCUK / SUPI initiative between Queen’s University and MLP schools.  The RCUK / SUPI programme aims to foster links between local schools and motivate young people to aspire to university study.  Over the three years, MLP pupils have worked with members of the Biomedical Science Department, the Pharmacy Department, the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, the Law Department and the Drama Department at Queen’s University, to name but a few.  At the celebration event, the results of a poster competition were announced and St. Mary’s pupils swept the board.  Lile Keenan and Beth Dixon were highly commended for their posters in the Technology and Communication category.  Meanwhile, in the Pharmacy: Drug Development from Concept to Clinic category, Helen Doherty achieved Third Place, Erin Forbes secured Second Place and Rory Harman won First Place.  Well done to everyone involved. 

On Friday 25 November 2016, 28 courageous Year 10 pupils faced their own ‘bush tucker trial’ as they undertook to eat snails for charity. Motivated by their interest and curiosity in French cuisine, pupils tasted delicious molluscs in the Home Economics Department in the presence of their French teachers, Miss Venot and Miss MacOscar, and Miss Hagan, who also took part in the challenge.

Between 23 – 28 November 2016, two St. Mary’s pupils competed in the European Shotokan Karate-Do Championships.  Having been selected to represent Northern Ireland in the event, siblings Kevin Diamond (Year 12) and Laura Diamond (Year 11), travelled to Chalkida in Greece to participate in the competition.  Kevin competed in the Cadet Men Kumite and Cadet Men Kata categories, while Laura competed in the Children’s Female Kata and Children’s Female Kumite categories.  Participation in this competition was a huge sporting accomplishment for Kevin and Laura who have to undertake two squad selections each year to obtain a place on the team and who train at least four times per week to sustain such a high standard of karate.

Year 13 students put their entrepreneurial skills to the test whilst raising an impressive £1000 for local charity, Action Mental Health.  Twenty students from Business Studies and Economics participated in a Young Enterprise scheme that saw the students set up their own mini-company.  The group personally customised mugs and designed school hoodies which they sold at St. George’s Market in Belfast and throughout the wider school community.  Students decided through a class vote to donate £1000 of the money raised to Action Mental Health. 

St. Mary’s actively promotes health and well-being and encourages pupils to make healthy lifestyle choices.  This year, there is a particular focus on promoting positive mental health and raising pupils’ awareness of mental health issues.  Year 12 pupils attended a ‘Wellness Seekers’ presentation, Year 11 pupils participated in a mental health workshop and Year 10 pupils took part in a ‘Mood Matters’ workshop.

Careers Education continues to be an important focus in St. Mary’s, ensuring that pupils make informed choices about future courses and career pathways.  Throughout the first term, many events were organised by the Careers Department to support pupils in making important career decisions. 

In St. Mary’s, the Shoebox Appeal is an annual event and every year, students, parents and staff show their outstanding generosity by contributing to this appeal.  Linking up with the charity, Road of Hope, the St. Mary’s Shoebox Appeal will help to bring festive cheer to some of the poorest communities across Eastern Europe. Miss Burns, Head of RE, explains: “This year, the campaign was launched to Key Stage 3 pupils and, thanks to their overwhelmingly kind response, we were able to send off 264 shoeboxes. Those who would not have ordinarily received a gift at Christmas will now be able to experience the joy of opening a Christmas present this year. A whole-hearted thank you to all who contributed.”

As the cold weather approaches, the Science Club and Eco-Schools Committee have been working together to make ‘bird cake’.  The bird cake was distributed around the grounds of the school,  including our House Garden.  We are hoping that this effort will entice the birds back to our school following their absence as a result of the work in developing our new school extension.  Thank you to the members of both groups who took part in this project.    

On Tuesday 22 November 2016, Year 14 students had the opportunity to attend a hard-hitting and thought-provoking demonstration and presentation on Road Safety delivered by members of the local Emergency Services.  The purpose of the event was to promote safe driving habits among young people as they become drivers and to highlight the potential consequences of driver carelessness in an effort to reduce road traffic accidents.

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On Tuesday 22 November 2016, a group of Year 12 students attended the Chemistry at Work Exhibition at Queen’s University in Belfast.

On Thursday 24 November 2016, the whole school community united in a joint fundraising effort to support Concern Worldwide.  Each Year Group selected a fasting activity and sought sponsorship for their efforts. Year 8 pupils fasted from bad attitudes while Year 10 fasted from behaviour points.  Girls in Year 12 gave up make-up and cosmetics for the day and Year 11 went on a ‘digital detox’. Year 9 pupils took to the grounds of the school to do a litter sweep as part of their fast from litter. Year 13 and Year 14 students, along with Miss Burns, Mrs Higgins and the Senior House Master and Mistress for each Pastoral House, took the lead in organising the ‘Go Fast Spin for Syria, Lift for Lebanon’ spinathon.  Staff and students all became involved in what was a high energy day.  St. Mary’s also welcomed a film crew to capture footage of the fundraising event which will be used by Concern Worldwide to promote the work of the charity and encourage future fundraising efforts.

It has been a busy few months for Shared Education in St. Mary’s.  Since the start of the new academic year, three year groups - Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12 - have been involved in Shared Education projects with our post-primary partner schools within the Magherafelt Learning Partnership.  Building on the success of last year’s Drama project for Year 9 students, this programme is being delivered again to the current Year 9 group.  All Year 9 pupils experience a block of six lessons exploring issues of conflict, diversity and reconciliation through drama games and performances.

On 17 November 2016, three students - Orla Mallon, Laura Kane and Lottie Kelly -participated in the Soroptimist International public speaking competition in Ballycastle.  Each girl delivered her speech with great zest and enthusiasm and all pupils were highly praised for their performances.  Orla Mallon was awarded Second Place for her speech entitled, “Living to 100 - Good or Bad?”  She was commended for her natural delivery, originality of topic and her fervent humour throughout.  All three were wonderful ambassadors for St. Mary’s and a great night was had by all.

Building contractors, Connolly and Fee, launched an art competition for Key Stage 3 pupils.  The competition invited pupils to create a suitable design for a mural representing life in St. Mary’s for display on the temporary hoarding at the front of the school as building work on the new school extension takes place.   The winner of the competition was Year 9 pupil, Emma Meeke, whose design was judged to reflect both the breadth of the St. Mary’s pupil experience and the spirit of the school community.  Emma received a prize of £100 from Connolly and Fee for her excellent design.   Meanwhile, Carla Doherty, also in Year 9, was named runner-up in the competition. On Saturday 1 October 2016, both girls, along with some Year 12 pupils and Art and Design staff, came together to complete the painting of the mural.  Professional mural artists, Jamie Harper and Ed Reynolds, were on hand to provide technical training in mural painting.  The final mural is now on display at the front entrance of the school.

St. Mary’s promotes a healthy and balanced lifestyle amongst all pupils from Year 8 to Year 14. Pictured are the winners of the healthy eating awards for September and October 2016, which recognises those pupils who make healthy choices in the school canteen daily. The pupils were congratulated at Year Group Assemblies and rewarded with credit on their ‘Smart Cards’ for use in school. (Sarah Devlin (8B), Rachel Quinn (9D), Bronagh McAteer (10E), Ciara Cassidy (11E), Molly McAllister (12B), Jason McFlynn (13PBR), Kerri Quinn (14UDO))

On Wednesday 26th October, four Year 13 students from St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt engaged in Youth Ambassador Training with CONCERN.  Accompanied by Miss Burns (Head of RE), Hugh McKenna, Caoimhe McKay, Ciara Cassidy and Conall Devlin travelled to Limavady to participate in the training event which focused on public speaking, event management and presentation skills.

Year 10 pupils from St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt have enjoyed success in the recent Gael Linn Quiz which was held in the Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown.  Out of more than 200 participants, four St. Mary’s pupils achieved second place, making 2016 the fourth consecutive year that St. Mary’s pupils have secured a top placing in the competition.  The pupils Darragh McFlynn, Rachel Downey, Amy Loughran and Emer Bateson will now compete in the Ulster Final in early 2017

On Friday 28 October 2016, AS Art and Design students visited the 135^th Royal Ulster Academy Art Exhibition at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. The students firstly viewed the superb and varied range of contemporary Fine Art on display in the exhibition and then met with the Education Manager, Colleen Waters, to get advice on how to arrange a professional art exhibition and a variety of textile techniques and approaches used in fashion design over the years. Students also visited Gormley’s Fine Art Gallery and the Emer Gallery in Belfast to view the work on display. It was a very interesting and valuable activity that the students will remember and from which they have taken great inspiration.

On Thursday 27 October 2016, former pupil of St. Mary’s, Ciara Hampsey, visited the Art Department to deliver a Halloween special effects make-up workshop.  More than 60 pupils from Year 10 - Year 14 enthusiastically took part in the exciting event which included a demonstration by Ciara as well as the opportunity to experiment with the gruesome special effects techniques themselves.  Art and Design student, Cassie Ni Chathain, commented: “This workshop showed us a different and often unseen aspect of Art and Design and we thoroughly enjoyed it!”

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On 18 October 2016, GCSE Drama pupils enjoyed a visit to the Grand Opera House in Belfast to watch The Pillowman by celebrated Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. The dark comedy has won two Tony Awards and an Olivier Award for Best New Play.  The poignant drama raised compelling questions about art, power, family and religion. A fantastic evening out for both pupils and staff.

The Under 14 soccer team played their round 2 NISFA Cup game Castlederg High School yesterday in Castlederg.  The result was a resounding 10 – 1 victory for SMG with the following scoring the goals: Conor Falls (4), Dan Higgins (2), team captain Ronan Kalla (1), Conleth Mallon (1) and Padraig Wilson (1).

Two pupils from St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt have excelled in this year’s CCEA GCSE examinations by achieving First Place (Joint) in Northern Ireland in different subjects.

Lottie Kelly shares the top position in GCSE Drama while Caoimhe Meeke was placed joint first in GCSE ICT.  Speaking about the girls’ success, Mrs Gillespie, Principal, said: “This is great news for Lottie and Caoimhe, for their subject teachers, for the school and, of course, for their families.  We were overjoyed to receive the notification from CCEA informing us about the pupils’ success in these subjects.  It is so deserved.  I congratulate both the pupils and their teachers, Miss Allen and Mrs Higgins, who guided them towards this outstanding achievement.”

Year 10 pupils from St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt enjoyed a performance of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the school on Wednesday 12 October 2016.

History and Politics students attended a local democracy event in the Mid-Ulster Council’s Magherafelt offices.  Ferghal McFlynn,  Sarah Gallen and Niamh McElwee took part in a ‘speed dating’ event where they met a number of local councillors from various political parties.  They had an opportunity to raise questions on a range of local government issues that were of interest to them.

On Tuesday 4 October 2016, Year 13 Geography students participated in a visit to Magilligan Field Centre.  

On Monday 3 October 2016, Miss Donnelly and the staff of Café Bordeaux held a ‘Smoothie Taste Testing Morning’ enabling all pupils to sample the range of delicious smoothies available in the school at break time and lunch time.  The event was held as part of the school’s focus on promoting nutrition and healthy eating within the school.  Each month, pupils are rewarded for making healthy food choices in Café Bordeaux.  Pictured are those pupils who received rewards in September and October:

Sarah Devlin (8B), Rachel Quinn (9D), Bronagh McAteer (10E), Ciara Cassidy (11E),

Molly McAllister (12B), Jason McFlynn (13PBR) and Kerri Quinn (14UDO).

On Tuesday 27 September 2016, Year 13 and Year 14 language students visited Holy Family Primary School to teach French, Irish and Spanish to Primary 3 - Primary 7 pupils to mark European Day of Languages.  The Sixth Form students were extremely keen to take part in this project, and for many it was actually an opportunity to return to their former primary school.  The lesson topics ranged from ‘colours’ to ‘animals’ and lots of careful planning was involved. The primary pupils thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to learn a new language and demonstrated great enthusiasm and confidence.  The “new teachers” were rewarded for their efforts with some well-deserved treats, provided by the primary school at the end of their lessons.

St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt has held its annual Awards Ceremony.  Celebrating the successes and achievements of the academic year 2015-16, the event took place in the school on Wednesday 28 September 2016.

As well as celebrating the outstanding attainment of pupils in recent GCSE and A Level examinations, the evening also provided an opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of pupils in a range of extra-curricular activities, ranging from sport to public speaking.

Between 22 – 24 September 2016, a group of Year 14 students completed their qualifying Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the Mourne Mountains. 

On Thursday 22 September 2016, Year 13 Biology students participated in a field trip to Portaferry Seashore and the Exploris Aquarium. 

On Wednesday 21 September 2016, St. Mary’s marked International Peace Day in a significant way.  Thirty three Year 10 pupils from St. Mary’s joined other pupils from within the Magherafelt Learning Partnership and across Northern Ireland at the ‘Amazing the Space’ event at the Maze, Long Kesh. Meanwhile, St. Mary’s was the host venue for a live streaming of the main event and welcomed pupils from other schools within the Magherafelt Learning Partnership for a morning of activities, including a ‘Big Breakfast’ and a Zumba session before joining the live stream.  Year 10 pupil, Amy Loughran, played a central role in the event as her ‘Peace Pledge’ was filmed and broadcast during the live stream.  Organiser of the event, Dr. David Latimer, spoke about the important role young people have in peace-building.  He said: “Young people, with open minds, fresh ideas and positive energy are the key to a brighter future in Northern Ireland. The young have the power to forge a path of good hope that shimmers with peace and prosperity. This central idea is the catalytic touchstone of the Amazing the Space initiative.”

On Monday 12 September 2016, Year 8 pupils welcomed local author, Christine Hamill, to St. Mary’s library.  Pupils had the opportunity to listen to Christine reading extracts from her recent novel, The Best Medicine, and to ask questions about what it was like to be a published author.  Year 8 pupil, Katie-Mae McCloskey, commented:  “It was an inspirational morning and I really enjoyed reading the book as it was so funny. It was also exciting to meet a real-life author!”  Charley Nicholas (8D) was the lucky winner of the free copy of The Best Medicine.

On 16 September 2016, Year 10 pupils presented Anne Walker from Action MS with a cheque for almost £3000 for the charity.  The money was raised through a sponsored walk which the pupils undertook at the end of Year 9.  Congratulations to all Year 10 pupils on this outstanding fundraising effort.      

On Friday 9 September 2016, Year 8 pupils joined their Year 13 and Year 14 ‘Senior Buddies’ in the Sports Hall for Zumba.  It was an energetic afternoon of fun and dance which gave Year 8 pupils and their ‘buddies’ an opportunity to get to know each other. 

Students at St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt have again excelled in GCSE examinations. Following the publication of results, Mrs Gillespie, Principal, described the grades achieved by students as “truly remarkable” and reported that 99% of students achieved A*-C grades in at least 7 subjects, including English and Mathematics. An impressive 65% of all grades were A*- A.

A LEVEL EXCELLENCE AT ST. MARY’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Article 20 (Children deprived of family environment): Children who cannot be looked after by their own family have a right to special care and must be looked after properly, by people who respect their ethnic group, religion, culture and language.

Four students from Year 8 took part in The Salters’ Festival of Chemistry at Queen’s University, Belfast on Wednesday 25 May. It was an all-day event, which the pupils thoroughly enjoyed. Congratulations to Aine Young, Eimear Harkin, Holly Dougan and Diarmuid Mulholland who were awarded second place.

Article 19 (Protection from all forms of violence): Children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, physically or mentally.

Article 18 (Parental responsibilities; state assistance): Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children, and should always consider what is best for each child

Article 17 (Access to information; mass media): Children have the right to get information that is important to their health and well-being. Governments should encourage mass media – radio, television, newspapers and Internet content sources – to provide information that children can understand and to not promote materials that could harm children. Mass media should particularly be encouraged to supply information in languages that minority and indigenous children can understand. Children should also have access to children’s books.

Our Year 9 Nannery Cup team were crowned Ulster Champions. The boys beat St Patrick’s, Cavan in the semi-final and St Colman’s, Newry in the final.  Mr McElholm explained, “This is the first time that we have won this competition which is for those pupils who didn’t make the Dalton team.” He had warm words for the team mentors John McIvor and Mark McLoughlin, and for the Captains Conaill Scullion and Malachi Johnston.

Three Year 12 pupils took part in the British Physics Olympiad Competition in March. This is an annual competition organised by the University of Oxford which aims to encourage the study of Physics and recognise excellence in young physicists. The competition demonstrates the real-world problem-solving potential of Physics and tests young people’s understanding and problem-solving skills. Well done to our three competitors: John Walker, Lorcán Toner and Dermot O’Neill who each achieved a Commendation Award.

Right to privacy

Children have a right to privacy. The law should protect them from attacks against their way of life, their good name, their families and their homes.

St Mary’s, partnered with the Northern Ireland Bat Group and Creggan Country Park, held a special free batty event on Thursday 5 May from 7.30-10pm. Karen Healy from Creggan Country Park and Northern Ireland Bat Group, gave us the chance to not only to see these amazing flying mammals and their astonishing aerial acrobatics, but also learn more about them. Coordinated in school by Mrs R McComb, she explained, “The event began with a short talk in St Mary’s before sunset in the Drama Theatre, followed by a demonstration on how to use a bat detector. We then went on a bat safari to Polepatrick Park where we saw and ‘heard’ bats flying around using the bat detectors. We learnt about various species of bats found in Ireland and we also had an opportunity to see a real bat up close. It was a fantastic night!”

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A number of our pupils qualified for the NEBSSA Athletics Finals held in Antrim Forum – Ciara Malcolm, Eunan McElhennon, Paula-Rose McAuley, Lile Keenan, Lorcan Bradley, Conor Falls, Frank Duffin and Cathaoir Purvis. Although everyone competed extremely well, with a few very unlucky not to be placed, the stand-out competitor of the day wasYear 8 pupil Conor Falls, who came 1st in the U13 Long Jump, with a jump of over 4 metres.  Conor received a gold medal for his efforts – hopefully the first of many throughout his time at St Mary’s.

Article 15 (Freedom of association): Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and organisations, as long as it does not stop other people from enjoying their rights. In exercising their rights, children have the responsibility to respect the rights, freedoms and reputations of others.

Year 11 raised £371.31 for their Lenten campaign. They donated the money raised to the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity.  Attached is a photograph of Samantha McCarron from Year 11 handing over the cheque to Jacqueline Wilkinson from the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity.

Massive congratulations to our F1 in Schools team and Mr B Diamond who attended the National Final held at Silverstone. Mr Diamond explained, “The competition and standard of work from the other schools competing was exceptionally high. I am very pleased to let you know that we arrived back into school with 2 trophies. We received a trophy for best marketing/sponsorship and most importantly we came 3rd overall in the UK in our class! The car was third fastest overall and the team of girls did a great job in their 8 minute verbal presentation and displays. They were a real credit to the school and deserve great praise for their achievements so please congratulate them if you see them(Emma McNally, Emma Dace, Karen Lagan, Katie Scullin and Molly Dixon). It was a great experience for them and great day out was had by all.”

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Congratulations to a group of Year 14 students who were successful in the British Chemistry Olympiad Competition. Conor O’Kane was awarded the Silver Award.  Orla Mallon, Hugh O’Donnell, Eoghan McDonald, Paul McCarron, Marc Friel, Anna Coogan, Kyle Johnston and Aoife McErlane all received the Bronze Award.

The U14 Ladies’ Gaelic team had a comprehensive win over St Genevieve’s in the Ulster Quarter Final. They now progress to the Semi Final playing St Louis Carrickmacross which will take place on Wednesday 27th at 11.30am in Garvaghey.  Miss Carey explained, “The girls have worked extremely hard to get to this stage.”

Head of PE, Mr J McElholm, explains, “Created by the British Olympic Foundation and British Paralympic Association, and made possible due to the Big Lottery Fund, the UK-wide Get Set for Community Action programme aims to help thousands of 14-19 years old to strengthen relationships between young people and their communities. We are currently harnessing the power of sport to engage with youngsters as part of the Get Set for Community Action programme. Pupils at St Mary’s have already been doing their bit by fostering links with primary schools in the area, encouraging both healthy eating and physical exercise.”

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The GCSE, AS and A2 Art and Design Students from St Mary’s Grammar School recently attended the annual ‘True Colours’ Exhibition at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. The pupils found the exhibition to be inspirational and beneficial as the work displayed an exceptional standard of work created at GCSE, AS and A2 level throughout Northern Ireland. Head of department, Mrs N McKernan added, “The exhibition displayed the outstanding GCSE work of St Mary’s Art & Design student, Emily Quinn, of which we are very proud.” Students were also fortunate enough to go on a guided tour of paintings by the artist Rembrandt at the Ulster Museum and all students attended a talk by the Fine Artist, Keith Ayton. Gabriela Kacprzyk said, ‘The True Colours exhibition was spectacular as always.”

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With over one hundred Year 9 and 10 boys participating, the first SMG Soccer Cup is stacking up to be a fantastic competition. The boys are really buzzing to get their boots on and participate in the beautiful game here at St. Mary’s. The competition was organised by Mr Paul Kalla and Mr Micky McCullough in a bid to build on the good work put in place with the Under 12 and Under 14 teams earlier this year and will be an annual event. Mr Kalla states that he is keen to involve as many boys as possible in the SMG soccer programme and this is only the start, stating “We are keen to provide internal and external soccer competition for the boys at all key stages. The SMG Soccer Cup will last just over a week and kicks off on 12 May with the final on 21 May.” Mr Kalla concluded, “The SMG Cup should provide some great entertainment as the boys will be showcasing their talent in order to be selected for one of our soccer teams that will be entered in NIBSFA Cups in September. Good luck to all the teams participating!”

The annual Ulster GAA Cúchulainn Cup took place at the Meadowbank Sports Arena. It aims to afford young people from different backgrounds the opportunity to engage with one another, and to educate people not traditionally involved with the GAA more about the Association. Taking part were Magherafelt Cúchulainns, Banbridge Cúchulainns and Ballymena Cúchulainns. Teams comprised of several schools from a town coming together to play Gaelic games in a cross-community team.

In preparation for the Cúchulainn Cup Blitz schools were given ‘GAA Taster Sessions’ in which pupils who had never played Gaelic games, or had very little interaction in the games were taught the basic skills of Gaelic Football and Hurling. Taster sessions were provided in eight schools with over 150 pupils getting an opportunity to sample what the GAA has to offer. After a very enjoyable day of Hurling and Gaelic football, a strong Magherafelt Cúchulainns team ran out convincing winners.

(12) Respect for the views of the child

When adults are making decisions that affect children, children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account. This does not mean that children can now tell their parents what to do.

Work on a £4.5 million extension and refurbishment programme has commenced.

Due for completion in February 2017, the school extension will feature a state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre, including a study area, a social and recreational space and catering facilities. The new building will also include a Music and Creative Arts Space and a number of additional classrooms. Speaking about the project, Mrs Gillespie, Principal, commented: “We are thrilled that the construction of our new building is now underway and we look forward to the improvements this will bring to our school. This extension marks another significant and exciting stage in the development and growth of St Mary’s. Our pupils will benefit hugely from the enhanced facilities and resources provided by the programme.”

March 16 March was the day some members of the Junior school participated in the House Talent Show.  The acts were cheered on by all Year 8 pupils and some classes from Year 9 and 10. Tom Crozier from 9A said, “There were many brilliant talents from singers, violinists, guitarists and even Taekwondo performers. They proved they were very talented and I look forward to another similar House event in upcoming years.”

11) Kidnapping

Governments should take steps to stop children being taken out of their own country illegally. This article is particularly concerned with parental abductions. The Convention’s Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has a provision that concerns abduction for financial gain.

​Good Luck to Mr Quinn, our members of staff and students who are jetting off to New York tonight for their educational Drama trip!  

Family Reunification

Families whose members live in different countries should be allowed to move between those countries so that parents and children can stay in contact, or get back together as a family.

On Wednesday 9 March, we held our annual indoor Gaelic football blitz in Meadowbank arena with ten primary schools from the local area attending. Creggan, New Row, St Columba’s, St Theresa’s, St Patrick’s, Anahorish, Holy Family, Holy Trinity, St Mary’s Draperstown and St Oliver Plunketts all participated playing 4 games each in the group stages. All teams played great football with healthy challenge evident in every match.

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Good luck to Dermot Burns, Rory McMullan, Jamie Cassidy, Cathaoir Purvis, Sean Lagan, Lorcan Darragh, Fillip Czerwien and Karol Olchawski who have been selected for the Cúchulainn cup squad to play in an Ulster tournament on Wednesday 16 March.

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(9)Separation from Parents

Children have the right to live with their parent(s), unless it is bad for them. Children whose parents do not live together have the right to stay in contact with both parents, unless this might hurt the child.

RRSA committee members taking awareness raising assemblies on UNCRC and RRSA. Ella Heron – Deputy Head Girl and RRSA committee member -  attended Year 11 assembly

Colleen Milligan from the charity AWARE recently came to school to thank the Year 13 pupils for raising £314 for their Mood Matters programme.  Colleen spoke to the pupils about the charity and how mental health is as important as physical health if we are to achieve our best.  This was very informative and very timely as stress during exam season isn’t uncommon.  Colleen clearly outlined to the pupils where they can avail of help and support over the next few weeks.

The Senior Choir recently competed in their semi final of BBC’s School Choir of the Year. Miss Donnelly, Head of Music, explained: “They sang beautifully but unfortunately did not win a place in the final. I am so proud of them, and the fact that they reached a semi-final in their first year of the competition is an amazing achievement.” We were encouraged to tune into Radio Ulster on Sunday 13 March to hear their heat from 2.00-3.00pm. 

To view a link to the heat click here. 

An energetic and talented team of Year 10 Netballers represented St Mary’s admirably in the NEBSSA netball league this year.  The girls played Ballymena Academy on Monday 29 February and Magherafelt High School on Wednesday 2 March.  They battled valiantly to narrow defeats on both occasions but it was very pleasing to see their skills develop and their teamwork improve. Miss McCloskey stated: “It is great to see the enthusiasm that the students have for netball and the high turnout at training. We look forward to playing the Year 11 netballers soon, to prove which team really is the best in the school!”

(8) Preservation of identity

•  Children have the right to an identity – an official record of who they are. Governments should respect children’s right to a name, a nationality and family ties.

On 24 February, Year 9 enjoyed a visit to the theatre to see a fantastic production of Annie. The show has long been a family favourite musical with unforgettable songs such as Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow. Organised by Drama co-ordinator Miss R Allen, she was delighted with their interest and good humour. She added, “You can bet your bottom dollar Year 9 loved it!”

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Congratulations to Eimear McGuigan and Jackie Donnelly who were each presented with their Ulster Colleges’ Camogie Allstar at a Gala event in The Elk on Friday 26 February. Mr R Kennedy explained, “A good night was had by all. Well done to both girls.”

Congratulations to the Junior Choir on their success in the Ballymena Festival on Monday 29 February- receiving first place. They were so committed in the preparation stages, attending all rehearsals and being supportive and enthusiastic.  Miss Flanagan further stated, “They were a credit to the school in both their singing and behaviour.”

Congratulations and good luck  to our pupils who have been selected for the Derry Sportshall Athletics Team. Conor Falls, Frank Duffin, Dan Higgins and Ryan Lennox for the under 13 boys and Erin Lynch for the Under 13 girls. Aidan Mc Closkey and Orrin Johnston for the under 15 boys and Catriona Toner, Lile Keenan and Shannon McGuigan for the under 15 Girls.

The F1 school team, namely Year 10 pupils Emma McNally, Emma Dace, Molly Dixon, Katie Scullin and Karen Lagan, deserve much praise. They competed in the regional heat of the competition and had the fastest car in their class and also finished overall first in their class. They are through to the National finals at Silverstone racetrack in England on the 20 April. Congratulations also to Technology and Design teacher Mr B Diamond. We wish them continuing success: may the force be with them!

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From the 18 January until the 12 February, forty Year 9 St Mary’s students were involved in the first block of a Shared Education Signature Project with Year 9 students from our partner schools in the Magherafelt Learning Partnership.  The students participated in a series of four drama lessons centred on respecting diversity and dealing with conflict.  Students greatly enjoyed their experiences of learning in conjunction with one another.  Students also relished the opportunities offered: to play games, devise role plays, improve their communication skills, attend lessons in other schools and, most importantly, make new friends (not to mention getting to miss some of their “normal” lessons!).  These students are now looking forward to their participation in the project next year, while the next set of forty students look forward to starting the project on the 22 February.

Before Christmas, the senior choir submitted a CD to a judging panel and were delighted to be told that they had been successful in gaining a place at one of the six regional heats.  After Christmas, the choir spent lunchtimes and even a few weekends, working extremely hard to raise their standard, as they knew they would face experienced choirs in this part of the competition. On the 10 February, twenty seven nervous and excited choir members departed for the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh: when they arrived at the theatre, they were informed that they would be first to perform. They performed two songs, ‘Love Divine’ by Howard Goodall and ‘Choo, Choo, Charlie’, by Doreen Irwin.  They rose to the challenge of the competition and performed with energy and enthusiasm.  Directly after they sang, one of the judges, Richard Yarr (head of classical music at the BBC) commented on their excellent tuning and energy.  Later, Richard Yarr announced that they had won their heat and would progress to the semi-final, to be held on 8 March.  They will joined by the 5 other regional heat winners, to battle it out for a place in the grand final.

Just before half term, pupils in St Mary’s themed their ‘Health Education’ with ‘Heart health’ and took part in the ‘AVIVA School Mile Challenge’. All pupils in Key Stage 3 participated in the ‘Mile Challenge’ in February which raised pupils’ awareness of the benefits of exercise to their heart health and indeed overall lifestyle. Miss Donnelly (Health Co-ordinator) remarked that ‘she was absolutely overwhelmed by the participation and true spirit in which pupils engaged in the event’. The costumes in which the Key Stage 3 pupils dressed up in for the fun run were extremely colourful and imaginative and everyone took part running at their full potential’. She congratulated the 69 boys and girls who ran under the 7 min/ mile pace and 8min/ mile pace respectively.

The Senior Choir, directed by Miss U Donnelly and accompanied by Miss Flanagan, were honoured to be invited to take part in a fund-raising concert for the Mary Peters Trust on 13 February in the Island Centre, Lisburn. It included soloists and choirs from across Northern Ireland.  Prior to the concert, Dame Mary Peters and concert director, Mr Ashley Fulton, visited the school to meet some of the students.  Dame Mary spent some time chatting to the students about the importance of the trust, which raises money for talented young athletes across Northern Ireland.  She brought along her gold medal which she won at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.  She remarked that music and sport require the same dedication from young students if they wish to be successful in either.  The choir sang two songs; ‘Danny Boy’, which is used as the official anthem for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games and ‘Ain’t no mountain high enough’. 

Year 9 English pupils have enjoyed two Poetry Workshops this month, hosted by Bernie Mullan from The Verbal Arts Centre as part of the Mid-Ulster Council Seamus Heaney Project. We look forward to reading their poems and watching their video clips.

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Year 14 student, Roisin McErlain has been named as a 2016 Pramerica Spirit of Community finalist. Roisin was presented with the award by Shane Granaghan from the organisation. Roisin receives this award for her volunteer and charity work in her local community, and in Romania and Tanzania. Roisin will attend the final award ceremony in Lough Eske Castle on March 10th. She is pictured here with Shane, her form tutor, Mrs McGuckin, Head of Year, Mrs McGee and Key Stage 5 Progress and Learning Manager, Mrs McCann. We wish Roisin luck in the final!

As part of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 9 February, we are holding a Year 8 Parental Digital Support Workshop.  On the evening, Year 8 Parents will receive practical support from our Digital Leaders on how to navigate the learning apps that that their children are using in classroom and independent learning.  Parents will also receive E-Safety information on ways that they can support their child in using their iPad positively and responsibly.

On Saturday 30 January, Ethlinn Walls, Sarah Gallen and James McTeague attended the regional final of the BPW Speaking Competition in New Forge Country Club, Belfast, after successfully winning the Ballymena heat at the Michelin Athletic Centre in November. All three pupils performed extremely well and worked very hard in preparation for the event, aided by their teacher, Ms Hatchell. Unfortunately, the pupils did not make it to the national final, but Sarah Gallen received the trophy for Best Chairperson of the competition. All at St Mary’s are very proud of their wonderful achievement!

Below are links for 2 short videos focusing on Safer Internet Day which is on Feb 9th. Look out for the #SID on Twitter over the next few weeks and adverts promoting Safer Internet Day.

Clip1: http://childnetsic.s3.amazonaws.com/ufiles/SID2016/SID2016%20Play%20Your%20Part%20for%20a%20Better%20Internet.avi

Clip 2: