Fresh from four sold out performances of High School Musical and their work experience placements, our Transition Year students were busy elves upon their return, turning the canteen into a festive banquet hall for our annual Christmas Dinner.  Over 500 staff and students sat together to enjoy great company, beautiful food, classic Christmas songs, and dodgy jumpers worn to raise funds for the Irish Heart Foundation.  A wonderful time was had by all, with many being especially proud of the decision to scrap the Christmas crackers, and their plastic contents, in favour of the biggest ever game of pass the parcel in ASM history!

Before the Christmas break we had the pleasure of hosting another beloved annual tradition as Second and Third Year students participated in the JCSP Christmas Celebration!  Against a festive backdrop, students were awarded with certificates to acknowledge their achievements in numeracy and literacy, participation in SCP programmes/initiatives and extra-curricular activities, and attendance!  Our favourite part of this event is always the party, where students eat, sing, and chat happily about their accomplishments!  Well done to all involved!

During our Advent service Father O’Leary reminded our entire school community to simply practice love and gratitude during the festive season.  In speaking about gratitude he particularly emphasised the importance to us all of awareness regarding those in our communities who may not have as much as we do.  We know for a fact that our students took this message to heart thanks to the many altruistic gestures they practiced during December.

ASM’s choir was delighted to receive an invitation to perform at the annual Carol Service in St Mary’s Church.  The occasion was even more special than usual as the girls had the opportunity to sing alongside The Gúnas female vocal group from Killaloe.  They sang beautifully, under the care of Ms Clery, and we were proud to see them supporting our local community with such passion.

Members of ASM’s school community past and present were determined to spread some Christmas cheer as the camped for three hours in the Crescent Shopping Centre to treat the shoppers to a selection of Christmas classics.  This carol singing is another annual event that we are extremely proud of as it allows us to give back to the wider community in many ways.  This was most apparent when we were visited by Mr Michael Murphy, representing Saint Vincent de Paul Limerick, who gratefully accepted the €1,060 raised during our Christmas carol singing!

In a textbook case of “right place, right time” a canny photographer caught the ever-humble Ms Mitchell and some ASM students on their way out the door with a box bursting with food for Saint Vincent de Paul in Limerick!  A simply astounding achievement, considering that the box had been outside the office for less than a day!  Well done to all who donated!

A special well done to our 2 Breandan/Daire CSPE class on collecting an impressive 28 bags of toys for boys and girls to receive during Christmas, and donating them to Novas!  They even helped to load up the car afterwards!

Also supporting Novas, we must acknowledge the enthusiasm, creativity, and hard work of the 1 Gabriel class on organising a successful bake sale that raised nearly €200 for Novas!  They then used the money to purchase a selection of gifts to donate to the charity!  Congratulations!

Not ones to rest on their laurels, the 1 Hannah History class learned as they got into the spirit of the season as they designed and wrote Christmas cards to a historical figure they admire!  William Shakespeare, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, and Leonardo da Vinci were among the lucky recipients!

One last workout for “the little grey cells” in 2019 as ASM held its annual Christmas Table Quiz!  8 rounds covered everything from general knowledge, music, sport, and life in our school community!  A fantastic time was had by all thanks to smatterings of spontaneous fun, pre-arranged food, and an impromptu performance of ‘Santa Tell Me’ by our Performing Arts Club!  The perfect send off into the Christmas break and 2020 for our school community!