Summerhill College

Great Expectations

Staff and students returned to Summerhill College in August in a more optimistic mood than usual. The college had a new management team in position.

The work on the new school building was scheduled to commence during the coming school year. In addition, the recently published, Leaving Certificate results of 2010 had been spectacularly good.

Despite the prevailing mood of gloom in the country, there was a feeling of great expect expectations in Summerhill.

Changed Times
Summerhill has moved from an eight period day to a nine period day. In addition the lunch time has been shortened to facilitate an earlier finishing time.

Changed teaching
The practice of streaming First Year students has been discontinued and an enhanced pastoral care initiative has been put in place. This is to further assist students as they progress through the college. Central to the new system is a much enhanced tutor system. The college chaplain, Mr Paul Keogh will be available to assist students as will the Pastoral care committee, the Year Heads, Guidance Counsellors and college management.

Leaving Certificate Results 2010
Summerhill College is especially proud of the performance of the Class of 2010 in this year’s Leaving Certificate examinations. Candidates of all abilities returned results that were really impressive. An impressive number of candidates scored over five hundred points, with most students, being thrilled with their performance.

Principal, Mr. Tommy Mc Manus hailed the results as being some of the best on record. He congratulated the students on their performance and paid tribute to the hard work of the teaching staff.

Grabbing the limelight this year were Cian Henry,who secured a maximum six hundred points, with some A grades to spare and Feidhlim Mc Gowan had also scored the maximum 600 points

These results were enough to jointly win the Summerhill College Students of the Year

New School
This picture of the new school building is just an artist’s impression but is soon likely to become a reality. This is how it will look from the car parking area, just off Summerhill Roundabout.

Our incoming First year students will have this image of the school building in their minds when they take their leave of the place. They will soon forget this view of the existing ‘New Building’, which were a constant backdrop to their time in Summerhill.