Young Social Innovators invite Minister Richard Bruton to Maryfield
Maryfield was proudly represented at UCD’S Junior Schools’ Debates last Thursday by the second year debating team: Susan Marmion, Róisín Ferguson, Emma Tyrrell, Lorna Lawless, Sarah Gunnigan, Gráinne Tancred and substitutes Christina Ryan and Elannah Treacher.
The girls performed and argued well the motion ‘That This House Would Force All Political Parties to Have a Female Leader or Deputy Leader’.
These young Maryfield enthusiasts have already competed in two previous debates in UCD, arguing that ‘This House Would Ban All Social Media Activity that is not Linked to a Verified Personal Account’ and that ‘This House Would Not allow Criminals to Publish Accounts of Their Crimes’.
This debutante debating team also attended a workshop on debating skills early last autumn in Belvedere College which has proved very valuable.
Special thanks is due to the parents of Susan Marmion, Sarah Gunnigan and Elannah Treacher for chauffeuring the teams to and from these events. All of the team are looking forward to taking part next year, having gained valuable experience at UCD, not to mention the numerous lunch hour meetings in Room 22.
Thanks to all teachers, students and staff who supported this event.
The Global Issues group hosted a very successful Intercultural Day this year in Maryfield. 1st, 2nd and 4th year students were invited to take part in a treasure hunt on some of the different cultures within the school. Twelve countries in all were represented by groups of students and it was a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about some of the cultures our classmates are from. There was delicious food to be sampled as well as art, craft, traditional dress and traditional music. We also learned some basic phrases in new languages and had the chance to practice them.
The Global Issues group volunteered on the day, helping out with the quiz, the performances and raising awareness about the importance of Global Citizenship. They set up displays with information about the Sustainable Development Goals and the work of organizations such as the UN and NGO’s like Trócaire and Concern. The focus of the day was to remind the school community that we are all global citizens and that we all have a role to play in creating the kind of world we would like to live in.
Congratulations to everyone involved for all your hard work!
Niamh, Ruth, Michelle, Amy and Ella (Maryfield Global Issues group)
Members of the Global Issues Group who participated in a workshop on governance and equality with Gráinne Ryan from Global Action Plan.
Pupils from Maryfield College(left) Sr Carmel Gorman CP and pupils from Cross and Passion College Kilcullen at the Le Cheile Conference February 3rd 2017
My name is Maria Lee and I’m a Fifth Year student. Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the European Youth Parliament Leinster session. EYP Ireland aims to spark an interest in European issues among Irish teenagers. I’m a member of the Maryfield Global Issues Group and I took part in the Concern Debates last year, so when my teacher Ms Mellon recommended the EYP session to me I knew that it was the sort of thing I’d be likely to enjoy.
The residential session took place over three days. Approximately one hundred young people took part, and we were divided into ten different committees for the weekend, each with a different EU-related topic to discuss. I was a member of the ‘FEMM’ committee, and we were tackling the issue of gender-based violence.
After a fun teambuilding session on Friday night, we were ready to get down to work on Saturday. The ten people on our committee, with some guidance from our Chairs (two former EYP delegates), spent the day discussing, sharing opinions, arguing and agonising until we finally completed our task for the day: to write a resolution on our topic, on which we were all agreed. This was difficult, but it was a very rewarding experience. By the end of the day I understood the issue of gender-based violence so much better than I had before, and I’d developed my own opinions on how it should be tackled.
A disco had been organised for Saturday night, and while I hadn’t really expected to enjoy that very much with a group of people I hadn’t known up until the day before, it ended up being great fun! I had made plenty of good friends by then and was more than happy to dance away with them for the night.
Sunday, however, was the most enjoyable day of the session by far. It was the day of the General Assembly, where all of us delegates were united to present our resolutions from the committee work. Each committee got the chance to explain and defend their suggestions for how their issue should be tackled by the EU, and the rest of the delegates then had to vote on whether or not to pass the resolution. It was an action-packed day of debating, rebutting, making speeches, picking apart other committees’ resolutions and, most importantly, learning. The list of topics covered was hugely varied, from Bitcoin to driverless cars, to mental health and the rise of extremist right wing parties. By the time I was going home, I had gained an understanding of these topics that I never could have through simply reading articles or watching the news. The GA was one of the most exciting and empowering experiences I’ve ever had.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in EYP. It was an incredible, unforgettable weekend that has taught me so much and has made me seriously consider setting my sights on working in the EU when I’m older. I’ve made wonderful friends and the whole experience has inspired me to work for change where change is needed. I now feel confident in expressing my opinions, and ready to stand up and make my voice heard.
The Maryfield Concern Debates Team competed recently against Presentation College Bray. The motion of the debate was “International agreements on climate change are a load of hot air.” Both teams presented compelling and thought-provoking arguments. The adjudicators announced Maryfield as the winners and the team and the school were delighted. Congratulations on all your hard work and commitment girls!
A selection of the school choir and the Traditional Group, along with Ms Grace and Ms O’Toole put on a short Christmas Carol Service for the Sisters of the Cross and Passion at their house on Griffith Avenue. The students sang carols and played a selection of Irish tunes, while some of the nuns shared some lovely stories of their years at Maryfield. One nun in particular graduated in 1953! A wonderful start to the festive season!
Our 6th Year students honoured a long-held Maryfield tradition by inviting our 1st Years to a carol service in the school hall on Wednesday afternoon. Following the singing of a selection of carols and Christmas songs, a special visitor from the North Pole arrived to wish all the students a very Happy Christmas.
The Mulled Wine and Mince Pie Evening for parents of First Year students took place on Tuesday 13th December. This is an annual event hosted by the Parents’ Association. The evening began with a concert featuring the musical talent of Maryfield students from the various year groups throughout the school. The school choir, the Maryfield traditional group and a host of other soloists treated the audience to a varied programme of music. Of course, the highlight of the evening were the First Year performers, including the First Year choir, solo singers and instrumentalists, a recorder group, and the students of 1K and 1R who treated us to a selection of Christmas music. The evening concluded with a reception in the dining room organised by the Parents’ Association.
