May

2nd - Finishing date for assessment of LCA Task Work
(Session 2 Year 1.)
• Finishing date for the LCA Personal Reflection
Task.
6th - Leaving Certificate Engineering Practical
(10.00 – 1.00 & 2.00 – 5.00).
• Start date for monitoring Leaving Certificate
Agricultural Science and Agricultural Economics.
7th - Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme – Link
Modules – Written Examination (10.00 – 12.30)
• Leaving Certificate Construction Studies Practical
(9.30 – 1.30).
8th - Leaving Certificate Art Craftwork
(9.30 – 12.00 & 2.00 – 4.30).
• Leaving Certificate Art Design (9.30 – 12.00).
9th - Leaving Certificate Art Imaginative Composition or
Still Life (9.30 – 12.00).
• Leaving Certificate Art Life Sketching
(2.00 – 3.00).
• Final date for return of LCA Personal
Reflection Task to the Commission.
12th- Start date for LCA Practical Performance tests in
Hotel Catering & Tourism, Office Admin &
Customer Care, Active Leisure Studies, Hair &
Beauty & Agriculture/Horticulture.
16th - Finishing date for monitoring Leaving Certificate
Agricultural Science and Agricultural Economics.
• Finishing date for LCA Practical Performance
tests.
19th - Start date for LCA Oral tests in English and
Communication (Year 2 candidates) Gaeilge
Chumarsáideach, French, German, Spanish and Italian
(Year 1 and Year 2 candidates).
21st - LCA Information Technology (Specialism)
Practical performance and written test (10.00 – 12.00).
23rd - Finishing date for LCA Oral Tests.

Best of luck to everyone participating in any of the above examinations!

The end is near. No, not global warming… well that too, but I’m talking about the leaving cert.

Arriving late for school, desperately pushing your mind to its limits in an effort to come up with yet another unique excuse for being late. Trying to exit the school a class before lunch to have an extra half hour for lunch. Challenging the school system, the teachers and their stubborn ways. Participating in a race with 300 other students to reach the canteen and indulge in those breakfast rolls prepared with Ireland’s finest goods? Or not.

Those are some of the things that I will probably miss. That excitement and buzz that seemed to grow within the school on a daily basis. Walking mindlessly in a trance from class to class.. Actually, that was one of the downsides. It really is hard to talk positively about school for so long.

Next stop, grad mass. The night where we get drag our teachers out on the town and get drunk look back on those beutiful moments of school with our parents and teachers, as we embrace ourselves for the rest of our lives.
So from now until the 4th of July, do as Barry said - ” Hit the books. Hit them hard. It’ll be worth it”

If you’re not already in the middle of some of the those exams then you probably are in the coming days.

• LCVP - Written
• Construction - practical
• Engineering - practical
• Art - practical

Although many of these seem very daunting at times, they’re actually not that bad. If you’re doing LCVP then it might be wise to check out the 2007 paper along with the older ones.

Engineering and Construction are basically applying skills you have aquirred over the years. So theres little that can be revised for that. And as for Art, just keep drawing!

I’d like to wish everyone the best of luck in these ongoing/upcoming exams.

As we all should know the deadlines for course work and upcoming practicals are approaching.

22rd April - Finishing date for LCVP link modules portfolio

25th April - Finishing Date for Textile Studies Elective
Coursework in Home Economics Scientific
and Social.
• Finishing Date for Leaving Certificate
Religious Education Practical
Coursework Journal.
• Finishing Date for Leaving Certificate
History Research Study Report.
• Finishing Date for Leaving Certificate
Geographical Investigation Reporting
Booklet.
• Finishing date for Leaving Cert
Music, Higher Level Elective in
Composing.

28th April - Start date for assessment of LCA Task
Work, (Session 2 Year 1) Vocational
Education and Vocational Preparation

29th April - Question papers for Leaving Certificate Art
– Craftwork and Design to be distributed to
candidates.
30th April - Question papers for Leaving Certificate
Art - Imaginative Composition or Still Life
and Life Sketching to be distributed to
candidates.
• Finishing date for Leaving Certificate
Construction Studies Project work.

Best of luck to everyone who has participated in any of the above course work. Next month will bring the start of many practical exams.

An overview of the past few weeks.

Today I finished my final Oral examination. My Irish and German Oral completed, along with the music practical exam completed. And the feeling is great. But what now?

Mood wise I am better than ever. I enjoy the day of school in a way I have never enjoyed it before. Which is a sure sign that it is time for me to get out of there. And by that I don’t mean I enjoy sitting there listening to the droll voices of teachers who’s own enthusiasm to teach is at the same level of the majority of students willing to learn. And I don’t blame them.

I sat there day after day wondering when it would hit me. Hit me? Yes, that burst of motivation that hits most students around this time of year all over the nation. I feel like I’ve missed that train, and was left behind. Me and a hand full of other students in the same position as myself. Surely I want to do well to get into college. And I do, I really do. But I have not an ounce of motivation inside me, to sit in a class and be told what to do.

To me the pre’s were of no benefit at all. I missed a day due to illness which affected two of my exams. I had not completed course work to be reviewed which affected a further 3 of my exams. And I got no result on one subject, as the school managed to lose my exam answer sheet. Doesn’t get any better than that.

So here I am. Laughing about the Mocks. Enjoying the weather and making the most of the last few weeks I will spend in school with my friends. Only thing left for me to do is, find the train I failed to jump aboard a while ago.

As all of you are probably (should be) aware that the Leaving cert Oral exams begin soon. Very soon as a matter of fact. So the majority of us should be trying to only speak in these languages for the weekend.

Just a note of the dates

7th - Start date for Leaving Certificate Oral tests in:

• Irish
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Italian
• Russian
• Japanese

I’d like to wish all my fellow students the best of luck.

Ladies and Gentlemen, charge your engines. Finally the weekend has come. Where we all try put as much distance between us and the School. Where we light the fire, put our legs up and read a good book. Which of course means, hit the town, go for a few pints and enjoy a tasty burger from your towns finest fast food outlet.

Thinking back on the day i had yesterday… Doing my maths exam. Having gone through 3 packets of tissues while your nose tries to run a marathon. You look at the page and suddenly imagine how comfortable it would be to be back in bed. The constant sniffling irritates you as much as it annoys those within a 15 foot radius of you. Teachers constantly pacing up and down the hall. And then you have those teachers who enter the hall, wearing those high heel shoes. Now don’t get me wrong, It’s essential to wear uncomfortable shoes to work. You close your eyes and let your imagination flow. With the help of those high heel shoes, you suddenly feel you’re at the Galway races. And before you get a chance to back a teacher at 5:1, you open your eyes again.

Suddenly you feel the urge to stand up, but you can’t. Confined to your assigned space, you cannot move. Your back side has gone numb from sitting in those chairs for over 2 hours. Once you have completed your work, an hour ahead of schedule, your new goal is now to try and make eye contact with as many people as you can. Your eyes start scanning the room, and to your surprise there are only about 20% of the people still writing with 1 hour left to go. Which of course makes you feel better about yourself momentarily.

Now the cold sets in. Your hands begin to go numb and you have nothing to do. When you breath you can almost see the condensation and are almost afraid you’re going to be accused of smoking. And for no reason at all, you start laughing to yourself, quietly, but louder than expected when you notice several people turn around. A teacher asks you to stay quiet and to reread your paper. So you nod as if to agree with their amazing suggestion. So you check to see if you have spelled your name correctly and then resume your relaxed position. Which is almost impossible.

The smell of ‘freedom’ makes its way in through the door..a musty smell.. Oh no wait, thats the school. The papers are finally collected. Everyone turns around and nods at each other in shame assuming the worst of course. After all, its easier to do better than you did when you told someone you expected worse, than to do worse than you told someone you were you going to do. Now try say that last sentence really fast, 10 times in a row.

Enjoy your weekend.

Kevin.