St Dympna’s NS | Michael Fisher's News

Past pupils Terry Cavanagh and Frances Treanor (Texaco Art Winner 2015) raising the second green flag at Tydavnet National School Photo: © Michael Fisher

SECOND GREEN FLAG FOR ST DYMPNA’S NS TYDAVNET

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 18th June p.39

Two flags now fly proudly at the entrance to St Dympna’s National School in Tydavnet, marking their contribution to preserving the environment. In a special ceremony last week, past pupil and now successful video games designer Terry Cavanagh from Tullyvogey returned from England to raise the second Green Flag awarded to the school. He was assisted by another former pupil, Frances Treanor from Drumdart, who received national acclaim recently when she was overall winner of the Texaco Children’s Art competition.

Tydavnet National Shool Principal Fiona Connolly at the start of the Green Flag celebrations Photo: © Michael Fisher

The Green Flags are part of a international scheme to encourage schools to develop action programme for reducing litter and waste and conserving energy. Green-Schools is an international environmental education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment. At European level, Eco-Schools is operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education whose main partners include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Pupils at Tydavnet National School celebrating the second Green Flag Photo: © Michael Fisher

Green-Schools in Ireland is operated and co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with local authorities throughout the country, such as Monaghan County Council, and is sponsored by the Wrigley Company Ltd.

Over 3,800 primary, secondary and special schools in Ireland are currently participating part in the programme and 2991 schools have been awarded a Green Flag. The Irish Green-Schools programme is one of the most successful within the international network.

Pupils at Tydavnet National School celebrating the second Green Flag Photo: © Michael Fisher

Green-Schools is a themed and seven-step programme. Schools undertaking the programme work through the seven steps one theme at a time. The themes in sequence are:

The school drew up an action programme last year as part of their attempt to earn a second flag. Led by the principal Fiona Connolly and the Board of Management chaired by Peter Cavanagh, they applied to the Summer Works Scheme for funding to replace single glazed windows with double glazing in order to conserve energy.

Example of project work on Energy by pupils at Tydavnet National School
Photo: © Michael Fisher

At the start of the new school year last September, two members from Senior Infants were chosen to replace sixth class pupils on their action committee. The principal and senior pupils organised senior pupils to do door duty on the main door on cold or wet days to ensure the doors remain closed in order to retain heat as much as possible in the building. They also organised a low energy action day, and formed a ‘Switch it Off’ squad to monitor lights and appliances. Pupils were asked to write poems or draw pictures on the theme of energy conservation and these were displayed near the entrance to the school, along with a diagram showing the reduction in the amount of electricity the school had used over a twelve months period.

Example of Green Flag project work on Energy by pupils at Tydavnet National School
Photo: © Michael Fisher

Among the snappy slogans the children came up with were:

“When you’re in bed, make sure all the energy is dead”, “Don’t waste energy”, “Energy misused cannot be excused” and “Switch the switch to slow down global warming”. The event was described succinctly in this report (published on the school website) by one of the pupils: Caoimhe McCarra, 6th class, Secretary of Green Schools Committee

The Green Flag ceremony started at 11:00 sharp. Miss Connolly told Ben and I to start. Ben welcomed everyone and talked about what he does as Chairman of the Committee. I talked about what I do as secretary.  Mrs Slowey’s class did a poem called ‘Growing’ by Linda Hamill and sang a song called ‘Marvellous Things’. Mrs Meehan’s class said a poem called ‘Éirigí a pháistí’ and sang ‘An Brat Glas’. The Senior Speech and Drama class performed a wonderful mime. Miss Connolly’s class sang ‘Happy’ and a One Direction Medley.  Miss Connolly made a presentation to Mrs Mc Crudden because she is sadly leaving us at the end of the year. Peter Cavanagh said a few words on behalf of the Board of Management. He then called on his son Terence Cavanagh who came from London for the day! Terence showed us equipment he used to code and programme when he was our age. Miss Connolly got a massive shock the whole school kept secret from her! We made a card and everyone in the school signed it. She also got a lovely present. Mrs Finnegan got  a bunch of flowers. We then proceeded down to where the flag was being raised. We counted down 5-4-3-2-1 and up it went! Everybody got ice cream and sauce. We were delighted!

My report from the RDS Arena in Dublin on Sunday. Northern Standard Thursday 5th February 2015.

MONAGHAN IN SONG AT PEACE PROMS 2015

Knockconan NS, Emyvale Photo: © Michael Fisher

Eight national schools and five young musicians from County Monaghan contributed to a great spectacle of music and song at the Arena of the Royal Dublin Society at the weekend. On Saturday evening, the Model School from Monaghan town took part in the Peace Proms 2015. On Sunday afternoon, seven Monaghan schools helped to form the large choir of schoolchildren performing at the same event along with the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland.

St Dympna’s NS, Tydavnet Photo: © Michael Fisher

It was a major operation to get a total of 180 schools from different parts of the country distributed over four performances in the course of two days, usually with the same arrangement of songs and music on each occasion. The seven schools I met all had to leave Monaghan early on Sunday morning, in order to arrive at the RDS at 11.30am in time for a rehearsal. The massed choir and musicians practised together for nearly an hour and were then given a break for lunch. But half an hour before the 2pm performance they had to be ready to go back to take their seats on the stage.

St Joseph’s Boys NS Carrickmacross with Principal Paul Fitzpatrick Photo: © Michael Fisher

Carrickmacross was represented by Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, Cloughvalley, and St Joseph’s Boys’ National School, Farney Street. There were pupils and their teachers from Knockconan National School, Emyvale, and St Dympna’s National School, Tydavnet. There were also representatives from St. Louis Girls’ National School, Park Road in Monaghan town; Scoil Mhuire, Moys, Clontibret and also Scoil Mhuire National School, Latton, Castleblayney.

The first half of the concert included favourites such as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Climb Every Mountain”. In the second half the large audience was serenaded with “Ireland’s Call” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and several other popular songs.

Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa Carrickmacross with Principal Maeve Callan Photo: © Michael Fisher

The Peace Proms is a choral education project for Primary Schools devised and delivered by the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland. Over 15,000 children from 300 schools participate in Peace Proms annually. It is not a “classical orchestra”. Their music highlights the pop, folk and traditional cultures of the island of Ireland. They use all the instruments of a full symphony orchestra but include traditional instruments.

The five Monaghan members of the orchestra include two sets of siblings. Laura Rahill who plays the cello attends the St Louis Secondary School in Carrickmacross. Her brother Donal, a student at the Patrician High School, plays the violin. Tara Nic Giolla Seanáin from Clontibret is a harpist and attends Coláiste Oiriall in Monaghan, where she is in third year. Her younger sister Rossa is in first year and plays the violin in the orchestra. Their mother Eleanor Gilsenan, a teacher in Threemilehouse, is a member of the CBOI Parents’ Association. The fifth person from the county in the orchestra is another pupil from St Louis Secondary, Carrickmacross. Laura McKenna plays the flute.

Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Moys, Clontibret Photo: © Michael Fisher

Many of the CBOI’s commissions have been written by Brian Byrne who is recognised as one of Ireland leading contemporary composers and arrangers. The Belfast Peace Proms with schools from Northern Ireland are being held next Sunday 8th February at the Odyssey Arena. A similar event will also be staged in Limerick at the end of the month.

Scoil Mhuire NS, Latton, Castleblayney Photo: © Michael Fisher

The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland which runs the Proms was established in 1995 as a peace initiative and is now composed of 120 young people from all over Ireland – north and south. It encourages diversity through music and community. It is internationally recognised as one of Ireland’s flagship peace initiatives. The Orchestra is led by some of Ireland’s top professional musicians including: conductor, Gearóid Grant, violinist, Patricia Treacy and tenor, Emmet Cahill.

St Louis Girls' NS, Monaghan Photo: © Michael Fisher

This poem by 12 year-old Eimear Treanor, a pupil at Knockconan National School, from Faulkland, Glaslough, was awarded first prize in the Peace Proms 2015 poetry competition. Her parents received complimentary tickets for the concert at the R.D.S. Arena, in which Eimear participated.

PEACE by Eimear Treanor:

Knockconan N.S., Emyvale, Co. Monaghan

For there to be peace in the world

There must be peace in the continents

For there to be peace in the continents

There must be peace in the country

For there to be peace in the country

There must be peace in the province

For there to be peace in the province

There must be peace in the county

For there to be peace in the county

There must be peace in the town

For there to be peace in the town

There must be peace in the village

For there to be peace in the village

There must be peace in the home

For there to be peace in the home

There must be peace in the heart.

All but three are my photos. The one on the top right of the Model School Monaghan is copyright Rory Geary/Northern Standard. The top one is copyright Anamaria Meiu/Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland. Knockconan NS supplied the picture of Eimear Treanor.

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MONAGHAN IN SONG AT PEACE PROMS 2015

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