Unique Hat-trick for 6th Class Girls

Last week, like many other pupils throughout Ireland, 20 girls from the St. John of God Primary School, The Faythe, 6th Class bade ‘good-bye’ to their teachers and fellow pupils after eight years in school there. However the graduation ceremony, which took place in front of parents / guardians and teachers on Wednesday evening last, celebrated two other significant milestones in these young students’ lives.

Since Easter the girls have been studying under Betty Dempsey, Genesis Business College, for a FETAC Level 3 Computer Course specifically designed to help students’ integration in Secondary Schools. The girls followed a structured course focussing on MS Word and Excel together with sourcing and presenting information and data safely sourced from the Internet. At the ‘graduation ceremony’ the girls were thrilled to be told that all 20 of them had successfully met the criteria required and will begin in their Secondary School of choice next September with their FETAC accredited Level 3 Certificate.

On May 21st two of the 6th class, Emma Busher and Molly O’Hanlon travelled to Croke Park, with ‘green school committee member, Ms Aisling O’Connell and school principal, Liam Turner, to collect the school’s fourth ‘Green Flag.’ On each of the three previous occasions the ‘flag raising’ ceremony was performed by a local dignitary or celebrity and the girls expected nothing less this time. However behind the scenes changes were afoot, as the ‘Green School Committee’ under the guidance of Deputy Principal, Ms. Anne Griffin-Jones, wanted to mark this particular class’ contribution to the Faythe School’s ‘green heritage.’

Each green flag takes two years ‘to earn’ and the eight years taken to be awarded the fourth flag, perfectly mirrored the girls’ time at the school. Resultantly the pupils who worked on all the ‘green school initiatives’ since Junior Infants were invited to raise the flag. The ‘Roll Book’ from 2004 was examined and the first two girls to enrol for September 2004 were identified. To round off a lovely evening Jade Foley and Jodie Phillips, representing the Faythe girls of 2004 – 12, raised the flag at the front of the school in front of the assembled crowd.

While this particular group of students will not be returning in September, ‘their flag’ will fly proudly over the purpose built bicycle shelter, that will be installed, over the summer holidays, by An Taisce, as reward for the school’ on-going commitment to the ‘Green Schools’ programme.