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Archived News

• Wednesday 7 June 2023 Annual Primary School Football Blitz On Monday the 5th June we held our annual ‘Primary School Football Blitz’. Thanks to our participating schools - St Mary’s Bellaghy, St Patrick’s Loup, Anahorish, Derrychrin, Holy Family, New Row and St Trea’s. A special mention and thanks to Holy Family who took 2 teams after we had a late call from a school who couldn’t make it, ensuring the groups were even and the tournament could run as planned. Suncream, water, ice lollies and parents sunning themselves watching the action was the order of the day. The children didn’t let the conditions affect what was a quality days action with some excellent football on show in a lovely, relaxed environment. Congratulations to New Row who won the Cup for the second year running beating the very exciting Anahorish team who played some lovely attacking football throughout the day. New Row were deserving winners and their team was brilliantly led by player of the tournament Corey. Derrychrin and St Trea&rs
• Tuesday 6 June 2023 Physical Activity Towards Health Study NI Miss O. Donnelly (Health Education Co-ordinator) and Mr J. McElholm (Head of PE) were delighted to welcome Dr Julia McClelland from University of Ulster on Tuesday 6th June to talk and complete research with our Year 8 and 9 pupils for the Y-PATH NI: the Youth – Physical Activity Towards Health study in Northern Ireland.
• Tuesday 23 May 2023 Autism NI's Movin' March challenge. Yr9 pupils took part in Movin' March’ in support of Autism NI. They stepped into spring by walking 14,000 steps a day to support the 14,019 autistic school aged children across NI and raised an impressive £2,888.76 for the charity.
• Thursday 4 May 2023 Ladies Football and Casement Breakfast On Thursday 4 May we were delighted to acknowledge the successes of our U20B Ladies Football and Casement Cup winning panels with a celebratory breakfast in Café Bordeaux. Mr McClean commended the winning teams on their determination and resilience along with their skill and athletic ability! The winning panels received their medals along with individual team photographs. It was a lovely occasion to mark the outstanding successes of our young people.
• Wednesday 29 March 2023 MRLP Student Council Event Mrs Patton accompanied six KS3 students to the opening event of the MRLP Student Council. Pupils learnt negotiating skills and met with student council representatives from schools across the partnership.
• Wednesday 29 March 2023 Faith And Well-Being Talk On 27th March 2023 Mrs U. McNeill Head of Year 14 organised for Hugo MacOscar to speak with Year 14 Pupils about Faith and it’s link to well-being. It focused on promoting wellbeing and resilience and addressed many of the life challenges that Year 14 may be faced with as they leave St. Mary’s and enter the next chapter, should that be employment, university or a higher level apprenticeship.
• Friday 10 March 2023 True Colours Exhibition 2023 On the 24 February, our GCSE and A Level students were given the opportunity to view the ‘True Colours’ exhibition at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. This exhibition usually takes place annually and displays examples of some of the best Art & Design work in Northern Ireland. The work on display had an inspiring variety of creative outcomes from GCSE, AS and A2 work from 2022 examinations. In the words of one of our students,
• Wednesday 8 March 2023 St. Mary's Eco Code St Mary's is applying for our 7th green flag award. Our Eco-code produced during lockdown reminds us of the 5 steps each pupil can do at school and at home, to be Eco-friendly.
• Tuesday 7 March 2023 Fairtrade Bake off 2023 Year 12 Religious Studies students participated in a Fair-Trade Bake-off on Friday 3rd March 2023 to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight. All ingredients used were Fair-trade products.
• Tuesday 7 March 2023 NI Schools' Business Challenge 2023 Congratulations to our Year 13 students who were successful in the NI Business Challenge Champions. The competition was jointly run by QUB, Henderson Group and BDO. The six girls were nothing short of excellent, a real credit to St Mary's. They worked tirelessly since returning from the Christmas holidays, giving up free periods, countless lunchtimes and staying in after school completing researching and putting together their presentation.
• Monday 6 March 2023 All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final
• Friday 3 March 2023 Casement Cup Final 2023
• Tuesday 21 February 2023 2022 Prizegiving Annual Awards We were delighted to welcome our GSCE and A Level students to the first St. Mary’s Grammar School Annual Awards Ceremony since 2019. In that time, our students have been shaped and developed by world events in a way that none of us could ever have imagined. Their personal and educational journey has been significantly disrupted and they have had to face challenges which their peers in previous years never had to contend with. But, they have proven beyond all doubt that they are equipped, skilled and capable of facing those challenges. Their achievements, on paper as well as in the manner in which they carry themselves, demonstrate that no matter what life brings us, that with hard work, determination, working in community, relying on others when required, we can all reach our full potential.
• Monday 30 January 2023 St. Mary's Ladies Crowned Ulster Champions The St. Mary’s Under 20s ladies made school history on 26 January 2023 by defeating Loreto Omagh - last year’s Under-16 All-Ireland winners - in the Ulster Final which was played at the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown. Despite a scare in the second half, the girls put last year’s disappointment behind them to become the first senior girls’ team in the school’s history to be crowned Ulster champions.
• Thursday 12 January 2023 St. Mary's Mini-Company supports Alps Mental Health Organisation St. Mary’s Grammar School’s Business Studies and Economics students have enjoyed continued success with this year’s Mini-Company and have, once again, used their entrepreneurial skills to benefit the ALPS mental health organisation.
• Friday 9 December 2022 School of the Year St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt revealed as The Sunday Times NI Secondary School of the Year
• Thursday 17 November 2022 Modern Languages Careers Presentation On Friday 11 November 2022, Rebekah Allen, Senior Marketing Manager with CDE Group, delivered a talk on ‘Careers with Modern Languages’. Rebekah spoke about her experience of using languages in her day to day work. Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 pupils were able to gain a valuable insight into the use of Modern Languages in the workplace and the wide range of opportunities available through language studies.
• Monday 7 November 2022 Senior Hurling Sponsorship Mrs Sinead McGurk presents Mr McClean, Principal of St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt with the school’s new senior hurling jerseys sponsored by her late husband Colm. Also pictured (left) are Colm's son and QUB Allstar Hurler of the Future 2022 John McGurk, Charlie Curley (with cup)captain of this year’s Ulster Colleges Kirk Champions team and joint managers Mr. Proinnsias Brolly and Mr. Niall Burke.
• Monday 24 October 2022 St. Mary's supports The Olive Branch on World Mental Health Day 2022 To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2022, St. Mary’s Take 5 Pupil Champions made green ribbons which were distributed to pupils and staff. The green ribbon is the international symbol of mental health awareness and all pupils and staff were invited to wear the green ribbon on Monday 10 October to show awareness of their own mental health and that of others, and to make a donation in support of a local mental health charity. A total of £759.00 was raised and has been donated to The Olive Branch. On Monday 24 October 2022, Alan Mulholland and Leone Paul visited St. Mary’s to accept a cheque on behalf of the charity.
• Friday 7 October 2022 St. Mary's Grammar School Formal 2022 On Friday 30 September 2022, Year 14 students and staff from St. Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt attended the annual school formal in the Galgorm Hotel, Ballymena.
• Thursday 29 September 2022 St. Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt lift inaugural Ulster University 7-a-side tournament. Placed in a tough qualifying group with St. Colman’s, Newry and St. Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon, the St. Mary’s boys adapted to the game seamlessly and progressed to a quarter final where they would meet St. Eunan’s, Letterkenny.
• Tuesday 27 September 2022 Oisín McConville visits St. Mary's St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt was pleased to welcome former Armagh GAA player, Oisín McConville, on two occasions throughout the month of September. Oisín visited the school as part of the Sporting Chance Programme delivered by Sport Northern Ireland. He addressed Year 13 and Year 14 students, offering important advice in relation to healthy lifestyles and protecting personal mental health. We are grateful to Oisín for his inspirational and guiding message and offer our thanks to Sport Northern Ireland for facilitating this valuable event.
• Tuesday 13 September 2022 Provoking though with Action Mental Health On Tuesday 13 September 2022, Year 12 pupils had the opportunity to attend the ‘Provoking Thought’ presentation designed by Action Mental Health.
• Monday 5 September 2022 St. Mary's welcomes new Principal St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt has welcomed Mr Paul McClean as its new Principal. Mr McClean succeeds Mr Frank Dunlop who has retired after 36 years in the school.
• Friday 26 August 2022 St. Mary's students excel in GCSE Examinations The new Principal of St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt has praised the achievement of its pupils in the 2022 GCSE examinations. Mr Paul McClean reported that 99.4% of pupils achieved A* - C grades in at least 7 subjects, including English and Mathematics. Notably, 71.7% of all grades awarded were A* - A and 99.7% of all grades were A* - C.
• Friday 19 August 2022 St. Mary's students make the grade A Level students in St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt had reason to celebrate after the publication of this year’s examination results.
• Thursday 28 April 2022 MacRory Cup Celebration

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