News from St Joseph’s CBS, Nenagh

Diversity and Inclusion at Nenagh CBS

On Tuesday, March 14, we had a non-uniform colours day. We asked all students to wear a rainbow colour to celebrate all the diversity in our school community or alternatively a club or county jersey.

Last week we celebrated Diversity and Seachtain na Gaeilge at St Joseph's CBS Nenagh.

Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. In a nutshell, it’s about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.

Diversity allows for the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It means understanding one another by surpassing simple tolerance to ensure people truly value their differences. This allows us both to embrace and also to celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual and place positive value on diversity in our school and in the community.

Inclusion is a collective effort and the practices in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed. Diversity is the mix and inclusion in getting the mix to work well together.

We were delighted to also welcome Ollie and Mary Kate from the organisation ShoutOut to facilitate workshops with our third years. Shout Out is a registered charity committed to improving the lives of LGBTI+ students. Ollie and Mary Kate outlined some of the challenges facing the LGBTI+ community, explained relevant terminology and shared personal stories.

The workshop was interactive, with a walking debate enjoyed and plenty of questions answered. Students left with an enhanced understanding of how we can all play a role in ensuring our school is a safe and welcoming place for all in the school community.

Furthermore, our entire school community watched a webinar ‘The Refugee Journey’ from Schools of Sanctuary highlighting Ireland's role in helping refugees.

Seachtain na Gaeilge

All last week we celebrated Seachtain na Gaeilge. Students got the opportunity to watch the Oscar nominated Irish language film An Cailín Ciúin in the Fr Alec Reid Room. Last Tuesday two separate Tráth na gCeist took place for our First and Second Year students with Mr Eugene Grace acting as MC. There were plenty of fun activities arranged in the classroom with students having to describe people in the game “Cé atá ann?” Also some classes learned dance moves from “An Dreoilín” and will have the basic steps for the all-important céilí nights, if they undertake a trip to the Gaeltacht, over the summer months. Some of our talented musicians and singers performed for the school community at lunchtime last Friday and our champion Irish dancers of Craig Maher, Darragh O’Leary and Aaron Delaney performed for a fantastic video highlighting the strong Irish traditions still evident in the current generation. If you haven’t seen the video yet, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Search for St Joseph’s CBS Nenagh.

Buíochas mór le Roinn na Gaeilge agus na daltaí ar fad as a n-iarrachtaí iontacha.

Rugby Success

Well done to our U16 rugby team, who won their King Cup Semi-Final 13-10 against Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne of Dingle, in Castleisland, on Wednesday.

A very close game that could have gone either way. Two excellently worked tries from Billy O’Brien and Marcus O’Mahony and a penalty from Cillian Healy got the CBS over the line. Well done boys and thanks to their mentor Mr Gary Beresford-Miller. Bring on the final!

Business Studies Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to two of our students, Robert Duggan and Adam Carroll, who recently attended an awards ceremony in UL, hosted by the Kemmy Business School. The boys received distinctions in their Business Studies state exam for their Junior Cycle in 2022. Well done, boys and their teachers Mr Séan Wade and Mr Gary Beresford-Miller

German Activities

Second Year German students worked as part of a team to label our class skeleton (Mr Schweinsteiger) with the correct body part. One group completed it in less than 50 seconds and with no mistakes.

Great work being done by the boys in preparation for their upcoming Oral Communication task - CBA's in MFL, which will take place after the Easter holidays. Super work, boys and thanks to their teacher Ms Francine Mackell. The boys were then treated to some traditional German foods/breakfast such as Salami, Sauerkraut, Bratwurst/Bockwurst and Brezeln. The boys recently learned all about food and popular foods in German speaking countries.

Rice Cup

On Thursday a panel of Rice Cup players had victories over Charleville, Ennis and Middleton in Na Piarsaigh Grounds Limerick. Congratulations to our Rice cup panel, who had a super performance and advance to the last 16. Thanks also to their mentors Mr Paul Dolan and Mr John McCormack.

A second panel of Rice Cup players travelled to the University of Limerick on Wednesday to take part in a blitz. We played Thurles CBS, Christian Brothers College Cork and Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré. Well done to the boys, who fought hard in all three games. Unfortunately, some results didn’t go our way. Thanks to Transition Year students Sean Murphy and Aaron Doyle, who came to umpire on the day. Thanks to their coaches on the day Mr David Hogan and Ms Kara Ryan Mulqueen.

Headstrong Committee

Our Headstrong Committee is encouraging as many students as possible to join Pieta House and Electric Ireland at sunrise on Saturday, May 6, for the Darkness Into Light 5km walk/run. Pieta House provides a professional one to one therapeutic service to people who are in suicidal distress, those who engage in self-harm and those who are bereaved by suicide.

The inaugural Darkness Into Light walk took place in the Phoenix Park in 2009, with 400 people taking part. The event now sees over 150,000 people taking part every May from the Netherlands to New Zealand to Seoul to Nenagh! It is the main fundraising event for Pieta House. It is €5 for those under 17 years of age and €16 for those aged 18 and over.

LCAs Visit Nenagh Community Training Centre

LCA 5 and 6 visited Nenagh Community Training Centre as part of their Career Investigation. Students had the chance to learn about all the different courses on offer. Thanks to Ms Claire Freeman for organising the visit.

Games Fleadh at TUS Thurles

TY Students participated in the Games Fleadh at the TUS campus in Thurles. Students participated in a coding workshop followed by a robotic competition. Students met with third level students studying gaming and had the chance to sample various different technologies. Congratulations to Transition Year student Kevin O'Reilly who won the Games Fleadh Pac-Man Competition 2023 with a score of 27510. The students got a chance to meet John Romero, an American developer and a co-creator of Doom, arguably one of the most influential games of the last 30 years at the Games Fleadh. Thanks to Ms Claire Freeman, who accompanied the boys on the day.

All-Ireland Handball Success

Congratulations to Second Year students Conor Ryan and Daniel McKelvey, who won the U15 All-Ireland Handball Doubles Championship on Sunday. They did their club ‘The Silvermines’, families, school and Tipperary very proud with their victory over Sligo. Well done, boys on this great achievement.