Even when our world as we know it has been turned upside down and shaken inside out there are still wonderful things happening in St Joseph's. Members of our school community have continued to produce fabulous work, win competitions, engage creatively, learn new skills and celebrate all the sensational and incredible things that make us the group of people that we are.
Have a look through some of the wonderful things our students and teachers have been getting up to for your FEEL GOOD FRIDAY FIX 😊 - you won't be disappointed, we continue to be a very busy school community, despite being seperated from one another!
Guidance Department Jam-Packed Padlet
The Guidance Department have collected a large amount of important and relevant supports for both parents and students to be shared with the school community. The supports have been broken up into different categories and can be easily accessed through the following link: https://padlet.com/annabelheaney/bsb2ds4m0f9x
This Padlet resource is being updated daily and is already jam packed with resources for all the family under headings such as: Physical Exercise/Sport, Yoga/Pilates, Mindfulness & Relaxation, Anxiety/Stress, Entertainment for Adults and Students, Healthy Lifestyle, Parental Support, Activities, Music, Motivation, Education Supports for Students, Exam/Study Supports and Mental Health Supports.
Seriously, take a look, it is very impressive!
Well done to Ms Heaney and the Guidance Department for putting this together and continuously updating it!
Joe Wicks, Who? – Haven’t you heard of Ms Kiely & Ms Rodriguez!
The PE dept have put together a range of ideas & activities to keep the whole family active: https://padlet.com/emerkiely/6s6o4n4gjx4p
Workouts and circuits that cater for all levels of fitness with challenges set for those who would like to push themselves a little harder. As the first and second years are in the middle of their dance module there are links for different dance routines which they can try out.
Don’t forget it is very essential to warm up and cool down when you participate in exercise so we have included links for stretching and pilates too. This Padlet will also be updated on a continuous basis. So do check in regularly for something new!
It is important that everyone continues to be active during their time at home. We have tried to include a physical activity for all so we hope you find one you enjoy. Please encourage your children to get involved, why not motivate them by doing an activity a day together as a family!
Another very impressive looking page overflowing with a variety of different activities – well done PE Department 😊
Hear Ye, Hear Ye - THE ISOLATION REVIEW, Hot off the Press!
Mr Dowling and his 2nd year English class have been creatively collaborating.
They’ve only gone and produced a MAGAZINE. If you have not seen this, you NEED to!
This piece of work is full of fantastic articles, reviews, recipes – and so much more!
Find the link to – The Isolation Review Issue 001
Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJBhiDW6ZhWF6gJt7rLCBa9xqTCo9OYn/view
Well done to all the student and teacher contributors for this issue. It is a phenomenal piece of work, a real keepsake of our time in isolation.
We look forward to seeing Issue 002!
New St Joseph’s Twitter Accounts
We have two new groups from our school community entering the twittersphere.
Please do give the accounts a follow for daily updates. They'd love to see you following them! 
St Joseph’s Religion Department - @STJREDept
Is now up and live hoping to share motivational, inspirational and important messages for all. In these uncertain times our faith is steadfast and comforting. Link in with the department through the twitter page or you can also use our new online Prayer/Intention/Reflection Space which can be found on our website at the following address: http://www.stjosephsrush.ie/page/PrayerIntentionReflection-Space/66002/Index.html
Everyday at 12pm our school community will be thinking of/praying for all the intentions that have been submit through our virtual intention book. Check out all the information for this on the above link. What a beautiful & meaningful way to connect.
5th Year Student Leadership Team- @stj_leadership
Our 5th Year Leadership Team have been super productive over the Easter Break! Creating a Twitter page & their 7 Top Tips for students during these unusual times. You really need to check this group of young people out. Leaders of our future for sure.
A full article including their 7 Top Tips and a short video for each tip can be found on our school website and in the school app under the “News” tab. All the content was created by them and is currently being circulated to the students of our school through Year Heads & Form Teachers. Well done for creating such top quality content 5th years and we look forward to seeing what else you get up to in your leadership journey.
http://www.stjosephsrush.ie/News/5th-Year-Leadership-Team-Top-Tips/66821/Index.html
Top Class Photographers in 1st Year
Over the Easter Break Rush Tidy Towns ran a photography competition titled "Discover Rush". The competition was a massive success with over 170 entries. The standard was exceptional making the final decision a very difficult one for the Tidy Towns Committee. We are so proud of Amy Roche and Ethan Sands two 1st Year students who placed both 1st & 2nd in the u16s category of this competition. Wait until you see their photos, they are outstanding!
Amy's Winning Photograph is titled:"Field of waves"
Isn't it just stunning! Congratulations Amy, we look forward to seeing more of your talent in the coming years.
Ethan's 2nd Place Photograph is titled:"South Beach Sunset"
Such a beautiful shot! Well done Ethan another super talented photographer we also can't wait to see more of your photographs in the coming years.
TYs Staying Connected While Distant
Over the Easter Break our TYs gave us a lesson in nurturing friendships and keeping busy, creative and productive while isolating.
Daily challenges, virtual meet-ups, creative challenges, bake-offs you name it, these guys put their hands to it – literally in some instances!
Check out their “Hand Turkey” work, yes you heard me, “Hand Turkey”!
Another inspirational group of young people adapting to their new normal and not allowing their social connections to dwindle or the challenges of isolation confine them. Well done to all for getting involved. These will be the stories you will pass onto your grandchildren some day.
Check out some of the pictures of what they got up to below.
1st Year Video Projects - Move Over Spielberg!
Guidance Department - Mental Health Promotion Competition
A challenge set by our Guidance Department over the Easter Break was to create a video promoting Mental Health. The department ran this challenge as a competition and are delighted to say well done and congratulations to – Dominic Kelly in 1st Year who was the competition winner with his informational video.
Check out some of his cool animated tips on coping at the time of Corona here:
"Social Distancing Life" with 1D & Ms Doyle
Ms Doyle & her 1st years have also been exploring their video production skills!
The project title: "Social Distancing Life".
The task: To create a video of you living your best socially distant life.
Ms Doyle wanted to give Griffin Carrick's submission a particular shout out for his commitment to the project. It's definately a video that would cheer anyone up! Check it out here:
Food Parcels For Families
Every Wednesday since the 1st of April, a number of staff members in St Joseph's have been supplying food parcels to many families in our school. Where the family is unable to collect the parcel, it is delivered to the doorstep. This really is a wonderful, positive initiative to spread a little cheer and offer some support to families during these difficult times.
Check out some of the food parcels obeying social distancing rules waiting to be collected!
Modern Foreign Languages Dept Challenges... YOU!
The MFL Department at St Joseph’s have been setting a’ Language Challenge’ to keep Junior Students engaged in their modern foreign languages. Students have been honing skills such as discovery learning, independent learning, creativity, linguistic & digital skills while taking on language challenges very enthusiastically.
Students send their teachers evidence via photos or screen shots of them participating in these unique language challenges like changing their phone displays to the Target Language. How many of these challenges could you complete? St Joseph's dares you!
Check out the German, French & Spanish language challenge task sheets here:
1st Year Coding Success - Scratch National Competition
Firstly - I bet you want to know what Scratch is right? We're not talking when you have an itch, we promise!
Scratch is a visual programming language that makes it easy for young people to create their own interactive stories, animations, games, music and art – and share their creations on the web. Scratch is a programme that helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively – essential skills for life in the 21st century. It is a programme that our Coding Department use with our junior cycle coding students.
Each year Scratch hosts a National Competition - this year out of all the entries in Ireland only 34 entries qualified as finalists!
We are so delighted that Riaghan Boardman of 1A is one of these remarkable 34 with his Dodgeball Game Project.
Find a screen capture of his project here:
Congratulations Righan we are so proud of your success in this competition. A huge accomplishment, well done!
Irish Band “The Pale” Shoutout St Joseph’s
A lovely memory and throw back shared by The Pale this week giving our St Joseph’s Music Group a well-deserved shout out! The Irish band shared a full video recording of our performance with them back in November on Twitter & Facebook.
The St Joseph’s Music Group was so honoured to perform with Matthew & Shane in the Aidlink for Turkana concert. An organisation we are so strongly connected to here in St Joseph's. The Pale most well-known for "Butterfly" were over the moon with our choice to perform a song from their most recent album. They were also super impressed with our students and have raved about their performance and professionalism from the first day they met with us all!
Aidlink for Turkana took place on Saturday the 2nd of November to a full house in the National Boxing Stadium. The students got to see many different Irish artists perform with different choirs before they took to the stage with Shane & Matthew from The Pale and Blaithin Carney on the keys. The night was a beautiful celebration of connection & community.
Thanks for sharing the memory lads. It really brightened up our news feeds!
Have a watch of our full performance here: