Pupils make their mark on new school window

LEAVING Cert Applied students in Gort reflected on a year of hard work on Monday when Minister for Training and Skills at the Department of Education and Skills Ciarán Cannon officially unveiled a stained-glass window designed and made by the group.
The carefully crafted piece was inspired by the theme of Diversity and Inclusion and was installed above the main doors of Gort Community School at the weekend.
Principal of Gort Community School Dennis Corry outlined the background to the project, which was funded by a grant from the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, NAPD.
“Since late 2011, the Leaving Cert Applied students of Gort Community School have been busily working in collaboration with local stained glass artist, Gerry Ruane. Their brief was to create and make a bespoke piece of stained glass for the entrance to our school. The theme chosen was Diversity and Inclusion, while the design itself was created by one of our own LCA students, Ben Gabriel,” he outlined.
“We are excited and very proud that for years to come, students, staff and visitors to our school, will be greeted at the door with what seems to be a kaleidoscope of carefully arranged coloured glass. While the basic design emerged from a collage of the national flags, representing each corner of the globe from where the students and staff of our school have links, it also has a deeper symbolic meaning.
The link between Gort and Brazil is given special prominence, as is the link that exists between Gort Community School and Tana Haik Secondary School in Ethiopia. However, at another level, these windows represent only a sample of the creativity and craftsmanship that exists within our student body. Finally, we are equally proud this artistic expression through glass, acknowledges that Gort Community School is a place that works to celebrate diversity, while also ensuring inclusion. Each day, stepping into our school beneath these windows, we must be spurred on to face new challenges ahead,” Mr Corry stated.
According to Carmel Neylon, LCA2 co-ordinator, the theme of diversity and inclusion is particularly relevant in Gort Community School.
“Because we have 20 nationalities represented in our school between staff and students, we incorporated each of these flags into the piece and that was very important to us,” she explained.
Each of the students involved in the project played a role in Monday’s ceremony.
“The students really took ownership of the project,” said Ms Neylon.
“On the evening, a third-year student, Louise Hayes, did all the food. She is 15 and catered the whole thing. The students who took part in the project all spoke about the project or what it meant to them or introduced speakers.Anything that needed doing they did and the project itself was extracurricular,” she added.
“Initially, there were 12 students involved in the cutting, copper filing and grinding. It was great training, in that all the students had their part to play. Then pieces themselves were getting too big to be brought into the school all the time so we had to base ourselves in Gerry’s studio. For that, we could only take three students, Ben Gabriel, Rachel McKnight and Kevin Mee and we got great support from their teachers and management here in facilitating this,” Ms Neylon outlined.
Artist Gerry Ruane from Tubber was a great support for the pupils.
“He was really brilliant. His manner with the students was wonderful and he had a great way of passing on the skills,” Ms Neylon said.
This transfer of knowledge has developed the pupils’ interest.
“This has been great for them. They are quite artistic and in the beginning, they were introduced to the skills in a basic way but this year, they were really brought on. They thoroughly enjoyed the project and are rightly proud of their achievement. Even the other students coming in and out of the school are complimenting the piece,” Ms Neylon concluded.