St. Joseph's
Grammar School, Donaghmore

Educating For the Future Since 1922
Meet Our Head Pupils
Meet our Head Boy
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Liam Carberry
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My name is Liam Carberry and I have the privilege of being Head Boy of St Joseph’s Grammar School for the 2022-2023 academic year. As I enter my final year at St. Joseph’s I look back with fondness and gratitude for my seven years spent at a place that has shaped me into the person I am today. I am the last of six siblings to attend St. Joseph’s. The positive experiences of my family members made me excited and reassured about the prospect of going to ‘big school’. The close-knit school community made the transition from my primary school seamless. The opportunities afforded to me have helped to develop me into the person I am today. I have had the chance to sample the sights and sounds of Rome, navigate difficult terrain as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Award and most recently our formal provided an opportunity for my year group to celebrate our journey at St. Joseph’s in style!
Each day at St. Joseph’s brings something new and exciting; from explosive experiments in Chemistry to perceptive paintings in Art, to having a laugh with my closest friends. My time at St. Joseph’s has been filled with variety, choices, challenges but fun and laughter in equal measures. I feel very fortunate to have had such dedicated and compassionate teachers who guided me from the moment I walked through the door. The school has helped me develop holistically and has given me the confidence to tackle the obstacles that life will put in front of me.
As I prepare to leave St. Joseph’s, whilst I am excited about the next stage of my academic journey, I will depart with a tinge of sadness- I have loved my time at St. Joseph’s, I have built many memories and life-long friends.
Meet our Head Girl
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Rochella McCallan
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My name is Rochella McCallan and I am the current Head Girl in St Joseph’s Grammar School, Donaghmore. I firmly believe that St Joseph’s has helped me to develop into the person I am today. Not only have I had the encouragement and support to thrive academically but also through the wide range of extra-curricular activities available it became easy to enrich and enhance my school experience. No matter what interest you may have sporting or otherwise, there truly is something for everyone. I have been an active member of the school ladies GAA teams, which I have enjoyed, especially having the opportunity of travelling and playing with my school teammates. The school also offers unique opportunities to broaden your knowledge on travel and culture, personally I was fortunate to avail of the trip to Rome when I was Year 10 and in Year 8 was able to attend the Gaeltacht.
I chose St Joseph’s Grammar for several reasons, a key reason being that when I attended the open night in 2016, I could feel the nurturing and caring element of the school instantly. Making the jump from primary to secondary can be very daunting, but with St Joseph’s it was a seamless transition, with staff and pupils helping to create that welcoming atmosphere. The pastoral care is a prominent feature within school, shown through the staff-student relationship, which allows everyone to grow both academically and personally throughout their own school journey. This was actively demonstrated during the difficult pandemic period, where great efforts were made by staff to maintain the communication and learning.
When starting St Joseph’s, like any other student, I was quite nervous but these past seven years have allowed me to make lifelong friends while creating new memories each day. It has provided me with a culture and legacy that I can carry on into the next chapter of my life. As you decide on your next chapter, I can assure you if you choose St Joseph’s, with it’s family like culture and nurturing environment, it will allow you, like myself to truly enjoy your secondary school experience.
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