Senior Prize giving Ceremony

As the pupils, parents and teachers at St. Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel converged to the school assembly hall for the annual senior prize giving ceremony, their mood was jovial as they were about to celebrate another successful year. Sister Mary O’Connor (St. Louis Board of Governors) opened the proceedings of the annual prize giving ceremony by paying tribute to the role played by St. Louis in the area.

St. Louis Principal, Mr Kevin Martin emphasised the importance of celebrating the schools achievements. “Prize Giving is a very special and significant event in the school calendar as it allows us to reflect on the past year, and celebrate the success and achievements of our students.”

Mr. Martin paid tribute to the student’s achievements in the recent external examinations. , “2015-16 was another good year for the school and we are delighted with our students’ performance. At GCSE Level, the pass rate is once again very high with 99% achieving at least 7+ A*-C. 10 students achieved at least 8 A*/A grades and 30% of all grades were either A* or A with almost 70% attaining A*-B”.

Mr Martin was equally jubilant about the performance of the Year 14 students. “At A2 level, the percentage A*- C grades remains high at 91% with 32% of all grades A* or A and 65% A*-B. Overall we had 99% pass rate at A ‘Level. An excellent performance all round”.

Mr Martin paid tribute to the role played by teachers and the support of parents being “essential elements to such successes”. He also highlighted the role St. Louis plays in next steps taken by the students is a further testament to the quality of education being delivered by St. Louis.. “Our leaver’s destinations and the profiles of our university graduates reveals success across both STEM and the Arts disciplines reflecting the high academic standards achieved in the school and the broad range of experiences they encounter”.

The quality of a St. Louis education was once again recognized with further external awards being won by students. “Our congratulations to Year 14 student Nathan Heatley, winner of a Sutton Trust Summer School scholarship to Cambridge and to Year 13 student Caitlin Sands who was awarded a prestigious Arkwright scholarship, following in the footsteps of many St. Louis winners of the past”.

Mr Martin acknowledged the inspiration current students can take from the successes of former students “Several of our past pupils have received Top Student Awards from Queens University this year including Aidan Farrell for Actuarial Science and Risk Management, and Megan Herron who was awarded the best final year student for BSc International Business with Spanish”.

The caring side of the school community was also acknowledged by Mr Martin as the school had raised over £12,000 over the school year which has helped to alleviate some of the poverty experienced here at home and overseas. The St. Louis ethos was again evident as 9 students from the school received the John Paul II Awards. The students received their Gold awards at ceremonies in Belfast and Banbridge, for their work in their parishes and schools in the area of faith development.

Mr Martin also recognized the efforts of the newly formed Eco-schools committee which Current consists of 20 staff and 55 students from years 8-13. “Eco-Schools provides an excellent opportunity for pupils to experience active citizenship in school. The school is working towards the prestigious and internationally recognized Green Flag award.” Also recognized was the great efforts promoting Development Education, “St. Louis have been awarded the ‘World Wise Global School Passport’, an initiative open to all post-primary schools in Ireland, however I’m proud to say that St. Louis is the first recipient of this award in Northern Ireland.”

Mr Martin highlighted the additional educational experiences enjoyed by students at St. Louis during the past year. The musical ‘Oliver’ offered students the experience of a lifetime whilst entertaining the community over 4 nights in October. An exchange event to France with a school from Pichardie in Northern France proved to be a great success. Annual trips to the Gaeltacht and Manchester were amongst the many memorable events that students will treasure for the rest of their lives.

Sporting successes are a common feature of St. Louis Prize giving ceremonies and this year proved to be no exception as Mr Martin proudly announced the arrival of 2 Ulster titles to the school during the year. Mr Martin also celebrated the performances of students on the sports field. In Gaelic Football the Year 11/10 boys won the Ulster Colleges McAvoy Cup, whilst the senior girls claimed the Ulster Colleges Medallion Shield. Mr Martin also spoke of the pride as former pupil Kerry O’Flaherty participated in the Women’s Steeplechase during the Rio Olympics.

Guest speaker at this Prize giving ceremony was former St. Louis student Father Colum Murphy. Fr. Colum is from Rostrevor and attended St. Mary’s Boys Primary School in Rostrevor before attending St. Louis Grammar. He studied for the priesthood in St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth from 2007 to 2014. Ordained by Bishop John McAreavey in Newry Cathedral in 2014, Fr Colum was appointed to Newry Cathedral Parish in August 2014 where he has served since.

Fr Colum spoke of his fond memories and friendships from his time at St. Louis. He described his journey towards his vocation and about the import decisions he had to make along the way. Directing his attention to the students, he congratulated them on their successes and wished them well as they embarked on the next chapter in their lives. He believes that we are all on a vocation, and encouraged all the students to strive to be the best they can at whatever they do. Fr Colum told them not to be afraid to change direction when necessary, but also to enjoy their lives.

After all awards were presented, staff members, student and parents were treated to a short musical treat from the Music Department before retiring to the school canteen for some light refreshments.

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