AlexPress September 2026

Welcome to our first edition of AlexPress of the year! As we face into a well-deserved long weekend, I’d like to congratulate all of our students on completing the first month of the academic year. Enjoy the long weekend and get plenty of rest!

We are looking forward to celebrating the successes of last academic year next Thursday 1 October at our Prizegiving Ceremony. It is a treasured occasion in our calendar, and we are deeply honoured that our guest speaker will be Tina-Marie O’Neill, Property Editor at the Business Post.  

We also celebrated student leadership this week as we presented our class captains, vice captains, Alex Acts ambassadors, and student council representatives with their badges. Congratulations to all on their new roles.

Staff Meeting and College Closure

Please note that the upcoming Staff Meeting has been rescheduled to Monday 28 September at 8:30 am. Senior School classes will begin at 9:43 am on Monday 28 September.

The College will be closed on Friday 25 September; Res will remain open for boarders.

ACA AGM

The ACA AGM will be held on 28 September at 7 pm in the College Concourse. The ACA is the parent-teacher association of Alexandra College Senior School, and all parents are invited to join.

Prizegiving Arrangements

Thursday 1 October at 7 pm

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Prizegiving next Thursday 1 October at 7 pm. It is a treasured occasion in our calendar, and we are deeply honoured that our guest speaker will be Tina-Marie O’Neill, Property Editor at the Business Post.  

A reminder to all parents that all students will finish classes on Thursday 1 October at 1 pm. This is to facilitate their return that evening to Prizegiving, where we gather together to celebrate the successes of the last academic year. All students are expected to be in attendance and should return to the College by 6:30 pm for registration.

Lunch will be available on the day for boarders and those who have enrolled for after-school study. After-school study will run that day from 1:30 pm until 4 pm.

On Friday the 18th of September, as part of the Hope Foundation Immersion project, 22 6th Years along with Ms Biondi, Ms O’Farrell, Ms Phelan, and Mr LeQuesne travelled to Kolkata, India, famously known as the City of Joy.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the Hope representatives who would be accompanying us throughout the week. The Hope Foundation is a registered charity that works to protect street-connected children and their families from lives of pain, abuse and extreme poverty. They operate schools, crèches, after school centres and deliver free healthcare all over the city. Throughout the year, all the girls on the trip had raised funds for the projects that the charity supports so it was incredible to see the actual impact that our donations have made. For example, just €20 would provide education for one child for one month.

During our time here we visited many projects including the Hope hospital, crèches and girls homes. These visits gave us an insight into the incredible work that is done here. Not only do they take care of the children when they’re young but they provide security and opportunities after they turn 18.

Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of the trip was the football match we played with some of the Hope children in a local football club. Despite the lashing rain and muddy conditions (which many a fall proved we weren’t prepared for!) there wasn’t a player on the pitch who wasn’t grinning from ear to ear.

We were guided on a day trip to rural West Bengal, by our Hope representative. We visited an activity centre for children living in the rural villages which was an amazing experience to understand the way of life for people living in rural areas of India, especially those living in poverty. Girls from the centre performed an amazing cultural dance for us and we showed them some Irish dances and songs!

All the girls have certainly felt incredibly inspired by the people we’ve met, and want to continue to spread awareness about the work of the Hope Foundation here in Kolkata. Finally, we want to say a massive thank you to all our teachers who travelled with us, the amazing team working with the Hope Foundation, specifically Gora who looked after us so well, and of course Ms McCoy who spent an endless amount of time making sure this trip was possible for us!

On 14th September, our Transition Year students had the opportunity to welcome Spinal Injuries Ireland to our school. They spoke to students about the important work they do to support people living with spinal cord injuries, as well as the challenges and impact that a spinal injury can have on individuals, their families and communities.

The visit gave our TY students an opportunity to learn more about spinal injuries, accessibility, rehabilitation and the importance of support and awareness. It also helped students gain a greater understanding of how organisations such as Spinal Injuries Ireland support people and families affected by spinal cord injuries.

Following this visit, our TY students will take part in a Pier-to-Pier Challenge on 8th October. The challenge will see students come together to raise both awareness and funds for Spinal Injuries Ireland.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for our students to put what they learned into action, challenge themselves and make a positive contribution to an important cause. We look forward to taking part in the Pier-to-Pier Challenge and supporting Spinal Injuries Ireland in their work.'