Half-Term

We're now on half-term until Monday 2nd November. Back then with lots more - Transition Year essays, the Senior Play, more Shakespeare Wordles, more Leaving Cert poetry podcasts, poems and lots of activity.

'Honesty is the Best Policy'

Two Second Formers responded to Mr Canning's essay title, 'Honesty is the Best Policy'.

Sadhbh Sheeran writes:- Do you know when someone says to you “Does my bum look big in this?” or “Do I look like an imbecile because I forgot to put my face on this morning?” your immediate answer is “No you look luv-er-ly”. Even if their bum looks colossal and they're looking like the living dead this morning.... One thing for sure is if you don’t want to wake up with the labels cut off your Ugg boots, honesty is not always the best policy.

Read Sadhbh's full essay here.


And Dearbhala Gernon decided that in writing her essay, she'd be really honest:-

Dear Mr Canning,

If I were to be honest with you about trying to find something to write about on this confusing title, it may anger you; but I will now give you an example of why honesty isn’t always the best policy.

I'm sitting, my legs crossed, an itch to the left of my shoulder, my curly hair annoying the right side of my face, chewing my pencil, and hoping an idea to write about for an essay will pop into my head. Then my confusing teacher walks into prep wearing beige corduroy trousers, a school coat on, with LC embroidered on his left shoulder. Why did he not set a narrower essay title than: 'Honesty isn’t always the best policy' as a motivating title?

Read Dearbhala's full essay here.

Library Quiz

Well done to our V form Library Quiz team, who yesterday came third in the Alexandra College competition (after leading until the final round): Sebastian McAteer, Daphne Wright, Susannah Cooke, Philip Blackley, Miriam Poulton and Amelia Shirley.

Poetry Aloud 2009

Congratulations to Hamish Law (intermediate) and John Clarke (junior), who yesterday won their sections at the National Library heat of the Poetry Aloud competition, and thus qualify for the national semi-final in Wesley College on December 4th. The final is later that same day.

'Antony and Cleopatra' on Wordle

No 11. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Antony and Cleopatra. The Wordle series will resume after half-term, and at the end there'll be a summary slide-show.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

TY Book Recommendations 12

Claire Conway is another TY pupil who recommends a book by Adeline Yen Mah, Falling Leaves:- In this book, the author describes her own life, the life of an unwanted Chinese daughter. Her story takes place in China in the 1930s, which was then extremely conservative and dominated by men. Shortly after her birth her mother dies, and she is blamed for the great loss her family has to suffer. Indeed, throughout her whole life she is treated as secondary, and her siblings humiliate her and beat her because of her weakness and helplessness. Even her father doesn't show any interest in her, and she is of no importance to him. Her new stepmother makes her hatred of her stepchildren very clear and treats them like dirt. Adeline's childhood is marked by misery.

This book captured me from the first page. It's incredibly gripping and powerful. The characters are well described and it's so vividly written that I can still feel her loneliness. This authentic story would make any reader develop strong feelings. I really have enjoyed reading this story, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

TY Extended Essay guidelines

Pupils can access the technical guidelines here, and always from the Department Documents link on the right.

Poetry Aloud, and Library Quiz

Good luck to our teams in two events this afternoon - the first round of the Poetry Aloud competition, 2009 (in the National Library), and the Library Quiz at Alexandra College. Mr Jameson and Mr McConville are in charge of the respective teams.

(Yes, that is indeed Father Dougal).

'Love's Labour's Lost' on Wordle

No 10. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Love's Labour's Lost.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

The Acharnians

Time is ticking on rehearsals for this year's Senior Play (click for the cast), which will be shown in the BSR on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th November, just under two weeks after half-term. Mr Swift, one of the co-directors with Dr Stone, writes:-

This year’s Senior Play continues our engagement with some of the giants of world drama with a production of The Acharnians by Aristophanes. Set against the backdrop of prolonged war between Athens and Sparta and to be performed during Remembrance Week this play contains a strong anti-war theme. When Dikaiopolis forges a private peace treaty with Sparta he is branded a traitor before he can properly explain his motives. Along the way he must plead the case for peace to the Athenian assembly, some cranky country folk and Euripides the tragic poet.

Our performances will be in the ancient Greek theatre shape, and the company of young actors will be playing multiple roles. The actors are striving to bring their modern sense of comedy to bear on this ancient masterpiece…with some humorous outcomes. With plenty of satirical swipes at corrupt politicians and self-important generals this two and a half thousand year old play might well provide food for thought for us today.

House Speech Competition review

Recently we had our annual Transition Year House Speech competition. Now Mena Fitzgibbon, from the Transition Year, reviews it-

The ten speakers of the night were: Shannen, Rebecca, Tom, Jack Dunne, Bronwyn, Oyinda, Jack Cherry, Robin, Rab and Lorcan. Shannen's speech was on Cystic Fibrosis. The way it was delivered was gripping; the emotion behind it kept the audience completely engaged. Even though I had heard the speech numerous times before, it still brought tears to my eyes. We (as an audience) could tell how close to home this subject was to Shannen and the end just brought around different emotions which are hard for me to explain.

Read Mena's full review here.

'Twelfth Night' on Wordle

No 9. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Twelfth Night, currently being studied by our Transition Year pupils.

Yesterday's Guardian online has an article by Maddy Costa about Malvolio, following Richard Wilson's arrival in the part for the RSC:-

What do they see in Malvolio? On paper, there is little to recommend him: he is unforgiving and rude; he criticises his mistress, Olivia, while massaging his rampant ego with indulgent dreams of life as her husband. His austerity is born of a puritanism that makes him intolerant of revelry – or, as the unruly Sir Toby Belch puts it, such simple good things as "cakes and ale". What's to like? [continued].


Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

College Newsletter

SCC is about to launch its new e-newsletter, replacing our previous colour magazine. All are welcome to subscribe via the website, by going here and typing your email address in the field on the right, 'Subscribe to College Newsletter'. You'll get a confirming email, and newsletters about twice a term, starting in a couple of days.

TY Book Recommendations 11

Aoise Keogan-Nooshabadi recommends Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist:- This is an exciting, daring and different book, that traps the reader in its view of both Western and Eastern civilizations. The narration to a foreign man in a bar is believable and thought-provoking. The central figure's experiences in America (an America marked by a cruel detachment from morality) are relevant and interesting. I would strongly recommend this novel.

'Books' by Poppy Vernon

Above, a picture of prayer books - the evocative and beautiful photograph by Poppy Vernon which won her the youth category in the 2009 National Heritage Week Photography Competition. Well done!

'King Lear' on Wordle

No 8. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : King Lear, currently being studied by our VI formers for the Leaving Certificate.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

TY Book Recommendations 10

Michael Kemp has been reading Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh, as one of the books for his Extended Essay:- This is a brutal social satire, which follows the lives of the junkies, dealers and wideboys of Leith, a small Scottish city.

The book is told through monologues (the narrator changing each chapter), and follows an ensemble of low-life characters. However, its main voice is Renton, a relapsing heroic addict who has wasted his obvious intelligence, thanks to his purgatorial life of addiction, and living off the dole. Renton is perhaps the most decent character in this unremittingly bleak novel, though that's not saying much.

The novel is, however, more than a bleak book full of bad people, and hits poignant notes that shine through the jet-black humour. This makes it a dark delight, and gives you a real idea of how the people amuse themselves in the dull amoral environment of the very real Leith housing estates. This is an excellent novel, which both teaches and entertains.

'Julius Caesar' on Wordle

No 7. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Julius Caesar

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

P, I, II Form Plays

Treasure Island (directed by Mr Patterson and Mr Clarke), and The Tell-Tale Heart (directed by Mr McCarthy) were the dramas on offer last night in the BSR by Primary/I form and II form respectively. Treasure Island was a full-on Cecil B. DeMille production, with swarms of pirates and dramatic sword fights. The Tell-Tale Heart was tight and tense, with Ben Traill effectively capturing the mental torture of the murderer. There was certainly plenty of talent on show for future more senior productions.

TY Book Recommendations 9

Bronwyn Mallon is reading Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring (click here for the painting itself on the Mauritshuis site) :-

It is about a young woman who has just become a maid to the local Catholic family. She has been taken on due to the recent blindness of their father, a local tile painter whose kiln exploded and killed other works in the business. In the new house she seems very naive, and the children of the house push her to the limits to test her. There is a sense of conflict, as she is a Protestant; everywhere in the house there are pictures depicting Christ. The book is very good - it describes vividly the scenes and the rooms she is in. I am really enjoying reading it.

'The Comedy of Errors' on Wordle

No 6. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : The Comedy of Errors

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

'Ten Poems I Love to Teach'

[The first of an irregular series of posts specifically for English teachers]

Eric Selinger has a lively article at Poetry Foundation called 'Ten Poems I Love to Teach', in Poetry Foundation's 'Ten Poems' series in its Learning Lab. Selinger's poems are :

• 'To My Dear and Loving Husband', by Anne Bradstreet
• 'Wild Nights! - Wild Nights!' by Emily Dickinson
• 'Those Winter Sundays' by Robert Hayden
• 'The Sun Rising' by John Donne
• 'Theme for English B' by Langston Hughes
• 'The New Colossus' by Emma Lazarus
• 'If We Must Die' by Claude McKay
• 'Easter 1916' by W.B. Yeats (on our Leaving Cert course - Selinger writes Once I realized that Yeats, too, isn’t quite sure where he’s going—that he’s trying to figure out what sort of transformation has taken place in 'them', and hoping that symbolism will help him—the stumbles made sense, and our journey had a map.)
• 'How Do I Love Thee?' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• 'Beam 10' by Ronald Johnson
  

TY Book Recommendations 8

Opeline Kellett has read Willy Russell's play Educating Rita for her Extended Essay, and writes:-

This is quite like a modern version of Pygmalion, or its better-known musical version My Fair Lady. It's about a young woman, Rita, who signs up for an Open University course. She is a working-class Liverpudlian who is trying to better herself, and 'know everything'. Her tutor, Frank, is a well-educated university tutor who seems to be a borderline alcoholic; he keeps his dignity but also seems lost. She finds a light in him, and he is utterly amused as well as mesmerized by her - her opinions, her character, her lifestyle. During the play they both go through trials and tribulations with their partners, and their lives in general, and strike up a strong friendship and indeed love by the end.

I loved this play for its humour and charm, as well as its incredibly powerful moving moments and genuine realism. There are only two characters in the play, yet not once do you need to see anyone else. You do hear of them, but since Frank and Rita are both such interesting characters, hearing is enough. This is a truly beautiful play, which hits so many notes.

'As You Like It' on Wordle

No 5. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : As You Like It

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

'The Game', Poem of the Week

The 57th Poem of the Week is Andrew Motion's 'The Game', an appropriate one for the week in which we have held our Bullying Awareness Day. Read it here. Andrew Motion, former British Poet Laureate, was a prime mover in the Poetry Archive website, and can be heard reading poems such as 'Anne Frank Huis' and 'Veteran' here.

SCC English is a member of the 'Stop Cyberbullying Network'.

'Coriolanus' on Wordle

No 4. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Coriolanus.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

Library Quiz Team

V formers interested in joining the annual Library Quiz team to compete at Alexandra College this time next week should see Mr McConville. He promises 'fun and frolics'. And that the celebrity quizmaster will be Father Dougal (well, okay, Ardal O'Hanlon).

Irish Independent article

SCC English features today in an article in the Irish Independent by Kim Bielenberg, 'How to teach English to the Facebook generation'; click here to read it online. The paper version includes photographs of the Library and the Cloisters.

For visitors who've arrived here from the Independent, you can read more about our Department here and here, see more about our Transition Year here, their Extended Essays here, and the Library here and here.

Podcast 15 : 'The Wild Swans at Coole'

Our fifteenth podcast is the first of this academic year, and is also the first in a series of podcasts on individual poems on the Higher Level Leaving Certificate course. This one is on W.B. Yeats's poem 'The Wild Swans at Coole', and sets the poem in its literary and historical background.

The second volume of Roy Foster's biography, which is quoted in the podcast, is The Arch-Poet. The Yeats exhibition at the National Library of Ireland, is open now, and the website is here (you can see the manuscript of 'Wild Swans' online by searching). Coole Park's website is here.

Listen to the podcast via the player below:-

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You can also listen to our podcasts via the 'widget' on the sidebar to the right, or by visiting our podcast page here (if you have iTunes on your computer you can also subscribe by clicking here, and so download our episodes to your MP3 player, or by searching for 'SCC English' in the iTunes Store).

'Hamlet' on Wordle

No 3. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Hamlet.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

Blue Rose Theatre Company

Today is our annual Bullying Awareness Day, and this morning the whole school (in two separate groups) will see a performance in the BSR of Stand and Speak, 'a two-man play about bullying' featuring Joe McGrath (pictured) and Thomas Farrelly of the Blue Rose Theatre Company.

In the words of their website, this is :-

A progressive play dealing with the complicated issue of bulling. Presented in a horseshoe shape, Stand and Speak takes the students away from the ‘usual dramatic presentation’ and brings them into the action directly - forcing students to watch the natural reactions of everyone in the room ... through the raw and realistic action and dialogue students are encouraged to participate, in a natural way. Throughout this show their participation will both enhance and contribute in displaying/revealing the many levels of bullying: verbal, physical, visual, mental, etc.

TY Book Recommendations 7

Antonia Behr has been reading My Boyd, My Enemy, by Claire Beeken :- This is the autobiography of a girl suffering from being abused by her grandfather at the age of 10. She lives with this trauma every day, not telling anyone as she doesn't want to split the family. She takes out all her frustrations on herself. During the course of the book she tells us how she starts to harm herself and stop eating. This becomes more and more of a serious problem. She locks herself inside this, blocking out everyone who wants to help her.

I admired this book because as a reader I got to know Claire's feelings from the beginning. It had a big impression on me, because I started to think about the background of her story. We never imagine that our environment could have such an effect on our lives, feelings and thoughts. It made me think about myself, my family and friends; no-one should hate themselves as much as Claire does.

I have a lot of respect for her, because after a painful time she finds a way out of her crisis and starts to help other people. I recommend this book because when you read someone else's story, you think about how it compares to the lives we all live.

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on Wordle

No 2. in our Shakespeare Wordles series : A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

'Romeo and Juliet' on Wordle

Above, a Wordle of the whole text of Romeo and Juliet, the first of the entire works of Shakespeare that we'll be showing over the next month or so - when complete, there will be a full slideshow, to compare the plays, as well as a commentary.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

TY Book Recommendations 6

Eochy O'Conor is reading Generation Kill, by Evan Wright (now a HBO series, just started on Channel 4):- I really like this book because it's so vivid and the author really makes you think that you are there. He also describes each of the characters and their personalities so well, and almost makes it sound like he has known them all his life. The way that he writes it and the fact that it's a true story, makes you want to turn the page every time you finish one.

The book is about a journalist who travels into Iraq with Bravo Company from the Marines, who were one of the first companies into the country. The author writes about every place and everything that he does with the Marines.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a book full of action and suspense, and someone who likes true stories.

Calling Bell Ringers

Mr Jameson is planning another issue of Second Bell later this month (the previous one is below, by Issuu - click and click again for larger views). Essays to him at secondbell 'at' gmail.com.

TY Book Recommendations 5

Zuleika O'Malley has read Adeline Yen Mah's Chinese Cinderella, and writes:- This book is a true story about the struggles of a young girl growing up in China. It is very sad. It is not very long, although it does not need to be any longer. As you read the book, you do not want to stop, as you learn all about Adeline and how she matures, learning all about those around her.

Tom Crampton is reading George Orwell's Animal Farm :- I am finding this book very interesting. The animals on this farm can talk, and some can read. They get fed up with their owner and decide to rebel. The book is really about communism. In it they are all supposed to be equal and have the same rights, but this gradually changes. As in communism, there is also a dictator.

'The Spider'

Our 56th Poem of the Week is 'The Spider' by Kathleen Jamie. This is one of a series on the Guardian's site which are part of their 10:10 Climate Change Special (thanks to Helen Conway for pointing us to this). There are also poems there by Andrew Motion, Carol Rumens and Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate. You can hear Jamie read several poems on the Poetry Archive site here.

The Guardian have their own Poem of the Week feature: the latest is John Donne's 'The Sun Rising', 'one of the most joyous love poems ever written', according to Carol Rumens.

The Acharnians, Senior Play

This year's Senior Play (on November 13th and 14th) is The Acharnians, by Aristophanes, directed by Mr Swift. An early comedy, The Acharnians is also an anti-war drama (appropriate for the week of Remembrance Day, November 11th). We'll have plenty on the production in coming weeks. Meanwhile, below is the cast list.




Dikaiopolis: Poppy Vernon
Euripides: Michael McBurney
Euripides’s Slave: Olivia Plunket
Lamachos: Robbie Hollis
Lamachos’s Slave: Seth Smith
Herald: Emma Moore
Ambassador: Millie Murphy
Amphitheos: Gina Mirow
Theorus: Robin Fitzpatrick
Nikarkos: Miriam Poulton
Megarian: Patrick Tice
Boeotian: Opeline Kellett
Ismenias: Sebastian Stephenson
Xanthias: Zara Lahme
Pseudartabas: Rob Nolan

Chorus of Acharnians
Dikastes: Jasper Pickersgill
Polypragmon: Max Kavanagh
Lakreteides: Josh Buckingham

King Lear's Map

Food for thought for our Leaving Cert candidates who are currently revising King Lear as their single text for next summer's exam:-

Jonathan Bate's fine book Soul of the Age: the life, mind and world of William Shakespeare, recently out in paperback, has an early section ('Give me the map there', pp 26-29, in the chapter 'The Discovery of England') which, although it doesn't mention King Lear, is interesting. He refers to the famous portrait of Elizabeth I by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (the 'Ditchley Portrait' - now in the National Portrait Gallery in London - details and copy here).

Bate discusses the importance of maps as 'instruments of power', and analyses the map on which Elizabeth is standing - Christopher Saxton's map of England from his famous atlas of 1579. See the image itself on the Glasgow University Library site here.

As Bate writes: It was the first ever accurate map of the whole country. It was one of the keys to the Elizabethans' discovery of their own land. To have in their hands a picture of every corner of England ... this was the dream of the men of power who set Saxton to work on his monumental surveying expedition ... Thanks to Saxton, the Elizabethans were the first England people to have a clear sense of the physical shape of their own nation. And that gave them a new sense of belonging.

All the more shocking then, for a monarch embodying the unity of the kingdom of Britain, to divide his kingdom, and start a process that results in that kingdom fragmenting into civil war, just as Lear's own heart breaks into 'a hundred thousand flaws' in his madness and grief.

Simon Mawer profile

Back in August 2007, we recommended Simon Mawer's novel The Fall, commenting that his 'novels don't seem to have made the general breakthrough they deserve.' Now Mawer is on this year's Man Booker shortlist, for his novel The Glass Room, and yesterday's Guardian carried a lengthy profile of the author (and biology teacher).

TY Book Recommendations 4

Today we go on a weekend Exodus, returning on Tuesday. IV formers should be doing lots of reading over the weekend for their Extended Essays. Here are two more recommendations-

Rebecca Stewart has read Cassandra Clare's City of Bones :- This book caught my eye, not only due to the interesting cover but because of the blurb. This describes how the book brings together one of my favourite cities - New York - and fairytales, with creatures such as werewolves and vampires. It is about a girl who gets caught up in a world she doesn't even believe in, and definitely know that she belonged in. It also deals with forbidden love. In my eyes it has everything you could wish for in a book. I definitely wasn't let down by it. It kept me wanting to read on. I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes a bit of fantasy.

Tom Gibbs is reading Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers:- I think this book is very good; it is a non-fiction account of World War II. It is about the 101st Airborne Division and it follows them from their initial training to the Battle of the Bulge. The book is good, I think, because there is always some action, and you always want to know what happens next. It gives you a deeper insight into what life was really like on the Western Front.

William Trevor on 'Arts Tonight'

The most recent podcast from RTE Radio 1's 'Arts Tonight' is an interesting and detailed discussion about William Trevor, and can be heard via podcast or by listening again via the RTE site here. Trevor himself is heard from the Reading the Future series.

Vincent Woods talks abour Trevor's work with his biographer Dolores McKenna and Eibhear Walshe of UCC, including his most recent novel, Love and Summer, which we recommended here. St Columba's is also mentioned (he attended here as a pupil from 1944 to 1946 under his real name, Trevor Cox), and The Story of Lucy Gault is discussed (our VI form are studying it for the Leaving Certificate).