Tag Archives: schools

Last Wednesday, to celebrate National Bike Week, almost 700 children from Ennis and surrounds, along with 100 adults, took part in a 3km cycle around Ennis to promote the benefits of cycling to school. Starting from behind the Fire Station on new road, the peleton took a tour around the town, taking over the streets for almost an hour. At the finish at The Fair Green, the children were organised into groups to make up a giant   ‘1.5’ on the playing field to remind motorists to leave at least 1.5m space around cyclists on the road.                    

Primary and second level schools in Clare will receive a total of €53,1454.35 funding for computer equipment, it has been confirmed. The grant, which will be received by all schools built prior to 2014, is worth in excess of €4,100 for a 100 pupil school and almost €13,000 for a 500 pupil school at primary level, according to Minister of State Pat Breen. A total of 115 schools in Clare are eligible. At post-primary level, the grant is worth almost €18,000 for a 500 student school, and over €33,000 for a 1,000 student school. Minister Breen said, “I am delighted that schools in Clare will receive more than €53,000 for computer equipment. “The funding can be spent on desktop PCs, laptops, tablets or hybrid devices. Schools can also purchase projectors and cloud based tools and software applications to support learning. “I know this will make a huge difference to school communities at both primary and secondary level across Clare, and …

SMALL primary schools facing the threat of losing a teacher due to falling numbers have been given some breathing space this week, as a result of a decision by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan. Affecting schools mainly in rural parishes, new retention regulations will give a slightly improved pupil/teacher ratio in two to four-teacher school scenarios. Nationally, close on 60% of primary schools have four teachers or less. Minister O’Sullivan revealed that the new retention schedule for the 2015/16 school year will be 19 pupils, rather than 20, to retain a second teacher; 53 pupils, rather than 56, to retain a third teacher and 83 pupils, rather than 86, to retain a fourth teacher. While generally supportive of the decision to reduce the number of pupils required to retain teachers in small schools, Labasheeda National School principal, Liam Woulfe, said the change “will not greatly aid two-teacher schools”. Following two appeals, Labasheeda was able to show that it had the required …

THE establishment of an EU-wide Anti-Bullying Day is on MEP Sean Kelly’s Christmas wish list for the New Year. “The introduction of an EU Anti-Bullying Day would generate huge awareness-raising opportunities around the issue of bullying, and particularly that of young people in school or online right across Europe on an annual basis,” the Ireland South MEP said. The Fine Gael MEP who has led a national and European campaign against cyber bullying, and intends to hold further anti-cyber bullying forums in 2015, says the effects of bullying on young people are severe: “Research shows 1,700 young Europeans are at risk of death by suicide every year due to bullying and cyber-bullying. “These are preventable deaths and the EU has a responsibility to protect young people from the scourge of bullying in any form it takes – online, physical or emotional battering,” Mr Kelly, a former teacher,continued. “I want to see an anti-bullying campaign involving key stakeholders rolled out under …

COMPANIES in Clare should “step up and provide corporate support” to West Africa, as it fights to contain the outbreak of Ebola, an Inagh man leading one NGO’s response to the disease in the region has said. Damien Queally of Plan Ireland has just returned to his base in Senegal from a visit to the charity’s projects in the three worst-affected countries. “We are looking for medical personnel, good solid project managers who are able to keep multiple activities moving at the same time, logisticians. It would be great if some companies would step up and provide corporate support with some of the supplies that are needed. Personal protective equipment for one person is about €50, a water hygiene kit is about €25,” he said. “After visiting the three countries, while I was a bit apprehensive going in, once I saw the hand-washing checks everywhere, the temperature checks everywhere…there is a lot more in place, my fear went. Having gone …

Four Clare primary and secondary schools have been awarded green flags for the first time bringing to 100 the number of local schools now holding the international award for environmental action. Run by An Taisce in partnership with local authorities throughout Ireland, the Green-Schools award scheme is an international environmental education programme and management system that acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment. St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon; Coore NS, Kilkishen NS and Scoil Mhuire in Meelick were presented with their very first green flag at a special An Taisce Green Schools Awards ceremony held in the Radisson Hotel in Galway recently. A further 32 schools successfully renewed their Green Flags following work on  new themes including energy, water, travel, biodiversity and global citizenship litter/waste. The schools include: Clondrinagh NS; Úlla Beag Preshool, Killaloe; Doolin NS.; Scoil Mhainchín, Ennistymon; Ennis Educate Together NS; St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart; St Senan’s Primary School, Kilrush; Lakyle NS, Whitegate; Moyasta …

SIX Clare pupils have been named as finalists in the sixth annual Doodle 4 Google competition. They are now amongst 75 children from across Ireland who now have the chance of being named Ireland’s top doodler and having their doodle displayed on the Google Ireland homepage for millions of people to see. Everyone in Clare is now being urged to visit www.google.ie/doodle4google and vote for Caroline, Fionn, Samuel, Kyla, Paul and Seán. · Caroline Hamilton from Kilmurry National School, Sixmilebridge (Group 1) · Samuel Hamilton from Kilmurry National School, Sixmilebridge (Group 2) · Paul Hamilton from Kilmurry National School, Sixmilebridge (Group 3) · Fionn Rush from Kilfenora National School, (Group 1) · Kyla Baumann from Knockerra National School, Kilrush (Group 2) · Seán Lineen from St Michael’s Community College,  Kilmihil (Group 4) The 75 finalists were shortlisted by a panel of judges including Ciara O’Shea, Marketing Manager of Dublin Children’s Museum, Imaginosity, Irish artist Christine Crotty of The Swan Academy …

SIX Clare pupils have been named as finalists in the sixth annual Doodle 4 Google competition. They are now amongst 75 children from across Ireland who now have the chance of being named Ireland’s top doodler and having their doodle displayed on the Google Ireland homepage for millions of people to see. Everyone in Clare is now being urged to visit www.google.ie/doodle4google and vote for Caroline, Fionn, Samuel, Kyla, Paul and Seán. · Caroline Hamilton from Kilmurry National School, Sixmilebridge (Group 1) · Samuel Hamilton from Kilmurry National School, Sixmilebridge (Group 2) · Paul Hamilton from Kilmurry National School, Sixmilebridge (Group 3) · Fionn Rush from Kilfenora National School, (Group 1) · Kyla Baumann from Knockerra National School, Kilrush (Group 2) · Seán Lineen from St Michael’s Community College,  Kilmihil (Group 4) The 75 finalists were shortlisted by a panel of judges including Ciara O’Shea, Marketing Manager of Dublin Children’s Museum, Imaginosity, Irish artist Christine Crotty of The Swan Academy …