This year’s SCC Book Week is running from Wednesday 17 to Tuesday 24 April.
A variety of activities and competitions will take place in the library including ‘Crack the Code’, ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Supper’ and ‘Book Worms’.
Among the other events planned are an Author Visit on Wednesday from Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist Conor Kostick, ‘First Year Speed Dating with Books’ on Thursday, a Book Tasting in the BSR on Friday and ‘Drop Everything and Read’ on Saturday morning.
St Columba’s is currently running its annual Book Week, a celebration of reading, from Wednesday 22nd to Tuesday 29th of March. The main activity is Drop Everything And Read, where everyone in the school (staff as well as pupils) is invited to stop their usual classwork and read a book of their choice for a designated period this morning (Saturday). Other events include a talk to first years by Dave Rudden (author of Knights of the Borrowed Dark), a ‘book chat at break’ with Forms V and VI, a senior poetry workshop with poet and author of The Examined Life, James Harpur, Book Tasting in the BSR for Forms II, III and IV and ‘speed dating with books’ for Form I. In the library itself, every time a pupil borrows a book they will be entered into a raffle and they also have the chance to win prizes by cracking the ‘book in box’ code or guessing which literary characters have ‘come to dinner’. Many thanks to Ms Kent Sutton, the College Librarian, and Mr Jameson for their organisation of the various events.
[embeddoc url=”https://www.stcolumbas.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Schedule-1.pdf”]
Many thanks to all those who entered into the Book Week 2021 “Bookface” competition. Below is an album of the best entries. We are delighted to announce the winners are Fee Ratibor & Coco Xu with Charlie Bevan as the runner up. Well done to all!
Emma Hinde, Form III, reports on a very successful Book Week 2018.
The College begins its annual Mental Health Awareness Week today with a packed schedule of interesting and varied events highlighting the need to mind your mind. The theme of this year’s MHAW is ‘Walk in my Shoes’ and encourages both pupils and staff to have more empathy for those suffering from anxiety or depression. Some of this week’s events include: the loud yet very active “pound fit” with Carla Roberts; a visit from the Irish Therapy Dogs; visiting speakers from BoydWhys on eating disorders and Stuart Wilson, a behavioural psychotherapist; a ‘poem in your pocket’ day; yoga classes with OC Dylan Stewart; a art display on the theme of ‘walk in my shoes’. On Friday pupils and staff are encouraged to wear odd or mismatched shoes to go outside your comfort zone and highlighting that the stigma over mental health issues must be stamped out. You can follow the progress of the week on Facebook and Twitter over the coming days.
The latest edition of the pupils’ magazine, The Submarine, is out now, and you can read it online via the English Department site here.
You can also listen to a clip of Rocket to Friday via Soundcloud below; James O’Connor is interviewed on pages 6 and 7 of the magazine, and Nevin McCone and Marcus O’Connor are also in the group.
Last week was ‘Seachtain na Gaeilge’ – where pupils and staff celebrated of the Irish language and culture. Below is a short report, as Gaeilge ages as Béarla from our Head of Irish Alison Maybury.
Form II pupils after their bodhrán workshop.
SEACHTAIN NA GAEILGE
Cheiliúramar “Seachtain na Gaeilge” sa tseachtain roimh Lá Fhéile Pádraig. Seans a bhí ann do na daltaí a labhraíonn Gaeilge spórt agus spraoi a bheith acu trí mheán na teanga agus bhí deis ag daltaí eile taithí a bheith acu ar chultúr na hÉireann.
Eagraíodh imeachtaí éagsúla sna ranganna Gaeilge. Bhain daltaí an-taitneamh as a bheith ag cleachtadh damhsaí nua-aimseartha (mar is léir ón bhfíseán gearr de dhaltaí ón Idirbhliain ag foghlaim na ngluaiseachtaí don “Dreoilín”!) agus roinnt de na seandamhsaí freisin. Chan siad amhráin, arís idir shean- agus nua-aimseartha, agus chuaigh siad san iomaíocht a chéile le tráth na gceist. Bhailigh daltaí le chéile sa tob-Ghaeltacht ag am lóin i rith na seachtaine chomh maith le haghaidh comhrá agus spraoi. Chuir daltaí ón Idirbhliain isteach ar thráth na gceist Gaeilge agus tá siad ag súil le ticéid a bhuachan don fhéile ceoil “Groove” i dTeach Chill Ruaidhrí.
Bhí fuaim iontach treibheach le cloisteáil ar an Máirt nuair a d’fhoghlaim daltaí ón réamhrang, Bliain I, II agus V conas an bodhrán (uirlis thraidisiúnta) a sheinm le Robbie Walsh ó The Bodhrán Buzz. Ghlac Nyla Jamieson, Henry Carroll, Éile Ní Chianáin agus Poppy Somerville páirt i gCraobh Náisiúnta Tráth na gCeist Boird i mBaile Átha Cliath an lá céanna. Níor bhuaigh siad ach rinne siad éacht dul chomh fada sin sa chomórtas!
Sa séipéal ar an gCéadaoin, sheinn André Stokes fonn traidisiúnta ar an bhfidil agus chan Emily McCarthy “Siúil, a Rún”. Léigh Kate Higgins agus Cian Slyne na dánta “Sneachta” agus “Mise Raifteirí” agus chan Aurora Higgins-Jennings aistriúchán den amhrán “Your Song” le Elton John, á tionlacan féin ar an bpianó. Chan daltaí ón réamhrang agus Bliain I “Amhrán na gCupán”, le Jamie Green agus Tadhg Rane Ó Cianáin ag canadh na véarsaí. Rinne siad go léir éacht!
Bhí seans ag na daltaí sóisearacha a gcuid eolais (nó easpa eolais!) faoi Éirinn agus cultúr na hÉireann a thaispeáint i dtráth na gceist i Seomra Mór na Scoile oíche Dé Chéadaoin. Bhí an bua ag Harry Petch, Boris Shvalov, Poppy Gleeson agus Elena Diaz-Leanta Sanchez.
Bhaineamar go léir taitneamh as imeachtaí na seachtaine agus táimid ag tnúth le Seachtain na Gaeilge 2019 cheana féin!
SEACHTAIN NA GAEILGE/IRISH WEEK
We celebrated “Seachtain na Gaeilge” in the week before St Patrick’s Day. It was a chance for the pupils who speak Irish to have fun through the medium of the language and an opportunity for other pupils to experience Irish culture.
Various activities were organised in Irish classes. Pupils really enjoyed learning modern dances (obvious from the short video of pupils from Transition Year learning the moves to “The Wren”!) and some of the old dances too. They sang songs, again both old and modern and they competed against each other in quizzes. Pupils got together in the pop-up Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) at lunch time during the week for conversation and fun. Pupils from Transition Year entered an Irish quiz and they hope to win tickets to the music festival “Groove” in Kilruddery House.
A wonderfully tribal sound was to be heard on the Tuesday when pupils from Forms Primary, I, II and V learned how to play the bodhrán (a traditional instrument) with Robbie Walsh from The Bodhrán Buzz. Nyla Jamieson, Henry Carroll, Éile Ní Chianáin and Poppy Somerville took part in the National Table Quiz Final in Dublin the same day. They didn’t win but they did great to go so far in the competition!
In Chapel on Wednesday, André Stokes played a traditional air on the fiddle and Emily McCarthy sang “Siúil, a Rún”. Kate Higgins and Cian Slyne read the poems “Sneachta” and “Mise Raifteirí”. Aurora Higgins-Jennings sang a translation of “Your Song” by Elton John, , accompanying herself on the piano. Pupils from Forms Primary and I sang “The Cup Song” with Jamie Green and Tadhg Rane Ó Cianáin singing the verses. They all did really well.
There was a chance for junior pupils to show their knowledge (or lack of knowledge!) about Ireland and Irish culture in a quiz in the BSR on the Wednesday evening. Harry Petch, Boris Shvalov, Poppy Gleeson and Elena Diaz-Leanta Sanchez won.
We all enjoyed the week’s events and we are looking forwards to Seachtain na Gaeilge 2019 already!
There is a tremendous variety of activities on show in our annual Arts Week, which this year runs from Monday 20th to the evening of Sunday 26th. See below for a day-by-day outline.
Monday 20th March
Look Up, Look Forward, Look Out with James Shone 8.30 am (pupils) and 7.00pm (for parents and friends) with James Shone. Venues: BSR in the morning and the Drawing Room in the evening
11.45am: Dancersize, Sports Hall, 11.45 am Form IV
1.20pm: everyone and anyone, including staff.
6.30pm French Theatre for Schools, BSR, I/II/III.
Tuesday 21st March
10.30am : Instituto Cervantes trip for Form IV Spanish pupils.
3pm: Primary Schools Choral Day concert, Chapel (P, I, II).
Emily Archer workshop, Art Centre, Second Form art pupils
6.30pm (Drinks and Dinner); 8.oopm Lecture (VI, V art pupils). Opening of Hector McDonnell exhibition, Whitehall & Lower Argyle.
7pm, Flamenco Dance Workshop, BSR, Fourth Form.
Wednesday 22nd March
8.10am, Art and Social Conscience with Hector McDonnell, Chapel
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Second Form Actiontrack drama workshops, BSR, during class-time.
Morning: Art Workshop with Hector McDonnell for Form V and VI, Art Centre
Lunchtime: Speaker’s Corner, Chapel Square
8pm, Guitar Recital with Shane Hennessey, Chapel
Thursday 23rd March
Morning: Poetry Slam with Jasper Bark (pictured) (different times for P, I/IV), Library. [CANCELLED]
Morning: Photographic Workshop with Erin Quinn, Art Centre
VI and V art pupils to exhibitions of Caravaggio at NGI and Lucien Freud at IMMA.
8pm, ‘William Trevor Remembered’, BSR, with Joseph O’Connor and Julian Girdham – talks and readings. Reception in Whitehall for visitors afterwards.
Friday 24th March
Morning: Poetry Slam with Jasper Bark (different times for P, I/IV), Library. [CANCELLED]
7pm, Poetry Slam Competition Final, BSR (P to IV) and performance by Jasper Bark [CANCELLED]
Saturday 25th March
8.15pm, Art Prizes Evening with Mick O’ Dea, president of the Royal Hibernian Academy, BSR.
Sunday 26th March
8pm: Music Recitals and Music Prizes Evening, BSR, with adjudicator Margaret O’Sullivan Farrell.
Activities that will be running through the week
WE ARE UNIQUE – drop into the Science Lab and create your unique handprint for display.
Fifth and Sixth Form art pupils will reconstruct a figurative painting of their choice from their course work which will be photographed and displayed during the week.
The latest edition of the Library magazine, The Submarine, is out, and it is a special one, since our Librarian, Mr McConville, moves to pastures new next month. His creation and editing of this excellent magazine has been one of the highlights of his time here, especially his elegant and amusing editorials. Read it via Issuu on SCC English here (click on the arrows to navigate, and again to zoom in).
The edition includes ‘A Russian Christmas’ by Anastasia Danilova, a review of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy by Nevin McCone, another by Catherine Butt of Lauren Gruff’s Fates and Furies, an account of Olive Mooney’s recent launch of her book The Curse of Helbizia in the BSR by Avi Johnston, a short story by Daisy McKeever, a version of Isabelle Townshend’s TY House Speech on 9/11, another session of ‘What’s Reading Me’, and the major part of the production, the completion of John Somerville-Large’s series of articles on the architectural development of the College (including, of course, the Library itself, which he designed).
