Dear Parents,

As we come to the end of another school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support to us here in the Junior School throughout the year. Everything we strive to do is to maintain the ethos of the school and every decision that is made is to enhance the teaching and learning in the school so that your daughter receives the best education possible in Alexandra College. As the College continues to mark its 150th anniversary, we have all had the opportunity to reflect on the rich history of the school and to recognise Alexandra College as a place where girls thrive and achieve in every way.

Your support for our charity causes have shown yet again what a kind and caring community Alexandra College is.  Led by the girls, you gave generously to the Hope Foundation, Barnardos, Mrs. Carr’s Home, Alex for Berkeley, St. Michael’s House, the Irish Cancer Society, Vellure, India and The Support Africa Foundation.   Thank you so much.

A special word of thanks goes to JACA Chairperson, Tanya Mc Enroe and all the JACA committee members for the fantastic support you all give to the school. Due to your support, our new staging has arrived and more iPads have been ordered. The sandpit will be re-covered next week and more equipment will be ordered for the playground. I am very grateful also to the members of the Board of Management, in particular, Margaret Farrar, and the parent reps on the Junior School Committee, Tanya Mc Enroe and Andrew Kearns, for their input and support throughout the year

A huge word of thanks must go to the wonderful teachers and staff in the Junior School who make sure that your daughters are happy and engaged in the learning process every day. It has been another busy year. The yearbook will be available in August for you to read all about the events throughout the year. For now, I will let you read about some of the highlights of 2015/2016.

Have a wonderful, safe summer,

Avril Lamplugh

New preschool

J6 at Carlingford

Alex for Berkeley

Student council formed

Intel Mini Scientist Exhibition

Toy and Book Fair

Play- The Great Bog Santa Rescue

2016 Flag Ceremony

150 Years of Music in Alex

Grandparents’ Day

World Book Day

Seachtain na Gaeilge activities

Green Day

Eason’s Spelling Bee (Alice in J6)

AIJS Debating Winners

Sports Day

J6 Tennis Finalists

Green Flag Ceremony

Sportswoman of the Year 2016

The post Junior School Year 2015/16 Round Up appeared first on Alexandra College.

Alexandra College is delighted to announce the exceptional performance by the class of 2016 in their Leaving Certificate. The college would like to congratulate both the students and teachers on the outstanding results.

The Alexandra College class of 2016 (69 students) averaged a Leaving Certificate points tally of 440.

39% of students received over 500 points.

3% of students received 600 points or over.

23% of students received 550 points or over.

84% of students received over 300 points, the national average.

To see how Alexandra College has performed in state exams in recent years click here or for a detailed breakdown of the results of the class of 2015 click here.

The post Leaving Certificate Results 2016 appeared first on Alexandra College.

Written by Madeline Diepman – Head Girl

I know for a lot of us coming back to school or starting a new school can be scary, daunting and in some extremely rare cases ‘unappealing’, but don’t worry, there are only 273 days left until summer holidays. However, we must fill the days as they go so I feel now is an appropriate time to give everyone who isn’t very familiar with the Alex ways a heads up. I’m going to make my way through the crest discussing the creative arts, academia, music and sport however I feel I should briefly mention a topic that is, or will become close to all of our hearts: feminism. With an average of one feministic reference a week and for the first years having Ms Clay as a year head, you will soon feel empowered as a young, independent woman who doesn’t need a man. You will begin to realise your true self-worth and understand that you are able to achieve anything you set your mind to.

Students are given a verity of opportunities to experience the creative arts. They can take speech and drama classes, part take in the drama society, and preform in the annual festival of poetry and drama to name a few. Excellent performances by the students in both the junior and senior cycle take place in the Henrietta White Centre, which for those of you who don’t know it, it’s the building you can see out there in the far distance. We also host the annual Hermione Art Exhibition each spring in the science block, which show cases beautiful paintings and sculptures. Therefore I would advise all first years to be cautious of your inconveniently large bags hitting off any of the artwork.
Our talent doesn’t end once we exit the stage or step out of the studio as we also excel in the classroom. We receive endless backing from our teachers who genuinely want to see us succeed and always encourage us to “try, because there is no point in not trying”. The results achieved by each individual girl reflect the efforts of both student and teacher working as a team, creating a special connection most schools find difficult to attain. And teachers, you can deny it all you want but we know you want to be our friends just as much as we want to be yours. On a slightly more serious note, one of our past sixth years has departed to commence her studies in Oxford after a year of keeping her head in the books and attending all classes, so we are now accepting applications for the next Flora PKG with all interviews carried out by Dr. Crudden.

Music is another important part of life in Alex. Nothing gets the endorphins going like starting off the day belting out a few bars of Jubilate. However, we all know this daily practice is only preparing us for Culwick, also known as the ‘not so friendly, friendly’ internal choir competition. Now, I’m going to give it a shot at explaining what Culwick consists to all who aren’t familiar with it of but I can guarantee nothing anyone says will truly capture the thrill of this sacred day. Within the junior cycle, each year is given a song chosen by the music teachers and then each form nominates a pianist and conductor for their class. The arrangement is then practiced and perfected over the span of a few weeks before being performed in front of the whole school and an adjudicator invited in by the music staff. After listening to the same three songs performed four times it’s hard to believe the afternoon can get any more exciting, but it does. Although we barely manage to reach the standards of the younger years, the senior cycle are given one song which all three years must perform in their year groups. This is when the competition transforms into its own and true musical talent is showcased. The sixth years are on the road to winning for our third consecutive year in the competition so come November tension will be high in the Alexandra College Concourse. Moving on however, I can’t possibly fail to mention all our other musical accomplishments our school has achieved. Last year the junior choir came first in the Navan choir competition and the senior choir came second in their respective competitions, the “Dragons Tattoo” was a band set up amongst the then 5th year girls and holding performances outside of the school and an outstanding performance was achieved by the school choirs, orchestra and drama department last February in the concert hall during one of the many 150th celebrations. And I can guarantee you, not one student was called useless or ugly throughout the course rehearsals.

Finally, sport plays a huge role in the daily life of every student in Alexandra College. Whether you’re sporty or not there’s no escaping Ms Wootton’s 12 minute runs or Ms Coe’s ‘leisurely’ walks. Even if you don’t go on to play a team sport, you will undoubtedly be heading to Three Rock sometime this year to support our girls in their hockey league and/or cup finals. I think it’s only right if we give the now second years a shout out for their bravery as they took on and defeated the boys of St. Gerard’s in a dramatic battle for the ‘good’ side last year at the Leinster Cup final. Although this was an accomplishment in itself and another step forward for the women of Alex, the Senior Firsts went on to lead the school to victory and ultimately to Limerick for the All Ireland hockey finals. We travelled down to support our girls in bus loads and the sense of support and community filled the day. We put our hearts into cheering on our girls who once again, made us so proud of being Alex girls for all our lives. On a brief but worthwhile note, the senior cricket team were very fortunate to have two coaches this year, meaning one-on-one coaching was available for the two girls that showed up each week.

So there it is. The life of an Alexandrian represented within four small symbols over your heart. We are girls who have countless opportunities to strive in the creative arts, academics, music and sport but are also women with ideas, opinions and courage. I would like to take this opportunity to wish both staff and student the best of luck for the coming academic year, especially to state exam years and to my girls, may the breakdowns be minimal and the bond grow even stronger.

Thank you,

The post Start of term appeared first on Alexandra College.

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Upcoming Dates

Monday 5^th             J1 Parent Information Meeting 9.10am

Monday 5^th              J6/J5 Swimming classes starts

Wednesday 7^th        Beginning of Year Service (J4/5/6) Sandford Church 9.00am

Thursday 8^th           J3 Parent Information Meeting 9.10am

Friday 9^th                J4 Parent Information Meeting 9.10am

From the Office

Extra- Curricular Classes: All classes start on Monday, September 5^th. You will be billed for these classes on your fees.

Lunch cards: You have to top up your daughter’s card if you would like her to have hot lunch. Go through the easy payments on the school website. For the KGLr, KGUpr and J1 girls, please let your daughter’s teacher know if she will be getting a hot lunch, as the girls can be unsure. The teachers will keep the lunch cards in the classroom.

School Uniform: Please make sure that your daughter is wearing the correct school uniform every day. PE uniforms are only to be worn on days they have PE class or swimming. Hair must be tied up at all times.

Detailed Date List

You already have a term date list and it is also on the website. A more detailed one will be sent home next week in the schoolbags. That list will be updated throughout the school year.

Beginning of Year Service (J4/J5/J6)

All of the students in J4/5/6 will attend a special beginning of year service in Sandford Church next Wednesday, September 7^th. The girls will walk to the church with their teachers at 8.30am. Otherwise, you may drop your directly to Sandford Church for 9.00am. The girls are to wear their full school uniform.

New Preschoolers!

We were delighted to welcome our new preschool class and their parents! A warm welcome to the Junior school family and our Alex community.

The girls have impressed us, and have settled in very well to their new surroundings and routine. They have enjoyed playing with all the new toys, working together and getting to see and play with their ‘big sisters’ on the playground.

We look forward to sharing a very happy and rewarding year together and updating you with our preschool news!

Ms. Boyd, Ms. Brandon, Ms. Murphy

KG Lowers

What an amazing start to KG Lower! The girls came in enthusiastic and excited about all the lovely things we are going to do this year.They settled in beautifully. I think it is going to be a fantastic year with such a lovely confident group of girls. Watch this space!

Ms. O Shea

The post Junior School News – 2nd September appeared first on Alexandra College.

Upcoming Dates

Monday 12^th            J5 Parent Information Meeting 9.10am

Tuesday 13^th            J6 Parent Information Meeting 9.10am

Tuesday 13^th           Celebrate Roald Dahl 100 Day!

Tuesday 13^th            J6/J5 Swimming

Wed. 14^th                 J2 Parent Information Meeting 9.10am

Sept. 15/16th           J6 at Carlingford Adventure Centre  (Leaving 7.30am Thursday and returning 5pm Friday)

From the Office

Detailed Date List: A detailed date list (yellow) went home in school bags this week. This will be updated throughout the school year.

Car Park: Please exercise caution around the school grounds at all times. The Junior School opens at 7.50am now to allow parents to go back out through the front exit of the school before it becomes a one-way system from 8am.

Top Up Lunch Cards (KGLr –J6): Some students are having a hot lunch, but they have no money on their card. If you would like your daughter to have a hot lunch, please make sure to top up her card by using the online tab on the website. Go to Pay Now and then select

“Cashless Restaurant Card Top Up”.

Update School Records: If you move house or change emails/ phone numbers, please let us know immediately at jsinfo@alexandracollege.ie or call Ms. Airey at 01 4704617

No Dogs in the school grounds: Please remember that dogs are not permitted on the school grounds. Many of the younger children are afraid of dogs, especially when they bark a lot. We would ask for your full co-operation on this matter.

JS Playground after School: As many of our students are staying for After Care after 3pm, we would ask parents not to linger in the playground in the afternoons. It is very difficult for the After Care staff to monitor the girls who are staying with them if lots of other children and parents are gathering there after school.

News from JACA

Note change of date: JACA AGM – Thursday September 29^th 7.30 pm in JS concourse

Everyone is welcome!

Beginning of Year Service

All the students in the Senior School and our J4, J5 and J6 students attended the beginning of year service in Sandford Church on Wednesday morning. Rev’d Gyles welcomed everyone back to a new school year and sent her best wishes to all of the Alex students for a great school year.

J6 Sports Captains 2015/2016

Congratulations to the following girls who were selected to be the Sports Captains in the Junior School for this year. Their responsibilities will include leading an Active Assembly every Thursday, assisting Ms. Tracey in PE classes, helping out on different Sports Day and updating the Sports notice board in the JS concourse.

Millicent 0’Donohoe

Sophie Buckley

Alice Kelly

Emma Boylan

Millie Gannon

Niamh Walsh

Carmel Deirdre Humphreys

Sophia Kenny

Catriona Baxter

Malley Hutter

Rachel O’Sullivan

Niamh Best

Class Assemblies – J6

As you know, our day in the Junior School begins with assembly every morning at 8.45am. The Head of the Junior School, the principal of the college (Ms. Ennis), Sports Captains and all the different classes get a turn to lead assembly too. This week our J6 students wrote poems on friendship/new beginnings and they translated them into Irish, Arabic, German, Chinese and Korean to demonstrate inclusion in Alex.

We are very proud of all of our students in J6 as they take on different roles and responsibilities around the school.

The post Junior School News 9th September appeared first on Alexandra College.

Away : 9.00 Sen; 10.00 Sen; 11.00 Sen. All matches against Loreto Beaufort.

The post Hockey Fixtures 10th September appeared first on Alexandra College.

On Wednesday morning, 14th September Alexandra College 4th year students attained their Junior Certificate results and performed exceptionally well across the board.

The year was made up of 65 students all of whom sat the Junior Certificate exams back in June. This morning the girls and their parents gathered in the College to receive their long awaited results. You can read a summary of how they got on below. The College is delighted for the students, their families and their teachers who all put in hard work over the last year to achieve these excellent results.

• 94% of papers were taken at higher level. 

• 86% of all papers taken received either an A, B, or C higher grade. 

• 20% of all papers taken received a higher A grade.

• 38% of all papers taken received a higher B grade.

• One student received 11 A grades

• Two students received 9 A grades

• Four students received 7 A grades

The post Junior Certificate Results 2016 appeared first on Alexandra College.

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday 20^th           J6/J5 Swimming

Friday 23^rd             JS Fundraiser – (see below)

From the Office

Please keep Ms. Gorry and her family in your prayers. Ms. Gorry’s mother passed away last weekend after a short illness.

Topping Up Lunch Cards: If you would prefer to top your child’s lunch card with cash instead of using the online payment option, please put the cash in an envelope with your child’s name on it, send it into the office and Ms. Airey will top up the card. Cost of hot lunch: KGLr- J1: €4.00 J2-J6- €4.30 Call Ms. Airey at 4704617 if you need to check the balance on your daughter’s card.

Toys in School: Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. The only exception to this is that the KGLower class may bring a toy for “Show and Tell” on a Friday. The toy should stay in your daughter’s school bag until class starts.

S Choir and Orchestra

Both the choir and orchestra will start back next week.

JS Choir: Tuesdays 3-4pm (J4/5/6)

JS Orchestra: Wednesdays 12.40-1.05pm (J1-J6)

JS Celebrates Roald Dahl 100!

To mark what would have been Roald Dahl’s 100^th birthday, the Junior School planned different activities to mark the day. Everyone loves Roald Dahl and his books bring a great sense of enjoyment to everyone who reads them. Every student drew a picture of their favourite Roald Dahl character and these fabulous pictures are displayed in the JS concourse. Many of the girls wore something yellow on the day- Roald Dahl’s favourite colour!

J5 Girls set Goals for the Year

The J5 assembly today focused on the importance of setting goals for the new school year. In groups, the girls made posters and discussed their goals. The girls encouraged everyone in the school to think about what goals they might set for themselves. The assembly concluded with the class reciting a poem about goals.

JS Fundraiser: We Need Your Support!

Last year, the Junior School very generously supported The David Ware Trust, which is a charity that helps the very poor in India. Parents in our school, Pat and Sian Fitzgerald (J2, First Year and TY), run the charity. Each year, they decide on different projects and raise funds in various ways to complete them. Alexandra College Junior School raised money last year and it all went towards building a new playground for an orphanage in Vellure.
This year, three of our teachers, Ms. Stapleton, Ms. O’Shea, Ms. Healy and one parent will travel with the Pat, Sian and their team to Indai during the mid-term break in late October. They will work directly with the people there on the ground. They will get to see first hand all the work that is being done there and will also get to teach the children in the orphanage.

Project for this year: Let’s Build a House!

Pat Fitgerald said, “Many in the gypsy camp live in housing made from leaves. Obviously this causes huge problems as there is inadequate shelter, security and sanitation. We are aiming to provide every family (approx 20 at present) with a small concrete home. These cost €1200 per home”.

Wouldn’t it be great if Alexandra College Junior School helped to build some of these houses?

On Friday, September 23^rd, we plan to have a multi sport activity time in the gym from 9.30-10.30am. All the girls will take part and we would ask you to make a donation. We will also have a raffle – it would be great if we could get donations of raffle prizes. Please be assured that 100% of the funds raised go directly to the projects.

The post Junior School News 16th September appeared first on Alexandra College.

Written by the Business, Economics & Accounting Department of Alexandra College Dublin   

To avoid exam stress:

• A timetable and study routine is vital and therefore students should study in a quiet space, ignoring all social media and other digital distractions.
• Avoid all-night study or late study sessions. Sound sleep leads to a better performance on exam day and helps to retain the vital information.
• Fresh air and exercise help to clear the brain and enhance our general well-being. A short exercise routine every day is the perfect tonic to help you de-stress.
• Eat little and often, rather than having big meals, as they can cause an energy slump soon after. Students should keep well hydrated with water throughout the day.

On exam day:

Read each question carefully. Only answer what you have been asked about. Do not write ‘around’ a topic – read the question a second time if you are unsure of what you are being asked. That way you can accurately answer it. Underline any specific instructions within the question e.g. give an example, refer to the article in your answer, apply to a product, service, company of your choice. Show all your workings within your answer if at all possible – otherwise you can do it on a separate page, clearly labeled with the question number. Don’t use Tippex if you make a mistake – instead cross out any errors with a single line. You might get marks for the work you have crossed out. Also, if you solve a problem using a calculator, write out some or all of the steps taken. Don’t just give the answer. This is to ensure you get marks even if you make a slip. Structure your answers as advised in class. State and explain each point being made in economics and business for the LC – no essay style answers. For JC well-constructed sentences will achieve better marks than a single word. Expand your answers only when you have important additional knowledge. Do not use padding which is not relevant. If you are asked to define some concept, it must be a textbook definition.   Good handwriting, neat presentation and accurate layouts are important in an exam, especially in accounting and any other questions requiring calculations. Keep your eye on the clock – timing is important for all exams (especially LC business). Do not leave the exam hall in advance of the time – use any additional time to re-read each question and the answer that you have given so that you can be confident that the examiner will be impressed by your effort.  

It is widely agreed that you should:

Keep the exams in perspective. The current state examination will not determine – where you live, who you will marry, how often you may marry, how many ice-creams you eat in your lifetime; your overall health and/or well-being; the number of times you will break the heel on your shoe resulting in you hopping about on one foot; the amount of love in your life; the number of adventures you will have; the amount of money you will make.    

Written by the Italian Department of Alexandra College   24 hours before   The Italian Leaving Certificate exam always takes place on the last day of examinations. As a result this is often the students’ last exam of their Leaving Certificate. This can have some implications in terms of studying and preparation in the lead up to the exam as students may suffer from fatigue. On a positive note, students often have a large gap between their second last subject and Italian; and this allows the student extra time to revise Italian and gives them a much needed rest in the days before the exam. The following are some last minute hints and tips to keep in mind before exam day.  

1. Don’t cram!

The day before the exam is not the time to learn new material. It is important at this point to consolidate what you already know and revise. Go over your own handwritten notes and those given by the teacher.  

2. Test yourself!

Don’t waste time revising material that you possibly already know. Test yourself first. For example, do you know how to form the Simple Future tense? What are the endings? Do you know the irregulars? Ask yourself these questions and write down the answers before spending time revising it.  

3. Prioritise

Don’t expect to be able to reread all your notes and textbook the day before. Prioritise the material. If using a textbook pick out the key grammar and key vocabulary from each section to read through.  

4. Aural

If you have the full day to study you might like to do an Aural in the morning and another one in the evening. For the first aural listen and answer the questions as if in an exam situation. Find the marking scheme online (www.examinations.ie) and correct yourself. In the evening put on another aural and this time just listen. You could even lie down, close your eyes and listen to the sound of the language. See if you understand the conversations without worrying about answering questions. This is also a good way to break up the study as it gives you a chance to close your eyes, listen and relax yet still feel that you are working.  

5. The Novel

Reacquaint yourself with the novel by reading through a shortened version of the notes. Do you know the names of the main characters? Where is the story set and in which year? Do you know the sequence of events? What are the key themes and imagery? Do not attempt to reread the whole novel the day before. You could watch the film the day before but be aware that some elements are different. If you must reread anything then the first and last chapters of the book are most important. Look through the exam papers and read the questions that came up for the novel in the past. Familiarise yourself with the wording of the essay style question. Do not rule out doing the essay question or the literary passage on the day. Allow yourself the choice by being familiar with both.  

6. Verbs!

Disperse the grammar. Don’t try to sit down and revise grammar for hours on end. Write a list of the tenses learned during the year and spend 10-15 minutes on a different tense every hour. For example: 11:00-11:15am- Revise Il Presente 12:00-12:00pm- Revise Il Passato Prossimo 13:00-13:15pm- Revise Il Futuro etc….    

7. Comprehensions

Read the wording of all the comprehension questions. Make sure that you understand the relevant terminology in the questions.  

8. Formal Writing

Remember for the formal writing you must use the polite form ‘Lei’ if writing to one person or the plural form ‘Voi’ if writing to more than one person. Learn the opening sentence and closing sentence by heart. Read back over key phrases from your notes on the letter.  

9. Format & Timings

Write out your timing for each section of the paper and know what time you should be moving on to a new question or section. Glance at the timings again on the morning of the exam. It is important not to spend too long on the comprehensions in order to leave yourself the appropriate time for the writing section. Also, allow 10 minutes at the beginning and end of the exam for reading / choosing questions etc…  

10. Reading the Paper & the Order of Questions

I advise you to do the paper in order. You could do the first reading comprehension and then do the writing question that is linked to it immediately after but then go back to the next comprehension. I also advise you not to read the whole paper through at the beginning of the exam. Firstly, most questions in the exam are obligatory so it is just wasting time as you’ll have to read them again anyway. Secondly, it can be overwhelming to read everything at once. Take it one question at a time and don’t think too far ahead.   Relax & Sleep Finally, the evening before the exam spend the last couple of hours before bed relaxing. Eat a nice dinner, read or even watch your favourite programme. Do not stay up too late and do not study until late. It is so important to sleep well the night before and to be relaxed on the morning of the exam.   In Bocca al Lupo!

Written by the Agricultural Science Department of Alexandra College Dublin    

1. Remember key phrases are only given in marking schemes; you are required to give full coherent answers. Leave the Tippex at home; bring a calculator, pencils, ruler, eraser and pens!! Draw AND label diagrams you are marked for both.

2. Do six questions, N.B. Answer question 1 to get an A.

3. Start a new page for each question and clearly indicate the number and part of the question being answered, for question 3 only answer one option.

4. Know your weights and dates!

5. The care of a young animal is more or less the same for all breeds. Isolate the mother, clean calm environment, experienced farm hand, vet if necessary, clear mucus, rub with straw, naval dip with iodine, feed colostrum, followed by milk, milk replacer, hay, grass. Practice creep feeding and leader follower.

6. Soil is always on the paper.   Go over cation exchange capacity. If in doubt remember the sedimentation test covers several experiments.

7. Genetics is always on the paper, know Mendel’s laws, watch out for the way genes are labeled, they can occasionally give a different letter to the recessive trait which is different to the way its taught in biology. Go over the ratios.

8. Laboratory or field method question- remember it doesn’t have to be in the lab. Always give a control, follow the usual procedure,

• Apparatus and reagents (don’t forget timers!)
• Method (you don’t have to make up numbers/amounts, do include chemicals needed), remember shake, mix, stir etc. gets marks.
• LABELLED DIAGRAM in pencil.
• Results of experiment and

9. Scientific explanations are always on the paper; give at least 4 answers for each part of the question if possible.

10. If you have time go back and do all of question one, READ over what you have written, does it make sense? You will probably have time to do another question, go for it. Don’t panic if there is a surprise, it is Ag science after all!!! Good luck and keep calm.

Upcoming Events Monday 13^th                  J5/J4 School trip to Tayto Park (all day) Monday 13^th                  Preschool End of Year concert 1.15pm in JS Hall (45 mins) Tuesday 14^th                  Kg Lower End of Year Concert 9.00am in JS Hall (40 mins) Tuesday 14^th                  J6 School trip (all day) Wed. 15^th                        Summer school reports go home in school bags Thursday 16^th                 J6 Farewell Assembly 2.00pm in HWC Friday 17^th                 Terms ends for KGLr to J6 at 12.30pm for the summer holidays. Friday 17^th                 Last day for Prep/Aftercare programme Friday 24th               Preschool term ends at 1pm   Important: The Leaving and Junior Certificate exams are taking place in the gym. Please be mindful of this as you are picking your daughters up in the afternoon. Please park and around the side of the school by the back of the Dining Hall and avoid walking past the gym in the afternoons.   Extra-curricular Classes: All extra-curricular classes have ended this week for this school year.   Prep/After Care: Prep and After Care will continue until 6pm on Thursday, June 16^th. There is no After Care on Friday, June 17^th. Ms. Boyd has informed the Preschool parents about arrangements for the preschoolers.   New Staging in JS Good news! Thanks to the wonderful generosity of the Alex parents, the new staging has arrived! We look forward to using it for our performances in the new school year. A huge thanks from all of us!   Ciara Halpin’s Trip to Ethiopia As you know, one of our J1 students, Ciara Halpin, and her parents travelled to Ethiopia over the Easter break. You very kindly supported their work there. Ciara and her mum and dad spoke at assembly today and told us all about their trip. It was wonderful to hear about all the great work they did. You can read all about it here.   Sportswoman of the Year 2016 This trophy is presented to the most outstanding sports student in the Junior School, who possesses the qualities of good sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork and determination. This year the award was given to Sinéad Rushe in J6W. “I have chosen Sinéad because of her consistent work rate, her helpfulness and dedication, her happy, polite manner and her positive attitude in any sporting situation.  She has been quietly enthusiastic, and has been a responsible presence in both class time and especially in match fixtures where she has stepped up to motivate and guide her teammates in a positive way.  She is competitive and determined in all sports, shows great, natural athletic ability, yet possesses a fair understanding that in sport it’s not all about ‘the winning’, it is about the taking part.  In PE classes this year, our ‘motto’ was to ‘Encourage Team Spirit’.  I believe that Sinéad demonstrated this in abundance and with ease.  For these reasons I believe that Sinéad deserves to be our winner, our Alex 150 ‘Sportswoman of the Year  2016.” Ms. Tracey – PE teacher   Congratulations, Sinéad! We are all very proud of you.    

The below post was written by William Cheah, a charity worker in Malaysia.

Today’s homeless feeding was a bit surreal. When FB friend Sherliza Stocker Yusof asked if we could include some students from Ireland (around 18 years old) in one of our charity events, I didn’t really know what to expect.

And under such conditions, as what I normally do, I just decided to do it as normal as possible without any exemptions or exceptional treatment.

And these young ladies performed admirably. Helping to set up the distribution tables, packing up the kurma, making the drinks and distributing the food from Mcd. They didn’t hesitate to do what was necessary. In fact, the distribution was done so smoothly led by YiLyn Chan, Scofield Ching and Sharon Koay Stthat I hardly got involved in it and could concentrate on the interviews.

I am impressed that having travelled so far, one of their educational goals for this trip was to get involved with social work. Sometimes I think we focus too much on academic results and forget about the other aspects of life education. I know that at that age, social work was something totally alien to me, especially via formal education.

And for some of the questions posed to me by them, their maturity level seemed higher than some adults that I know of.

Truly, being human transcends race and colour.

Dear Parents, As we come to the end of another school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support to us here in the Junior School throughout the year. Everything we strive to do is to maintain the ethos of the school and every decision that is made is to enhance the teaching and learning in the school so that your daughter receives the best education possible in Alexandra College. As the College continues to mark its 150th anniversary, we have all had the opportunity to reflect on the rich history of the school and to recognise Alexandra College as a place where girls thrive and achieve in every way. Your support for our charity causes have shown yet again what a kind and caring community Alexandra College is.  Led by the girls, you gave generously to the Hope Foundation, Barnardos, Mrs. Carr’s Home, Alex for Berkeley, St. Michael’s House, the Irish Cancer Society, Vellure, India and The Support Africa Foundation.   Thank you so much. A special word of thanks goes to JACA Chairperson, Tanya Mc Enroe and all the JACA committee members for the fantastic support you all give to the school. Due to your support, our new staging has arrived and more iPads have been ordered. The sandpit will be re-covered next week and more equipment will be ordered for the playground. I am very grateful also to the members of the Board of Management, in particular, Margaret Farrar, and the parent reps on the Junior School Committee, Tanya Mc Enroe and Andrew Kearns, for their input and support throughout the year A huge word of thanks must go to the wonderful teachers and staff in the Junior School who make sure that your daughters are happy and engaged in the learning process every day. It has been another busy year. The yearbook will be available in August for you to read all about the events throughout the year. For now, I will let you read about some of the highlights of 2015/2016. Thank you all for the very thoughtful cards and gifts. They will all be put to good use. Your support and encouragement is much appreciated as we move the school forward. Have a wonderful, safe summer, Avril Lamplugh   New preschool J6 at Carlingford Alex for Berkeley   Student Council formed Intel Mini Scientist Exhibition Toy and Book Fair Play- The Great Big Santa Rescue 2016 Flag Ceremony 150 Years of Music in Alex Grandparents’ Day World Book Day Seachtain na Gaeilge activities Green Day Eason’s Spelling Bee (Alice in J6) AIJS Debating Winners Sports Day J6 Tennis Finalists Green Flag Ceremony Sportswoman of the Year 2016

Saturday 26^th November – 9:00am to 2:00pm

The following open Scholarships are available for entry to 1^st Year Post Primary in Autumn 2017.

Three Scholarships are awarded annually

• 3 Full Scholarships *(for 6 years) giving free education up to the Leaving Certificate Examination.

Scholarships will be renewed each year provided that the Principal receives satisfactory reports of progress and conduct.

Applicants must be at least 12 years of age on the 1^st day of January 2018 and under 13 years of age on 1^st May 2017 and be in Standard VI of a State Primary School (or its equivalent). Students who have completed all or part of a first year Secondary Course are not eligible to sit for the Scholarship Examination.

No exception will be made under any circumstances.

There is no set syllabus. The standard is that of VIth Year of State Primary Schools. The subjects for the Examination are English, Mathematics, Irish or French and a general paper, which includes current affairs, history, geography and culture.

It is policy of the College not to make available copies of previous examination papers.

Please note also that details of results will not be given.

A form of application is enclosed and should be returned completed, by Friday 18^th November 2016.

On receipt of this form, a timetable will be forwarded to the applicant.

Please note that there is a fee for the examination of €50 and must accompany the application form.

*Scholarships cover tuition fees only.

This year’s Joan Kearney lecture is entitled ‘Learning Mathematics – born or brawn?’

This lecture will discuss our cultural opinions of learning mathematics based subjects and examine why some feel excluded from success in mathematics and the sciences.

Highlighting a number of women in Ireland’s history of science, this talk aims to illustrate how recent developments in educational research are responding to gender imbalances in the sciences.

The Alexandra College Open Day for 2015 will take place on Saturday 15th of October from 10am – 12pm.

We are delighted to invite you to attend our Open Day here at Alexandra College. During the two hour event you will have the chance to meet our teachers, students and past pupils, explore our stunning campus, and learn all you need to know about life at the College.

The Open Day will start at 10:00am with a presentation by the Principal of both the Junior & Senior schools taking place at 10:30am. We will also run tours of the campus throughout the morning and you will have ample opportunity to meet and talk to staff and students while exploring our campus here in Miltown. There will be lots to see and do, so please feel very welcome to bring even the smallest members of your family. We will have many activities to occupy the little ones on the day.

There is no need to register for the Open Day. Simply come along and we will be delighted to welcome you. We look forward to seeing you on the 17th of October.

Should you have any questions prior to the event please contact admissions on admissions@alexandracollege.ie

Saturday 24th September

Home

• 09:00 – Junior v Wesley College
• 10:15 – Junior v Wesley College

Away

• 09:00 – Minor v Wesley College
• 10:00 – Minor v Wesley College
• 11:00 – Minor v Wesley College
• 11:00 – Senior 1 v St. Andrews’s College (League)
• 11:30 – Junior B v Loreto Beaufort (League)

Monday 26th September

• 4:40 – Junior A v St Gerard’s (Bus at 3:25)

Thursday 29th September

• 2:00 – Junior C v St Mary’s Nass – (Bus at 12:45)