PRINCIPAL’S INTRODUCTIONAs we began this 90th anniversary school year, we looked forward to a year of celebration.  We were, however, unaware of theloss and sadness we would experience as a school community.

The passing of Mrs Hynds, Assistant Principal, on 16 April 2018 had a devastating impact on St. Mary’s.  Pupils, staff and parents -both past and present – were shocked to learn of the death of a caring, compassionate and good-humoured teacher who was heldin high esteem by everyone.  Mrs Hynds was an inspiration to all, providing an example of faith, friendship, fashion and fun.While we mourn her passing, we also celebrate her life and remember with affection and gratitude the outstanding contributionshe made to St. Mary’s throughout her 28 years of service. 

We will forever “cherish the memory” of a truly remarkable lady who has left a lasting imprint on our hearts and minds.  Mrs Hynds had great pride in St. Mary’s, its people and its success.  As always, this newsletter captures so much of the great work of St. Mary’s pupils and staff.  I, therefore, dedicate this issue of Nuacht Mhuire to Mrs Hynds.  May she rest in peace.Ms D. Gillespie, Principal

A LIFE REMEMBEREDMRS IRENE HYNDS (ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL)20 August 1967 – 16 April 2018“Thy will be done.”A native of Roslea in Co. Fermanagh, Mrs Hynds was the youngest of four children born to her parents, Jim and Susan Toye. In 1996, she married her husband, Seamus, and in 2005 their son, Daniel, was born. Mrs Hynds began her teaching career in St. Mary’s in 1991 when she was employed as a teacher of Religious Education by the Principal at the time, Sister Immaculata O’Connor.She later became Head of Religious Education and Student Council Co-ordinator before becoming a Senior Teacher in the school. In 2015, Mrs Hynds was appointed to the position of Assistant Principal with responsibility for the care, welfare and guidance of pupils.

When news of her death broke early on the morning of 16 April 2018, pupils and staff came together to remember Mrs Hynds and to reflect on how she touched the lives of so many people during her time in St. Mary’s. Pupils, colleagues and parents – past and present – joined the large crowd of mourners in the Church of theAssumption, Magherafelt where Requiem Mass for Mrs Hynds was celebrated on Wednesday 18 April 2018 by Father John Gates. In his homily, Father Gates reflected onthe time he spent with Mrs Hynds during her final days and he spoke of her strong sense of faith, courage and acceptance of God’s plan for her. “My work on earth isdone,” she said. “God has another role for me.” Throughout her illness, Mrs Hynds found great comfort in her faith and peace in prayer. One of the last things she didin the weeks before her death was visit Knock with her family where she enjoyed time in quiet contemplation. Rather than questioning God, Mrs Hynds showed absolutetrust in Him through her frequent prayer: “God’s will be done.”

Following her passing, many people visited St. Mary’s to record fond thoughts and memories of Mrs Hynds in a Book of Condolence. Among the many tributes, Mrs Hyndshas been remembered as “a beautiful person with such a caring heart”, “a wonderful teacher” and an “inspirational lady, true to her values.” Mr James McKee,Chairperson of the Board of Governors, recalled a lady who was “loyal, visionary, dedicated, good-humoured, faith-inspiring and pupil-centred” and someone who “actedwith integrity and warmth, and always for the good of a school she loved.” Sister Anne-Marie Glynn, a mentor to Mrs Hynds in the early years of her career, described heras “a Christian of outstanding integrity, professional to a degree of excellence and a most loving human being.”

The passing of Mrs Hynds leaves a huge void in St. Mary’s but her guiding example over many years will continue to influence the school long into the future. Gloria Deo Soli.

TAE KWON DO CHAMPIONConal Heaney (Year 11) enjoyed a successful start to 2018, having secured both regional and national TaeKwon Do titles. In March, Conal travelled to Meath to compete in the All Ireland Championships, winningGold in Sparring and becoming the 2018 Open All Ireland Champion. In April, Conal competed in theNorthern Ireland Regional Competition in the Bangor Aurora Aquatic Centre, winning Gold in Patterns,Sparring and the Flying Scissor Kick categories, as well as lifting the Northern Ireland Champion title.

Conal’s successful run continued at the UK Championships in Scotland. Having won Gold in the Patterns,Sparring and Flying High Kick at the competition in Ravenscourt, Conal secured the UK Champion 2018title. Not content with his Tae Kwon Do efforts, Conal also took part in the 2018 Belfast Marathon. He completed his 7.2 miles leg of the relay in 1 hour 3 minutes.

Congratulations, Conal.

MUSIC FESTIVAL SUCCESS Declan McFerran (Year 10) secured top place in three competitions at the recent Ballymena andPortstewart Festivals. Declan competed in the Pianoforte Solo (12-14 years) and the Singer andAccompanist (under 18) categories at the Ballymena Festival and was delighted when he was awardedFirst Place in both. On the back of his success in Ballymena, Declan then went on to win the RosaleenCourtney Challenge Cup, after securing his third First Place of the weekend in the Pianoforte Grade 5 / 6 competition.

Well done, Declan.

BEBRAS NATIONAL FINALS 2018 Following success in the UK Bebras Computational Thinking competition, Eimear Harkin (10B) was given the opportunity to take part in the Irish BebrasNational Finals in Maynooth University, Co. Kildare on Saturday 21 April 2018. 

Well done, Eimear.

WHAT’S THE STORY?Year 8 pupils, Fiachra Duffin and Zoe McAllister, became part of theCommonwealth’s rich storytelling heritage by entering this year’s short storywriting competition. Zoe and Fiachra, pictured with Miss Burns, entered stories into the 11–14 age category on the subject of ‘Peace’ in line with the Commonwealth theme for this year. The competition was a great way for the students to flex their creative muscles.

Well done, Zoe and Fiachra.

COUNTY DERRY FÉILE CHAMPIONSOn Sunday 15 April 2018, Ballinascreen Camogie U14s won the County Derry Féile Final at Owen Beg and were crowned Derry Féile Champions 2018. A number of St. Mary’s pupils were on the panel including: Niamh Boyle and Sophie Donnelly (Year 10), Anna Higgins, Erin Cullinan, Kerry O’Connor, Cara McIvor and Amy RoseMulligan (Year 9), and Emer McNicholl and goal scorer Natalie McKenna (Year 8). The Derry Féile Champions are now Galway bound for the 2018 All Ireland FéileChampionship in June. We wish the girls and their team the best of luck.

D’ALTON SHIELD FINALYear 9 boys finished the year with some silverware as they beat St. Colman’s College, Newry in a thrilling game in Derrytrasna on 8 May 2018. In very difficult underfootconditions, both teams played some excellent football with St. Colman’s heading in 9 points up at the break. This was despite some excellent scores, including a goal fromRonan Mawhinney and points from Niall O’Donnell and John Lavery. The introduction of Conhuir Johnston, who missed almost all of the D’Alton Cup through injury, athalf time sparked St. Mary’s into life and they played with much more confidence. John Lavery rolled in a goal after a brilliant team move and added a stunning freekick later. Conhuir Johnston also grabbed two goals and further points from John Lavery, Ronan Mawhinney, Conall Higgins and Conhuir Johnston again took St. Mary’sover the line. There were outstanding performances all over the pitch and St. Mary’s will look to build for the future with this team.

Final Score: St. Mary’s 4:09 – St. Colman’s 3:07.

Team:1. Sean MacOscar (Castledawson)2. Charlie Curley (Lavey)3. Tom McLarnon (Castledawson)4. Dylan Ormsby (Desertmartin)5. Ben McLarnon (Cargin)6. Ruairi Forbes – Captain (Ballinderry)7. Pierce Morgan (Magherafelt)8. Niall O’Donnell (Ballinderry) 0-19. James Murray (Magherafelt) 10. Conall Higgins (Magherafelt) 0-111. John Lavery (Magherafelt) 1-3 (1 Free)12. Sean Byrne (Portglenone)13. Joshua Cassidy (Bellaghy)14. Ronan Mawhinney (Bellaghy) 1-3 (1 free)15. Paul Duffin (Moneyglass)

Subs: 22. Conhuir Johnston (Cargin) 2-1; 23. Tiarnan McLarnon (Newbridge); 19. Ciaran McPeake (Cargin); 20. Niall Baine (Loup); 17. Danny McVey (Ballinderry) Adam Maher,Adam Gilligan, Patrick Kinoulty, Ethan Canavan, James Gribben, Padraig Kelly, Daire McPeake.

EMPOWER PROJECT LECTURESTeachers and Learning Support Assistants from St. Mary’s and other local schoolsattended a series of workshops in St. Mary’s with a focus on supporting pupils withadditional learning needs. Organised by Mrs McComb (SENCo), the workshops wereprovided through the Empower Project, a Big Lottery funded initiative offering support for children and families of children with autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

DUNEANE PARISH YOUTH MISSIONOn Friday 27 April 2018, nine pupils from a range of year groups attended theDuneane Youth Parish Mission. The Mass, which was held in St. Oliver Plunkett’sChurch, was led by the Céilí Community from Westmeath and marked the end ofa two week mission in the parish. The Mass was offered to all young people butthere was a particular focus placed on those sitting exams. Candles were blessedand distributed to all the young people and they were encouraged to light thesein their homes as a sign of Christ’s guiding presence. Miss Burns, Head ofReligion, commented: “The support for our young people is strengthened whenschool, parish and home work together closely. We are very privileged to havethe continued support from our parishes and we look forward to building on thisin the future.”

e-SAFETY AT ST. MARY’SOn Friday 23 February 2018, Year 9 and Year 10 pupils attended an e-safetypresentation in the school. Delivered by Wayne Denner and facilitated by the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), the presentation exploredissues around internet safety, online reputation and responsible use of social media.

Pictured with pupils who attended the e-safety presentation are Wayne Denner,Constable Holmes, Constable Green and Mr G. Quinn (Senior Teacher).

CÚCHULAINN CUPFollowing a number of trials, Ulster GAA selected several Year 11 girls from St. Marys to represent the Magherafelt area in a regional blitz. Eve Dunlop, Elizabeth Cullen,Eimile Downey, Tertia Neely and Erin Lynch played in the Cúchulainn Cup Blitz which took place on 14 March 2018 in Meadowbank Sports Arena.

THE ESCARGOTSEXPERIENCEOn Friday 23 March 2018, 25 intrepid Year 10 pupils took part in an unusualculinary experience: eating snails! This charity event, organised by the FrenchDepartment, gave pupils the opportunity to sample the French delicacy in thepresence of their teachers - Miss Venot, Miss O’Kane and Miss MacOscar - and their Head of Year, Mrs Patton, who also sampled the gastropods. Everybody agreed it was an unforgettable experience and all for a good cause.

ST. MARY’S ACHIEVES ‘FAIRACTIVE’ AWARDSt. Mary’s has recently become a Fairtrade School and has been awarded ‘FairActive’ status from the Fairtrade Foundation. The FairActive Award represents the second of three tiers, joining the school’s current FairAware Award. The school aims to work towards the highest of these and win FairAchiever status as part of its ongoing commitment to the charity.

The school’s most recent Fairtrade initiatives began in 2017 when the Fairtrade Committee was established. Led by Miss Burns (Head of Religion) and Miss McGouran (Citizenship Co-ordinator), the committee is made up of student representatives from each year group. The committee has already led various events to promote Fairtrade. As part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2018, a Fairtrade Quiz was held during lunch-time for students and led by the Eco-Prefects. To mark Fairtrade Fortnight, all students in the school also received a Fairtrade Assembly, explored issues surrounding Fairtrade in LLW lessons and many subjects taught focused lessons on the theme of Fairtrade. The results of theselessons were collated to create a Fairtrade display which was created by some of the school’s Pope John Paul II Award pupils.

The Fairtrade Committee is looking forward to achieving all three awards in the coming year with the next event currently in planning.

FIT AND FOCUSEDMembers of staff in St. Mary’s have, for the second time,taken part in the Cancer Focus Fit 4 Schools Challenge topromote healthy lifestyles and to raise valuable funds forthe charity. The Fit 4 Schools Challenge was a six weekprogramme of healthy eating and exercise designed toencourage participants to become more conscious ofhealth-related matters such as diet, weight and physicalfitness. Cancer Focus Northern Ireland is a local cancerchampion. The charity provides many services, includingsupport for cancer patients and their families, campaignsto promote a healthy lifestyle and carrying out valuableresearch into the causes of cancer and ways of preventingthe disease. The funds raised through St. Mary’sparticipation in the Fit 4 Schools Challenge will be spent on supporting families and delivering services inthe local area.

SAFE IN THE SUNGerry McElwee, Head of Cancer Prevention at CancerFocus NI, is pictured with Amie Hunter (Student WelfareOfficer), Mr McElholm (Head of PE) and pupils - RoryMcAleer, Ben Doherty and Orin Devlin - as he presentsthe school with sun cream in advance of Sports Day.

FRENCH TRADE FAIROn 5 February 2018, Year 10 pupils - Eimear Harkin, HollyDougan, Emma McAuley and Margarida Cardoso Paciencia -participated in the Francofest event, a fun and excitingsimulated French Trade Fair at Queen’s University, Belfast.The girls impressed with their original bottle designs and,more importantly, their excellent use of French.

FRENCH ECO POSTERCOMPETITIONIn January 2018, the French Department organised an eco-poster competitionwhich was open to all Year 12 French students. The competition invited pupils to create a poster encouraging the protection of the environment in the targetlanguage. Ten entries were then selected by Year 13 French students and sent toour partner school in the South of France, Le College Joseph Pagnol, where Year11 pupils there had the difficult job to select the top three. The winner was AineMcPeake whose poster was commended for its colourful design. Catherine Skellyand Orla McCarney were highly commended for their designs. The three winnersreceived their prizes and certificates during a Year 12 assembly in the presence oftheir Head of Year, Mrs Higgins, and Miss Venot who organised the competition.

FOCUSED ON OUR FAITHThroughout the year, St. Mary’s has welcomed a number of inspirational speakers to talk to Year 14 pupils as part of Religious Education provision. In September, Hugo MacOscar gave his personal testimony on the power of faith. In January, students listened to Turlough Quinnwho encouraged them to deepen their own faith by spending time with Jesus in the BlessedSacrament. Richard Moore from Children in Crossfire gave a moving talk on overcomingsuffering and the power of forgiveness. His talk, based on his own experiences, was a true tale of tragedy to triumph. Richard was followed by Marion Carroll who spoke to pupils inMarch. Pupils were inspired after listening to Marion recount her experiences of being cured of multiple sclerosis in Knock by the 'living Christ in the Eucharist'. Finally, looking forward infaith, Fr. Gerard Magee from the Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast spoke to pupils aboutlife beyond St. Mary’s and the opportunities to explore their faith beyond the school walls.

JUMPING FOR JOYSt. Mary’s was recently awarded the Trócaire Romero Award. The Awards Ceremony,which was held in the Iontas Building in Maynooth University, recognised the hardwork and effort of pupils in achieving the award. Pupils in Year 10 researched the lifeand work of Blessed Óscar Romero in the first term. In Term Two, the pupils appliedtheir learning to produce an iMovie designed to raise awareness of a global justiceissue linked to Trócaire’s work. Pupils were required to research, plan and storyboardtheir iMovies working in pairs to complete the task. The work did not, however, stopthere. All pupils in St. Mary’s had a Trócaire assembly and four pupils created a walldisplay based on the Trócaire campaign. Finally, four pupils - Ciara Cassidy (Year 12),Eimear Cassidy (Year 12), Emma Mc Auley (Year 10) and Ellie Conway (Year 10) - arecurrently completing the Trócaire Romero Family Award which aims to complement the ‘Amoris’ preparation programme for the World Meeting of Families. This awardprovides families with an avenue to learn about the lives of other families around theworld where Trócaire works learning about their daily lives and the issues that theyface. Elisha Kelly, World Meeting of Families Project Officer, explained: “The TrócaireRomero Award acknowledges the work that young people do as they investigate,discuss and reflect on global justice issues.”

ON THE BEACHOn Monday 26 March 2018, Year 14 Geography students visited the North Antrim coast to carryout some fieldwork activities. They visited Cushendall and Cushendun to investigate the beachesin both places. Ballycastle was the final stop where they investigated the strategies used tomanage and protect this part of the beautiful North Antrim coast. An enjoyable day was had by all.

‘GUYS AND DOLLS’ DONATION TO MARIE CURIECANCER CAREHeather Miller, Community Fundraiser for Marie Curie Cancer Care, visited St. Mary’s to accept a cheque from pupils and staff involved in the school’s 90thanniversary production, Guys and Dolls. The money was raised through a raffleon the Gala Evening of the show. Included in the picture are: Mr G. Quinn (Senior Teacher), Miss U. Donnelly (Head of Music), Heather Miller (Marie Curie), Mr F. Dunlop (Vice-Principal), and cast members Tiarnach Donaghy, Odhran Lynch,Roise Pelan, Daniel McNamee, Anna McCloskey, Oisin Duffin and Adam Connolly.

KIRK CUP HURLING TEAM REACH FINALSt. Mary’s Kirk Cup Hurling team reached the final of the competition, having beaten Rathmore 5:11 to 0:10.Similar to the Casement Cup team, it was a bigachievement to qualify for the final of the competition.Mr. Convery has been working with the team this yearand is delighted with their performance. He said: “We are so pleased to see the hard work and dedicationof the boys paying dividends and are proud to have ateam making such great progress and representing St. Mary’s so well.”

LIFE ADVOCATE AWARDESSAY COMPETITIONThe Life Advocate Award essay competition is a prestigious award which receives a tremendousresponse from students all across Ireland. The annual essay-writing competition was set up toencourage research and critical thinking on right-to-life issues. In 2018, students were asked todiscuss the words of St. Mother Teresa who said: “Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity.”Pictured with Miss Hagan (Senior Teacher) are Year 13 student Niamh Walls and Year 12 students -Lauren Toner and Una Campbell - who have entered this year’s competition. We wish them everysuccess with their entries.

LAW AND ORDERKey Stage 3 pupils in St. Mary’s progressed to the UK Final of the Magistrates’ CourtMock Trial competition in Birmingham, having won the Northern Ireland competition.The Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition is part of the SmartLaw programmewhich helps improve young people’s life skills, their understanding of the justice and legal systems, and helps them to recognise that the law touches every aspect of their lives.

The St. Mary’s team is pictured with Mrs Murray and Mrs Gordon who both preparedthe pupils for the competition.

LIVING FAITHOn Monday 12 March 2018, our Year 14 pupils attended a prayerful Faith Awards Ceremony in Armagh Cathedral to receive the Pope John Paul II Award. Archbishop EamonMartin presided over the ceremony which recognises and celebrates the participation of youth in the faith life of Armagh Diocese. Year 14 students successfully completed Bronze,Silver and Gold in the Pope John Paul II Award which enables them to play an active role in the life of their church, community and society. These young people completed socialand parish activities in their own time which included reading at school and parish Masses, singing in youth choirs, volunteering in parish centres and coaching young people inGAA and rugby clubs. The Pope John Paul II Award encourages our young people to go beyond their comfort zone on a journey of self-discovery. It challenges them to give of theirtime, their talents, their intellect, and their social skills for the well-being of others and for the glory of God. Their dedication and commitment to the Award was exemplary andtheir enthusiasm for their faith deserved commendation. The Awards Ceremony was a fitting celebration of their faith. Students who completed this Award are positive youngChristian role models who have and continue to live out the Gospel message to ‘Go and serve’. They are excellent ambassadors for our school community and living examples of faith in action.

OPPORTUNITY EUROPE QUIZKey Stage 3 pupils - Nuala Diamond, Roise McCloy, John Lavery, Tom Gribbin,Weronika Majder and Ciara Forsythe - took part in the Opportunity Europe Quiz inBallymena on 10 April 2018. The pupils impressed with their general knowledge on European life and culture.

PRIMARY SCHOOL BLITZIn February 2018, St. Mary’s hosted its annual Primary School Gaelic Football Tournament in Meadowbank Sports Arena.  It was a bitterly cold and wintry day, but that did notstop twelve primary schools competing in the event. Each school played three group games to determine if they would make it into Division 1 or Division 2 for the knockoutstages. There was some excellent football played throughout the day and the semi-finals of Division 1 saw Holy Family Primary School, Magherafelt take on Holy Trinity PrimarySchool, Cookstown, whilst the other semi-final pitted St. Mary’s Primary School, Bellaghy against St. Patrick’s Primary School, Loup. After two incredibly tight and absorbing games,Holy Family Primary School progressed to set up a final against St. Patrick’s, Loup. It was nip and tuck the whole way through with each side enjoying their fair share ofdomination, but it was St. Patrick’s who claimed the Division 1 title on a score line of 3:3 to 3:1.  It was extra special for the Loup school as their Number 6, Ethan Rocks, picked upthe Player of the Tournament Award after some outstanding displays. In the Division 2 final, it was a Magherafelt Derby as Spires Integrated Primary School faced Gaelscoil antSeanchai.  It was another exciting game with Spires taking victory and lifting the Division 2 Shield. The event was organised by Year 14 BTEC Sports Studies students.

MOOD MATTERSYear 14 students were invited to attend a workshop,facilitated by Aware NI, on Mental Health Awareness.  The workshop, entitled ‘Mood Matters’, aimed togive young people knowledge and skills which they canuse to maintain good mental health and build resilience in order to better deal with problems and challenges.Participants used practical examples to learn that, bychallenging and changing unhelpful thinking andbehaviours, they can make a positive difference to theirlives. Aware facilitator, Niall Heron, is pictured with Headof Year 14, Mrs McGee, and pupils who attended the event.

RE – SULT!Year 11 pupil, Brian Fitzgerald, was awarded a £30 One4all voucher having won the Re:Link magazine competition.RE:Link is a 4-page supplement which appears in The Sacred Heart Messenger magazine every month. The competition invited pupils to submit a question that they would ask God if they were given the opportunity.Students explored this in General RE lessons. Brian posed the question: ‘What is your view on the new advances in technology? The Bible offers us very little guidance on the use of such devices and yet they can cause so much suffering.’

LAUNCH OF ST. MARY’S APPSt. Mary’s has launched a new school app with the aim of further developing schoolcommunication. Led by Miss Hagan, the app was created to enhance how we shareinformation and notifications, particularly with parents and guardians. The app is freeand may be downloaded by searching for ‘St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt’ in the Apple and Google Play Stores. When downloaded, the app will have the title ‘St. Mary’s GS’. If you are downloading the app, please remember to ‘Allow’ notifications when prompted so that you may receive the latest updates.

SPRING CONCERTIn March 2018, the Music Department presented the school’s annual Spring Concert. It was a great evening of entertainment showcasing and celebrating the diverse musical talent of St. Mary’s pupils.

ICT CAREERS EVENTYear 13 Digital Technology students attended an interactive presentation entitled “Careers in Information Technology and Software Engineering” delivered by Sentinus. The presentation provided information about the skills requirements and career opportunities within the IT sector in Northern Ireland.

SPRING CONCERT POSTER DESIGNYear 11 pupil, Erin Pickering, created the winning design for this year’s Spring Concert poster. Having designed the 2017 St. Mary’s Christmas Card, Erin’s creativetalent was again evident in her poster design. Erin is pictured with Ms Gillespie and Mrs McKernan, Head of Art and Design.

SOROPTIMISTINTERNATIONAL SUCCESSFOR ST. MARY’S STUDENT On Saturday 3 February 2018, Year 13 student, Cate Bateson, was placed 2nd in the NorthernIreland Final of the Soroptimist International Public Speaking Competition. Cate spokearticulately on her chosen topic: ‘Every generation has its problems.  What’s in store for me?’Cate was given five minutes to prepare an extempore speech about ‘challenge’. The judgescommended Cate for her confidence, knowledge and passion. Well done, Cate.

TEENAGE CANCER TRUSTThe Northern Ireland Teenage Cancer Trust’s Education and AwarenessTeam visited St. Mary’s to speak to Year 10 pupils to raise awareness ofcancer in young people. Julieanne Donnelly, Education and AwarenessOfficer from the Trust, delivered an engaging and positive presentation topupils on the topic of cancer.  It was an opportunity for pupils to learn anddiscuss a number of the issues that arise when a diagnosis of cancer isgiven. It explained what the disease is, who it can impact and its mainwarning signs. Julieanne explained: “The more we understand aboutcancer, the better equipped we are for coping when it does happen tosomeone we know.” Mrs Patton, Head of Year 10, reflected that thepresentation was “positive, upbeat, and helped to demystify the disease.”She added: “The purpose of this event was to help young people to feelcomfortable talking about cancer, to break down barriers and encouragethem to seek help if they ever need it.”

KEEPING UP THE TRADITION Traditional Irish musicians in St. Mary’s have recorded their own “Trad Track”. With the help of Miss Donnelly, Head of Music, the pupils recorded a song which not only showcases their talents but also gave them an opportunity to work together in a professional setting to produce the track.Pupils involved in the recording were:

Year 8: Lauren O’Neill (Whistle), Roise McCloy (Flute) and Nuala Diamond (Fiddle)

Year 9: Caitlin Diamond (Whistle/Vocal)

Year 10: Cara Murray (Whistle), Ellie Conway (Fiddle/Whistle) Roise Devlin (Fiddle/Whistle/Vocal),Mary McKee (Concertina) and Emily Cullen (Whistle)

Year 11: Rosie McElroy (Accordion), Frances McAteer (Vocal), Clara Quinn (Flute)

Year 12: Catherine Byrne (Flute), Caoimhe O’Kane (Fiddle), Lewis Young (Guitar), Conor McSherry (Bodhran) and Anna McKee (Piano)

Year 13: Meadhbh Sweeney (Whistle)

TRIUMPH AT TIMONS Two gifted Year 13 pupils from St. Mary’s and their friend impressed judges in theTIMON Open Data Hackathon at Queen’s Computer Science Building. Over threedays, John McElhone, Michéal McLaughlin and Rory McMullan were confined to aroom to develop an app and pitch to increase the overall safety, sustainability andefficiency of road transport systems using open, free to use public data. Theypitched their idea to four judges and managed to win a prize of £1000 for the bestuse of open data in a project. This is the second time that John, Michéal and Roryhave been rewarded for their innovation and use of technology, having previouslywon the BelTech Dragon’s Den competition.

ULSTER RETAININTERPROVINCIAL TITLECongratulations to Year 13 student, Ciara Malcolm, for her achievement as part of asuccessful Swim Ulster squad. On Sunday 15 April 2018, Ciara travelled to the SwimIreland Schools’ Interprovincial competition which took place at the NAC, Dublin. Ciara and the Swim Ulster squad were determined to defend their 2017 title and theteam of 43 swimmers performed extremely well with Ulster leading in points from the start. After some fantastic races, the competition finished with Ulster successfullywinning First Place and being awarded the Irish Schools’ Interprovincial Championship2018 title.

WARM WELCOME FOR ALL AT ST. MARY’SOn Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 January 2018, St. Mary’s held its annual Open Evenings. We were excited to open our school to prospective pupils, their parents and the local community. More than 800 people passed through our doors over the two nights, sampling a taste of the St. Mary’s pupil experience. Ms Gillespie welcomed visitors and outlined some of the school’s keycharacteristics before guests had the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the school guided by pupils. In PE, we had the MacRory Cup on display while football, basketball, badminton and table tennisevents were taking place around the Sports Hall. In Drama, pupils had the chance to take part in physical theatre activities, develop performance skills and explore stage effects make-up. InScience, visitors participated in experiments with fire-starters in Chemistry, dissections in Biology and hair-raising events happening in Physics. Technology reinforced the need for teamwork andproblem-solving by tasking primary pupils to build towers from marshmallow and spaghetti. This was reflected in the ICT Department where problem-solving proved to be fun and easy for thechildren. Lots of guests entered competitions run by the RE and Mathematics Departments and we had some very competitive parents taking on equally competitive children in the EnglishDepartment quiz. The corridors were buzzing with future Linguists, Geographers and Historians. The Home Economics Department served a range of treats, drumming skills were developed in thenew Music Suite and the Art Department provided a splash of colour each evening.

WORLD IRISH DANCING COMPETITIONCongratulations to Year 9 pupils - Ella O’Neill, Cillian McKenna, Erin Scullion and Elan Sheehy - who allcompeted in the World Irish Dance Championships 2018 held in The Citywest Convention Centre, Dublinin March 2018. All of the dancers did incredibly well, winning a host of medals and titles over the courseof the six-day event. The pupils are pictured with Ms Gillespie, Mr Brady (Head of Year 9) and Mr Quinn(Senior Teacher).

ON THE HOPPCongratulations to Year 13 student, Anna O’Kane, who has been awarded a place on theHuman Oncology and Pathogenesis Programme (HOPP) at Memorial Sloan KetteringCancer Centre in New York.  Having submitted an application for the popular summerinternship, Anna will travel to the USA at the end of June to spend eight weeks workingwith a team of scientists carrying out cancer research in the Lab of Marc Ladyani, MD.Each year, thousands of students apply for a place on the HOPP programme with lessthan 30 places available.  In addition to conducting their own research projects, studentsparticipate in a number of other activities.  They are given a tour of an OR, are taught bya postdoctoral fellow about how to read and interpret a scientific journal article, attendmultiple special seminars, and are invited to weekly luncheons hosted by principalinvestigators. The goals of the Summer Student Programme are to expose high schoolstudents to a breadth of cancer research in the basic and clinical sciences, promote thestudents’ knowledge about translational and clinical research, and enhance their criticalthinking skills, with the aim of encouraging them to further their interest in science andcancer research.

Anna is pictured with Science teachers, Mrs S. McGee and Miss S. McCloskey, and Mrs R.McKernan (Examinations Officer) who supported and endorsed Anna’s HOPP application.

FAITH IN ACTION –PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDESNine Year 13 pupils from St. Mary’s will travel to Lourdes this summer aspart of the Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage. This year, the pilgrimage, led byBishop Donal McKeown, marks the 160th anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes. The young people will assist with the care of the sick and takepart in the celebration of the liturgies during the pilgrimage. Participationin the pilgrimage will also form part of the students’ work towards beingawarded the Pope John Paul II Award.

IN THE WRITEIn January, a large number of enthusiasticand very talented writers in Year 8 and Year9 submitted their 'Stranger Sagas' to theYoung Writers competition. Well done toeveryone who entered the competition andcongratulations to the 47 pupils who hadtheir work chosen for publication. We are so proud of all our young writers.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION PLATFORMThe History Department was pleased to host a Truth and ReconciliationPlatform event in March. The Truth and Reconciliation Platform wasestablished as a way to address the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. The main purpose of the changeable committee is to give victims,regardless of their political, religious or cultural background, anopportunity to speak for themselves; to tell their own story - in theirown words - so that the terrible consequences of political violence willnever be forgotten and the mistakes of the past will never be repeated.The Truth and Reconciliation Platform delivered testimonies from victims of the Troubles to an audience of Year 13 and Year 14 studentswho had an opportunity to put questions to the panel consisting ofAnne Morgan, sister of Seamus Ruddy (one of the “Disappeared”),Stephen Travers (a Miami Showband Massacre survivor in 1975),Raymond McCord (Justice Campaigner and father of Raymond McCord)and Eugene Reavey (brother of three Armagh footballers murdered at Whitecross in 1976).

ST. MARY’S STUDENTS RETAIN GAELBHRATACH STATUSThe Gaelbhratach committee of 2017/2018 has been successful in its bid to retain Gaelbhratach status for St. Mary’s for another academic year. Our delegation travelled to Leopardstown on Tuesday 22May 2018 to receive the recognition in the presence of celebrities and pop stars of the Irish language. The Irish Department wishes to thank and congratulate all members of the committee for theirdiligence and commitment to the promotion of the language. As with any good committee, it is necessary for some members to assume roles and responsibilities which drive efforts forward. Particular thanks, therefore, is due to Bríd Nic Aoidh (Chairperson), Cassie Ní Chatháin (Vice-Chairperson), Treasa Ní Éigeartaigh and Caoimhe Nic Philip (Secretaries) and Lúsaí Nig Oirc (PRO).

ENTERPRISING EFFORTSBENEFIT CHARITYThe Year 13 Business Studies class launched its Mini Enterprise Company inSeptember. The programme is part of the Enrichment Programme in school. The directors were elected democratically and the students spent the year puttingthe theory learnt in the classroom to great use in the practicalities of running a business. Led by an innovative and enthusiastic Managing Director, FearghalMcKenna, the students undertook market research and decided to sell sportsproducts to the school community. To raise start-up funds they sold cupcakes.The company made almost £2000 profit. Half of this profit will be donated to the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and half will be donated to Habitat forHumanity. Congratulations to everyone involved on a great achievement.Members of the Mini Enterprise Company are pictured with Mrs McKeever (Head of Business Studies) and Sheila Duffy (Community Fundraiser) whoaccepted the cheque on behalf of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

DRAGON’S DENTwo Year 13 students from St. Mary’s won a £1000 cash prize for the second successive year at the annual BelTech Conference in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast in May. MichéalMcLaughlin and John McElhone attended the technology event and heard from keynote speakers who are leaders in their field. They listened to panel discussions exploring this year’sthemes and they had an opportunity to pitch to entrepreneurs and investors in a Dragon’s Den competition. Michéal reflects on the experience: “We entered the competition for Beltech2018 with a short video of a new app we developed called ‘CropShield’. We were then shortlisted to the final where we presented our video to four Dragons who asked us questionsregarding the application. Against three other finalists, we won the top prize of £1000 for the most innovative app.” Michéal and John are pictured with Tom Gray (Kainos) and Søren Rode Andreasen (Danske Bank).

MUSIC FOR YOUTH In July, a group of talented musicians from St. Mary’s will travel to Birmingham to takepart in the Music for Youth Festival. They will perform in the World Folk and Rootssection of the event. Miss Donnelly, Head of Music, explains: “We are one of only twoschools from Northern Ireland who have been invited to perform and we are thrilled tohave this opportunity. It will be a memorable experience for our talented pupils and afantastic opportunity for them to showcase our musical heritage.”

ARTS AND CRAFTS On Monday 5 March 2018, Year 11 Art and Design students participated in verysuccessful MLP art workshops facilitated by Mid-Ulster District Council at SperrinIntegrated College.  Chair of the Council, Kim Ashton, introduced the event and said:“These workshops are a fantastic opportunity for pupils within our Magherafelt schoolsto come together and explore a range of different artist-led crafts and methods.  Events like this one allow the next generation of creative thinkers to explore art workin a positive learning environment, especially pupils who are hoping to pursue careersin the creative industries.”  The event enabled students to practice an art, craft ordesign form. They were guided by a professional artist in tasks such as willow weaving, pastel painting, comic book art, clay tiles and silk painting.

STEM QUIZFour Year 10 pupils – Shea Heaney, Therese Diamond, James Heaney and Cara Convery – competed in the Belfast Titanic Key Stage 3 STEM Quiz.  They were very successful in winning the regional heat and then competed in the final answering questions based on Science, Maths, Technology and Geography.

ECO-SCHOOLSEnvironmental awareness continues to be an important focus in St. Mary’s.  This year, the Eco Committee concentrated on energy saving, reducing litter around the school, cleaning andre-stocking the Green House, and preparations for participation in this year’s Best Kept School competition.  There was also a poster competition to design a new Eco-Code for the school.The winners of the competition were Ruth McMorrow and Therese Tohill.

SPORTING ACTIVITIES

Aviva School Mile Challenge

Ladies Gaelic Football U16 & U20 Team 2018 Ladies Gaelic Football Year 8 Team 2018

Ladies Gaelic U20 Ulster Finalists 2018 Netball Team 2018

U14 Team Photo 2018 Senior Camogie Team 2018

Track and Field Athletics 2018, left to right: Adam Maher - U14 3rd 800m, Charlie Curley - U13 2nd 800m, Eoin McTaggart - U13 3rd High Jump, Sean McKeown - U13 2nd 100m.

Camogie All Star 2018 Claire Mulholland Ulster Schools Cross Country Finalists 2018 Ulster Schools Cross Country

Women in Sport Group 2018

MACRORY CHAMPIONSHIP 2018On 19 March 2018, our MacRory Cup team lined out for their second successive MacRory Cup final. Impressive performances against Omagh CBS and St. Patrick’s,Maghera leading up to the final saw our boys installed as pre-game favourites. Some of the football the boys played and, in particular, the amount of goals they hadscored caught the eye of many neutrals. They would face St. Ronan’s College, Lurgan in what would be their first ever final. The Lurgan side had been unbeaten in2017/18 and had already won the McCormick Cup so they had already shown that they were a quality side. Having already lost key defender, Eamon Kelly, to an ACLinjury earlier in the year, the boys were dealt another huge blow just two days before the final when our influential midfielder, Tiarnach Donaghy, was ruled out of thefinal with a hamstring injury. This injury proved particularly costly as the physicality of St. Ronan’s seemed to help them over the line in the second half of the game.The game did not start well for St. Mary’s when St. Ronan's were awarded a penalty in the first minute after Conall Devlin seemed to have been harshly judged to havefouled Eoin McConville whilst attempting to block the ball. Oisin Smyth rolled the resulting penalty past Odhran Lynch. The Lurgan side, playing with the wind advantage,dominated the early exchanges and Smyth added a point to give them a 1:01 to 0:0 lead against the holders. It took 11 minutes for St. Mary's to get on the scoreboardwith Liam Quinn pointing. There was little between the sides in the opening half but gradually St. Mary's started to dominate possession. They clawed their way backinto the final and eventually a foul on Conall Devlin resulted in a penalty which was tucked away to level the scores at 1:03 each. And it was St. Mary's who finished on a high, with Adam Connolly pointing to give them the advantage at the break 1:04 to 1:03.

St. Ronan's responded to going behind in positive fashion and dominated the second half. Meehan set the tone, pointing in the early seconds and Eoin McConville then putthe Lurgan side ahead. James McCann replied with a point for St. Mary's but the holders were on the back foot and Odhran Lynch made a great low save on 12 minutesto keep St. Ronan's out. Meehan pointed twice more with Daniel Bradley replying for St. Mary's to level the game. As the game wound up to a conclusion, St .Ronan'ssubs made their impact with Mark McAfee getting on the scoreboard to stretch the Lurgan club advantage to two points. The sides swapped points in the closing stages butSt. Ronan's remained ahead and defended strongly in the final seconds to claim a two-point win. Our boys battled bravely but were ultimately bitterly disappointed atlosing the game. They will probably feel that they didn’t perform as well as they could have on the day and look to some missed chances up front at crucial times as well as the unfortunate injuries sustained but they should feel very proud at how they reached the final – a second successive final on the biggest stage in Ulster Schoolsfootball. Some of the players involved will be back next year and will be able to represent the school again whilst others will leave having made history at St. Mary’s.

NARROW DEFEAT FOR UNDER 14 GIRLSThe St. Mary’s Under 14 team made it to the Ulster Final and hoped to create Ulster success for a second year in a row.  The girls topped the group stages of the competition with great wins over Our Lady and St. Patrick’s College, Knock, St. Louis Grammar School, Ballymena and Aquinas Grammar School, Belfast.  They met St. Paul’s, Bessbrook in the Ulsterquarter final where they again had a great victory and progressed to meet Loreto, Letterkenny in the semi-final. The semi-final proved slightly tougher but the St. Mary’s girls succeededagain with a 6-17 to 1-7 win over Loreto.  Unfortunately, the team fell short of Ulster Final victory following an outstanding and heartfelt performance from the girls. The game did not start the way the St. Mary’s girls had hoped as they were down by five points after just fifteen minutes.  The girls clawed back, showing great character to lead at the mid-way point of the second half.  St. Dominic’s hit some late scores which allowed them to edge in front in the latter stages of the game to claim the Ulster title.  Well done to all the girlsinvolved in the competition. 

3 Castledawson Road, Magherafelt, Co. Derry BT45 6AX

T: 028 7963 2320 F: 028 7963 4250 E: info@stmarys.magherafelt.ni.sch.uk