Secondary School Awards Day 2021

Awards Day is one of the best days of the school year because it gives us a chance to formally recognise the commitment and hard work of our students throughout the school year.

This year, students were awarded for academic achievement as well as for school spirit and commitment across all years. We also had a number of school-wide Perpetual Awards for individuals who may have gone the extra mile in a particular area and were deserving of special recognition. Some of these awards were new this year, and are listed below:

The Pat Clarke Perpetual Award to the recipient of Junior Sportsperson of the Year  

The Junior and Senior Sportsperson of the Year award recognises sporting achievements, both on and off the sporting field. The recipient is someone who has participated actively in the school Physical Education programme with a consistently positive attitude. At some stage, the selected student will have represented the school in at least one sport either as an individual or as part of a team. The Sports Award is presented to the student who shows excellent sportsmanship, sporting skills and is a team player. This award acknowledges the student who demonstrates an ongoing commitment to and involvement in a range of sporting activities and demonstrates an exemplary attitude and conduct which supports Teresian values and ethos.  

Our Junior Sports Person of the Year Perpetual Award is named after the late Pat Clarke. Pat starting teaching in The Teresian School in 1990. At that time, she was also president of the extremely successful South Dublin basketball club, Meteors. Pat brought a wealth of knowledge and a ferocious appetite and love of basketball to The Teresian School. Basketball has achieved great success over the years. The School has won many Dublin and National titles, achievements that could not have happened without the dedication and commitment of the late Pat Clarke. Her love of teaching and her passion for basketball will always be remembered fondly in the Teresian School.  

The Junior Sports Person of the Year 2021 is a student who has excelled in all sports. She has demonstrated that she is a committed athlete and has always displayed a positive attitude in training and in games.  

The Pat Clarke Junior Sportsperson of the Year award 2021 was presented to Aoife Hughes. 

 The Nikki Dignam Perpetual Award to the recipient of Senior Sportsperson of the Year.  

Our Senior Sports Person of the Year Perpetual Award is named after the late Nikki Dignam who passed away last year. Nikki taught Physical Education and coached Hockey in The Teresian School for over fifteen years. She was a ball of energy, with an enthusiasm for all sports that encouraged students and staff to participate. She played a unique role in our students’ lives, inspiring them to always try their best. She was a positive person, never accepting no and always pushing her students to be better people, to be stronger and fitter. She guided many Hockey teams to finals in Three Rock and saw the School promoted to the Premier League during her time coaching.  

The Senior Sports Person of the Year 2021 is a student who always tries her best, encourages other students and is a positive role model to others. Her level of commitment and her unwavering determination are all qualities that are highly commended. She is an extremely talented athlete. 

The Nikki Dignam Senior Sportsperson of the Year award 2021 was presented to Sophie Ritchie. 

 The Marie-Louise Martin Award to the Student Who has made an Outstanding Contribution to the Artistic Life of the School.  

The award to a student for their contribution to the artistic life of the school is named after artist Marie-Louise Martin who is a past pupil of The Teresian School. Marie-Louise was a student of The Teresian School from 1965 to 1971. Upon completing her education in The Teresian School, she went on to study art in NCAD. Since graduating from NCAD, she has worked as an artist exhibiting her work across, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She is a mulit-award-winning artist having won prizes for her work from the Royal Irish Academy, Royal Ulster Academy and the New York International Art Exhibition. Her work has been displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Stormont Castle in Northern Ireland, the National Self-Portrait Gallery and Dáil Eireann.  

The Marie-Louise Martin Contribution to Art Award recognises the contributions of students to the artistic life of the school. The chosen student has contributed to the wider artistic life of the School and in turn has shared their artistic ability with the wider school community, outside of the classroom. This student has volunteered to give of their time effortlessly and willingly to promote and raise awareness of art within the school.  

The Marie-Louise Martin Contribution to Art award 2021 was presented to Junjia Li.  

The Natuca Cordon Award to the Student who has Excelled at Languages. 

The Natuca Cordon Contribution to Languages award is presented to the student who has excelled at languages as a student in The Teresian School. Alongside the study of multiple languages, this student will have shown an ongoing commitment to and involvement in extra and co-curricular language activities within the school, for example involvement in school debating competitions, debating competitions in Spanish and French, involvement in language-based activities such as AILO the Linguistics Olympiad), Seachtain na Gaeilge, European Day of Languages, Debating in the Alliance Francaise.  

The award is named in honour of Natuca Cordon, past Principal and Spanish teacher of The Teresian School. Natuca joined The Teresian School in 1974 working as a Spanish and RE teacher. In 2005, she became Principal of the School until her retirement in 2013. Alongside, her work as teacher and Principal of the Teresian School, Natuca also worked as a lecturer and supervisor of student teachers in the School of Education in UCD and was seconded to the Department of Education as a Spanish Education Officer. As a Trustee of the Segovia School Trust, Natuca is currently a member of the School’s Board of Management.  

The Natuca Cordon Contribution to Languages Award 2021 was presented to Srmrutha Sivakumar. 

The Hilda Geraghty Award to the Student who has made an Outstanding Contribution to Music and has a Willingness to Share her Talent. 

The Hilda Geraghty Award for Contribution to Music and Willingness to her Share Talent is awarded to a student who shows outstanding effort in the musical life of the school. The winning student will have contributed to the wider musical life of the school and in turn shared that with the wider school community, for example, through participation in school choir, school musical/play rehearsals and performances and other school events. The student may have shown leadership to others leading rehearsals and actively encouraging others to become involved in musical life within the school. In other words she has acted as a role model in the area of music. The student will have volunteered and given of her time effortlessly without being asked in order to help advance musical life within the school.  

The award is named after Hilda Geraghty. Hilda was an English, French and RE teacher in The Teresian School until her retirement in 2014.  Alongside her teaching commitments, Hilda was greatly involved in the musical life of the school. Between the years 1970-1988 Hilda taught choir alongside Paula Corcoran Zimmerman, the Irish and German teacher at the time in the school. Between 1971 and 1983, she produced the school musical each year before Irene Burke took over. However, whilst not producing the school musical anymore, she continued as the musical director, teaching all the songs, and accompanying the shows on piano until 1995 when she left to work in Africa. She was also the accompanist for all the School Masses and celebrations in the School. Her involvement in music did not end with her retirement in 2014. She continues to play organ at weekly masses in her local church as well as running the local church children’s choir.  

The Hilda Geraghty Contribution to Music and Willingness to Share her Talent Award 2021 was presented to Caoilfhionn Casey.  

The Segovia School Trust Person for Others Award to the Student who Embodies the Teresian Spirit in their Concern for Others. 

The Segovia Trust Person for Others Award is given to a person who embodies the Teresian spirit, like “the salt of the earth”, as Pedro Poveda wanted. 

She is someone who:  

• respects everyone, without exceptions, 
• looks out for the needs of those around her, 
• is involved in serving others in some way, 
• goes the extra mile for others, 

• volunteers when something has to be done, 
• is easy to request a helping hand from; 
• helps without looking for reward; 
• is a good team player, 
• generously rejoices in the success of others. 

In the words of St. Pedro Poveda: “You should act toward others respectfully, kindly and with encouragement so that, like salt, you bring a transforming taste to their lives!”                                                                                    

The Segovia Trust Person for Others Award 2021 was presented to Emily Terry. 

 The Teresian Past Pupil Association Transition Year Student of the Year Award 

The recipient is a TY student whose general contribution to the TY programme (both curricular, co and extra curricular) has been the most worthwhile and significant. The recipient has been involved in a wide range of school activities. The recipient’s contribution has always have been a positive one and in the spirit of the ethos of the school. This student has: 

• Helped to create a pleasant atmosphere in terms of friendliness and politeness around the School. 
• Appreciates and shows respect toward everyone who works and studies in the School.  
• Showed initiative and willingly became involved in the TY Programme (both within the classroom and outside of it)
• Enhanced the atmosphere of their Class and worked enthusiastically with her teachers.   

The Teresian Past Pupil Association Transition Year Student of the Year Award was presented to Siofra Delaney.

The Suzanne McGowan Student of the Year Award to the Student Who Exhibited the Values of The Teresian School throughout her Years in the School. 

The Suzanne McGowan Student of the Year Award is the highest accolade awarded by the School and is presented to the sixth-year student who has exhibited the values of the Teresian School throughout her years here. Her general contribution to the life of the School has been most worthwhile and significant throughout her years in the School. 

The recipient will usually have been involved in a wide range of school activities and may sometimes have taken a leading role (but this is not necessary). The recipient’s contribution will always have been a positive one and in the spirit of the ethos of the School. This student is one who has shown commitment to the ethos of the School when she:  

• Influences and enthuses herself and other students to take part in School life and in the wider community.  

• Helps to create a pleasant atmosphere in terms of friendliness and politeness around the School.  
• Appreciates and shows respect toward everyone who works and studies in the School.   
• Takes the initiative and willingly becomes involved with activities in and around the School.  
• Turns up for any rehearsal, practice, training or match she is involved in.  
• Enhances the atmosphere of their class and works enthusiastically with her teachers.   

These characteristics embody the person of Suzanne McGowan. Suzanne was the backbone of The Teresian School for 33 years. On completion of her degree in UCD and after spending a year in Spain she joined the staff of the school. Four years later she was appointed principal. She was a dedicated and inspirational principal whose life project was this school. During her long tenure, she presided over the enormous growth and development of the school. Her engaging, positive methods energised others, , and her dynamic spirit was always moving ahead to the next task. Hers was a no-fuss approach but according to her colleagues and past-pupils, when she gave an order, it was deemed worthy of respect. 

She was a keen sports fan and strongly encouraged the development of hockey and basketball in the School. She was also an avid rugby fan, her loud voice carrying far in passionate encouragement. Suzanne retired as Principal in 2005. Past pupils still speak affectionately about her to this day. At the time of her funeral, one past pupil summed her up by saying: “Some people make the world a better place just by being in it. You are one of those people”. 

The Suzanne McGowan Student of the Year Award 2021 was presented to Sophie Ritchie. 

School Spirit and Commitment Awards 

 The Commitment and School Spirit Award is presented to those students across all years who manifestly attempt to bear witness to the Teresian ethos of the School. These students have shown commitment and spirit to the ethos of the School in all that she has done. She has actively involved herself in school life and the school community, is friendly and polite in her interactions with all in the school. She will have shown initiative and on-going commitment and involvement in the co-curricular and extra-curricular life of the school.  

Awards for Academic Excellence

Junior Maths Competition

Ioana Boicu placed 3rd in the country in a National Junior Maths Competition run by the Irish Maths Teachers Association. Amazing achievement!

Congratulations to all of the recipients!