Author: Hazelwood College

Letter to Parents – Covid19

Dear Guardian/Parent

I hope you are doing well during these unprecedented times. Further to the Government’s decision to close schools to support efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, I am writing to advise you of school continuity measures taken to date by your school

• Wednesday 11-03-2020

We advised all students to empty all of their personal belongings from the school.

• Thursday 12-03-2020

Students were given codes for google classroom. Teachers issued revision guidelines to support students’ continued engagement with the curriculum during the closure. The school closed following a directive issued by the Department of Education and Skills (DoES).

• Monday 29-03-2020:

Provisional return date to school. In the interim, the school will continue with actions to prepare for our return to the campus. The following guidance is to support students as they prepare for their summer/state examinations.

• The State Examinations Commission (SEC) will circulate guidance on contingency arrangements if they are required. The school will communicate any such arrangements through normal channels such as SMS, student emails, VSware, and social media. 

If the practicals and orals are postponed for our students, it is essential to note they will be delayed for all students across the country.

Please check for accurate updates on the SEC website. In the interim, Leaving Cert students must prepare for the orals/practicals as if they are going to proceed as planned.

• Examination Years: :

Our teachers will endeavour to support you as a matter of priority through blended learning (online support & work assigned to you before closure). Generally speaking, online classes will be created via whatever platform you are currently using on existing class structures within the school.

Your current school timetable provides you with an excellent structure to organise your day.

If parents could encourage their daughter(s)/son(s) to submit assigned work, we would be most grateful.

Please urge them to do so within agreed timeframes. 

Other online supports available:

www.khanacademy.org

https://irevise.com/ie (Additional notes and tutorials)

www.studyclix.ie (Exam builders)

www.examinations.ie (Past exam papers and marking schemes)

www.careersportal.ie

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html

www.education.ie – (Education related news)   

• Non-Examination Years:

Over time as teachers build their capacity for online engagement, they will issue guidance to students in non-exam years to support their ongoing engagement with the curriculum in due course. Parents are encouraged to get their son(s) or daughter(s) to organise and create a bank of flashcards, mind maps and other suitable study aids.

• Wellbeing: We would encourage you to stay in contact with your friends. Peer learning is one of the most effective methods to support curriculum engagement. Use technology sensibly to connect and learn together. Breaks, exercise and healthy diets are crucial to staying healthy.

This is an unprecedented situation, and the school community is conscious that in these difficult times, we will come together to find solutions.

We always work in the best interest of our students.

It is an unusual time for us all, and we need to work together to delay and limit the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

We encourage parents to emphasise the importance of social distancing to all in their care, so we as a nation can protect the most vulnerable in our communities.

I also want to acknowledge that many of our students might find the uncertainty of the forthcoming weeks quite unsettling. I want to take this opportunity to reassure parents and students alike that the SEC and DES have always made decisions which are student-centred and mindful of the immediate environment. 

We have no control over what decisions the state agencies make; we do, however, have control over what actions we can take. So please remain focused on your study schedules and your preparations for the state examinations. 

Finally, I would like to thank our staff for their assistance and proactive actions to support your daughter(s) and son(s). The staff and your daughter(s)/son(s) are a credit to our school community.

If you wish to contact me, I am available at 063 83121.

We will make every effort to respond to your query promptly and support you in any way we can.

Yours sincerely,

Brendan Burke, Principal

Covid-19 Update

The Government has announced that Ireland’s schools, colleges and childcare facilities are to close in response to the threat Covid-19.

From 6pm today, there will be no further school related activities, including work experience, until the 29th of March.

In the meantime, we have done our very best in recent days to prepare students for an announcement such as this. Classes have been allocated work, project work, study plans and many classes have now joined up Google Classroom which will allow them to interact with their teachers and submit work for correction where required.

This certainly is a time of uncertainty for our exam students in particular, but hopefully these strategies will allow their learning and preparation to continue over the coming weeks..

Any further information will be passed on to you as soon as we receive it.

Annual Musical

Here are some photos from the recent musical “Dancing Queen” at Hazelwood College. Well done to the almost 200 students and their parents/guardians who’s hard work and time made for a great weekends entertainment. Thanks to Eamon Doody for the excellent photos of the evenings events.

Variety Show

Here are some photos from the recent Variety Show at Hazelwood College. Well done to the almost 200 students and their parents who’s hard work and time made for a great weekends entertainment. Thanks to Eamon Doody for the excellent photos of the evenings events.

All Ireland Champions

Congratulations to our U16 Ladies Basketball Team who beat Castletroy College in the All Ireland Final

Here is a match report as reported in the Limerick Leader recently

Also in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher had too much for Castletroy College in the final of the U16 B Girls League final.

Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher 52
Castletroy College, Limerick 38

In this all Limerick affair, both teams got off to a fast start. Kiera Shyne opened the scoring for Castletroy before Saoirse McCarthy hit two free throws to get Hazelwood off the mark. Sorcha Cronin had five points with Shyne getting another elbow jumper to bring Castletroy to eleven points for the quarter.

Hannah Cremin made her free throws when on the line before the Fahy sisters, Keelan and Niamh contributed as well to give Hazelwood a one-point lead 11-12 going into the second.

Castletroy started the brighter with Emma O’Sullivan finding her range on the way to 6 points in this quarter. Shyne was a threat the whole time in transition with Azeezat Muniru getting on the scoreboard. Limiting the second attempts held Hazelwood to just eight points with Cremin, McCarthy and Niamh Fahy the scorers. Castletroy lead 23-20 at the half.

The third quarter saw Hazelwood flip the script, Niamh Fahy had seven points with Cremin and Meabh Magner scoring in the lane as well to erase the deficit and push Hazelwood in front. O’Sullivan and Cronin kept the scoreboard ticking but the writing was on the wall for Castletroy.

It was 33-37 going into the last quarter. Hazelwood came out as they finished the third, Cremin was unstoppable on her way to a game high of twenty-one points and Castletroy had no answer to her. Shyne and Nofeesat Muniru did find they basket but it was not enough to stop Hazelwood College taking the win 38-52.

Hazelwood College Hannah Cremin 21, Laura Sexton, Maebh Magner 4, Katie Burke 2, Saorise McCarthy 10, Keelan Fahy 6, Katie Coughlan, Grace Noonan, Orla Bennis, Sarah Kate O’Connor, Niamh Fahy 11, Keelin O’Brien.

Castletroy College Kiera Shyne 11, Emma, O’Sullivan 11, Sorcha Cronin 8, Gandy Malou Mamel 1, Nofeesat Muniru 5, Azeezat Muniru 2, Tawaklit Musa, Julia Cuneen.

MVP: Hannah Cremin, Hazelwood College.

International Soccer

Congratulations to Brian Ahern, sixth year, who recently represented Hazelwood College in the Ireland U18 v Australia U18 Schools match. On the day Brian scored both of Irelands goals and was awarded Man of the Match

Here is a match report from the day as first published in the Limerick Leader.

Reporter: Jerome O’Connell 20 Jan 2020

LIMERICK teenager Brian Ahern scored both goals as the Republic of Ireland were 2-0 winners over Australia. Hazelwood College star Ahern was the match winner with two brilliant second half goals as the Republic of Ireland U18 boys came from a goal down to edge out the Austrialia Schools for a 2-1 win in a friendly international at Home Farm FC.

Ahern was one of several players that Ireland head coach William O’Connor introduced at the break as he juggled his squad in an effort to break the deadlock after a scoreless opening half.

The Limerick United forward a pupil at Hazelwood College in Dromcollogher made his mark in fine style on the hour by powering home the equaliser with a 30 yard screamer that sailed past a helpless Thomas Rozman in the visitors goal.

A deserved win that delighted head coach William O’Connor. “Brian (Ahern) did really well to get us back on top with two great goals. The first one in particular was some strike,” said the Irish manager.

“Overall all the squad did brilliantly and there were some fine individual performances too which bodes well for our bid to regain the Centenary Shield with the first of our four games a home fixture against Scotland coming up on March 19”.

O’Connor added: “Games against Australia are always difficult as our side are all U18 while they are U19 but we responded well after conceding the early second half penalty.” @faischools Both goals by Brian Ahern from yesterday’s 2-1 win V Australia in @Homefarm_FC . pic.twitter.com/yIPk23ajrU — William O Connor (@willyoc21) January 19, 2020

The Irish students will have a trial game against Colin O’Brien’s U17 select in a few weeks time as O’Connor attempts to whittle the squad down to 16 players for the Centenary Shield fixture at the end of March.

Ahern’s goal got Ireland right back into a game that looked to be slipping away from them after Sasha Kuzevski had earlier put Australia in front beating goalkeeper Patrick McGarvey from the penalty spot after he was taken down in the box by Mark Hanratty.

Ahern wasn’t finished and minutes after he struck the equaliser he went on to crown a top class show by climbing above the Australia defenders to head home what proved to be the winner.

The goal was created by Lucan CBS scholar Kyle Robinson’s precise pass that gave Hanratty the chance to whip in a high cross from the left and Ahern managed to get his head on the ball and guide it home for a superb double. The penalty coolly converted by Kuzevski on 56 minutes put Australia in the driving seat although a fantastic double save from goalkeeper Rozman who kept out close range efforts from Robinson and Ahern might have seen Ireland get back on terms.

However minutes later Ahern got another opportunity to make amends and this time he made no mistake with his superb finish from distance.

That equaliser shook the visitors and when Ahern quickly headed home his second there was no way back as the Irish grew in confidence with Eoin Farrell and Adam Verdon dominating the midfield and Kyle Robinson and Brian Ahern always lively up front.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Eoghan O’Sullivan (Coláiste Cois Life, Lucan); Cillian Heaney (Rice College, Westport), Adam McCarron (Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana), Andrew Quinn (Dunshaughlin Community College), Rob Walsh (Glanmire Community College); Eoin Farrell (Ardscoil na Tríonóide, Athy) Adam Vernon (Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, Donaghmede); Adam Lennon (Athlone Community School), Daniel Cox (St. Joseph’s College, Galway), Charlie Concannon (Yeats College, Galway); Kyle Robinson (Coláiste Phadráig, Lucan CBS). Subs: Patrick Ferry (Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair) for Walsh h-t, Brian Ahern (Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher) for Cox h-t, Patrick McGarvey (Rosses Community School, Dungloe) for O’Sullivan h-t, Joe Power (Presentation College, Bray) for Heaney h-t, Mark Hanratty (Lusk Community College) for Concannon h-t, Luke Rudden (Carndonagh Community School) for Lennon 86.

AUSTRALIA: Luke Genua (Edmund Rice College); Sasha Kuzevski (St. Edward’s College), Nathan Grimaldi (The Hills Sports High School), William Pearce (William Clarke College), Jack McLoughlin (Cranbrook School); Dimitri Kostopoulos (Westfields Sports High School), Alexander Bonetig (Edmund Rice College); Connor Rose (St. Leo’s Catholic College), Lachlan Sepping (Emmaus Catholic College), Jordan Metcalfe (Epping Boys High School); Rhys Osmond (Westfields Sports High School). Subs: Thomas Rozman (Champagnat Catholic College) for Genua h-t, Jack Berte (St. Pius Cross College) for Osmond h-t, Caleb Jackson Brown (Westfields Sports High School) for Pearce h-t, Jay McGowan (Sylvania High School) for Metcalfe h-t, Will Hodgson (St Aloysius College) for Kostopoulos 62, Bailey Ratcliff (Matthew Flinders Anglican College) for McLoughlin 62.

REFEREE: Ian O’Keeffe (Waterford)

Kelly Brace sends Hazelwood through!

 Report by Darragh Reidy TY

Two second half goals from TJ Kelly sent Hazelwood through to the third round of the Munster U19 Soccer Shield. On January 7th, Hazelwood played Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee in Cove Park, Broadford. Conditions weren’t the best with a very strong wind blowing. Hazelwood played with the elements in the first half and put pressure on the Mounthawk defence, forcing the goal keeper to make some very good saves. On the stroke of half-time Hazelwood could have gone 1-0 up when a great ball from Brian Aherne put Darragh Ryan through but the shot went just wide.

In the second half Hazelwood knew it would be tough and a slow start allowed Mounthawk to score just after the break. Hazelwood regrouped and within ten minutes the sides were level, thanks to a great goal by TJ Kelly. Tempers were starting to rise and Mounthawk lost three players to red cards. With five minutes to go Kelly scored again. An exceptional cross from Kenny Lynch into the danger area landed at Kelly’s feet and he put it in the net. Substitute Ronan O Connor got on the score sheet with a well taken goal to make it 3-1. A lack of concentration allowed Mounthawk to get one back to make it 3-2 but that was as close as it got as the referee blew the final whistle. Best of luck to Hazelwood in the Munster Quarter Final.

Young Scientist News

Some fantastic news filtering in from Dublin as our young scientists have been placed highly commended in their category , Social and Behavioral Take Your Tent Home An innovative approach at reducing waste generated by festival goers Congratulations to these brilliant ambassadors for our school and their teacher Mrs Malone

Well done to Eoin, Stephen and Daniel ergo n are doing a fantastic job of representing Hazelwood at this years BT Young Scientist Competition. Pictured here with Tom Neville TD and his wife Jenny Dixon