Latest News and Media
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FCJ Secondary School Bunclody
(opens in a new tab)From Academics to Sports, and Music to Environmental Awareness Campaigns, FCJ Bunclody endeavours to provide learning and life experiences for all students, whilst underpinning the core values of our ethos: TRUTH, RESPECT, and JUSTICE.
Last week we acknowledged a very special Silver Jubilee in our school, which is fitting, as the person it was in aid of is absolutely sterling, Ms Morris👩🏫🌟 📚Deirdre has been a teacher in FCJ for 25 years and counting! How lucky we were two and a half decades ago that this proud Kilkenny woman made the trek across the border to Wexford⚫️🟡/🟣🟡 Our Principal, Sr Madeleine knew she had a good one sitting in front of her at the interview and was quick to offer her a job. And the rest as they say, is history...😁Ms Morris gives everyone a chance. No matter who you are. And if you mess up that chance, she’ll give you another. That’s the type of person she is. An exceptional educator, brilliant Year Head and absolute role model for younger staff, she contributes so much to our school. She is widely regarded as an advocate for the students, staff and school as a whole. We owe her huge thanks, so with that - Thank you, Ms Morris! Here’s to the next 25 years!👏 #thankyou #twentyfiveyears #thanksms
The recipients of our Academic Awards from our beginning of year mass the other day🎓🏆📚👏Firstly, Liam Cooney, class of 25/26. When Liam opened his Leaving Cert results in August he saw a mammoth 7 H1s!💯 Incredible! The best of luck to him as he joins many more FCJers in UCD where he is studying Engineering⚙️Next we have winners of academics in 6th, 3rd and 2nd Year🏅 The hard work they put in throughout last year has been acknowledged, and rightfully so. Well done to them all and keep up the great work this year📝Finally, there was a very special presentation to a great club and school man, Mr George Rankin🟣🟡 George has given a huge amount of his time to the GAA in the locality and has been heavily involved in GAA coaching among our students and the local primary schools over the years⚾️🏐 Like their Grandad, George's two grandchildren have been overachievers and huge contributors to our school community too. Many of you will remember Conor and Luke, a pair of gentlemen. No doubt they took inspiration from their grandfather!🌟
Although Kevin looks like he's heading off to Electric Picnic in the first picture he's not!🕶🧢🎶😅 It was actually the 6th Year Biology field trip to Dublin Zoo🦛🐆🐊🐒118 students set off there the other day to carry out their grassland ecological investigation🌱🕵️ It was an early 7:30am start, but it was definitely worth it! The weather was fantastic, and great fun was had by all🌞During the investigation, students learned how to identify a range of different plants and animals, carry out a quantitative survey, understand and use a line transect, and measure a variety of abiotic factors🌸🌼🌾🍄 They also had the opportunity to collect and identify different animals, including money spiders, aphids and ladybirds, alongside some additional theory🕷🕸🐞After two and a half hours of solid fieldwork, everyone had certainly earned a break! Students refuelled in the zoo’s restaurants before having some time to explore the zoo and see the wide variety of animals🍽️ The giraffes and chimpanzees were a particular highlight. It was literally feeding time at the zoo for the chimps, and students were fascinated to watch them interacting, including some impressive chest-banging for food!🦒🦧🦍🦓🐆It was a fantastic day of learning, fieldwork and fun. All 118 students represented the school brilliantly, and were a pleasure to bring away!👏🐧🐧🐧#whenthezoovisitsthezoo
A couple of great pictures from our beginning of year mass the other day!📸🕊 Mr Daly addressed the congregation and he shared his vision and hopes for each student in FCJ during the coming year. We also remembered members of our school community that have passed on over the past year🕯 As always we recited our anti bullying pledge, something we really believe in and strive to instil in our students🚫 We had many special guests in attendance, including; past students and their parents, FCJ Sisters, scholarship winners and members from our Board of Management👋One of the highlights of the day is always the music and singing that compliments the event. The selection of instruments on offer was surely the most diverse we ever had. Well done and thank you to everyone that contributed to this 🎹🎼🎻🎺🎷#lecheileschooltrust #fcjsistersireland #fernsdiocese #FaithfulCompanions
WOW, what a GREAT TURN OUT we had for our OPEN DAY on Sunday!🙋 You can tell from all the smiles that our guests had a great time strolling through our impressive campus and got to experience what we are all about here in FCJ📝📚🪚💻⚾️🏀🎬🎨🎷🎭🏆The visitors were highly complimentary of the school and the great people that work and attend here. This is a testament to our teachers, management, ancillary staff and to our students. A big thanks to everyone that called in on Sunday, it was great to see you and chat with you! Also a big thanks to the students that came in to help👏We are already looking forward to next September when the primary school children that visited our school become our new 1st Years!😁🧑🎓 Don't forget our enrolment process opens on the 1st of October and will remain so until the 28th of October at 4.30pm. Enrolment forms can be collected in the main office or downloaded from our school websit#lecheileschoolstrustt#opendaye#FCJ #welcomel#enrolmentl#Hellohello
In anticipation of our UPCOMING SCHOOL MUSICAL the teachers have been preparing by getting some new upstyles and outfits!🎶🎭💇♀️💈 What do you think of the hair colour they chose?🤔👱🏻♀️ (That’s a clue!) Legally (That’s another clue!) we don’t know if we can even show them to you!👨⚖️ Oh, and if you see our new dog that we’re training in for the event, stay away from him, he’s a real bruiser!🐕 (Final clue!)😅If you can manage to piece together the name of our upcoming musical from the cringy clues above, then you could WIN TWO FREE TICKETS TO THE SHOW🤩🎟 Just LIKE and SHARE this post along with COMMENTING THE TITLE you think it is below! We’ll be in contact with the winner very soon📲 The musical will take place the last week before the Halloween midterm, so mark it on your calendar (Exact dates and times to follow)📅#guessthemusical #competitiontime
FCJ BUNCLODY has been declared the ‘KINDEST SCHOOL IN IRELAND’. Well isn’t that something!🥳🚸🏅💝The Irish Independent is reporting that FCJ has collected a ‘record-breaking number of Christmas shoeboxes for children affected by poverty📰 Transition Year pupils at the FCJ Secondary School in Bunclody have sourced more than 30,000 Team Hope shoeboxes filled with presents over the past two decades.’🌟 It continues - ‘Team Hope, an Irish child-focused international development charity, aims to send 200,000 shoeboxes from Ireland this year, as it delivered its three-millionth shoebox gift in 2025🎁 Co Wexford’s FCJ Secondary School donated a record 3,000 shoeboxes to the charity one Christmas alone, and they continue their efforts to support the organisation🎄This doesn’t happen by itself of course. Our great colleague, Sr Madeleine Hayes, who incidentally is the kindest person we know, was the woman to kick it all off, with TY coordinator, Ms Catherine Doyle, bringing it stratospheric in recent years🤩⬆ Two other faithful companions that have given huge efforts to this are our own Deirdre Wanczyk and her mam, the woman who looked after our finances here for years, Ann Nolan. It couldn’t happen without them!👏Finally, the people that send in the goods and gifts✨ ‘The school’s teacher and Transition Year co-ordinator, Catherine Doyle, said there is an “enormous enthusiasm” from her pupils to round up as many shoeboxes as possible by going back to their former primary schools in Wexford, Carlow and Wicklow. - “The students have had a resounding success,” Ms Doyle said. “They know there are children living in poverty who may not have any Christmas presents so we really do rely on the feeder primary schools.”😁So, with that, it’s time to start all over again⏰ If you’d like to help us break more records this year, we are accepting donations for 2026📆 Attached is information on what can go into the boxes✅ Boxes can be purchased in Mr Price Bunclody, filled and dropped in to us or just drop the goods into our office and we’ll box them for you. Thank you!❤️#teamhopeshoeboxappeal #teamhope #givinghope #kindestschoolinireland #fcjsisters #lecheileschoolstrust
In the run up to our OPEN DAY this Sunday, our Principal Mr Daly and Deputy Principal Ms Hughes, along with a number of students, have been visiting the local primary schools over the past few days👋🏫🎓🍎🎒🚸Mr Daly and the gang went to invite the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class students to come and see our school and spoke to them about what to expect on the day!📚✏🏀🔬🎨🎭🍳🛠🎵 They even checked in with the goats they met last year when they were out meeting the primary school students!🐐🤣Remember the Open Day is this Sunday 27th September from 2pm-4.30pm . We can’t wait to meet you all! (Goats and all!😅)⏰📅#openday2026 #fcjbunclody #welcome #newfirstyears
Last week our 1st Years got an introduction to music here in FCJ. Well, here’s a little insight into the people that lead the musical charge here🎼🎶 45 years ago, our Principal, Sr Margaret Quirke and Gearoid Grant founded the school Orchestra(Pictured together here). Almost half a century later both Sr Margaret and Mr Grant are still going strong, as is the musical tradition in FCJ Bunclody🎹🎷🪗🎸🪕🎻Firstly, Mr Hennessey. Dale has been in FCJ for 20 years. He has worked in the music industry for a further 15 years on top of that. In his youth, he was a talented sports person, with hurling his forte. So much so that a delivery driver one day commented at the main office - ‘Dale Hennessey works here? He was some hurler in his day!’ Ultimately it was the piano that got his attention though. Mr Hennessey qualified from NUIM with a degree in Music and Education.Next up is Ex-Army man, Mr Pat O’Gorman. Pat started off in his local Brass & Reed Band in Carlow before joining the Irish Army School of Music. He spent almost 2 years there before his big move to the Curragh Command Band with the Defence Forces, where he spent a further 24 years! Pat is now in his 20th year as a music teacher with FCJ.Also, we have Ms Tobin. This is her 3rd year in FCJ teaching Music. Molly studied Music and RE Education in DCU. Her main background is in Irish traditional music playing the harp and concertina having been Youth Officer for Wexford and Leinster Comhaltas. She has received multiple All Ireland Fleadh Ceoil medals. Ms Tobin also has experience in classical music on the harp, being a member of numerous orchestras including the Cross Border Orchestra.Finally, our newest musical recruit, Mr Pat Fitzpatrick. He is a seasoned musician with over 4 professional decades dedicated to classical and traditional Irish music. A former member of both the Army Band and the Band of An Garda Síochána, he has performed all over Ireland and abroad. His deep roots in traditional Irish music have shaped his distinctive sound and performance style. Pat now brings this rich tradition forward through teaching, mentoring, and performance.
Other Media
The HSE Visits FCJ Bunclody – Staying Safe in School
Christmas Prayer Service – December 2020
Enrolment/Open Day Video – October 2020
Graduation Speeches for the 6th Year Class of 2020
Our Lockdown Art Gallery
National Modern Foreign Language Award Winner 2020
“Par ma moustache!”
May Awards & Mass – 2019
‘Grease’ The Musical – 2019
