| Loreto Convent Clochar Loreto |
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| Motto | Maria Regina Angelorum Cruci Dum Spiro Fido |
| Established | 1854 |
| Location | Letterkenny, County Donegal |
| Students | 1000 |
| Type | Voluntary Secondary School |
| Colours | Brown, Yellow |
| Homepage | Loreto's Official Online |
Loreto Convent (Irish: Clochar Loreto) is an all-girls secondary school located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. It is located beside the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba. It is one of nineteen Loreto Secondary Schools in Ireland.
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The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known in Ireland as the Loreto Order, was founded in England by Mary Ward in the 17th century. The Order was introduced into Ireland in 1821 by Mother Frances Teresa Ball. In 1854, the then Bishop of Raphoe, Dr. McGettigan, invited the Order to set up a secondary school for girls in Letterkenny and gave them the house which still forms the nucleus of the Convent. The day-school opened on September 4, 1854 with five pupils.
A new wing with a Concert Hall was built in 1939 and further extensions were added in 1972, 1978 and 1986, bringing the school to its present standard of accommodation and facilities. An extension was sanctioned by the Department of Education and was opened to coincide with the 150th anniversary celebrations in mid 2004. The first classes took place there in September 2005.
From the 1920s until 1976 Loreto Letterkenny was an all-Irish school. It ceased to be a boarding school in 1978.
The Loreto schools share a common educational philosophy and maintain links through inter-school co-operation and extra-curricular activities.
Joe McHugh taught the girls before becoming a politician. The former headmaster Noel Ferry was the first male and the first lay principal of the school since it opened over 150 years ago. Susan Kenny is the current principal.
Management Structure
The school is under the control of a Board of Management. Loreto Trustees are designated the legal owners, but they devolve most of their powers to the Board. Representatives are elected by the Loreto Order, by parents and by teachers, and serve for a three year period. The Board ensures that the school retains the Loreto ethos, maintaining the high standards demanded by the Loreto Order.
Parents' Association
The Parents' Association supports the school in fund raising activities, environmental issues, sporting activities, supervision of study and in other needs that may arise from time to time. Each year new members are invited to join the Association. The A.G.M. ratifies membership.
Prefects/Student Leadership Team
This is a team of Leaving Certificate students who are nominated by the staff and their classmates. Following interviews, a Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl are appointed from this group. The prefect team assist staff and management with the smooth running of the school. Membership of this team is both a privilege and a responsibility.
Student Council
This is a group of students elected to represent their fellow students. The aim of the Student Council is to act as a representative body which liaises with other students, staff, Board of Management and Parents' Association.
The Lor-Echo is the newspaper that is released 5 or 6 times annually by the students of Loreto Convent Letterkenny. It is edited by a group of students and teachers who decide what topics should be discussed and who should be in charge of writing the articles. Lor-Echo is also in charge of publishing the yearbook. The yearbook contains photographs of all the students and articles written by students that are of interest to them. They fund it by selling advertisement to businesses in the Letterkenny area. Lor-Echo is very popular among the girls.
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