1. Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore
  • The Fifth year students based their project on volunteering and highlighted the importance of voluntary organisations / clubs in their parishes. The parishes involved included Rathmore, Gneeveguila, Knocknagree, Cullen, Ballydaly, Barraduff.
  • They divided into parish groups, drew up a list of voluntary organisations / clubs they were aware of, devised a questionnaire so that everyone would ask the same questions to each club. When the information was collected students prepared an information page on each club / organisation. This information page together with any photographs, newspaper cuttings, memorabilia loaned to the class for the evening was put on display in Rathmore parish Church on Saturday, March 3rd. On this evening, the fifth year students actively participated in a special Mass in the parish Church. While some read and prepared the altar, other students joined the parish choir and sang and played music with them.
  1. Ballybunion
  • The Eucharistic Congress Bell In November 2011 the students and staff of the school joined with the parish community in welcoming the Eucharistic Congress Bell and participating in the liturgy held in the parish church in honour of the occasion.
  • Links with the Active Retirement Group Our students have linked up with the Active Retirement Group through a number of activities, the most recent being a bilingual Mass held for St Patrick’s Day. The first years, their mentors, teachers and Active Retirement group celebrated together and participated in the readings and singing.
  • Sunday Morning ‘meet the neighbours’ ‘Meet the neighbours’ is a new initiative to provide a forum for parishioners to catch up with each other over a cup of coffee in the newly opened Youth Café located just opposite the parish church. This is a great outlet for people who wouldn’t always get the opportunity to socialise and for the youth to spend some time with the senior citizens of the parish.
  • Fundraising We continue to fundraise for worthy causes, for those who are less fortunate than ourselves or who are experiencing difficulty. Our non-uniform days have become an integral part of school life – this year alone we have held jersey days, Halloween theme and green day, in aid of the National Rehabilitation Centre, Concern, African School project and Child-line. One of our 5th year students raised over €900 on her own for the Palliative Care Unit in TGH.
  • The Hope Foundation Over the last two years the students and staff of the school have enjoyed hot, delicious meals, served up in the school canteen. One of the ladies working there has done so on a voluntary basis, giving her share of the profits to the Hope Foundation, an organisation which provides homes and schools for the street children in India. Her sister-in-law is a volunteer with the Hope foundation and just recently we presented her with a cheque for €5,500 (a combination of the canteen proceeds and bag-packing) which the Hope foundation have used to open a crèche.
  1. St Brendan’s College, Killarney

The project chosen by the students of St Brendan’s is voluntary work in conjunction with Killarney Looking Good / Tidy Towns Committee. They are a core group of 4 who give one hour each Wednesday after school to gather litter in the school grounds, the Bishops path, New road, and St Mary’s Terrace. This core group work with a broader group of volunteers from the school and organise others on a rota system to tie in with them. As stewards of creation, the work these students do ensures they live out this role in their local community. Their work is an example of how we are in communion with Christ and one another when we give ourselves for the good of our community.

  1. Tarbert Comprehensive School

(Sr Frances Day will represent the Group at the Celebration Day – her students are unable to attend)

The student’s RE teacher had a flag from the 1932 Eucharistic Congress which belonged to her parents. They decided to frame the picture with the help of the wood work and art department as they wanted to present the flag to the parish. The students were involved in the procession of the Eucharistic Congress Bell as Tarbert was the first parish to receive the bell in the Diocese of Kerry. The students were also involved in the liturgy that followed. The procession of the bell generated great interest into the International Eucharistic Congress which will be held in Dublin in June. The students presented the flag to the parish and it was taken to all masses in the parish last weekend.

  1. Coláiste na Sceilge, Cahersiveen
  • Carol Singing in the local community
  • Visits to St Anne’s hospital, sitting and speaking with residents, dancing for residents, playing cards with residents
  • Painting a mural on the surrounding wall of the hospital – this enhanced the quality of the residents stay especially those of whom are bed bound
  • Celebrating liturgy for the visit of the Eucharistic Congress Bell
  • Gathering and teaching 1st years about the Eucharistic Congress Bell
  • During Ash Wednesday prayer service and distribution of Ashes to the entire school.
  • November – we remember service for the local community.
  • Reading in local church for mass
  • Making memory books with the residents in the hospital
  1. KDYS – Tralee Youthreach
  • Fundraising through a coffee morning – Dec 2011
  • Successful application for funds from Tralee Credit Union
  • Liaise with management of Baile Mhuire Day Care Centre
  • Purchase of Christmas tree and decorations for the centre.
  • Purchase of 4 Christmas hampers
  • Putting up Tree and decorations in Centre.
  • Organised raffles for hampers
  • Attended centre and carried out raffles for hampers.
  • Took part in Christmas Celebration (lunch, singing, chatting) with elderly attending the centre.
  1. Killorglin Community College
  • Pupils took part in a number of fundraising activities.
  • The first year students made up shoe boxes of essentials for the homeless shelter – Arlington Lodge – in Tralee. They did this by making posters and going from class to class to collect items from the other students for the boxes.
  • The choir members san down town before Christmas and donated the proceeds of their collection to the shelter. They also visited the old folk’s home in town where they sang for the residents.
  1. Presentation Secondary School, Listowel

The Transition year students did a survey on the faith of the young people at senior level in Presentation Secondary School Listowel. They analysed the answers to a questionnaire they gave to the senior students and interpreted the results in line form of nine statements and made it into a power point. Students spoke about the findings of this questionnaire at the Saturday night mass in Listowel parish church for mission Sunday as follows – in despite young people’s disenchantment with the institutional church, most young people still have a deep catholic (personal) faith. Most believe in a God who is love and in love with us, in Jesus who was God among us to save us for fullness of life, both here and hereafter, in the Holy Spirit who is ever present to help us live life to the full and that the Eucharist is our bread of life.

  1. Beara Community School
  • TY pupils linked up with the local St Vincent de Paul. Some activities they took part in were hospital visits, home visits and fundraising. Pupils assisted the chaplain with the Christmas Food appeal in the local area.
  • Pupils organised a balloon release for November and a remembrance prayer service. They worked hard with their RE teacher, chaplain and local priest together prayers and hymns for the service and also sold balloons for €2 each into which people placed names of loved ones who had died and a message. Funds raised went to the local branch of the Chernobyl children’s project.
  • Pupils were involved with celebrating Catholic Schools week. They lead prayers at assembly each day. They organised a display for the church under the theme ‘Christ’s living body active in our World.’ The pupils also organised a Prayer service for St Blaise with the local priest who also blessed the throats. They celebrated grandparent’s day in the local hospital on Feb 1st where they visited, held a prayer service and did activities such as song and poetry etc. with the elderly patients. The students also taught 1st years about St Brigid.
  1. Transition Year, CBS Tralee
  • The class visited St Louis Nursing Home every Tuesday afternoon and became friends of the elderly. They successfully applied for credit union funding and used this to buy games to play with the elderly on visits. They threw the residents a fantastic Christmas party. Each resident received a lovely wrapped present. They also sang carols there and at Fatima nursing home Tralee.
  • The class organised a ‘mad hair’ day in aid of the ‘Make a wish foundation’ at the school. They did this as a student in the school who has been very ill asked could we assist in raising money for the organisation. Raised €450.
  • Street Collection for Arthritis Ireland. This is a common illness among the elderly and they wanted to help the organisation with this great cause.
  • To link with money being raised for the Kerry Cancer support Group they decided to raise money for Kerry hospice. They held a coffee morning for students and staff. They baked all the goods themselves and raised €445
  1. St Michael’s College, Listowel
  • Students at the school participated in the ceremony to receive the Eucharistic Congress Bell into the parish church in Listowel on the 18th November. The fifth year students processed up through the church carrying the bell. One student (Conor Dillon) took responsibility for ringing the bell throughout the ceremony. Afterwards the boys stood outside the Church and engaged with mainly older members of the congregation who wished to touch the bell. It was great to see the two generations sharing the faith. We took photograph’s outside the church.
  • Grandparent’s Day was another important day in our calendar. This year first year students wrote poems about the significance of their grandparents in their lives. On 3rd Feb we participated in the 10.30 parish mass in Listowel. We prepared the liturgy, selected readings and reflections which first years shared at the liturgy. The highlight of the celebration was when the first years read the poems they had composed to their grandparents who were special guests at the mass.
  • During Catholic Schools week students read at the parish mass on Sunday morning.
  • Whole school collection for local St Vincent de Paul.
  1. 5th Year CBS Tralee
  • The class organised a guess the score competition for the All-Ireland football final. The prize was a signed Kerry jersey. It was done in aid of the Kerry Cancer Support Group who are not government funded. They helped raise €820.
  • Shoe-box appeal for the Novas homeless shelter – the school has strong links to this local organisation and a history of fundraising for them. The class got a talk from Ronan at the shelter on the work they do. They divided into groups and each group brought small Christmas gifts to fill the shoeboxes they wrapped.
  • Street collection for Novas homeless shelter – 23rd December during the student’s Christmas holidays – in Tralee
  • Planning for fair-trade fortnight – posters quizzes coffee morning will be held in aid of the schools Zambian Immersion project.
  1. Boherbue Comprehensive School
  • Youth Choir: The TY and 4th year choir performed in 2 primary schools and the nursing home. They also performed Christmas Concerts in Cope Foundation and Kanturk Hospital. The choir will also be performing a recital in Boherbue Church on March 25th.
  • Voluntary Work: Students volunteered in the homework club in school helping first years with their homework and running sports activities. They ran the school library, pool room and set up a walking club. Students also helped out with the open night and with local sports clubs. They also set up a ‘Log On Learn’ computer class after school to help elderly people in the community to learn about computers.
  • Fundraising: Students helped the Chaplain with the Trócaire Campaign. They also ran a ‘Red or Black’ school sports competition in aid of St Vincent de Paul.
  • Mass: Students helped to organise and they participated in many masses throughout the year by reading, singing and bringing up gifts. Participated in training to become young ministers of the word.
  • Eucharistic Congress: In groups students learned and taught the International Eucharistic Prayer and Song, and the meaning and purpose of celebrating the Eucharist to first year religion classes.
  • ‘Journey of Life’ folders: Through watching the dvd ‘Tuesday’s with Morrie’ Transition Year students created a collage with inspiring quotes.
  1. St John’s Parish, Tralee – (Presentation Secondary School, Mercy Mounthawk)
  • Participated in Youth Leadership Training Programme for St John’s Parish facilitated by Bernie Mc Caffrey in April and May.
  • Participating students drawn from Presentation Secondary School and Mercy Mounthawk.
  • Training involved prayer, reflection and parish action
  • Parish action involved photographic depiction of the daily life of St John’s parish.
  • Photographs were taken on one day in May and mounted and displayed in St John’s church for a number of weeks. The theme was ‘A Day in the life of St John’s through the eyes of young parishioners. ‘
  1. Teen Spirit, Killarney
  • Teen SpiriT Caherciveen do their own Teen SpiriT show in July for the Caherciveen Festival to a packed Daniel O Connell Memorial Church and a standing ovation. In September they also provide the music in September for the Kerry Diocese Pastoral Council Day in the Malton Hotel Killarney
  • Teen SpiriT Killarney in October provide the music to open the National R.E. Congress in the Brandon Hotel, Tralee
  • In December Teen SpiriT open and close the show ‘The Business’ on RTE 1 to celebrate Killarney winning best large town category. They also do a fundraiser in St Mary’s Cathedral Killarney before the Dublin Gospel Choir as part of Christmas in Killarney Festival
  • In early January it was decided to do one final big Teen SpiriT show so Teen SPiriT IV was launched.
  • In late January boot camps start for Teen SpiriT IV and the show is put together in an incredible six weeks – boot camps were still fun though!!!
  • On Tuesday the 6th March Teen SpiriT IV plays to 3,500 in one day – around 1,750 for both school and evening show. The show is a huge success.