Our BT Young Scientist Exhibition Students, Virtual Jan 12th to 14th.

Well done to Anna-Sofie Haffner, Laragh Bradburn, Mark Keating, Ava Minihane and Emily O Sullivan who represented our school at the BT Young Scientist Virtual Exhibition 2022. Anna-Sofie and Laragh did their project on Covid and its effect on teenagers. Mark and Ava did their project on oral reactions v sight reactions in teenagers. Emily did her project on the best teacher qualities. Well done to all!

Dave Long Coaches Sponsors Senior Football Jerseys, Jan 13th.

The School Community would like to sincerely thank Mr. Damien Long of Dave Long Buses for sponsoring a set of Senior Boys Football Jerseys ahead of our Quarter Final Corn Uí Mhuirí match on Saturday evening at 4.45pm in Páirc Uí Chaoimh 4G. Pictured are Mr. Damien Long (Dave Long Buses), Mr.Robbie Minihane (Senior Football Captain), Mr. David Whelton and Mr. Colman O Driscoll, Senior Football Coaches and Mr. Anton O Mahony, School Principal.

Study Skills Course for Students and Parents, Jan 11th.

WCECW22003 Study Skills for Post Primary Students and their Parents (No 1 of a series of 3) 

This webinar is No 1 of a Series of 3

This short series of webinars will encourage students, with the support of their parents, to develop positive learning and study habits.

Content Explored:
- Enhancing the learning environment
- Organisational Skills
- Misconceptions about study

Bio of Presenter: Kieran Sweeney

Kieran Sweeney is an accredited Post Primary based coach with experience as an AP1, Deputy Principal, Principal and previous Director of Limerick Education Centre

Please click on the link button below to register:

Learn more

Green Schools Water Ambassador Programme

Congratulations to Rachel Thomas & Jack Marks who were runners up in the Southern Region of the Green Schools Water Ambassador Programme for their work on the Water Theme.

They are pictured below with their certs. Members of the Green Schools Committee are also pictured below.

School Re-Opening, Thursday Jan 6th 2022

LETTER TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

We hope you and your families are well and that you have had an enjoyable and restful Christmas break. We wish each of you a Happy New Year and look forward to working together in the year ahead.

The school will open as planned, tomorrow, January 6th 2022. As we re-open we are very mindful of the rising instances of Covid-19 in the community and the potential knock-on effect this could have within our school community.

We are therefore, asking for your support in continuing to implement our School Response Plan. In particular we are asking for your support with the following measures:

1. Stay at home if unwell.

Please do not allow your son/daughter to attend school if they have any symptoms of Covid-19. As symptoms vary from person to person we advise that you take a precautionary approach at all times. If your son/daughter displays any symptoms, please ensure they self-isolate, undergo testing and seek GP advice as appropriate.

2. Close Contacts.

If your son/daughter has been deemed to be a close contact they need to adhere to the advice on the HSE website in relation to restricted movements and testing. If they develop symptoms they should isolate and seek testing as appropriate.

3. Mask Wearing, Hand-Hygiene, Sanitisation and Social Distancing.

These four elements continue to be essential aspects of both Public Health Advice and our School Response Plan. It is important that your son/daughter understands the reasons for these measures and that they adhere to them at all times while in the school premises. Please ensure that they have an ample supply of masks, their own sanitiser and wipes each day.

The emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 leads us to expect that the coming weeks will be challenging. It is envisaged that there may well be a number of staff unavailable for work on any given day. Should this be the case, we will endeavour to do everything we can to ensure that a substitute teacher is available to cover. However, it may not always be possible to employ a subject-specific teacher to cover each class. Work will be provided by the relevant teacher and we ask you to encourage your son/daughter to continue to engage with the classwork and homework assigned.

It is not envisaged at this point that there will be a need to ask some classes or year groups to move to online learning from home. However, if staff shortages reached a crisis point this may become a likely reality. The purpose of the preventative measures outlined above is to ensure that such a scenario does not arise and that we can continue to provide education for our students in an environment that will be as safe as we can possibly make it.

We thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate our way through this pandemic. Working together we will continue to endeavour to provide your son/daughter with the best possible educational experience during these challenging times.

Kindest Regards

Anton O Mahony,

Principal Skibbereen Community School.

Virtual Open Evening

Virtual Open Evening

Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we are hosting a Virtual Open Evening this year. The event will be live on Tuesday 11th January 2022 at 7:30pm.

2nd Year Home Economics - Gingerbread Houses

2nd year Home Economics students were exceptionally busy last week.

They successfully completed the challenge of creating and decorating Gingerbread Houses.

There was a fabulous buzz in the kitchens.

Well done to you all & enjoy your well deserved break!

3rd Year Music & Drama Short Course Performance

Students from Ms. Leiber and Ms. Brennan’s 3rd Year Music and Drama short course performed their unique version of “Little Red Riding Hood” for students and staff of the LRC Yesterday.

All aspects including music, script, costumes and dance were written by the students themselves.

The students from the LRC were delighted with the performance and even performed themselves for the encore.

Christmas Baking with 1st Years

TY Christmas Cakes

Well done to 4th year Home Economics students on their amazing Christmas Cakes, completed over the past few weeks. They look almost too good to eat!

4th Year Christmas Market

On Monday December 13th, transition year Food & Hospitality students held their “Christmas Market” in the Home Economics room. 

Unfortunately, it was not possible to open it to the public this year but none the less it was a fantastic success and there was a festive atmosphere on the day. 

This market was the culmination of an entire term’s work where students created, branded and sold their own artisan food product.  There were bumps along the way, but I am sure they will all agree that all their hard work was worth it when they saw their stalls and brand come to life on market day. 

The students had an opportunity to get feedback during their product development stage from Siobhan O’Callaghan owner of Kalbo’s in Skibbereen.  This feedback proved invaluable for ideas on branding, packaging and costing.  Huge congratulations to all our Food & Hospitality students on their incredibly successful products and all their very hard work.

The following are the companies that displayed their wares:

1.       Beacon Biscuits

2.       Claire’s Chocolates

3.       Cnoc Drom Chutney

4.       Chin Chin Churros

5.       Monika’s Coconut & Chocolate Balls.

6.       Little Box Brownies

7.       Skeam’s Salted Caramel

8.       Sweet Chilli Jam

9.       Criospai Ceapach Mor

10.   Baurgorm Bakes

11.   Fudging It!

Christmas Sports Fund Raffle Draw, Dec 17th.

The Christmas Draw took place in the school canteen on Friday, Dec 17th in front of First year and TY Students. Mr. O Mahony and Mr. O Driscoll organised the Draw. A sincere thanks to Mr. Colman O Driscoll for organizing the raffle, prizes and tickets. A sincere thanks also to our prize sponsors. Close to €4000 was raised to help refurbish the school gym with new weights, racks and gym frames. Work on this starts on Jan 4th. Many thanks to all the students who sold tickets and the families who bought them.

These are the Results of the Draw.

1st = Ms. Mary Crowley, Creagh, Baltimore

2nd = Mr. Des Ronan, Clohane, Skibbereen.

3rd = Bennett Family, Coolnagurrane, Skibbereen.

4th = Mr. Ronan Coughlan, Shanaway, Ballineen.

5th = Ruby O Donovan, Conishal, Skibbereen.

6th = Mr. Denis Leahy, Gurrane, Caheragh.

7th = Ms. Liz Leonard, Licknavar, Skibbereen.

8th = Ms. Anne Doddy, Dunboyne, Co. Meath.

9th = Ms. Lilly Cotter, Skibbereen.

10th = Ms. Netty Fitzgerald, Lissaclarig, Skibbereen.

11th = Ms. Ruth Crowley, Creagh, Baltimore.

12th = Mr. Jack O Neill, Castlehaven.

13th = Mr. Anthony Boyle, North Street, Skibbereen.

14th = Ms. Noreen Collins, Church Cross, Skibbereen.

Turning on of the School's Christmas Lights, Fri Dec 17th

Pictured are Emer O Driscoll and Caoimhe O Donovan, First Year with Mr. O Mahony, Principal at the official turning on of the Christmas Lights. Many thanks to Ms. O Sullivan’s, TY Religion Class and Mr. O Shea’s English class for their songs and tunes.

Sports Weekly Roundup, Dec 13th to 17th.

Monday: The Senior Boys Football team and their coach Mr. David Whelton beat Coláiste an Spiorad Naoimh, Bishopstown in the first round of the Simcox Cup (Cork Schools Cup).

Tuesday: Ellen Connolly and Maeve O Sullivan, 1st year were called up to the U14 Cork County Football team.

The Junior Girls Basketball team and their coach, Ms. Marie Wilson lost to Regina Mundi, Douglas in the County Semi-Final in Gurranabraher.

Wednesday: The U19 and U16 Boys Basketball Teams beat Pobailscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal in the County Semi-Finals at home.

Friday: The U19 Boys Basketball Team and their coach Ms. Marie O Mahony beat Coláiste Pobailscoil Bheanntraí to with the County Final in Douglas. The U16 Team lost to Bantry in their final.

Information on Apprenticeships for 6th Year Students

A big thank you to Mr Don McCarthy, Senior Trainee Advisor for the West Cork area who visited SCS to speak to Leaving Cert students about the fantastic options available to them in the area of Apprenticeships.

Don encouraged all students to consider the "earn while you learn" option and advised them to put time into researching all kinds of apprenticeships. See www.apprenticeships.ie for useful information.

First Year Christmas Charity Football Blitz in aid of the Air Ambulance Service, Dec 10th

Well done to the TY Sports Administration Classes and their teachers, Ms. Anna Ward and Mr. Maurice Moore on organizing a fantastic Football Blitz for all First Year Students today. All proceeds went to the Air Ambulance Service.

The TY students acted as Coaches, Referees, First Aiders and did all the logistics! Well done; Eimear Carey , Oisín Cooke , Alannah Thérése Crowley , Mark Crowley, Leah Chloe Geaney , Jack Grace , Mark Keating , Tomasz Jozef Lechtanski , Jack Donal McCarthy , Keelin Murphy , Louise Alice Murran, Muireann O'Donnell , Amie O'Driscoll , Brian Richard O'Driscoll , Alaia O'Sullivan , Titas Sautdinovas , Luke Benjamin Shorten , Liam Wainwright-Kingston, Ruby Kate Byrne , Ruairi Richard Collins , Fionn Tomás Coombes , Kate Breffni Coppinger , Luca Mathias Harte , Dylan Christopher Hourihane , Ólan Hurley , Rory John Kingston , Davin Michael Limrick , Amy Katelyn McKennedy, Dylan James Murnane , Cáelán O'Driscoll, Kevin Florence O'Driscoll , Claire Ann O'Mahony , Seán Parson , Rocío Vinuela Arrabal , Johnny Walsh and Michat Ziob!

School Remains Closed on Wednesday, Dec 8th.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Unfortunately the school will remain closed tomorrow Wednesday, December 8th as advised by the Dept. of Education. Teachers will connect with their students by putting work on Microsoft TEAMS. Please encourage your son/daughter to engage with this work.

Regards,

SCS Management.