Newsletter #13 May 2025
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Emmanuel Familoa
We mourn the loss of our student Emmanuel Familola who tragically lost his life in an accident. First and foremost, our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families of Emmanuel - and Matt from our neighbouring school Crana College, who are most directly affected by this tragedy. There are no words that can fully capture the pain and sorrow we continue to feel as a school community. We are truly heartbroken.
Emmanuel embodied the true ethos of Scoil Mhuire. He was known for his warm personality, gentle humour, and thoughtful nature. He immersed himself fully in our school community and was highly regarded by staff and students alike.
Emmanuel had just completed Transition Year and was looking forward to starting his Senior Cycle. The week before his tragic accident he completed a work experience in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin which he thoroughly enjoyed. He was ambitious and full of potential, always appreciative of the opportunities he was given and never failed to show gratitude.
His loss is deeply felt, but he will be remembered for the light he brought to those around him.
Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas síoraí dá anam uasal.
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CEIST Student Leadership Conference 2025
A group of our senior students had the wonderful opportunity to attend the CEIST Student Leadership Conference in DCU, St. Patrick's Campus, accompanied by Ms. Smyth. The event brought together students from CEIST schools across the country to explore what it means to be a leader rooted in compassion, service, and community spirit.
Throughout the day, students engaged in inspiring workshops, listened to thought-provoking speakers, and shared ideas with like-minded peers. It was a fantastic chance for our students to reflect on their own leadership potential and how they can make a positive impact both in school and beyond.
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6th Year Graduation
On Wednesday 21st May, our 6th Year students gathered in St. Mary’s Oratory for their Graduation Mass. It marked the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Symbols including trophies, photographs and awards were presented to the altar to represent the talents and achievements of the Class of 2025. Thanks to Fr. Bradley, the R.E. Department, to all the students who participated in the ceremony and a special word of thanks to Ms. Byrne and her very talented 6th Year Music students for the beautiful music.
At the end of the Mass, each student received a blessed candle from the Principal Ms. McLoughlin and Year Head Mr. N. Doherty. May the Class of 2025 continue to shine and make our world a better place. May you never stop using your talents to the best of your ability on life’s journey. In the words of Pope Francis and the theme for the Graduation Mass of 2025:
“Do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you. Do not be afraid to dream of great things”.
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Donal Walsh and LiveLife Youth Pilgrimage to Knock
On the 8th of May a number of our students travelled to Knock for the annual LifeLife youth retreat. It was a wonderful filled with inspirational speakers, spiritual nourishment and the celebration of the Eucharist. Our thanks to Ms. O'Connor for organising the trip and to Ms. Roache and Mr. Clancy for accompanying the students.
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Fond Farewells
This term, we say farewell to two valued members of our school community: Fran Doherty, our dedicated attendance officer, and Marie Boyce, our inspiring art teacher. Fran and Marie have been stalwarts of our school for many years, earning the deep respect and admiration of both students and colleagues alike. Their unwavering commitment, hard work, and daily dedication have made a lasting impact on our community, and they will be greatly missed.
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JCSP Celebration
On May 1st our third-year Junior Certificate School Programme students marked a significant milestone as they celebrated their JCSP graduation. This special event recognised the hard work and progress that our students have made over the past three years. Each student was presented with a certificate showcasing the valuable skills they have developed across all subject areas. It was a proud moment for both students and staff, reflecting the growth and achievement of our students during their time in the programme. Maith sibh uilig!
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LCA1 Social Enterprise Trip - A Student-Led Success!
As part of their Vocational Preparation and Guidance programme, our LCA1 students recently enjoyed a well-deserved trip that included a visit to Xtreme Jump, some shopping, and a delicious meal in the Cosh Bar & Grill to round off the day. They were accompanied by Ms Smyth and group SNA Claire O'Connor.
What made this trip truly special was that it was entirely self-funded by the students themselves. Back in December, they took the initiative to plan, organise and run a Wellbeing Day for 1st Years — a fantastic example of student-led enterprise in action. The success of that event not only brought great enjoyment to the 1st Years, but also raised enough money to cover the cost of this outing.
This trip was a brilliant way for students to experience the real-world rewards of teamwork, planning, budgeting, and community involvement. A big well done to everyone involved — you should be very proud of what you achieved!
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Fun and Games at the Oasis
Ms. Dowds and Derin Dowds were in the Oasis recently where Derin very kindly donated a selection of her books, jigsaws, games and toys. We want to say a huge thank you to Derin for her generosity. Our Students in the Oasis, Fionntán and Daniel then presented Ms. Dowds with the drill that they purchased for the Climates group with the money raised from their recycling project. They hope to raise enough to buy paint for the Climates group before the end of term. Please keep donating your bottles and cans!
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1st Year School Tour
Our 1st years recently went on their end of year school tour to the Wild Atlantic Adventure Centre in Tullagh. Despite the weather a great day was had by all. Our students took part in the Mud Run, team building, crate building, various games and finished the day with a beautiful BBQ. Our sincere thanks to their Year Head Ms. McBride, Mr. D. McLaughlin, Ms. T. McElhinney, SNA Annemarie Porter and SNA Breedge Sweeney.
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Scoil Mhuire Summer Camp 2025
The Scoil Mhuire Summer Camp will be offered to 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students from Monday 30 June for 2 weeks (Monday - Friday each week). Please register 1st, 2nd or 3rd year Scoil Mhuire students that would like to attend. For more information, please contact the Main Office.
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Leaving Certificate Geography Field Study 2025
Our 5th Year Geography students headed off on their annual field study to Glenevin Waterfall in Clonmany. Joined by Ms. Dowds, Ms. Doherty, and Ms. Folan, the students carried out their field study for the Leaving Certificate.
This year’s project focused on showing how erosion has helped shape the river valley – a key part of their Geography exam, worth 20% of their final grade. Students got hands-on experience measuring things like river depth, speed, the slope of the valley, along with a few other tests.
We were lucky with the weather, and everyone had a great day learning outside the classroom. The trip gave students a much better understanding of river valley formation and will be a big help when they sit their exam next year.
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Scoil Mhuire Bake Club
Students implemented the creaming method in making cupcakes. They made buttercream icing and practised their piping skills to decorate the cupcakes. Well done to all students involved and thanks to their teacher Ms. L. Doherty.
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Community Spirit in Action
Under the supervision and guidance of Ms. Dowds, the fence facing the Council offices on St. Oran's Road has been uplifted and transformed into a native small bird fence. This was done to help out the Tidy Towns and doesn't it look great! Special thanks to Fintan Robinson. Congratulations and well done to our students who made this transformation:
- Samuel Bruce 3D
- Loris Kolodziej 3D
- Dylan Lynch 3B
- Hubert Chelmecki 3B
- Eddie Doherty 3B
- Harry McDaid 3D
- Senan O’Connor 3D
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1st Year Science
Our 1st Year Science students have been busy making some fantastic models of plant and animal cells. They also examined onion cells and their own cheek cells under the microscope. Well done all and thanks to their teacher Ms. Gralton.
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TY News
YSI - Young Social Innovators
The Silent Battle Project by the YSI Class in TY recently completed their work planting the worry seeds around the school garden.
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Thanks to our TY and 3rd Year students who helped with the artwork on the steps in the Courtyard as part of our Wellbeing collaborative arts.
TY Forensics - CSI in the Classroom
Our TY students were lucky enough to take part in a forensic workshop this term. The case they investigated was the JFK assassination. The forensic skills included ballistics, fingerprints, facial recognition, autopsy, trace evidence & exploring the main theories/links with history. Our students really enjoyed the JFK workshop and engaged in critical thinking at its best. They quickly discovered that the forensic evidence raises serious questions about the official verdict. They even had their own thoughts on what cases they would like to explore next. Many thanks to Ms. Burns who organised this fantastic workshop for our TYs.
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Biology Field Study
On Thursday 22 May all 5th Year Biology students headed out on a field trip to explore a local woodland ecosystem in Swan Park. They examined a variety of native flora and fauna using scientific collection equipment and field study techniques. Our thanks to their teachers Ms. Gralton and Mr. Fitzsimons.
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Puppet Project
The 2nd Year Art Class completed their Puppet Project with Ms. Friel. Here they show their finished work. Well done and thanks to Ms. Friel for her great work.
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Launch of the Outdoor Classroom
Storm felled trees have been given a new lease of life after Storm Eowyn by Ms. Dowds who contacted agricultural consultant Henry O' Donnell. Henry kindly cut the trees into seating for an outdoor classroom. Ms. Dowds wishes to express her thanks to him for helping to make this happen.
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Bee Part of the Solution!
2E CSPE have been learning about how honey bees are vital pollinators that support global biodiversity, ecosystem health, and food security by enabling the reproduction of countless plant species. We are asking EVERYONE to BEE on the lookout for any beehives, swarms or activity you notice anywhere in the Inishowen area. Please scan the QR code in the poster below to contribute to this important work. Bee part of the solution!
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Europe Day Poster Competition
Congratulations to our CSPS students in 1D and 3F who were the winners of Scoil Mhuire's Europe Day Poster Competition.
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Football for All Event
Well done to all the pupils, teachers, SNAs & helpers from Carndonagh CS, Moville CC, Crana College, Scoil Mhuire and Scoil Íosagáin who participated in the Inishowen Football for All event at our school on May 8th. As the sun shone, so did the skills, with drills, games & matches all taking place. It was smiles all around. The day finished off with a well deserved ice cream.
Thanks so much to Vinny Hegarty (SNA Scoil Mhuire & Buncrana Hearts Football for All Coach), along with Jodie Loughrey, Leah Deehan, Heidi Gill and Ciara McGee (students) for all their help. Thanks also to Ciarán Thompson (Donegal GAA player) for presenting the medals.
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Library Awards 2025
Well done to all of our fantastic readers who recently received awards in recognition of their achievements throughout the year.
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Spórt ar Scoil
1st Year Boys Soccer
Commiserations to our 1st Year Boys soccer team who faced a formidable opponent in Scoil Dara of Kildare during the All Ireland Semi-Final. Although the outcome was not in our favour, the boys can be very proud of the success this season. They clinched the Ulster Cup and advanced to the Donegal League final, demonstrating remarkable commitment, resilience, and skill throughout the year. This group has represented our school with exceptional maturity, and we are immensely proud of their achievements. We would also like to express our gratitude to McKennas, Londis of Buncrana for their generous sponsorship of water and fruit for this significant occasion. We are confident that this is just the beginning for these talented players, and they are already looking forward to next year's competition. Our sincere thanks to their coaches Mr. McCauley and Mr. D. McLaughlin.
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U15 Soccer
Our U15 soccer team ended their season with a 2-0 win away in a challenge match against Saint Eunans College, Letterkenny. There was a player of the match performance came from Connor Spence 2D with goals from Tiernan McGongale 2F and Oisín Dougan 2D.