The St Paul’s annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes takes place from the 6th – 11th July 2013.

For more information contact Fr Dermot or Kathleen on 028 30 830309.

Pictured above are the students going on the International Project to Romania, along with Miss Grace O’Neill, Mr Neil McArdle and Mr Kevin Moan, who are also going. 

Pictured above are the students going on the International Project to Kenya, along with Mrs Bridget McConville and Principal Mr Oliver Mooney, who are also going. Absent from the photo is school chaplain Fr Dermot. 

The staff and students will visit hospitals, clinics and orphanages in Romania and Kenya and bring much needed aid and help to orphans and sick children in these countries.

The Kenya group leave on Friday 1st February and will be returning home on Tuesday 12th February, and the Romania group will be leaving on Saturday 2nd February and return home on Saturday 9th February.

You can follow a live blog from both groups whilst they are on their International Project. To view this please see the links below.

Kenya

http://www.stpaulsbessbrook.org/international-project-kenya-2013/ 

Romania

http://www.stpaulsbessbrook.org/international-project-romania-2013/ 

Rachel Quinn of Newry Hospice is photographed with Year 11 students Mairead Woods and Rachel Rigney, presenting a cheque for the value of £120.00.

The Year 11 students raised £120.00 for Newry hospice during December.  This money was raised for the hospice by the students in 11-100, who made a donation to charity instead of having a secret Santa among the members of their class.

 Pictured above is class 11-100, presenting the cheque to Rachel Quinn of the Newry Hospice.

Pictured above are Year 14 pupils Maeve Morgan and Shane Fegan, who won the International Projects fundraiser ’St Paul’s has got Talent’.

The staff and students of St Paul’s performed to a packed house in aid of St Paul’s International Projects. A capacity crowd were entertained by students and staff who danced, sang, drummed, strummed, recited and whistled their way through the night. All year groups were represented among the acts and the audience added to the success of the night through their encouragement and responses.

In true reality television style the audience were involved in the selection process through filling in a voting slip, with votes being tallied by the organising committee. The top three acts were announced to the crowd – solo singer Sarah Kilgallon (Year 8), Irish Dancers Ronan Magennis (Year 9), Anna McCann, Aine Malone (Year 10) & Ruairi McCann (Year 11) and guitarist & singing duo Shane Fegan & Maeve Morgan (Year 14). The judging panel, consisting of Paddy McEvoy, Maria Wilson, Marion McNamee, Catherine Hughes & Julie Simpson, then decided the overall winning act – with Shane Fegan & Maeve Morgan being announced the overall winners. It was very fitting that these two won the show as both travelled to Romania last year and did excellent work while there. Mr Burns, MC for the night, handed over the trophy and cash prize of £100 to the winning act.

However, this talent show was one with a difference! As usual, St Paul’s goes one step further and not only was the talent of official acts showcased on the night. Year 14 students treated the audience to a surprise flash mob and nobody expected them to jump up from their seats in the crowd to Nathan Carter and then take to the stage with carefully selected songs from Evolution of Dance. This fantastic contribution to the night was enjoyed by all present and serves as evidence of the type of student that St Paul’s produces.

In keeping with surprise acts, the teacher novelty act went down a storm as they performed on stage to Tina Turner and Gangham Style. The entire audience responded as the teachers took to the floor and danced their way down through the hall.

The final aspect of the ‘talent show with a difference’ was the contribution of Kevin Kearney who did a brilliant Elvis routine and got the crowd on their feet, out of their seats and on to the stage to jive the evening to a close.

This event was very successful in creating a great evening’s entertainment for the St Paul’s community and also raising funds for needy places that will be visited when the St Paul’s teams begin their visits next week. A total of £2,851.80 was raised through this event, all of which will go directly to the orphanages, schools, clinics, hospitals etc that the staff and teachers will have the privilege of visiting.

The organising committee would like to sincerely thank all those who contributed to the event in any way, staff and students. Special thanks also goes to Marty McCone who looked after sound on the night, past pupils who sponsored prizes and Dan Gregory’s who donated the tuck shop for the night.

Videos of the Acts performing.

Year 14 Flashmob

Staff Novelty Act

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Act 4

Act 5

Act 6

Act 7

Act 8

Act 9

Act 10

Act 11

Act 12

Act 13

Act 14

Act 15

Reigning Champions

The Acts.

Rooney O’Malley’ dancers, who opened the show as they were the reigning champions.

Photos of the Acts performing.

Pictured above are students who are going on the International Project to Romania.

(L-R) Niamh Quinn, Sarah-Jayne McCann, Timothy Hamill, Michelle Brady, Taragh Boyle and Sharmaine Jarabelo.

On the 2nd February 2013, St Paul’s will set of on their annual International Project to Romania. This year St Paul’s have twenty three students going, and they will be accompanied by three members of staff.

Over the past couple of months, the successful students who were selected to go to Romania have been very busy fundraising for the upcoming project. The students decided to carry out their fundraising in groups, and we caught up with one of the groups (pictured above) to find out how they have been getting on.

The above group of students have been very active in their fundraising, and to date, they have raised approximately two thousand pound.

They carried out two road collections in the Camlough area, and this resulted in raising over one thousand pound. They also arranged a pub quiz in Trainors bar in Camlough, with over six hundred pound being raised from this, as well as two hundred being donated from Feile Camloch.

They have a number of fundraisers coming up, the main one being ‘St Paul’s Has Got Talent’ show.

Rachael Sands presents a cheque for £500 to Miss Bernie McShane from the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Pictured are staff members from St Paul’s High School, (L-R) Mrs Deirdre Graham, Mrs Margaret Murtagh, Mrs Maria Wilson, Miss Bernie McShane (RVH), Rachael Sands, Miss Ciara McCoy, Mrs Anne Mackin, Mrs Imelda Smith and Mr Lawrence Muckian.

On Wednesday 28th November St Paul’s celebrated the charity work carried out last year by the Rainbows group and also by Rachael Sands and her form class, 11/96.

Vice Principal, Mr Jarlath Burns spoke to the pupils about the challenges of life and how very proud we were of them as they already had faced difficulties and indeed were coping so well. Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney then presented the pupils with their finished pieces of work which told their individual stories and which were incredibly moving. The children of the Rainbows group then presented Mrs Majella Gallogly from Southern Area Hospice Newry with a £500 cheque which they had raised from an Easter egg Raffle.

Rachael Sands then presented Miss Bernie McShane from the Royal Victoria Hospital with another cheque for £500 which will go to N.I.C.C.F.U. (Northern Ireland Children’s Cancer Fund Unit). Unfortunately Rachael has to return to the Royal Victoria on Friday to begin treatment. Bernie, who is Rachael’s nurse assured us that this money was invaluable and would be used for the care of Rachael along with other young people who are battling cancer.

Rachel was presented with a card and a present from her form class. We all wish Rachael and her family the very best of luck and we will all keep her in our prayers until she returns in March/April.

Pictured are students from the Rainbows group presenting a cheque to the value of £500, to Mrs Majella Gallogly from the Southern Area Hospice, Newry. 

 Pictured above are the students who were successful in their applications to go on the International Projects to Romania and Kenya. Also in the picture is Principal Mr Oliver Mooney, School Chaplain Fr Dermot and Head of Health and Social Care Ms Christine Fearon. 

Twenty nice Year 13 students from St Paul’s High School have been awarded the opportunity to travel to Romania and Kenya in February 2013. The International Projects has been in existence in the school since 2006 and the limited numbers of places available are highly sought after. This year’s cohort was the most competitive ever, with Project co-ordinator in the school, Christine Fearon, receiving 93 written applications for the 29 places. The selection process initially was the written application, with candidates then short listed for interview.

The fundraising events have already begun with the Million Penny Appeal going strong, street collections, cake sales, quiz nights, a ceili, a FIFA Tournament, a traditional music session, a Santa Run and even a ‘St Paul’s Has Got Talent’ competition organised by this very keen and energetic group. Ms Christine Fearon is confident that this group may well raise the most funds ever for these disadvantaged regions and welcomes any support from the wider community in their endeavours.

The staff and students of St Paul’s got a chance to make their day a little sweeter thanks to a bun sale organised by the students of class 1096.  The students of 1096 were all assigned tasks in preparation for the bun sale with one group  in charge of publicity, one group in charge of stock and another group in charge of a raffle.

The bun sale was extremely busy but our students on the door ensured everyone got in and out of the room as quick as possible with all their purchases.  The staff and students had spent the night baking and the food available was magnificent. 1096 raised £1000 for a special cause and are very grateful for everyone that helped in any way in preparation for the bun sale and on the day. 

Below are some photos from the Bun Sale: 

Pictured above are  senior students from St Paul’s High School, who recently received their John Paul II Awards from Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, at St Patrick’s Cathedral.  The students are pictured with Mrs Deirdre Graham, RE teacher at St Paul’s, Cardinal Brady, and Rev Deacon Thomas McHugh.

Congratulations to Claire McCone, Janine O’Hanlon, Aoife Garvey, Emma Quinn and Sarah McGennity , they received their John Paul II Awards at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh recently.

Their awards were presented by Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Sean Brady. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very proud night for the students, their parents, Mrs Deirdre Graham, RE teacher at St Paul’s and the whole school community.

Pictured above are St Paul’s pupils that helped out  with the cake sale and Easter Egg raffle.

This year the proceeds of the Easter egg raffle and cake sale will be split between the local Hospice and the medical team who treated Rachel Sands.

Pupils who have lost parents through cancer will return to St John’s hospice Newry, during this term and personally hand over the money raised to the staff.

Rachel Sands will invite her family and her medical team into school and will present the cheque to them.  The annual cake sale and Easter Egg raffle was extremely successful the pupils and RE department would like to sincerely thank all who contributed easter eggs, cakes, buns or donated money – it is very much appreciated.