News from February 2006
After weeks of preparation all is in place for what promises to be a wonderful week of music here in school. The dress rehearsal will take place on Monday night, the matinee for primary schools on Tuesday, the cabaret on Wednesday and the public performances on Thursday and Friday night. Please note that we have now stopped selling tickets for the Friday performance but there will be a small number of seats available on the night. There are also a very small number of seats available for the cabaret night. Please contact the school as soon as possible if you want to make reservations for the Wednesday or Thursday performances. Also, if you haven't already seen them there are photos of some of the cast on this week's Connacht Tribune.
Joe Keane in action in Swansea on
Fri. night Jan 27th
Anti Bullying Awareness Bullying, not just in the school environment, but also in the world of work can be one of the most horrific experiences an individual may have to endure in life. It saps our energy, our zest for life, our self confidence and our self image. Here in the school we have an anti-bullying policy posted in the social area. Beginning on Monday, 6th February, there will be anti-bullying awareness week for the whole student body which will take place during the Religious Education classes. Let us all, teachers and students, make a big effort during this week to stamp out bullying in our school. Thank you.St. Brigid – 1st Feb. Spring – Awakening 
Next Wednesday is the
feast day of the most celebrated woman of all time, St. Brigid. It is also the first day
of Spring. Brigid was a woman of the land which is why her feast day is the start of
Spring. She is the symbol of hope, fruitfulness and life to come and was a peacemaker who
brought healing and reconciliation. She was a friend of the poor and a woman of
hospitality. She was a woman of prayer with a deep sense of the presence of God in
everything and in all people.
Fri., 3rd Feb. – St. Blaise Next Friday is the feast of St. Blaise. There will be blessing of throats in Suaimhneas beginning at 8.30 a.m. and throughout the day. All are welcome.Fr. Abe Junior Camogie News The date for the Junior Camogie Connacht Final – Portumna C.S. Vs St. Brigid’s, Loughrea – has been rescheduled for Monday, 6th February.Time and venue to be decided. N. HartyAthletic News Congratulations to Julia Larkin (3rd Yr.) on winning a gold medal in the All Ireland Junior Cross Country Championship on Sunday last in Athlone.Portumna Athletic Club training continues in the Forest Park each Sunday at 12.30 p.m.All are welcome – new members needed. Marian Treacy. Maths Competition The Galway Branch of the Irish Mathematics Teachers Association are hosting a Team Maths Competition for Leaving Certificate Honours Maths students tonight (27th) in St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Galway. There will be two teams representing the school:Team 1 – Orla Hayes (Capt.), Sarah Kiely, John K. Leahy, Conor O’Hare.
Team 2 – Tadhg Reddan (Capt.), Richael O’Brien, Lorcan Farrell, Robert Watson. Good luck to both teams and enjoy the night! M. Geraghty & B. Larkin. Home Economics Fifth and Sixth year Home Economics students will have a lecture given by Ms. Maura Dufficy from Board Bia on Friday, 3rd February, in the Home Economics room. 11.30 a.m. – 1.30 p.m. N. Harty Calling All First Years There are a few places left for 1st Yr. singers to join a new singing group. Singing sessions will be held every Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. (approx) in Room ‘L’ starting on Tues. 7th Feb. €3 per session.If interested please give your name to the First Year Tutors on Monday morning (30th). Parents’ Council We wish all our parents and families a happy and prosperous 2006. In the forthcoming months we hope to organise Information Evenings and Work shops on subjects relevant to modern parenting. Issues such as Substance Abuse, Mental and Physical Health and other challenges of parenting in today’s society will be dealt with by caring sympathetic professionals. If there is a particular subject in which you are interested, please contact the school or a member of the parents council. A meeting will be held shortly to organise a series of Parenting Evenings. Parents’ Council. PLC First Aid Course The PLC class have just completed a Basic First Aid course and will be doing a C.P.R. (Family & Friends) course on Monday morning. The courses are given by staff from the Resuscitation and Training department of Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe – Ms. Helen Harney, Ms. Mary Lyons & Mr. Joe Fahy.Visit To Church Of Ireland Last Monday all the 1st years were invited to the Church of Ireland for an ecumenical prayer service during the week of prayer for Christian Unity.The service began with an opening hymn after which the Rev. Alan and Ann Menheneott welcomed us all to their church. There was tremendous participation by the student body in the singing, prayers, readings and service as a whole. Alan and Ann were hugely impressed with the range of questions posed by the first years for more than half an hour, and their behaviour throughout the service was excellent. Well done to all concerned. Fr. Abe Mozart's 250th Birthday
! Mozart was born in the city of Salzburg. His baptismal record gives his name in Latinised form as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart. Of these names, the 1st two were saint's names not employed in everyday life and the 4th was variously translated in Mozart's lifetime form as Amadeus (Latin), Gottlieb (German), and Amadé (French); Mozart himself preferred the 3rd. Mozart's musical ability became apparent when he was about three years old and he received intensive musical training from his father, Leopold, including instruction in clavier, violin, and organ. Leopold realized that he could earn a substantial income by showcasing his son as a Wunderkind in the courts of Europe. Mozart soon gained fame as a musical prodigy capable of such feats as playing blindfolded or competently improvising at length on difficult passages. His older sister Maria Anna was a talented pianist and accompanied her brother on the earlier tours. Mozart wrote a number of piano pieces, in particular duets and duos, to play with her. From his earliest life Mozart had a gift for imitating the music he heard; since he travelled widely, he acquired a rare collection of experiences from which to create his unique compositional language. Mozart died around 1 a.m. on December 5th, 1791 in Vienna, while he was working on his final composition, the Requiem.
Dates for your Diary: (28th Jan. – 3rd Feb.) Mon. 30th – Dress rehearsal for ‘The Sound of Music’ Tues. 31st – No school for First & Second years only. Matinee for National School pupils. Tues. 31st – LCA1 Task @ 9.15 a.m. and LCA2 Contemporary Issues Task @ 2 p.m. Wed. 1st – LCA Engineering Task @ 1.30 p.m. ‘The Sound of Music’ Cabaret @ 8 p.m. Thurs. 2nd – LCA Practical Achievement Task @ 2 p.m. Fri. 3rd – Talk for Home Economics students (5th & 6th yrs.) from Board Bia. Fri. 3rd – Last night of ‘The Sound of Music’.
News - week ending Fri. Jan 20th
Sound Of Music As you may be aware our annual school musical will take place on Wednesday 1st, Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd February. This year’s choice is the ever-popular Sound of Music. As with the new departure introduced so successfully last year we will again be having a special cabaret style event on the Wednesday night. This performance, which is for adults only, will be candle lit with cabaret style seating. There will be a Cheese and Wine Reception on arrival and Finger Food at the interval. Tables may be organized for specific size groups to facilitate perhaps, extended family or friends who may like to sit together. To book a table for this unique event please complete the form given to the students and return to the school as soon as possible with the appropriate fee. All tickets are €15.Tickets for the Thursday and Friday nights will be on sale in the school at lunchtime each day. Please note that seats are pre-booked so buying your tickets in advance is advisable. Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity On Monday, 23rd January, to mark the week of prayer for Christian Unity, all first years will bevisiting the Church of Ireland in Portumna at the invitation of the Rev. Alan and Ms. Ann Menheneott for an ecumenical service. This annual event begins with a welcome, singing and prayer service followed by an open forum where students have an opportunity to ask questions regarding similarities and differences in belief and practice in our respective churches. The service begins at 3 p.m. Junior Girls Soccer Our junior girls soccer team played host to Borrisokane on Tuesday last in Marian Park. This was a game with a difference because the panel is so large I was able to put on one team for the first half and a completely fresh team for the second half.The first team to play drew 1-1 at half time, the goal from long distance being scored by Sarah Conboy. Borrisokane, however, got off to a great start early in the second half and were 3-1 up within ten minutes. Portumna did not lose heart and after twenty minutes Julie Larkin scored a great goal to make it 3-2, and five minutes before the end Shannen Larkin got a wonderful equaliser making the final score Portumna 3, Borrisokane 3. This was the first opportunity to give everybody togged out some quality time on the pitch. Well done girls. Fr. Abe Interschool Show Jumping League Well done to our show jumping team who came a creditable fourth in a hard fought competition in the interschool team Show Jumping competition at Milchem Equestrian Centre on Saturday last. The team consisted of Anita Blake, Sarah Slattery and Neil Larkin. Cross Country AthleticsOn Thursday (19th) students from Portumna Community School went to St. Mary’s school, Galway, to participate in the cross country competition. The races started at 2.00 with the Minor girls, minor boys and went all the way up to senior level. Our school had a number of successes: Minor Girls 1,500 m : Katie O’Brien – 14th Junior Girls 1,500 m : Amanda Lynch – 3rd, Ann Marie Starr – 16th, Catherine O’Meara – 17th. Inter Girls 3,000 m : Julie Larkin – 2nd, Anita Burke – 12th, Veronica Burke – 15th, Edel Cunningham – 16th. Inter Boys 4,500 m : Kieran Treacy – 7th Senior Boys 6,000 m : Damien Larkin – 1st. All other students who participated in the race ran very well in what was an extremely tough race. The Connacht competition will be held on February 1st in the I.T. College in Athlone for those who qualified. All of the students who went to the competition would like to thank Miss Lyons for taking time out to train us after school and also for bringing us to Galway. Best of luck to those who are participating in the Connacht finals. Anita Burke. Bits ‘n Pieces To Note: Stage Crew The following students have been selected to act as the Stage crew for the school musical – The Sound of Music : Serena Brien, Louise O’Donnell, Stephanie Hogan, Kevin Daly, Kevin Ryan and Shane Smyth. They were all members of the highly successful cast of ‘Grease’ last year. Youth Centre / Café At long last a premises has been secured for a youth drop-in centre in Portumna for senior students (T.Y. to Leaving Cert.). In order for this venture to succeed we need the assistance of you to plan your space. If you would like to be a part of this exciting project from choosing equipment and suitable opening hours to loading the jukebox with up-to-date music please contact Susan at Na Calaí (9741887). We hope to have our first meeting by the end of the month so any ideas you may have please let us know.
Boula Event Centre Please note there is no disco tonight (20th)Spin Disco with P.M.D. (Purple Monkey Dishwashers) – Friday 27th January. Kickboxing for Junior Girls and Boys At Boula Event Centre. Ages : 7 – 17. Saturday – 3 to 4.30 p.m. Instructor : Elaine Fitzpatrick.
Junior Camogie The Junior Camogie team are through to the Connacht Final which will be held on Friday, 27th January.The fixture and time to be decided. CAO Application Deadline – 1st Feb., ‘06 Just a quick reminder with regard to the CAO deadline – the closing date for receipt of application is 1st February. Application can be made on-line through the CAO website – www.cao.ie The Application fee is €30 which can be paid using a CR/DR card or payment form. Leaving Cert students are expected to make an application on-line during I.T. class or at home. Students can chose up to 20 choices in order of preference. On completion of application, students must print out a copy of the application as proof. Any queries with regard to above please contact Ms. Lyons. Senior Rugby 
On Friday last (13th)
Portumna Senior Rugby Team defeated Summerhill College, Sligo, in the first round of the
Connacht Schools Senior Cup to a 15-3 victory. The Portumna lads displayed tremendous
character under terrible conditions to hold off the opposition to a minimal score. An
early try by hooker, Daire Burke, gave Portumna an early lead in the first half which was
followed by two more in the second half scored by Joe Canning. Portumna next play winners
of Jes Vs Calasanctus College, Oranmore.
Training Monday and Wednesday after school at 4 pm sharp. R. O Tuairisg Today In History 1892 - 1st basketball game played.1974 – An American college basketball game ends 210-67.
Dates for your Diary: (21st – 27th Jan.) Mon. 23rd – Junior Rugby Vs. Westport. Tues. 24th – Senior Hurling Vs G.M.I.T. @ 12 noon. LCA2 Contemporary Issues Task. Wed. 25th – Senior Camogie Connacht Final Vs Pres. Athenry or St. Raphaels. Thurs. 26th – Leaving Certs. to King Lear in Galway (Ms. O’Brien’s & Ms. Fahy’s classes) Fri. 27th – Junior Camogie Connacht Final Vs St. Brigids. 27th/28th/29th – Senior Rugby trip to Wales.
News - week ending - January 13th 2005
New Term Welcome back to Portumna Community School for the new year. This term promises to be a busy one for all here, particularly for our public examination classes whose preparations now move up a gear in readiness for the upcoming "mock" exams, practicals and orals. Over the holidays the replacement of old flooring has begun and renovations have been carried out in the main building. Work will be ongoing for several weeks yet and there may be some minor disruption while it continues. Finally, I ask all students for renewed commitment to the high standards of behaviour, co-operation and work that I have seen since I came to Portumna so that this term will be a successful and happy one for all. D. Long
"The School is Alive …with the Sound of Music" No… you do have the correct edition of Eolas – it is the first week back after Christmas and we are gearing up for our annual school musical. In a new departure this year our musical has been moved to a different date – Thursday, 1st and Friday, 2nd February. This year’s production is the all-time classic ‘The Sound of Music’. Already a huge amount of work has been invested by the producer, Mr. Coughlan and Musical director, Ms Kelleher and their cast of Transition Year students. The set design, by Mr. Connaire, is already looking superb – so it is all systems go. As with previous years there will be a special performance for all local primary schools which will take place on Tuesday, 31st January. Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural Cabaret Night it has been decided to repeat it again this year. More details about this and the booking arrangements for the rest of the performances will be issued in a letter to all families next week.
‘You’re a Star’ Finalist to Visit School
You’re a Star finalist and Galway girl, Lucia Evans, will visit the school for a short lunchtime concert on Thursday of next week. Lucia is tipped by many to go on and win this competition so we hope as many students as possible will come to hear her in the social area next week between 1.30 and 2.00.
Senior Camogie
Portumna C.S. 5-7 St. Patrick’s, Maghera 0-0
Our new year got off to an early start on 6th January with our annual visit from our Derry friends. Normally closely fought games this turned out to be mainly one-sided with Portumna, short four regulars, dominant throughout. Scorers: J. Brien (1-2), E. Haverty (1-1), T. Ruttledge (1-1), S. Coen (1-1), M. Moran (1-0), S. Donoghue (0-1), L. Moloney (0-1).
Portumna C.S. 2-8 Athlone I.T. 2-5
Preparations for the Connacht final continued with a good win over Athlone I.T. senior team on Wednesday. Portumna had the lions share of possession but were not converting this into scores, and they were fortunate to be level at 1-2 each by halftime. Athlone, as in the first half, began the second half with a goal and added two quick points to open up a worrying gap. Our girls continued to work hard and five well-worked points to Athlone’s one left the minimum between the sides going into the closing stages. It took some excellent defending and two fine saves from Helen Campbell to prevent the Third Level college from gaining the upper hand. Portumna finished strongly and a goal and a point from Richael O’Brien wrapped up the victory. Team: H. Campbell, A. Casey, S. Brien, M. Mooney, J. Brien, T. Byrne, C. Killeen, M. Conroy (0-3), Y. Donnelly, E. Haverty (0-2), S. Kiely (1-0), S. Donoghue, S. Coen, R. O’Brien (1-2), T. Ruttledge (0-1). Subs used: A. Broderick, A.M. Starr.
P. Kelly.
Week of Prayer For Christian Unity 2006 18th January, 2006, is the start of a week of prayer for Christian Unity in Ireland. All First year students will be invited to the Church of Ireland in Portumna for a prayer service and singing. The Church of Ireland rector and Ms. Ann Menhenneott will be there to welcome us. The date will be confirmed next weekFr. Abe Green Flag Meeting in Room N on Monday, 16th Jan.All members to attend. Cross Country Athletics Training will take place on Monday after school at 4 p.m. Competition on Thursday, 19th January at St. Mary’s, Galway. The bus will leave at 12 noon at a cost of €5 and students must have paid their student resource fund in order to travel on the bus.D. Lyons Youth Centre / Café At long last a premises has been secured for a youth drop-in centre in Portumna for senior students (T.Y. to Leaving Cert.). In order for this venture to succeed we need the assistance of you to plan your space. If you would like to be a part of this exciting project from choosing equipment and suitable opening hours to loading the jukebox with up-to-date music please contact Susan at Na Calaí (9741887). We hope to have our first meeting by the end of the month so any ideas you may have please let us know. Youth Club The youth club are planning an outing to Birr Theatre and Arts Centre to the rock opera ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at the end of March. In order to book tickets, names have to be in by tonight (13th), when the club will reopen for the new year. If your name is not in with a deposit of €5 tonight we will not be able to guarantee a place as a group booking has to be made and no names can be added later. It promises to be a great night of music and fun. If your name is not in you will not be able to join us on the night.
CAO Application Deadline – 1st Feb., ‘06 Just a quick reminder with regard to the CAO deadline – the closing date for receipt of application is 1st February. Application can be made on-line through the CAO website – www.cao.ie The Application fee is €30 which can be paid using a CR/DR card or payment form. Leaving Cert students are expected to make an application on-line during I.T. class or at home. Students can chose up to 20 choices in order of preference. On completion of application, students must print out a copy of the application as proof. Any queries with regard to above please contact Ms. Lyons. Any Budding Poets? If there is anyone who loves to write Poetry and who would like people to see your wonderful talents, well now here’s your chance. T.Y. students are putting together and bringing out their very own magazine and we want you to be part of it. So between now and next week get creative and into the writing spirit. At the end of next week (lunchtime, Thursday and Friday), in the Social Area, we will collect all poems from those who want to show off their talent. Happy writing.Susan Keane, Poetry Committee Today In History 1957 - Wham-O Company produces the 1st Frisbee. 1964 - Capitol records released the Beatles' first single in the USA; 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' sold one million copies in the first three weeks
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