Loreto Convent Secondary School, Letterkenny

Loreto Secondary School, Letterkenny, is an all girls Catholic secondary school for students of all abilities in County Donegal, Ireland. As well as Catholic, the school welcomes students from all religious backgrounds. Located beside the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba in Letterkenny, it is one of eighteen Loreto secondary schools in Ireland. Many of the girls' brothers attend or will have attended Saint Eunan's College, which is a short distance up the road

History

The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known in Ireland as the Loreto Order, was founded in England by Mary Ward in the 17th century. The Order was introduced into Ireland in 1821 by Mother Frances Teresa Ball. In 1854, the then Bishop of Raphoe, Dr. McGettigan, invited the religious sisters to set up a secondary school for girls in Letterkenny. The day-school opened on September 4, 1854 with five pupils.

A new wing with a Concert Hall was built in 1939 and further extensions were added in 1972, 1978 and 1986, bringing the school to its present standard of accommodation and facilities. An extension was sanctioned by the Department of Education and was opened to coincide with the 150th anniversary celebrations in mid-2004. The first classes took place there in September 2005.

From the 1920s until 1976 Loreto Letterkenny was an ALL-IRISH SCHOOL. It ceased to be a boarding school in 1978.

The Loreto schools share a common educational philosophy and maintain links through inter-school co-operation and extra-curricular activities.

Organisation

Headteacher

The former headmaster Noel Ferry was the first male and the first lay principal of the school since it opened over 150 years ago.

Management structure

The school is under the control of a Board of Management. Loreto Trustees are designated the legal owners, but they devolve most of their powers to the Board. Representatives are elected by the Loreto Order, by parents and by teachers, and serve for a three-year period. The Board ensures that the school retains the Loreto ethos, maintaining the high standards demanded by the Loreto Order.

Parents' Association

The Parents' Association supports the school in fund raising activities, environmental issues, sporting activities, supervision of study and in other needs that may arise from time to time. Each year new members are invited to join the Association. The A.G.M. ratifies membership.

Student Council

This is a group of students elected to represent their fellow students. The aim of the Student Council is to act as a representative body which liaises with other students, staff, Board of Management and Parents' Association.

LorEcho

LorEcho is the name of the school yearbook that is released at the end of every school year. It is published by a group of students and teachers who decide what topics should be discussed and who should be in charge of writing the articles. The yearbook contains photographs of students and articles written by students that are of interest to them. They fund it by selling advertisements to businesses in the Letterkenny area and by sales of the yearbook. LorEcho is very popular among the girls. In the past, it was a newspaper that was released 5 or 6 times annually by the students of Loreto Convent Letterkenny.

People