So the President (and the men who talk into their sleeves) have been and gone, you’ve had the Swine Flu jab and (hopefully) your last ever Christmas Exams in St. Pat’s are over. Time to put the feet up and write to Santy. Noooooooo!!!!! [long anguished scream]. Any why not?

Well first of all writing to Santy is a waste of time. He only responds to good boys and girls (e.g. the staff) and second of all (new grammatical construction) between now and Christmas is the perfect time for you to take stock of your results, identify your weaknesses and strengths (if you have any) and then plan how you can improve matters even before Christmas. The ‘Oh, I’ll get down to it in the New Year’ approach is the kind of procrastination most of you simply can’t afford. A good plan today is far better than a great plan in a month’s time. So no more excuses or I’ll be the one writing to Santy (about you).

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR – YOU MIGHT JUST GET IT.

However those of you who feel compelled to write to Santy should remember to write on only one side of the page and be realistic in your Christmas wishes, after all the country is still in the midst of a deep depression (bloody Thierry Henry). Properly addressed letters (remember your Functional English) can be passed on to John or Michael (or Jichael as they’re now known), to be placed in the special green post boxes at the rear of the school.  P.S. Don’t spoil Christmas by taking your Leaving Cert frustrations out on your parents. Parents aren’t just for Christmas you know and if they do occasionally go a little mad at you – remember – madness is hereditary – parents get it from their children. Your parents care about you more than you’ll ever realise – I know – at the recent Parent/Teacher Meeting I had parents so concerned they broke down and cried at the thought of some of you not achieved your full potential. So go easy on them – they’re only human (well most, some, a few at least). So again no complaining or fighting because as Ian McEwan suggests, relationships like bodies are ‘easily torn but difficult to heal’ (Atonement).  P.P.S. Some of you received Christmas Reports from a Ms. K. Mallon. I just want to assure you this was a typographical rather than a medical error and definitely not a Lady Gaga moment. International press please copy.

PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE

Full marks to all the Leaving Certs associated with the President’s visit for the near military precision and exemplary nature of the overall organisation on the day (the snipers cleverly hidden in the flower displays were especially impressive – see, you never even noticed them). Andrew Gavin (personally complimented by the President), Mark Gallagher (Merci buckets) and the Red Tie Commandos made just the right impression on everyone. A word of thanks too, to the many staff members who gave of their time voluntarily behind the scenes to ensure it was such a memorable day (and one not to be forgotten either). Photographs can be viewed on John Quike’s Website or in the following week’s Weekender (full page) or Meath Chronicle. 

HOGAN’S STAND

Past pupil Karl Hogan was another visitor to the school in November. He gave Mr. Peppard’s Careers Workshop a talk on his business experiences over the past few years. A true entreprenure, that’s a self-start business person (very PC – we’ll be using personhole covers next), Karl started his own sports supply company Pro Rugby Ireland based in Macestown, Tara (near where Cuchulainn and Mr. O’Rourke began their careers as well). Among the products Karl distributes is a range of Targeted Compression wear (it makes you look as if you have a natural 6-pack rather than one concealed about your person). Targeted Compression wear aids recovery after training or matches acting on the Hams, Quads (as those of us in the know call them), Calf muscles and Gluteal muscles (or butt-ocks as Forest Gump preferred to call them). Karl also stocks an ingenious hand gel which gives you improved grip even in wet conditions (no market for that in Ireland so). www.prorugbyireland.com.
INTO THE WEST

Ms. Lynch (LL) brought her Leaving Cert Music Class down to the Coleman School of Music in Gurteen in Co. Sligo on December 3rd. Needless to say the trip proved an invaluable aid to exam preparations (Trust me - it will). Regional styles, traditional instrumentation, music philosophy and of course the primeval instinct to thump the life out of a bodhran were all covered. The course organisers were especially impressed with your attitude (and your capacity to eat and drink everything in sight). Again credit to everyone concerned.     

TIME TO MAKE YOUR MIND UP TIME

The CAO deadline is February 1st but if you are planning on attending college in Britain or the Six Counties, the school deadline for UCAS applications is December 15th so get a move on. In preparation for making those all important college/course decisions you may have been to some of the Open Days (for some unexplained reason Fridays were more popular than Saturdays) or talks which were held in recent weeks and for that reason the Leaving Cert Themes Programme for December is concentrating on Choices/Options.
So what are your choices or options? Well unless you’re going to get 550+ points there’s no sense in considering a medical degree which means that the first thing you need to do is work out your points total for the recent Christmas Exams. Remember only six subjects count. The following points apply.

Grade   Marks Higher Level Points Ordinary Level Points
  A1   90-100              100                60
  A2   85-89                90                50
  B1   80-84                85                45
  B2   75-79                80                40
  B3   70-74                75                35
  C1   65-69                70                30
  C2   60-64                65                25
  C3   55-59                60                20
  D1   50-54                55                15
  D2   45-49                50                10
  D3   40-44                45                  5
  
The CAO normal application (online or paper) deadline is February 1st at 5.15 pm. The fee is €45.
The Online discounted rate is €35. Applications must be submitted before 5.15 pm on January 20th.

TYGER TYGER BURNING BRIGHT IN THE FORESTS (WOODS) OF THE NIGHT

In spite of devoting a whole month to Role Models a number of you still aren’t sure exactly what a role model is. Maybe you should ask Tiger Woods – after all he went from a worldwide role model to a virtual pariah in a matter of days. In essence a positive role model is someone you can admire, someone you can look up to, someone you hope to emulate. It’s not about fame or making money it’s about respecting other people and doing the right thing. You heard President McAleese – a definite role model - speak in a confident, intelligent and caring way showing that she empathises with you and understands what so many people are going through in these difficult times. So let me finish by giving you a little test (once a teacher always a teacher).  The following four people were/are all world class soccer players George Best, Thierry Henry, Pele and Maradona but only one deserves to be classified as a genuine role model. Which one?  Let the arguments begin. We’ll retun to this topic in the New Year. Meanwhile on behalf of all your teachers and class tutors let me wish you and your families:

A VERY PEACEFUL & HAPPY CHRISTMAS

IMPORTANT DATES

UCAS Applications for Colleges in Britain/Six Counties – December 15th 
Christmas Holidays – School Closes Tuesday December 22nd – School Reopens Thursday January 7th 
CAO Deadline February 1st 2010
Kevin Mallon – LC Year Head