Blackwater Community School Mission Statement

“Blackwater Community School is Committed to Quality Education”

Sapientia Et Scientia (Wisdom & Knowledge)

Mission Aims and Ethos of Blackwater Community School

1.     To foster the Christian values of truth, honesty, and integrity

2.     To enable students to develop their academic, physical, emotional, and spiritual potential to the fullest extent.

3.     To create a safe environment where students and staff feel cherished, secure and happy.

4.     To give students access to a broad and balanced education.

5.     To equip students with a strong sense of self-belief and self-motivation.

6.     To create a caring, co-operative and friendly community in an atmosphere of mutual

respect.

7.     To enhance students’ sense of their role within the local and wider community.

8.     To provide a welcoming atmosphere for parents/guardians and the wider community.

Blackwater Community Schools TY Vision and Rationale is to:

• Develop resilient, responsible, and reflective young people.

• Support Personal Growth, Civic Engagement, Career Exploration, and Being a Learner.

• Provide broad, inclusive, engaging learning opportunities.

• Prepare students for further education, adult life, and global citizenship.

•       Enhance student self-esteem through personal development.

•       Develop new skills.

•       Improve social competencies.

•       Extend learning beyond the classroom.

•       Linking the school with the local community

•       Develop multiple intelligences.

•       Promote enterprise and initiative.

•       Make more informed choices for leaving certificate subjects and course options through subject sampling

•       Improve interpersonal relationships.

·       Catch up with remediation and compensation in various subjects.

Through hands-on activities and guided analysis students examine real historical evidence, explore forensic techniques and piece together key elements of one of the most studied events of the 20^th Century.

Students get an opportunity to work like true investigators; analysing ballistics, eyewitness accounts, timelines and photographic material, learning how forensic science helps uncover truth amid complexity.

The workshop challenges students to think critically, question assumption and evaluate evidence form multiple angles.

YES!

 Meeting deadlines for project and homework submissions is an essential skill for Leaving Certificate as all subjects by 2029 will have a 40% allocation to project work. It is also important to foster this skill going forward for college and the world of work and apprenticeships.

1. Goal setting and the ongoing review of goals

2. A chronological review of student experiences and learning over the year

3. Progress across each of the four Student Dimensions

4. Critical reflections on key learning and achievement and end of year reflection.

They are:

1. Student's TY Portfolio (Digital or Paper Format)

2. Student Reflection

3. School Reporting

The development of the student across all four Student Dimensions is one of the aims of TY programmes.

It is important to recognise and report on the learning and development of the student in ways that genuinely reflect their level of engagement. Recognition across the year, from daily classroom interactions to engagement with the broader school community endeavours to nurture a deeper sense of belonging and achievement in the BCS TY Programme. As the year progresses, student motivation will be enhanced through genuine recognition of their work and achievements with an end-of-year TY Graduation and Interviews.

End-of-Year Interviews will provide an opportunity for students to publicly demonstrate their development, learning and maturity as young people. The TY Graduation allows teachers and students to come together to collectively acknowledge the successes and achievements of the entire TY group. It also affords the school the opportunity to recognise students with some meaningful and tangible record and recognition of their participation in TY with a wide variety of awards and certificates. This is informed by the variety of assessment, reporting and acknowledgement of achievements and participation in various different student experiences across the student dimensions throughout the year.

On Wednesday 11th February all TYs took part in the 1st annual TY Games. After some really impressive displays of teamwork, skill and resilience under pressure, it was TYC who took home the cup. Well done to all the base classes for their effort and enthusiasm.

They are offering to run a 6 week coaching course FREE OF CHARGE in the school. Students will be trained in how to coach cricket to 5-9 year olds and will receive a certificate on completion. It will run during school time and is a great opportunity to add to student's TY portfolio and CV.

This is open to both male and female students. Female students will also have the opportunity to take part in the ladies strength and conditioning classes free of the charge that will be held in Lismore in March and April.

Congratulations to all students who attended the county finals of their mini company project. Well done to Bibity bobbity bling who received the Best use of social media 2026 award. Congrats to Sarah Carey, Tessa O Leary, Isabel Warnes and Amy Lynch.

A huge congratulations to Sarah Carey on being shortlisted and reaching the final four in her category “Leader of the Year” at the TrailblazHer TY Awards held at TU, Dublin. Well done Sarah. Sarah was nominated for her outstanding work in the area of public speaking in TY.

During work experience at KPMG, we were asked to write an essay on the impacts of tariffs and discuss possible solutions to the current trade war. We submitted this project to the Chartered Accountants Ireland Be The Boss competition and we were selected as finalists in the All-Ireland competition. We attended the awards ceremony at Chartered Accountants House in Dublin on the 6th of May where we were presented with 3rd Prize.

Tallow N.S. - OVERALL WINNERS

Bunscoil Bhóthar na Naomh

Knocknanore N.S.

Whitechurch N.S.

Curraglass N.S.

Excellent displays of skill and they were all a credit to their schools

The Eurofins Science Essay Competition is a highly anticipated supercurricular initiative in Ireland, typically aimed at Transition Year (TY) students. Organized by Eurofins Biopharma Product Testing Ireland, the contest asks students to explore pivotal topics bridging biotechnology, scientific ethics, and real-world laboratory applications.