Extra Curricular Activities

Here, at St. Joseph’s, students are given the opportunity to excel in the arts and in sports. Students are encouraged to take part in activities where they learn about effort and teamwork. The wide variety of activities, encourage students to discover recreational interests which they can take into adult life.

Sport

An opportunity is given to all students to compete in a large number of sports. These sports include Gaelic Football, Hurling, Basketball, Soccer, Badminton and Cricket. These sports also play a role in providing an opportunity for physical exercise. Students participate at all levels and these sports have been made successful due to the enthusiasm and commitment of experienced teachers and coaches.

Arts

Other activities in the school allow students to make new friends and share interests with like-minded people. Skills are taught which can lead to lifelong interests. Teamwork and leadership skills are developed which are important to a student’s personal development.

School Magazine

The school magazine allows students to have the best of their work published for the whole school. They are encouraged to work in groups. Skills such as communication and team work are developed.

Young Social Innovators

Transition Year students are involved in the Young Social Innovators. Students are encouraged to get involved in an activity which helps improve the lives of others in their community. They work as a team and are asked to come up with ideas on how they can respond to a problem that is important to them. Students are asked to take their own initiative and to develop their ideas.

Our school singers are encouraged to take part in our School Mass and Christmas Carol Service. All students are welcome to join and participation is encouraged.  They are a great asset to the school community.

Samba Drumming

A Samba drumming club has been set up after school. There are weekly meetings. Students from all year groups are encouraged to attend. Second year students also take part in a Samba Drumming workshop and are then given the opportunity to perform in their class groups at a whole school assembly.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is a project taken on by Transition Year. Students bring in a selection of gifts and essentials such as gloves, toothbrush, colouring books and crayons that will be boxed and sent to children in need. The response from the students in St. Joseph’s is phenomenal and we are proud of their commitment to this project.

Students take part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Rush. Costumes and preparation is done by both students and teachers to make this day as enjoyable as possible for the community.

Dóchas Festival

Dóchas is an arts festival held here in the school every second year. Guest speakers and artists from outside of the school are invited to come and give workshops to students. The Irish Film Institute, and John Waters, a journalist with “The Irish Times” as well as local musicians, local drama groups, and past pupils are just some of the people that have attended this event. Workshops such as Internet and comic animation, fun cooking and classical music by Artscope are among the favourites. This is a valuable opportunity for students to discover new interests and also to try something new which hopefully they will take into adult life.

European Day of Languages

The European Day of Languages is celebrated each year in our school.  Over twenty nationalities are represented here at St. Joseph’s. This is always guaranteed to be a colourful and multi-lingual affair. This is a day to kick start language learning where many events and activities are organised. Life long language learning is encouraged. Awareness and appreciation for languages is undoubtedly beneficial to our students.

Friendship Week

Friendship Week raises awareness about friendship and bullying among students. Each class has a  forty minutes slot with their form teacher each day to reflect on their personal and interpersonal relationships. Friendship bracelets are sold by Transition Year students. Visitors are invited to the school and provide informative presentations on key topics such as bullying and suggest ways to prevent it. Students are encouraged to take part in competitions such as creative writing, poetry and art in the course of the week.

Open Evening

The Open Evening is held annually; students and staff become a team and welcome visitors into our school. This is a popular event among students. They are given an opportunity to put on cookery displays, drama performances, woodwork workshops and musical entertainment.  Students’ art work is displayed around the school and many of the pupils are happy to volunteer their time and are proud to be part of St. Joseph’s, Secondary School.

Halloween Ball

The Halloween Ball is a great success every year. Students, parents and teachers come together at this event. The hall is always superbly decorated. Prizes are given for best costumes.

The annual Christmas Quiz is a continuous resounding success. There is always an excellent turn out. The quiz master never lets us down and returns each year with his bow tie. Students and teachers thoroughly enjoy the Quiz. It’s all about participation, winning is secondary.

Maths Week

During Maths week, students take part in a Maths Prism Competition. This competition is run countrywide by the National University of Ireland, Galway. There is a junior and senior section. This is a challenging experience and trophies are awarded to the six best participants.

Language Exchanges

Each year, students and teachers from schools in El Prat de Llobregat, a suburb of Barcelona visit St. Joseph’s, as part of an exchange programme. Fingal County Council generously sponsor this event. Students stay for one week, they lodge with local families and participate in a variety of local activities during the week. Our students are then given an opportunity to return to Barcelona for a week, they too have host families.

German students also pay a visit to St. Joseph’s, Secondary School and are welcome to attend classes and take part in activities during the week. Our students then return to Germany at a later date. This is an educational and enjoyable experience for all.

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Seachtain na Gaeilge is an exciting event here in St. Joseph’s. Many events are organised and the highpoint of the week is the Céili. Competitions are organised and prizes are awarded.

Student Enterprise Awards

Each year fifth year students enter Fingal Student Enterprise Awards, competition is rife and the entrepreneurial side to students is always evident. St. Joseph’s have been very successful in these awards and we look forward to our upcoming entrepreneur putting St. Joseph’s on the map.

Dissolving Boundaries

St Joseph’s has been involved in the Dissolving Boundaries Project since 2004. The project uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and face-to-face meetings to link pupils and teachers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The partnered schools work together during the year on a joint project, the aims of which are
Cultural – the development of cross border links that promote cultural awareness
Educational – promoting valuable collaborative learning experience for pupils
Technological – integrating ICT into the curriculum in a meaningful way.

Creative Engagement Project

Pupils from St Joseph’s, Secondary School, Rush and pupils from three schools in Ciutat del Prat del Llobragat, Barcelona took to the stage in Barcelona in April ‘09 bringing to an end their year long Creative Engagement Collaboration. The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) sponsors the Creative Engagement Initiative in a project funded through the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism. The Creative Engagement Project in St Joseph’s is organised as part of a twinning with Fingal Co. Council and in collaboration with the Arts Office of Fingal Co .Council.