Homepage Archive

 
 
Third Year End of Year Celebration Activities
 
 
 
 
First Year Sports Day 2022
 
 
 
 
Class of 2022
 
It always seems impossible... until it's done! - Nelson Mandela
We will miss you!
Transition Year Croagh Patrick Climb
 
The Transition Year Class of 2022 ended their year on a 'high' as they summited Croagh Patrick on May 25th. What a day and what a special group of students. Congratulations to you all!
 
 
School of Sanctuary Bowling Trip
 
On 24th May, our School of Sanctuary Team went to Cosmic Bowl in Tullamore to celebrate the end of the year. A great time was had. School of Sanctuary is a project, which was started this year to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment that benefits anybody who is seeking sanctuary. We are very proud of our School of Sanctuary team. They would like you to take some time to check out their Padlet page and see everything that have done this year. https://padlet.com/sarahcorcoran22/3tz3e7j61ptxd92q
First Year Boys Soccer League Winners Medal Presentation
 
Cairdeas agus Cinéaltas
 
Our Transition Year Mentors and students enjoyed a fantastic day of activities at Kilbeggan Harbour to celebrate their last day together. The weather was in their favour and this reflected what was an excellent year overall. Best wishes to the Transition Year Class of 2022 from all associated with the programme.
Senior Boys Hurling Medal Presentation
 
On Monday, May 23rd our Senior Boys Hurling squad were presented with their Leinster medals from team management. In addition, co-manager and Transition Year student Tristan Seery was presented with a signed hurley from the squad as a token of appreciation for his commitment throughout the year.
Sixth Year Students vs Teachers Soccer Match
 
Students 5 v 4 Teachers. That is all for the moment. The defeat is still raw!!
Anything But a Bag Day
 
Friday May 20th was “Anything But A Bag Day “ for our Sixth Year Students. It proved to be a great way of lifting their spirits and it has helped them to make the most of their last days of school. Well done to all. What an effort!
Pitch & Putt National Finals
 
Well done to students Seán Jackson, Jack Mullins, Conor Mullins, Padraig Carton, Adam Cassidy and Charlie Bourke. The boys represented our school in the National Pitch & Putt Finals in Hillview, Clonmel on Friday May 20th.
Sixth Year Mentors Presentation
Our Sixth Year Mentors were presented with cards, gifts and certificates on May 19th as a token of appreciation for the work they have put in with our First Year students throughout the year. They are pictured below with representatives from each respective First Year class. Mr. Farrell also spoke to the Sixth Year Mentors to thank them for their work.
Transition Year Clued In Project
Pictured below are our Transition Year students who participated in the Clued In Project, which was ran by St. Brigid's Credit Union. The students received certificates and also a sum of money for our school. Well done to all involved.
Senior Boys Football
Our Senior Boys Football Team finished up their season with a League Final against O'Carolan College, Nobber on Friday May 13th. We lost out on this occasion. It was nice to finish up an enjoyable season with one last game for our Sixth Year panel members. Mr. Flynn and Mr. Lynch would like to thank all of the lads for their commitment throughout the year, and as a school we would like to thank Mr. Flynn and Mr. Lynch for their valuable contribution. #Neverbeaten
First Year Boys Soccer Final
Congratulations to our First Year Boys Soccer Team and mentors Mr. O'Meara, Mr. Dunne and Mr. Delanoue. Our boys were victorious in their League Final against St. Finian's on May 12th. A tense game finished 0-0 after extra-time and we completed the job on spot kicks.
Class Group Cycling
Over the month of May all of our students within their PE class will set out on a leisure cycle, experiencing some of the idyllic countryside in both Westmeath and Offaly along the Kilbeggan Harbour Greenway. The Greenway is a safe, predominantly traffic free path, designed specifically to meet the needs of cyclists. The cycle and picnic will provide our students with a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and have some fun with their classmates before the end of the school year.
Schools Environmental Competition

Congratulations to our 2020-2021 Wellbeing Committee and to our teachers Ms. Daly and Ms. Raymond on achieving 2nd place in the Schools Environmental Competition. Their Wellbeing Garden project turned out to be a huge success and it has been a valuable addition to our school campus. The prize was collected at the Cathaoirleach Awards on Friday May 6th at a civil ceremony in Belvedere House and Gardens.

Green-Schools

Well done to all the First Year students who participated in the Green-Schools poster competition titled ‘Groundwater Our Hidden Treasure’. The students were presented with a reusable draw-string bag and some goodies.

Back row: Ava McDonnell, Alison Murray, Aine Bracken, John Tehan, Lily McLavin, Peter Daly, Feras Abdo, Zuzanna Gierak, Ciara Relph

Front row: Emma Tandy, Aimee Slevin, Carol-Anne Finn, Anna Mullen, Lucy O’Sullivan, Lorna Noreigan Grehan, Lena Clarke, Emily O’Neill

Missing from photo: Marie Coyne

EST Solar Competition

Congratulations to Transition Year student Keith Gavigan, who submitted a poster in the EST Solar Competition which is run throughout Europe. Keith completed an excellent poster illustrating the Carrington Effect and he received a certificate for his efforts.

U14 Girls Football Update
Well done to our U14 Girls Football Team who were victorious in a highly competitive encounter against Sacred Heart, Tullamore on April 26th. The scoreline was 5-11 to 4-06.
Children's Health Foundation Great Irish Bake

A bake sale was held in our school on Friday April 8th in aid of the Children's Health Foundation. It was a massive success, raising €280. Well done to the TY students involved in running the event, the student council, and to the students in our school who baked goodies for the sale.

'Cairdeas agus Cineáltas' Dublin Zoo Visit

Our students, staff and TY Mentors had a fantastic day exploring the sights and sounds of Dublin Zoo on April 5th. The weather was extremely kind and made the day even more enjoyable. A special mention must go out to our TY Mentors who continually demonstrate great maturity and leadership. They are a credit to our school.

Irish Angus Beef Competition

Pictured below are our two Transition Year student groups who are participated in the Certified Irish Angus Beef Competition in Croke Park on April 1st.

Group 1: Martha Egan, Rachel Maxwell and Ríona Egan (not pictured). Group 2: Mary Ellen Colton, Sinead Bracken, Chloe McDermott and Trasa Bracken.

Well done girls.

 

SciFest 2022

First Year Boys & U15 Boys Soccer
 
Best of luck to our First Year Boys Soccer Team who take on St. Finian's Mullingar in their upcoming league final. In addition, hard luck to our U15 Boys Soccer Team who were beaten 2-1 by St. Finian's Mullingar in their league final on Friday April 1st.
Second Year German Schnitzel Haus Trip
 
Transition Year Colaiste Uisce Trip
 
Our Transition Year students spent three days and two nights on the Erris peninsula, Co. Mayo from March 28th-30th. We visited Colaiste Uisce, an activity centre where delivery of instruction is provided through a mix of Irish and English. Everyone had a brilliant time, all partaking in the wide variety of water and land-based activities. The weather was incredible.. check out the pictures in the gallery below!
Sixth Year Othello Trip
 
Pictured below are some of our Leaving Cert students who recently attended Cyclone's production of "Othello: The Colour of Skin" in The Helix, DCU. Students also enjoyed a tour of the DCU campus courtesy of DCU Student Ambassadors. Due to Covid-19, this was the first time that our Sixth Years had the opportunity to visit a college campus in person, as all Open Days have been held virtually.
First Year Boys Football
 
Congratulations to our First Year Boys Football Team who have made it through to the Br. Hubert Cup Final. Our boys beat St. Kevin's, Dunlavin on a the convincing scoreline of 7-07 to 2-11. The game was played on March 30th.
Junior Boys Golf
 
Our Junior Boys Golf team participated in the Leinster Regional Qualifying competition on Wednesday March 23rd. Our team, made up of Third Year students Charlie Bourke and Adam Cassidy, along with Transition Year student Conor Mullins played some solid Golf. The competition was held at The Heath Golf Club in what were glorious conditions on the day. Our lads narrowly missed out on progressing.
 
 
 
 
Second & First Year Girls Basketball
 
A very well done to our Second and First Year Girls Basketball Team on a successful year, reaching the Quarter Final stages of their league. The girls played Coláiste Mhuire Co - Ed, Thurles away on Monday 21st March. The game resulted in a narrow defeat for our girls, with the game only being sealed in the final minutes. Our girls put on a fantastic display. Both Ms Henry and Ms Bhreathnach are extremely proud of the team. - Maith sibh a chailíní!
Information in Relation to the Upcoming Census Available at the Links Below
 
 
 
Student Council - Ukraine Appeal
 
Student Council Chairperson, Geri Louise O'Brien, and Deputy Chairperson, Max Mohan, pictured with a cheque for €4603.26 raised by the school community through the holding of a recent Ukrainian Colours Day and Bucket Collection. We continue to keep Ukraine in our thoughts and in our prayers.
 
 
 
 
Seachtain na Gaelige
 

Eagraíodh go leor imeachtaí an tseachtain seo chun ár dteanga náisiúnta a cheiliúradh. Bhí tráth na gceist, maidin chaife, tóraíocht taisce. comórtas na gcontaetha agus fiú comórtas na bpeataí! Bhain gach duine an-taitneamh as na himeachtaí go léir agus bhí go leor Gaeilge le cloisteáil timpeall na scoile. Maith sibh agus leanaigí ort!

 
Many events were organised this week to celebrate our national language. There were quizzes, a coffee morning, a treasure hunt, a counties competition and even a pet competition! Everyone enjoyed the events and there was lots of Irish to be heard around the school. Well done and keep it up!
Seachtain na Gaelige - Irish & Music Department Collaboration
 
The Irish and Music departments also enjoyed some cross curricular fun during Seachtain na Gaelige. Two Second Year students taught the rest of the class Set Dancing. Two Fifth Year students taught the First, Third and Senior students some brush dancing. A lunchtime Trad Session created a lovely atmosphere to lead us to St Patrick’s Day.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Junior Boys Rugby - Leinster Final
 
Our Junior Boys Rugby Team travelled to Energia Park in Donnybrook, Dublin on March 16th for the Leinster Junior Development Shield Final. The boys came up against a very strong opposition, Newpark Comprehensive School from Blackrock in Dublin.

The momentum in the first half was with Newpark as they scored the opening try to put them 0-5 ahead at the ten minute mark. Minutes later Newpark extended their lead as they charged over the line for another try. It was looking quite bleak for our lads as we approached half time but a try from Eoin Robinson raised the spirits of the team as he barged his way over the line to get our first score of the match. Neale Pierson scored the subsequent conversion just before the half time whistle to make it 7-10 at the break.

As the second half of the game got underway Newpark got off to a flying start with a third try. This didn’t stop our boys as Darragh O’Brien made a brilliant run down the left hand side of the field, crossing the try line to cut the deficit to a 3 points again. Shortly after, Newpark replied with their fourth try to extend their lead once more. Eoin Robinson gave us hope and kept us in the running as he scored his second try of the game. This was converted by Neale Pierson to make it 19-20 with only five minutes left on the clock.

Our forwards were very strong in tackles and put great pressure on Newpark in the closing moments. With seconds left on the clock, Robinson made a line break and was tackled just before the try line. He reached out to score the winning try but it was heartbreakingly disallowed for double movement. Moments later the full time whistle was blown and it finished 19-20 in favour of Newpark Comprehensive School. Our boys never gave up throughout the game and played very well from start to end. Stand tall boys!

 
Senior Boys School Golf
Well done to our Senior Boys School Golf Team members, Jack Mullins, Conor Mullins, Seán Jackson and Padraig Carton, on qualifying for the Leinster Final which takes place on April 25th. Our boys battled tough conditions in the Leinster Regional qualifying tournament on March 14th in Millicent Golf Club, Co. Kildare, finishing third overall.
 
Junior Girls Basketball Update
Well done to our Second & First Year Girls Basketball Team on their 24-07 win on Friday March 11th against Templemichael College of Longford. The girls now progress to the quarter final. Good luck girls!!
 
M.S.S.K Student Council's Ukraine Appeal
We wanted to help Ukraine in any way that we possibly could, to support them through this very difficult time. We supported a local drive to fill a truck bound for Poland, bringing urgent supplies to Ukrainian refugees. We also held a “Bucket Donation Collection for Ukraine”, on Friday, March 11th in our school, while wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag (blue and yellow) for the day. Incredibly, €4603.26 was raised. All contributions made are going to the UNICEF, Ukraine fund.

Ukraine: we stand with you.

Thank you to all,

The Student Council.

Transition Year Mini Company

Our Transition Year mini company students visited Golden Island Shopping Centre, Athlone on March 10th for the local Student Enterprise Awards. A huge congratulations to Lauren O'Reilly and Summer Feery who won first place for their company "Framed it", and to Isabelle Hayden who achieved third place for her company "Shambalm". The girls were supported on the day by their mini company tutors Mr. Dunne and Mr. O'Meara, and by their Transition Year colleague Tristan Seery. Finally, our school was awarded the title of the 'most enterprising school in Westmeath'. Well done to all.

 
Junior Boys Rugby - Leinster Semi Final Report
 
Our Junior Boys Rugby Team march on to the Leinster Final off the back of a 7-try win over Raheny of Dublin on March 10th. Darragh O’Brien was first to score for our team with a try in the opening 10 minutes. A Shane Maloney try followed minutes later to set up a 10-point lead in the first quarter. Next, a second try from Darragh O’Brien right under the posts set up a comfortable conversion for Neale Pierson. We lost Daniel Caulfied to a knee injury as half-time approached which was a blow, but Neale Pierson scored a try and kicked the subsequent conversion just before the half-time whistle putting us in a comfortable position, 24-0 at the break.
 

We got off to a flying start in the second half with Eoin Robinson opening the scoring with a try following an impressive

scrum from our forwards. Neale Pierson went on to score yet another try to extend the lead. Eoin Robinson

charged over the line in the final minutes of the game for a second time and this was converted by Neale Pierson once more. Tremendous pressure and defending by our boys kept Raheny scoreless throughout the entire game. The game finished 43-0 in our favour. The lads now head to Dublin for the Leinster Final next week. Best of luck lads! - By Shane King

Senior Girls Rugby
 
Congratulations to our Senior Girls Rugby Team and Team Mentor Mr. Corrigan on a fantastic tournament win on March 8th. Our girls beat Sacred Heart Tullamore, St. Mary's Edenderry and St. Brendan's Community School on their way to victory. Well done to all!
Holocaust Education Trust Talk
 
A Holocaust talk was provided for all our TY students and those in Fifth Year History on Tuesday March 8th. A huge thanks to Tony Hanley from HETI for providing it.
Junior & Senior Girls Soccer
 
Our Junior and Senior Girls Soccer Teams recently received a new set of jerseys. The girls got the opportunity to design the jerseys themselves and they wore them in their most recent matches. The jerseys show the sponsor Her Sport, a charity aimed at promoting women’s participation in sport. Our soccer squads will get great use out of the jerseys for years to come
 
Karneval Celebrations in German Class
Junior Girls Football
 
Our Junior Girls Football Team were beaten by the narrowest of margins in their Leinster Football Final vs Mountmellick C.C. on Tuesday March 1st. The game was played in Mountmellick and the final score was 3-08 to 1-13. Our girls played some excellent football on the day and battled like warriors until the last second of the game. It was just not our day. Congratulations girls and to the coaches Ms. Daly and Ms. Shortall on a fantastic season. Both managers would like to express that they are incredibly proud of their team as is the entire Mercy Kilbeggan school community. Keep smiling girls!
 
First & Second Year Girls Football

Well done to all 50 players from First and Second Year who braved very tough weather conditions to play two U14 Girls Football games on the week ending Friday February 18th. We recorded a victory against Moate C.S. on what was a ferociously windy day and we were then gracious in defeat against Our Lady's Bower, Athlone. It is great to see so many girls from First and Second Year playing Gaelic Football in our school.

TY Bray to Greystones Trip

On February 15th our Transition Year students went on a Physical Education trip where they walked from Bray to Greystones via the spectacular cliff walk. Our students also visited Jump Zone Sandyford for some trampolining. Between the two activities our students were given some time to explore Dundrum Town Centre. The weather was perfect for the occasion and each student really enjoyed their activity-filled day out.

Senior Boys Hurling

Photo gallery from our recent North Leinster Final success.

Ceiliúradh CEIST

We recently introduced the students to Ceiliúradh CEIST in our Religion classes, and the significance of CEIST in our school community was highlighted. As a consequence of our discussions in classes, the students themselves suggested two places in particular that they believed to be of significance within our school that reflect the core values of CEIST. See the video below...

Junior Girls Basketball Update
Well done to our Second Year Girls Basketball Team who won their game this week against Borrisokane C.C, the week ending Friday February 11th. Well done also to our First Year Girls Team who won their basketball game last week against Athlone C.C. Ms. Henry and Ms. Bhreathnach are both very proud of both teams !!
 
TY Les Misérables Trip

Our Transition Year students attended a wonderful production of the iconic musical Les Misérables in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on February 10th.

Irish Angus Beef Competition

Congratulations to our two Transition Year student groups who will be participating in the Certified Irish Angus Beef Competition in Croke Park on April 1st. Group 1: Martha Egan, Rachel Maxwell and Ríona Egan. Group 2: Mary Ellen Colton, Sinead Bracken, Chloe McDermott and Trasa Bracken

Consider it Cake

Pictured below are Transition Year students Mary, Julia and Isabell with their cake for Marian Hostel Tullamore. Consider It Cake makes birthday treats for people living in direct provision. Well done to the girls for getting involved.🎂

 

Junior Girls Football

Our Junior Girls Football Team are through to the Leinster Final after beating St Wolstan's Celbridge on February 3rd in Durrow. The final score was 8-17 to 5-03. Well done to Miss. Daly, Miss. Shortall and the girls.

North Leinster Cross Country

Well done to our Athletics Team who participated in the North Leinster Cross Country Championships on January 28th. A special mention must go to our Intermediate Girls Team who finished 2nd overall.

 
Senior Boys Rugby

Our Senior Boys Rugby Team played an excellent quarter final match on Thursday 27th January against Dundalk. The match was held in Navan. We started off very strong with the first try of the game being scored by our captain Tadhg Dowdall. Tadhg then followed this up with his second try soon after. Daire Early and Peter Pierson put more points on the board for us with the respected conversions for both. We then pushed on and excelled for the remainder of the first half, keeping our opponents scoreless. At half time the score was 37-0 in our favour. Several changes were made during the second half as we were able to utilise our squad. Mark Devine and Daire Early scored two amazing stand-out tries in the second period, but scorers were spread throughout the team. The game ended 67-12. Now on to a semi-final!!

 
Senior Boys Hurling

Congratulations to our Senior Boys Hurling squad and the management team of Mr. Doyle, Mr. Minnock and Tristan Seery, after their fantastic North Leinster Final win on January 25th. Our lads won away to Castlepollard C.C. in what was a tight encounter. The final score was 2-15 to 1-15. We march on!

Pope John Paul II Awards

Congratulations to our past and current students who received John Paul II Awards on Saturday January 22nd.

  • Papal Cross Award: Brian Walsh, Kevin Walsh
  • Gold Award: Geri Louise O'Brien, Katie Coffey, Aoibhe Cusack
Junior Girls Football Update
Our Junior Girls Football Team had a fantastic win over SHS Tullamore on January 21st. We were victorious on a scoreline of 4-13 to 3-09. Well done girls. As a mark of respect to the late Ashling Murphy, both teams retired their no.23 jersey on the day and a minutes silence well held prior to throw-in.
U17 Boys Soccer Update
Our Under 17 Boys Soccer Team continued their fantastic league campaign following up a 5-2 win over Strokestown with a 3-1 victory over Clara on January 20th. Our goals were scored by Ryan Weston (2) and Cillian Rochford. A special mention must go to Sean Jackson who saved a penalty to keep our boys in the ascendency.
BT Young Scientist 2022

Well to our TY students Isabell Hayden and Martha Egan who got 'highly commended' for their project "Does Makeup Effect You Skin?" at BT Young Scientist 2022. The event was held from January 12th to 14th. You can find their exhibit on https://btyoungscientist.com/. Their stand number was 3547.

Student Council Fundraising
On Wednesday December 22nd, the student council raised €507.25 on behalf of the homeless charity Peter McVerry Trust and also for Lib Counselling, which aids refugees. Sincere thanks to all the staff and students who donated and especially to the Music Department who raised a remarkable sum through their carolling last week. Have a safe and Happy Christmas. Regards, Student Council.
Senior Boys Football Update - North Leinster Championship
Our Senior Boys Football Team finished up the Championship group stages in Dromard GAA Grounds vs Moyne CS of Longford. With either a win or draw needed to advance, Jack Molloy stepped up to score a difficult free with the last kick of the game to secure the draw we needed. The final score was Mercy Kilbeggan 3-09; Moyne CS 1-15. With a lot of key members missing, this was an excellent result for our lads who had already been unlucky to lose narrowly by two points to Ballymahon VS in the opening round. Our squad can now look forward to the North Leinster quarter final after Christmas. Well done to all involved.
Home Economics Christmas Jumpers

There was great excitement in the Home Economics room on Thursday December 16th as our Second Year students modelled their upcycled Christmas jumpers. This project was part of their CBA1-Creative Textiles. Many new sewing and embroidery skills were developed along the way. Well done to all on a super effort🎄🎅

School Orchestra

Our school Orchestra visited Golden Island Shopping Centre in Athlone on December 16th for some carolling. They raised €490 for the Peter McVerry Trust and Lib Multicultural Counselling and Support Programme. Well done everyone!

SVDP Bake Sale
Transition Year students Trasa Bracken, Sinead Bracken, Mary Ellen Colton and Chloe McDermott conducted a Bake Sale in our school on December 15th in aid of SVDP. On Thursday December 16th, Sinead, Trasa and Mary Ellen met with Dan Scally of SVDP to hand over the €167.60 that was raised. Well done girls on this fantastic effort.
 
'Chemistree'
Happy Christmas to everyone in our school community from our Science Department.
Junior Boys Football Update
Our Junior Boys Football Team began their season in impressive fashion with two hard earned victories over Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon and Moyne Community School respectively. At the final whistle in both games there was just a kick of a ball between the teams as our lads showed huge resilience and determination to hang on for two important wins. For our final group game the lads travelled to St Loman’s in Mullingar to take on Cnoc Mhuire Granard having already booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition. Despite being down a number of first team players the lads dug out an impressive win thanks to three late goals in the final quarter of the match. It was great to see all students get some game time over the course of these three games. The lads now look forward to a North Leinster quarter-final in the new year. Well done lads, keep up the good work.
Home Economics

On the week beginning Monday December 12th, our Third Year Home Economics students tackled the very technical choux pastry in order to make profiteroles. Pastry made, baked and decorated all in one hour! Well done Third Years.

Second Year Science Trip

All Second Year students visited Birr Castle this month in order to learn about the history of the Greatest Telescope which was once the world's largest telescope. They also viewed the i-Lofar telescope which is based on the Castle grounds. They then participated in an interactive workshop based on the moon and the phases of the moon. This workshop relates to the 'Earth and Space' strand on the Junior Cycle Science syllabus. Thanks to all from the Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation, especially Áine who hosted each of our Second Year groups.

Fête des Lumières

This week, Third Year French students learned about the Festival of Lights which takes place on December 8th every year in Lyon. As part of the lesson, each student designed and painted their own jar of light to take home. Our French Language Assistant, Clémence, was a fountain of knowledge on this celebration as it takes place in her home city.

Nikolaustag

German students celebrated the German and Austrian festival Nikolaustag on the 6th of December. Traditionally children receive sweets and goodies in their shoes from Nikolaus. Our students learned about the traditions of Saint Nikolaus, Krampus parades in Austria and Knecht Ruprecht in Germany.

Concern Debating
Our Concern Debating team won their first online debate against St Joseph's Garbally, Ballinasloe on the week beginning November 29th. They successfully proposed the motion that "The obstacles to surmounting world hunger are insurmountable." Our team members were Ríona Egan (captain), Shannon Lawlor, Rachel Maxwell and Isabell Hayden. The chairperson was Emma Connery and the timekeeper was Keith Gavigan. Next up for our team is a debate against St Columba's College, Stranorlar, Co Donegal. The motion is, "It is simply wrong for billionaires like Bezos and Branson to joyride into space with all the problems on earth." Mercy Kilbeggan are the opposition. Pictured below are members of the debating panel, Emma Connery, Shannon Lawlor, Isabell Hayden, Ríona Egan and Rachel Maxwell. Absent from photo: Keith Gavigan, Oisín McLoughlin.
Board Games Club

Board Games Club takes place every Tuesday and Wednesday in Room 39 at 1:10. Enjoy board games, good company and make new friends. All are welcome. A special thanks to Catherine Nowak and Weronika Siembida, who are helping to run the club.

School Soccer
Our Under 15 Boys Soccer team made a great start to their league campaign on Monday November 29th, running out 6-1 winners Vs Columba College, Killucan. A special mention to Damian Kurasinski who scored a hattrick on the day. Well done lads.
Create Your Own MO Day!

Friday 26th of November saw our First Year students take part in Movember in our school as they created their own moustaches. They were given a talk on the Movember charity by our teachers, which detailed all the great work the charity does in creating awareness around men's physical and mental health. A great effort was put in by all for a very worthy cause. A special mention to Mr. Dunne for all his Movember-related work behind the scenes.

Dog Training

On Tuesday, November 23rd some of our students got the opportunity to work with trainer Con Dunne and his dogs Pip and Jake. Our students got to experience first hand, the work and dedication that goes into training animals to perform a variety of functions in society, while also having fun with two lively and friendly canines. Their visit won't soon be forgotten.

Think Languages

On Monday 22nd November, our Transition Year students celebrated the annual ‘Think Languages’ event, organised by the Post Primary Languages Institute and Languages Connect. The event promotes the importance of learning languages and the joy of learning about other cultures. Our students completed a workshop on Chinese calligraphy, which was provided by the Confucius Institute in UCD. They also learned Capoeira, which is a Brazilian martial art. Their instructor was Sansão Maia. Our French Language assistant taught students about the ‘Fête des Lumières’ and students decorated their own glass jar to light up on 8th December to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Students also learned some Irish Sign Language, Arabic, Polish and even did some belly dancing. Traditional food from various countries was enjoyed at lunch time and students took part in a languages quiz in the afternoon. It was a great success and students learned to value different languages and cultures present within our school community.

Think Languages
Thanks to Zara Montgomery, Éabha Brennan and Brenda De Lima Anthero, who are pictured below, for painting carnival-style signs for our language departments.
Student Council 2021-2022
Back Row L to R: Geri Louise O'Brien, (6th Year, Chairperson) Max Mohan (6th Year, Deputy Chairperson), Tadhg McNamee (1st Year), Oisín Marshall (2nd Year, PRO), Ríona Egan (TY, Secretary), Sinéad Bracken (TY), Nicole Geoghegan (2nd Year), Patrick Iskra (5th Year), Keith Gavigan (TY). Front Row L to R: Shane King (3rd Year, PRO), Emma King (1st Year), Dawn Gill (3rd Year), Maryanna Cordeiro Peixoto (5th Year), Nicole Dalton (TY).
Creative Textiles

Our Second Year students are busy upcycling and creating Christmas jumpers as part of their CBA 1. Lots of new skills and different embroidery stiches are being developed. Well done to everyone on their creative designs.🌲🎅

Pastry Week
The week from November 14th-19th was Pastry Week for our First Year Home Economic students. They showed off their new-found skills in preparing shortcrust pastry which they used to make beautiful apple tarts. Well done everyone!
Stand Up Awareness Week - November 15th-19th

Stand Up Awareness Week is celebrated in all Irish post-primary schools to spread awareness and take a stand against LGBTI+ related bullying. Our Wellbeing Committee decorated the Wellbeing notice board to create awareness among the school community and some of our classes have been actively engaging in the BeLonGTo.org activities. We stand together so our school remains a safe place for all.

Cross Country Challenge
Transition Year Drumming Workshop

On Tuesday November 16th, all Transition Year students were given the opportunity to partake in a Drumming Workshop. The workshop provided our Transition Year students with an experience which they seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Junior Hurling Update

Well done to our Junior Boys hurling team who beat Tullamore College in their first outing on Friday November 12th.

Senior Boys Football Update

Our Senior Boys Football Team wrapped up their Senior B league campaign with an excellent win over Boyne Community School, Trim. The lads put in an excellent team performance with a wide range of scorers on the day. This was an excellent response to our opening game against Cnoc Mhuire Granard, who edged the tie in the last ten minutes in what was a tight encounter. We now look forward to the Senior Championship which begins in two weeks with a game against Ballymahon Vocational School at home.

BT Young Scientist
Congratulations to our Transition Year students Isabel Hayden and Martha Egan who have qualified for the BT Young Scientist Finals with their project entitled - "Does Makeup Damage The Skin?"
TY Carlingford Adventure Trip
New School Site Visit
TY Segway Workshop

On November 1st and 2nd all TY students participated in a Segway workshop. This was a new experience for almost all of our students and the company that came to our school and provided both fun-filled and informative sessions. Our TY students are now equipped with the knowledge to avail of this eco-friendly mode of transport in the future.

Real Life Science Competition
 

Students in Mr. Stobie’s Third Year science class created a video about space, which has been entered into the 'Reel Life Science Competition'. The students have an opportunity to win €1000 for the school, should their video be selected as a winner at this year’s Galway Science and Technology Festival. The video was shot and composed by Shane King, the schools very own up and coming cinematographer. Everyone in the class was involved either in front of the camera or behind the scenes. The students thoroughly enjoyed creating the three-minute video and learned a lot in the process. Best of luck to all involved.

 

Maths Week
 

Our students got involved in various activities for ‘Maths Week’ 2021. First year students were outdoors investigating goal scoring based on shooting from different angles and lengths, calculating probabilities and also solving numeracy puzzles. Our Second Year students completed ‘Maths Eyes’ whereby students explored the importance of mathematics in their everyday lives outside of the classroom. Second and Third Year students completed a ‘Drop Everything and Calculate’ quiz, while we had Junior Cycle students partake in the ‘Maths Week 2021 Olympiad’ competition. We also had great numbers from all year groups participate in our Junior and Senior Maths 'Problem of the Day'.

 
Freaky Friday
 
On Friday October 22nd we had a 'Freaky Friday' Halloween fancy dress day in our school in aid of AWARE. It was highly successful and there were some fantastic costumes on display. A very well done to all involved. It was great fun for a great cause.
New School Building Begins!

Wednesday 20th October 2021 marked a momentous day on the Dublin Road out of Kilbeggan for the whole school community of Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan.The machines and staff of Stewart Construction landed on-site to a huge welcome from students and school staff alike, as the process of building the new state of art 650 pupil secondary school commenced. This has been a long wait for everyone in the school community, who are now looking forward to the new school being ready for the start of the 2023/2024 academic year.

Mondello 24h Team Cycle

On the 16th of October, Andrew Grehan, Seamus Grehan, Gavin Moran and Mark Green took part in a 24-hour cycle challenge around the Mondello Park racetrack. One person kept cycling at all times from the start of the event at 12.00am on Saturday the 16th, until the finish of the event at 12.00am on Sunday the 17th. Andrew, after becoming aware of the fleet of bikes we have in our school which we use for student cycling trips, decided to take on this challenge with the assistance of friends in order to raise some funds to assist with their maintenance. Andrew explains that "cycling is an amazing activity to help support wellbeing and mental health, and a school having such a resource available is fantastic for students". Andrew, Seamus, Gavin and Mark managed to cover 593k completing 179 laps of the track. We would like to express our gratitude to Andrew and crew for such generosity. A very considerable amount of money has been raised so far, which will be put to great use in order to keep our wheels rolling! The donation page will remain open for a few more days and any donation is greatly appreciated via the following link: https://gofund.me/8c41acf6

Litter Pick Competition

Well done to 1 Green who won our First Year Litter Pick Competition. The class were presented with some goodies for their great work collecting litter around our school for Climate Action Week. They are pictured with our TY Green Schools members who ran the competition.

Senior Camogie

Our Senior Camogie Team had a successful first outing on October 15th, beating St. Joseph's of Navan 3-6 to 2-2. It was a great team performance. Well done girls.

Transition Year Lough Boora Parklands Trip
 

On October 14th all TY students travelled to Lough Boora Parklands on a Physical Education trip. The weather was perfect for occasion and each student engaged in Cycling, Orienteering, and Photography. Students cycled two laps of the 4.9 km 'Sculpture in the Parklands Route' and engaged in both 'Selfie Orienteering' and Photography within Lough Boora Grounds. A great day was had by all. Thanks to Niall Dillon for his assistance on the day.

 
Wellbeing Pumpkin Carving

On Tuesday October 12th, our TY Students carved pumpkins as a creative activity within their Wellbeing module.

Equestrian

A number of our students took part in the Inter-schools Showjumping competition in Mullingar Equestrian Centre on Sunday last, 10th October. A fantastic day was had by all. Congratulations to the students who won rosettes on the day in their classes and well done to everyone for taking part. It was a very enjoyable day. We are looking forward to our next competition.

Language Fun

Third Year Bray Trip

On Thursday, October 7th our Third Year students set out on the Bray to Greystones cliff walk accompanied by their class tutors Mr. Duffy, Ms. Bhreatnach, Ms. Conmy, Ms. Henry (who stood in for Ms. McCardle) and Year head Mr. Donnelly. Afterward the group enjoyed a session in JumpZone Sandyford completing what was a fantastic day out.

Sixth Year Ag. Science Trip

Our Sixth Year Agricultural Science students enjoyed a trip to Little Buds Farm on October 7th. GD Young gave them a very informative tour of his dairy farm. This trip brought what they learn about in class to life and will complement their studies. A huge thanks to GD Young for giving up his time.

Second Year Lilliput Trip

On Wednesday October 6th all Second Year students, accompanied by their Class Tutors and Year Head Mr. Corrigan, visited Lilliput Adventure Centre for an Outdoor Adventure bonding day. Each student was given the opportunity to partake in Orienteering, Kayaking, Bog Hopping, Rock Climbing and Capture the Flag. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all in spite of the inclement weather.

Cairdeas agus Cinéaltas

Friendship and Kindness are two of the fundamental principles that guide the daily workings of our school and indeed the interactions between all those in our wider community.

Acknowledging the importance of these ideals - now more than ever, in October 2021, T.Y students at our school have re-launched our mentoring programme for this academic year, wherein they work with younger students to help guide their development while building lasting friendships along the way.

The ‘Cairdeas agus Cinéaltas’ programme recognises that students learn a great deal simply by observing and interacting with their peers and that the impact of a great mentor can be lifelong.

To this end, students and mentors meet across the week, throughout the academic year to enjoy mutual hobbies /interests, help one another in their studies and learn many new skills along the way.

The initiative is already having a hugely positive impact on all those involved and it will only continue to prosper.

‘Friendship is not a big thing…..it’s a million little things’

'A Day in the Life | Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan Open Night Video 2020'