Schools notes

Bus Escort Wanted - Lucan Community Special School

This role is part time, with a minimum of 10 - 15 hours per week, although hours may vary.

Candidates should have experience in working with children, have an understanding of special needs and be able to deal with parents and school staff in a professional way.

School Bus Escorts will be expected to travel to and from an agreed pick-up and drop-off point to meet the bus.
Applicants must supply suitable character references and Garda Vetting is mandatory.
Hourly rate of pay is 15.66 euro. Bus Escorts will not be paid during school holidays.
If interested please send a Curriculum Vitae to admissions@lucancss.ie

Lucan Community College

Annual SVP Concert: Join us for an evening of festive music at Lucan CC on Wednesday the 17th Dec all in aid of St. Vincent De Paul.

Ty Ice-Skating: Our TY students headed to the Dundrum ice rink last week, where they had the chance to try something new, spend time together, and enjoy a break from the usual routine. Well done to everyone for the great participation and for giving it a go.

6th year Irish trip to UCD: Sixth-year students visited University College Dublin last Friday, December 5th, for An Seimineár Lae in the School of Irish, Celtic Studies & Folklore. They attended Irish-language talks on Leaving Cert literature, film, and other course material. The annual seminar gives students a taste of university-level Irish studies and helps them explore whether UCD's Irish programme might suit them.

Christmas Relay: Well done to all our students who took part in the first Christmas Relay in Lucan Harriers, organised by Active South Dublin with other local schools. It was a fantastic day, and it was great to see every year group in the school represented. A special thank you to Niamh Fitzgerald for all her hard work in organising the event.

St Joseph's College Lucan

Junior Camogie: A massive well done to our junior camogie team who won their semi-final last Wednesday against Loreto Swords. In a very tight and competitive game our girls pulled away in the last few minutes to win on a scoreline of 2-5 to 0-7. The girls now progress to play either Castleknock CC or Loreto Balbriggan in the final which is scheduled to take place in Leixlip Amenities All weather next week.

Aquaponics in St Joseph's: New fish and plants arrived this week into Mr Quinn's biology lab to continue student work with the aquaponics program. Aquaponics is a symbiotic process whereby plants and fish live side by side and both benefit each other. The fish providing nutrients for the plants and the plants absorbing these nutrients, which in turn cleans the water for the fish. A special thanks to Fina O' Connor, Isabelle Van Aesch and Aimee Sheriff, three students who have excelled on the program

College Awareness Week: Last week was College Awareness Week. On Monday, students got the opportunity to find out about their teachers and the paths they have taken in their education that now has them in their chosen profession as teachers. On Tuesday, sixth years had a talk from Maynooth University’s new Nursing Department where students got a great introduction to their new Nursing degree programme. Day 3 on Wednesday and we had Conan Megan from Ulster University talking to all the 5th year students about the option of studying in Northern Ireland. On Thursday, we were delighted to welcome Ruth McGann - past pupil working in RTE who spoke to 4th and 5th years about her job as a digital content creator in RTE. Thanks for coming Ruth.

Christmas Carols in Marymount: A great Christmas tradition continued on Thursday evening last as staff and students visited Marymount Care Centre for the 28th year in a row to sing Christmas carols for the residence. It was a great occasion and one that staff and students thoroughly enjoy and look forward to each and every year.

Sophie Ward - Dublin Winter Lights: We are delighted to announce that 5th Year Art student Sophie Ward has been selected as a winner in the Dublin City Council 'Dublin Winter Lights' Lord Mayor's Christmas Card Competition 2025.

Responding to the theme 'Dublin City Centre Twinkles at Christmas', Sophie created a beautiful design featuring festive baubles and illustrations of the James Joyce Bridge and the GPO. Her work was chosen from more than 1,000 entries for its creativity and celebration of Dublin at Christmas.

Sophie's artwork will be projected throughout December at Barnardo Square on Dame Street as part of the Dublin Winter Lights display and it will be featured on the Winter Lights website. Sophie's artwork will be used as one of the Lord Mayor of Dublin's official Christmas cards for 2025, to be sent to notable public figures, including the Taoiseach. Sophie will be visiting the Mansion House after Christmas to celebrate her achievement. We are extremely proud of Sophie’s talent, her initiative and her achievement.

Under 16 Basketball: Congratulations to the u16 basketball team who were victorious over Luttrellstown CCin their league semi-final on Friday. This qualifies them for the league final this Thursday in the Oblate Hall. Thank you to Luttrellstown CC for the very competitive match and best of luck to our girls in the final.

Sister Act - THANK YOU! A huge thank you to the many individuals and local businesses who supported our TY Musical 'Sister Act' by sponsoring an advertisement in our programme and/or donating a prize for our raffle. Your support is greatly appreciated by the students and staff in St Joseph's College.

Christmas Hamper Appeal: We are currently collecting for our annual Christmas appeal for food hampers. This year the donations will go to the local St Vincent de Paul and Lucan Homeless donations, both organisations work closely with families in need in the general Lucan area. All charities are reporting this year that they are extremely low on supplies and that more and more families are reaching out for help. Any family in a position to help out are asked to donate, even just one non perishable item from , but obviously more than one item would be great. We are hoping to have all donations in by Friday December 12th to ensure the hampers can be made up in time for Christmas. All help is much appreciated, thank you.

2026 Calendar Fundraiser: We are delighted to announce the sale of our St. Joseph's College Fundraising Calendar 2026 in aid of St. Vincent De Paul.
Our calendars make fantastic planners, wall hangings for kitchens and offices and especially as Christmas presents to send all over the world!
This year's calendar features many beautiful images of Lucan and the surrounding areas. We are very grateful to our sponsors Eamon Costello (Kerry) Ltd., MyVet and Lucan District Credit Union for sponsoring our calendar once again. Calendars can be bought directly from the school (01-6281160) and will be on sale in Centra, Lucan for 10.00 euro.
All proceeds go to St. Vincent de Paul.
Please support this very worthy cause!

Follow Us on Twitter: @StJosephsLucan
Follow Us on Instagram: @stjosephscollegelucan
Find us on our Website: www.stjosephslucan.com

Colaiste Phadraig

Awards: Well done to 2nd yr Cillian O' Neill who won the Mark O' Neill Student of the Month Award for November in recognition of his excellent behaviour, good manners and pleasant demeanour in class and around the school.
Congratulations to 1st yr Eoghan Ware who won the Sports Star of the Month Award in recognition of his hugely influential displays for the school's 1st yr soccer and Gaelic Football teams.
Comhghairdeas freisin le Paraic Redmond on rang 1Talbot a bhuaigh an gradam Gaeilgeoir na Miosa do mhi na Samhna mar gheall ar an sar-iarracht a dheanann se an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus an sar-obair ata deanta aige sa rang Gaeilge.
The three winners each received a 20euro voucher as well as a framed certificate to recognise their achievements.
Well done also to the class tutor student of the month winners, who each received a 5 euro voucher for the school canteen.

Christmas Service: St. Mary's Church, Lucan hosted a heart-warming Christmas service for our 2nd and 3rd yr students last Friday morning. The ceremony marked the beginning of the Advent Season as well as the Christmas festive period.

The occasion brought together students of diverse faiths and beliefs and, under the guidance of Fr. Ubaldo, the multi-faith service not only celebrated the spirit of Christmas but also helped foster a sense of community and belonging. There was an uplifting festive atmosphere at the service that resonated with joy and excitement thanks to the collective efforts that made the occasion memorable for everyone involved.

We are very grateful to Fr. Ubaldo and the parish for their unwavering support and for creating a welcoming space for all to share in this festive season. It was a lovely occasion filled with reflection, celebration and joy and we commend the students on being so attentive, respectful and co-operative. Well done to all of the students who volunteered to do readings and assist throughout the ceremony. They all did a great job and Fr. Ubaldo was very appreciative and grateful for their contributions.

Football: Our senior football team had a convincing 4-15 to 1-02 win against St. McDara's Templeogue last Thursday in their opening group game of their Dublin League campaign. Killian Costello, Michael O' Brien, Ciaran Deegan and Rory Clarke scored the Lucan goals. Brian Whelan was outstanding at centre back, commanding the defence with composure, authority and strength. He read the game superbly, broke up attacks with well-timed interventions, and launched several productive counter-attacks with accurate and precise passing.

Having also won their opening game against St. David's College, Artane by a big margin, the team easily topped the three-team group and secured a home draw in the semi-finals, where they will play St. Paul's College, Raheny for a place in the Dublin Final.

Religion: As the Christmas season approaches, our ERST Student Council has been working tirelessly to bring warmth, reflection, and festive spirit to the school. Their dedication and leadership over the past number of weeks have helped transform our school environment, creating a welcoming and joyful atmosphere for students and staff alike.

One of the Council's first major tasks was preparing the Reception Area for the Christmas period. Working closely with Ms. Peel, they set up the school's Christmas tree, carefully arranging ornaments and lights to create a display that immediately lifts the spirits of all who pass through the entrance each morning. Their teamwork and attention to detail were evident, and the finished tree stands as a lovely centrepiece for the season.

In addition to the tree, the Student Council also prepared the advent candle wreaths and arranged the cribs in the Reception Area. These additions play an important role in marking the spiritual significance of the Advent season within our school. The advent wreaths, with their carefully placed candles, remind us of the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love—values that resonate deeply within our ERST ethos. The cribs, set out with care, serve as a gentle visual reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and offer all who see them a moment of quiet reflection amid the busyness of school life.

A particularly meaningful initiative this year has been Advent FM, run every morning by Dara Reilly from the Student Council. Over the school intercom, Dara shares short reflections that encourage the school community to pause, listen, and consider the deeper themes of Advent.

We extend our sincere thanks to the ERST Student Council for their hard work, creativity, and thoughtful contributions to school life this Christmas season.

Kishoge Community College

College Musical: The preparations for Kishoge Community College's performance of 'Grease' are well underway. Tickets for the performances, taking place 25th, 26th &27th March are now available from Eventbrite. Tickets cost 10 euro. Doors will open at 7.30pm, with the show starting at 8pm.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kishoge-cc-presents-grease-tickets-1976552813673

Disability Awareness Week: Staff and students celebrated Disability Awareness Week in Kishoge. Along with posters throughout the school, students made daily announcements about a range of disabilities and their personal experiences. A very successful (and delicious) bake sale raised 347 euro, and the week culminated with inclusive games in the PE hall at lunchtime, which had an excellent turn out from the students.

Transition Year: On Thursday 4th December, Transition Year students got to make their very own Bodhráns from scratch. Students got to personalise their bodhran with their own unique design printed on the front. When the bodhráns were complete, Michael gave the students a lesson on how to play their own bodhran.

They also had a great time ice-skating in Dun Laoghaire!

The book is available to purchase from the school directly in person or by phoning 01-8214061 or via click and collect at the following link: https://www.uniqueschoolapp.ie/go/pay?c=VkoDC

If you require postage, please contact accounts@mountsackville.ie to arrange (please note, postage will incur an additional charge).