This year’s Student Council has been very busy working on their year plan which we drew up based on a survey of all students in October.  The following report will outline some of the goals which were achieved.

Some of the short term goals achieved were as follows:

1. 1.       Hockey stick bins.

The school had a big problem with sports bags and hockey sticks lying around the locker-rooms.  This issue was brought up with the Student Council and we all agreed something needed to be done about it.  Following discussions and involvement from other students and staff,  the builders built sturdy wooden hockey bins and nailed them to the walls of the locker-rooms.  Students now have a place to leave their hockey bags and sticks during class time. 

1. 2.       More clocks in classrooms and fix the broken clocks.

A common issue among students in the school was that many classrooms contained broken or slow clocks.  The Council wrote a letter to Mr. Cluskey, the school’s caretaker and all of the clocks were given new batteries or replaced.  New clocks were purchased for classrooms which needed them.  Many thanks to Mr. Cluskey!

1. 3.       More lights in the 5^th and 6^th Year locker rooms.

Many complaints were coming in from students with regard to the lighting in the 5^th and 6^th year locker rooms.  As a result, the Council contacted Ms. Mannion and Mr.Cluskey and new lights were fitted.  The 6^th Year locker rooms were given new ceilings by the builders and new lights were also fitted.

1. Mental Health Awareness Day - Sunshine Day and Healthwise Week.

This year the Student Council really got involved with Healthwise Week and introduced our Mental Health Awareness ‘Sunshine’ Day.  This day encouraged students to participate by wearing brightly coloured socks to school.  There was a prize for this competition so students were given an incentive to get involved.  Jokes were read out over the intercom during the day to lighten everyone’s mood.  Following suggestions at our Loreto Network Day, each tutor class was given brightly coloured balloons, on which they wrote down some of their worries.  A countdown was then called out over the intercom and all students popped their balloons at the same time.   We also helped out with Healthwise Week by handing out stickers every morning to the students who walked to school and by marshalling the 5km run.  Overall it was a great, uplifting week and was a huge success among the students.

1. 5.       Change in the constitution - Open meetings once a month.

Following suggestions at our Loreto Network Day in the Clarion Hotel in Dublin, the Council made a change to our constitution to improve participation and awareness of our work among students.  A referendum was held and students voted to ratify our proposed change.  Students are now invited to sign their names on the Council notice board to participate in any meeting and can also attend the open meetings which are held once a month.

1.  6.     Feedback Friday.

To further improve awareness among the students of the council’s activities, the council introduced “Feedback Friday”, whereby each member of the council goes to a tutor class to fill the students in on the progress and matters arising from the meeting that week.  Students are better informed of our work as a result and the Council benefits from getting suggestions from students first hand.  It also enables class groups to know their representatives better.

1. Mock Election.
   The Mock Election this year was a huge success.  The Council, the 4^th Years, the MUN and the Debating Society invited local politicians who were going forward for election in the General Election in February to a debate in our school.  Candidates from both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Dublin South constituencies were invited as our students live in both of these areas.  A mock debate was set up, chaired by two senior debaters, Caoimhe Stafford and Ludivine Rebet. 4^th,  5^th and 6^th Years were given the chance to listen to the politicians and take part in the debate by proposing questions about issues such as 'Third Level Fees' and 'Emigration'.  The debate made the front page in the Dundrum Gazette and articles & photos were also published in the Dun Laoghaire Gazette.

The day after the debate, students voted for their preferred candidates in our mock election.  A team then counted the votes using the Proportional Representation System, where they soon experienced how complicated it can be!!  The results were announced later that day.  It was a great experience for the 6^th Uears in particular- many of whom were voting for the first time in the upcoming election.  Many thanks to Barry Andrews, Ivana Bacik, Ciarán Cuffe, Richard Boyd Barrett, Alan Shatter, Peter Mathews and Maria Corrigan for taking part and ensuring that the debate was an enjoyable, informative and entertaining experience for all involved.

1. 7.       Student Council Awareness Week.

This week in November was dedicated to promoting and raising awareness for the work of the Student Council. Lollipops were handed out at the Student Council notice board, announcements were made alongside class visits and posters were put up around the school.  Students enjoyed the lunchtime treasure hunt where they had to answer clues based on the Student Council.  The week made students aware of the representatives of the council, as well as the work which they do.  It was a very successful week.

1. 8.        Council’s work with Staff, Board of Management and Parents’ Association

The Student Council made a presentation at a staff meeting in November about our year plan and discussed projects such as breast cancer awareness that we could work on together.  In January, we met with the Board of Management to present our year plan, ratify our new constitution and to request approval for our much-needed budget!!  In March, we attended a Parents’ Association meeting about our proposals for hockey dug-outs.  We will also attend another one of their meetings in May to discuss the progress of our plans.  Many thanks to all of these groups for their invaluable advice and support.

Some of the long term goals we are working on are as follows:

1. 1.       Hockey Dug-outs on the pitch – ongoing progress.

Students requested that hockey dug-outs be introduced to the back pitch.  At present, we are researching the dug-outs with different companies and trying to find the best deal, preferably from a local Irish company.  We made a presentation to the Parents' Association looking for their assistance with the project and they have kindly offered to mentor us to help achieve our goals over the next year.

1. 2.       Bike shelters- ongoing progress.

As well as hockey dug-outs, bike shelters are also a goal, especially now in the months coming into summer.  We are investigating quotes from various companies that we are working with for the hockey dug-outs that we might include bike shelters in our order.

1. 3.       The 5^th Year locker room - space issue.

This was a major goal achieved by the council this year.  The 5^th Year locker room was becoming a huge problem due to space issues.  Mr.Cluskey was contacted and 20 lockers were moved to the A corridor.  The locker room is now more accessible for students and they all showed great gratitude when the task had been accomplished.

1. 4.       Text system for notes instead of wasting paper.

Following a suggestion from a 6^th Year student, attention was brought to the fact that a lot of paper was being used to send home notes to students.  A proposal was made to Ms Mannion about the possibility of greater use of the texting system, suggesting that brief messages could be sent in a text, rather than through letters home.  This would have a great environmental result and our paper usage would be greatly reduced.  Thanks to Ms. Mannion’s positive response to our proposal, this system is now in place.

1. 5.       Time Capsule.

This year, Ms Mannion came to the Council with a proposal for a Time Capsule project.  This capsule is to be buried under the new school.   At present, the council are working alongside students to get as many things into the capsule as we can.  Items that will be in it include diaries from students, journals, dvds of school events, copies of the timetables, a newspaper from the ‘burial’ day, photos, books, uniforms, medals etc.  The capsule is due to be buried by the end of this school year.

Overall, it has been a productive year for the Council.  Other projects we will be working on until May include:  policies on anti-bullying and mobile phones, breast cancer awareness and the hosting of 24 Australian students from Loreto, Ballaratt.  We will conclude with our elections for next year’s Council in May!!  Thanks to all of the hard work put in by the Council members, Ms Giblin, Mr Cluskey, Ms Mannion, fellow students, staff, Board of Management and parents, the Student Council was able to achieve many of its goals.

By Niamh Durcan (5^th Year Representative)  -  Public Relations Student Council