Offaly School emphasises importance of their Shop Local campaign

placeholder image — SBCS’s Shop Local Support Local Team.

ST Brendan’s Community School has always valued its connections with the local community and in particular the business community. To support these connections TY Finance Students have launched a marketing campaign designed to create greater awareness amongst the public around the importance of supporting local businesses over the Christmas period either in person, by phone or online.

The ‘Shop Local, Support Local’ campaign includes an attractive Shopping in Birr Website www.shoppinginbirr.com and a video production interviewing local business owners who showcase their businesses on the St Brendan’s social media platforms. These promotion tools remind our community about the huge range of goods and services they can access on their own doorsteps and how choosing to shop local positively affects the economic wellbeing of our community.

The programme saw students working in groups to design and deliver a marketing campaign which is designed to promote business in each sector of the community i.e. Retail, Technology, Health Care, Hair and Beauty, Hardware, Hospitality, Horticulture etc. To prepare for this project students explored how local businesses are an integral part of every community in Ireland by making Main Streets vibrant, offering local employment and understanding that money generated within local businesses is being reinvested directly into towns and villages.

Students have also discovered that by spending and supporting locally we can cut our carbon footprint and transport costs, access products that are sustainable and traceable and get quality and value for money.

Many thanks to the over 40 local businesses who took part in this project. Many thanks also to this year's Shop Local Support Local Team: Director - Molly O’ Meara; Deputy Director - Lucy Crowley; Editor - Lauren Ayres; Producer - Erickas Bockus; Music – Bright Kolawole; Photography - Eabha McDowall, Leah Smyth; Equipment - Michael Dooley and Sean Carey; Sound Technician - Carmina Mulcahy; Cameraperson - Jack Delaney; Supervisor - Eleanor O’ Meara; Web Design - Erickas Bockus and Darragh Hoyne; Researchers - Molly O’ Meara, Joseph McLoughney, Lochlainn Daly, Éabha O’Hare, Caitlin O’Neill, Ava O’Toole.

Please see website www.shoppinginbirr.com and also check out our social media pages for any updates.

Christmas Market 2023

Come join us for the annual St Brendan's CS Christmas Market which take places place Thursday, December 7th in B10 from 10am to 3pm. This event is one of the highlights of the school calendar where students from 1st and 2nd Year along with students from TY showcase their incredible creative talents and entrepreneurial skills by selling an array of handmade crafts and baked goods.

St. Brendan’s Day Celebration

Our school celebrated the feast day of our patron St Brendan last Wednesday. Mass was celebrated in our school oratory at lunchtime and all of our deceased loved ones were remembered.

Thank You

Thank you to all 6th year parents and guardians who attended our Guidance Information Night last week. If you require any further information please contact Ms White [email protected] .

Thank you to all 3rd year parents and guardians who attended last week’s parent teacher meetings. It was lovely to see you all again. All the best in the lead up to pre-exam preparations in the New Year.

Achievements

Youth Leadership and Community Action Qualifications

Katie Mannion and Aisling Horan completed the level six qualification Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action. Aisling and Katie completed the course through their Foróige club in Rath/Eglish. The programme enables young people to develop the skills and qualities necessary to be inspiring leaders. The young people were empowered to make a positive change in their community through practical actions and projects. Congratulations to both Katie and Aisling and their families; we are all very proud of their accomplishment.

Kickboxing

Congratulations to Shane Bradley, 1st year student on winning his lightweight kickboxing bout recently.

Birr Town FC Awards

Congratulations and well done to all our students receiving medals at Birr Town FC’s recent award ceremonies. Well done to the following students who were honoured with the following awards and trophies.

Michael Dennedy (2nd year) Special Recognition Award

Lacey Byrne (3rd year) Eamon Pardy trophy winner

Scott Deane (1st year) Birr Town Blues U-13 Boys Player of the Year

Michael O’Donoghue (1st year) Birr Town AFC U-13 Boys Player of the Year

Ceola Scully (1st year) Birr Town AFC U-13 Girls Player of the Year

Cara Ely McLoughlin (1st year) Birr Town AFC U-14 Girls Player of the Year

Evan Conway (2nd year) Birr Town AFC U-14 Boys Player of the Year

Dylan Carroll (3rd year) Birr Town AFC U-15 Boys Player of the Year

Aoibhinn Ryan (2nd year) Birr Town AFC U-16 Girls Player of the Year

Matthew Ryan (TY) Birr Town AFC U-16 Boys Player of the Year

Gaelic Football

Well done to Caoimhe Ginty on her recent minor Offaly Football Championship win.

Important Notices

School News - Be up to speed with all that is happening in St Brendan's CS by following News/Notifications on the school app. Also you can visit the following:

Website: https://stbrendanscsbirr.ie/

Facebook page: St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr,

Instagram: @stbrendanscsbirr

Twitter: @stbrendansbirr

Upcoming Calendar

6th December: 2nd year Parent Teacher Meeting, 4.15-6.45pm.

4th-15th December: LCA Work Experience

7th December: Christmas Market

7th-8th December: 5th Year trip to London

13th December: TY Day Out

18th-21st December: House Exams for 1st, 2nd and 5th years.

20th December: TY Community Day.