Photo was taken near Baltimore, West Cork (Irl)

The views up near Rath Church looking across towards Baltimore are quite special. Even on an overcast day the contrast between the green fields and the sea is always eye catching. During the summer months Baltimore is alive with visitors with much to see and do.

Thought on Tuesday – June – 05/06/2012

‘There are more than 10,000 ways for life to unfold when one takes that last step out the door of the school and into the great adventure of life. Exams provide one stepping stone on that journey, but they are a means to an end rather than an end in themselves.’ ~Maria Byrne

Tomorrow the Junior and Leaving Cert exams begin. The long wait is nearly over. It is an anxious time for so many starting the exams and also an anxious time for parents. It is such an unfair system that everything seems to rest on the outcome of these exams. There has been much talk about a better way of doing it and we are still waiting! It seems easy to say that there is always life after exams. There is always a bigger picture. Exams are stepping stones in life. Education is life long and many opportunities will unfold no matter what happens with the exams taking place over the next week or so. They say exams are not there to catch anyone out but to find out how much a student knows. So let’s hope and pray that each exam will give every student an opportunity to show how much they know. Saint Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint for those doing exams. He struggled big time with study and exams. Somehow he always scraped through. Today he is a friend to everyone doing exams. We pray to him to gently calm, direct and help every student starting their exams tomorrow.