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THE LATEST NEWS AND NEXT WEEK 

AT ETSS WICKLOW


FRIDAY 15th March

Re-Scheduled Fundraiser Table Quiz


                                                                                         Student Report

YRE Photography Session

The school's Press Team attended an online webinar about photography skills hosted by the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) competition which our school is entering this year. The webinar was a very informative talk about taking photos and editing them and the variety of tools you can use when it comes to photography. The talk will help us improve our photography skills which we can use for our competition entry, that has a grand prize of €1500 for the winner.

                                                                                                                                                                   By Bobby Connolly - Press Team

                                                                                         Lunchtime Workshop

TY Careers/Leaving Certificate Subject Choices

On Thursday evening the schools first Transition Year and Leaving Certificate subject choices fair took place from 6-8pm. It proved to be a valuable and insightful event for both students and parents as they had the opportunity to discuss with our teachers and current senior cycle students the various subjects on offer at ETSS Wicklow. Attendees were also able to gather essential information and guidance on future career options from our guidance counsellor Stacey. The interactive nature of the event fostered meaningful conversations and connections, making it a successful and enjoyable evening for everyone involved. We are looking forward to next year already.

                                                                                                                                                                      By Bobby Connolly - Third Year

                                                                           There was great interest in the event!

                                                                                Leaving Cert Spanish Presentation

   Staff Report

Seachtain Na Gaeilge 1115 Márta

Students had great fun this week, with a lot of activities planned daily 'as Gaeilge' to encourage the use of the Irish language outside the classroom this school this week. Students had fun learning a daily Seanfhocal such as 'Níl in aon rud ach seal' and incorporating this into their daily routine. The week finished with a fun class kahoot on all the new seanfhocal they had learnt with some great prizes on offer.

                                                                                                Fun As Gaeilge

National Pi Day Competition

The highly anticipated National Pi Competition competition was held this week in Glenart College in Arklow. Schools from all over the country participated in several rounds of trying to solve difficult pi mathematical problems as well as remembering as many numbers of Pi as possible.

ETSS Wicklow's Pi team comprising Rada Kanevskaya, Fintan Devine, David Dubrovskij, and Yasseen Mesabbah put up a fantastic performance. The team gave it their all and came very close to clinching the first place, but unfortunately, they fell short by just four points. Well done everyone!

                                                                                  Well done Team ETSS Wicklow!

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

  • Book Club with Grace and Sarah
  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali

FRIDAY 8th March

                                                                                          Student Report

Dublin Zoo

TY students enjoyed an amazing day out at the zoo last week, which the second years are getting to also enjoy this Friday!

Dublin Zoo was found in 1831, and it’s the 4th oldest zoo in the world - when it first opened, it had lions, monkeys, leopards, bears and parrots. The purpose of the zoo was solely for entertainment - so the enclosures were small, designed for containment and to allow visitors to easily see the animals.

Communions were often held in the zoo - elephant rides, lion feeding time, and chimpanzee tea parties were all common zoo activities in the 60s - Thankfully, this no longer happens.

Times have changed - now the main purpose and aim of Dublin Zoo is conservation of wildlife, and they try to allow the animals to live as similar a life they can to the life they would be living in the wild.

We left bright and early, and took the train up to Dublin - and arrived at the zoo for 10 o' clock sharp. We split in two groups - and my group wandered around the zoo for an hour.  We saw zebras, lions, red pandas, elephants, wolves, aye-ayes - the lot!

After that, we were given a guided tour of the zoo, and the lady (Victoria) told us about Dublin Zoo’s conservation initiatives. It was a really brilliant day, and we all had great fun!

                                                                                                                                                                                                          By Ayah Mohammed - TY

                                                                                        A Flock of Flamingos

                                                                                    An Orangutan in plain sight!

Student Council Message

The Student Council has been working hard since Christmas, on a number of different things - and so far, so good!

We’ve been working on drafting a letter to send around to various local TD’s, talking the pressing matter of our lack of facilities due to not having a proper school building. We are hoping that they will be able to further highlight this in Leinster House, and with luck speed up the process.

We interviewed students from different classes, and asked them to give their opinions on how the lack of a building and adequate facilities is affecting their education, and we will be putting together a video to send alongside the letter.

Student Council President and Vice President, Ayah and Vyga met with John the principle 2 weeks ago to discuss some of the issues that had come up in our meetings.

We discussed the upcoming Student Council book drive, which we will be running after Easter to collect books for a study area/ that is being organised for 5th and 6th years next year - something much needed and wanted by students!

A sanitary towel dispenser for the girls bathrooms is being ordered by John at the request of the Student Council, after the issue was brought up multiple times that there is often a lack of sanitary equipment in the bathrooms.

The process of researching the cost of different water fountains is underway, and with luck the student Council will pick out a suitable one and order it before the Easter break. Students will be happy to know that we will soon have water fountains to fill our bottles!

That is all for the updates on the Student Council, and we hope to accomplish as much as possible in the near future.

                                                                                                                                                             By Ayah Mohamed, President of the Student Council

                                                                                           ETSS Wicklow's Student Council

Staff Report

Annual Chess Championship at ETSS Wicklow

Last week saw the return of the Annual Chess Championship at ETSS Wicklow. We started the week with 128 participants and after days of gruelling knockout matches, we made it our final few competitors. The Junior students, in particular 2nd years, were the stars of the show. 15 of the final 16 were from 3rd year or below, showcasing the strong chess culture among our junior students in the school. A special mention to 1st year students Garrett O'Reilly and Declan Devine, who made it to the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

As we moved to the end of the week and the latter stages of the tournament, it was the 2nd years that started to hit the headlines. Yasseen Messabah dispatched Alim Kamilov, one of the pre-tournament favourites, in the last 16. It was plain sailing from there for Yasseen, who beat fellow second years Fionn Lang and Fintan Devine in the quarter-final and semi-final. On the other side of the draw, another 2nd year was quickly progressing through the field. Prahad Raguram eliminated Alex Zevatskiy and Declan Devine, to set up a semi-final showdown with reigning champion, Naoise O'Dubhslaine. It was the game we all wanted to see, and after a very cagey opening, Prahad prevailed against all odds to set up an all 2nd year showdown with Yasseen in the final.

The final was broadcast to the whole school, with top-class commentary from resident chess experts, Craig and Tony. After a very aggressive opening from Prahad, who was only a couple of moves away from a potential checkmate, Yasseen stunned the school by checkmating Prahad, who had trapped his own King into a corner. It was a masterclass from both students, who go away with prize money of €50 and €25.

                                                                                                                                                                       By Craig Ledwith - Chess Master

                                                                                            Prahad in Action!

                                                                                        Past Champion Cody!

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

  • Book Club with Grace and Sarah
  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali

FRIDAY 1st March

                                                                                             Student Report

First School Volleyball Club

Our school's volleyball team is a place where students come together to learn, grow, and have fun. Each week, we have special days for practice. On Tuesdays, it's just the girls practising. They work hard to improve their volleyball skills and learn how to play as a team. Then, on Wednesdays, both boys and girls practice together. It's a great chance for everyone to learn from each other and become better players. And finally, Thursdays are all about the boys. They focus on their skills and teamwork, with Andrei, our physical education teacher, there to help them every step of the way.

But our team doesn't just stop at practice. We have big dreams for the future! We want to start a volleyball club. This club will be a place for everyone who loves volleyball, no matter how good they are. We'll have games, practice sessions, and even events to help out our community and the school. Because for us, volleyball isn't just about winning games. It's about building friendships, supporting each other, and growing together both on and off the court. With hard work and determination, we know we can make our volleyball dreams come true!

                                                                                                                                                             by Marija Mickeviciute in Third Year

                                                                                              Our Boys Team

                                                                                              Our Girls Team

WCDMUN 2024

Last weekend our Model United Nations Delegates attended the prestigious WCDMUN Heald in Wesley college Dublin. Ayah Mohammed in TY was the only female main submitter of her resolution at the General assembly which was one of the few passed at the general assembly. In addition Odhran O’ Reilly in 2nd year made a resounding speech at the general assembly and Oscar Kavanagh in 3rd year made a few impactful speeches as well.  Once again a massive thank you to the WCDMUN team and our advisors as without them we would not be able to attend.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              By a Third Year Student

Minister Simon Harris and Secretary General Hannah O' Callaghan at WICKMUN 2023

Student Council Attends BOM Meeting

On the 22nd of February, Marija and Sonny, a 5th year student, attended a meeting at 7pm about what was going on with the student council, who we were, what we did, and some ongoing projects.

We started by introducing ourselves. We then talked about what we have been up to as student council members. One of the most recent projects we have worked on was the selection box drive, which was a donation to our local Vincent de Paul branch. After 3 weeks of gathering selection boxes from each classroom, we donated over 250 boxes. The class that donated the most selection boxes got a free pizza reward. Another thing we did was have the student council write a letter highlighting the impact of temporary housing on our school life. This letter was presented to the PSA and also shared with local councillors and TDs in the hope of securing our permanent site in the future.  

We also reviewed policies such as anti-bullying and attendance policies. One of our ongoing projects is to make a video showing the impacts of a temporary building at our school. In the video, we want to interview students from different subjects and extracurricular programmes about how the building affects the subjects. Also, we are planning to install water fountains at our school. We are still thinking about which options to choose.

Another project we want to get involved in is the ISSU conference, in which student representatives from schools in every corner of the Republic of Ireland come together to feed into the work of the ISSU and its policies for the coming years and learn skills to aid them in furthering student voice in their own schools. Some members of the Student Council are planning to attend, and our 5th year member, Katie O'Connor, is planning to run for disability officer.  Also, we want to make a library or study zone in the unsaturated area in the upstairs 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th year building after Easter. We will ask our local library to donate any books or ask students to donate books too.

On the 21st of March, we are going to do a wear red day to stand up against racism. Pyjama Day is also another idea. It’s a pyjama or cosy day, which is to help student wellbeing and metre health, especially after the very busy exam week. The meeting went very well overall.                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                             by Marija Mickeviciute in Third Year

                                                                                          Our Student Council

LGBTQ+ History Month

This week in our LGBTQ+ Ally Group we celebrated LGBTQ+ History Month which is celebrated every February. This years theme is Medicine #UndertheScope so we are celebrating people who work as doctors, counsellors and many other people under this topic. Harry showed us a PowerPoint listing some key things in history. As a group we all came up with some examples of LGBTQ+ celebrities that have changed our country to be more inclusive. We also talked about our history as a group that this is the first LGBTQ+ Ally Group and we will always be the first members of it!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        By Harry Tindale - Third Year

                                                                    An Interesting lunchtime PowerPoint Presentation

  Staff Report

Astro Pi Competition

For the second year running ETSS Wicklow has submitted entries to the prestigious Astro Pi competition. This year students are tasked with having to write computer programs that solve a scientific task in space: to gather data to calculate the speed at which the International Space Station (ISS) is travelling as accurately as possible. We have submitted two very interesting ideas, with the aim of having both teams progress to the final stage, where students will have their code run on the ISS and receive the results of their experiment. Exciting times! Our two teams were made up of second and third year students.

                                                                                                                                               By Ali Aziz – Geography & Technology Teacher

                                                                                              Our Entries

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

  • Book Club with Grace and Sarah
  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali


FRIDAY  23rd February

  Student Press Team Report

Third Year Mock Exams

On Tuesday, February 6th the 3rd years began their pre Junior Cycle exams (mocks). Students took on papers for core and option subjects, English, Irish and Maths which were taken in ordinary and higher level and History, Geography, Science. The option subjects were Home Economics, Business Studies, Music, Art, Technology and Woodwork. These exams will give all students and insight into what areas need to be revised for the Junior Cycle final exams and what areas they have done better on. The Home Ec cooking mocks are scheduled for around March 4th (exact dates TBC). Well done to all of the 3rd year students who completed their mocks.

                                                                                                                                                                                                 By Bobby Connolly - Third Year

Junk Koture

Over the last few months some ETSS Transition Year Students have been working hard on their Junk Kouture creations. We had some very imaginative and unique designs including different dresses and even a car ! All of the designs were made from recyclable materials such as cardboard, paper cups, Shein bags and train tickets. Congratulations to all the students on their hard work and time put in to present their final pieces.                                                                                       By Ava Flynn

My Entry

TY Trip to Mondello Race Track

On the 22nd February 2024 the TYs went on a trip to Mondello. We started off with a talk about road safety and were divided into three groups; green, orange and yellow. The green group started off with a trip to the museum to look at all the amazing race cars they had; including two formula 1 cars! They then took a trip to the lookout tower, where you overlook the racetracks. We were then brought back to the main building where we got to practice emergency breaking. The fastest was 0.32 seconds! We were then brought up to the training room where we participated in a practice theory test and even tried on funny goggles to see what it would be like if you were under the influence of alcohol whilst driving. The final activity of the day was practicing parallel parking, turning sharp corners and indicating around other drivers. It was an overall amazing experience and I would highly recommend going if you have the chance.

                                                                                                                                                                                  By Ayah Mohammed - TY

                                                                                                  Some very nice Cars

TY Fun

Staff Report

Table Quiz Fundraiser

Join staff and parents next Friday night the 1st of March at 7pm for a evening of general knowledge for a table quiz fundraiser in aid of our annual TY musical and the two day Model United Nations event.

Model United Nations in a nutshell allows students from schools across Ireland to role play delegates from UN member states and simulate UN committees where current issues are debated. The benefits for students are clear, as it provides them with the opportunity to develop and use real world skills such as; research, drafting, critical thinking, teamwork, deliberation, negotiation, conflict resolution and leadership skills. Since 2019 we have been the hosts of this amazing event in the local community. This year WICKMUN will be held at ETSS Wicklow from Friday 19th - Saturday 20th April 2023.

Out TY musical this May is the renowned Wizard of Oz and we look forward to opening our doors to the local community. Both of these events introduce our students to the joys and benefits of engaging in politics and performance.  Due to the considerable costs of running these events we are looking to raise as much as possible through the on the night quiz and raffle. It should also prove to be a very fun evening and a great way to get to know more members of the school community. I look forward to seeing you all there next week.

                                                                                                                                                                                    By Ceire Hatton - HSCL

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

  • Book Club with Grace and Sarah
  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali

Finally please note that the school will be closing on Friday the 12th April to facilitate staff training.

FRIDAY  9th February

  Student Press Team Report

WICKMUN 2024

We are very proud to say that we are an enthusiastic Model United Nations school. We have been involved in MUN since 2019 under the guidance of late principal Colm Kehoe, and are improving our knowledge and skills as the years progress. The Model United Nations (MUN) is an international format of debate which allows students to take part in simulations of the United Nations by representing different countries and NGO's/IGOS in different committees that debate a range of relevant and topical issues. It develops strong organisational, negotiating and research skills, encouraging group work and working with others. An MUN club is ran in the school by Ceire and James on Fridays at lunchtime.

So far this year, we have been invited to multiple MUN conferences, ETSS Wicklow attended Royal Russell MUN in London in October, RADMUN in November, PARKMUN in December and ROCKMUN in January as the delegation of Mexico,  participating in some fruitful debate. Well done to all students who took part in this. We are excited to attend more conferences in the 2024, such WCDMUN in Wesley College and of course our on WICKMUN.

Building on the success from hosting our first in-person conference last year we will be holding our second annunal conference on school grounds from the 19th-20th of April. Due to Covid, the first three years were hosted online, but nothing beats the energy of face to face debating. This years main preparation team for the conference consists of: Secretary General: Katie O' Connor, Co-Secretary General: Ayah Mohamed, President of the General Assembly: Hannah O'Callaghan, Conference Manager: Sonny Anderson, Co-Conference Manager: Lenna Smith, Head of Administration: Harry Tindale, Co Head of Administration: Urte Matuseviciute, Chair: Lenna Smith, Chair: Odhran O' Reilly, Chair: Oscar Kavanagh, Head of Press: Bobby Connolly, Head of Media: Hugo Kerekes and Head of Security: Caleb Gunn.

. Last year, we had a whopping 180 delegates attend our conference, and we are hopeful to get a full capacity conference of 220 this year. We are inviting multiple schools from all over Ireland, and can’t wait to meet all these delegates for a debate filled, and not to mention enjoyable, weekend.  As we get closer to the event, all are welcome to sign up for the numerous roles that will be needed for the hosting of this incredible school event.

                                                                                                                                                            By Katie O'Connor - Secretary General                                                                                              

                                                                             General Assembly WICKMUN 2023
                                                      

                                                                                       Staff Report

Educate Together Debating Competition

ETSS Wicklow’s late principal Colm Kehoe had a real passion for debating which led to the creation of the first all-Ireland Educate Together debating competition. He really loved to inspire young people to take an interest in the world around them and fostered student voice that saw students grow in confidence as a consequence of their participation in the competition.

In his memory, last year ETSS Wicklow continued to grow and build this wonderful educational opportunity with the same kindness, generosity, passion and professionalism that he did and passed on the baton this year to last year’s winners Galway ETSS to continue this wonderful competition that allows all Educate Together students come together online and in-person to debate topical issues that matter to them.

ETSS Wicklow Debate team finished their last debate in the league rounds of the Competition against Stepaside ETSS proposing the motion that ‘Women’s sports are undervalued’.  Each student had prepared really well, making impressive speeches on what turned out to be a very challenging motion and were delighted with their first victory this year. They narrowly lost out in the other roads to Limerick ETSS and Firhouse ETSS debating the motions ‘All schools should be Educate Together schools’ and ‘AI will eliminate creativity’.

They have learnt a lot and developed and honed their debating this year with debate Coach Sarah Culleton during lunchtime. They are looking forward to the final of the competition which will be hosted this year in Galway ETSS for the awarding of the Colm Kehoe cup and our students will have the further opportunity to participate in another of Colm’s passions ‘The Declamation Contest’. Well done to all the team and a big thank you to Sarah for giving up her time.

Well done to all for completing exam week

On behalf of all the staff here at ETSS Wicklow, I would like to congratulate students on finishing their second block of exam assessments this week. Under our new trimester assessment model which is being trialled this year, all students complete assessments in November, February and May/June. Well done to all of our students who worked hard this week and especially to our third year students who completed their mocks. We hope you all have a very well-deserved mid-term break!

John Maddock


Finally please note that the school will be closed for the midterm break from Monday 11th of February and until Friday the 15th of February inclusive. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 19th February,

FRIDAY 2nd February

                                                                                 Student Press Team Report

TY Hairdressing Workshop

Transition Year students had the great opportunity this week to participate in a barber hairstyling workshop with the local stylist Pink Elizabeth. The workshop was organized as part of the school's Transition Year program and proved to be a great success. 

Pink Elizabeth began by giving a brief introduction to the world of hairstyling and grooming. She then demonstrated some basic techniques such as how to trim a beard, how to style hair, and how to use various grooming tools. The students were then given the opportunity to try out these techniques on each other! They were provided with all the necessary tools and equipment and were given guidance and assistance by Pink Elizabeth. 

The students thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on experience and were excited to try out their new skills on each other. Overall, the workshop was a great success. The students not only had a lot of fun but also learned some valuable skills that will serve them well in the future. 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Ayah Mohammed - TY

                                                                      TY Students learning the ropes of Hairdressing

Forensic History - JFK Shooting

Before going in to this workshop, I honestly did not know what to expect - I assumed that since we were told that it was a forensics workshop, we’d be conducting some sort of investigation, maybe revolving around DNA or fingerprints. And in one way it did - but what I was not expecting was to be delving in to the story of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and theorising about who the killer was - or why he killed the president.

The classroom was done up spectacularly - posters, standing banners, a copy of J.F.K’s autopsy, a model of his brain, and prop guns - everything in connection with the case.

The man told us the story of the assassination, right down to the finest detail, every timestamp, every witness - and we saw that the case was wrongfully closed - none of the explanations added up, and much of the evidence was tampered with - including the body, and there were no photos of the autopsy…

The assassination of J.FK is arguably one of the most famous murder cases of all time - and incredibly dark and interesting to study. TY’s had great fun!

                                                                                                                                                                                        Ayah Mohammed - TY

Rory Heaslip Learning about inventions of the day.

VR reality brought them right back to the time.

Basketball Success

Winners!! Our 1st and 2nd year boys' basketball team played a blinder today. Patrick Adesola opened the match with a 3 pointer which was closely followed by some excellent play by Jacob Murray and Shaheen Mohamed. We were in the lead by the end of the first quarter. The game was neck and neck the entire way through, but the boys made an impressive comeback in the final quarter, finishing with a 9-point lead. Congratulations to man of the match Oscar Doyle.

                                                                               ETSS Wicklow Boys Basketball Team

Football @ ETSS Wicklow

Girls football is growing fast in ETSS Wicklow, our coach Tony is pushing very hard the project and the growth is very obvious. After the last game this what he had to say:


"A strong performance from our Minor Girls football team last Thursday as they faced local rivals Dominican College Wicklow in our final match of the league. The result didn’t go our way but a phenomenal effort from the girls! Huge performances from Malu and Caoilfhionn McLindon, along with the help of our First Aider Ava gave us a fighting chance! Well done girls!"
                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                     HollyAnne Armstrong - First Year

Our Wonderful Girls Football Team

Rockmun 2024

This year our ETSS Wicklow's delegation attended the prestigious ROCKMUN conference! attending as follows were; Myself, Ayah, Katie, Hannah, Ruben, Rebecca and Guillermo. Representing Mexico our students debated and developed solutions on international issues such as finance, security, and Human rights. We all engaged in fascinating debate on the first day talking to people and networking. The second day we continued with our debating and entered the General Assembly where myself and Jack made speeches.  Towards the end of the day Katie won best delegate in her committee for her speech on Adolesence and Mental Health in Conflict regions!  We would like to thank the ROCKMUN team for allowing us to go and our own supervisors!   

                                                                                                                                                                            Oscar Kavanagh - Third Year

                                                                          5th Year Katie O'Connor delivering her speech.

Met Eireann Meteorologist and RTE Weather Reporter, Linda Hughes visits ETSS Wicklow

On Wednesday, January 31st 3rd years and TYs had a visit from Met Eireann meteorologist and RTE Weather reporter, Linda Hughes who gave an interesting presentation on how the weather in Ireland is predicted, the status systems for extreme weather events and how climate change will/is effecting Ireland. A number of interesting questions were asked to Linda such as “do you work individually or in a team?” and “Does Met Eireann offer Transition Year work experience?”. Students learned a lot from the presentation given.

Thanks to Linda for coming to our school and giving us the fantastic talk.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Bobby Connolly, Third Year

Met Eireann Talk

1st Year Art Trip

Leigh Anne brought the 1st years on an amazing art trip down to the Wicklow pier to take some fabulous photos and get primary sources for their art exam.

The trip was well organised and the class brought great respect to the school. We had a ball of a time and as much as we had fun we took some phenomenal photos. We got to see a baby seal out in the water it was some people's first sighting of a seal! We all had the best time hope you have a great day thank you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Hollyanne Armstrong & Lucas Cai First Year

First Year Boys Football 

The 1st year boys had a very challenging match against Ramsgrange. The first half didn't go well but kept their heads up. In the second half, the boys put in an amazing performance but failed to hit the target. The lads put in a great team performance against a very strong team. Special mention to Callum Nugent who put in a great effort as goalkeeper.

                                                                                                                                               Dougie Bowie and Harry Kavanagh, First Year

Staff Report

Transition Year Updates

Over the last month TY students have enjoyed a new range of workshops and activities each week to broaden their experience in the year and to expose them to different activities and knowledge bases.

When we got back from the break TYs got involved in a dance battle in Hip Hop with Jay Asolo, they explored mental and physical wellbeing with Wolf Academy, explored the science of forensics and cut each other’s hair in barbering and hairstyling with Pink Elizabeth.

Next week, alongside their exams, TYs will undertake an online escape room and work with Stephen Kiernan – author of Motivational Mondays.

There’s lots more to come after the midterm – including Mondello Driving (February 19th), Berlin, the Gaisce Adventure Journey, the zoo, QQI Level in Barista Skills and much more!

Parents Junior Cycle Maths Session

This week experienced Maths teacher Paddy ran a Junior Cycle maths session for our parents. He provided an overview of the Maths Junior Cycle curriculum, including the units of work covered over the three years of the programme. He also discussed the common mistakes made by students and provided parents with useful websites and online tools to help their child succeed in Maths. Feedback from parents about the workshop was that it provided them with the opportunity to ask questions about the curriculum and what was expected from their child and how to better support them.  Our home school community liaison coordinator Ceire will be posting about more in-person sessions for both Junior and Senior Cycle in the coming weeks. Thanks to all who attended and Maths teacher Paddy for giving up his time for this great new initiative.

                                                                         Back to class with Maths Teacher Paddy

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali

Finally please note that the school will be closed for St. Brigid's day on Monday 6th February and will finish at 2:45 for all students on Thursday 8th February.


Attention parents of Junior Cycle Maths Students!

Are you feeling overwhelmed when trying to help your child with their Maths homework? Do you want to better understand the Junior Cycle Maths curriculum and how to support your child in their studies? Look no further, as we are excited to invite you to our Parent Support Class on Junior Cycle Maths on Tuesday 30th January!

In this one-hour class, experienced Maths teacher Paddy will provide you with an overview of the Maths Junior Cycle curriculum, including the units of work covered over the three years of the programme.

Paddy will also discuss common mistakes made by students and provide you with useful websites and online tools to help your child succeed in Maths.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to better support your child's education! Join us for an informative and interactive session with Paddy, where you can ask any questions you may have.

We look forward to seeing you there! To book a place please click on the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/parent-support-session-junior-cycle-maths-tickets-803003744817?aff=oddtdtcreator

FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY

                                                                         Student Press Team Report

Transition Year 2024-2025 Information Evening

On Thursday 25th January, our Transition Year Coordinator Robert Mathews gave an incredibly informative talk to some of our current 3rd Year Parent/Guardians and students. Robert went through the plan for the Transition Year of 2024/25, highlighting all of the fantastic modules, workshops, work experience & community care opportunities and the very much anticipated Berlin trip in March 2025. Robert also went through the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and the Gaisce President’s Award Program which is a really exciting opportunity for future TY students.

There was a big reveal made when Robert went through a planned trip to Iceland in October 2026! The trip is planned for current 1st, 2nd and 3rd years.  Robert and school Principal John are looking for 3rd year Parent/Guardians to join a Transition Year 24/25 planning committee, parents who volunteer for this will be involved in planning events, modules and workshops for the future TY students. If you are a 3rd year Parent/Guardian and interested in joining the committee, please contact Robert or John at Robert.mathews@etsswicklow.ie or principal@etsswicklow.ie .

                                                                                                                                                                  By Bobby Connolly - Third Year

                                                                     Great excitement about the 2026 Iceland Trip!

Tickets For Success!

Again, big congratulations to all our Tickets for Success winners from Christmas: Fionn Stereo Savage from Yeats Class, Zach from TY 1, Jack Doyle from Kehoe Class and Leo from Gray Class were awarded Canteen Lunch Vouchers; Caoimhe from Osborne Class, Harry Tindale from Hyde Class, Chris from TY 1, Ethan Stafford from Yeats Class and Albert Tomu from Bowie Class were awarded Homework Passes; Ayah Mohamed from TY 1 was awarded a Penneys Gift Card; Marija from Collins Class was awarded a Sports Direct Gift Card; Mia Flynn was awarded an Apple Pencil; and Patrick from Yeats Class was awarded a pair of Apple Airpods.

Moving on, we're going to have a brand new line up of prizes, 5 students will win a homeworks pass, 5 students will wint a free canteen lunch voucher, one student will get a €50 Penneys gift card, one student will get a €50 SportsDirect gift card, one student will get a pair of Apple AirPods and another student will get an Apple Pencil. Good luck everyone!
                                                                                                                                                                  By Gleb Yukymenko - 2nd Year

                                                                        Some of our Wonderful prizes last term!


TY Hip Hop Workshop

Jay Asolo came in to teach the TY students about Hip Hop - the origins, the elements and finally some dancing! Hip Hop originated in 1973 in the Bronx, New York City, and was a huge cultural movement that for many people, was a lot more than just music. To be precise, it all began on the 11th of August 1973, when DJ Kool Herc, the entertainer for his sisters party, began to experiment with the music and the turntable. This was later broken in to the different elements of Hip Hop, including DJing, MCing/Rapping, Graffiti/Street Art, Beatboxing, and Breaking (dancing).

The hardships that many people, especially people of colour and people from lower class backgrounds, faced in the 70s, was often reflected in rap music, and delivered like a story. Elements of different diasporic and African American cultures was implemented, and hip hop is now one of the most widely listened to genres, and the beginning of it influenced and inspired many musicians in years to come.
Jay Asolo taught us a lot, and then we finally we got down to it - after practicing our rhythm and timing, he taught us a choreography. At the end we had a dance battle - and there was lots of laughter at the confidence of some students experimenting with freestyle dancing! We had an amazing 2 hour workshop, so thanks so much to Jay Asolo, and to Robert for organising it!  

                                                                                                                                                                             By Ayah Mohammed - TY

                                                                                           Choreographer Jau Asolo


                                                                                             Staff Report

ROCKMUN 2024!

ETSS Wicklow’s Model United Nations students attended ROCKMUN this weekend in Blackrock College. Representing Mexico, our students debated and developed solutions on international issues such as finance, security, and Human rights. 5th Year Katie O’Connor speech on Adolesence and Mental Health in Conflict regions was received with great response. We are very proud of all our students who attended the conference, well done!

                                                                    Our MUN students representing Mexico!

Basketball Going from Strength to Strength

Our basketball team lead by coach Lucy went today to deliver. You could see the motivation on the face of our lads since this morning. And... THEY WERE RIGHT!!! Hard worked victory brought back by the lads today. Despite being very tired our coach offered a few words:

"Winners!! Our 1st and 2nd year boys basketball team played a blinder today. Patrick Adesola opened the match with a 3 pointer which was closely followed by some excellent play by Jacob Murray and Shaheen Mohamed. We were in the lead by the end of the first quarter. The game was neck and neck the entire way through, but the boys made an impressive comeback in the final quarter, finishing with a 9 point lead. Congratulations to man of the match Oscar Doyle".  ETSS Wicklow sports are growing by the day and the basketball team is putting another brick in the foundation.

                                                                                          A Great Victory Boys!

Football News!

Our football coach Craig pushes the team hard no matter the difficulties that nature throws at the team. We managed to catch him for a few minutes and this what he had to say:


"Storm Jocelyn was no match for our 1st year soccer players today, who braved the conditions to get a good session completed in preparation for our next match. Thanks again to Wicklow Rovers for the use of their excellent facilities". With a number of games still to play the team is very confident that they can build on their successes to date and we are all looking forward to watching some great football.

                                                                           The boys warming up for their match! 

Athletics @ ETSS Wicklow

Noah Harris delivers yet again a stunning result at East Leinster School cross country senior boys where he took the silver medal. We are extremely proud to see the school crest on such an athlete. 

                                                                             A great performance by Noah Harris!

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

  • Book Club with Grace and Sarah
  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali

FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY

                                                                           Student Press Team Report

Third Year Upcoming Mock Exams 

Third years are currently preparing for their upcoming mock examinations. Mock exams are Pre-Junior Cycle final exams. The mock exams are taking place from February 6th to 9th. Teachers across all of 3rd year are preparing their students in every way to ensure they succeed and do their mocks to the best of their ability! There are many study methods out there for each student’s abilities.

The mock exams provide a great opportunity to give students a feel of what a real state exam is like. The exam subjects include the three core subjects: English, Irish and Maths – all which can be sat in Ordinary or Higher level and all other subjects: History, Geography, Science, Home Economics, Art, Music, Business Studies, Woodwork and Technology which are all taken in common level. Below you can find our Guidance Counsellor, Stacey’s best exam tips & tricks.

                                                                                                                                                                        Bobby Connolly - Third Year

                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                             Staff Report

Basketball Success

Our 1st and 2nd year boys basketball team put in a fantastic performance today. Patrick Adesola opened the game with an impressive 3-pointer which was followed by some great shots by Player of the Match Javier Bilbao. Our boys had taken the lead by the end of the first quarter. Shaheen Mohamed impressed us all with his high skill level throughout the game. A special mention goes to new recruit, Oscar Doyle, for his brilliant defensive play. We’re looking forward to the next match.

                                                                           Our Boys Basketball team in Action

Maths Support Centre Open!

The Maths Support Centre has reopened for 2024! It is open to students in all year groups and of all abilities and runs every Wednesday from 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm. This initiative is designed to provide free assistance to all students seeking to enhance their mathematical skills and abilities. This weekly session is an excellent opportunity to reinforce your maths knowledge and boost your confidence in the subject. Join us and let's make maths an enjoyable and rewarding experience!

                                                             Hands on learning in the Maths Support centre this week!

Astro-Pi Competition Update

We are pleased to share that our school is fielding two teams for the Astro Pi competition this year. The central focus of our experiment involves calculating the speed of the International Space Station (ISS). Our teams will be creating Python programs that will be ran onboard the ISS, providing students with an unparalleled opportunity to engage with space science and coding in a real-world context. Last year we had one successful team so this year we are aiming to build on this by having both of our teams successfully complete this challenge.

                                                                          Students using the Python Program

Attention parents of Junior Cycle Maths Students!

Are you feeling overwhelmed when trying to help your child with their Maths homework? Do you want to better understand the Junior Cycle Maths curriculum and how to support your child in their studies? Look no further, as we are excited to invite you to our Parent Support Class on Junior Cycle Maths!

In this one-hour class, experienced Maths teacher Paddy will provide you with an overview of the Maths Junior Cycle curriculum, including the units of work covered over the three years of the programme.

Paddy will also discuss common mistakes made by students and provide you with useful websites and online tools to help your child succeed in Maths.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to better support your child's education! Join us for an informative and interactive session with Paddy, where you can ask any questions you may have.

We look forward to seeing you there! To book a place please click on the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/parent-support-session-junior-cycle-maths-tickets-803003744817?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

FRIDAY 12th January

                                                                                  Student Press Team Report

DreamSpace - STEM Passport for Inclusion

Two days down, one to go!

TY girls are a step closer to receiving their STEM passport for Inclusion, having completed day 2 of their 3 day course at the Microsoft Headquarters in Dublin!

We left early morning at 8:45am, and went straight in to learning about coding and using PYTHON, which is a programming language used by many high - profile companies like Netflix and Google. We made our own chat - bots, which if programmed correctly - could almost have mini conversations with us!

Just before break, we were given a short tour of the building. Everyone was amazed - the Microsoft building has a music room, sleeping pods, and a well-being room where you can get massages and nails done!

We also learnt that Microsoft buildings in different countries have different themes, which relate back to unique aspects of the country! The Microsoft building we went to is based around the fact that Ireland is an island - so some of the inside is built with materials that make it look like a ships port or dock.

After break, we learned about AI, and the advantages of and disadvantages of AI. We also learned about Deepfake, and the harm it can cause… Overall it was a great day, and everyone is looking forward for the last day of the course!

                                                                                                                                                                                      Ayah Mohamed - TY

                                                                           TY Girls enjoying their trip to Dreamspace

Charity 80KM 

5th Year Student Katie O' Connor is taking on the 80K in January Challenge! Her fundraiser will help to raise vital funds for the training of life transforming Autism Assistance Dogs. It costs €25,000 and takes 2 years to train and place an Assistance Dog. They do not charge families for these life transforming dogs. The charity is entirely supported by fundraising and donations. Please donate what you can and support Katie and this wonderful charity by clicking on the link below.

https://www.autismassistancedogsireland.ie/fundraisers/katieoconnor16281

                                                                                                                                                       Bobby Connolly - Press Team Editor

Student Council Welcome Back Message

The Student Council are delighted to welcome everyone back to school - after a great two weeks of rest and recharge.  We’d like to remind students that all suggestions to the student Council are welcomed, and that we promise to try our very best to achieve as much as we can in the coming months.  We’re looking forward to starting back to school and continue working hard for the student body!

                                                                                                                                                                      Chair of the Student Council                                                                          

                                                                                             Staff Report

New Clubs @ ETSS Wicklow

A new Table Top Club officially kicked off today with Caitlin. Students held their session zero, designed their character stats and came up with a plan for their games. The games officially begin next week. Well done to all involved and we are excited to see the results over the coming weeks.

                                                                       Students Enjoying a New Lunchtime Club!

1st Year Football

First year boys started the year in style with an unprecedented 12-2 thumping of Glenart College. The boys were determined from the very beginning to get their campaign back on track after losing the opening game of the competition to Bridgetown and they began the game with a bang. We had two hattrick heroes on the day in Ryan Cox and Matas Araminas, and they were added to by Dougie Bowie (2), Fionn Convery (2) and Harry Kavanagh. It would be impossible to choose a man of the match, as every member of the squad put in a super shift. The team is pictured below, dedicating their win to a member of the squad who couldn't be with them for the match.

                                                                                 1st Year Boys Football Team

Parent Staff Association Meeting ~ Thursday 18th January

All parents and guardians are welcome to join us for our first PSA meeting of the new year next Thursday 18th of January from 7-8pm.  Our meetings allow the opportunity for parents, staff and school management to discuss and offer valued feedback on school policies, general issues of interest and the aims and objectives for the school year.  We encourage parental participation in these discussions as well as involvement with other school activities and much needed fundraising.

                                                                                                   Join our PSA!

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

  • Book Club with Grace and Sarah
  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

  • Lunch-time Board games with Dara
  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club
  • Lunch-time School Press Team
  • After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei
  • After school Girls Basketball with Francisco
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

  • After school boys soccer training
  • After-school girls GAA training
  • After school Mixed Volleyball
  • After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

  • Lunch-time sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Book club
  • Lunch-time Origami Club
  • After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei
  • Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali

FRIDAY 22nd DECEMBER

Please see our Winter Newsletter 2023-2024 !

FRIDAY 15TH DECEMBER

                                                                                          Student Press Team Report

Animation Studio Trip

The Enterprise in Animation students visited Brown Bag Films’ Smithfield studios yesterday, 14th December. This wonderful opportunity was kindly organised by student Thomas Howe’s aunt Clare Parsons, a former employee of Brown Bag. COO Cathal Gaffney generously met with students and provided an engaging and inspiring presentation about the studios creations, organisation and origins. Cathal spoke with students individually about the business side of the industry as well as the creative aspects at length, answering all students’ questions with great care and consideration. It was a truly valuable and enjoyable experience for all students and staff alike!

                                                             Our Animation students enjoying their trip this week.

School Report

Parent Wreath Making Workshop

Parents also enjoyed a lovely festive Wreath Making workshop with our HSCL Ceire, where they were able to enjoy some mince pies and coffee while they created some amazing door show stoppers. Well done to everyone on your beautiful creations! Ceire looks forward to welcoming parents into the school in 2024 for some more exciting parent events!

                                                                          Parents enjoying a festive class!

Community IT classes Offered by TY Students

Since September TY students have been offering one-to-one IT lessons to members of our school community. Participants have learned how to make the best use out of their electronic devices, as well as how to download and use the latest apps and.  These popular classes will continue to run in the new year and if you are interested in booking a space please contact Fran at reception@etssswicklow.ie or 040433060.

Gaeilge24

Bhí lá iontach againn Dé hAoine seo caite ar Gaeilge24. Is éard is Gaeilge24 ann ná lá ar a labhraíonn gach duine Gaeilge. Rinneamar póstaeir, aclaíocht agus d'fhoghlaim gach duine cúpla focal nua. Buaicphointe an lae ná an siúlóid cois trá gan amhras, nuair a chuardaigh na daltaí Gaeilge amuigh sa saol mór. Ba bhreá an suim sa teanga a léirigh ár ndaltaí nach ndéanann staidéar ar an nGaeilge freisin!

                                                            Cody Grove (5th Year) teaching Maths Class through Irish                                                                  Our Students enjoying a social walk 'as Gaeilge'.

Maths Problem of the Week Initiative 

Every week, during tutorial, students tackle a "Problem of the Week". This initiative was put in place by our maths department late last year and is designed to provide our students with an ongoing opportunity to improve their problem-solving skills. All problems are linked to the maths curriculum and are aimed at getting students to think mathematically. Each student is rewarded with tickets for taking on the challenge, and these tickets go into a raffle which is drawn at the end of each half-term.

                                                                                     Solution to follow next Week!

Careers Week

Students are looking forward to careers week next week, which has been put together by our guidance counsellor Stacey. Guest speakers will speak to students about a variety of different career paths including HR, marketing, apprenticeships, technology, the medical fields and business while representatives from colleges are also invited in. 

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

·       Book Club with Grace and Sarah

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

·       Lunch-time Board games with Dara

·       Lunch-time Sports with Andrei

·       LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club

·       Lunch-time School Press Team

·       After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei

·       After school Girls Basketball with Francisco

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

·      After school boys soccer training

·      After-school girls GAA training

·      After school Mixed Volleyball

·      After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       Lunch-time Book club

·       Lunch-time Origami Club

·       After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali
Finally just a reminder to parents and guardians that the school will close at 1 pm on Friday 22nd December for the school holidays.

Friday 8th DecembeR

Student Press Team Report

The winter fair was really brilliant, there were lots of stalls with students from across all years selling different things.

Although most of the stalls were students, there was also other people who came in to the school as well. These people were mainly adults selling Jewellery, more baked goods, sweets, handmade items and more. These stalls were a huge success. The school of ETSS Wicklow was decorated very festively with Christmas decorations covering the corridors, hall and classrooms.  The winter fair started at 4.00pm with an autism friendly quiet hour before opening to the general public until 8.00pm. We would like to thank everyone inside and outside the school for all of the hard work in the organisation of the fair, with all of the help we brought the great evening together.

                                                                                                                        Caoilfhionn McLindon & Caoimhe McGrath Yeates, 1st year 

ETSS Wicklow Winter Fair

3rd Year Science CBAs

3rd year science students have started their CBA 2’S. The science CBA 2 is called ‘Science in Society Investigation’. The CBA has 3 sections students must follow – Initiating research, Communicating findings and Evaluating the information to respond to the chosen question. The question students research and answer must be based on one of the following topics: technological application of science, an application of science that affects human health, an application of science that has an effect on the environment or an application of science that has an effect on society. We look forward to seeing what CBA’s are produced in both Alicia and Amy’s classes!

                                                                                                                                                                                  Bobby Connolly 3rd Year   

                                                                                                    School Report

Winter Fair

Last Wednesday, our school buzzed with festive cheer as the eagerly awaited winter fair unfolded, boasting an impressive array of over 40 stalls. The event featured a delightful mix of student-run stalls, under the watchful eyes of parents for first to third-year students, while the fourth and fifth-year students showcased their entrepreneurial spirit by managing stalls independently.

The fair presented a diverse range of offerings, from exquisite cakes and handcrafted wreaths to charming reindeer figures and handcrafted jewellery. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air from Cody’s Coffee, Cakes, and Crafts, accompanied by the sizzle of hot dogs on the grill. Beyond the festive atmosphere, the fair served a dual purpose, raising funds for both the school and local businesses who also ran stalls at the fair.

Butlers Chocolate Factory Trip

5th year business kicked off enterprise week with a trip to Butlers Chocolate Factory in Dublin! Students learned about the history of the business, production methods and much more. They also sampled some tasty treats and created chocolate Santas to bring home.

                                                                                          Butler's Factory Trip

Soccer

Our U17 boys faced an important match for the Cup in Tallaght, demonstrating remarkable energy and effort throughout the game. Initially, our performance was exceptionally, allowing us to dominate the match at halftime. However, the second half took an unexpected turn, and we unfortunately conceded the goal, resulting in a loss for 3-2.The most wonderful thing is that football will always give us the opportunity for redemption.


Basketball

Our U16 girls had a basketball training to prepare for the upcoming game next week, marking the final one for this U16 competition that commenced in September. Following the Christmas break, we will continue the basketball for the U14 girls.

Transition Year

TY1 finished their Spatial Thinking course this week. This course has been proven to develop students' spatial reasoning skills and improve students' mathematical competency. Both of these accomplishments will benefit our students throughout their Senior Cycle. A special thanks goes to TUD and Oide for their partnership with our school.

Life Skills

This week in Life Skills students learned some basic first aid skills. They learned about the recovery position, had to apply a sling, how to make a stretcher and heard a real-life story of living saving using CPR! 3rd year students Ava and Paddy have decorated the Chemistry Lab with a ‘ChemTree’ to get all of us into the festive spirit! Thank you Ava & Paddy for designing this lovely decoration.

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

·       Book Club with Grace and Sarah

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

·       Lunch-time Board games with Dara

·       Lunch-time Sports with Andrei

·       LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club

·       Lunch-time School Press Team

·       After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei

·       After school Girls Basketball with Francisco

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

·      After school boys soccer training

·      After-school girls GAA training

·      After school Mixed Volleyball

·      After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       Lunch-time Book club

·       Lunch-time Origami Club

·       After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali
  • After-school Self-defence class with Andrei

Friday 1st december

                                                                                 Student Press Team Report

Spanish Exchange

On Wednesday 22nd November, all of our students were very excited to go off to Spain. We all had a lot of energy getting ready to take the bus to Dublin Airport. Overall it was a great day of travelling and when we got the school in Spain we had a very warm welcome from all of our families and teachers Gemma and Angels. Everyone seemed to settle in to their host families homes well.

The next day was a nice start to the trip as we had a great activity in the morning and then got an interesting tour around some of the sights in Terrassa. We visited Terrassa Modernista, El Mercat and a Wool Factory that has been turned into a Science Museum. After this we had a good afternoon with our Spanish students and then went for the rest of the day into Barcelona. When we were on our way in, it was very exciting and it was just amazing see the architecture of the Sagrada Familia. We had a great tour from inside to outside, but no one could believe the amazing detail put into it. After this we had a great time shopping and exploring!

On the Saturday we had a great time in the morning singing Happy Birthday to Lily and Alex before we headed off to Mount Tibidabo. This was a good chance for us to let off some energy and enjoy fun rides, great views and just have a good time! After the first few days I think we were all tired with everything we were doing but we had a great time with our families on Sunday; from watching matches, exploring new towns, shopping, and much more. On Monday, we woke up with a lot of energy to take a cable car to Monserrat. We all weren’t ready for a hike down a mountain but we all had a bit of a laugh and it was a lovely day with some great views.

I think we all had run out of energy by this stage but all of us were sad to be leaving the next day. We had a great workshop learning about traditional Catalan dance before heading back to the airport. We would like to thank Sheena, James and Sue for their help with organising the trip and looking after us so well for the week.  When we got back to the school we were all very happy to see our families! To finish, I would like to say that this was a really great trip and I can’t wait to see what the future years bring with our French and Spanish Exchange’s!

                                                                                                                                                                           Harry Tindale – Third Year

                                                                     The Beautiful Architecture of Sagrada Familia                                                                       

PARKMUN 2024

Last weekend our WICKMUN Delegates attended PARKMUN Newark’s first ever conference.  On our first day we got to meet many delegates from other schools across Dublin.  On Day two of the conference, our school’s resolutions were passed and one was carried on to  the next day. We were delighted with by this.

On the second day before GA (General Assembly) began the second resolution was passed  and we continued to debate throughout the day. We all did very well in our own respected committee rooms and then GA began.  We started off strong with Odhran O’ Reilly making a speech and after that I made another speech on our topic.  Following this Kaite O’Connor presented her well written speech on their resolution to the GA and finally their resolution was passed.  To finish the weekend event there were the awards, in which I won ‘Commended Delegate’ and Katie won ‘Best delegate’ out of her entire committee!

Thanks a million once again to the Newpark team for having us and a massive thanks to our coordinator for making this a possibility!                                                                                                                                       By Oscar Kavanagh – Second Year

                                                                       My speech at the General Assembly

                                                                                        School Report

Winter Fair

Please note that our Winter fair is happening on the 6th December see further information here /winter-fair/

ETSS Wicklow First Spanish Exchange and TY Languages Connect

This week saw the completion of the school's first Spanish language exchange with Institut Nicolau Copernic in Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain. This PPLI funded exchange aims to support student learning of Spanish through an immersive linguistic experience, to increase their cultural awareness and to provide students with a very enriching life experience. As Harry Tindale's student report above shows it was certainly a memorable experience that students won't forget! Additionally this week we had our TY Languages Connect event which hosted workshops, quizzes and fun activities for students to participate in! 

Indeed given the amount of language support and initiatives in the school, it is no wonder that our recent Modern Foreign Languages Inspection was so positive (/about-us/inspection-reports/)  and that in the recent 2023 Junior Cycle results that 40% of students obtained a higher merit grade or above compared to 33% nationally! 

                                                        TY groups learning some traditional Spanish Dancing

Spreading Festive Cheer: First Year Students Participate in Kindness Initiative

This week marked a heart-warming event at our school as our history and resource teacher, Caitlin, orchestrated a special initiative for the entire first year. The initiative, organised in collaboration with carepack.ie, aimed to spread joy and kindness to local nursing home residents in Wicklow and Wexford.

Each student was paired with a resident from one of the nursing homes, fostering a connection that transcended generational boundaries. The students embraced the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life during the holiday season. Their chosen expressions of kindness ranged from heartfelt letters to beautifully crafted cards and imaginative drawings.

The students poured their hearts and souls into the project, reflecting the true spirit of the festive season. The messages conveyed in the letters and cards were not only filled with seasonal greetings but also exuded light and hope. It was evident that the students took the time to consider the impact of their words and gestures, creating a meaningful connection with the elderly residents.

The creativity displayed by our first-year students was truly commendable. The drawings and cards they produced were nothing short of fantastic, showcasing both artistic talent and a genuine desire to bring joy to others. The residents receiving these thoughtful creations are sure to be touched by the effort and care put into each piece.

A special acknowledgment goes out to the girls and boys who participated wholeheartedly in this kindness initiative. Your contributions have undoubtedly made a positive impact on the lives of the nursing home residents, demonstrating the power of compassion and community spirit.

In a world that often moves at a fast pace, initiatives like these serve as reminders of the importance of empathy and connection. We applaud Caitlin for organizing such a meaningful project and fostering a sense of community within our school.

Well done, girls and boys! Your kindness has illuminated the holiday season for both you and the residents, creating lasting memories and spreading warmth throughout our community. May this initiative inspire continued acts of kindness and generosity in the future.

                                                                                                                                                           By Caitlin Carroll - First Year Tutor

                                                           One of the wonderful Cards and letters sent to Knockrobin 

Girl's GAA Success!

On Thursday the 30th of November ETSS Wicklow's first girls Gaelic football team made history by winning their first match. In a thrilling U16 girls' Gaelic football clash, ETSS Wicklow triumphed over Enniscorthy CC with a final score of 8-6 (30 points) to 6-6 (24 points). Despite trailing at halftime, ETSS Wicklow orchestrated a remarkable comeback, winning by a 2-goal margin. Eve stole the show with an outstanding performance, scoring 7 goals and 5 points. 

Caoilfhionn added a crucial goal, and Sophie contributed with a vital point. Kai's exceptional goalkeeping played a pivotal role in securing the victory, making crucial saves and organizing the defence. The match showcased the teams resilience, teamwork, and adaptability, making it a memorable display of skill and determination on the field.

                                                                               ETSS Wicklow Girl's GAA Team

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

·       Book Club with Grace and Sarah

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

·       Lunch-time Board games with Dara

·       Lunch-time Sports with Andrei

·       LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club

·       Lunch-time School Press Team

·       After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei

·       After school Girls Basketball with Francisco

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

·      After school boys soccer training

·      After-school girls GAA training

·      After school Mixed Volleyball

·      After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       Lunch-time Book club

·       Lunch-time Origami Club

·       After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali
  • After-school Self-defence class with Andrei

Friday 24th November

                                                                                    Student Press Team Report

Exam Week

As you all know it’s exam week! Exam week lasted from Tuesday (14th) to Friday (17th) of November, as it is now based on a symmetrised system.

Thankfully we got the Monday free of exams and we also got to come in at 11:00am! Everyone got a lovely lie in. The week is full of studying and of course exams.

Some tips and tricks are simple - just don’t stress, try your best and you can’t do any better than that, just do all that you can. If you get stressed try the finger method - this is where you trace around your finger, every time you go up your finger you breath in and down your breath out, you can do that as many times as you need.

For First years they should be studying up to a hour, for Second years 1 ½-2 hours, Third years up to 2-3 hours and Fourth and Fifth years up 5 hours.

It’s really been a successful year so far, I really am wishing the best for everyone and be to up to their potential.

                                                                                                                                                                  Hollyanne Armstrong, 1st Year

ETSS Wicklow Winter Fair

Hello students of ETSS Wicklow! We are very excited to announce the upcoming Winter Fair in our school! There will be lots of stalls with people selling delicious mince pies, hot chocolate, gifts, crafts and many more! The fair will be on Wednesday the 6th of December between 4PM and 8PM. If you would like to rent a stall you can complete a Microsoft form on the ETSSW Facebook/Instagram pages or the link below.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lyvXdjGitkicuDWLhRBMFFk2kGVUpzRJidq0rnuak_1URUczU0NMNU81OFhHUDhDTUhPSlg2SUtQMS4u                                                                                                                                                                                                            Gleb Yukymenko – 2nd Year

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

·       Book Club with Grace and Sarah

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

·       Lunch-time Board games with Dara

·       Lunch-time Sports with Andrei

·       LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club

·       Lunch-time School Press Team

·       After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei

·       After school Girls Basketball with Francisco

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

·      After school boys soccer training

·      After-school girls GAA training

·      After school Mixed Volleyball

·      After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       Lunch-time Book club

·       Lunch-time Girls Rugby with Saoirse

·       Lunch-time Origami Club

·       After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali
  • After-school Self-defence class with Andrei

Student Council Update

Since the elections, the Student Council have been meeting regularly to discuss our plans for the year.

As everyone probably knows, at the top of our list is the water fountains for the school. We’re well on track with this, after our Anything but a Bag Day fundraiser - and John should be looking into getting them soon, if all goes well!

As well as that, we will be doing a drive for St Vincent de Paul, coming up to Christmas time - students are to bring in  Christmas chocolate selection boxes, and whichever class brings the most in by the deadline will receive a prize…

We will have more updates to come soon…

                                                                                                                                       Ayah Mohammed, Student Council President

LGBTQ+ and Allies – Staff Message Video

Here in ETSS Wicklow, our staff are proud to present their warm message for the LGBTQ+ community in our school. Our school is a welcoming and supportive environment for all of our LGBTQ+ students and we want to make that known to anyone in or out. You can view the video by clicking below. We hope you enjoy!

                                                                                             Staff Report

PROMOTING SCIENCE @ ETSS Wicklow

Science week will take place from the 20th - 24th of November and students will have the chance to take part in many activities. During tutor time students completed challenges where everyone created their own straw rocket and parachute. First year students took part in ‘I’m a Scientist’ and had the opportunity to chat to scientists about the most up-to-date research happening across Ireland from Covid-19 treatments to using computer science to improve athletes performances & reduce injury. The second years had been studying the conservation of energy and were challenged to design the best paper airplane launchers and with some prizes up for grabs, there was a lot of competition between the groups! The third-year students took a closer look at heart structure, while dissecting hearts. We are already looking forward to Science Week 2024!

                                                            Second Year Science Class creating their own satellite

Classroom Based Assessment

Last week the first years presented projects on their moral heroes in class as part of assessment week. The moral heroes ranged from soccer players, to singers and everything in between. Some students took these projects as an opportunity to pay homage to a parent or member of staff who is their moral hero. There were some very touching tributes. Keep up the excellent work!

                                                                            First Year making their Presentations

Unleashing Creativity: Transition Year Students Dive into the World of Video Production with CreateSchools

At ETSS Wicklow, we believe in fostering creativity and providing our students with diverse opportunities to explore and express themselves. Recently, our Transition Year students had the unique chance to immerse themselves in the exciting realm of video production through a captivating workshop. This hands-on experience allowed our students to delve into the world of storytelling, storyboarding, and video editing, unlocking their creative potential and honing valuable skills for the future.

The workshop commenced with an exploration of storytelling. Students were introduced to the fundamental elements that make a compelling narrative, emphasizing the importance of a strong storyline in creating impactful videos. Students engaged in a brainstorming session, guided by the facilitator from Create Schools, developing characters, and crafting engaging plots. Students worked collaboratively sharing their imaginative concepts while laying the foundation for their upcoming video projects.

With story ideas in place, the next phase of the workshop focused on translating those concepts into visual form through storyboarding. Students learned the significance of this crucial step in the filmmaking process, where a sequence of images is used to outline the key scenes and shots of a video. Armed with creativity and a newfound understanding of visual storytelling, the students eagerly brought their stories to life, creating detailed storyboards that served as roadmaps for their upcoming video shoots.

The highlight of the workshop was undoubtedly the hands-on video production sessions. Equipped with their iPads, tripods, and an array of props, students transformed their storyboards into reality. The school premises became a canvas for their creativity, with each group working collaboratively to capture the essence of their narratives. From composing shots to directing scenes, the students embraced the challenges of on-site filming, gaining valuable insights into the technical aspects of video production.

Following the exhilarating filming sessions, the students transitioned to the editing suite to refine and polish their footage. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, they learned the intricacies of video editing software, experimenting with cuts, transitions, and special effects to enhance the visual appeal of their projects. This phase of the workshop allowed students to witness the transformation of raw footage into a cohesive and captivating final product.

The culmination of the video production workshop was marked by a showcase event where each group presented their completed videos to their peers. The diverse range of stories, styles, and perspectives reflected the rich tapestry of creativity within our Transition Year cohort.

The video production workshop at ETSS Wicklow provided our Transition Year students with an immersive and enriching experience that went beyond the classroom. By exploring the storytelling, storyboarding, and video editing, our students not only developed practical skills but also honed their ability to think critically, collaborate effectively, and express themselves creatively. As we continue to nurture a culture of innovation and exploration, we look forward to witnessing the lasting impact of this workshop on the personal and academic journeys of our students.

                                                         TY students hard at work creating their movie Storyboards

Unleashing Creativity: Transition Year Students Dive into a Dynamic Creative Writing Workshop with Fighting Words

At ETSS Wicklow, education goes beyond the traditional classroom setting, and our recent Creative Writing Workshop for Transition Year students exemplified this commitment to fostering creativity, collaboration, and self-expression.

The workshop, spanning an engaging two hours at the Wicklow Library, was a unique opportunity for our students to explore the depths of their imagination and hone their writing skills with the guidance of volunteer mentors. The session was divided into two parts, each contributing to a holistic and immersive creative experience.

The first half of the workshop involved an exciting journey into group storytelling. Students engaged with a series of interactive exercises, incorporating role play and improvisation to collectively craft the opening of a story. Guided by the mentors, students delved into the intricacies of storytelling, identifying key elements such as plot development, setting, and character nuances. Along the way, they learned the art of on-the-fly editing, gaining valuable insights into the refinement process of their narratives.

The second half of the workshop empowered students to embark on their own literary journeys. Armed with the foundation laid during the collaborative storytelling phase, each student set out to write the conclusion of the collective story individually or pursue their unique pieces of writing. Throughout this personal exploration, the mentors provided guidance, encouragement, and constructive feedback.

The skills acquired during this workshop is not confined to the classroom. Students carry with them the ability to think creatively, construct compelling narratives, and express themselves with confidence in various aspects of their lives. Whether it's drafting an essay, articulating thoughts in a presentation, or even just expressing ideas in daily interactions, the benefits of the creative writing workshop resonate far beyond the workshop's confines.

At ETSS Wicklow, we believe in nurturing well-rounded individuals who are not just academically adept but also creatively empowered. The Creative Writing Workshop stands as a testament to this philosophy, providing a space where students can unleash their imagination, refine their writing skills, and further develop their self-confidence that will serve them well in their future endeavours.

                                                                TY students enjoying the Fighting Words Workshop

Friday 17th november

                                                                                 Student Press Team Report

Girls First Football (Soccer) Match

On Friday, the first girls' football match was held in Gorey against Gorey ETSS. Everyone was very excited. After the first class, all the girls went to the sports hall, then the Collins room. Craig made sure that everyone was there and could play. Then we got on the bus and started our journey. The journey was not too long, and when we got there, all the girls changed into their football gear. The football match took place on the Gorey Town Park football pitch. The girls did a short warm-up. In the first half, the girls amazingly scored three goals. Gracie Bailey and two long-range goals from Malu Pereira de Araujo and Marija Mickeviciute gave the girls a 3-0 advantage early in the game.

To complete the comeback, Gorey persevered and struck back in the second half. A special thank you to Sofia Diaz Marin for her tireless work in midfield and to Katie Melia, who also helped and made a brilliant performance. After the match, all the girls got changed and got some special news that they got to go to McDonald’s. Huge thanks to Craig and the bus driver who made that happen! Overall, all the girls played excellently in their first match!

                                                                                                                                                                            Lily Sweeney - Third Year

                                                                              Girls Football Training session

Belong To Quality Mark Interview's

The Belong To Quality Mark interviews were held all throughout last week which was also our Stand Up Awareness Week. These interviews were held by our teachers Stacey, Ivan and Sheena. These interviews were held for a Junior and Senior candidate to make our school become one of the schools in Ireland that welcome anyone no matter what their background and gender are. As we figured out today our winners for these roles were Hayden Hensley (Junior) and Katie O’Connor (Senior). Well done to these two and I wish you both the best of luck!

                                                                                                                                                                                Harry Tindale, 3rd Year

                                              Our Belong To student receiving their Cinealtas Kindness flag this week

Spanish Exchange

We are all looking forward to going on ETSS Wicklow’s first ever Exchange. Next week Spanish students will travel to Barcelona with Sheena, James and Sue to learn about what life is like in a Spanish School.  We will be learning about their culture, food and exploring the sights around their wonderful city. We are all really excited and will keep you update on our return.

                                                                                                                                                Harry Tindale, 3rd year Press Team rep.

Science Workshop

On Thursday the 9th of November, the TY’s did a Science Workshop in school. TY1 started by testing “blood” samples, and we learned about the difference between different blood types, and blood types that are compatible. We then tested the elasticity of jelly sweets, by hooking them on to bottles of water, and adding more and more water to test how much weight they could take.

Meanwhile, TY2 made glue and plastic! After break, we all gathered in the PE hall to conduct a Cluedo inspired Forensic Investigation, to figure out the identity of the murderer…We had great fun!

                                                                                                                                                                  Ayah Mohammad – TY Student

                                                                            TY Science Workshop was really hands-on

                                                                                             Staff Report

Our first Exam Week

Our first of our three new semester based exam weeks kicked off on Monday this week. It was clear that the study skills classes last week had really helped settle any nerves.  At ETSS Wicklow we support the development of study skills by organising sessions throughout the year and by running an after-school study service for all students. This has really helped our first years who transitioned for primary feel prepared to sit their first set of written exams.  The sessions helped students develop their approach to creating revision plans, time management and dealing with the stress of exams. We believe that developing better study skills improves everyone’s ability to learn and to use their knowledge more effectively!  Wishing everyone the best of luck with their results in two weeks.

                                                                          ETSS Wicklow Student Exam Tip Booklet

The National Educate Together Debating Competition

ETSS Wicklow had their debate in the league round of the National Educate Together Debating Competition against Limerick ETSS on Tuesday. Four brilliant public speakers from first and second year – Brigid, Thomas H., Thomas T., Odhran supported by the rest of the debate team gave a great team performance proposing the motion that ‘All schools should be Educate Together school’s’.  Each student had prepared really well, making impressive speeches on what turned out to be a very challenging motion.  They narrowly lost out to Limerick ETSS but are already preparing for the next round against Firhouse ETSS where they will oppose the motion ‘AI will eliminate creativity’.  We wish the team all the best with their preparations and welcome any new students who would like to join the schools Debate club on a Thursday with Sarah.

                                                          First and Second Year students enjoying their first debate

ETSS Wicklow Table Quiz Fundraiser

ETSS Wicklow Parent Staff Association in affiliation with the local Wicklow Lyons will be running the first of our much needed fundraisers for the school.  A fun table quiz will be taking place this Thursday the 23rd of November at 8.30pm in Ernie’s bar, Market Square, Wicklow town. A table of four costs €40, but we will be creating tables on the night at a cost of €10 per person. It will be a great way to meet other parents, have some fun and support the school at the same time.  There will be a raffle on the night and if you are unable to attend we would appreciate any donations of raffle prizes to Fran @ reception.  All money raised will go towards educational opportunities for our students. We look forward to seeing you all next week.

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

·       Book Club with Grace and Sarah

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

·       Lunch-time Board games with Dara

·       Lunch-time Sports with Andrei

·       LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club

·       Lunch-time School Press Team

·       After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei

·       After school Girls Basketball with Francisco

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

·      After school boys soccer training

·      After-school girls GAA training

·      After school Mixed Volleyball

·      After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       Lunch-time Book club

·       Lunch-time Girls Rugby with Saoirse

·       Lunch-time Origami Club

·       After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali
  • After-school Self-defence class with Andrei

School Closed Until 10 am Monday 13th November 

Dear parent/guardian,

Please note that Wicklow is 1 of 19 counties issued with a status orange alert from early tomorrow morning. As a result the school is not permitted to open until 10 am Monday 13th November. As there will be no supervision of students before 10 am, so we ask that no students arrive at the school before this time. It may even be necessary for some students to arrive into the school later in the day. Students will be able to come into the school from 10 am tomorrow with classes commencing at 11 am following the 10:45 class break.

If the advice from National Emergency Co-Ordination Group changes we will update you accordingly.

FRIDAY 10TH NovemBER

                                                                      Student Press Team Report

DCU Ombudsman Trip

The Hyde Class had the fantastic opportunity this week to visit DCU to watch a talk presented by the Ombudsman for Children's Office. Children from around the country gave speeches on personal experiences with topics such as coming out as LGBTQ+, being transgender in Ireland, women in STEM, Autism, the dangers of vaping and being neurodivergent. There was amazing entertainment given by musician Michael Mooney and actress Alicia Weir, who starred as Matilda in the recent Matilda the Musical Movie. The students enjoyed their day out and the great experience!

The event was reported on RTE News2day. See if you recognise anyone.

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/news2day-weekly/SI0000001210?epguid=IH10000965-23-0153

                                                                                                                                     Bobby Connolly - Press Team Editor - 3rd Year

                                                                               ETSS Wicklow Students visiting DCU

Stand Up Week  @ ETSS Wicklow

The 6th – 10th November was Stand Up Week and there are tons of LGBTQ+ activities going on! First of all, there is education about sexual orientation and gender identity during tutorial time. As for other fun things we were doing, there was an LGBT mural drawn on a wall of the school and there was also a crosswalk representing the pride flag colours painted at the school entrance!

On Friday, the whole school wore clothes with the colours of the pride flag according to their year. 1st year was red, 2nd year was orange, 3rd year was yellow, transition year was green and 5th year was blue. Our school is making a great effort at supporting all students no matter their culture, background, race, religion and sexual orientation, so it's a big step in that direction!

                                                                                                                                                                      Gleb Yukymenko - 2nd year

                                                                          ETSS Wicklow's New Pedestrian Crossing

5th Year Art Trip

On the Friday before the mid-term break, the 5th year art students at ETSS Wicklow went on a school trip up to Dublin to visit the Hugh Lane Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland. We left in the morning and took the train up to Pearse Station. From there, we walked for a while until we arrived at the Hugh Lane Gallery.

The Gallery was fairly small, but nevertheless, there was a lot to see. We saw some original works by the impressionist and realist painters we’ve been studying - Monet, Manet, Degas and Renoir to name a few. Some other notable artists’ works we saw were that of Andy Warhol, Sean Scully, and Francis Bacon. Impressively, the gallery exhibits a full recreation of Bacon’s studio, putting you right into the shoes of the artist – which was amazing.

After our visit to the Hugh Lane Gallery, we had a bite to eat on O’Connell street. Afterwards we had just enough time for a whistle-stop tour of the National Gallery of Ireland. This was a fairly quick visit, albeit we managed to see most of the Gallery. Later in the day, we walked back to Pearse Station (we had done a good deal of walking!) and took the train back home to Wicklow.

All in all, we had a lovely day up in Dublin! I think it was very valuable for us to see the work of some of the artists we’ve been studying in the flesh, and I’d be inclined to go back to the galleries for another visit.

                                                                                                                                                                                 Cody Grove -  5th Year

                                                                            5th Year Students at the Hugh Lane Gallery

                                                                                                      School Report

Our first Girl’s Football Team

History was made this week at ETSS Wicklow, as our first ever girls soccer team prepared for their first match on Friday. It was great to see so many young girls of all abilities and experience turn up to give soccer a try! By the end of the session they were excited to put their skills into action. 

On Friday our Minor Girls Soccer team played their first ever match and succumbed to 4-3 loss in a seven-goal thriller against Gorey ETSS. The girls started the match brightly and raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to a poachers finish from Gracie Bailey and two long-range crackers from MaLu Pereira de Araujo and Marija Mickeviciute. Gorey persisted and hit back in the second half to complete the comeback. Special mention to Katie Melia, who would have tackled a truck if it was on the pitch, and Sofia Diaz Marin who worked tirelessly in midfield. Some serious potential to work with for the upcoming league matches. Well done ladies!

Craig Ledwith – Football Coach

                                                                                Our Girls Minor Football Team

FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER

                                                                                       Student Press Team Report

Halloween Newsletter 2023

Check out our student Halloween newsletter to read some of our spooky stories and jokes on our newsletter tab of the webpage. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fancy Dress 

Our school’s fancy dress day started off with us all going to our base classes in our fancy dress and then donating 2 and upwards euro to go towards charity focused helping ETSS schools students came in as Pirates, Soldiers and other charters our first and second years enjoyed a murder mystery event students overall really enjoyed the event and are looking forward to next year!

                                                                                                                                                                                          By Oscar Kavanagh

                                                                                   Fancy Dress @ ETSS Wicklow

                                                                                Some Wonderful Creative Ideas

First Term In First Year

First years are settling in great, here at ETSS Wicklow, getting to know their timetables, teachers and classmates. Everyone is making new friends and getting to know each other great. We're all getting used to using iPads as well, as it was a change going from textbooks to iPads.

"I am definitely enjoying coming here, and am settling in great" said some pupils from Shannon class, first year "it was a bit of a change, but I got used to it. There is always lots of chat at break as friends from different classes laugh and talk together.

Lots of the first years have joined club, sports and other clubs.

                                                                                                                                                       Caoilfhionn Mc Lindon - Shannon Class

                                                                                  First Year Drama Workshop

Student Survey

This year the press team was curious on how students felt about the upcoming exams and their thoughts on studying, so we created and sent out a Microsoft forms survey to understand how students felt about the November exams. We asked students their overall thoughts on the exams, and we found out the overwhelming feeling about the exams was very positive. One student said "I mean I just tend not really to think about it, but I mean they're exams".

We asked students how they felt about the changing of exam dates. There was some mixed opinion, with some who really enjoyed the extra study time and others who disliked it. For example one student said "A good idea, as it would relieve some stress coming up to Christmas for those in non-state exam years".

We also asked students about their study habits, such as how often they study. We found that out of the 22 responses only two study daily, eight study 1-2 times a week, and three only study at the weekend. We asked if more after school study would help, but the response was "I haven't really went there yet but I think it helps a lot of people".

                                                                                                                                                                                           By Oscar Kavanagh

Student Council trip to the Ombudsman for Children's office in Dublin

The student council went to the Ombudsman for Children's office in Dublin to learn about Children's Rights. Firstly, they had a tour around the office. It was amazing and they found out that they actually take suggestions from children to make it a more friendly environment. They also covered the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to find out more about the children's rights and how we can use them to implement new things in our school and they also got some experience for the trip. Overall, this trip was a success and will definitely make a positive impact on the student council.

                                                                                                                                                                                           By Ayah Mohamed

Sports @ ETSS Wicklow

The last couple of weeks was full of challenging sport matches including the school football team, after playing tough matches throughout the past couple of weeks. Last week on Tuesday, the junior team edged a 3-2 win in extra time over tough opposition Cistercian College in the Junior cup. This Week, the minor team lost to Colaiste an Atha, a very strong team but the team played very well and persevered right until the final whistle. There was also two first years(Dougie Bowie and Ryan Cox) playing their first ever match for the school, against an age group above them. On Wednesday, the minor team travelled to Glenart College and narrowly lost 1-0 after a great team performance.

                                                                                                                                                                        Dougie, Bowie Class, 1st year

                                                                        Boys U'16 Football Team with coach Craig

The girls basketball team has come on a lot as there has been a lot of interest from all the girls this year. Our team captain is Faye Fitzgibbon who has been selected by the team. We have played three games so far this year, The team has showed great effort in all three.

All the girls have showed their commitment on and off the pitch as we have come together to design a new girls basketball jersey produced by the team.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Lily - Third Year                                                                                                                                    U'16's Girls Basketball team with coaches Francisco & Lucy

School Report

Update from Our New Deputy Principal

It is a privilege and an honour to be appointed Deputy Principal of ETSS Wicklow. As a passionate advocate for inclusion, I strive for each of our students to reach their potential and succeed.

After a busy but rewarding term, which has seen our school community continue to grow; welcoming in another group of first year students and having our first senior cycle group enter fifth year, it is now time for all our students to have a rest and recharge before the November exams commence.

Wishing all our students and families a lovely midterm!

                                                                                 Deputy Principal - Sarah Hayward

New Building Ready to Go

This year our school had started renovations on the old unused building and just finished the renovations. With the renovations and updates to the building there are 3 new base classes and a new art room to allow for more resources.

Students have responded warmly to the new building. One art student said they really enjoy the additional space!”

Along with the other rooms there are 2 resource rooms that have been responded to positively with students and staff alike.

                                                                                          Our New Building

Top 10 Study Tips & Tricks from Stacey Finn our Guidance Councillor

  • Work smarter, not harder! - Use the techniques, strategies and methods your subject teachers did with you in class during study skills week. Choose 1 study method for each subject that suits you and use that!
  • Try not to bite off more than you can chew! - The average attention span for teenagers is 8 minutes! Focus on one task for 8-9 minutes, then change task. This will save you from boredom!
  • Get the worst of it out of the way! - we all dread that one subject, one topic or one task. Do that one first! Then the dread is gone and you can focus more clearly.
  • Start small! - Starting with shorter and more succinct tasks will give you a sense of productivity. This will motivate you to keep going!
  • Stay focused! - Staying focused is hard when you have a lot to focus on. Remove distractions. If you have a pile of work to do, don't keep it all on your desk. Having everything in your sight will overwhelm you. Out of sight, out of mind!
  • Practise, practise practise! - Just like riding a bike, or learning to play an instrument, practising for your exams by completing exam questions, textbook exercises again and again will make answer the questions in your exam easier. Practise makes progress!
  • Fake it until you make it! - Pretend you are productive. To feign productivity, get up, get dressed, do a small task to get that sense of achievement and always keep your shoes on! (Can't fall asleep if your feet are firmly flat on the floor!)
  • Be careful of your narrative! - Talk to your friends about anything BUT the exam! Your stress can impact how stressed they become. And their stress might make you more stressed! Don't let your social life become about the exams too.
  • Sleep! - Most research shows that sleep plays a critical role in the formation and storage of long-term memories. Poor sleep impairs memory consolidation by disrupting the normal process.
  • Use it or lose it! - Apply your knowledge as much as possible. Teach your family and friends about the things you have learned. The more you use it, the more you will remember it. If you don't use it, it will be lost!

                                                                                               Next Term

Looking Forward to Next Term - Principal John Maddock

We have had a very busy and productive first half term at ETSS Wicklow. 2023-2024 so far has seen three new first year groups settle into school life, while for the first time we’ve had Leaving Certificate 5th year students start this September. Our first half term has seen many highlights including our second ever set of Junior Cycle results, different academic themed weeks, sporting success, visits from government ministers and student trips at home and abroad. Following the mid-term now we have a number of different events, initiatives and important weeks to focus on such as Revision Week, Exam Week from the 13th November, Science Week, Enterprise Week, Careers Awareness Week and the foreign Spanish Language Exchange trip. There will also be first year parent-teacher meetings, parent-staff association meetings, the publication of reports home to parents and guardians and back by popular demand our parent-student led Winter Fair!

Wishing all of our staff and students a restful week ahead, before we return on Monday 6th with Revision Week before our first block of exams for all year groups begin on Tuesday the 14th November.

FRIDAY 20TH OCTOBER

                                                                                       Student Press Team Report

Junior Cycle Results Day

On Wednesday October 18th, the current Transition Year students in ETSS Wicklow (JC Class of 2023) received their Junior Cycle examination results. Families of the students were invited to a ceremony that was held to celebrate these remarkable results. There was a passionate speech given by Principal, John Maddock that commended students on their achievements and their hard work and dedication during their Junior Cycle throughout the struggle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Afterwards, refreshments and treats were provided to students and their families so they could celebrate their results together. The JC Class of 2023 have most certainly done our school proud. Though these exams are a milestone in their education and the history of Wicklow’s newest school; we would like to remind our students that they should not lose sight of the fact that there are many paths to achieving their dreams and this is just one step on that journey. Well done to all students on their fantastic achievements!

                                                                                                                                                                       Bobby Connolly – Third Year

                                                              Some TY students celebrating their Junior Cycle results

Anything But A Bag Fundraiser

The student council organised a small "Anything but a bag"  fundraiser for Wednesday the 18th of October. For those of you don’t know it means that students, teachers and SNAs could bring their belongings in anything but a bag! It was a great success in ETSS Wicklow. Everyone was very excited and had a lot of great ideas. I know that we had a wheelbarrow all the way to a TESCO basket. The student council were busy collecting money for fundraising for to get a new water fountain. Overall, it was a good turnout and I can’t wait to see more things that the student council do to make our school the best it can be!

Harry Tindale – Third Year Student

                                                                             Some of wonderful school entries

                                                                                              School Report

Soccer Success

Well done to the Junior Soccer team who started their Junior Cup campaign in nail biting fashion, with a 3-2 win after extra-time against Cistercian College, Roscrea.

The whole squad played a vital role in the impressive win for the school, but a special mention must go to Miguel Navarro Baquero who provided 2 goals and an assist from right-wing, Corey Nolan who made save after save to get us over the line, and Alexander Zevatskiy, the goal machine from 2nd year who had no problem stepping in to play against players three years his senior!

We couldn’t post this without mentioning assistant coach Michaella Dickenson, who played a vital role in helping Coach Craig motivate the troops.

Thanks, as always, to Wicklow Rovers FC for the generous use of their facilities. On to round 2 we go!

                                                                                                            Craig Ledwith - 1st & 3rd Year Student Support Coordinator

                                                                                 Our Junior Soccer Boys team

Open Night

On Tuesday 17th of October ETSS Wicklow had the great pleasure of welcoming local 6th class students into the school, from 6.30-8.30pm. There was an exuberant atmosphere as prospective students and their families were given tours of the school by our current students.  In Art, guests had an opportunity to create some wonderful but messy artwork. For any fans of ‘the great British Bake-Off' there was a chance to get creative and ice their own cupcake in our state-of-the-art Home Economics room.  Our Maths teacher Lucy got students involved in Uno, Mathopoly, solving Maths riddles, fun algebra equations, and finished off with an exciting equation race. Our English department had lots of fun quizzes, riddles and activities about classic literature. In Science, students conducted an array of interesting and exciting experiments. Visiting students had the wonderful opportunity to further try out new musical instruments, VR reality simulation, Volleyball and modern languages with some of our current students. It was a great evening for all and we looking forward to welcoming new students next year.

                                                                                                                                                                                     Ceire Hatton - HSCL

                                                          Prospective students trying out experiments in the Science Lab

WICKMUN 2024 Interviews

Interviews  for WICKMUN24 positions kicked off at lunchtime on Friday the 20th of October. WICKMUN is part of MUN (Model United Nations) and a form of debate style modelled after the United Nations. This national two day event will be held at ETSS Wicklow from April 19th - 20th, 2024. After the great success of WICKMUN 2023 there was over 17 applications for the positions on offer this year.

The interview panel consisted of Year Head Shauna O’ Toole and MUN coordinators James Hayden and Ceire Hatton. Interviews lasted for approximately five minutes and probed deeply into the candidates skillset and experience for the applied position

The key roles to be filled for WICKMUN this year, includes Secretary General, President of the General Assembly, Conference Manager, Head of Press, Head of Admin, Head of Security and Committee Chairs. Students will be notified of their success before the midterm and which role they have been assigned.

                                                                                                                                                           James Hayden – MUN Coordinator

                                                                                             WICKMUN 2023

Geography Field Trip

Geography students from 2nd, 3rd and 5th year went on a trip to see some of the processes and features they have been learning about in the classroom, in person. The first stop on this trip was the Killakee viewing point, where students got a birds eye view of the urban sprawl of Dublin City, as well as seeing examples of glacial and fluvial erosion and dripstone features such as stalactites.

The next stop was Louth Bray. Here students hiked down, crossed a stream and continued hiking down to view the Corrie, arête and moraines.

On the third stop students got to see Lough Tay, the famous Guinness Lake and take in the spectacular view. We then moved on to Glendalough where students went on a walk to the upper lake which was carved by the melting ice of an ancient glacier.

                                                                                                                                                                      Ali Aziz – Geography Teacher

                                              Geography students visited Glendalough for an educational field trip

TY Law Module

Transition Year students recently had the opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of Irish law through the Public Access to Law workshop, run by the Law Library. This workshop allowed students to explore the intricacies of the Irish legal system, discover how it relates to their everyday lives, and even try their hand at a captivating mock trial.

Under the guidance of two legal experts (both qualified barristers), the students embarked on a journey of discovery, immersing themselves in the multifaceted world of law. The main goal of this module was to provide them with a comprehensive understanding of Irish law and the legal processes that affect their daily lives.

Throughout the program, students studied various aspects of Irish law, focusing on topics that have a direct impact on their age group. They explored issues like cyberbullying, Coco’s law, and other laws that directly relate to young people.

One of the highlights of the workshop was the examination of a case, which culminated in a mock trial. Students had the unique opportunity to dissect a legal case. By analysing the facts, evidence, and legal arguments of the case, they were able to gain a deeper understanding of how the Irish legal system works in practice.

During the mock trial students took on the roles of lawyers, witnesses, and jurors to argue a case, presenting evidence, cross-examining witnesses, and making persuasive arguments. The experience gave them a taste of the world of legal advocacy and helped them appreciate the complexities and challenges faced by legal professionals in the courtroom.

The workshop not only offered a unique educational experience but also promoted critical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking skills. It allowed students to explore potential career paths in the legal field and develop a better appreciation for the rule of law in our society.

                                                                                        Mock Trial Simulation

Maths Week

To kick off Maths Week 2023, our students joined Lucy at lunchtime to learn some maths related dance moves. Well done to Hayden Hensley who impressed the teachers with his moves! On Tuesday, our students made some hilarious maths related memes, this competition was won by Oscar Kavanagh and Sonny Anderson, well done boys! This was followed by a competitive game of maths monopoly at lunchtime with Patrick - congratulations to Robert Mason who scored the most points! On Wednesday, our 2nd 4th and 5th years took part in a national competition held by the IMTA, we are patiently awaiting results! During tutor time on Thursday, the school worked on sudoku puzzles to warm up their brain for the day. Gráinne hosted a codebreaker challenge at lunchtime and Robert took home his second prize! To finish off the week, our students took part in the treasure hunt organised by Lucy. 

Well done to Sam Lewis and Fintan Devine who displayed excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills throughout. Each day, the students were challenged with a riddle - congratulations to the 5 students who solved the riddles and won the cash prizes! We are sad to see the end of Maths Week 2023, but look forward to Maths Week 2024!

             Principal John Maddock and Maths teachers Paddy, Lucy  & Saoirse congratulating Maths week winners                                                                                   

                                                                                                     Next Week

RSE Workshop

1st years will be involved in an RSE workshop on Monday 23rd of October from 8:45am - 1pm with teachers Shauna, Stacey and Amanda.

Study Skills Week

Study Skills week will run from Monday 23rd October - Friday 26th at ETSS Wicklow. This week is particularly important as we approach the first week of assessments in November. Teachers will provide some time in their classes to improve subject specific study skills. Stacey Finn our Guidance Counsellor will also provide parents with some information on how best they can implement these skills at home and outside of school hours of for a well-rounded approach to studying.

FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER

Student Press Team Report

Basketball Update

On Friday October 6th, the girls’ Basketball team took on St. Marys in Arklow in a high paced basketball match on Friday morning, and the game was suspenseful to say the least. Our players gave it their all, flawlessly attacking the opponents and scoring countless points. In the end, St. Marys finished on topl. Our team was energetic and showed great teamwork skills throughout the match. Most importantly, they had a great time.

Lily Sweeney, Hyde 3rd Year

History Week @ ETSS Wicklow

On Tuesday, the 3rd year went on an exciting history trip that the teachers and staff organised for History week. These destinations were really far away, so all the 3rd years got to go on buses early in the morning to go from Wicklow to Dublin. They went to two destinations. firstly, Glasnevin, Ireland's National Cemetery, which is Ireland's largest cemetery. Since 1832, more than 1.5 million people have been buried there, including Daniel O'Connell, Michael Collins, Charles Stewart Parnell, Maud Gonne, and Eamon DeValera.

Each class got separated into groups, and a tour guide walked them through the cemetery, telling us interesting information about what took place there and background stories.  After the tour, the 3rd years were able to take a break and grabbed a snack or two from the cafe, which was in the museum beside the cemetery. After our break, they all went into the museum and explored different areas that focused on the background of the museum and the cemetery. The students were at a bast and were able to take many photos of the site.

A little while after that, there was another break for people to rest and eat. When everyone was ready, we walked through the cemetery to our next destination, the Botanic Gardens. The botanical gardens are surrounded by beautiful flowers, trees, plants, sculptures, and much more. Also, the National Botanic Gardens are famous for their beautifully restored and planted glasshouses. The one the 3rd years explored was The Great Palm House, built in 1883 when the previous glasshouse was damaged in a storm. The restored house was opened by a Taoiseach in 2004. And all the students were absolutely amazed by everything when they entered it. Afterwards, we walked a bit in the Botanic Gardens, and it did not fail to amaze us. This trip was definitely one to remember.

                                                                                                                                                                    Marija Mickeviciute, 3rd Year

                                                               Third Year students visiting Glasnevin Cemetery

                                                                         The beautiful National Botanic Gardens

Chess Tournament

A group of students from 2nd, 3rd, 5th year recently went to a chess tournament held at St. Andrew's Collage in Blackrock. The event was bustling, with over 40 schools showing up to compete. We took the bus in the morning, and when we arrived, we got the plan for the day and were divided into two teams. Then the games began! We were brought into the main hall to begin the matches. We started off a little rocky, but our teams racked up some wins. Eventually, the day was cut short, and we only had time for 4 rounds instead of 6.

As the day came to a close, we had some wins and some losses, but lots of fun! We tallied up our scores and our team leader Katie O’Connor handed them up to the adjudicator. Cody Grove won two and lost two matches, Garbhan Byrne won one and lost three matches, Luc Sommer won two and lost two matches, and Katie O’Connor won two and lost two matches. There were some more wins from our junior players, and this placed us 67th out around 150 teams.

Apart from the matches, we all took part in other social events at the tournament, such as Katie and Cody in the ‘Just dance’ room the Karaoke room. Overall, we were happy with our scores and has a wonderful time. We look forward to attending similar events in the future!

                                                                                                                                            Cody Grove and Katie O’Connor – 5th Year

                                                                High concentration levels from 5th Year Cody Grove

                                                                                        School Report

Science in Action

PhD students from Trinity came into visit Saoirse's Chemistry class and Grainne Physics class on Tuesday. They gave a class on a "The Chemistry of being in Two Places at Once", where they talked about how electrons behave and all the weird and wonderful things electrons can do. The PhD students did two demonstrations where they showed the wave duality theory using their very one double slit experiment and also showed how fireworks are made. Thank you to Blaithin, Conor and Josh for coming in.

                                                                                                                                                            Saoirse Rawson – Science Teacher

                                                             Some colourful experiments in Science class this week

Amgen Biotech Experience

At ETSSW, we believe that fostering scientific curiosity and providing students with real-world experiences are essential elements of a well-rounded education. In our continuous efforts to offer our students the best in scientific education, we proudly introduce the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE), a comprehensive and hands-on scientific education program designed to inspire and engage our students in the exciting world of biotechnology.

The ABE, in association with UCD Science, is a unique educational programme that provides students with the opportunity to work with research-grade equipment and supplies. This programme equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to explore the steps involved in creating biotechnology therapies. ABE offers students the chance to become true scientists, gaining insight into the world of biotechnology and molecular biology.

One of the most significant advantages of the Amgen Biotech Experience is the hands-on nature of the programme. Students have the unique opportunity to work with research-grade equipment and supplies, replicating the experiences of professional scientists. This immersion into the world of biotechnology is a valuable learning experience that can significantly enhance their scientific knowledge and practical skills.

The ABE programme includes a carefully crafted curriculum that is aligned with the core LC biology curriculum. This alignment ensures that students are not only gaining a deep understanding of biotechnology but also reinforcing the fundamental concepts of biology that they learn in their regular classes.

The ABE guides students through the intricate process of creating biotechnology therapies. From extracting DNA to cloning genes, and from transforming bacteria to producing proteins, students are exposed to the entire biotechnological pipeline. Through these real-world experiments, they gain valuable insights into the steps involved in developing innovative treatments for diseases.

In addition to the practical skills gained through the ABE programme, students also develop scientific literacy and critical thinking skill. These skills are not only essential for a career in biotechnology but also invaluable in various scientific disciplines and everyday life.

This experience is a remarkable educational opportunity for our students. It provides a bridge between theory and practice, offers hands-on experience with research-grade equipment and supplies, and aligns with our core biology curriculum. By participating in this programme, our students not only deepen their understanding of biotechnology but also enhance their scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. We are excited to witness the growth and transformation of our students as they explore the world of biotechnology through the Amgen Biotech Experience. This programme not only prepares them for future scientific endeavours but also instills a lifelong passion for learning and discovery.

At ETSSW, we are committed to providing our students with the best opportunities for growth and learning, and the Amgen Biotech Experience is a testament to that commitment. We look forward to seeing our students flourish as they embark on this exciting scientific journey.

                                                                                                                                                      Alicia Devlin Byrne – Science Teacher

                                                             TY students Alex Barry and Fillip Polcyn hard at work

                                                                                           Next Week

Royal Russell MUN 2023 - London

This weekend, a group of our Model United Nations debaters will be headed over to Croydon in London to attend a four-day conference in the Royal Russell School. In this conference, the students will be split into different committees, where they will debate topics, relevant in our world today, while modelling how it would happen in a United Nations conference.

Royal Russel’s International Model United Nations conference is affiliated and funded by the U.N., which goes to show how big of a deal this conference is to our team! Katie O’ Connor, Sonny Anderson, Éanna Maher, Lenna Smith, Hannah O’ Callaghan and Ayah Mohamed have been preparing for and looking forward to this conference since April, and are delighted that the weekend is about to commence.

Best of luck guys!

Katie O’Connor – 5th Year

Open Night 17th October 6.30-8.30pm

Next Tuesday we will be welcoming parents of 5th and 6th class students in the area into our school for our annual Open Night. We are hoping to surpass the incredible turnout from last year and lots of interactive activities are planned for the evening by the students themselves and staff. We look forward to seeing some of you there.  

Junior Cycle Results Wednesday 18th October

The junior cycle results are soon to be announced on Wednesday 18th of October a lot of students are excited, nervous, worried etc. people have been talking about it a lot but we’re hoping that all or most results are good. Students took the junior cert in June on the 7th and ended on the 19th of June students have said that the hardest exam to take was maths while the easiest was English. They also said a question on the Irish exam was different than last year.

The announcement of the results will be posted in our school’s hall and the teachers are very excited to see how the students they have taught for up to three years have done in their second biggest exam in the school. I wish all the students the best of luck with their exam results and to not stress about it too much as they’re not defined by their junior cycle results.

                                                                                                                                                                                             Elliott Potts – TY

Some clubs and activities on offer for next week are as follows:

Monday

·       Book Club with Grace and Sarah

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       After-school Boys (Senior and Junior) Basketball with Lucy

Tuesday

·       Lunch-time Board games with Dara

·       Lunch-time Sports with Andrei

·       LGBTQ+ and Allies Lunch Time Club

·       Lunch-time School Press Team

·       After school Girls Volleyball with Andrei

·       After school Girls Basketball with Francisco

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Wednesday

·      After school boys soccer training

·      After-school girls GAA training

·      After school Mixed Volleyball

·      After-school Maths Support Centre

Thursday

·       Lunch-time sports with Andrei

·       Lunch-time Book club

·       Lunch-time Girls Rugby with Saoirse

·       Lunch-time Origami Club

·       After school Boys Volleyball with Andrei

·       Evening Study 4 – 6 pm

Friday

  • Lunch-time Sports with Andrei
  • Lunch-time Lego Club
  • Lunch-time Model United Nations Club with James
  • Lunch-time Green Schools with Ali
  • After-school Self-defence class with Andrei

Friday 6th OctOber 

Student Press Team Report

Student Advisory Board of Studies

Hello everyone, my name is Eabha and I am going to tell you a little bit about the student advisory board committee. Sarah, our Deputy Principal set up the Student Advisory Board of Studies Committee.

As part of the Student Advisory Board of Studies committee, we help our fellow students take surveys, answer questions and most importantly try to get the young person’s point of view across in our education system. Often this is quite a different perspective than what our teachers have.

Then we take our peer's suggestions and give them to Sarah directly. We try to make our school better and more inclusive for everyone.

If you are interested in joining the work of the Student Advisory Board of Studies, you can go to our Deputy Principal, Sarah and signup. It is very fun and very helpful. Thank you!

Eabha Finucane O’Brien, 1st Year

Third Year Home Economics cook up a Lasagne storm!

This week Amy’s 3rd year Home Ec. class displayed their fantastic culinary skills when they cooked up some delicious lasagnes! Students were given the task of showing off their culinary skills while showing other important skills such as good time-management and while practicing good safety and hygiene.

Taste buds were blown away when the mouth-watering lasagnes were eaten! The 3rd Year ‘Chefs of the Week’ award was given to Jack Duffy and Bobby Connolly. Well done to all of our 3rd Year chefs!

Boys Basketball Blitz - Thursday, October 5th

On Thursday 5/10/23, Lucy's U16s boys' Basketball team took part in a Basketball blitz with two other Educate Together Secondary Schools. While narrowly missing out on the first match, they came home with a 28-point win from their second match.

Naoise O'Dubhslaine was crowned Man of the Match for the first game, and Callum Hodgkinson Foley took on the title for the second game. Quirze Garriga Raton, Patrick Adesola and Shaheen Mohamed scored some impressive baskets throughout the day. Well done all!

                                                                                                                                                  Lucy Bellotti, ETSS Wicklow Basketball Coach

                                                               Our Junior Boys Basketball Team after their big win! 

                                                                 School Report

Enrolments 2024-2025

With the application window for first year 2024-2025 opening on the 2nd October, we have been busy meeting the local primary school students this week. Please see www.etsswicklow.ie/admissions for future information. Please also note that our Open Evening will be held on Tuesday 17th October.

ETSS Wicklow Student of the Month and Mathematicians of the Month

Well done to all of our students who received certificates this week for both Student of the Month and Mathematican of the Month!

                  Principal John Maddock pictured with September's Students of the Month and Mathematicians of the Month

ETSS Wicklow’s Maths Support Centre has reopened

Our Maths Support Centre runs every Wednesday from 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm. This initiative is designed to provide free assistance to all students seeking to enhance their mathematical skills and abilities. The Maths Support Centre is staffed by dedicated maths teachers and enthusiastic transition year students who are eager to help learners navigate through challenging maths problems.

Whether you're struggling with algebra, geometry, or calculus, this weekly session serves as a welcoming space for students of all levels to receive personalized guidance and support in their mathematical journey. It's an excellent opportunity to reinforce your math knowledge and boost your confidence in the subject. Join us and let's make maths an enjoyable and rewarding experience!

Royal Russell MUN 2023 – Parent and Student Information Evening

The Model United Nations (MUN) is an international format of debate which allows students to take part in simulations of the United Nations by representing different countries and NGO's/IGOS in different committees that debate a range of relevant and topical issues. It develops strong organisational, negotiating and research skills, encouraging group work and working with others. An MUN club is ran in the school by Ceire and James on Fridays at lunchtime.

MUN students are also given the opportunity of attending various MUN's in schools across Ireland throughout the year where they have the opportunity to work alongside students from various other schools and develop skills which aid them in their life after school. Six of our students will be representing our school at the prestigious Royal Russell’s MUN event in Croydon, London from Saturday 14th to Tuesday 17th of October 2023. We held an information evening on Thursday 5th October for parents to discuss the highlights of the four-day event and an outline for ETSS Wicklow first international trip abroad.

Furthermore, the school hosts an annual WICKMUN event, organised by Ceire and James, in the school where we invite schools to attend and participate in our own MUN style debate. This year, the event will be hosted on the weekend of April 19th - 20th, 2024. All are welcome to join MUN in one of the numerous roles of the event.

Guidance @ ETSSW Paren

ENJOYING SCHOOL LIFE