News from Rosemont
Student Council
28th May 2010
The incoming Student Council has been elected for 2010-2011. The students were interviewed by members of the outgoing Student Council and spoke to classes. This was followed by a school-wide election: Claire Faughey, Stacey Cho, Mary-Anne Kelly, Paula Fitzachary and Rachel Jarrett, who was elected Head Girl. Staff and Management look forward to working with the new Council in the next academic year. Their workshop will take place on Monday the 30th of August.
School Awards 2009-10
26th May 2010
Congratulations to the students who received awards this year:
Ellen Dooley; Paula Fitzachary; Megan Kennedy; Aoife Cantwell; Cathy Johnson; Aoife Ní Chéileachair; Ilaria Bitetti; Clodagh Pigott; Elena Marroquin; Marta Galdos
Club Gaeilge
19 Bealtaine 2010
Bhunaítear Club Gaeilge i Rosemont cúpla seachtain ó shin. Is gach Déardaoin ag am lóin, sa Seomra Lóin a bhíonn sé ar siúl. I rith an ama seo bíonn na daltaí ag labhairt as Gaeilge lena chéile agus ag imirt cluichí beaga (mar shampla, Bingo) trí Ghaeilge. Cheapadh an Club Gaeilge chun na daltaí a spreagadh na 'cúpla focail' atá acu a úsáid. Déardaoin áirithe, bhí céilí againn os comhair na scoile agus rinne gach duine iarracht an 'Fallaí Luimní' a dhéanamh. Tugann an Club an dheis do dhaltaí ó gach rang sa scoil meascadh lena chéile agus aithne a chur ar a chéile trí Ghaeilge. Is cosúil go mbaineann gach duine taitneamh as an gClub.
28th April 2010
Congratulations to the Junior Basketball Team who WON the South Dublin Basketball League Final today!
Planning Application Lodged for New School in Sandyford
28th April 2010
Rosemont Educational Foundation Limited has lodged a planning application with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to develop a new Rosemont Secondary School at Enniskerry Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18, near Lamb's Cross. The proposed new school will replace the existing facility at Blackrock and is expected to cater for 300 students and associated teaching and support staff. There will be two classes per year plus specialist classrooms for science, home economics, art and languages as well as a sports hall, library and assembly hall. Staff/tutorial/meeting rooms will also be included. In addition, there will be an indoor PE hall and outdoor sports facilities to include a hockey pitch and 4 hard courts for tennis and basketball.
This proposed new school will provide facilities for academic and practical subjects, as well as indoor and outdoor sports areas, a dedicated library and other amenities to ensure that pupils continue to achieve excellence & to value the educational opportunities they receive by using their talents to serve the communities in which they live. A decision on the planning application is expected within a few months and subject to a favourable outcome, the school can be built within a year.
Rosemont Education Foundation Ltd has been providing education in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown since 1988 at its existing school on a constrained site at Temple Hill, Blackrock where it caters for over 100 pupils.
2nd Year Basketball Match
19th April 2010
On Wednesday March 10th, myself and the rest of the 2nd Year Basketball team played against Cabinteely Community School. The match took place in Cabinteely. We got the school bus there and we were all buzzing with excitement because we all wanted to get out there and play. Although excited we were also nervous because we hadn't played Cabinteely Community School before and we didn't know what they are like to play. We all warmed up running around the court and practising our lay ups and free throws. Five of us stayed on the bench while another five went out to start the 1st quarter. Ms Fannin and the girls on the sideline shouted support for the girls on the court all the way through the match. It was a tough game with great effort displayed by both teams. In the end we won 45-10! Thank you to Ms Fannin our PE teacher and also to Cabinteely Community School who played a very good match!
2nd Year basketball team:
Carolina Aznar Coffey, Marie Cooke, Sarah Cunningham, Ellen Dooley, Aisling Dunne, Emma Farrely, Cathy Johnson, Elizabeth Kiernan (who at the time had an injury!) Ruth Moran, Alice Murphy, Marta Galdos & Marta Rodriguez.
Ellen Dooley
Green School
15th April 2010
The Green School's Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students, staff, parents and wider community for continuous support and enthusiasm for the reduce, reuse, recycle scheme.
Our practice of having two bins in every classroom has proven to be a huge success. Every student and staff member is actively participating in recycling all materials.
We also have separate recycling centres for
· Old Phones
· Used Batteries
The introduction of Moodle has radically reduced the amount of paper used in handouts.
The Transition years have been actively clocking up Kilometers by walking to their activities!
Green School Committee’s New Targets:
1. To hold a competition for generating a fun slogan to highlight our awareness of being green.
2. To reduce the use of cling-film, tin-foil and juice packs.
3. To appoint “Energy Detectives” in every class to further monitor energy loss and waste.
4. To engage in the Secondary School Cycle Challenge between the 10th and 14th of May 2010!
Geography Field Study
24th March 2010
On Tuesday 2nd March (a gorgeous day) the 6th Years went to Shankill Beach for a Geography Field Study to investigate erosion. The study comprises
20% of the Leaving Cert Higher Level Geography course.
First the students observed the study site, drew a sketch map and identified the coastal features.
Then they analysed the profile of the beach and the size, roundness and the type of rock that was present.
Next they determined the 
rate and direction of the longshore drift 
and finally they analysed old maps of the area and took measurements on site to determine the average rate of erosion since 1837.
Mini-Med Week
10th March 2010
I arrived at the Royal College of Surgeons at 8:45 on Monday 18th January to register for the Mini-Med Week organised in RCSI. We were given Moodle usernames and passwords and then we were given a welcome lecture. We then had a short break and we were back in the O'Flanagan Lecture Theatre by 11:15. The Health and Safety Officer gave us a lecture on safety in the labs and in the hospital. By the time the lecture was over it was lunch time. After lunch we were all split up into groups according to the t-shirts we were given at the registration. We then went to the different labs to do the practical sessions. I was in the lab that works with microbes. We were given an insight into microbes and bacteria and then we were allowed to test different surfaces for bacteria. This was the end of a very procuctive first day at RCSI.
We were based in Beaumont Hospital on Tuesday where RCSI have a few lecture theatres. We were given an insight into cardiology and how the heart works. We then had a break till 11:15. We were then given a lecture about Pathology. It was very interesting for most of us. After the lecture a Professor came in to talk to us about the HPATS which is the new aptitude test needed for medicine. We then had lunch and we were back in the lecture theatre for the guest speaker, Marie Cassidy, State Pathologist. She went through a murder case with us, which was very good. We then went to do Clinical Skills which involved us doing different activities from measuring blood pressure to using laproscopic instruments.
On Wednesday we were in Beaumont again. I thought this was the best day of the week. We were given a short lecture by a surgeon to tell us about the surgery he was about to perform. It involved fixing a reflux organ. The operation went very well and we were able to see it on a projector. The surgeon spoke through the operation, with a microphone, and we were allowed to ask questions. A different surgeon then went through another operation, which didn't go very well....the surgeon got into a little difficulty but fixed it quickly. That was the end of a great day.
Thursday began with lectures about broken bones. A girl fainted when we were shown pictures of broken bones! After the break we were given an insight into Psychiatry which wasn't great. After lunch we got an opportunity to ask questions to the different doctors. They told us why they picked medicine and why it was the right thing for them. We were able to ask them about their Leaving Cert and what subjects they picked.
We were back to the RCSI on Friday. We had a lecture on Cystic Fibrosis and what it is. A man who has CF came in to tell us what it was like living with CF. It was very good because a lot of us don't know a lot about CF. After break we were given a small lecture about what it's like to study in RCSI and what is required to get in. They told us about open days and why we should go to them if we are planning on pursuing medicine. Friday evening involved us in the labs again. We saw the results of our tests and we were given the chance to see different bacteria.
The experience was great and I learnt a lot from it. It definitely helped me make up my mind about studying medicine in College. Catalina Parga.
Season's First Basketball Match
10th March 2010
On Monday 22nd February the Rosemont 1st Year Basketball team played their first match against Coláiste Íosagáin. In the end Rosemont won 24-19. The Rosemont players are: Maria Gonzalez, Sarah Dooley, Susanna Johnson, Maria O'Donovan, Valya O'Donovan, Araceli Aznar and Katie Pollard. Now we have a new team member Gabrielle Malone. Maria Gonzalez.
Junior Hockey Quarter-Finals
10th February 2010
Rosemont V Sion Hill - 2 Feb 2010
Team: Shauna Supple, Aisling Dunne, Cathy Johnson, Carolina Aznar, Catalina Parga, Joanne Hennessey, Belen Aznar, Caoimhe Bennett, Claire Crimmin, Sophie King, Ruth Moran, Elizabeth Kiernan, Araceli Aznar.
It was a good start with our tip, which Catalina took and passed to Shauna. The game was underway! We had great teamwork and we passed the ball around a lot. Sion Hill's team came out strong in the first half and were tough to play. Their tackling was quite good and it got the ball up to our half a few times, creating chances for them. Luckily our excellent goalie, Sophie, along with our strong backs, saved the day every time. We also created a few chances but unfortunately none of them were turned into scores due to Sion Hill's good defence and goalie. The second half started nil-all with Sion Hill's tip. Rosemont displayed great determination and had the ball in Sion Hill's half for most of those 25 minutes. We were competing for every ball and playing our hardest. At one point we had the ball right up near Sion Hill's goal and were very close to scoring. Shauna and Aisling had the ball and were trying to get past two Sion Hill girls when there was a big tussle and Shauna fell and pulled a muscle in her calf. There was a time out and Shauna, who was unable to walk, was carried off the pitch. Rosemont didn't let the loss of our centre-mid get us down and we continued fighting hard with Ruth in Shauna's place. The game ended and we managed to keep it nil-all. We had to go into extra time. The game was becoming intense and exciting for the on lookers. Near the end of the first ten minutes of extra time Sion Hill received a short corner and one of the players hit it hard into the back of the net making it impossible for Sophie to save. Soon after we switched sides and started the second half of extra time. Even though we were behind by a goal we kept pushing with all the energy we had left. We fought hard and got the ball up to Sion Hill's goal. It became extremely intense. Ruth passed to Carolina who tipped the ball in past the goalie! Everyone started screaming with joy! We were even with Sion Hill again and there was still time left!...... Our spirits were raised and we were coming back strong. The ball kept going up and down the pitch but out defence were brilliant and always got the ball back up to us. The ball was passed to Aisling in mid-field and she dribbled it down the pitch the whole way and hit into the back of the net. A goal......! We were overjoyed and jumping with happiness! All we had to do was keep the ball in our possession and away from Sophie in goals. We did this successfully. The whistle blew for full time. We shook hands with Sion Hill and then celebrated our victory screaming with happiness! We had qualified for the semi-finals!
My Avoca Work Experience
8th February 2010
As soon as I arrived I was introduced to the head chef in the main kitchen, Stephen. He showed me where to put my bag, handed me an apron and as the kitchen was so busy there was little time for small talk so he put me straight to work. He had me chpping boxes upon boxes of vegetables, ranging from potatoes to peppers and apart from the embarrassing fact that I sliced my fingers on three separate occasions it was good work. One of the excellent benefits of working in Avoca was that you were allowed to eat whatever you wanted for free, so everyday I was able to have a delicious lunch. All in all it was a pleasant first day. For the remainder of the week they had me working in the bakery which I found to be far more enjoyable as that was the kind of food I saw myself doing in the future. The head baker Elaine had an endless amount of jobs for me to do which I was very thankful for, because there is nothing worse than standing in the middle of a kitchen with nothing to do while everyone is working all around you, and you know that all you're doing is getting in their way. She had me decorating cakes, filling fruit tarts and prepping tray bakes. The whole staff (except for Elaine) were all foreign so there was a bit of a language barrier, but they were all very friendly and easy to work with. Working in Avoca is definitely not one of the less stressful jobs, and I was sort of relieved when the week was over. Though I don't regret having chosen to work there because it gave me a good idea of what it would be like to work in a professional kitchen and that was the experience I was looking for. Caoimhe Bennett.
Junior Hockey Match
1st February 2010
On the 19th of January, first, second, third and fourth years set out on the school bus - our destination Mount Sackville School. With a straight winning streak behind us we started off the match confident, and within minutes Carolina Aznar scored our first goal of five of the match. During the first half we only managed to score the one goal. The opposition made many attempts on our goal but thanks to our strong defence they were foiled every time. In the second half we scored our other four goals and even before the final whistle we knew our place in the next round of matches was secure. Caoimhe Bennett.
EU Speaker
25th January 2010
Betty Lee, who has been working in the EU agriculture section for over sixteen years in Brussels, came to Rosemont to talk to the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th years about the EU, and how we are affected everyday by the decisions made in the EU, here in Ireland. She gave us a powerpoint presentation on the EU and we learned a lot from it, for example: 1 in every 5 boys in the EU are obese, and Ireland, Spain and Greece suffer from the highest proportion of obese people in the EU; 90% of the EU is rural land; one third of all food in Britain is wasted; and 26% of Ireland's green house gases are from farm animals! It is also estimated that by 2050 the world's population will be 9 billion. The EU's main focus at the moment is ensuring the EU's economy is kept alive and they are going to focus on this in the future because of the recent economic down turn. She also encouraged us as women to eat our 5 fruit and veg a day, and to drink plenty of milk, because according to statistics 60% of girls don't take the required amount of dairy. Apparently Romania is so concerned about this that they are now trying to pass a law to put a specific tax on junk food! (it takes 18 months for a proposal to be accepted or rejected, so it will be interesting to see what happens!) We also discovered that Europe gave the most money to the Haiti victims recently. Overall we found her speech very interesting and informative, and we felt privileged as only three schools in Dublin were selected to have an EU speaker visit and talk to them, and we were one of these schools. Her speech encouraged us to look at the EU website and see what we can do or how we can benefit as members of the EU. She spoke of different career pathways you can take in the EU - which most of us 6th years hadn't considered before. She also did a quiz with us to see how much information we retained, which was fun. I think it's safe to say that we now feel a lot more aware of what goes on in Brussels and in the EU in general, and we here in Rosemont are very grateful for Betty's inspiring talk. Aisling Sheerin.
Technology & Innovation
15th January 2010
Rosemont featured in the Business this Week section of today's Irish Times. 'Moodle put to the test in big freeze. Students at Rosemont Secondary School in Blackrock, Dublin, didn't let the weather prevent them from starting back to their studies last week. Teachers uploaded school work and assignments into the school's online learning management system, Moodle, to enable students to catch up with classes at home. During the big freeze 70 per cent of students logged into Moodle.' http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0115/1224262376051.html
School reopens
11th January 2010
Further to the Minister's announcement and a review of health and safety, Rosemont will reopen tomorrow, 12th January. Classes will begin at 10am and finish at 3.40pm. The school bus run will begin one hour later. The school building will be open from 8.15am.
School Closed due to adverse weather
7th January 2010
Rosemont is closed today and tomorrow for health and safety reasons owing to the current adverse weather conditions.
First Aid Day
2nd December 2009
Last Tuesday we had our First Aid Day. We started off learning how to do CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on an adult. We also learnt how to treat cuts. The instructor was from the Red Cross and he showed us a slideshow of pictures of different cuts. We learnt how to deal with big and small cuts. He also taught us how to wrap up bandages. We then learnt what to do if we ever got a sprain. The most important thing we learnt was doing CPR on babies and how to help people and babies who are choking because, believe it or not, many babies die from choking on things because adults don't know how to react. The instructor showed us a few DVDs on different illnesses and how to spot them. One of the videos was about meningitis, a disease that kills many children every year. The other DVD was teaching us how to treat people if they get seisures. The rest of the day we spent practicing what we learnt, on dummies and on ourselves. It was a great day of a lot of learning. The things we learnt can be very useful for us in the future. Catalina Parga
Hockey Matches
2nd December 2009
We left school at 9:15 on a cold Friday morning to go to the Senior and Junior hockey matches. We got the school bus all the way to UCD. The other team got there at the same time. We had to get dressed on the bus because we thought we were late. Ms. Fannin met the Portmarnock coach. We went onto the pitch and passed the ball around for a while until Ms. Fannin came back. We then did our warm-ups and stretches. The Senior team was playing first. Portmarnock was a weak team but we had trouble getting goals. I scored the first goal from play. Portmarnock then managed to get one back, but we soon were on winning terms when Aoife scored a great goal from a short corner. It was then half time. Ms Fannin said we should be up by at least 5 goals considering the chances we had. It was true we were the better team but we couldn't score. We all knew well we needed to go out in the second half and get goals, and that's what we did. Eimear was first to score in the second half. Portmarnock got a quick goal from a short corner. It was all over when Sarah scored another great goal. The Junior team had to play next. Caoimhe and I had a quick break and we were on again for the Junior team. It was a one-sided match. We scored our first goal early in the half. Aisling scored 3 goals, Carolina scored 2 and Shauna scored 1. We had plenty of chances and short corners. Ms Fannin told the Portmarnock coach that we were in a rush because TYs had to go to the National Gallery of Ireland. It was Portmarnock's first match so they decided to forfit it at half time because they didn't think they could score 6 goals. We didn't have time to get changed because we had to get back to school fast so we walked to the bus stop to get the bus back to Blackrock. We missed the bus so we had to wait 45 minutes for the next one. We got back to Blackrock just in time for our trip to the National Gallery of Ireland. Catalina Parga
TY Makeup Day
25th November 2009
On the 16th of November the Transition Year students had a makeup day. At 11:15, just after break, a lady from LA Makeup Academy came into us, her name was Zainab. She set all her makeup out on the table (wow did she have a lot). She introduced herself and told us that she had studied in America, London and Ireland as a beautician. She also told us that she had worked on people from the Hilton sisters (Paris and Nikki) to Rihanna and Boyzone, so we knew that we were in safe hands! She asked who would like to be the model and I volunteered. She showed us what foundations we should use for our different skin tones and how important it was to choose the correct one for your skin and also for the tone. Zainab demonstrated on me how to know if you choose the right tone of foundation by putting three streaks of different foundations, one that was clearly too dark and one that was a bit dark, she smudged it and she said if it disappears on your skin it is the right tone. She also showed us how to do the natural day-look by using bronzer and a brown shade on your eyes. After we each took turns putting it on another girl in the class she showed us how to turn that look into a smokey eye effect. She told us that people with blue eyes should wear grey, gold or coral eye shadows to bring out their eye colour, people with green eyes should wear purple, plums and pinks and people who had brown eyes could wear any colour as long as it wasn't the same colour brown as their eyes. Overall, I think that it was a very good day and it was great to get makeup tips from a professional, and I think all the girls took her advice on board. It was a great experience and I'm glad I had the opportunity to take part. Aoife Cantwell.
Transition Year in Court!
18th November 2009
November to us fourth years is Law Month! This means we focus our attention on crime and the law in different subjects and take part in outings and activities based on law. On Monday 2nd November we watched Henry Fonda in "Twelve Angry Men" and then on Thursday we went to the Four Courts in Dublin's city centre. At 11:45am we left the school with Ms. Fannin to get the 7 bus into town. When we arrived we walked to the Four Courts and had to go through security before we could enter the premises. We then went to reception where we waited for our tour guide and when he arrived he brought us into a court where a murder case was going to take place. Before it began, he talked us through the proceedures in the courts and the law, and answered questions about the courts and crime. When he was finished the murder case was about to take place, and we had to be very quiet because we weren't allowed to make any noise during the hearing. When it began a man was sent to the witness stand and had to confirm the interview between himself and the suspected murderer. When he was finished another man who worked with CCTV had to go to the witness stand to confirm the sightings of the suspected murderer on CCTV. He then played the CCTV footage of a white van and a motorbike that were related to the crime and the suspected murderer. There was a lot of CCTV footage, so it went on for a long time (you could tell that people were beginning to get bored!) and before the footage was finished it was time for us to leave. We all then made our own way home from town. I thought that the visit was very interesting to see what it was like in the courtroom and I have become a lot more interested in law and crime. Eimear Dunne.
TCD Lecture
9th November 2009
On Tuesday the 3rd of November, five of us 6th years attended a lecture in Trinity College on our Leaving Cert novel 'Wuthering Heights'. We stayed in school for after-school study and then got the Dart to Pearce Station. Luckily we knew where the Arts Building was because we remembered it from the Open Day we attended last year and were there in good time! We did not know what to expect from the lecture, but just hoped it would be informative. Dr Jarleth Killeen gave it. He has studied 19th century classics in great detail. We found the lecture both relevant and interesting. We all felt the 40 minutes flew by and were sad to see it end...so we stayed for the questions which he gladly answered! Overall we were extremely pleased with the lecture and found it very beneficial. We are now very much looking forward to our lecture there on the poet T.S. Eliot, which we will be attending on the 24th of November. Aisling Sheerin.
TY Carlingford Trip
21st October 2009.JPG)
As soon as we arrived late Monday morning we were given a rundown of all the rules and a rough description of what we could expect on a day to day basis (by Fred, one of the instructors.) We were then shown to our rooms. I was pleased to find that the room and bathroom were in perfect working condition and the other five girls in my room seemed to think the same. We were then given a lunch consisting of chips and sausage rolls. Everyone was happy with this but I soon discovered that having this every lunch time for four days straight gets pretty tiresome. After lunch we did the high ropes which at first glance I thought would be pretty straightforward but as soon as I got up the ladder I immediately wanted to get my feet back on the ground. So the high ropes weren't my best activity. After dinner we went on an evening walk which involved a lot of terrified screams due to the fact we were walking through a pitch black forest with torches that were shining in every direction but the path we were supposed to be following, but despite that it was an enjoyable first day.
After a surprisingly good night's sleep we all got up at eight o'clock to a breakfast of cereal or toast. We then headed over to the harbour for our next activity, raft building. I was feeling pretty optimistic about this activity due to the fact I had just completed a six week sailing course and should have no trouble with the workings of a simple raft. But I had of course spoken too soon. The construction of the raft seemed to be the lesser challenge as I and my team were soon to discover that keeping the raft balanced was harder than it would seem. We all immediately became wet and during the race to the specific target some had tragically fallen overboard! We then headed back to the centre for lunch. We then did some orienteering, which proved to be a very tiring activity, had some dinner and then we did the night line which most people agreed was one of the best activities. There wasn't much to it - all we had to do was follow a rope around a forest while holding on to the shoulder of the person in front of you, doing all this blindfolded of course!
.JPG)
Our last full day consisted of a challenge course in the morning which, because of the light rain we had, was probably the muckiest activity we participated in and even then we didn't get that dirty. After that there was canoeing and strangely enough it wasn't sea water that we got covered in but fresh mountain water. The reason behind this was that our instructors decided to lead us across the water to a cave where there was a small waterfall and were each to stand under this waterfall for ten seconds, but the thing about this water was that it was so beyond freezing, standing under it for two seconds would give you a mind-numbing headache. That night after some well deserved dinner we had a quiz which was great craic.
For the final activity of our stay we were to do rock-climbing. I was confident I would succeed at this activity and for a person who is slightly disoriented at the mention of heights I like to think I did quite well. When everyone had given it a go, we headed back to the centre for our final meal of, to my dismay, chips and chicken nuggets! We said our goodbyes and gave our thanks to the many instructors we had over our stay. We left feeling worn out but satisfied with our own personal achievements. All in all it was a great experience with many memories I look forward to remembering with my classmates in the future. A sincere thank you to Ms Fannin and the other teachers who came with us and who were most generous with their time. Caoimhe Bennett
Mini Med week
21st October 2009
Last week I went to the Mini Med week in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital. There were twenty-seven of us from Fourth and Fifth year there from lots of different schools and we were given an insight into what it would be like to work in the Rotunda and into the different areas of medicine. On the first day we were given talks by doctors from different areas of the hospital about things like how they got into medicine, what the course was like, and what they are doing now. We also talked to some medical students in their Fourth year which was really helpful. During the day we could ask questions whenever we wanted so we found out answers to any questions we had and learnt loads which was really good. The second day was all about Paediatrics. This was one of the best days for most people. As part of it we got to go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where all the sick babies were. We saw babies who weighed only 500 grams and others who were withdrawing from heroin as a result of their mothers' drug abuse. We learnt all about how it was possible to keep these babies alive and then had a very interesting clinical session on how to resuscitate newborns. We also 'walked through' a patient's journey through the hospital so we got to see what it's like for the patient as well. During the week there were other clinical sessions where we learnt things like how to take blood pressure, how to take bloods and to insert an IV line. Overall, the week was really interesting and I think it's really useful for anyone who's thinking about medicine. When I went I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do but after the week, loads of my questions have been answered and it has definitely made me a lot more interested in Medicine as a career. Nicola Whelan
Ecology trip
19th October 2009.JPG)
The 5th and 6th years are very grateful to Ms. Carolan for bringing us to Airfield Urban Farm on Monday 12th October for our ecology field study. The Leaving Certificate Biology course requires us to carry out a field study of a particular habitat in an ecosystem. The hedgerow in Airfield Urban Farm was our particular choice. We all made our own way to Airfield on Monday morning, fully equipped with our stylish wellies and warm clothes! We were brought into a room where we were introduced to our tutors for the day. They gave each of us a workbook in which to record our studies. They gave us a brief introduction to the day and explained to us about the experiments and equipment we would be using. After that we set out to the hedgerow to carry out our experiments. We were very lucky with the weather as it didn't rain, which made our experiments even more successful. We split into groups and carried out investigations such as identifying different organisms in the habitat and calculating the frequency and percentage cover of particular organisms within the habitat. We collected insects using bug-catchers (much to the displeasure of some people!) and examined plants with magnifying glasses. After a well deserved lunch break we set back out again to measure light intensity, soil temperature and moisture content along a belt transect of the hedgerow. With that, we returned back to our room where our tutors and Ms. Carolan helped us to write up the experiments in our workbooks. That brought an end to our day and we all left Airfield having a much better knowledge of our habitat study. It was of great benefit to our learning as actually doing these experiments will help us to remember them a lot easier. All of us really enjoyed the day and a big 'thank you' to Ms. Carolan for taking us on the trip. Megan Kennedy.
Maths Challenge
7th October 2009
Rosemont's Maths Department has just launched the Rosemont Maths Challenge 2009. Suitable for both junior and senior students, this challenge encourages maths students of all abilities to put their skills to the test!
Students are faced with a maths problem each week for which they have to use their problem-solving skills to resolve. Students can work individually or in groups to solve the problem - this enables the students to use their mathematical knowledge with having fun in a bid to encourage students to become more passionate about maths.
Students contemplate careers
30th September 2009
Our sixth year students attended the 'Higher Options Career Exhibition' held in the RDS in September. The first lecture attended by the girls was on the subject of 'How to choose a career'. This encouraged the students to focus on areas that they enjoy, with a view to following those interests through to actual careers. The next step was to inspire the students to research various courses available that would lead to such careers.
Other talks given included everything from law to fashion and beauty, in addition to a very practical lecture entitled 'Getting into college - the CAO system'. The students heard how often students make mistakes in their CAO forms and, hence, the girls were given tips on how to avoid the pitfalls when choosing CAO options.
Stands were on display throughout the hall on the day offering information on a variety of colleges and courses in Ireland and abroad. By the end of the day, the girls were armed with numerous leaflets and information on careers and undergraduate courses in order to help them make an informed and exciting decision on their options going forward.
First Years on Literary Tour
10th September 2009
On the 3rd September Ms Murphy and Ms McDonald took the first years on a literary tour. Starting at the Sandycove Joyce Museum and Martello tower, they learned about Bloomsday. They later visited the former dwelling of Yeats and Samuel Beckett. Having a little break for lunch in Merrion Square they continued, seeing Oscar Wilde reclining in the park and went on to Trinity College to see statues of Goldsmith, Burke and Lecky. All enjoyed the day.
Junior Cert Students Excel This Year
10th September 2009
As evidence of Rosemont’s consistent reputation for academic results, high honours grades were received by our 2009 Junior Certificate students across the whole spectrum of subjects, from the humanities to science and maths.
The students are now well settled into the action packed Transition Year (TY). Already, fascinating work has begun on one of the entries into the Young Scientist Exhibition (which takes place in January), featuring the dolphins in Dun Laoghaire harbour.
As part of this year's TY schedule, a sailing course is being offered in Dun Laoghaire harbour. This entails a six-week training being held in 'toppers', which are plastic dinghy - boats with a small sail that lend themselves well to a beginners group. There are two to three students in each boat, with each taking their turn to 'helm' or steer the boat in a variety of directions (this includes learning the meaning of nautical terms such as 'tacking' and 'gybing'). The students are thoroughly enjoying the benefits of being outdoors and learning the 'ropes' of an exciting new sport.
Class of 2009 Achieve First Class Results
4th September 2009
Proving, yet again, that Rosemont is well above average in terms of academic achievement, our Leaving Certificate students received outstanding results this year.
For the fourth year running, 100 per cent of our students gained enough points for entrance into Irish universities. Two-thirds achieved over 435 points, with a large number receiving As across a variety of subjects.
Results such as these are even more important against such a difficult economic backdrop. Our students' results will steer them into careers that will hopefully secure them stable jobs into the future. To date, we know that some of our students have begun to study Pre-med, Teaching, the Social Sciences, Arts and Science.
Congratulations to the students, and of course to the teachers and parents who have supported them - these exceptional results demonstrate that our hard work at Rosemont pays great dividends.
More Teachers Embrace Moodle
1st September 2009
Teachers attended an in-service day over the summer to learn how to upload resources for each subject into the relevant section of Moodle. The hope is that most of our teachers can embrace the technology and share their learning resources with our students through this effective online learning tool.
The course showed teachers how to upload files (such as documents and Powerpoint presentations) and how to create links to interesting educational subjects that are relevant to their subject area.
At present, we are discussing the possibility of finding and sharing resources among teachers who teach the same subjects so as to make the best use of the benefits that Moodle offers our students.
In August Janet Dean gave the session to other teachers including Julia O'Malley, Maeve Carolan, Margaret Byrne, Sile Minogue.
Rosemont’s first adventure-centre Sports Day
15 May 2009
Rosemont’s students took on a series of team challenges on land and water last month in the school’s first adventure-themed Sports Day. Students set off by bus to the Carlingford Adventure Centre in Co. Louth to take part in the annual day of physical challenges and team sports.
The students were divided into two groups that competed in a variety of fun and challenging events, while also getting the chance to -1.JPG)
enjoy the outdoors. All students were congratulated on their enthusiastic participation and positive attitudes by the accompanying teachers Ms O’Malley, Ms Martin, Ms Connolly and Ms Minchin.
Congratulations first year basketball champs!
May 2009
Rosemont’s 1st year class won the final in South Dublin Basketball League’s minor division last month against Colaiste Iosagain. It was a close match with a final score of 21-19 for Rosemont. Every team member who attended the game played and contributed to the win and the school congratulates the team on a great season.
Shades of the future: transition year students gain work experience
6 April 2009
Students caught a glance into the future this term, getting the chance to envision themselves as a doctor, barrister, teacher or city planner. And while they found the transition year work experience programme informative and helpful, it was anything but easy.
For many students the task of immersing themselves in a work experience role was very challenging. One student learned the rigours of working with young children, while one had the opportunity to view real-life surgeries, and another got her first taste of working in an office.
The work experience is an important part of a long process for students deciding on a path of study for third-level, and eventually choosing a career direction.
The work experience gives many students the first chance to experience the real-world of work, and Rosemont’s teachers and coaches invest considerable energy providing direction and support to students, helping to maximise the work experience.
Read more about the transition year work experience at Rosemont here.
Rosemont student presented with the Gaisce Award
12 March 2009
One of Ireland’s most prestigious and respected awards for individuals has been awarded to Rosemont student Angela Clarke.
In setting herself up to achieve four ambitious personal goals, Angela earned herself a Silver Gaisce President’s Award. Over a period of 12 months, Angela, now a 6th year student at Rosemont, took on a personal challenge in four key areas: community involvement, personal skill, physical recreation and adventure journey.
With a Rosemont teacher serving as her President Award Leader, Angela embarked on an ambitious one-year plan to: volunteer weekly at a local youth group, take the European Computer Driving License at college and join a theatre skills workshop, train for and run a women’s mini marathon, and hike to the summit of Mt Lugnaquilla in Leinster.
She was presented with the award in December at Trinity College Dublin.
Rosemont offers Angela well-deserved congratulations and commends her sense of initiative and adventure!
Inspiring greatness in youth
12 March 2009
Rosemont students Rachel Moiselle and Megan Kennedy attended a talk by Sean Covey, author of a number of books on youth and achievement, including The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
Mr Covey’s book is used as a text in the Junior cycle Social, Personal and Health Education curriculum. The talk served as a great opportunity for Rachel and Megan to hear the author’s vision on how the seven habits could be integrated into education, and develop a solid understanding of Covey’s seven habits. Those are: “be proactive, begin with the end in mind, think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood, synergise and sharpen the saw.”
For Rachel the talk was very enjoyable, she said. “These habits are like guidelines for a happier, more productive way of life,” she wrote in her evaluation of the talk. “He spoke of how our attitudes to things can really make a difference.”
Appreciating art and art history
12 March 2009
Students from Rosemont’s 5th and 6th year art classes visited the National Museum, Kildare Street last term as part of the History and Appreciation of Art Course.
They viewed exhibits that housed artefacts dating from Neolitic times up to the Irish Romanesqe period, eras they had studied the various time periods in class prior to the visit.
Their assignment was to analyse the design and curation of the museum’s display of the artefacts, and identify elements of a well-constructed display.
Next they visited an Annual Art Exhibition of the Royal Hibernian Academy in Ely Place. The contemporary Irish Art on display provided students with a wonderful contrast to the artefacts in the museum, and exposed them to a variety of high-standard art of today’s Irish artists.
Introducing Ireland’s art to 1st and 2nd year students
12 March 2009
Early in February students from Rosemont’s 1st and 2nd year art classes visited the National Gallery.
Touring the gallery with a gallery guide, the group was drawn into a discussion on the variety of paintings by Jack B Yeats, analysing the differences and similarities of a selection of pieces.
In viewing a number of portraits of historical and currently well-known people, students also supplemented their studies in art and history and gathered points-of-reference for undertaking their own artwork.
Dance across the pond
12 March 2009
Rosemont student Aoife Whelan has won a spot in the Irish Dancing World Championships, to be held in Philadelphia over the Easter holidays. An accomplished and dedicated Irish dancer, Aoife’s success is well-deserved. Congratulations Aoife, Rosemont wishes you well in the Worlds!
Sunday Times ranks Rosemont among top 20 schools
3 March 2009
The March 1st issue of the Sunday Times, Ireland edition has announced their annual school rankings, naming Rosemont as one of the top 20 girls' schools in Ireland.
Taking into account academic results, extra-curricular opportunities, and strong community involvement programmes among other factors, the Sunday Times placed Rosemont 16th in Ireland.
“It’s wonderful to see the school community recognised. Our parents, teachers and students work hard to make our school what it is: academically challenging, active and involved,” says Principal Margaret Kelly. “This ranking reflects Rosemont’s exceptional academic record, which has remained consistent over the years.”
Rosemont has seen 100 per cent of Leaving Cert students earn enough points to gain acceptance at an Irish university in 2006*, 2007 and 2008.
To view the complete article click here.
For the all-Ireland ranking see here.
Rosemont teacher mined for exam prep expertise
3 March 2009
As a true testament to her expertise in preparing students for both the Leaving Cert and the Junior Cert, a Rosemont teacher, Ms Julia O'Malley, has been recruited to write exam revision guides for Spanish study.
Serving to prepare Irish students nationwide for their Spanish exams, Ms O’Malley has written two recently published revision books, Rapid Revision Junior Cert Spanish (Folens, 2008) and Rapid Revision Leaving Certificate Spanish (Folens, 2009).
Congratulations Ms O'Malley!
Students exploring career horizons
19 February 2009
Rosemont students have been putting some thought in their future careers.
Students in fifth and sixth year have had the chance to talk to an Educational Consultant about their career aspirations, discuss the path they plan to take, and begin working on devising strategies for achieving their longer-term career goals.
The senior cycle students have also taken a Learning Process Questionnaire, a tool that identifies each student's motivations and strategies for learning, and the Rothwell Miller Interest Test, which assists students in uncovering their career interest areas (science, music, medicine, social service, computers, etc.)
Transition year students have also been exploring subject options for their Leaving Cert and looking at where those options will take them in the third-level.
The Educational Consultant will be working with the girls throughout the rest of the year in conjunction with the school's own coaching programme.
University Open Days
January 2009
Rosemont's senior students have been taking advantage of opportunities to gather information on post-secondary education in Dublin recently, taking time to attend open days at both University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). Students had the chance to explore the campuses and learn what each university had to offer.
A speaker from TCD, David Byrne, later paid a visit to Rosemont students, providing more in-depth information on TCD and giving students the opportunity to ask questions.
Rosemont Leaving Cert results reflected in Irish Times League tables
December 2008
Rosemont Secondary School for Girls is at the top of the Irish Times' 2008 secondary school rankings, the league tables. The rankings are based on the percentage of 6th year students who went on to take up studies at a third level educational institution.
This year 100 per cent of the 2008 6th year students went on to attend universities and colleges in Ireland.
This is the third year in a row that 100 per cent* of Rosemont's graduating class earned enough points to qualify for acceptance at an Irish university. These ongoing results have been reflected in this year's league tables.
Rosemont students achieve high results year-after-year because of the school's ongoing commitment to offer an academically challenging education that prepares pupils for college. That commitment, in combination with a number of innovative teaching practices is what sets pupils up for success, enabling them to both enjoy solid academic results, and develop the ability to take on new challenges (read more about Rosemont's Advanced Teaching Practices and Academic Results).
*students who attended for six years.
Rosemont in the news: "Education" Magazine features Rosemont Moodle as an e-learning case study
December 2008
An article on Rosemont's learning management system, Moodle, was published in December's issue of "Education" Magazine. The article includes feedback from pupils and teachers on how they have integrated Moodle into class work and home work. Interested readers can download the article here.
Article - E-Learning Case Study (PDF)
December, 2008
"Education" Magazine
Rosemont in the news: Gazette Group feature Rosemont in recent education supplement
November 7, 2008
The school has been featured in a local newspaper's education supplement. Three articles on various Rosemont activities were were published in the November 3rd edition of the Dun Laoghaire Gazette. The supplement included pieces on our new online learning environment, transition year's trip to Carlingford, and the Science and History trip to London. Interested readers can download the articles here.
Article - Teamwork (PDF)
Article - Learning by Moodling online (PDF)
Article - Jet-setting junior cycle at Rosemont (PDF)
November 3rd, 2008
Dun Laoghaire Gazette
Rosemont.ie shortlisted for a Golden Spider Award
November 7, 2008
The school is proud to announce that www.Rosemont.ie has been shortlisted for a Golden Spider Award, Ireland’s way of recognizing online excellence.
The ceremony will be held on November 20th. Congratulations are due to the entire school community for contributing to the website re-design efforts. Teachers, parents and students have gone out of their way to make this website represent all the positive aspects of a Rosemont education. Thanks to all who have contributed!
Teachers running for a cause
November 6, 2008
Rosemont is happy to congratulate two of our teachers who recently completed Dublin’s ‘Friendly Marathon.’
Maria Connolly and Julia O’Malley took part in the grueling test of endurance in order to raise money for worthwhile causes. Ms. Connolly ran to raise research funds for pulmonary hypertension, a blood vessel disorder of the lungs and Ms. O’Malley walked and jogged to raise money for Temple Street Children’s hospital. As their sore muscles recover from the 26 mile race, both teachers are continuing their fundraising.
Mile challenge
November 3, 2008
Students at Rosemont laced up their trainers and took part in the Ireland-wide Mile Challenge before kicking-off the mid-term break at the end of October.
The run was a fun way for the girls to complete an event-filled first term. They cheered each other on through the whole race and showed a terrific spirit of participation. Girls’ times were recorded and they will soon be able to compare their own time to the average from around Ireland.
Rosemont in the news: students serving as research chemists
October 16th, 2008
An innovative chemistry module taught to Rosemont's TY students has caught the attention of the national news media! Rosemont's Ms. Eleanor Higgins, a PhD in chemistry, has been teaching students what it's like to be
real research chemists. The Irish Times' John Holden visited the school to sit in on a class and chat with a few of the students.
The article was published in the October 15th edition of the Irish Times. Download the PDF below to read more about the TY chemistry crystals module.
Article - The Irish Times (PDF)
October 15th, 2008
Rosemont in the news: student earns credit for top marks
September 19th, 2008
A transition year student who earned top grades in the Junior Certificate has been featured in an article in the local newspaper, Southside People. Download the article below and read about one student's fantastic results.
Article - Southside People (PDF)
September 17th, 2008
Exceptional results for Junior Cert students
September 15, 2008
Rosemont students were elated with the results of the 2008 Junior Certificate exams which were released on September 10th.
With many students earning multiple As, the results day was a proud one for Rosemont's teachers and staff. One student was congratulated by her peers and teachers for her stunning result, 10 As.
"We're so happy for the girls, they've earned these results. By setting goals and putting in the work needed, many students did as well or better than they expected," says Principal Margaret Kelly.
"It was very exciting," says Mary Reynolds, the mother of 4th year student Rachel Reynolds. "I was very proud."
She said she really enjoyed seeing the teachers and students share in a mutual excitement over the results, and happy that each girl was applauded for her particular achievements by teachers who took an earnest interest. "We look forward to the same again with the Leaving Cert results," she says.
100 per cent of Leaving Cert students earn points needed for university
August 18, 2008
Each and every student in Rosemont Secondary School’s 2008 Leaving Cert class earned a high enough score on their final exams to gain acceptance at an Irish university.
This marks the third year in a row that 100 per cent ofstudents who attended Rosemont for all six years of secondary school earned scores high enough to secure acceptance at an Irish university.
Tears of joy and relief flowed on results day, August 13th, when the Leaving Cert scores were revealed. The class of 2008 worked extremely hard this year, with parents and pupils alike elated at the results.
“I was over the moon because of the work she had put into it,” says Edwina Kennedy, mother of 6th year student Sarah Kennedy. Sarah’s score soared above what she needed to secure her first choice. “What the teachers have done has been absolutely fantastic. Devoting their personal time, and the energy they gave the kids … they have been absolutely brilliant.”
Rosemont’s teachers are extremely proud of the hard work each of their students put in to earn these spectacular results.
Parents of the 2008 class expressed their gratitude to the school for doing such a good job of supporting and motivating pupils in their pursuit of high academic achievements. “The parents were absolutely thrilled and thanked our staff for all our hard work,” says Principal Margaret Kelly. “I congratulate our pupils and teachers on a job well done.”