The school was delighted to welcome Bishop Buckley today. He visited every class and gave a blessing and prayer card to exam students. He is pictured with 5th Years, Katie Harte and Dermot Hegarty who kindly gave him the grand tour.
Pictured are Mr. Tom Foley and two of his first year students, Kai Hill and Niall Collins with their recently completely Metalwork projects.
Whatever about politics, a week is certainly a long time in an SCS Skipathon. When James McNulty took a wrecking ball to the old 159 record and set the new 168 record in concrete, the hopes of other contenders turned to dust. But not for long. The main contenders for the skipping throne have ignited in rival fashion from the day when the first record was set. True sporting champions like Rebecca Beamish, Killian Forde, James and Mike McCarthy do not lie down in the face of adversity, they step up and create records of their own.
Confronted by news of James' 168, Rebecca appeared relatively composed. On Monday morning, the flue had weakened her resistance and she failed to reach the target. On Tuesday, her best attempt brought her within touching distance and a score of 165. This strengthened her resolve and gave her the belief that she could do it.
On Thursday she tried again. On this occasion, she had decided to take the challenge by the scruff of the neck. A congregation of fifth years stared downwards through the lens of the sports complex window. We wondered was the great Mike among them. The sight of spectators added a faint anticipation to the air and Rebecca skipped like she had never skipped before breaking the record and achieving 172. There followed a moment of mad celebration. But she was not finished yet. In her next attempt she added ten more rocketing to 182. Ten minutes later, Rebecca skipped an astonishing 188 skips in a minute, smashing her own 182 and that is where the record stands.
Our leader may have opened the sluice gates but there is a growing number of challengers skipping at her heels. Two of the very best come from Class 2A. On hearing about the new record, Killian Forde stepped up to the challenge achieving a brilliant 172. One week ago, that score would have placed Killian right at the top. A week on, it propelled the talented second year into second place. All those who watched KIllian knew they were watching something special. Having just completed the 1000 meter rowing challenge, an exhausted James McNulty took the rope but not surprisingly he could not beat his own 168 relegating him to third place. For now. We have not heard the last from these two talented athletes.
The top skipping class of the school is the Leaving Cert girls class with four members of the year in the top ten in the school. The amazing Elena Forde skipped 145 in her first attempt giving her fifth place, Caoimhe Leonard goes into sixth with 140, Naomi O'Donovan takes eight place with 128 and five others had scores over 110. Ms O'Mahony welcomes all classes to challenge!
The highly motivated and talented first year boys basketball team swept to victory in their league encounter with Coláiste Ghobnatan, making it four wins in a row. The latest match was a one-sided affair but there are tougher challenges ahead.
A stunning display of teamwork orchestrated by the brilliant Eividas Andreikus in the first quarter set the tone for the action that followed. The high tempo defence created by James O'Neill, Tomas O'Mahony and Adam O'Regan nullified Coláiste Ghobnatan's scoring attempts and kept the SCS scores ticking.
On a day when baskets were easy to come by, James, Tomas and Adam each scored six points and Eividas contributed eight. Eoghan Barry and Teddy Gallagher added more heroics of their own and popped in four points each. Keith McCarthy shot a delightful basket from just inside the three point line and Stevie Redmond scored a drive from the right.
The highlight of the game was the man of the match performance from Robbie Minihane who dominated the boards, top scored with ten points and tormented Coláiste Ghobnatan's faltering offence time and time again. While the basketball world is raving about Oklahoma's Russell Westbrook, Robbie has become SCS's triple double expert.
The unexpected has become the expected from the versatile Tomas who displayed skills in the point guard role we didn't know he possessed. His relentless defence often ran to a gladiatorial pulse.
With two very tough teams awaiting us in Limerick in less than a fortnight, having the inspirational Ger MacEoin join our team for the cup matches will offer us an enormous boost. He is the epicentre of everything that is good in SCS basketball and is a fantastic addition to our expanding panel.
The Information Evening for the Parents of Incoming First Years will be held on Wednesday, March 1st at 7.30pm.
The 5th year Parent-Teacher meeting will be held in the school tomorrow Thursday, February 16th 2017 from 4.15pm to 6.45pm.
Skibbereen Community School hosted a First Year Boys Football Blitz at home to Kinsale Community School today. The event was organised by our football coaches, Mr. Maurice Moore, Mr. Colman O'Driscoll and Mr. James McCarthy. The squad was divided into 3 teams with everyone on both sides getting a game. It was a very competitive tournament. Thanks to Kinsale for travelling.
Happy St. Valentine's Day to all! Pictured here is Karen McCarthy in Third Year, who made this beautiful Valentine’s card in her Religion class!
Pictured below are our first year girls basketball team in their new school gear.
It seems an eternity since James McNulty skipped into the lead in the school skipathon with a score of 116. On that occasion, the excitement was contagious and a new seed had palpably been sewn. The 116 record did not last long as his younger brother Sean snatched it from him adding two to the score. Sean's 118 lasted a mere five days.
Cheered on by a very excited group of sixth years, the brilliant Rebecca Beamish stepped up and with steely determination skipped her way to the top with a formidable 138. In the weeks that followed, many students tried and failed to beat Rebecca's score. Clodagh O'Neill, Naomi O'Donovan, Shelley Brickley and Áine Seymour produced impressive scores in the high 120s but could not reach the elusive 138.
But there was a fifth year by the name of Mike McCarthy lurking in the wings and ready to make his assault on the title. On a freezing cold Wednesday evening, news was circulating through the school gossip vines that Mike had smashed the record and scored an unbelievable 159. The seemingly impossible had been achieved and the 138 record was ground to a powder.
Rebecca had also heard the news and a new determination was taking root. Ms. O'Mahony feared for the sixth year thinking an extra 21 skips would be almost impossible. But Rebecca has never been a girl to take refuge in excuses and she was not about to doubt herself now. On her third attempt, Rebecca achieved the magic number and equalled Mike's magnificent 159. It was now honours even to the fifth and sixth year. During the same P.E. class, the multi-talented Caoimhe Leonard skipped into third place with a very impressive 140.
Amazingly the story did not finish there as Class 2A are a vibrant, effervescent group who love to have their say. Here, the rope quickened and our hearts beat faster. Despite four break downs, the lightning fast Killian Forde stormed into third place with 148. No doubt about it, there is more to come from Killian.
In the midst of a hushed silence, James McNulty coolly took the rope, adjusted the length and focused on the task in hand. Energised by strange, unspoken glory, James returned to the top of the leader board with a score of 168. 2A have set the ground rules and James is a tough act to follow.
The SCS Skipathon is proving to be an epic contest of will and skill, a compelling battle where heroes are emerging all the time. Any student who wants to enter this epic contest should go to Ms O'Mahony to be counted.
The Community Games Swimming Cork finals were held last Saturday in Leisureworld.
Skibbereen Community Games area was well represented by students from Skibbereen Community School.
Jasmine Kiely – 1st U16 Freestyle 50M.
Caoimhe Casey - 2nd U16 Backstroke 50M.
Rachel Cadogan - 1st U16 Butterfly 50M.
Tadgh Keating - 2nd U16 Freestyle 50M.
Skibbereen U16 Girls Relay Team mixed medley 4 x 50M event – 1st place: Caoimhe Casey, Zoe O'Connor, Rachel Cadogan, Jasmine Kiely and Sophia Marten.
Well done to all!
All 1st placed represent Cork in the All Ireland Community Games in Dublin on May 6th.
Below are the Pre Leaving Cert & Pre Junior Cert Exam Timetables.
Skibbereen Community School wishes the best of luck to their students performing in the Scór na nÓg All-Ireland Finals taking place on this Saturday the 11th February at The Waterfront Theatre, Belfast. Oisín and Eugene Daly are taking part in the léiriú stáitse (drama presentation) and Saoirse and Davina Connolly and Molly McQueen are taking part in the ceol uirlise (instrumental music) competition. The students are pictured here with their respective County and Munster trophies. Go n-éirí libhse go léir!
Well done to class 4a for the film that they made for the National Youth Media Awards and drug.ie. Their film, as part of their Religion class with Ms. Orla O’Sullivan demonstrates the impact of alcohol on relationships in a sporting setting. The main character, played by the talented Shane O’Driscoll, is a Cork footballer. The character has spent the day drinking alcohol with his friends, something he is not allowed to do. We see how his manager, played by the amazing Jamie Shanahan finds him passed out and tells him he is no longer on the team. Well done to all and especially to Micheál Maguire who spurred the class into action!
Well done to class 4B who recently made a film as part of their Religion class with Ms. Orla O'Sullivan on alcohol and drug awareness. The film was directed and produced by Muirios Waugh for a competition with the National Youth Media Awards and Drugs.ie. The entire class were involved encompassing the help of their English teacher Ms. Michelle O'Brien. The two teachers in the film were played by the very talented Fearghal Murphy Youell and Ryan Collins-Thake.This video demonstrates the impact of alcohol on relationships in a school environment through the eyes of a young abuser of alcohol. We see how he/she has to go about his/her day, dealing with people he/she has had altercations with the previous night, while under the influence of alcohol. We see the vicious circle which traps him/her everyday, and we see how friends and teachers are pushed away, until eventually, it is just him/her and the bottle in hand, alone. For now best of luck to all in the competition, but we know that the Oscars awaits them in the future!
Pictured below are students who have been awarded the title 'Chef of the Week' over the last few weeks.
Skibbereen Community School is preparing for its very first St. Valentine's day. Pictured are Kai Hill, Niall Collins, Wayne Williamson, Kevin O’Donoghue, Karen Galvin and Orla O’Sullivan organising our 'Love Tree'. Students and staff were asked to write a response on a heart to “love is”. As one can only imagine, there has been a variety of responses! Come and have a look! Well done to all!
Tobias Fischer gave an excellent talk recently to Ms. O’Sullivan’s English and Religion classes regarding The European Voluntary Service scheme, which is funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Union. Tobias is here in Skibbereen Community School for 10 months where he works with the School Completion Programme. He told students that everyone between 17-30 years can apply for this programme. In this scheme volunteers are granted aided to support community projects. Along with helping individual students, Tobias also runs the chess club on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where there has been a notable uptake of students in recent months.
All the students benefited from this highly informative and enjoyable talk, where Tobias also compared the differences between Ireland and Germany. He spoke about his favourite German soccer team, Hertha, which raised some interesting debates about soccer in the class. He spoke about the wonderful train and cycling system in Berlin. He gave information on cultural differences in education, like the inclusion of special needs students in Irish schools which has yet to happen in Germany. The students in SCS found out that their German counterparts, whilst having no uniform, only had 6 weeks summer holidays. A very pleasant and engaging class was had by all.
Well done to the three mini companies, 'Shower Solutions', 'Funky Fruit' & 'Recycle Rex' who presented their business idea in front of a group of invited guests at the Ludgate Hub yesterday. A big thank you to Gráinne Dwyer of Ludgate for all her help.
3rd year students making St. Bridget's Crosses on the eve of her feast day.
