November 2011

 

ST. JOSEPH'S WELCOMES NEW SIXTH FORM STUDENTS

Staff and students celebrated the best ever GCSE results in the school's history at the Annual Prizegiving.

88% of the students gained 5 or more GCSE grades at A* - C in the summer 2011 examinations. This is significantly above the Northern Ireland average of 58% .

St. Joseph's were delighted to have as Guest of Honour, former pupil Ms. Aisling Mc Donnell to their     presentation of awards and Records of Achievement. This event was an opportunity for the class of         2010/2011 to reunite and celebrate their wide range of achievements.
The evening was a great success and extremely well attended not only by the pupils and parents but                 also other distinguished guests such as the Board of Governors, representatives from the SELB and CCMS.     Also in attendance were many primary school principals. Mr. Scally, Principal of St. Joseph's             acknowledged his appreciation of such attendance.

In his address Mr.Scally congratulated the pupils on their excellent academic achievements,             achievements which have placed St. Joseph's High School amongst the top group when compared                 with similar schools in Northern Ireland. He said

"I hope that tonight you see the powerful capacity of your local non-selective school to deliver top                 quality academic performance and excellence in personal development."

He also commended the work of the staff in particular and parents in aiding the pupils in their             development into mature, educated young people. In particular he highlighted the encouragement and             hard work of Mrs. Marie Millar , Head of Senior School over the last two years and the work of                         Mr. Oliver Short Head of Junior School who established a great foundation in Junior school . He also     commended the work of Mrs Hollywood the Head of Year and each form teacher. Mr Scally also paid             tribute to the other activities that take place in Art, Drama, Music, Public Speaking, Stem activites                     and outdoor pursuits days - all of which enhance the development of the students. He also commended             the school footballers who progressed to the semi final in the Ulster Herald Cup.

Those who came first in each subject were acknowledged. A range of other achievements were also         celebrated such as sporting prowess, musical ability and attendance. Awards were given for endeavour             and also to pupils who contributed in a positive way to school life. Each pupil was commended and         presented with their own Record of Achievement.

A special award was given to the student of the year, Emma Mc Shane . Emma achieved a remarkable         results, all grade B and above, in her ten GCSE's .

Presentations were made by the Guest of Honour, Ms. Aisling Mc Donnell, who spoke very well of her             own experiences as a pupil of the school. She described how she came to St. Joseph's aged 11 with                 her confidence shaken by the transfer system. Yet during her years at school, she was encouraged                 and blossomed into a confident young women with real self belief. She praised the school for welcoming         each pupil as an individual and ensuring their potential is realised. She paid tribute to the care and             attention that was given to her as a pupil at St. Joseph's, a quality she says is a trademark of the                 school and something to be very proud of. She thanked the teachers and paid tribute to the excellent relationships fostered in St. Joseph's. Ms. Mc Donnell ended her education at St. Joseph's achieving             three grade A’s at A-level and proceeded to gain an honours degree in Business Management . In her         address Ms Mc Donnell also congratulated the principal, staff and pupils on the remarkable examination     results achieved in 2011.She encouraged the students to work hard and to continually strive to                     improve and achieve more, something she feels was instilled into her during her time in St. Joseph's.

The night was extremely enjoyable and refreshments were served afterwards.



 

 

CHARITY EVENTS AT ST. JOSEPH'S
St. Joseph's have been embracing the Christian spirit of giving through its efforts for charitable causes lately.

A cake sale was organised by Mrs Cunningham for Macmillan Trust. Mrs. Cunningham coordinated the event and                                     even motivated staff and students to get baking. She was ably assisted by Sixth Form students who ran the cake                                         sale. They raised an impressive £371 for this important charity.

Also just prior to mid term, Junior school pupils and staff completed a sponsored walk in aid of Action MS.                                                     The walk which took place in Gosford Forest Park was a great success with a substantial amount of money raised.

These events illustrate the ethos of caring for others which is very prevalent in the school.
 

 

  

 

ST. JOSEPH'S  WELCOMES YEAR 8 STUDENTS WITH SCHOOL MASS
 

Thursday last, 6th October, St. Joseph's High School welcomed its Year 8 in pupils and parents to a mass                                                     to celebrate this milestone in their educational lives. There was an extraordinary turn out. The mass was                                                 celebrated by Fr. Liam McKinney. After the mass, Principal Mr, Scally addressed the group and extended his                                         welcome to the new pupils and their parents. Mr. Scally outlined what St. Joseph's School has to offer these                                             pupils, as a school that values each pupil individually and strives to ensure each pupil realises their potential.                                             He reminded those gathered of the school's recent academic success in the G.C.S.E.'s where 88% achieved                                             five or more grade C's. Following this, pupils were treated to a slideshow recounting their first few weeks                                                         in St. Joseph's High School. Students have been working in all departments on a Connected Learning                                                     project entitled "What makes South Armagh unique?" The evening ended with refreshments in the canteen                                             where parents had an opportunity to view their child's work.

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Pope John Paul II Award was officially launched in St Joseph's.

Pope John Paul II Award was officially launched in St Joseph's by the Armagh Diocesan Youth Director,                                                     Dermot Kelly.



The Pope John Paul II Award is dedicated to the memory of the late Pope John Paul II who had a great                                                     connection with young people and visions to encourage their beliefs. The Award was launched by                                                             Diocese of Derry in November 2006. And has been rolled out over various dioceses in Ireland ever                                                                 since. If you are aged between 16 and 18 and living or going to school in the Archdiocese of Armagh,                                                                 this award will enable you to become more actively involved in the life of your parish and community.



If any young people, parishes or schools wishes to receive more information on these awards,                                                                     please contact Dermot Kelly on 028 37523084 or 07525 774024.
 

 


 

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ST JOSEPH'S CELEBRATE EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES.

26 September 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the European Day of Languages (EDL)                             celebrated at the Council of Europe and throughout its 47 member states. St. Joseph's High School                                     Modern Foreign Languages Department marked the event by arranging various activities which                                 highlighted the diversity of languages spoken throughout the European community.