Thursday 19 December 2019

Recommended Christmas Books


A selection of exciting reads for Christmas as
    recommended by Ms. Nicolas, Villiers School Librarian

Juniors



Kid Got Shot, by Simon Mason


During the dreaded revision week, Garvie finds the perfect excuse to turn away from his school duties: a mysterious murder. The school boy turns detective and looks for the clues that only he can discover.









The Deepest Breath, by Meg Grehan

11-year-old Sevie has a best friend, Andrew. Some people say they’ll end up married. But there’s someone else Sevie prefers, a girl in her class, and Sevie will have to try and understand these feelings no one talks about.










Earth Swarm, by Tim Hall

A swarm of lethal drones is let loose in London and the only person who can stop them is their creator’s son. He and his sister embark on a quest to save London… and the rest of the world.










Call Down the Hawk, by Maggie Stiefvater

In this world, some people can turn their dreams into reality while others will do anything to destroy them. When people with different powers collide, destruction ensues.




  




Crossfire, by Malory Blackman

Book 5 in the Noughts and Crosses series. The world has changed since the end of the last book but, just as in the real world, nothing is ever easy. Tobey and his oldest friend Collie-Rose can testify to that when they are kidnapped and everything they hold dear is in danger.







 
 Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell


The sequel to Carry On and the answer to the question, ‘What happens to the Chosen One after he saved the day?’ We follow Simon and his friends through the American West where adventure awaits them.    








D.O.G.S., by M.A. Bennett

The sequel to S.T.A.G.S. Greer Macdonald stresses about her drama exam when she stumbles upon an old manuscript, The Isle of Dogs, a play once considered so dangerous that all copies were burned. As the play starts taking shape, strange and dark events happen around the school and will take Greer back to familiar territories.








In the Key of Code, by Aimee Lucido

When Emmy, who perceives the world through music, starts in a new school, she doesn’t expect to find comfort in the IT club. Yet, the language of coding soon speaks to her and allows to express herself and open up to new friends. A book about friendship that reads like a song.






  Seniors


Unstoppable, by Dan Freedman

Kaine and Roxy and twins who used to be inseparable but now can’t stand each other. The only thing they have in common is their obsession for sports and their hopes of brilliant future careers, but they both hold dark and dangerous secrets which could threaten all they have worked for.





I Love You So Mochi, by Sarah Kuhn

A young girl escapes the pressure her mother puts on her to enter a prestigious Art college. She visits her grandmother in Kyoto, where she loses herself in wonders and finds more than she expected about her mother, love, and herself.




Perfectly Preventable Deaths, by Deirdre Sullivan


Two sisters move to a strange, isolated town and are faced with questions about who they are, who they want to be, and what they are willing to sacrifice for the people they care about.
A story that blends reality and myth in a beautiful, believable poetic voice.



The M Word, by Brian Conaghan

We follow Maggie, a 16-year-old teenager trying to come to grips with the struggles of adolescence, a crying mother and losing her best friend. A vividly portrayed, realistic story of friendship and grief.







The Secret Commonwealth, by Philip Pullman

The second volume in the Book of Dust trilogy. Lyra is now 20 and embarks on another adventure, exploring new parts of the world to try uncover mysteries. A book about understanding oneself, growing up and making sense of one’s world.





The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris


The incredible true story and Lale and Gita Sokolov, who fell in love in Auschwitz and survived it. A life-affirming read, a story of hope and courage.




Five Feet Apart, by Rachael Linppicott

Stella and Will can’t be less than six feet apart without risking their lives. But sometimes the one thing that keeps you alive can seem like the one thing that tears you apart. A compulsory read for all fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.




Full Disclosure, by Camryn Garrett

For Simone, who is HIV- positive, celibacy is the only policy if wants to stay safe. Nobody in her class knows her secret. Keeping her life under control was not a problem until irresistible Miles Austin showed up, and the truth fell into the wrong hands.

Christmas Study


Thursday 5 December 2019

Villiers School Hats now on sale


Villiers School Hats now on sale.

Choice of three designs– prices from 10 - 15.

All profits go to Zest4Kidz.

Please order from members of the TY Community group, Mr. Brian Sheehan or on Villiers School website (login in to EasyPay option).

 Last orders, for delivery before Christmas, by Thursday Dec 12th 2019.




Thursday 24 October 2019

Tuesday 15 October 2019

Fashion Show 2019

 Rehearsals are well underway for the 31th Annual Fashion Show which will be held in The Radisson Blu Hotel, Ennis Road on Tuesday October 22nd at 8pm.
The show is produced by the Hilary Thompson Model Agency and this year, over eighty Transition Year will take to the catwalk.

Tickets are  €15 (Students €10) and are currently on sale from School Reception.










Wednesday 2 October 2019

International Baccalaureate Information Evening







In 2013 Villiers began a long but rewarding journey towards becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Following a detailed feasibility study, the school became an IB Candidate School for the Diploma Programme in 2015.

After IB Consultant and Verification Visits, Villiers was officially authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and became an IB World School in March 2017.

In September 2018, our first IBDP cohort began and includes students from Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain. Students attending Villiers can now choose to study either the Irish Leaving Certificate or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Villiers believes in a shared IB Schools philosophy: a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education for all its students.

Students taking the IBDP route in Villiers can now study:

1. Studies in language and literature (Group 1): Language and Literature A (English); Language A (self-taught)

2. Language acquisition (Group 2): Language B (English); Language B (German); Language ab initio (Japanese)

3. Individuals and societies (Group 3): Business Management; History

4. Sciences (Group 4): Biology; Chemistry,Physics

5. Mathematics (Group 5): Mathematics SL

6. The arts (Group 6): Visual Arts or another subject from Groups 1-5

In consultation with the IB Coordinator, alternative Group 1 and Group 2 languages may be available, but this option may incur an additional charge.

 To further augment the range of subjects available, Villiers has also established links with Pamoja Education (see  http://www.pamojaeducation.com/ for further details and conditions)

IBDP students are also expected to study the core elements of Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), the Extended Essay (EE) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK).

This programme may be of particular interest to those seeking educational opportunities particularly in much sought-after areas such as medicine, veterinary science and engineering.



Villiers School is holding an information evening on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the school, on Wednesday October 16th at 7.30pm.

Any interested parties are warmly welcome to attend and to meet with the school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme team including, Ms. Storey, Headmistress, and Mr. Shane Hanna,
Head of IBDP.


For further information or if you have any queries, please telephone 061-451447 or email shanna@villiers-school.com





Monday 9 September 2019

Monday 12 August 2019

Leaving Cert Results, Appeals, CAO dates






Best of luck to all Leaving Cert students on Tuesday August 13th 2019.
Please click on link below for details of viewing scripts, appeals and CAO dates
Click here

Monday 24 June 2019

Key Calendar Dates 2019/2020

               
Term 1
Mon Aug 26             Induction Afternoon – new students (1.30pm – 3.30pm)
Tue Aug 27              School Starts (Boarders return 8pm - 9pm Mon Aug 26)
Wed Oct 2               Prize Day TBC (9.30am)
Oct 21 – 25              School Exams Forms 3
Oct 28 – Nov 1         Mid-Term Break
Nov 4 – Nov 8           School Exams Forms 6
Wed Nov 13             Remembrance Service
Tue Dec 3                Staff Training Day – no class/boarders have study
Dec 5 – Dec 10         School Exams Forms 1, 2, and 5
Fri Dec 20               Carol Service
Dec 23 – Jan 3         Christmas Holidays
                       
Term 2
Mon Jan 6                School Starts (Boarders return 8pm - 9pm Sun Jan 5)
Fri Jan 17                Staff Training Day – no class/boarders have study
Feb 4 – Feb 15         TY Work Experience
Feb 3 – Feb 14         Mock Exams Forms 3 and 6
Feb 17 – Feb 21       Mid–Term Break
Mar 16, 17               Bank Holiday weekend - school closed           
April 6 – April 17      Easter Holidays

Term 3
Mon April 20            School Starts (Boarders return 8pm-9pm Sun April 19)
Mon May 4               Bank Holiday – school closed
Thur May 21            Form 6 Graduation (12.15pm) – school closes early
Fri May 22               Staff Day – no school
Fri May 22               TY Year end
May 25 – May 29       School Exams Forms 1, 2 and 5
June 3 – June 23      State Exams Forms 3 and 6

Parents’ Evenings and Parent-Teacher Meetings
Thur Sept 5                                    Form 5 Parents’ Evening
Wed Sept 11                                   Form 2 Parents’ Evening
Thur Sept 26                                  Form 1 Parents’ Evening
Wed Oct 16                                    IB Parents’ Evening
Thur Nov 21                                   Form 6 CAO Evening
Thur Nov 28                                   Parent-Teacher Meeting Form 3
Wed Dec 4                                     Parent -Teacher Meeting Form 6
Tue Jan 14                                     Parent -Teacher Meeting Form 1
Wed Jan 22                                    Parent-Teacher Meeting Form 5
Thur Mar 19                                   Parent -Teacher Meeting Form 4
Wed Mar 25                                    IB Information Evening
Thur May 7                                     Form 3 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 20 June 2019

Summer Reading 2019


As recommended by Ms. Julia Nicolas, School Librarian     

Junior Cycle

Rosie Loves Jack, by Mel Darbon – When her boyfriend is sent away, Rosie makes the bold decision to leave home to go and look for him. Rosie is not a typical teenager, but nothing will stop her from finding Jack. An adventure taking its readers from London to Brighton and on an emotional rollercoaster.
Themes: prejudice, coming-of age story, young love

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson – The crime happened five years ago, and now Andie is using it as her end-of-year project. Her research takes her places she didn’t expect where she uncovers secrets no one knew, or wants to know. The more she discovers the more she wonders if the real culprit was apprehended, or if they’re still at large somewhere. The more she discovers, the less safe she becomes.
Themes: crime, secrets

Dear Evan Hansen, by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, this story follows the life and lies of high school student Evan. After the death of one of his fellow students, Evan is mistaken for his best friend and decides not to tell the truth. A lie which has positive consequences for everybody involved, until Evan can no longer keep it up.
Themes: lies, decision-making, bullying

Kick the Moon, by Muhammad Khan - From the author of I am Thunder, this story follows Ilyas, who’s feeling the pressure of GCSE’s building up. During detention one day, he meets ‘good girl’ Kelly Matthews, and their friendship challenges the social rules of high school. When local bad boy Imran chooses Kelly as the subject of a bet, Ilyas is faced with a choice: losing the first person who ever understood him or defending Kelly and putting his family’s life at risk.
Themes: friendship, superhero comic-book

Unstoppable, by Dan Freedman – Roxy, a rising tennis star, is over-protected by her father while her twin, Kaine, turns to gang and knife crime to compensate for the lack of attention given to him. A fast-paced story about a sibling rivalry and how it can quickly spin out of control and have devastating consequences.
Themes: bereavement, bullying, family

Game Changer, by Tommy Greenwald – After Tommy suffers a serious brain injury during an American football training session, the investigation uncovers secrets and the harsh truth of pre-season training. A novel written in an innovative fashion which will keep readers hooked.
Themes: initiation rites, sports, social pressure

Stay a Little Longer, by Rai Bali – After her father’s death, Aman is struggling to adjust to life without him. Until a lovely man moves in next door and helps her face various problems, from installing a new kitchen to dealing with bullies. However, Aman quickly discovers that Gurnam has demons of his own which are tearing him apart.
Themes: grief, friendship, 20th c. multicultural Britain

Senior Cycle

No Big Deal, by Bethany Rutter – Emily is a funny and intelligent girl starting her last year in school, who never had any problem with her body image. Then, she meets Joe at a house party and everything changes. She becomes obsessed with him and doubts are slowly going to seep through her confident outlook on life.
Themes: body positivity, social pressure

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America, edited by Ibi Zoboi – a collection of stories exploring the meanings of being black. We meet: two sisters at a summer camp; a debutante dating a boy her mother would never approve of; three guys talking about nothing and everything; and many other endearing characters.
Themes: identity, immigration, social class

Summer of no Regrets, by Kate Mallinder – Four friends decide to spend their summer doing exactly what they want to do, regardless of how much it scares them. One decides to reconnect with her father after six years; one decides to break out of her shell and go to Science camp; one gets a summer job and one goes looking for her birth father. Each of these decisions will impact the characters in ways they hadn’t foreseen, and the four girls will have to rely on each other to face their fears.
Themes: friendship, growing up

Sea Change, by Sylvia Hehir – Even though he knows he should look after his grieving mother, Alex wants nothing more than to leave school and escape. He made poor decisions during the summer, hanging out with a stranger in the Scottish highlands who said he was hiding from dangerous people, and who turns up dead next to Alex’s fishing boat.
Themes: taking risks, loneliness, mystery



Friday 24 May 2019

Independent Transition Year (I.T.Y.) Application and Personal Statement


Independent Transition Year (I.T.Y.) Application and Personal Statement


Name: ……………………………………………………..

Form: ………………………………………………………




Personality:
Why do you think you are a suitable candidate for the I.T.Y. course? (50 words max)


 
 

Skills and Experience
List any of your hobbies, achievements, interests and social activities that demonstrate your personality, skills and abilities. How might these benefit you on the course? (50 words max)


 


Motivation:
What do you hope to achieve from participation in I.T.Y.?


 



Please return completed form C/O:
I.T.Y. Admissions,
Villiers School,
North Circular Road,
Limerick.
Alternatively you can return the form to the office or via the email address shanna@villiers-school.com.
Closing date for applications is Wednesday May 29th 2019.