Prize Day was held recently with awards being made to students for academic, sporting and extra-curricular activities, in recognition of their achievements. Guest of Honour and Ashton School Hall of Fame recipient was past-pupil Professor Mark Hutchinson, the youngest ever appointed Professor of Finance in UCC.

The Des Deasy Memorial Trophy for Engineering was awarded to Philip Brownlow, with the Hipwell Trophy for Business presented to Cillian O’Connell. Pfizer Perpetual Trophy for Leaving Cert. results awarded to Alice Walsh and Eoin Conway, with the Rochelle Trophy for Junior Cert. results being presented to Annie Walsh. First Year Merit Card prize: Eleanor O’Meara, Corn Mhic Uistin: Jack Marlborough, Corn an Amhairginigh: Darren Wilkinson. Ashton School Players Award for Contribution to Performing Arts: Aaron Deane. Shereen Gokul Memorial Trophy for Girl’s Hockey: Joanne Schiller, Andrew Chambers Memorial Trophy for Boy’s Hockey: Glenn Healy. The Victor Bond Memorial Trophy for Junior School Citizenship Award was presented to Dean Exshaw. The Ashton School Trophy for Senior Citizenship Award was awarded to James O’Leary.

The excitement of the annual visit of Lord Mayor Cllr. Mary Shields was palpable throughout the school when she spoke at Assembly and encouraged students to be inclusive in their approach to others in life. She congratulated the school on its new building, and to tumultuous applause gave the ‘homework off’ for the day. A much loved visitor always with students!

Mrs. Alison Flack spoke to Transition Year students on the importance of the role of Guide Dogs in people’s lives. She explained the training procedures, capacities and the importance of temperament in dogs which are involved in work with people with disabilities. Following this talk, students assisted the Guide Dogs Organisation by assisting with their Annual Flag Day.

Leaving Cert. student Daniel Mahon was a guest of President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin on Oct 10th, where he was part of the SHARE Executive invited to meet the President in recognition of the work of SHARE, promoting social involvement and solidarity between generations, which links closely with many of the themes of President Higgins. What an opportunity!

Etiquette – BK Inniu completed a full day workshop with Transition Year students on Oct. 2nd, where students learned about appropriate table manners and cutlery usage for those important events. Innovative Napkin folding was completed by all students, followed by appropriate posture and personal presentation for each. This involved walking the ‘red carpet’ accompanied to music! Skills for life.

Artists Helen Horgan and Liam Lavery along with Peter Murray Director Crawford Art Gallery, Alex Pentek Artist and past pupil, attended Ashton School to officially launch creative artwork. They responded to the Per Cent Scheme which commissions artists to create artwork for new building projects in the state. This led to a collaboration of students ideas, the Ashton Art Committee’s ideas, and those of the artists themselves, resulting in dynamic and progressive artwork, Alex Pentek’s ‘Unfurl’ , a bronze sculpture, and Helen Horgan and Liam Laverty’s wall mounted Relief Sculpture. Everyone involved was congratulated heartily by Mrs. Alison Flack, Chairperson of the Arts Committee.

In Hockey news, Ashton is a host school for the Irish Schools Hockey Championship, with the top 16 school-teams in the country participating. The P.E. Dept. are busy putting plans in place for this and the whole school is looking forward to it. Regular training is ongoing with both boys and girls teams competing in provincial competitions at all levels. Soccer training is ongoing also, with teams participating in schools competitions in North Cork and looking forward to positive results. Badminton training after school has started again for this school year, with renewed energy and greater numbers of students participating. We wish them all luck.

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