7th March 2025
Basketball
Congratulations to Loreto’s first-year basketball team on securing their place in the South East Final with a hard-fought victory over Presentation Waterford. Well done on this outstanding achievement!
Football
Well done to our First-Year footballers who had a big win last Friday against St. Mary’s New Ross in the first round of the Wexford Post-Primary Schools First-Year Competition. The girls battled extremely hard throughout and were fully deserving of their victory.
Our under-14 footballers got their Leinster Championship up and running on Wednesday with a very good win over Gorey CS. They now have their second group game vs Coláiste Bhríde Carnew to look forward to on Friday March 14th in Loreto. Well done all!
Camogie
On Tuesday our fifth- and sixth-year camogie players competed in a sevens tournament hosted by SETU Carlow, reaching the cup semi-finals against Loreto Kilkenny. Congrats to Sinead Cullen, Goalkeeper of the Tournament, and Layla Stafford, Standout Player of the Tournament.
LCA students are collecting board games and would greatly appreciate any donations of games that are no longer in use at home. Donation boxes will be placed outside Ms. Shannon’s room. Thank you for your support!
World Hearing Day
Well done to Úna Walsh in 5th year who appeared on RTÉ news in Newbawn N.S. deaf classes & RTÉ Radio 1 with Ray Darcy as the Irish Youth Ambassador for Hidden Hearing. Una highlighted the power of reaching goals!
Athletics
Best of luck to our first-year Cross Country athletes as they travel to Galway this weekend to compete in the All-Ireland Schools Championships. Mia Wright, Caitlin Griffith, and Saoirse Drumm will represent our school in the Minor Girls 2000m race.
First Year Book Club
Some of our first-year book club students met yesterday to discuss Neil Gaiman’s novel Coraline. There was plenty of enthusiastic discussion about this captivating read in celebration of World Book Day.
Multicultural Week 2025: Our Emblem, Our Identity
Multicultural Week has been an annual event in our school since 2018 and has gone from strength to strength each year. It is a hugely significant week in our school calendar when we come together as a community to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
Multicultural Volunteers representing 20 different cultures started their work in early January attending numerous Inclusion Committee meetings after school and researching tirelessly to find the perfect outfit for the Fashion Show and the most interesting items for their cultural stands. They each represented their culture excellently and are to be commended for their dedication and commitment:
| Culture | Students |
| Syria | Hanin Al Kasem & Haya Al Kasem |
| Turkey | Ilayda Emen, Veda Hanley O’ Leary |
| Zimbabwe | Kirsty Nyadenga Maenzanise, Kristy Asante Maenzanise, Nissrine El Hussein |
| Pakistan | Aleaseya Furquan, Auj Khan, Rayan Khan, Alicia Omo |
| Latvia | Alisa Krumpane, Hanna Hearne |
| Lithuania | Ieva Sniezkaite, Gabija Varnauskaite, Ruby Kavanagh |
| England | Jessie Larkin, Katie Ennis |
| Germany | Ella Duggan, Marlene Fenton |
| India | Jiya Varghese, Jenna Varghese, Avril Allwin, Michelle Nixon, Anne Friedrich, Janhavi Bawankule |
| Ireland | Vivienne Moran, Roisin Moran, Aoife Gorman, Sophia Grannell |
| Poland | Kinga Godula, Emma Walsh, Julia Suska, Sophie Zydorek, Jagoda Szelagowska |
| 12. School of Sanctuary | Lucy Geoghegan, Robyn Parle, Nykia Quigley, Rosie Kenny, Alisha Sheppard, Jill Murphy, Sofia Barron |
| 13. Italy | Julia Barret, Nadia Barron, Aileen Mazzei Rizza |
| 14. Ukraine | Veronica Tuz, Mariia Hereshenko , Vladislava Yakovlieva, Alisa Puskova, Jane Babina, Nataliia Zazulya, Sofia Unychenko |
| 15. Canada | Mairead Alouf, Roisin Reynolds |
| 16. USA | Rylee Milliken, Muireann Drumm, Caoimhe & Sophie Hayes, Fia Henwick, Ashley Howlin, Hannah Cullimore |
| 17. South Africa | Akira Rose, Leah Rose, Saheli Moodley, Jocelyn Sparrow, Isha Amodu |
| 18. Russia | Ariana O’ Callaghan, Grace O’ Leary, Erin Thomas |
| 19. France | Sophie Doyle, Christina Molloy, Jagoda Szelagowska, Abbie Bolger, Marianne Coulet, Isabella Gondard, Ms. Lordan, Yosra El Hussein |
| 20. China | Rhianna Ruo Yu Sun, Alannah Hayes |
| 21. Croatia | Tea Kurkutovic & Julia Barrett |
Special mention must also be given to Haya Al Kasem and Laryn Tracy who were wonderful MCs at our Fashion Show on Tuesday.
Our classroom initiative this year focused on teaching 1st year students about the Syrian culture and the South African culture. 5th year students Isha Amodu (South Africa) and Haya Al Kasem (Syria) delivered lessons explaining the history, heritage and traditions of their cultures.
TY students Ariana O’ Callaghan, Grace O’ Leary and Erin Thomas also led a classroom initiative by demonstrating how to make Russian biscuits to their Home Ec class.
Sports from around the world were celebrated in PE classes. All TY students enjoyed a Jiu Jitsu workshop from Silverback Gym. Although its origins can arguably be traced back to Buddhist monks, Jiu Jitsu in its modern form originated in Japan and was adapted in Brazil. It is a form of martial arts based on grappling ground fighting and submission holds. Jiu-Jitsu translates as ‘gentle / yielding art’. The TYs enjoyed practising the holds on each other after the instructors from ‘Silverback Gym’ demonstrated what to do. There was plenty of laughing and good fun as the students learned how to defend themselves in tricky situations. 1st and 2nd years learned how to play cricket when the Cricket Leinster visited their classes, and they were blessed with beautiful weather for their matches.
The school community enjoyed music from around the world as songs chosen by our volunteers were played over the intercom each evening at the end of the school day. There were also posters and flags displayed all over our GP Area so that students gathering there were immersed in the riot of colour and fascinating facts about cultures from around the world.
Garda Anne Quirke, our community liaison garda, kindly visited 1st years once again to explain to them the importance of human rights and diversity. Anne encouraged all 1st years to show respect and an openness to learn when they attended our main event of the week, our Multicultural Fashion Show & Stands on Tuesday 25/2/25.
All these classes were important for Multicultural Week as they showed once again how there is much to learn from the wonderfully diverse cultures in our world.
As always, the highlight of our week was the Multicultural Fashion Show & Stands. This year we were delighted to welcome students from the Presentation Secondary School here in Wexford and students from St. Mary’s Secondary School in New Ross as well as proud parents to help us celebrate diversity. The day is always enjoyable for teachers, students and visitors alike with the vibrant photos below being the best method of conveying the joyful and celebratory atmosphere:
We were delighted to welcome back Homayoon Shirzad to speak to all TYs and members of the Inclusion Committee. Homayoon shared his own story of coming to Ireland as a refugee from Afghanistan before securing his job in Wexford County Council. He gave students insightful pieces of information about the challenges facing those who are displaced and challenged the stereotypes that exist around migrants and refugees.
Multicultural Week is a key event on our school calendar, but it is important to note that celebrating diversity goes to the heart of our school ethos all year long. As a school community, we are committed to ensuring all students feel valued and respected. This week of celebrations is just one of many ways to ensure this. If you would like to join the Inclusion Committee and share your ideas, new members are always welcome.
Dates to Note
Tuesday 11th March – School finishes at 11:45 for Staff Training
Monday 17th March- School Closed_ Public Holiday
Tuesday 18th March- School closed – Discretionary day
Wednesday 26th March – Mock Interviews – TY
