All of the Library Words of the Day animations can be viewed in the new Library page above. Click Word of the Day 3 to see the latest one.
PHOENIX PARK SUCCESS by Dara O’Boyle
On 22nd October Students from Portmarnock Community School participated in the Annual Cross Country event in the Phoenix Park. The weather for this year’s event was very pleasant in comparison to previous years. This year we had 46 competitors and we managed to bring home an astonishing 40 medals.
The day commenced with the First Year Girls event in which Heather Marshall ran an outstanding race finishing Third. The First Year Girls won Best Overall Team.
Conor Gleeson had an amazing run in the First Year Boys Competition finishing Second. The First Year Boys team finished fourth overall with only 4 points in the difference from getting medals so keep training and in the next race you will be successful.In the Second Year Boys event Aaron Cullen strode over the finish line comfortably and won the race. The Second Year Boys won Best Overall Team.
The Third Year Boys Team looked very strong with Craig Giles coming in First and Darren Keane following soon after to take Third place. The Third Year Boys won Best Overall Team.
In the Senior Girls Competition we had two amazing performances from Lara McEvoy and Alannah Byrne both of whom finished Second and Third respectively (both of these girls ran against senior girls). The Senior Girls Team finished Third overall.Eoin Keating ran a very impressive Senior Boys race finishing Second. The Senior Boys Team finished 4th overall.
Thanks to Ms Malone and Ms McDonald for their coaching and mentoring.
Happy Halloween.
We wish all of our students, teachers, staff and their families a restful and safe Mid-Term Break.
Click here for Dublin City Council’s Halloween safety video presented by the Fire Brigade.
This is an excellent animation of phobias for Halloween created by First Years Adam Dwyer, Jude Darcy, Ciaran Hegarty, Markuss Lama and Sean Kelly with the help of Ms McWilliams in the library.
Library Word of the Day Animation – The Return!
This is the second video produced by Kyle Hannon and Ms McWilliams. View and expand your vocabulary. Visit the library to see the daily words. Click here to view the video.
Academic Awards 2015.
On Wednesday 14 October 2015 we hosted our Annual Academic Awards attended by proud parents/guardians and teachers and beaming students. Mr Higgins excelled once more with his coveted certificates and Southern cross painting. Ms O’Driscoll’s impressive string quintet played ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ by Jerimiah Clarke and an extract from ‘Canon’ by Pachelbel creating a wonderful atmosphere.
Mr Fitzgerald introduced Mr David Hickey as our guest speaker. He is a former footballer and current selector for Dublin and the current Director of Transplantation. He was awarded two all-stars for Dublin in 1974 and 1976. He won the All Ireland with Dublin on three occasions in 1974, 1976 and again in 1977. David has won two League Medals with Dublin in 1976 and 1978. He is a consultant urologist and transplant surgeon.
Mr Hickey spoke of how we must be true to ourselves and not accept the status quo if we are to make a mark on our world. We must blend compassion with ambition and help the vast majority of the population who are not as privileged as us. His simple and truthful message will echo in the future actions of all who were present.
Mr Hickey presented our awards with the assistance of our Prefects. Deputy Head Boy, Conor Holland and Deputy Head Girl, Fiona Tighe introduced our Students of The Year who are awarded for their overall contributions to school spirit. Caoimhe O’Reilly, Cormac Donnelly, Aliza Alias, Maedbh Donnelly and Aisling Moore were the worthy recipients.
Mr Dempsey then presented the Junior Certificate Awards assisted by Prefect Jack Nicholson. Twenty six students received awards for excelling in the State Exam and Emma Doyle was awarded the Gold Medal.
Mr Clarke presented the Leaving Certificate Awards on behalf of Mr Fitzgerald. The overall Gold Medal Winner was Kate Finnucane who is studying Science in TCD.
Our Principal Ms Deeney then presented Daniel Burke with the Ger Kenny Maths Award. Daniel is studying Actuarial Studies in UCD. The Principal’s Award for contribution to the school community went to Rhiannon Curtis-Davis who is studying Primary Teaching in DCU.
For a full list of award winners click here. Photos to follow.
Top Planners from Lesotho Visit PCS
Stephen Peppard Lineo planner Anbu Masateori chief planner Ed Colin Mac Andrew and Joe Corr Fingal planner Lesotho. Head planners from Lesotho were here as guests of Fingal County Council. They visited Portmarnock Community School to see how #MapLesotho is driving the most successful online mapping project in Africa led by PCS students and teachers supporting Action Ireland.
Maths week in PCS 12-16 October.
As well as Friendship week taking place this week, we are also marking Maths Week in the school. This is a national event and here are a few ways in which you can get involved in our school initiatives:
- Enter the Maths Eyes Competition:
- Watch the following video at this link http://www.
haveyougotmathseyes.com/ header-tab-maths-eyes- competitions-2014/ - This will explain how to enter the competition. We have a school based competition for both Junior and Senior Students: Top prize is a pair of cinema tickets for each category.
- All you need to do is take a photo (using your phone or other devise) and email it tommcneive@
portmarnockcommunityschool.ie or cmcglynn@ portmarnockcommunityschool.ie, including a tagline which explains the maths in your photo. Extra marks for imaginative and humorous taglines.The best entries from the school will be entered into the national competition. - Senior Students can enter the geogebra part of the competition. Similarly, just send your entries to mmcneive@
portmarnockcommunityschool.ie or cmcglynn@ portmarnockcommunityschool.ie - Mr. McDermott will email students with a “thatquiz” competition. Prizes include homework vouchers.
- TY students will complete the Prism contest designed by NUI Galway.
Words of the Day – The Film!
Every day in the Library the Word of the Day is displayed and explained. Now we present the movie version! Try to use these words and expand your vocabulary. There will be a new post every week and competitions to follow. Thanks to the Library team for all of their hard work.
Human Rights Photographic Exhibition.
Action Ireland are launching a photography project involving PCS and Lesotho students celebrating Ireland’s 100 year and Lesotho’s 50 year independence.
Both sets of students will be designing an exhibition which will be shown in both Dublin and Lesotho.
This is an exciting project for the students illustrating human rights issues. Our Portmarnock students are well equipped with cameras, however, the Lesotho students do not have cameras and cannot afford them.
We would like to ask parents/guardians, teachers and students if they have any unused digital cameras which they could kindly donate to the students in Lesotho. The type of cameras that students should have are Nikon or Canon DSLR (Digital single-lens reflex).
Please send in cameras to Mr Plunkett in G5 or the library.
Many thanks in advance.
PCS Boys’ U-17 Soccer Team Bow Out to O’Connell’s
Hard luck to the team who lost their preliminary round cup game to O’Connell’s. However, the scoreline does not do justice to the efforts of the PCS team who did everything except score.
The lads found themselves 3 nil down after 20 minutes of schoolboy defending. 2 goals were totally avoidable with one resulting from a great save by Steven James. But his defence watched as the opposition forward ran in to tap home the leftovers. As the half wore on PCS created numerous opportunities but the closest they came to a goal was a post that denied Karl Stanley. A great move then resulted in a penalty which was dispatched clinically by Karl Lynch into the bottom lefthand corner of the net. O’Connell’s then scored on the counter attack to make it 4 – 1 at halftime. Troy Hennessy came on in the second half and provided support and added to the creativity of the tireless Kevin Healy in the PCS midfield. Kevin’s range of passing and Troy’s link up play were vital as PCS searched for a way back into the game. PCS pressed for the entire second half with wingers Karl Stanley and Ciaran Gregan enjoying more of the ball. Darren Daly dropped deep to help the PCS cause but the team were unable to capitalise on a string of guilt edged chances. Healy was then unlucky to have a superb free kick saved by the O’Connell’s keeper who got down smartly to his left. The Porto agony was then compounded when O’Connell’s then grabbed a breakaway goal to seal the deal 5 – 1. The team then suffered the loss of the indefatigable Max Slobodkin and keeper Steven James who made several great saves on the day. PCS had lots of football in them but could not cope with the more direct play of the opposition. Making the most of the hard fought opportunities that come their way and tightening up in defence will be necessary in the season ahead.