17 September 2021
School Show
We are delighted to announce that, subject to full adherence to prevailing public health guidelines, we will be staging the ever-popular musical, Calamity Jane, with the students and staff of St. Peter’s College in the National Opera House on 7, 8, 9 December.
Auditions will shortly be held under the watchful eyes of Alan Corcoran (producer), Fintan Cleary and Fintan Kavanagh (musical directors).
There is a long tradition of musical co-operation between both schools and we sincerely hope that all will be well in our country as we emerge from Covid restrictions to enable the talent in both schools to shine on stage in early December.
School Plan, 2021/2022
The School Plan, 2021/2022 runs to 434 pages and is available to view on www.loretowexford.com.
The plan includes a wide range of school policies that have been developed and updated regularly over many years. Additionally, it also contains details of school self-evaluation activities that have been used to inform practice as we constantly strive to develop our service to all stakeholders.
With the easing of Covid regulations, our School Planning Group which is representative of staff, students and parents, is now back to holding weekly in-person meetings. The group will be discussing several target areas over the year, including the following:
| Target 1 | To review the school’s compliance with the requirements of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (2013) |
| Target 2 | To review the school’s Wellbeing practices, in particular for students with very high levels of need, with reference to the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2025 |
| Target 3 | To develop and implement a whole-school approach to teaching study skills |
| Target 4 | To review the school curriculum at both junior and senior cycles and to make provision for any additional programme deemed necessary e.g. Leaving Certificate Applied |
| Target 5 | To review the structure of each school day with regard to the duration of classes (40 minutes or 60 minutes), length of lunch break, provision for extra-curricular activities and any associated matters of concern e.g traffic management at the end of the day |
| Target 6 | To consider what positive learnings should be applied to school practices as a consequence of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic |
| Target 7 | To review the process by which Head Girls are appointed |
Your attention is drawn to section 4 of the plan which contains 24 areas dealing specifically with the care and management of students.
Parents’ Association AGM
A reminder that the Parents’ Association AGM takes place in the school at 18.30 on Monday next, 20 September.
Attendance is limited to 30 persons. Those attending must pre-register by means of the link that has been circulated to families by Mr. McGinnity (Deputy Principal).
Prefects, 2021/2022
The school congratulates the following students who have been selected by their classmates to serve as Prefects in the current school year:
| Class | Class Teacher | Prefect | Prefect |
| 1.1 | Mr. O’ Shea | Maeve Arrigan | Lea Bolger |
| 1.2 | Mr. Murphy (Business) | Orlaith Doyle | Caoimhe Hayes |
| 1.3 | Ms. N. Kelly (Irish) | Marina Lowning-Loring | Aoife Kehoe |
| 1.4 | Ms. Cotter (Maths) | Mia Murphy | Nicole Quirke |
| 1.5 | Ms. Doyle (Maths) | Sinéad Rivet | Evelyn Walker |
| 2.1 | Ms. Beattie (Maths) | Molly Donoghue | Gillian O’ Gorman |
| 2.2 | Mr. Broderick (Maths) | Kate Walsh | Ava McCormack |
| 2.3 | Ms. A. Byrne (Maths) | Yosra El Hussein | Mary Furlong |
| 2.4 | Mr. Crowdle (Maths) | Nicole Lagan | Catherine O’ Reilly |
| 2.5 | Mr. Grant (Maths) | Keelin O’ Reilly | Aoife Walsh |
| 2.6 | Ms. Skelton (Maths) | Demi Bergin | Sophie Kelly |
| 3.1 | Ms. Johns (Geography) | Katie Audsley | Emma Daly |
| 3.2 | Mr. J. Cummins (Geography) | Ciara Enright | Amy Hanton |
| 3.3 | Mr. Mc Bride (Religion) | Leagh Maddock | Malavika Manoj |
| 3.4 | Ms. L. Jordan (Religion) | Elena Peiro-Doyle | Eirin O’ Brien |
| 3.5 | Ms. Culleton (Religion) | Rebecca Power | Chloe Whelan |
| 4.1 | Ms. Walton (Music) | Grace Corrigan | Darcy O’ Connor |
| 4.2 | Mr. O’ Sullivan (Business) | Amelia Mirocha | Clara Murphy |
| 4.3 | Ms. McLean (IT) | Saoirse Banville | Sarah Quirke |
| 4.4 | Ms. Mullen (PE) | Hannah M. Kehoe | Caitlin Hunt |
| 4.5 | Mr. Gunning (Religion) | Emma Neville | Amelia Doyle |
| 5.1 | Ms. Carroll (Irish) | Katie Kehoe | Kaitlyn McDermott |
| 5.2 | Mr. Cornejo (Irish) | Sinéad O’ Reilly | Lucy Fitzgerald |
| 5.3 | Ms. De Róiste (Irish) | Hannah Fitzpatrick | Rayna Forte |
| 5.4 | Ms. Shannon (Irish) | Caragh Whelan | Ann Nolan |
| 5.5 | Mr. Usher (Irish) | Sophie Power | Eábha Crosbie |
| 5.6 | Ms. O’ Keeffe (Irish) | Jane Sinnott | Tara Kehoe |
| 6.1 | Ms. Browne (English) | Sarah Cummings | Caoimhe Moran |
| 6.2 | Mr. Goff (English) | Kate Dillon | Eve Howell |
| 6.3 | Ms. Davey (English) | Neasa Nic Corcráin | Aneena Juddymon Pynadath |
| 6.4 | Ms. O’ Donoghue (English) | Ciara Roche | Libby O’ Connor |
| 6.5 | Ms. Whitty (English) | Ciara Butler | Beth Byrne |
Survey on Covid-19 vaccination uptake by Loreto students
Students were invited to participate in a voluntary and anonymous survey in school on Thursday, 16 September to ascertain the level of vaccination uptake among the student body.
The key finding among the high levels of students who responded to the survey is set out below:
| Year Group | 6th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
| Fully or partially vaccinated or registered to receive a vaccination | 95.2% | 96.3% | 90.6% | 86% | 81.4% | 77.5% |
This is a very heartening finding that will provide a good level of re-assurance to the 950 people who work in the school daily.
Further poetry success for Sinéad O’ Reilly (5th year)
We are pleased to once again congratulate 5th year student Sinéad O’ Reilly for her most recent success at the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Awards where her poem, Classroom, was commended out of 15,000 entries.
Sinéad adds the side note that although it’s based on classroom anxiety, it’s not based on any present experience!
Classroom
My chair at school feels like the
Plastic bucket a crab shrivels into
When plucked from its rockpool.
My sister asked me once why
I don’t smile on the street.
God, I’m red as a crust left in the sun
And my legs no better than barnacled Claws.
My stomach swings high
Over ripples of conversation.
I feel Sick.
I want to splice out of this shell
But I’m afraid there’d be nothing left.
