< Previous© February 2020 The Meath Coaster 30 Lá Dearfachas L á Dearfachas was held on December 18 th and 19 th . All dáltaí visited the Pa- vilions Shopping Centre in Swords, and had the option of ice-skating or going to the cinema. As always, they were hugely enjoyable and memorable days out. Soccer Our Under 19 Men’s football team have reached the league final following a semi- final win against Boyne C.S., Trim. The team have impressed throughout the sea- son, and will now face off against a strong Ratoath team in the final at Oriel Park on January 29 th .The Under 17 Boys’ team saw their Leinster Cup odyssey come to an end at the quarter-final stage as they were defeated by de la Salle, Dundalk. The First Year Boys’ team enjoyed two high-scoring matches in January, suffer- ing defeat to Skerries before a victory against Dunshaughlin secured a place in the league quarter-final. The First Year Girls’ Team continued their unbeaten start to the year with a 1-0 win against Eureka Kells in the league. Athletics Coláiste na hInse had a team of eleven run- ners to the Drogheda and District Cross Country. It was a hugely encouraging performance from our runners, with Alex Harrington, Matthew O’Shea and Peter Aylward securing the silver medal in the intermediate team event while James Smith finished third overall in the Senior Race. Coláiste na hInse Under 15 Soccer Team Dáltaí at Lá Dearfachas CNI Dáltaí at the North Leinster Race in the Phoenix Park Our athletes then progressed to the North Leinster in the Phoenix Park, where they again impressed in Junior, Intermediate and Senior races. Aaron Smith finished 5 th overall in the Senior, and Alex Harrington finished 9 th in the Intermediate race. Couch 2 5K Coláiste na hInse has also initiated a Couch to 5k programme, open to all dáltaí agus múinteoirí. Training begins before school on Monday and Friday morning, and after school on Wednesday. The aim is to complete the park run at Oldbridge in © February 2020 The Meath Coaster 31 Drogheda at the end of February. Guest Speakers for Seachtain Gno As part of Seachtain Gno, three guest speakers visited Coláiste na hInse. Ciarán Whyte spoke of his career in accountancy and Irish rugby international Michelle Claffey presented on procurement before Gavin Duffy completed the talk to our tríú and Idirbliain dáltaí. Gaming Club The CNI Gaming Club continues to meet at lunch time on Tuesdays. All are wel- come. Careers Expo At our Idirbliain/5ú parent teacher meet- ing on March 2 th , Coláiste na hInse will be hosting a mini careers expo with a number of colleges and universities in attendance on the night. CNI Dáltaí and Múinteoirí Embark on Couch 2 5K! Rehearsals for the Unmanageable Sisters Gavin Duffy presents to CNI Dáltaí© February 2020 The Meath Coaster 32 Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, 2 020 A new year, a new decade! We are looking forward to the year ahead, which will be busy as we make plans for teaching and learning, both for staff and schoolchildren. We recently participated in a Staff Profes- sional Training Day and a Well Being ses- sion, in partnership with our colleagues in Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa. Shane Martin Mood- watchers facilitated this seminar on Wellbe- ing and highlighted to a very engaged audi- ence the importance of Self-care. Health and Safety: Be Safe! A reminder to parents to be mindful of their childrens’ safety around traffic when dropping off and collecting children from school. The mornings are still dark and dull, so please ensure that children are wearing bright or reflective clothing that help them to be seen. Hi-Viz vests were distributed to all children in 3 rd class. Staff wear Hi-Viz vests when bringing children across the road, on yard duty and when es- corting children off-site. Be warm! As the weather is so changeable, please ensure that children have warm jackets to wear every day as we try and have out- door play as much as possible. Lost and Found: A reminder to parents that we have a Lost & Found press which is usually bulging with jackets, jumpers and tops! Please ensure that childrens’ clothes are clearly labelled. Items not claimed are donated to recycling initiatives within the school. Extra-curricular activities: Swimming schedule is underway for 3 rd classes and Yoga for 3 rd and 4 th classes. Gymnastics will resume for 5 th classes from 29 th January. Girls GAA Team On Friday the 17 th of January the Girls GAA team got their Jimmy Curran Cup Campaign underway. The match was played against St. Mary’s, Donore on a cold morning in Stamullen. At half-time, after playing against a strong wind, we were down 4-3. The second half was very close, but with great determination from the team we came out on top, winning the match 6-4. The girls were delighted to get the year off to a winning start. There were some great performances all round and the team were a fantastic representation for their school. Well done girls. The boys won their match against Bellewstown on Friday.What a great start to the campaign! The Children in our Choir are looking forward to participating in a cross bor- der venture Peace Proms in the RDS on Saturday, 1 st February. The Choir team of Jeanne Carter, Cathy Culhane and James Kavanagh have been working very hard to ensure the pupils will be well versed! Mid Term Break: Please note school will close at 3pm on 14 th February and re-opens at 9.15am on Monday, 24 th February. Confirmation – 4 th March: School will be closed 6 th Classes are working diligently on prep- arations for their upcoming Confirmation on the 4 th March. This year we will have two ceremonies, one at 11am and one at 3pm. Letters with further details will is-sue shortly to Parents and Guardians. As Principal, I wish to acknowledge the dedi- cation of the 6 th class teachers, the SNA team, the choir, Secretary and all the Staff as we prepare for this wonderful celebra- tion. I also wish to thank the Parents Asso- ciation who are kindly providing refresh- ments on the day and for their support also. All Parent and Guardians please note that our school will be closed on 4 th March for Confirmation. Catholic Schools Week 2020 The School Community are looking for- ward to celebrating Catholic Schools Week with both Fr Denis McNelis, the Sister Community and the Parent Community. § 085 2057786 e: preidcrashrepairs@gmail.com Mill Road, Mornington Panel beating Spray painting Private & Insurance work All work guaranteed New Aldi Opening T he new Aldi store in Laytown is due to open on February 6 th .Vótáil 1 IMELDA MUNSTER TD CLLR. RUAIRÍ Ó MURCHÚ X Julianstown bypass X Short hop zone to include Laytown and Bettystown X Full-time garda station for Laytown and Bettystown X Reduce retirement age to 65 X Remove 1 million workers from USC X End the insurance rip off X Build 100,00 public and affordable homes IMELDA MUNSTER’S PRIORITIES FOR EAST MEATH SINN FÉIN ELECTION MANIFESTO Imelda has been a tireless worker for Sinn Féin for over 30 years, is a passionate advocate for social justice and equality and is a committed trade unionist. She lives in Drogheda and was first elected to Louth County Council in 2004 where she stayed until elected to the Dáil in 2016. With a reputation of never letting an issue go until it has been resolved to her satisfaction, Imelda has consistently held government ministers to account while representing the people of Louth and East Meath. Imelda will continue to do what she does best - stand up for the people of Louth and East Meath. Imelda was Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport, where she memorably held the FAI and Transport Minister to account and Imelda is currently on the Public Accounts Committee. She is the party’s spokesperson on Business. Imelda’s motto has always been that ‘no person should be left behind’. Equality is the cornerstone of her work and at the core of everything she does. Imelda, who is married to Niall, with two grown up daughters, is a proud Drogheda woman and proud to be representing the people of Louth and East Meath. Imelda MUNSTER YOUR LOCAL VOICE ON A NATIONAL LEVELVótáil 1 IMELDA MUNSTER TD CLLR. RUAIRÍ Ó MURCHÚ X Julianstown bypass X Short hop zone to include Laytown and Bettystown X Full-time garda station for Laytown and Bettystown X Reduce retirement age to 65 X Remove 1 million workers from USC X End the insurance rip off X Build 100,00 public and affordable homes IMELDA MUNSTER’S PRIORITIES FOR EAST MEATH SINN FÉIN ELECTION MANIFESTO Imelda has been a tireless worker for Sinn Féin for over 30 years, is a passionate advocate for social justice and equality and is a committed trade unionist. She lives in Drogheda and was first elected to Louth County Council in 2004 where she stayed until elected to the Dáil in 2016. With a reputation of never letting an issue go until it has been resolved to her satisfaction, Imelda has consistently held government ministers to account while representing the people of Louth and East Meath. Imelda will continue to do what she does best - stand up for the people of Louth and East Meath. Imelda was Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport, where she memorably held the FAI and Transport Minister to account and Imelda is currently on the Public Accounts Committee. She is the party’s spokesperson on Business. Imelda’s motto has always been that ‘no person should be left behind’. Equality is the cornerstone of her work and at the core of everything she does. Imelda, who is married to Niall, with two grown up daughters, is a proud Drogheda woman and proud to be representing the people of Louth and East Meath. © February 2020 The Meath Coaster 36 Please mention The Meath Coaster when replying to advertisements The View From The Kitchen Table, By Geraldine Hughes F ebruary is a hopeful little month, and not so little this year, as it has an ex- tra day. Brighter evenings, daffodils and tulips, the end of dry January (I didn’t participate. I prefer to keep my wine con- sumption to a steady level throughout the year) it’s also the end of the newly invent- ed Veganuary. I definitely didn’t partici- pate in this one. I’m not certain if its veg- etarian, which to be fair, I could manage, or if its vegan, which seems like a whole heap of trouble and effort and I’d rather not go there. I dabbled in being a vegetar- ian briefly. It’s not for me. I don’t under- stand veganism so that’s unlikely to hap- pen but fair play to anybody to who did any of the above. I spent January eating chocolate Kimberly. They were delicious. We can hardly talk about February with- out mentioning that it is the month of ro- mance (Aww!) and a good month for card sales, flow- ers and chocolates. The origins of the day are ques- tionable, and vary depend- ing on where you look but my favourite and possibly the most accurate is that the Emperor Claudius decided that single men made better soldiers and banned them from marrying. Humans nature being what it is, this didn’t stop young people falling in love, and a serv- ing priest named Valentine married them in secret and was executed for his troubles .Others say he helped Chris- tians escape Roman prisons, was put in prison himself, and fell in love with his jailers daughter. He wrote her love letters signed ‘From your Valentine’.. either way he was offed, and in due course became a saint. His remains were gifted to an Irish Carmelite called John Spratt. Now I have received some dodgy gifts in my time but this one beats them all, and I’m not sure how John felt about it, but when he died the relics ( it’s actually his heart) were put in storage and in the ‘60’s there were put in a shrine in Whitefrair St. in Dublin and are visited every year, particularly on Feb 14 th by loads of couples hoping for the best for their relationships. Valentines day is most likely a blend of Christian and pagan traditions, the pagan custom at this time of year, was to whip women with dead animal skins until they bled, which signified fertility. There are easier ways to determine this though and if that was what passed for ro- mance then, I’d much rather a bunch of petrol station carnations than be whipped with anything, so let’s all take a second and be glad times have moved on. When I was in primary school, we were told it was the time of year that birds chose their mate, and since birds like Swans and Geese mate for life, it was sort of romantic. But it’s an excuse for a nice meal, a bottle of wine and to give your significant other a cuddle, and if none of that applies, at the very least, it’s the start of spring! § Oasis Childcare Centre Mornington Co. 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Contact Oliver 041.988.7526 087.797.0740 iPhones Smartphones Repair Laptop/Desktop Repair & Upgrades© February 2020 The Meath Coaster 38 T here was no rest after Christmas for our young scientists who, having worked through the holidays, headed up to the RDS on Wednesday the 8 th . The school had succeeded in gaining seven en- tries, a remarkable achievement in itself. Of these seven entries no less than five were awarded prizes. We were awarded 1 st Place Social and Behavioural with a project on; Girls confidence in Maths and STEM careers and 2 nd Place Senior Chem- ical & Mathematical Sciences with an environmental project on; Using chitosan to create a biodegradable antimicrobial plastic alternative to aid in the reduction of plastic waste in hospitals. On the the morning we returned to school after the wonderful Christmas break 6 th year Irish students enjoyed a drama work- shop in the school, based on the sraith pic- tiúr which form part of their Leaving Cert. oral exam. Students had a chance to par- ticipate and practice their Irish, while also seeing the sraith pictiúr brought to life in an entertaining way! Meanwhile on the sporting field during the month we had a number of students competing in the Drogheda and district cross country event team while our senior camogie team got through to the semifi- nal of the Leinster shield and our under 16 Gaelic football team got through to the Leinster finals The under 19 soccer team topped their regional group for the Leinster senior school’s league. The team will now progress to the knockouts. This month the 4 th year students received their Junior Cycle Profile of Achieve- ment. This document records the holistic Young Scientist winners Loreto Balbriggan Drogheda and District Cross Country Event Senior Soccer Football Team© February 2020 The Meath Coaster 39 development of the student during their first three years in secondary school. The event was marked with a formal assembly where the certificates were presented and one of our past pupils gave an inspiring speech about learning and the importance of success and indeed failure in life’s ex- periences. All the while, 6 th year and 3 rd year students have been working very hard in prepara- tion for their mock exams which begin on Friday 31 st of January for 6 th years and Monday 3 rd of February for 3 rd years. We wish them the very best of luck and ask them to take note of these words of wis- dom from the past pupil who spoke so elo- quently to the 4 th years. With every H1 in an academic subject, you should make sure you have a H1 in a life skill you gained from it. I know, this isn’t something you want to hear when you’re Leinster GAA Football finalists Leinster Camogie Finalists actually sitting down at a desk and learn- ing off History dates and Irish grammar! Trust me, I was always one for spouting off the famous lines in Maths about how knowing the Minus-B formula isn’t going to help me in later life. But, I was wrong. No, I don’t spend my days now writing out quadratic formulas for the thrill of it, but I failed to realise that every sum taught me patience in prac- tice, it taught me pride when I would man- age to get the right answer, and it taught me that I am capable of anything if I put in the work to actually understand it and achieve it. I only truly realised this when leaving school, which is a shame, but I hope that you can try to see the importance of every academic subject you learn in school now how far it will take you in life if you are willing to put in a little extra work. §Next >