St. Paul's Community College, Waterford #4 | Page 3

Our Christmas Carol Service

uplifted all students and staff

as we headed home to enjoy

the season of goodwill and cheer.

We celebrated ASD week,

Down Syndrome day, Pancake day,

Valentine’s day, International Language

day, International women’s day, Maths

week, Science week, Scifest, Tech week

and Vocational skills week.

We refurbished our school gym, participated in a bond trader event, Make a Book, students attended the Young Scientist Exhibition, our LCA students catered for our retirement dinner and lunch for Chief Justice Clarke. Many new initiatives including CPR training for everyone in the building and a new STEM lunch time club for girls were also run.

Five teachers graduated from TCD with a Post Graduate Certificate in 21st Century Teaching and Learning and three teachers are currently undertaking an Autism Studies Course at Post Graduate level.

We performed in the National Opera House in Wexford for the WWETB “In Harmony Concert”, a ski trip to Austria was organised and enjoyed by students and staff while we had our own issues with the Beast from the East at home.

We celebrated National Flag Day, participated in the Waterford City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and we welcomed the Chief Justice Mr. Frank Clarke to speak to our students.

We participated in DEAR, we were finalists in the National Final of Apprentice Chef, and we were winners of the Artifice Competition.

Our student Council had a very busy year welcoming our many guests to our school.

We had many achievements and successes on the sporting front, in Basketball we won the U16 South East League, Gaelic Football U14 Co Football Winners, U16.5 Munster Football finalists. We also experienced success in Athletics 1st place in Javelin, 2nd place in shot put and 1st place in the discus competition and our 2nd year boys reached the All Ireland Final in Spike ball.

And along with all that we managed to teach 26,344 classes and prepare more than 200 students for state examinations in 38 state examination subjects and 23 PLC subjects.

We also saw one of our Maths Teachers Ms. Linda Cusack honoured by the Irish Maths Teacher Trust when she was awarded a Diploma of Excellence in UCC. Some of our second year students were earlier honoured by UCC in their UCCplus programme.

We had some truly great days this academic year and we have also had some very sad and worrying days, but the important common denominator is that sense of Community and Team that is central to who we are in St. Paul’s Community College and it is that sense of community and team that sustains us through the ups and downs of school life which of course is but a microcosm of life.

Finally, I would like to thank all who have contributed articles and photos and to our JSCP librarian Hilary Cantwell for putting the report together. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas agus mo comhgairdeas a chur in iúl do phobail na scolie gcointinne ach go mór do na múinteoirí Colaiste Pobail Naomh Pól anseo amach.

I now invite you to sit back, to Drop Everything And Read our annual Report which I am confident you will truly enjoy.

Noreen Reilly

June 2018

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