We’re delighted to launch our gorgeous new prospectus for 2012 Open Day.
You can flick through the pages below and get a sneak peak of life at St Paul’s High School. Parents and prospective P7 pupils are very welcome at our Open Day which takes place this Saturday (28 January) from 10.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, will address parents and pupils at 12.00 noon.
Pictured is PE teacher, Miss Michaela Downey, Aimee Mackin, St Paul’s Gaelic girls’ coach & teacher, Mrs Julie Simpson and Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney.
The KUKRI Ulster schools All Star team headed to Kinnegad on Saturday with St Paul’s very own Aimee Mackin, Aimee being the youngest in the squad achieving the All star award.
Everyone in St Paul’s is very proud of Aimee’s success in achieving this award and wish her all the best for her future with Ulster Ladies Gaelic.
Year 13 BTEC Sport students with their teacher Mr Martin O’Rourke and Mr Denis Hollywood, Sports Development Officer with Armagh County GAA.
Year 13 BTEC Sport students were presented with certificates in recognition of the completion of their foundation Level coaching for Gaelic football.
Their certificates were presented to them by Mr Denis Hollywood, Sports Development Officer with Armagh County GAA, who co-ordinated the scheme in St Paul’s.
Gavin Coogan is pictured with Mr Paddy McAvoy and Mary McManus, Head of Vocational Education
Congratulations to Gavin Coogan who recently won the Skill Build competition at Southern Regional College’s Greenbank Campus.
Gavin beat off strong opposition in the brickwork section to win his title. The assessors stated that his work was of the highest quality.
Year 11 student Emily Shields has recorded her own moving rendition of the famous classical piece ‘Pie Jesu’. Emily is supporting St Paul’s International Projects, and made her own CD and accompanying video which we’re delighted to show below.
All proceeds from the sale of Emily’s CD will be donated to St Paul’s International Projects. Well done Emily!
Aim
This plan aims to set our procedures in the event of adverse weather that may result either in school closure, or restricted school opening.
A closure due to adverse weather could be made at any time. This plan aims to prevent:
Policy
It is policy that the school will open on all normal school days even when some poor road conditions exist. However, in the event of adverse weather we cannot guarantee that staff will be able to attend school and a decision to close or restrict school opening may have to be made.
In the event of a building closure, pupils in Years 11 – 14 are aware that alternate provision has been made using the school’s Virtual Learning Platform, Oscail 24/7. Pupils should visit www.oscail247.org and use the resources which have been posted online to continue their school work from home. In certain cases ‘live’ online classroom sessions will be facilitated using video conferencing and distance learning technology. Pupils will be alerted to these lessons via notifications posted on Oscail 24/7, and via Facebook and the school website.
Procedure
If the weather conditions are severe enough to force a school closure, this decision will be communicated by one or more of the following means:
The decision to close/re-open the school will be taken by the Principal in consultation with the Senior Leadership Team.
A decision will be made by 7.30am at the latest, but hopefully much earlier, or where possible the night before if conditions are predictable. Please check online for updates before leaving home to travel to St Paul’s.
As above, once a decision is made. The school phone is likely at this time to be very busy and it may not be possible to get through in a timely fashion. Please only use the phone for emergency calls. The most reliable way to receive our communications is via the school website and/or Facebook or Twitter.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Will I be contacted in the event of a school closure due to adverse weather?
No. Parents are advised to check the school website for regular updates. Alternatively follow St Paul’s High School on Facebook, or subscribe to the school’s Twitter feed for updates.
2. Do I need to contact the school if my child is unable to travel due to adverse weather?
There is no need to ring the school if your child is unable to travel to school. In line with our Policy on Attendance, an explanatory note should be provided on your child’s return to school.
3. How do I know whether it is safe to travel to school or not?
Always check the school website or social networks first. Parents and staff have to decide whether it is safe to make the journey into school. Where possible the school will try to ensure that there will be someone at school to greet the pupils. If no member of staff is present upon arrival at the school, your children must remain your responsibility and should not be left unattended.
Remember, in cold winter weather it is always advisable to carry extra warm clothing in cars in case you get into difficulties.
4. Will pupils be registered late if we are delayed arriving at school?
No, registration normally closes at 10.30am. Pupils arriving beyond normal close of Registration will not be registered as late.
Appointments/Meetings
If school is closed due to adverse weather all appointments and meetings will be rescheduled.
Impact on Education
There may be days when the school is operating with a reduced number of staff due to adverse weather conditions in local areas. Your child may not be taught by their usual teachers or in their usual classes. However, we will ensure that they have as normal a ‘school day’ as possible.
Contingency Plan for school closures and examinations
A contingency plan has been put in place in the event of the examinations officer not being in school on the days of public examinations. Parents are strongly advised to refer to the school website, Facebook or Twitter for specific information relating to public examinations that may be affected by adverse weather.
Important Numbers and Websites:
School Telephone: (028) 3083 0309
School Website: www.stpaulsbessbrook.org
School Virtual Learning Platform: www.oscail247.org
School Facebook page: www.facebook.com/stpaulsbessbrook
School Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/stpaulsbbrook (* note the spelling of stpaulsbbrook * )
December 2011
Principal of St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook, Mr Oliver Mooney, welcomed a large crowd of parents, friends and recent past pupils of the school to the Annual Senior Prizegiving, which was held recently. Mr Mooney introduced the platform party, and welcomed Guest Speaker, Mr John Campbell, Principal of St Peter’s Primary School, Cloughreagh and Chair of Board of Governors, Very Rev Father Seán Larkin, PP, Vice-chair of Board of Governors, and Very Rev Father Dermot Maloney, PP, School Chaplain.
Mr Mooney addressed the recent past pupils and their parents:
“Given the economy as it is at present, the dark, dreary days of December and the constant gloom and doom that dominates our newspapers and the daily news on television and radio it would be easy to despair.”
“We need nights like tonight to remind ourselves that it isn’t all gloom and doom but that there is a bright, rewarding future ahead and that all bad things pass. Tonight is a night of great celebration and I am so proud of these outstanding young people who have made such great efforts in their studies at St Paul’s. They are all our futures and by the time they have graduated the economy will be on the way up again. Never has there been a more important time for everyone to enhance their education and training so that they are ready to positively contribute to our society.”
“Northern Ireland has made huge leaps forward as a society and St Paul’s with its partner schools are part of this rebuilding for the future. The students present have been part of the many initiatives that happen on a daily basis in St Paul’s and we can now look back together on our highly successful Specialist Schools programme that built so many bridges over the past few years between neighbouring schools both primary and post primary and cross sector. I am indebted to all the staff and pupils who were involved in this great work.”
“We now are in the second year of our Sharing Education Programme which is facilitated by QUB and funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies Organisation. This programme sees our students working with a wide range of schools, including our good neighbours, Newtownhamilton High School. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Garnet Mullan, the Principal of Newtownhamilton High School for his personal support and enthusiastic commitment for our PEACE programme. PEACE stands for Partnership for Education and Community Enrichment in South Armagh and only last Monday we had the launch of a new DVD supporting the Southern Area Hospice here in St Paul’s. This involved pupils from Bessbrook Primary School and St Joseph’s, Meigh coming together with pupils from Dromintee and other schools to produce a wonderful DVD in Spanish and English. St Paul’s hosted this initiative and our recording and editing equipment and our sound and film expertise were invaluable in bringing this hugely worthwhile venture to a successful conclusion. Copies are available locally at £5 each and all proceeds go to the Southern Area Hospice.”
“St Paul’s also has a very close relationship with Rathore Special School and again teachers and pupils from St Paul’s are regular visitors to Rathore. I would also like to acknowledge the Principal of Rathore, Mr Raymond Cassidy and his staff and Mr Alan Black, their Chair of Governors, for their great support in building this mutually beneficial relationship. I have been so impressed by the brilliant work being done with those wonderful children and young adults and I must thank our own Mr Peter Slane and Ms Pauline Lynch for their dedication and expertise in this school link.”
“Many of our students are fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to visit Romania, Kenya or Brazil through our International Projects. Others have visited France, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain or England and Scotland over recent years. These visits help our students to look beyond themselves and their local area and to adopt an international and Christian perspective on people and places outside Ireland. They have also fund raised for scores of good causes and charities.”
“St Paul’s is truly an international school and none of this would have been possible without the support of you the parents and our dedicated and enthusiastic staff.”
“This just gives you a flavour of life in St Paul’s but the best advertisements we have for St Paul’s are the young people here tonight to collect their certificates and awards. They are now following the next part of their lives and most of them are at university following a wide range of courses. We are all very proud of what they have achieved and it is only right that we gather here tonight to mark their achievements. All of them will receive their certificates tonight and many of them will be presented with special awards. Each student here is a winner, they have all succeeded.”
“They are the product of a non selective, co-educational school that seeks to educate the whole person. They didn’t need a top grade in an academic assessment when they were 10 or 11 to get in to St Paul’s yet here they are tonight, highly successful and on a par with or better than those who were creamed off for a grammar school education. Schools should serve their own community and in the case of St Paul’s that is rural South Armagh, from Jonesboro to Whitecross and from Bessbrook to Mullaghbawn and Forkhill. We would love to take all children that apply to us but that isn’t possible as we must obey the numbers set by the Department of Education and anyway we wouldn’t have the space to hold them unless we expand again. I have learned many things as I have got older and I am totally convinced that there is no need for academic assessment at 11. If we truly want to build a new better society then we need to educate children to respect and value each other and to respect and value everyone who contributes to our communities no matter what job they do.”
“Jesus didn’t just pick professionals to be his disciples, he picked ordinary people who were prepared to follow him and spread his gospel of love, equality and social justice.”
“Please keep supporting St Paul’s, it’s your school in your community. Thank you again for being with us tonight and I hope everyone here has a happy, holy and healthy Christmas and a wonderful 2012.”
Pictured are students who received individual awards for Best Examination Results at GCE Advanced Level. The students are pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell and Vice-chairman of Governors, V Rev Father Sean Larkin, PP, and representative from Norbrook Laboratories, Mr Paul Stokes.
Pictured are students who received individual awards for Best Examination Results at GCE Advanced Level. The students are pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell and Vice-chairman of Governors, V Rev Father Sean Larkin, PP, and representative from Norbrook Laboratories, Mr Paul Stokes.
Students who received individual awards for Endeavour and Contribution at GCE Advanced Level, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell and Vice-chairman of Governors, V Rev Father Sean Larkin, PP, and representative from Norbrook Laboratories, Mr Paul Stokes.
Students who received individual awards for Endeavour and Contribution at GCE Advanced Level, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell and Vice-chairman of Governors, V Rev Father Sean Larkin, PP, and representative from Norbrook Laboratories, Mr Paul Stokes.
Students who received Medals for Class Endeavour, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell and Vice-chairman of Governors, V Rev Father Sean Larkin, PP.
Recipient of the Marion Reavey Trophy for Commitment to Music at GCE, Nicola Hughes, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell.
Recipients of Awards for Vocational Excellence at A Level, Diarmuid McConville and Noelín Bradley pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell.
Recipients of Awards for Academic Excellence at A Level, Johnny Feenan, Tanya Fitzpatrick, Sarah Harper, Mairéad Lonergan, Emer McDonnell and Michelle Murphy, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell.
Recipient of the Father Henry Devlin Cup in Recognition of Outstanding Academic Excellence at A Level, Connor Fegan, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell.
Recipient of the Hope Award for Contribution to School Life, Ronan Sharkey, pictured with Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, Chairman of Governors, Mr John Campbell.
Head of PE & Sport at St Paul’s High School, Mr John Rafferty, welcomed a large crowd of students and parents to the Annual Sports Awards at St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook. Mr Rafferty introduced the crowd to the platform party which included Mr Joby Burke, Armagh County Hurling Goalkeeper, Mr James Daly, past pupil of St Paul’s and current Armagh Ladies Senior team manager, and Mr Jarlath Burns, Vice-principal of St Paul’s.
Mr Rafferty made the following remarks before the presentation ceremony
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go”
“This can often be seen in practice most evenings around 5pm as the car park in St Paul’s is filled to capacity with parents waiting to lift their sons and daughters following the numerous training sessions throughout the year. All schools celebrate winning an Ulster title so St Paul’s can be proud of a year that saw their boys and girls deliver five Ulster titles, three Northern Ireland Dance wins and saw St Paul’s Netball grow to become the leading force in the Newry and Mourne Netball region. Gaelic games are the corner stone of the extra curriculum sport programme in St Paul’s and this year the ladies football teams walked away with three Ulster titles with two winning teams at Under 14 level and an Under 12 blitz win as well.”
“The under 14 ‘A’ girls won the ladies equivalent of the prestigious Corn na nÓg for being a first for any ladies team in St Paul’s. “
“There was success for the boys as they were led to the schools first hurling title by Mr Joby Burke, current Armagh county keeper, at both Under 16 and Under 13 level. At an individual level Aoife McCullough and Aimee Mackin were honoured with Ulster Ladies Colleges All Star Awards and St Paul’s provided 3 of the Armagh minor team which reached this years Ulster Final. The girls were presented with their awards by past pupil of St Paul’s and current Armagh ladies manager James Daly.”
Congratulating the pupils on their success and their parents for their continued support, Vice-principal Mr Jarlath Burns pointed out that had the boys been successful in their Loch An Iúir and Mac Larnon finals that there might not have been enough room on the stage for the medals.
He thanked the pupils for their commitment to the school teams and encouraged them to repeat the effort in their future sporting and academic trials. He continued outlining that St Paul’s had become the yardstick for both Northern Ireland Dance competitions and Netball in the Southern Education and Library Board regions. Following the presentation of the medals to the successful teams Mr Burns thanked the staff for their commitment to helping the pupils realise the benefits of participating in extra-curricular sport and experiencing first hand the benefits of hard work.
Pictured is the Netball team who received awards for Netball Northern Ireland Area Winners and Newry and Mourne Winners. The students are pictured with Mrs Paula O’Hare-Armstrong.
Pictured are the Hurlers who received awards for Hurling (Reta Cup). The students are pictured with Mr Joby Burke (Armagh County Hurling Goalkeeper) and Vice-principal Mr Jarlath Burns.
Pictured are the Ladies Footballers who received awards for the equivalent of the prestigious Corn na nÓg award. The students are pictured with Miss M Downey, Miss M McNamee, Mrs J Simpson, Mrs A Hollywood and Mr James Daly (Armagh Ladies Senior Manager).
Pictured is Gemma McKeown who received an award for Key Stage 5 Netballer of the Year and Commitment to Netball Award. Gemma is pictured with Mrs Paula O’Hare-Armstrong and Mr John Campbell (Chair of Governors).
Pictured are the Junior and Senior Northern Ireland Dance Group who received the Ladies All Star award. The students are pictured with Turlough McNally (Past Pupil).
Pictured are Aimee Mackin, Aoife McCullough who received awards for Ladies All Star Footballers and Caolan Rowntree who received an award for Poc Fada. The students are pictured with Mrs Freda Mackin, Mr Michael Mackin, Mr James Daly (Armagh Ladies Senior Manager), Mr John Campbell (Chair of Governors’), Mrs A Hollywood and Mr Damien McCullough, Mrs J Simpson and Miss M Downey.
Year 13 Health & Social Care students with Katy Royle from Downs Syndrome Association and class teacher, Miss Marion McNamee
Year 13 Health and Social Care students invited Katy Royle of the Downs Syndrome Association (DSA) to speak to them about the effects of having a child with Downs Syndrome.
Kay has been working with Downs Syndrome families for twelve years and shared her expert knowledge of the condition. The students will be investigating this condition as part of the AS course, and identifying the barriers to the care of those with additional needs.
St Paul’s High school was delighted to welcome Newtownhamilton High school for a continuation of their joint Learning for Life and Work project. This project involves the pupils working together on various art and sporting activities.
This was part of the PEACE (Partnership, Education and Community Enrichment) initiative set up by the Shared Education Programme. This programme aims to encourage schools to make cross- community collaborations an integral part of school life, creating enhanced educational and personal development opportunities for everyone involved.
The pupils had a brilliant time creating there festive decorations as well as having a sporting challenge, and they are really looking forward to their next encounter._
Patrick Mc Ateer: Hello there, Looks like the school has improved...
01/02/2012 12:18 pm
John Campbell: Aimee, Very well done indeed, what next?
31/01/2012 8:45 pm
aoibheann mc genity: wish i could sing like that,...
27/01/2012 11:49 am
alannah: ahhhhhhh!! now theres a play well...
25/01/2012 9:56 pm
alannah: well done. and well done to all who took part. it was...
25/01/2012 9:43 pm