Medics And Media Types Among The 50% Of Our Past Pupils Who Opted For College
Medicine, Journalism, Sports Science and Veterinary Medicine were among the courses
chosen by last years Leaving Cert. students. Over 50% of them headed for universities
and Institutes of Technology.
As usual, St. Aidan's Annual School Leavers Report makes for interesting reading.
Areas like media, sport and teaching found favour. Five students alone have opted
for Journalism courses, while primary school teaching also found takers, bucking the
national trend for all male schools.
The 50% figures are in excess of national level and far exceed the participation rate
for students from the postal districts from which we draw our students.
Apprenticeships were also among the attainments of the 2003 Leavers. 75% of the
Leaving Cert. Applied students got these hard to find trades. In the PLC sector, football
courses and Art were the most popular choices. Already on of the footballers has been
offered a US scholarship.
Much credit is due to the pupils and their parents for getting the necessary points
and qualifications for these quality courses and jobs. Their teachers should also take
a bow!
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Gaisce Awards and Edmund Rice Awards
This year the vast majority of Transition Year students and several Leaving Cert. Applied
students are partaking in either the Gaisce or Edmund Rice Awards. Some students are
actually doing both.
The range of activities is enormous; varying from working with people with special needs
in Whitehall Social Centre, Bingo nights with old folks to coaching Gaelic and Soccer teams
and working in Artane Youth Club. Students are also challenging themselves, developing new
personal skills such as first aid and learning the guitar. The students involved have
responded to the needs of their community, setting themselves challenges while making a
difference to the lives of others. Both awards are up and running and you can join up for
next year by contacting myself.
The Edmund Rice Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday 4th May and The Gaisce
Awards Ceremony is due to take place this coming September.
K McGrath.
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St. Aidans Literary and Debating Society
Debating competitions are currently being held in the school for all first, second and
third years who are interested in debating and public speaking. Competitions will be
held every Monday and Friday until the end of the year. Details of upcoming debates
will be posted on the school notice board in the G.P.A. One debate has already taken
place and a great standard of public speaking has set in St. Aidan's. Thank you to all
of the students and teachers for their input into the adjudicating of these dabates and
we hope that this support will continue throughout the remainder of the year to encourage
more students to become involved in debating and public speaking.
Mr M. Mallon
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TYP French Trip 2004
From the 17th-22nd of Februrary, class TYP visited France. Ms.
O'Driscoll, Mr. Corbett, Mr. Cantwell and Mr. Purcell accompanied the class and made sure
that all had a wonderful time. After touching down in Beauvais airport (basically a field)
at 12:50, we spent the next five hours in a coach passing through old towns like Rouen and
Caen en route to Bayeux. Despite its small size, Bayeux is a very important historical town.
Bayeux was the first French town to be liberated in the Second World War and it is most famous
for its tapestry, which depicts the Battle of Hastings. The museum that owns this 70-metre
long, 50 centimetre high embroidery has an audio-visual display, a mock up, and several models
of structures in France and England during 1066.
The following day we visited the town of Arromanches. This is where the British soldiers
landed on D-Day (codenamed Gold Beach). Here we visited Musee du Debarquement, a great
museum, telling all about D-Day and the landings there. Later that day we visited the American
War Cemetry at La Cambe. We also visited the German artillery bunkers, Pointe du Huc, which
overlooked both Utah and Omaha beaches. (With fireworks readily available, some of use had a
great re-enactment of D-Day in the bunkers!) This, in my opinion, was one of the best days of
the trip. Particularly so since this is the year of the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day landings,
it was the perfect year to go.
On Thursday morning, we left Bayeux for the main attraction of the holiday, Paris. Another
four-hour drive, but once again, it was worth it. We were given a coach tour through Paris, with
a commentary courtesy of our bus driver, Henry. We were staying in a hotel
Cian Ormond and Shane Reilly
(TYP)
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Best Wishes
Best wishes for a speedy fecovery to Shane Reilly from all the Transition
Year students and the Teachers
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St Aidan's CBS, Whitehall, Dublin, Ireland