News

Students entertain the Sisters on Wednesday 23rd December 2009

A group of students from the Secondary School visited the Convent before Christmas and entertained the Sisters.
Síomha Mulligan, Maebh Mulligan, Róisín Flynn, Stefanie Sinclair Mc Cabe, Sorcha Kinder and Gráinne Hawkes shared their talent with the community. The girls were also joined by dancers Shanagh Harte and Shauna Wall and Siobhan Flynn (Scoil Mhuire).
Síomha and Maebh played the Harp, Fiddle and Concertina, while Sorcha, Stefanie and Grainne delighted the sisters with some beautiful Christmas Carols. Roisin and her dancing friends performed some Reels, Jigs and Hornpipes.  Siobhan play a few tunes on the Traditional  Harp.
It was so nice to see how appreciative the sisters were. They really enjoyed themselves.
Well done girls for giving up your free time.



Debating

The academic year 2009/10 has been a busy one thus far for the Mount Sackville debating society. The eight session of the society began in September with the appointment of a new 5th year committee: -
Auditor – Fiona Mullally
Deputy Auditor – Enya Fulston
Convenor of Junior Debating Competition – Sorcha Kinder
Secretary with responsibility for first years – Eileen Guinan
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the committee members the best of luck in their new roles.
Debating is currently taking place for all students from 2nd to 6th year at lunchtimes with the first round of competitions for junior and senior speakers in full swing. Also, the 1st year introductory programme will begin in January 2010.
Mount Sackville’s very own inter-school debating competition, the Auditor’s Mace, took place on the 18th and 19th of September. Grainne Hawkes (6th Year) convened the tournament which saw twenty teams from a number of schools take part. The eventual winners of the perpetual shield for this year were a team from St. Conleth’s Secondary School.
The society has also entered a number of teams in various national competitions. The first round of the Denny’s Senior Leinster Championship took place in October/November. We entered three teams – Grainne Hawkes and Tora Sengupta (6th Years); Jenny Hegarty and Shauna Farrell (6th Years); Fiona Mullally and Sorcha Kinder (5th Years) and I am happy to report that all six Mount Sackville speakers made it through to the second round which begins in January. Coincidentally, the Denny’s competition is being convened this year by a past pupil, Dearbhla O’Gorman (Class of 2008).
The Junior speakers of the society are also being catered for with three teams entered in the Junior Schools’ Leinster Debating Championship – Bethany Leen and Deirdre Fallon (3rd Year); Ellen McDermott and Emma Toner (3rd Year); Caoilhionn Raleigh and Eimear O’Donovan-Ryan (3rd Year). This is also a good opportunity to welcome the latest addition to our coaching staff. Joining myself, Mr. O’Leary and Mrs. Kennedy, we have Mr. Tim O’Connor who will be looking after the Junior Leinster teams.  We wish them the best of luck in the competition.
The weekend of the 27th and 28th November saw the Trinity College Historical Society’s Schools’ Mace Competition take place. This was convened by a past pupil, Emer Duffy (Class of 2008) and its Chief Adjudicator for the final was former Denny’s All-Ireland Winner Catherine Murphy (Class of 2006). We entered two teams – Grainne Hawkes and Shauna Farrell (6th Year); Fiona Mullally and Sorcha Kinder (5th Year). Both teams did very well in a competition in which speakers have only fifteen minutes preparation for each motion. Grainne and Shauna reached the final (they had to debate seven times in two days as a result) where they performed well but lost out to a good team from St. Conleth’s.

All in all it has been a good year so far. Let us hope that next term will be just as successful!
Ger Murphy.  

Lauren Quinn having received an entrance scholarship from the UCD School of Business and Law, November 2009.  Pictured here with her parents.

Leaving Certificate Results 2009

75 students sat the Leaving Certificate this year and all performed well.
20% of the students achieved 500+ points.  Elli-May Hynes with 565 had the highest results.
13.33% of the students obtained between 450 and 500 points.
24% of the students obtained between 400 and 450 points.
31% of the students obtained between 300 and 400 points.
88% of the students achieved over the national average.

Well done to all the students and their teachers for their hard and dedicated work.