presentation secondary school cork city

Another big Cork City school will go co-ed next year with local families to get more options

The school sees it as a positive step towards a more sustainable future

• 12:27, 26 SEP 2023

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The move from single-sex to co-educational is picking up pace across Cork City and County, with one of the southside's best known convent schools announcing it will start taking in boys in 2024.

The Presentation Secondary School in Ballyphehane has been an all-girls school for almost 60 years but from the start of the 2024-25 school year, it will be accepting boys.

The change follows similar decisions in schools in Cork City, in Bandon and in east Cork, as changes in communities see parents look for more choice and more flexibility.

In Ballyphehane, the area has seen some major demographic changes in recent years with the decline in families living in the area starting to reverse as one of Cork's oldest suburbs sees new life and regeneration and new arrivals in Cork look for educational options for their kids.

The decision follows a consultative process with the Schools’ Board of Management, Staff, Parents Council and Student Council as well as parent bodies and schools in the community and has already been approved by the Department of Education.

The transition comes after a 57-year history as an all-girls school – whose past pupils include Gemma O’Connor and Linda O’Connell both All Ireland Camogie Winners, Siobhan Keogh – award winning architect, Lauren Falvey - All Ireland Basketball winner and Claudia Long - The Voice UK contestant.

“Pres Ballyphehane has deep roots locally,” says principal Barry O’Shea “and as a result we are closely connected to the social needs of the community we serve. This is a big change for us but we are backed by the positive insights and feedback from our consultative process and are excited by the opportunities that lie ahead for everyone, when we open our doors to all.”

The school’s enrolment campaign for 2024/25 has just commenced and an Open Evening will be held in the school on Wednesday 4th October, 2023 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

“The open evening on 4th October is our earliest opportunity to present the school as a co-ed learning environment to parents and to our prospective September 2024 First Year students," said the Principal.

"We understand that choosing a secondary school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. We look forward to showcasing our excellent on-site facilities and resources together with outlining our wide-ranging and varied curriculum designed to support the individual learning style and needs of each student.”

One in five of Presentation Secondary School Ballyphehane’s leaving cert cohort achieve over 500 points - well above the national average.

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The  Presentation Brothers Schools Trust (PBST)  is an independent, lay trust which aims to provide a Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition.

There are eight schools in the PBST, five secondary schools (Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Cork; Coláiste Chríost Rí, Cork; Coláiste Muire, Cobh; Presentation Brothers College, Cork; Presentation College, Bray) and three primary schools (Bunscoil Chríost Rí, Cork; Greenmount NS, Cork; St Joseph’s, Mardyke, Cork).

• Presentation Secondary School Ballyphehane

Address Joe Murphy Road, Ballyphehane, Cork

Eircode T12 YH04

Telephone 021-4961765

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website www.presballyphehane.com

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North Presentation to change name as it ushers in ‘a new co-educational era’

Pictured at North Presentation Secondary School open evening was principal Adrian Gibbs making an address. Picture Denis Boyle

NORTH Presentation Secondary School will begin life in September 2023 with a brand-new name as the Farranree-based school prepares to usher in a new era as a co-educational secondary.

North Presentation Secondary School and St Vincent’s Secondary School were recently engaged in a process to amalgamate the two Cork city schools, until the patrons of St Vincent’s the Religious Sisters of Charity, withdrew from the process following opposition to the plan.

Undeterred, North Presentation is continuing with its plans to expand its provisions as a co-educational school for next September.

The secondary school held an open night on Thursday evening as they outlined their ambitious plans for a ‘positive’ culture of change.

School principal Adrian Gibbs told The Echo the new school name will encompass the tradition and history of the community.

“From September 2023 North Presentation will be known by a new name that encompasses the true inclusivity, tradition, resilience, and history of our community and the foundress of the Presentation Order Nano Nagle,” he said.

Mr Gibbs said choosing the new name will involve students, parents, and the wider school body working together to come up with a name for its new era.

“We have a form that we are sending to all our students, parents, and board of management. Everybody has an opportunity to come up with names.

“We will establish a committee and when we have five names, we will send them to our trust. Our trust will then come back with approval for those five names. It will then be up to us to decide on which one we will have going forward,” he added.

The secondary school principal said the name change is only one of several changes that the school will be implementing. “We are updating our mission statement to be more reflective and inclusive of the times we live in. The name change is only one aspect of several changes that our school is implementing which includes a new school crest and uniform.

“We will be involving all students, teachers, parents, board of management, trust, and our local feeder primary schools.

“We are delighted to be engaged in a positive culture of change that will allow greater choice for our current and future students,” he said.

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The Presentation Congregation was founded in Cork in 1775 by Nano Nagle, a daughter of one of the oldest families in the country. The aim was to help downtrodden citizens by the only means in her power – to provide them with schools and education. The story of Presentation, Wexford, started in October 1818, when two sisters came from the already established convent in Kilkenny.

They started by opening a Primary school. About 1940 a second-level school was established and in the following years the school became a fully recognized Secondary school.

The Presentation order was established in Wexford town in October 1818, being the first religious order to come to the town after the Penal Laws. In the 1820s, the Presentation Sisters established a school, which has, over time, developed into the Presentation Secondary School. We will mark 200 years of providing education to the town of Wexford in 2018. The school currently operates under the trusteeship of C. E. I. S. T. (Catholic Education an Irish Schools Trust). As such, it supports the Religious and Educational Philosophy of its Founder, Nano Nagle. Religious Education takes a central place in the life and curriculum of the school. We are an all-girl, voluntary secondary school and are situated in a primarily residential area of Wexford town. Presentation School Wexford aims, with the resources available, to provide the best possible environment in which to facilitate the cultural, educational, moral, physical, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions of all students. Presentation Secondary School, Wexford provides for a wide range of artistic, cultural, social and sporting activities to develop the talents of all students and to provide them with the confidence to be involved in various activities in later life. The school also places great emphasis on the development of competitive games for all its students. Working together as a school community, the Board of Management, parents, staff and students aim to provide an environment that will allow each student to develop intellectually, physically, morally, socially and spiritually so that she will be able to fulfil her role in society. The current student cohort of 803 reflects a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds and includes students from the locality and a considerably large rural hinterland. There is a strong culture of C. P. D. for the teaching staff within the school. The school offers the Junior Certificate, an optional and well-established Transition Year (T. Y.) programme, the established Leaving Certificate and L.C.V.P. We have approximately 26 schools in our catchment area. ​

Our Foundress – Venerable Nano Nagle ​ Presentation, Wexford, is a Catholic Secondary School for girls only, guided by the ideals of Nano Nagle, foundress of the Presentation Congregation. Nano (full name Honora) Nagle was born in Ballygriffin, County Cork, Ireland in 1718. This was the period in Irish history when the English had imposed the oppressive Penal Laws, which severely limited the Irish people. The Irish were denied access economically, politically, socially, and educationally to the rights and means that would have raised them from the imposed poverty and oppression. It was a crime of treason (punishable by death) to educate the Irish and it was forbidden to practice the Roman Catholic faith. Because of her family’s position and wealth, Nano was sent to be educated in the Irish community then living in Paris. According to Sister Rose Forest, PBVM, one biographer of Nano, her “stay in the midst of Irish Parisian society was brief, but during this time an incident took place which has become a classic episode in the Presentation story. One morning the charming, wealthy, and beautiful Miss Nagle…was returning from an all-night ball. As her carriage rattled over the cobblestones of a silent street, she saw a small group of poor working people waiting in front a church…for the door to open for early Mass. The contrast between their useful lives and her own empty one devoted to pleasure made a lasting impression on the girl of twenty-two”. Returning to Ireland, other events lead Nano to consider a way that she could help the poor she saw every day in Cork and on the family estate. Distressed by the ignorance of the Irish in both faith and academics, she opened her first school in 1754 with an enrolment of thirty-five girls in a two-room cabin. These began her great work of education and as some historians have noted her important work in saving the Irish culture. Without regard for her own safety, she selflessly educated the children during the day and visited and nursed the sick by night. As a result, she became known in Cork as the Lady with the Lantern, the symbol of the Sisters of the Presentation worldwide. Today the people of Ireland, especially in Cork, who attribute their freedom to her, revere her. Eventually, realizing the need for a group to continue her work after her death, Nano founded the Sisters of the Presentation on December 24, 1775. Nano died from tuberculosis, Monday, April 26, 1784. According to Sister Rose’s account, “On her deathbed Mother Nagle gave to her daughters the following injunction: ‘Love one another as you have hitherto done.’ As her legacy she bequeathed to them the treasure which she prized above all the wealth of the earth – the love of the poor of Jesus Christ. She bade her Sisters ‘Spend yourself for the poor.’” In the years since Nano’s death, the Sisters of the Presentation have carried her spirit around the world in a variety of ministries

Since the Congregation’s founding in 1775, Sisters have worked to secure the breadth of Nano’s vision — crossing geographical, political, religious and social frontiers, bringing her vision to life with deeds, embodying her dream through a variety of ministries, especially education, faith and spirituality, social and pastoral, health care and healing. Her vision is captured the words that she wrote, “If I could be of any service in saving souls in any part of the globe I would willingly do all in my power.” The world has changed radically since Nano circumvented the Penal Laws by providing schools for the education of poor Catholic girls and boys in Cork city. Yet her lantern light lives on through the world-wide network of Presentation Sisters, Presentation Associates and Friends of Nano (who form part of an international lay movement for mission), co-workers and colleagues in Presentation schools and centres, and wherever those inspired by her are seeking to make the world a better place. Of the Presentation family it may truly be said there are, “Many lamps, [but] one flame” . . . the flame of the Divine (Rumi). In 2013, Nano was declared Venerable by Pope Francis – fitting recognition of her role as a woman of heroic virtue

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2 injured in shooting at Missouri HS graduation, a day after gunfire near separate ceremony

Two people were injured after gunfire erupted at a high school graduation in Missouri on Sunday, just one day after shots reportedly rang out near a separate graduation ceremony in Kansas City.

Gunfire was reported around 2:33 p.m. local time at the Show Me Center, located on the Southeast Missouri State University campus in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, just as school resource officers with the Cape Girardeau Public School District were at the center for high school graduation, the Cape Girardeau Police Department said in a news release .

The officers detained a person of interest and rendered aid to the two victims, the release continued.

The two victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The person of interest is in the Cape Girardeau Police Department's custody.

Alcohol suspected in crash: Driver hits group of 16 family members, killing 2 and injuring 14 in Michigan

'No students or staff members were injured'

Howard Benyon, Cape Girardeau Public Schools superintendent, said on Facebook , "During our graduation ceremony today at the Show Me Center, an altercation occurred forcing us to stop the ceremony and evacuate the building."

"Fortunately, no students or staff members were injured and thanks to the assistance of staff members at the Show-Me Center, we were able to get everyone out of the building safely," Benyon continued.

Due to the incident, the school district will be "forced to reschedule the graduation ceremony at a later time," Benyon said.

"We want to plan an event that celebrates our graduates the way they deserve, but our priority at this time is working with police to aid their investigation of this situation," according to the superintendent.

Shots fired near DeLaSalle Education Center's graduation ceremony

Graduating seniors at DeLaSalle High School also had their ceremony interrupted by gunfire over the weekend.

The shots were reported around 3:35 p.m. on Saturday near the DeLaSalle Education Center's graduation, a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Phillip DiMartino told The Kansas City Star . No injuries were reported to police, the public information officer said.

Police do not believe the shooting had anything to do with the graduation, according to the spokesperson.

It is unclear if police have made any arrests related to the shooting.

USA TODAY contacted the Kansas City Police Department but did not receive a response.

DeLaSalle High School's graduation 'marred by an unforeseen event'

DeLaSalle responded to the shooting with a statement on the school's website saying, "Today, a tragic incident occurred during the high school graduation ceremony at DeLaSalle High School."

"What began as a beautiful day with over 500 families and guests celebrating our largest graduating class in 20 years was marred by an unforeseen event," the school said in the statement.

The school also confirmed that "no physical harm came to any students, families or staff attending the graduation," according to the statement.

"DeLaSalle High School prays for the safety of all of Kansas City, and our thoughts are with the community during this difficult time," the school said.