*Members of the Ennistymon NS Student’s Council with Dearbhla Parry. Photograph: Tom Micks
THE Ennistymon primary school moved into their new building in September, and students were “shocked” when they found out that they would now be learning in the big, two-storey school.
“It’s definitely way different than it was last year,” said James Ryder (5th class) before the kids described their previous educational site: “freezing,” leaking prefabs. Darragh McMahon (6th class) said, “They were broken because we were in them so long.”
The student council, made up of four students, meets up every couple of weeks to share ideas and make suggestions to improve school life for everyone. Darragh explained, “The student council gives pupils a chance to take part in decision-making and to help organise different activities and events throughout the year.”
Not only has a new chapter begun for Ennistymon students, but also for the school library, now transformed into a “cosy” retreat and freshly decorated by the students themselves. With captivating views of the Falls Hotel and a new soft carpet, Ennistymon National School’s student council described the 5th and 6th classes’ decorating process to The Clare Echo, which included deciding book locations and shelf colours to appeal to different age groups. “It’s become a calm and quiet place where we can relax and enjoy reading,” said Cecile Couglan (5th class).
When asked about their favourite subject, a shared answer of “PE” was called out, an understandable response with their brand-new, bright and spacious sports hall. The hall will allow the school to continue encouraging health and fitness among students, who helped choose new sports equipment expected to arrive within the next few weeks.
The hall is also used during break times when it is raining, instead of walking down to the community centre in the old school. Along with this, and the opening of their basketball court last week, space is apparent and breaks are no longer staggered. “Before this, we had to have staggered breaks because there wasn’t enough room,” explained James. Cecile said that now “you get to hang out with your friends in other classes.”
Darragh shared that he and his twin brother, Cahill, were given a “VIP tour” on their first day at the new school. “I was expecting it to be smaller,” he said and admitted later that he got lost due to the size.
Their spacious classrooms are much easier to focus in, compared to the thin walls of the prefabs. “It’s a lot easier to focus, but not if you sit at the window,” Darragh laughed. “In the prefabs, you could hear everything that was going on,” said Cecile. But now, she happily claims that they can no longer hear what’s going on in the next room.
Caroline Jackson (6th class) said, “We’re very proud of our new school building and all the exciting things happening here.”
As part of the student council election process, each student was required to speak in front of their peers and explain why they wanted to participate. However, these future doctors, businesswomen, caddies, plant hires, and hairstylists said that the process was not scary at all; “We were all good friends, so you knew everyone, and it was great.”
The primary school have a wonderful relationship with Ennistymon Community School, with whom they share the campus. Every Wednesday, the Transition Year students visit to participate in ‘buddy reading’ with the 2nd class. They are also working together on the Shoebox Appeal this year, in hopes of collecting one box per family. Aesha Abed Elwahed (5th class) added, “It’s really nice to get to know the older students, and our Student Council even had the chance to meet their Student Council too!”
The 5th and 6th classes have been undergoing some exciting projects as of recent. They completed the Ballymacraven River Project, where they explored their local area and learned more about the world around them, and also availed of their new kitchen to bake some delicious queen cakes and scones. Caroline commented, “It was a great way to use our maths skills to measure ingredients and follow recipes.” Currently, they are taking part in the Burren Beo project, where they are learning all about nature and the unique environment of the Burren, and are doing ten weeks of French lessons. “It’s a great opportunity to start learning the basics of the language and get a head start for secondary school.”
