Loreto Missions Day a huge success

Activities culminated on Thursday 20th December with the annual Mission Day, raising funds for the Loreto Missions worldwide.

To start the term, traditional music sessions were held at Loreto College on Friday 12th October 2012, to raise money for Trocaire.

Organised in tandem with Comhaltas Ireland events, the sessions saw students from throughout the College’s age-range performing in Break and Lunchtime sessions, with some help from a few very talented members of the teaching staff. Mrs Lorraine McCool, Social Justice Co-ordinator at Loreto College, was delighted to report that the Sessions had raised £171.54 for Trocaire.

All Year 8 and Year 13 students from Loreto College took part in a sponsored walk at Mountsandel Forest before the Halloween break, to raise money for Action MS. The Sponsored Walk was part of an ongoing programme in Loreto College through which all Year 8 students have a mentor in Year 13, who acts as a friendly contact in the senior school as the new students become accustomed to life at grammar school. Mrs Lorraine McCool, Social Justice Co-ordinator at Loreto College, paid tribute to the students of both year groups, who between them raised an impressive total of £4545.77 for Action MS.

Throughout October and early November, students and their form teachers were hard at work collecting and organising materials for the annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal for the Road of Hope organisation. This year, an impressive total of 212 shoeboxes were collected by Loreto’s pupils and these will, in turn, bring joy and hope to those who need it most this Christmas.

Other activities during the first three months of the academic year included a Sponsored Read by students from Year 8 -10 in aid of Praxis Mental Health Care, as well as a talk to Year 13 by a representative of Praxis to encourage the Year 13 students to help raise awareness of this cause among younger students.

This enterprise raised an impressive total of £815, in addition to raising the profile of reading for pleasure throughout the year groups which took part. Meanwhile the Loreto SVP Youth Group has begun its year of fund-raising for the Society of St Vincent de Paul, holding various bun sales this term. The SVP group also collected an impressive 32 hampers to be donated to members of local parishes.

As the Christmas holidays approached, the students and staff of Loreto College continued their efforts in support of a number of extremely deserving causes.

Thursday 20th December saw the annual Mission Day, a fun day to promote fair trade, the Millennium Goals and the Loreto Missions worldwide.

The day allows students from all year groups to become involved in a variety of activities such as quizzes, sporting challenges and games of skill, with the focal point being the Loreto Christmas Market in the College Hall. Fair trade gifts as well as pre-loved jewellery and fashion accessories were on sale, and for some a definite highlight was the range of seasonal treats on offer in the café run by Year 13 students in the College’s Home Economics suite. In the afternoon, many students enjoyed ‘Loreto X Factor’, organised by the College’s Head Girl, Aileen McAllister and Head Boy, Niall Reid. The Loreto X Factor was won by talented singer Cathaoir McLaughlin (Year 9). In second and third places, respectively, were boyband The UnWanted (Year 10) and dancer Joshua Benini (Year 8). An impressive total of just over £4000 was raised on the day for the Loreto Missions.

Mr Michael James, Principal of Loreto College, paid tribute to all the students and staff who had worked so hard in these endeavours, under the leadership of Social Justice Co-ordinator, Mrs Lorraine McCool and Mission Day Co-ordinator, Mrs Mabel McAleese.