“A Doll's House"

Fifth Years are currently reading the famous Henrik Ibsen play "A Doll's House"

Set in Norway over a century ago, the play attracted much discussion and criticism at the time as its portrayal of relationships and the role of women was considered quite shocking and novel at the time.

The story centres around a married couple, Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora who have three children. Nora’s husband is a barrister who has just been promoted to manager of a local bank, which is considered to be a very prestigious job.

Nora’s husband treats her as if she were a child. Nora hides from him the fact that she borrowed a sum of money to fund a holiday to Italy. 

Christine Linde is an old school friend of Nora’s who is now a widow. Nora is a spendthrift person but she is also very self-sacrificing towards her husband and family. She borrowed money in order that they could go on a holiday to Italy because Torvald had been recently sick. 

She borrows the money from a man by the name of Krogstad who works with her husband Torvald. He is now a widower and had a relationship with Christine in the past. Nora conceals the fact that she has borrowed the money from Krogstad who is to be sacked from the Bank by Torvald for improper behaviour.

Krogstad tries to persuade Nora to intercede with her husband on his behalf in order for him to keep his job She refuses to do this, and so Krogstad writes a letter to Torvald telling him everything. However, Krogstad changes his mind due to the influence of Christine who agrees to marry him.

Torvald however discovers the letter before he hears about Krogstad’s change of mind, and denounces Nora. He decides to cover up the affair and reinstate Krogstad. Just as it is revealed that Krogstad has changed his mind, Torvald decides to forget about everything and go on as usual with life. 

Nora however now has had enough and stands up to him for the first time ever and decides to leave. She does not want to be a wife who is treated like a doll in a doll’s house. 

She finally leaves Torvald  and her children , determined to discover who exactly she really is and what exactly she thinks about life, because Torvald had been the one who has done this for her all her life.

Some useful resources to use are:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/d/a-dolls-house/play-summary 

http://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house 

http://www.skoool.ie/print_page.asp?id=2482&pageref=http://www.skoool.ie/examcentre_sc.asp?id%3D2482&oID=

http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/h-ibsen/dolls-house.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m81oiq5yvCc

It's coming up to Mock exam time here in St Mary's! Great fun for everyone! Remember that the exams are preparation for the real thing. Be sure to eat well and get plenty of sleep. Arrive early, and ensure you check that you have all the necessary equipment you need the night before.

A great study resource giving useful revision hints for the exams can be found here:

http://www.skoool.ie

Past papers at all levels can be found at:

https://www.examinations.ie/

“Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

 

One of the most popular and best loved novels ever written in the English language is “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Semi-autobiographical, the book is set in Alabama in the American “Deep South” during the Depression, a time of great poverty during the early 1930’s. The novel is narrated by the main character, a little girl named Jean Louise Finch, a tomboyish character nicknamed “Scout” Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer with very high moral standards. Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill are intrigued by local rumours about a man named Arthur or “Boo” Radley, who lives in their neighbourhood but never leaves his house. Many stories and legends have spread about Boo, and he is made out to be a kind of monster. Scout’s mother died young and the family cook, Calpurnia is a motherlike figure to herself and her brother during the novel.

Over time, however, it becomes clear that Boo is actually a rather gentle soul, who leaves presents for the kids in a tree in their neighbourhood.

The novel centres around the trial of a black man falsely accused of rape and assault. Scout’s father Atticus defends the innocent Tom Robinson. Even though he brilliantly proves Tom’s innocence in court, Tom is still found guilty, showing the racial prejudice in that part of America that existed back then.

The man that Atticus showed was the real villain behind the crime, Bob Ewell, attacks the children towards the end of the book, but Boo Radley emerges to save the day

As the book progresses through a three year period, the children undergo a “rite of passage” as their characters change, realising that unfortunately bad things happen in the world such as racism and prejudice.

The book was made into a famous movie, starring Oscar wining Gregory Peck, who describes his love of the book here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR7loA_oziY

Here’s a nice summary of the book created by some American students:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRCa3RCa5Pg

Enjoy some clips and trailers from the movie version of the film below, and see the excellent Spark Notes animated summary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V99St7H5gPI

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/

 

Some good resources to help study and understand the novel can be found here.

 http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3275794-to-kill-a-mockingbird

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/

For an appreciation of what life was like in America during this time see:

http://prezi.com/mr3unvujhpfw/life-in-alabama-during-the-1930s/

 

For help in understanding the geography of this part of the USA check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_States

 

 

 

Why not pop along for a chat at our Annual Open Evening at 7pm on Tuesday 10th September?
The Learning Support Department is located on our Third Floor. We are happy to discuss any queries parents and students may have regarding enrolment at St Mary's. The Learning Support Department are also available to discuss any issues concerning support for students with special educational needs.

“Study is the bane of childhood, the oil of youth, the indulgence of adulthood, and a restorative in old age”

Walter Savage Landor

Yes, the exam season will shortly be upon us...For Junior Cert and Leaving Cert students this of course means the State Examinations. Indeed, many have already began their exams, in the form of submitting projects, practical demonstrations in Home Economics or Oral examinations in languages. For other students the "house" exams will arrive towards the end of May before the summer holidays.

Exams can be stressful. Planning study well in advance is the sure fire way of avoiding this stress. But even those who have been less than diligent in their study routine can be surprised by how much can be acquired in a short space of time.

As important as a routine is rest and diet...a fit mind requires a fit body. Exams are also learning experiences, like so many other situations in life. And even if the grades aren't all that were expected..well, there will always be a next time.

For good information on exam guidelines check out the following useful links below:

http://www.skoool.ie/examcentre_sc.asp?id=147

http://www.spunout.ie/health/article/anxiety-and-stress?gclid=CPOP7tOu0rYCFc9F2wodH1cAYQ

And remember, do your best, but look on the funny side too..

http://www.masalatime.com/?p=419

“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”

― GK Chesterton


Irish history is a source of fascination; not only to those of us who live in this country but to many others overseas as well. Much of Irish history concers the relationship beween this country and Britain.

In the Junior Cert History Course students study the changing relationship between both countries. Currently in second yeras students are examining the issues of the Plantations, and in particular how the Ulster Plantation radically changed the course of Irish History. A useful resource here is:


http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/homeworkzone.asp?id=1867

In Senior Cycle students have examined the course of twentieth century Irish History and have examined the course of events on both sides of the border since Independence.
Some useful resoucres to use here are:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/troubles/

http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/History_Links/Civil_War.html


Regarding Ulster, Senior Cycle Geography students are also currently examining  geopolitical and demographic factors that have shaped the province's recent development. a good mapping tool here is:
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/map_index.html

For information on general Irish History check out:

http://www.scoilnet.ie/hist/

http://www.irishhistorian.com/Quiz/FamousQuotations.html


Meanwhile, here are some great fun quizzes to test your knowledge of Irish History:

 http://www.irishhistorian.com/TestYourKnowledge.html

http://www.quizglobal.com/QuizQuestions.aspx?QuizID=773

“A kid in sport stays out of court”

Sport...to many it’s not seen as a school subject as such. Traditionally sport and physical education were seen as the exclusive domain of a certain cohort of students, namely those who were more active or “sporty”.

However, as evidence increasingly shows, sport and physical education bestows an equal amount of benefits to young people as do subjects in the academic curriculum. Educational psychologists like Howard Gardner have developed a classification of the different intelligences which one can strive to develop in life.

http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html 

It can be seen, that even as important as traditional academic skills are, we can also strive to improve our spatial skills, interpersonal skills and kinaesthetic skills among others. Sport is invaluable in allowing young people to develop these skills. It also allows for participating in a group discipline and lets students appreciate why frameworks for rules and regulations are necessary in life.

And of course, sport is paramount in promoting a healthy lifestyle for students as well. Indeed, studies have shown that participation in sport and physical exercise boosts academic and exam performance.

http://parentsforhealth.org/exercise-your-way-to-exam-success

So in conclusion sport and physical exercise not only allow for better physical and mental development but also complement the other parts of the curriculum. Here at St Mary’s we have a tradition of taking part in a number of sporting competitions, including among others, basketball, gaelic games, soccer and athletics. But as equally important to competitive sport is sport for fun, where students can partake in vigorous exercise in PE and other classes.

For further information on the benefits of sports for students, you can see the following links.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/72559-importance-sports-children

http://www.esri.ie/news_events/press_releases_archive/2005/social_and_economic_value/index.xml

From New Zealand, home to the fearsome All Blacks..

http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?articleId=28148  

How sport can help potential early school leavers to stay in school ...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/226590-do-sports-help-kids-stay-out-of-trouble/

And finally, what are your favourite all time Irish sporting moments?

http://www.rte.ie/tv/20moments/index.html