After the first few frosty days of the beginning of Advent, December 3rd turned rather mild and instead of some snowflakes, a light drizzle welcomed pupils and parents on their way to the hall of Star of the Sea School in Sandymount.
Instead of the usual PE lessons that take place there, the hall was transformed for the day into a bazaar for homemade cupcakes, cookies, rice crispies and other Christmas sweets. Around 150-200, mostly, sky-blue boxes piled up one on top another in one end and sold readily.
The Parent Association was behind the fundraising effort. “It’s all for the school and so for our boys. They helped with making of the cakes and also donated the toys and books for it.” Said Erika Fagan, speaking for the parents.
It’s nearly time for the festive holiday break and a chance for Principal Kevin Munnelly to look back on the first third of the term, particularly the success of the literacy programme, introduced two years ago.
“We call it ‘Literacy Lift Off,’ and it did so again, at the beginning of the school year. It is aimed at the senior infants and first class to improve their reading and writing. They work their way through it in small groups, only four or five pupils per teacher, go through different stations starting out from word work. We noticed how their skills and their joy in reading improved.”
Sports also plays an important part in the school life. Athletics with the autumnal cross-country events and in the GAA department the list of achievement is long indeed.
In October, this year’s football team went to Croke Park to play and win the final in the Corn Chumann na nGael competition. This cup rests for now in the Principal’s office and it will get the school’s name added to the other engraved previous holders.
It is for these extra-curricular activities that the parents’ association engages in fundraisers like the Christmas Fair. There is a tremendous amount of effort put in and lots of exchanges both giving and taking in place all day.
Parents who carried in donations of cake boxes and bags also left later in the afternoon, having generously given, now carrying away different boxes and assortments of toys and other potential presents in their bags as they headed home.
