After an amazing year of success in all sports played in St Mary's CBS, we are very proud to announce that both Portlaoise Rugby Club and Portlaoise Panthers Basketball Club have offered to sponsor very generous scholarships to incoming 1st years for September 2023 who have exhibited great talent and potential in their chosen sports. 

Portlaoise Rugby Club are sponsoring two scholarships worth €500 each:

• Each scholarship will consist of a €250 voucher for SHAWS Portlaoise towards the cost of the student's uniform plus a €250 voucher for ALLBOOKS Portlaoise towards the cost of books and stationary.
• All information about closing dates etc can be read on the Application form.
• The link to download the Application Form for the Rugby Scholarships can be found at:Rugby Scholarship Application 2023.pdf

Portlaoise Panthers are sponsoring one scholarship worth €500 which will also include the €250 vouchers for both SHAWS and ALLBOOKS. That Application Form can now be found here to download and further information is also available on that form. https://portlaoisecbs-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/p/mmurphy/EQ16ufU1iK1DhBrn0p8S1MIBj0rGDZ1kPnj2Tf0dEZ9sfw?e=65xBLc

All Applications should be submitted by email to Mr Ryan, Scholarship Coordinator, at cryan@portlaoisecbs.com by the dates indicated on the forms. No late Applications will be considered. 

The 1st year OPTIONS for your sons were posted yesterday, Friday 9th May. You should have them on Monday.

The 5th year OPTIONS will be posted on Monday, June 12th and you will have them on Tuesday.

The BOOKLISTS for all years will be posted to this App during the coming week and also sent to AllBooks. I will notify you on this app when they are uploaded. They will also be on our website.

SHAWS have informed me that their uniform section will be stocked and ready for the last week of June. 

Students' SUMMER REPORTS will be sent out at the end of this coming week. (1st, 2nd, 5th)

BOOK RENTAL

1st years going into 2nd year, who are in BOOK RENTAL must return the English, Irish, Maths, French, Spanish books from 1st year as they are no longer useful in 2nd year. As agreed when entering Book Rental, if books are not returned or badly damaged, the parent is responsible for the replacement cost of same.  

Second years will receive their replacement texts, as required, when they return to school in late August - but only upon full payment of the €70 which is due for the 2nd year books. No books will be given to students without full payment. 

Third years in Book Rental will have no further payments to make and no extra books to receive. 

Third years in Book Rental, currently sitting their Junior Cert Exams, should continue to leave their textbooks in the GPA as they finish the exams in those subjects.

We wish all students and their families a good summer break, relaxing and safe. Thank you all for your support this past school year. It had both its highs and its lows, but as a school community we all supported each other through those times and will continue to do so. Take care.

Firstly, we wish to you all the best in your upcoming Junior Certificate Exams. It is the culmination of three year's hard work, so we would implore you to remain in the exam hall till the end of each exam as there are no marks to be gained when you leave the room. Checking over and over the paper to see did you answer the question correctly and is there anything else you can add is very important.

Secondly, anyone wishing to change a level in a subject will not be permitted to do so on the day of the exam. If you have decided to do this you must see Mr Dunne or Mr Thompson on Tuesday morning between 10am and 11am, with a parent present, to sign a permission slip for the change of level to go through to the State Exams Commission. The SEC will not allow these changes to be made on the day of the exam. 

The best of luck lads and enjoy the summer that follows. Take care.

The following email has come today for Leaving Cert Students:

In advance of the commencement of the 2023 Leaving Certificate examinations on Wednesday 7th June please find attached the Leaving Certificate Candidate Information Guide 2023. The purpose of this guide is to provide you with further information about the 2023 Leaving Certificate. This Candidate Information Guide provides important information about what you should expect during the examinations, including details on Deferred Examinations and information on the approach to Covid 19 for 2023. Information is also provided about the examinations marking process; when and how you will receive your results; and some preliminary details about the stages that follow after the issue of the results – including the information that will be provided to you about your examination results; the viewing of marked examination script; and the Appeals processes that you will have access to. A further guide to the results and the post-results stages will be provided at the time of issue of the results noting that the results are expected to issue through the Candidate Self Service Portal.

Please read guide attached, this guide is also available at https://www.examinations.ie/misc-doc/EN-EX-34513127.pdf

Entries Section

State Examinations Commission

Congratulations to Eoin Fitzpatrick    ( Educate Together National School Portlaoise) and  Ethan O’Connor (The Heath National School) on winning the St. Mary’s CBS  From Each Their  Best scholarship awards for 2023/2024. 

The CBS has offered two scholarships due to the high number of applications in recent years. As part of this new initiative we are are seeking to combine academic excellence, sporting ambition and all-round character development with a close working relationship between teachers and parents. These scholarships aim to facilitate the holistic development of St. Mary’s CBS students by rewarding those who strive to achieve academic excellence in conjunction with their sporting careers.

The scholarship covers the cost of an iPad, books, and school uniform at the CBS. These scholarships will continue for the duration of the student’s first academic year. 

See more info on each pupil below. Congratulations to both students and their families.

Eoin Fitzpatrick  is a past  student of Educate Together National School Portlao ise and is a proud winner of the 23-24 1 st  YrScholarship . Eoin is an avid sports man having played Basketball, Soccer, Hockey  and GAA. He is on the FAI emerging talent squad and is currently playing his soccer with St Kevins FC in Dublin.  Eoin has just in the last few days signed a contract with Bohemians Football Club. Eoin is described as a very hard-working player who  is very eager to learn, honest and easy to coach. Eoin's  brilliant academic ability resulted in him achieving top marks in the academic exams also. We would  like also to wish Eoin and his family all the best for his time here in the C BS.  Hopefully this is only the start of his success with  us. 

Ethan O ' Connor is a past pupil of the Heath National School and is  also a proud winner of the 23 - 24  award. Another man who has excelled at  numerous sports such as Rugby, Basketball, Soccer and GAA. He is al so playing his soccer currently with St Kevins FC in Dublin and is described as  a great playmaker, having great aptitude and attitude, hardworking and likeable. He also showed excellence in his  academics, also receiving top marks for his literacy and numeracy exams.  We would like to wish Ethan and his family all the best for his time here in  CBS, hopefully this is only the start of his success with us also.