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Inspiring

Excellence,

Fulfilling

Potential

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES IN SIXTH FORM 17/18

“Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour”

William Cowper

Extra-Curricular Opportunities in Year 17/18

St. Mary’s Grammar School Page 1

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES IN SIXTH FORM

A levels and Academic success are obviously important aspects of life in Sixth Form in St Mary’s. However, it is often outside of the classroom, during extra-curricular activities, that skills are developed, fondest memories are formed and life-long friendships are made.

In St Mary’s we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in some form of extra-curricular activity. Whether you are full of competitive spirit, keen to compete at a national level, or you are simply looking for something to help you have fun and spend time with your peers, there is a club, group or activity for you. With numerous sporting clubs, volunteering opportunities, competitions and music groups we cater for all tastes, abilities and talents.

Looking to the future, we firmly believe that it is your commitment to pursuits outside of the classroom that will help you to stand out from the crowd. Your extra-curricular pursuits will go a long way to helping your application forms reach the top of the pile.

Participating in extra-curricular activities in St Mary’s can also offer you the chance to give back to your local community and to those less fortunate than us, both at home and abroad. We offer practical ways for you to put your Christianity into practice and develop your faith in God and his teachings. So, take a look at what’s on offer, chat to others involved and, when you see something you like, get involved.

“I clean my brushes, Choose my palette

Of vibrant, living colours, And begin to fill

Today's blank canvas” John McLeod



CLUB MHUIRE

Teacher in Charge: Mr McPhilomey

Club Mhuire is an Irish language club which is organised and run by Sixth Form Irish students in St. Mary’s. The club provides a platform for younger students to celebrate the music, language, dance and culture of Ireland in a motivated and innovative lunch time club. Sixth Form students are appointed a variety of roles from Chairperson to Treasurer, all of which are useful for university applications.

An Chéad Ghlúin Eile

Teacher in Charge: Miss McGouran

An Chéad Ghlúin Eile is an opportunity for Sixth Form students to gain experience in teaching in an Irish medium setting. Having established a link with Gaelscoil an tSeanchaí, Magherafelt, Sixth Form students travel to the primary school once a week and deliver lessons in singing, poetry, art and dance through the medium of Irish. This club is of particular use for those considering a career with the Irish language in the future.

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GOLDMARK PROGRAMME

Teacher in Charge: Mr McElholm

GoldMark is a dynamic programme aimed at promoting and recognising sports volunteering for our Sixth Formers. It builds on the successes of Millennium Volunteers and is part supported by the Department of Education. GoldMark aims to: Offer young people volunteer opportunities within sport which are challenging,

unique and inspiring Enable young people to develop their Learning and Skills Showcase the talented youth in NI Establish recognition for young sports volunteers Enable young people to meet new people, have a laugh, gain confidence and

make a difference Students in Sixth Form at St.Mary’s are given the opportunity to achieve the 50 hour GoldMark award through volunteering in sport at school. The students will help with coaching and with our successful ‘FunSports’ project which provides opportunities, after school, for our junior pupils.

GENERAL FITNESS, STRENGTH

AND CONDITIONING

Teacher in Charge: PE Staff

Sixth Form students at St.Mary’s are encouraged to avail of our top class sports facilities. They are allowed access to the fitness suite during designated periods throughout the school day, during lunch and after school on a daily basis. PE staff will provide personalised exercise programmes and advice on training methods which are tailored to suit the students’ needs and personal exercise targets.



ST MARY’S SENIOR SPORTS TEAMS

Teacher in Charge: PE Staff

Sixth Form students at St.Mary’s have the opportunity to play for the senior sports teams in the school at Provincial and National level. All of our senior teams compete at the highest level of school sport. Our MacRory Cup team has appeared in 3 finals and won the MacRory Cup for the first time in the school’s history in 2017. The school has won the MacCormick Cup and has featured in the semi final on 3 occasions in the last 8 years. Our senior Camogie team has won numerous Ulster titles as well as the All Ireland title and our newly formed ladies football team is making great strides at Provincial level. We also play Ulster Colleges’ Hurling with our Hurling team competing in the casement Cup. The team reached the final in 2015.

Many of our Sixth Form students have been honoured with Colleges’ All Star Awards over the years which reflect upon their ability and aptitude.

All of our teams train for many months and our players are exposed to the most innovative coaching techniques available. They have access to our first class strength and conditioning facilities and a wide range of other support services all of which aid in developing their sporting potential.

FOUNDATION LEVEL

COACHING


Sixth Form students at St.Mary’s are given the opportunity to attend various coaching modules which are facilitated by different National Governing Bodies. One of the most popular is the GAA coaching module. The course lasts for 8 hours and involves both theory and practical sessions. All the students are awarded the GAA Foundation Level Coaching Award and are qualified to coach underage teams.

As a follow up from the coaching award all the participants also attend a course on Child Protection and gain an additional qualification in this area. They also attend a one day course on teaching the Fundamentals of Gaelic Football. All our students have an opportunity to coach younger pupils from St. Mary’s and local primary schools. In addition to this, our new coaches run the annual Top Link Sports Festivals for our feeder primary schools.



YOUTH SPORT TRUST


‘Designed to enhance links between schools, TOP Link encourages 14 to 16 year olds to organise and manage sport or dance festivals in local primary and special schools.

Part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Step into Sport programme, TOP Link is connected to existing school leadership work such as the Junior Sports Leader Award and the Community Sports Leader Award. As well as developing school links, TOP Link also uses PE and sport to train and encourage young people to become leaders who can use their skills to benefit the wider community’.

St.Mary’s students have been involved in the Top Link Programme for 10 years. The PE department organises 2 primary school festivals (Gaelic Football and Camogie), which are run by our Sixth Form students, all of whom had attained coaching qualifications in Gaelic Football/Camogie and Child Protection Certificates. 13 of our larger feeder primary schools take part with around 150 Primary 7 pupils experiencing a comprehensive coaching programme, lunch and a competitive blitz.

Consequently, our students enhance their leadership skills and become more effective and confident communicators.

GAA SPORTS ACADEMY


Sixth Form students at St.Mary’s have had the opportunity to take part in the GAA Sports Academy. They are trained by Ulster Council Coaches in a wide range of areas including; nutrition, game analysis, fitness testing, hydration and warm up techniques.

Once they have acquired the necessary skills and experience they are then given the opportunity of passing their skills onto our junior pupils.



ST MARY’S SENIOR CHOIR

Teacher in Charge: Miss Donnelly

St Mary’s Senior Choir has a long established tradition for excellent choral singing. They rehearse twice weekly for school events such as the Christmas Carol Service and Spring Concert. They have also competed in many competitions and festivals throughout the province and members have participated in The Ulster Youth Choir and the National Music Youth Theatre. They have been successful in BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of the Year. The school also has an excellent Vocal teacher, Mrs Henry, who continues to provide a high standard of vocal tuition and help to enhance the overall standard of the choir. They are conducted by Miss Donnelly.

SENIOR TRADITIONAL GROUP


Our Senior Traditional Group, has existed since 2006 and seeks to develop the skills of its Irish Traditional musicians. They have had much success in competitions throughout the UK and Ireland, travelling regularly to Birmingham and London as winners of the National Music for Youth Festival. They also compete in the National Under 19 Siansa Competition and have been the best school group on several occasions. Several former players have gone on to make careers in traditional Music, most notably Eamon Murray, bodhran player for Beoga. The group perform at other cultural events in the locality and they have also organised workshops in local primary schools to help develop the skills of these younger players. They perform in school céilí dances, Trad for Trócaire evenings and the Spring Concert.

JUNIOR TRADITIONAL GROUP


The Junior Traditional Group is comprised of traditional musicians in Years 8-10. They meet one lunchtime per week and are involved in concerts and fundraising events throughout the school year.



ST MARY’S SCHOOL ORCHESTRA


St Mary’s Senior Senior Orchestra is one of the many extra-curricular groups run by the Music Department to showcase the plethora of talented string players in the senior school.

The orchestra rehearse once a week after school and is open to all string players in Sixth Form. Students will usually be a minimum of Grade 4 standard on their instrument before joining this group.

The Senior String Orchestra will play at school concerts and carol services. It is a great chance for instrumentalists to gain experience playing as part of a group, develop their instrumental skills and perform in public.

New members can register in September or January and should be willing to come to rehearsals every week and support all performances.

ST MARY’S INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLES

Teacher in Charge: St Mary’s Instrumental Tutors

Due to the high standard of many of the students taking instrumental lessons in St Mary’s, over the last few years we have developed several smaller ensemble groups. Some of the groups include a Senior String Group, Brass Ensemble, Jazz Band and Flute Group.

These groups are led by our experienced instrumental tutors, each of whom are experts in their own field. Playing as part of a smaller ensemble provides unique performance opportunities and encourages the performer to grow in confidence and develop their instrumental skills to a greater depth than can be achieved in lessons and orchestras alone.

Ensemble groups will have the opportunity to perform at school concerts, carol services and assemblies.

If you would like to be part of one of the ensemble groups, or indeed if you have any suggestions for new groups, just speak to your instrumental tutor, Miss Donnelly or Mrs Quinn.



PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

A Global Voice for Women

Teacher in Charge: Mrs Reid

Are you a female Sixth Year student who would like the opportunity to:

Improve your communication skills?

Develop the skill of speaking effectively?

Develop self-confidence and personality?

Play a prominent role in public life?

Do you care about issues that affect women and girls?

If so then this is the extra-curricular activity for you!

The Soroptimist International Public Speaking Competition aims to develop girls as confident public speakers so that they can play a prominent role in their future careers and have the confidence to speak confidently in any situation and to any audience.

Soroptimist International is committed to a world where women and girls together

achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have

an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful communities worldwide.

What do I have to do? Give your name to Mrs Reid or Mrs Gordon, pick a topic from 6 topics provided, write a speech and then deliver your speech to a panel of judges. If successful in the local heat, you will then proceed to the Northern Ireland Final.

What will I gain for this experience? As well as developing your communication skills and self-confidence, participation in such a competition is a wonderful asset to add to your CV. The winner will also receive a Bursary Award of £250.

St Mary’s Success St Mary’s students have a long history of success in this competition. In February 2018 Cate Bateson was placed 2nd in the Northern Ireland final of Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland’s Public Speaking competition. Cate spoke articulately on her chosen topic ‘Every generation has its problems, what’s in store for me?’ and she was given five minutes to prepare an extempore speech about ‘challenge’. Cate won a £100 bursary and a received a cup. The judges commended Cate for her confidence, knowledge and passion.

‘This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to push themselves for a new challenge; preparing is nerve-racking but

I am much more confident speaking in public now – a great experience!’



ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION –

Teacher in Charge: Mrs Reid

What is the most important skill a Year 13 student needs in order to prepare for future employment?

Interview skills of course!

What is the Youth Leadership Competition? The Youth leadership Competition, aimed at Sixth Form students, gives young people an opportunity to develop their interview and leadership skills.

The aim of the competition is to help you prepare for your future career and offers you a personal development experience not to be missed!

24 students from across Ireland are selected at the Area Finals to participate in a week long Leadership Development Programme (LDP). LDP week consists of three days in Belfast and Dublin before jetting off for the European Parliament in Strasbourg to play a part in the Euroscala Programme early the following year. The winners debate major EU issues in the European Parliament’s Building with 600 other students from across the European Union. What will I gain from getting involved?

The Winners, will be making new friends, experiencing challenges, developing their communication and interview skills, building their CV and having plenty of fun throughout the Leadership Development Week! How do I get Involved? It is quite simple: speak to Mrs. Reid, get an Application Form and enter the competition. St Mary’s Grammar School and Cookstown Rotary Club will then work together to ensure your chance of an opportunity to win the trip of a lifetime to the European Parliament in Strasbourg St Mary’s Youth Leadership Success

St Mary’s have a long history of success in this competition. This year, eight local schools were involved and Rotary Club members were tasked with interviews at school and area levels. In January 2016, Lauren McStocker from St Mary's emerged as the overall area winner and had the opportunity to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg, then the Dáil in Dublin and Stormont in Belfast.



soroptimist international

GIRLS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

TEACHERS IN CHARGE: MRS O. REID & MRS C. GORDON

Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement working together to transform the lives of women and girls. The aim of Soroptimist is that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide. Soroptimists transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities.

SIXTH FORM GIRLS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

In November 2017, 6 pupils (Eadaoin Donaghy, Cate Bateson, Ella McKenna, Karen Lagan, Roise Pelan and Una Campbell) represented St. Mary's in the regional heat of the Soroptimist International Public Speaking Competition in Ballymoney. Soroptimist is an international organisation which encourages girls to play a more prominent part in public life and develop their ability to speak publicly with confidence and clarity.

Each participant was tasked with speaking for 6 minutes on a topic from a prescribed list. All six girls were wonderful ambassadors for St. Mary's with Cate Bateson being awarded 1st place for her speech on the popular topic, 'Every generation has had its problems - what's in store for me?' It was a night of double delight for St. Mary's as Roise Pelan was awarded 3rd place for her speech on the topic, 'What does Brexit mean for young people?'

Cate proceeded to the Northern Ireland Final which was held in Hillsborough in February 2018.



Poetry aloud competition

TEACHERS IN CHARGE: MRS O.REID, MISS M.CUMISKEY & MRS C.MURRAY

Poetry Aloud is an annual poetry speaking competition open to all post-primary students on the island of Ireland. It is organised by Poetry Ireland and the National Library of Ireland. Since it was launched in 2006, Poetry Aloud has grown from just a few hundred entries to almost 2,000 entries in 2016.

The late Seamus Heaney was a significant supporter of Poetry Aloud. When he won the David Cohen Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, he nominated Poetry Aloud for the accompanying Clarissa Luard Award, and he remarked, “I truly believe Poetry Aloud deserves all the support it can get, because it promotes literature, and, in particular, poetry, widely, intimately and to inestimable effect. But fundamentally, I choose it because it brings poetry into the memory and affections of the young in a way that will make it a lifelong possession and value”. This year the competition also received a donation from the John S Cohen Foundation in memory of Seamus Heaney.

The competition has three stages: regional heats, which take place in different venues across the country; the semi-finals; and the final, which is held at the National Library of Ireland. The competition has three age categories: Junior: Keystage 3 pupils Intermediate: Keystage 4 pupils Senior: Keystage 5 pupils In November 2017, six St Mary’s pupils took part in the Poetry Aloud competition regional heat in the Linenhall Library, Belfast, performing from memory a prescribed poem by Patrick Kavanagh and a poem of their own choice. Medbh Tohill (Junior Category) and Maibh Shiels (Senior Category) were selected to progress to the Semi-Final of the competition in the National Library of Ireland, Dublin. At the Semi-final, Medbh Tohill performed Homage to Omey by Joan McBreen in addition to the prescribed Kavanagh poem and Maibh Shiels performed Yeats’ Coole Park, 1929 in addition to the set poem. All of our pupils performed to a very high standard in both the regional heat and in the semi-final. They were excellent ambassadors for our department and received glowing praise on both occasions.



POPE JOHN PAUL II AWARD

Teacher in Charge: Miss Burns

"Do not let people disregard you because you are young, but be an example

to all the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your

faith and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

The Award was created to commemorate the late Pope John Paul II who was so committed to young people and who had such belief and confidence in them. “…even if Christian commitment is considered unfashionable in some circles, there is a real spiritual hunger and a generous desire to serve others among the young people of Ireland". Pope John Paul II

The Award allows young people to understand that religion and faith is not just for

learning, nor is it a list of rules, but that it is for living.

Life as a Catholic today presents many challenges for young people within their peer

groups and their Church community. Building friendships with peers like-minded

in their faith and playing an active part in parish and community serves to

strengthen the young people of our Church. The Pope John Paul II Award is an

excellent way to offer the structure and support for young people to do this.

There are 3 levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze

Depending on the level of the Award students enrol for, they will have to complete a certain number of hours doing parish activities and the same number of hours involved in ‘Social Awareness’ activities.

Students are required to keep a reflective journal throughout the award. To

compliment this journal, students are required to attend three catechesis sessions

with their award leaders.

As well as the feeling of personal achievement that you will gain from taking part in

the award, participation will help to show future employers and educators that you

are a young person who can make an on-going commitment to a task. The award is

non-competitive, flexible and voluntary.



LIFE ADVOCATE AWARDS

Teacher in Charge: Miss Burns

“human rights are not a privilege conferred by Government. They

are every being’s entitlement by virtue of our humanity”

MARTIN L

Who is this competition open to?

This competition is open to Lower Sixth Students.

What does it involve?

This competition requires pupils to submit a 600–750 word essay discussing a quote, which,

this year, is the one as above from Mother Teresa.

Students are required to explore the title in relation to human rights, in particular the primary

human right – the right to life.

Why get involved?

Firstly- the fantastic prizes which are available make this an attractive competition to enter:

First place: £250

Second place: £125

Third place: £65

Aside from the monetary value, taking part in this competition can develop your evaluation

and analysis skills. Miss Burns and the RE Department will be on hand to give you all the

advice you may need and will point you in the direction of extra reading. This is particularly

useful for students wishing to study Theology, Law or Medicine down the line.



REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING COMPETITION

Teacher in Charge: Mr O’Connor and Mr McVeigh

Sentinus Young Innovators is one of the largest events of its kind in the UK and provides a showcase for students to demonstrate the wealth of creativity and innovation which exists in schools. St Mary’s Sixth Form Technology and Design students have excelled in Regional, National and International Engineering competitions.

TIMON Open Transport Hackathon

Teacher in Charge: Mrs Daly

Two gifted Year 13 pupils from St. Mary’s and their friend impressed judges in the TIMON Open Data Hackathon at Queen’s Computer Science Building from Friday 19 January – Sunday 21 January 2018.

The TIMON hackathon is the ideal place to think outside the box to come up with new and innovative ways to reduce urban pollution, improve traffic/pedestrian safety and achieve more flexible travel planning.

What is TIMON? The TIMON project has as its main objectives to increase the safety, sustainability, flexibility and efficiency of road transport systems using cooperative communication by processing open data related to mobility through an open web-based platform and mobile app, developed with the purpose of delivering information and services to drivers, businesses and vulnerable road users in real time.

Over three days, John McElhone, Micheal McLaughlin and Rory McMullan were confined to a room to develop an app and pitch to increase the overall safety, sustainability and efficiency of road transport systems using open, free to use public data. They pitched their idea to four judges and managed to win a prize of £1000 for the best use of open data in a project.

This is the second time that John, Micheal and Rory have been rewarded for their innovation and use of technology, having previously won the BelTech Dragon’s Den competition.



CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD COMPETITION

Teacher in Charge: Miss McCloskey and Ms Mullan

The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is an annual competition for the world's most talented chemistry students at the secondary school level. It starts with Round I - a challenging written test of chemical knowledge and gold, silver and bronze certificates are awarded. The questions posed in Round I often stimulate much debate on, and enthusiasm for, chemistry - raising awareness of what the subject is all about. Tackling the Round I paper also provides a good opportunity to develop some of the skills required for study at University and beyond. The RSC Olympiad Selection Committee selects the top-performing students from Round 1 to participate in Round 2 which takes place in Cambridge. This weekend will combine both theoretical and practical testing to select 4 students to participate in the international final.

CAMBRIDGE CHALLENGE COMPETITION

Teacher in Charge: Miss McCloskey and Ms Mullan

This competition is open to Sixth Form students and it aims to stretch and challenge students interested in chemistry. It provides an excellent experience for anyone considering taking their studies further. It takes the form of a 90 minute written paper which students will take at school. Students who do well in the competition will be sent certificates of achievement, and those who perform best will win an invitation to a residential camp at the University of Cambridge.



Schools Chemistry Newsletter Competition

Teacher in Charge: Miss McCloskey

THE INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY OF IRELAND

The School’s Chemistry Newsletter Competition is open to Lower Sixth students. Students are given the opportunity to research and write a newsletter article on a particular theme.

Recent submissions involved a group of students developing a newsletter which contained the results of a survey carried out with nearly three hundred students across the school about what they thought Chemistry was and why it was important to study it. In addition to this, the students carried out research into new chemical

developments happening in Northern Ireland, finding out about new chewing gum repellents, and, drugs being manufactured in N. Ireland to cure cystic fibrosis. Other themes involved; “Chemistry-Is it just lab coats & Breaking Bad?” “Crystallography’’

Students were all highly commended for their work.

BRITISH PHYSICS OLYMPIAD http://www.BPhO.org.uk

Take the challenge! St. Mary’s Physics Dept offer Sixth Form students the opportunity to participate in the British Physics Olympiad. We work to encourage the study of Physics and recognise excellence in young physicists through this prestigious competition. The flagship competition, the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) has run for 25 years and is entered annually by over 1,600 talented young physicists. The examination-based competition has a dual purpose: to challenge and reward the best physicists in British schools and to select the UK Physics Team for competition at international level. Top Physics students enter the competition every year and we have a great success rate to date. Certificates are awarded to the top students. Being awarded an Olympiad certificate indicates that you are a physicist of a very high caliber and will impress any prospective university or employer!



ST MARY’S MINI COMPANY

Teacher in Charge: Mrs McKeever

The ‘Mini company’ is organised every year with a group of Sixth Form students, who are ‘would-be’ entrepreneurs. This is part of an enrichment programme to complement their A Level studies. The students tend to have a background in Business Studies or Economics. The group democratically elected a Managing Director and the other various roles are decided amongst themselves. The company debate their strategy for the year ahead. Their aim is to make a profit to donate to charity. In the past we have sold ‘pink jerseys’, hoodies, under armour, rain coats, sports bags and many food items such as candy apples and cup cakes to name but a few. Some groups have organised events such as buses to school matches and DVD days, for end of term activities. We meet at lunch times and at break throughout the school year. The Managing Director and Assistant Managing Director develop a strategy which unfolds as the year progresses. In the past profits have been as high as £2,600. The group decide who to donate these funds to: we often donate a percentage to Marie Curie and the remainder to local charities – the main charities to benefit this year are Habitat for Humanity and the Children’s Hospice..

Past students who have been part of the young enterprise have enthused about how useful this experience has been to them, in particular concerning their UCAS statements. One of the previous Managing Directors has this to say about her experience: ‘The mini company has been one of the activities that I am always quizzed about when applying for jobs. In the real world this type of practical experience is exactly what employers are looking for – evidence of working in a team, decision making, compromising and solving problems. I didn’t realise at the time how useful this enrichment course would be.’

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SAPHARA Journey with purpose to India with the charity organisation

The Saphara trip is an amazing opportunity open to all Year 13 Sixth Form students. All you need is a willingness to work hard, an open mind and the desire to give a little of yourself to those who are less fortunate than you. It is a trip of a lifetime in so many ways!

Saphara is a Northern Ireland based charity which seeks to raise money and provide practical support for under privileged children and families in India. Many of the children Saphara works with in India would have no access to education without the help of the charity. Each year, teams of Year 13 students from different schools in Northern Ireland travel to India during the summer months to teach in two different schools.

Throughout the year students in Year 13 organise fundraising events such as an abseil down the side of the Europa Hotel in Belfast, supermarket bag packs, quiz nights, street collections and non-uniform days. The money raised helps to fund the trip and provides much needed resources for the schools in India.

Then in July the team of volunteers visit India to teach the children a wide range of topics, develop their English language skills and build their confidence and their sense of personal worth and value. You soon realise that the young people in India have the same desires and ambitions as we do, the just need to be given the opportunity to flourish. Members of the Saphara term form lifelong friendships with their peers and are able to become immersed in a diverse and fascinating culture. And for every little bit of help they give to anyone they meet in India they get back ten-fold in the gratitude, respect and joy they receive in return.

The 16 day trip consists of:

A weekend in Delhi –orientation, shopping and sightseeing trips to Taj Mahal

A week teaching children in the rural village school of Mussoorie

A global awareness weekend with trekking in the Himalayas and a visit to Donk Primary School

A week teaching children in SNEHA in Dehradhun, a school with children from a marginalised urban community

A final weekend in Delhi including a visit to the Lotus Temple.

Bríd McGee, Head Girl reflected on her experience with Saphara: “I always knew that my journey to India would impact me but I never knew just how much it would. I am coming home having gained so much more than I have given through teaching in Kaplani, Donk and SNEHA. I know what I have gained will stay with me the rest of my life.”

The Awakening

Awakening, dawn's chorus Welcoming,

The day new, untouched Waiting to be filled....

And will we paint a rainbow

With all its promise Or dull the canvas

Sadly seen?

Each day brings its own colours

To be chosen, mixed, Pigments of joy, Happy moments,

Smiles and laughter....

And which will you choose?

For 'Life' is choice, We are all painters

In our own way, All needing to create Something of worth,

Of lasting beauty, Marking our journey....

Footprints in the sand.... The sky today is azure,

The sun warm and golden A filigree of light and shadow-play Through the gently swaying trees.

I clean my brushes, Choose my palette

Of vibrant, living colours, And begin to fill

Today's blank canvas

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