1st year students enjoyed the recent ‘Activity Days’ provided by the Bantry and Dunmanway School Completion Programme that operates in our school.
This was in recognition of their resilience in getting through the unusual and difficult school year they have had so far with Covid 19 disruptions and restrictions and as an encouragement for the remainder of the year.
A great time was had by all !
Congratulations to Claire Griffin, who has come 3rd in the ‘Green Isle Schools Recipe Challenge’, for Transition Year students.
Claire's brief was to create a delicious healthy recipe, that would help people to reach their 5 a day.
The recipe had to include at least one Green Isle product, and a brief description of her dish.
With over 100 students entering & 78 different recipes using Green Isle fruit or vegetables, this is a massive achievement.
Claire's Dish
Homemade vegan pea and spinach ravioli, (using Green Isle spinach & petit pois) with
Chimichurri sauce, served with Green Isle Country mixed vegetables.
Claire has won a voucher to the value of €200:00 for the Home Economics Department, she will receive an apron and a certificate for her fantastic achievement.
This is Claire’s 3rd successful competition within the last 9 months.
Winner of Fyffes Bananas Baking Competition,
Second in Senior Category, of The Kenwood Chef Baking Competition, and now,
Third in The Green Isle Schools Recipe Challenge, for Transition Year students.
Congratulations Claire, on a tremendous achievement.
Well done to you, from all in the Home Economics Department, and all in SCS.
5th Year French students enjoying their French breakfast today.
Following the excitement of our recently inaugurated school library, 1E visited Skibbereen Library on Wednesday 09 February. We were warmly welcomed by Veronica and the other library staff.
Students were shown how to access the various resources and were given a tour of the different areas. The library is an excellent resource for any student who will be embarking on research projects.
Thanks to Alice Deane and her mum, Sherven, all students are now members of the library and can borrow up to twelve books at a time. Happy reading!
Did you know you can borrow a musical instrument from your local library? Neither did we! The library services also provide over 500 e-learning courses for adults. It is possible to read daily newspapers and magazines for free, access e-books, send documents for printing remotely, book a PC, borrow or return a book in any library in the country, access language learning programmes and much, much more!
¡Muchas gracias a Sophia y Áine por nuestra lección de español esta mañana!
We flipped the classroom in Spanish class today and the girls were the profesoras.
We learned about the Feria de Málaga which takes place every August and we were taught how to make paper linternas, similar to those which line the city streets during the festival.
Fue muy divertido y relajante. We look forward to more interactive lesson from our TY students.
In association with the Irish Film Institute, the 5th French language students travelled to Bantry Cinema with their French teachers Mr. Lynch & Ms. O'Farrell to see the French film “Petit Pays/Small Country: An African Childhood”.
This film with English subtitles is part of the 2022 Modern Foreign Language schools programme Film Tour.
Petit Pays/Small Country: An African Childhood
This new French language film is set against the backdrop of the Rwandan conflict. Gabriel is a happy young boy living in Burundi during the 1990s with his French father, Rwandan mother, and his younger sister. They live a relatively sheltered and privileged life, until his world is turned upside down as violence and unrest spills over from neighbouring Rwanda.
This powerful tale, based on a true story and adapted from the best-selling original novel , explores the topics of ethnic tensions and identity through the eyes of young boy, of both French and Rwandan heritage, just struggling to make sense of it all.
This week marked the first day of Spring and we are welcoming it with open arms in SCS!
First years have been busy celebrating Imbolc and St Brigid’s Day, learning about the history and traditions that come with the first week of February.
Today we also celebrated St. Blaise and the blessing of throats.
Jan 31st The U14 Boys Football Team and their coach Mr. Maurice Moore beat Rosscarbery in a friendly match.
Feb 1st The Junior Ladies Football Team and their coach Ms. Orla Higgins lost at home to Kenmare in the Schools Cup.
Feb 2nd The U16 1/2 Boys Football team and their coach Mr. Eoghan Daly beat Coláiste Phobail Bheanntraí in a friendly.
Feb 2nd The U16 1/2 Girls Football team and their coaches Ms. Ella Ryan, Ms. Anna Ward and Mr. Ger Carey beat Coláiste Choilm in the Munster Semi-Final.
John Coleman
When it comes to GAA in schools, many of the principles that contribute to success in the classroom are the same as those that bring success on the field.
It’s all about good people coming together and working hard to create an environment that empowers students to excel. It’s no surprise then, that both Skibbereen Community School and Hamilton High School of Bandon are the type of schools that enable such an environment to blossom.
It has seen both schools reach the semi-final of the Corn Uí Mhuirí for the first time in their history, though the Skibbereen school can draw on the rich heritage of St Fachtna’s De La Salle that was one of the three schools in the town, along with Mercy Heights and Rossa College, that amalgamated back in 2016 to form SCS.
Colman O’Driscoll, who will be on the line with David Whelton when Skibb face Tralee CBS in Mallow tomorrow, explains how the foundations have been lain.
“Our principal, Anton O’Mahony, and our deputies, Tom Foley and Diarmuid Ó Donnabháin, are brilliant and they give us great support, as they do with all sports in the school. Anything we’ve looked for, we’ve got it, and all of the other teachers, and the whole school community are behind the team and behind football in the school for the lads and the ladies.
“There’s Trojan work being done and we have a lot of people involved across the board over the last number of years. Maurice Moore (who served with Keith Ricken in his successful stint with the Cork U20s) is with the U14s, Eoin Daly coaches the U16s, while Ella Ryan and Anna Ward train the U16½ Junior Ladies team who are in the Munster semi-final against Coláiste Choilm.
“David Whelton from Castlehaven began in the school last year and he took the senior team with me and GDAs James McCarthy and Paudie Crowley give us great support. David is outstanding and has been a great addition to the school and the boys have great respect for him. He’s a Castlehaven senior and is involved with the coaching there too”
We’ve great facilities. The pitch is top class, we’ve done a bit of fundraising for gym equipment and there’s a great hall here too. We’re also surrounded by great clubs; O’Donovan Rossa, Castlehaven, Ilen Rovers, Tadhg MacCárthaighs, Clann na nGael, KIlmacabea, and we’ve one player from Clonakilty too; they’re all making a great contribution to the panel, across the board, at all levels.”
It’s a similar story for John O’Sullivan, 30 odd miles east of Skibb, as his Hamilton High School of Bandon tackle the aristocrats from St Brendan’s Killarney in the other semi-final.
“There’s always been a tradition here, we won an All-Ireland hurling title in 1993 and a football one in 2005 and since then it’s been a combination of a good foundation set by older teachers, a bit of enthusiasm from younger teachers, increased numbers, and a good bunch of students coming through with great ability. Management here are very supportive of the games too.
“The lads absolutely love playing for the school, there’s a fierce spirit about it that’s reflected in the team’s never- say-die attitude. The local clubs are very supportive too, with giving us time with their players and giving us access to their facilities.
“The clubs do all the slog, really. We just get the players and do our best at putting together the team and adding a bit to what’s already being done.”
The present is bright for the Hammies, but O’Sullivan is cognisant of both the past and the future as the school aspires to cater for the holistic needs of its pupils. “This is our fourth year getting to the quarter-final stage of the Corn Uí Mhuirí and this is our first year that we’ve got past it, so that’s been a big hurdle for us. The hurlers paved the way when they got to the Harty semi-final back in 2014 and that just showed that we’re capable of competing at that level, and even getting to that stage.
“We want to be promoting both games heavily and drawing students in because of that and we obviously have a very good academic record too. We recently fundraised to build an AstroTurf facility in the school, and this is all to do with promoting health, PE, and well-being within the school, but as well to promote the GAA too.”
The local Fire Brigade performed a crash simulation and car cutting exercise for our TY students today at the rear of the school.
Many thanks to all the Fire Crew involved.
