School News

Stay up to date with the latest official announcements, weekly updates, and stories from the Davitt College community.

Academic & Curriculum, Awards, Core News & Information, School Life, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News, STEM

Davitt College Students Sweep the Boards at National SciFest Competition

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🔬 SciFest 2016 • National STEM Achievement Davitt College Students Sweep the Boards at National SciFest Competition 11 May 2016 • Sligo Institute of Technology It was an outstanding day for the students of Davitt College at this year’s SciFest Competition, held at the Sligo Institute of Technology on Wednesday, 11th May 2016. The school had eight projects entered and took home an incredible five Major Awards on the day, including a Special Award. The students were expertly mentored by Davitt College Science Teachers, Ms. Fiona O’Connor and Mr. Aaron Tonry. The aim of SciFest is to encourage a love of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) through active, collaborative, inquiry-based learning, providing a forum for students at local, regional, and national levels to present their scientific investigations. The initiative is funded by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme, Intel Ireland, and Boston Scientific. Transition Year students Aoife Parsons and Clodagh Hegarty attracted much attention from the judges, winning the Intermediate Life Sciences Category and taking the Overall Runners-Up spot (sponsored by Abbott Ireland) with their project, “The Education and Promotion of Breastfeeding for Children, Adolescents and Adults”. The girls will now progress to compete for the SciFest 2016 Grand Award. Transition Year student Andrey Connolly won the coveted Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award for his project, “The Investigation and Research of Changeable Factors that Decrease the Chances of Survival of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Patients”. He was also named Runner-Up in the Intermediate Life Sciences Category. Andrey will now go on to compete for the Boston Scientific International Prize later in the year. Second Year students Therese Gallagher and Jane Ryder took First Place in the Junior Technology Category for their project, “The Blind’s Eye”. Their innovative project consisted of a walking stick with a motion sensor attached, which sends a vibrating pulse to the thumb of the user when it comes close to an obstacle. Congratulations to all the students involved—the future looks very bright indeed with such clever and creative young people representing the school! 🔬🏆🌟 Congratulations to Davitt College students Andrey Connolly, Jane Ryder, Therese Gallagher, Clodagh Hegarty, and Aoife Parsons, who were highly successful at the 2016 SciFest Competition held in Sligo Institute of Technology. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Core News & Information, Extra-Curricular, Music, Practical & Creative Arts, School Life, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News

Davitt College Chamber Choir Claims Second Place at All-Ireland Festival

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🎵 All-Ireland Choral Success • Music Department Davitt College Chamber Choir Claims Second Place at All-Ireland Festival 6 May 2016 • SCCUL Enterprise Galway Choral Festival A massive congratulations to the Davitt College Chamber Choir on coming second in the All-Ireland SCCUL Enterprise Galway Choral Festival at GMIT today, 6th May 2016! Considering that this was their debut public performance, it is an absolutely outstanding achievement for the group and their Musical Director, Mrs. Claire Kennedy. “We are absolutely thrilled with our success, not only in this competition but as a choir established merely three months ago,” she said following the result. The competition, currently in its inaugural year, was held on the GMIT Galway campus. Six schools in total participated in the equal voice choral competition, travelling from Dublin, Sligo, Tipperary, and Galway. We are incredibly proud to note that Davitt College was the only post-primary school representing Co. Mayo at the event. “We entered this competition to give our students a chance to experience the many benefits of singing in a choir such as improved listening skills, teamwork, commitment, and camaraderie. Numerous studies have shown that singing in a choir reduces stress and improves mood, which in turn could have a positive impact on overall health. What we ended up with was not only a real sense of achievement but a true determination to continue our success on a vocal and personal level.” — Mrs. Claire Kennedy, Musical Director 🎶 Choir Members & Performers A special congratulations to the brilliant students involved: Ella Mongey, Clodagh Gainley, Aoife Halligan, Roisin Lennon, Roisin Callaghan, Annabelle Comer Halliwell, Roadhan McKenna, Kathryn Tiernan, Marianna Tiernan, Claire McHale, Cian Kilkenny, Megan Costello, Deirbhile Mellotte, Shannon Crouch, Natasha Nally, Htoo Htoo Lar, Johanna McDonagh, and Rebecca Kenny. A special mention also goes to Second Year student Peter Belseva, who served as their talented accompanist. The Davitt College Chamber Choir is open to all students and includes an audition process. Mrs. Kennedy is already looking forward to welcoming new members this coming September 2016! 🎤🌟👏 Davitt College Chamber Choir pictured following their fantastic second-place finish at the All-Ireland SCCUL Enterprise Galway Choral Festival. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Core News & Information, Extra-Curricular, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News, STEM

Inspiring the Next Generation at the 2016 Science and Technology Fair

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💻 STEM & Innovation • 2016 Fair Inspiring the Next Generation at the 2016 Science and Technology Fair 8 March 2016 • Davitt College Castlebar The world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and here at Davitt College, we are passionate about inspiring the next generation of innovators. To celebrate this, our Science and ICT Departments recently hosted our highly anticipated four-day Science and Technology Fair, inviting sixth-class students from National Schools across Castlebar and the surrounding districts to engage with us. The visiting pupils had the opportunity to utilise our fantastic facilities, taking part in a wide range of hands-on practical activities and witnessing some spectacular scientific demonstrations. From examining plant cells under the microscope and analysing dissected animal hearts, to exploring the fascinating effects of static electricity, the students were completely captivated by the world of science. The fair also featured a dedicated Computer Programming section, where our teaching staff guided the primary school students through the fundamentals of coding and software development. A special mention must go to our outstanding Transition Year students, who did an incredible job demonstrating experiments and assisting the younger pupils throughout the week. It was a phenomenal event designed to spark curiosity, encourage collaborative learning, and foster a lifelong love of STEM subjects. 🚀🔬💡 ×

Academic & Curriculum, Core News & Information, Humanities & Language, Politics & Society, School News, Senior Cycle

Davitt College Selected to Pioneer New ‘Politics and Society’ Subject

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🏛️ Curriculum Innovation • Leaving Certificate 2016 Davitt College Selected to Pioneer New ‘Politics and Society’ Subject 8 March 2016 • National Curriculum Launch A brand new subject has been developed for the Leaving Certificate programme called Politics and Society, and we are incredibly proud to announce that Davitt College has been selected as one of a small number of schools nationally to introduce it on a phased basis! Starting this coming September 2016, this optional subject will be available to our senior students, with the very first Leaving Certificate Politics and Society examinations set to take place in June 2018. “We are delighted that our school has been selected to introduce Leaving Certificate Politics and Society from this coming September. Politics and Society is a very exciting and rewarding subject that will suit any student who is interested in human rights, equality, diversity, sustainable development, power, and democratic decision-making.” — Ms. Bernie Rowland, Principal Studying this subject will give students a real, practical insight into people, power, and how society functions. It will be assessed at both Ordinary and Higher Levels, featuring two core components: a written examination accounting for 80% of the final grade, and a hands-on citizenship project accounting for 20%. This project will allow students to research a topic they are passionate about and apply their learning in action. “The introduction of Politics and Society in Davitt College complements the already very wide range of subjects we offer to students in the Leaving Certificate Programme. There has been considerable interest in the uptake of this subject already from students, and a number of teachers have expressed a wish to teach Politics and Society here in Davitt College.” — Ms. Bernie Rowland, Principal This is a fantastic addition to our curriculum and a wonderful opportunity for our future Senior Cycle students! 🏛️📚✨ Pictured at the launch of the new subject in Limerick: Ms. Bernie Rowland, Principal Davitt College Castlebar; Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan, T.D.; and Mr. Frank Kelleher, Teacher of Politics and Society, Davitt College. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Core News & Information, English, Humanities & Language, School News

Davitt College Student Attends Poetry Masterclass with Paul Muldoon

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✍️ Literary Excellence • National Poetry Masterclass Davitt College Student Attends Poetry Masterclass with Paul Muldoon 2 March 2016 • Poetry Ireland: Writers in Schools Laura Ryan, a Fifth Year student here at Davitt College, was one of only ten students nationwide invited to attend a highly prestigious poetry masterclass with internationally acclaimed poet Paul Muldoon. Mr. Muldoon has been described as ‘the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War’. He is the author of twelve major collections of poetry, serves as Professor of Creative Writing at Princeton University, acts as the poetry editor of The New Yorker, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. This incredible event was organised by Poetry Ireland: Writers in Schools and was held in the Lexicon Library, Dún Laoghaire, in March 2016. The purpose of the workshop was to nurture young poets who have demonstrated exceptional insight and flair in their own poetry, giving them expert guidance with the writing process. Laura’s outstanding poetic works warranted her an exclusive invitation to this highly esteemed workshop. Davitt College is incredibly proud of her tremendous achievement, and we wish her every success with her writing in the future. ✒️📖🌟 Fifth Year student Laura Ryan, who was selected as one of only ten students nationwide for an exclusive poetry masterclass with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Core News & Information, Extra-Curricular, German, Humanities & Language, School Life, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News

Deutsche Mobil Language Seminar Visits Davitt College

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🇩🇪 Deutschmobil • Language & Culture Deutsche Mobil Language Seminar Visits Davitt College 3 March 2016 • Goethe-Institut Initiative Davitt College was delighted to welcome the Deutschmobil Language Seminar team on Wednesday, 2nd March and Thursday, 3rd March 2016. Sponsored by the Goethe-Institut, this fantastic initiative aims to promote and support the learning of the German language across Ireland. The seminars proved to be incredibly engaging and inspiring for all involved. The visiting team from the Goethe-Institut, Katharina and Konstantine, were absolutely fantastic. They brought wonderful energy to the classrooms, actively encouraging and motivating our German language students throughout their visit. It was a highly successful two days, and Davitt College very much looks forward to welcoming the team back again in the new 2016–2017 academic year! 🇩🇪📚✨ ×

Academic & Curriculum, Awards, Core News & Information, Engineering, Extra-Curricular, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News, STEM

Shane Gavin Secures “Best Individual Robot” National Title in Galway

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🤖 National Robotics • STEM Excellence 2015 Shane Gavin Secures “Best Individual Robot” National Title in Galway 3 November 2015 • Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway Huge congratulations to Davitt College Fifth Year Engineering student Shane Gavin on winning the prestigious “Best Individual Robot” title at the national EA Games Robotics Competition held in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway. Supported by EA Games, this high-octane championship pits rival robots from secondary schools across the country against one another to battle it out for coveted national trophies. This year’s edition saw over 450 second-level students competing. Shane’s custom-built mechanical layout stood out to the corporate judges for its exceptional structural integrity, operational efficiency, and precise design implementation. “The Irish Robotics Championship is a great way to engage teenagers in the design and construction of robots, which we are really pleased to support.” — Donal Doherty, EA Games Outstanding achievement, Shane! 🤖🏆⚙️ Pictured celebrating the win at the national finals are event MC Mr. Paul Sleem, competition winner Shane Gavin, and an official EA Games Representative. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Core News & Information, English, Extra-Curricular, School Life, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News

National Literary Success for Davitt College Student

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✍️ Literary Achievement • National Competition National Literary Success for Davitt College Student 13 October 2015 • Wild Words Anthology A massive congratulations to Davitt College student Lauren Bright, who has enjoyed tremendous success in this year’s Wild Words Short Story Writing Competition! Following her excellent submission, Lauren’s story was officially selected for inclusion in Wild Words Volume 3—a prestigious anthology featuring short stories and poems by talented young authors from all over Ireland and the UK. As part of this brilliant achievement, Lauren was also invited to attend an exclusive two-day writing masterclass with some of Ireland’s leading authors and publishing industry experts. Lauren recently attended the official festival launch for the third volume of Wild Words in August, where she celebrated alongside other budding authors and the festival’s special guest, broadcaster Ray D’Arcy. This is a fantastic accomplishment for Lauren. We are all incredibly proud of her here at Davitt College and wish her the very best of luck with her future writing pursuits! 📖✨🏆 Davitt College student Lauren Bright, featured author in Wild Words Volume 3. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Awards, Core News & Information, Junior Cycle, School Life, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News

Academic Excellence: Celebration and Success for Davitt College Students in Junior Certificate 2015

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🎓 Junior Certificate • Academic Excellence 2015 Academic Excellence: Celebration and Success for Davitt College Students 11 September 2015 • Results Day 2015 There were screams of excitement and pure delight across the campus on Wednesday, 9th September 2015, as Davitt College students gathered to receive their highly anticipated Junior Certificate examination results. The results across the year group were absolutely excellent, with the vast majority of our hard-working students achieving top honours across all subjects, reflecting the high standard of academic dedication at the school. 🌟 Pride in Hard Work and Dedication Davitt College Principal, Ms. Bernie Rowland, was visibly thrilled as she congratulated the students on their landmark achievements: “I am delighted with all of our students’ excellent results in the Junior Certificate. Our students worked very hard throughout the three years leading up to the Junior Certificate Examination and today they reap the rewards of that hard work. It is a wonderful day and we are very proud of each and every one of them. A special word of thanks to all of their dedicated teachers and supportive parents who, collectively, helped today happen.” — Ms. Bernie Rowland, Principal The stellar performance of the 2015 cohort sets a fantastic foundation as these students transition into Senior Cycle education and their Transition Year programmes. The entire school community extends its warmest congratulations to the class of 2015 on their well-deserved success! 🎓🎉👏 Pictured (from Left) Ethan Belton, Matthew Fahey, Alan Bourke-Tuffy and Dane Thornton of Davitt College, Castlebar celebrate their excellent Junior Certificate results 2015. ×

Academic & Curriculum, Awards, Core News & Information, School Life, School Life, Culture & Achievements, School News, Senior Cycle

Davitt College School Awards 2015: Students of the Year

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🎓 Annual Awards • Student of the Year 2015 Davitt College School Awards 2015: Students of the Year 3 June 2015 • Davitt College, Castlebar Davitt College, Castlebar, is proud to announce that the overall Leaving Certificate Students of the Year 2015 are Sean Murphy and Sarah Murray. Throughout their six years of post-primary education, both Sean and Sarah consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication to their academic studies. They were highly commended by school management and faculty for their outstanding commitment, active participation, and invaluable overall contribution to everyday school life. Winning this award represents the highest non-academic accolade a student can achieve before graduating from Davitt College. 🌟🎖️👏 Pictured at the official awards ceremony (from left to right): Ms. Bernie Rowland (Principal), Sarah Murray (Student of the Year), Sean Murphy (Student of the Year), and Mr. Ger King (Deputy Principal). ×

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