Opening of Mary Queen of Peace PS
5th September 2016
Bishop Treanor, assisted by our Parish Priest Fr. Lyons, celebrated the opening of Mary Queen of Peace PS on Thursday 8 September 2016. We were delighted to have the children, their families, staff and parishioners all together for the occasion. A book was also purchased by the parish for every child, to mark the opening of the school.
In addition to the mass to celebrate the opening of the school we have also planned other events this month to celebrate a new beginning for education in Glenravel. The children will come together for team building activities, in conjunction with Ardclinis Outdoor Adventure, on specially planned Activity Days at the local GAA club. We also have plans for Pupil of the Month Assemblies, when all of the children will come together on the Martinstown site. Please keep an eye on our website for reports and pictures from these events. The web address will be www.mqpglenravel.com and it will go live later this month.
A great deal of work has gone into preparing for the opening of Mary Queen of Peace PS. The months of July and August, normally the quietest in the school year, were the busiest this year with preparations ongoing on both sites. The opening of the school has come about as a result of a huge community effort. Our staff and their families have been busy painting rooms and working in the classrooms and grounds to have everything in place for the 1st of September. Parishioners and local businesses have volunteered their services to prepare the rooms and as a result we were ready to greet all 238 of the children on the first day. Financial investments have been made in new blinds and carpet throughout both buildings. We are very proud of what has been done and this primary school is very much a community school, right in the heart of this parish. Thank you to everyone involved.
Investments in the curriculum have also taken place over the summer including resources for every classroom, two inter-active whiteboards in Martinstown and the introduction of a new reading programme in Key Stage 2 (P5-7). This will help improve the children’s curriculum and their learning experiences.
There are challenges ahead and one of those is the planning delay around the building of the new school. Governors have been working with statutory authorities and local politicians to resolve these matters. This has been a frustrating process for the community. Our children and school staff deserve to have facilities which will allow the highest quality of learning and teaching to take place in a building fit for the future. The governors are determined to have a school which the children can flourish in and one that will also be available to the community.
We look confidently to the future, with a strong school community of committed parents and governors. The staff are dedicated to the children and with the introduction of Mrs Fiona McConway as Vice-Principal, we have the leadership to develop our school. Our children are able, hard-working and caring to each other. We have much to celebrate in Mary Queen of Peace Primary School.
