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2024-25 ISSUE 25 BCC WEEKLY NEWS23rd September 2024Back to School Edition

2Welcome back everyoneWe were delighted to see so many of our 6th years last year, come back on results dayto share their success and delight with us. Our teachers and guidance counsellor wereavailable to them to help navigate all of their options. We wish every one of them the very best for the future and hope they know that ourdoors are always open for them if they wish to drop in and say “Hi”.We have had a great start to the school year with students getting back into the swing ofthings very quickly. On Monday 16th September, the gym was packed with studentswanting to join up to the various clubs and organisations. It is great to see so manystudents willing to get involved in extracurricular activities and we are very lucky to havestaff here willing to give up their own free time to run events outside of school hours forthe betterment of our students.This year sees our bi-annual musical return with a production of Legally Blonde jr.Students and teachers are rehearsing in earnest for the performances at the end ofNovember. We hope to see many of you there!Our College's open evening will take place on Tuesday 24th September 2024 from 6 pmto 8 pm. All sixth-class students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend. Applications will be available online from October 1st, 2024.Our newsletter is published weekly and showcases events, news, student work andinformation about teaching and learning, school self-evaluation and development. Thank everyone for such an energetic and positive few weeks to kick off 24/25 academicyear. Peanut AllergyWe have several students in the College who are allergic to peanuts. Can all student'sparents please consider this when eating peanut-containing foods? FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

5Resource for ParentsLet’s Talk About Suicide’ is the HSE’s new, free online suicide prevention trainingprogramme. It's free and open to anyone over 18. This new programme helps people to develop their skills to keep others safe fromsuicide. It helps participants to identify people who are at risk, confidently speak aboutthe topic of suicide, and connects them with resources which can help them stay safe.The programme will also provide participants with a sense of hope and reassurancethat suicide prevention is possible. If you would like to complete 'Let's Talk About Suicide' visit https://traininghub.nosp.ie/ On average, the programme will take 60 minutes to complete, but participants canwork at their own pace so may take longer. Career Guidancei) 6th years who have expressed an interest in applying to UCAS(UK), attended anexcellent online workshop on 3rd September. Conan Meehan of Ulster University wentthrough the application process and gave students lots of tips. A recording of thesession is on the UCAS GC for anyone who missed it. ii) 6th Years have started their individual careers appointments. Students shouldrequest appointments on REACH+.iii) 6th years who signed up in May, will be attending World Skills/Higher Options onFriday 27th September. A reminder has been sent out today (Friday) on the VSWareApp re completing the permission slip and bus payment(Way2Pay).iv) 5th years have signed up for the World Skills Exhibition on Thursday 26thSeptember. Permission slips & details of bus payments for both will follow shortly on VSwareA reminder has been sent out on the VSWare App re completing the permissionslip and bus payment via Way2Pay.CAREERS

6Bonding and Relaxation Day Monday 2nd September, The Avon.Yvonne and her team from Lakeshore Wellness www.lakeshorewellnesscentre.com)provided the space to allow our TY’s to bond as a year group and develop relaxationtechniques. Hike- Sorrel Hill and Black Hill, 12th September, Lacken.In preparation for the end-of-year Gaisce Hike, the students took to the West WicklowHills. Accompanied by Ms Cullen, Mr Carley and Ms McKeon, the students got a tasteof the breathtaking scenery that surrounds Blessington. National Ploughing Championships, 17th September, Ratheniska, Co LaoisMr Kirby, Mr Carley, Ms McKeon and MsEdwards lead the sleepy TY’s in an early startto the Ploughing Championships. Blessed with amazing weather, the students exploredthe plethora of stalls and exhibits that showed what Irelan’s farming community had tooffer. A great day was had by all. TRANSITION YEAR

7TRANSITION YEAR CALENDARThese events are subject to change. Further dates will be added once confirmed.Please be aware that students will not be permitted to attend these events if:they have reached 80 points or less on VS Warea contribution to the TY fees has not been made. If the student is not wearing the correct school uniform.

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9TRANSITION YEAR GALLERYWellbeing day in the Avon

1 0TY Hiking Sorrel and Black Hill

1 1Ploughing Championships

1 2COMMUNICATIONIMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS!Make sure you have your VSware app installed on yourphone and push notifications are enabled. This is how you will receive all communication fromschool from now on.We are always seeking to be as responsive as we can to our community. As busy as schoolis, it can be hard to find time to stop and listen to each other. With that in mind, we have setup a digital “comment box” where you can offer feedback to us. We want to hear what parents have to say, and as best as we can, we will respond throughthe newsletter, where appropriate of course. We would ask that you are thoughtful about your comments and be respectful whencommunicating with us. Click the link here to access the form. You must attach your name and email address. This is not an anonymous forum. Thank you to those who have engage with ourcomment box facility. We are thrilled you are enjoying the newsletter and withthe ideas and news you have been sharing with us.

1 3Rehearsals have begun!We are thrilled to have our musical back this year. We have over 150 students signed upfor cast and crew. It is great to see so much interest. We will be fundraising with some events upcoming, like costume days and bake sales. Allsupport is hugely appreciated. There is a lot of learning and plenty of valuable experience to be gained from involvementin the performing arts. Aside from the fun of the show, students can benefit from:Educational Benefits:Enhances creativity1.Improves discipline2.Enhances communication skills3.Develops critical thinking4.Fosters cultural understanding5.Literacy and numeracy; Learning lines, timing and sequences is a fundamental part ofbeing in a show6.Emotional Benefits:Boosts self-confidence1.Stress relief2.Emotional expression3.Empathy development4.Self-discovery5.Something to look forward to6.Social Benefits:Collaboration and teamwork1.Networking opportunities2.Diverse social interactions3.Building friendships4.Strengthens student / teacher relationships5.Community engagement6.An addition and/or alternative to sporting activities. 7.We therefore try to ensure that anyone who wants to take part, has the opportunity to beinvolved. As teachers, we gain a huge amount too. It is hard work but lots of fun. SCHOOL MUSICAL

1 4BINGO AND MUSICAL REHEARSALSWe kicked off our fundraising with Bingo last week. Students from all classes had theopportunity to be involved, with great prizes to be had.

1 5International Boxing AwardAlex Toolis represented Ireland in the Olaine International Box Cup in Latvia this month. Alex and Séan Stafford travelled as part of the Leinster Development Squad to representtheir country on an International stage. Séan fought hard, but came up against a challenging opponent in the final round. Alex defeated counterparts from Lithuania and Latvia to win gold for Ireland. We are hugely impressed with his acheivement and were thrilled he brought his medal into show us last week. He is pictured here with Cllr Gerry O’Neill and Mr Burke. Well done to both Séan and Alex for their achievement reaching this level. SPORTING SUCCESS

1 6JUNIOR BOYS SOCCEROur 2nd year boys soccer team building on their remarkable success from last year, were invited bythe FAI to compete as the winning Leinster 1st Year Boys Soccer team, to play in an All Irelandsemi final against Limerick champions Hazelwood College in the grounds of Killavilla United F.C.Roscrea. They put up a huge fight against a strong team. We are massively proud of them and their coaches;Mr Dowling and Lee BrennanCongratulations lads!