A host of proud local principals have paid tribute to their “outstanding” and “extraordinary” students who received Leaving Certificate results this week, with Athlone students bucking the much-discussed national trends and scoring well in both maths and science.
Principal of St Joseph’s College Summerhill, Liam Nally, said he was “very proud” of his students’ achievements. “There are a lot of excited people here. We thought we had a good bunch but we didn’t know we had an extraordinary bunch. One student got six A1s, the first 600 points we’ve had in a long time,” he told the Advertiser on Wednesday.
Of the 51 students who sat their Leaving Cert in Summerhill, 15 per cent earned over 500 points, 25 per cent over 400 points, and 31 per cent over 300. Two thirds of the school’s students scored above the national average.
Some 86 per cent of those who sat higher level Maths got an honour, and no student failed it.
Mr Nally attributed the strong results to students’ work ethic, staff input, and the cooperation of parents.
Vice principal of Our Lady’s Bower, Noel Casey, was equally pleased with the school’s 125 students, of whom two students earned 580 points, two got 555 points, and two got 550.
Going against national trends, only one student failed higher level maths, while just three failed ordinary level maths. No student failed a science subject.
Mr Casey said there were mixed emotions as students collected their results, with some inevitable disappointments if the points for desired courses were not reached. Overall, however, he is very pleased.
“We had 25 girls with 500-plus points this year. We had a good haul,” he said.
Meanwhile at the Marist College, principal Thomas Blaine was taking it all in his stride and couldn’t be happier with the school’s 66 Leaving Cert students.
“We are very happy, and more importantly they are happy. I am totally relaxed as consistently the lads do well. We are still bucking trends in maths and science; we had six A1s in chemistry, similar in physics, and we had one student who got eight As. Thankfully all the lads are very happy.”
Students at Athlone Community College received “absolutely outstanding results”, according to very proud principal Eileen Donohue.
“They scored exceptionally well, one of our very best years,” she said.
Of the 151 students who sat exams, one got seven A1s, four students were over the 570 point mark, while 10 scored over 500 points. However she stressed that she was equally proud of students of all abilities.
“It is not all about the high achievers, and students right through did very well. Any student who works hard will do well. We had a very good cohort of students this year who worked very well and were very successful in other areas such as debating and sport.”
She added that the school’s students had done very well in maths and science, and that the vast majority were hopeful of getting their first choice of college courses.
“The biggest thing we have noticed this year is that the vast majority are going on to college, and by and large students will get their first choice,” she added.
