Presentation Order
The Edmund Rice Awards
Scoil Iósaef Naofa
Using our Talents, Reaching Out & Learning
Pupils were presented with their certs by Dr. Mary McLoughlin. Also included are Anne Barry Murphy, Br. Barry & Br. Athanatius. Dr. Mary McLoughlin gave a very interesting talk on her work with Goal in places such as Sudan, Bosnia & Iraq.
During the first term we were visited by Ann Barry/Murphy and Brother Barry. They spoke to us about the life of Edmund Rice and how he used his talents to help people. We also read about his life and learned how he saw a need and then used his talents to provide education for the needy in Waterford. From this start his legacy spread throughout the country and then the world. Back in class we discussed what we learned about Edmund Rice and how we could use our talents and reach out to some people. Over the last number of years classes from the school have visited the Park Road Centre here in Cobh so we decided to carry on this tradition as it has always been a worthwhile experience for all involved.
The Park Road Centre
The Park Road Centre offers attractive, comfortable housing for elderly people where treatment and recreation is available in a modern well-equipped and welcoming environment. It is a place where seniors gather during the day to enjoy the companionship of new friends and old. The Centre offers a safe, relaxing and healthy environment with a variety of enjoyable and stimulating activities, such as painting, crafts, music, chat, card playing, exercise, computers and knitting. We visited the Centre on two occasions during the year.
Our Christmas Visit
On the weeks leading up to Christmas we learned a number of Christmas carols and other Christmas songs. After a lot of practice we called to the Centre just before Christmas and sang the songs. We were delighted that the people in the Centre joined in the singing. The people in the Centre thought we were so good that they asked us to return and sing again later in the school year! At the end of our performance one of the people sang The Holy Ground. A few of us knew the song and joined in but we decided that everyone should know it so we said that we would learn it for our next visit!
The Cake Sale
During the second term we had a cake sale to raise money for the Park Road Centre. We even got homework off the evening before the Cake Sale so we could bake the cakes! It was a chance for us to learn some baking skills and we received lots of help from our families. On the morning of the Cake Sale we went around to all the classes in the school and sold all the cakes! We would like to thank the pupils and staff of the school for supporting our event.
Our Second Visit to The Park Road Centre
For our second visit to the Park Road Centre we decided to learn some songs that the elderly people would know and then could join in with us. These are songs that we would not normally listen to but after learning them we came to like them! The songs were:
Marie’s Wedding, Trasna na dTonnta, Come Back Paddy Reilly, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, Pack up Your Troubles, The Wild Colonial Boy & The Holy Ground!
The songs were very well received and everyone joined in with us. We were even asked to do an encore! Everyone there was very nice to and we would like to thank all the people and the staff for being so kind to us. They gave us some sweets and drinks when we finished!
At the end of our performance we presented Sister Eleanor with a cheque of €560 as a donation to the Park Road Centre. This was made up of what we raised in the Cake Sale and our own contributions from gifts we were given when we were confirmed.
What have we Learned?
Edmund Rice used his talents to help people. We have used our talents of singing and baking to bring enjoyment to the people of the Park Road Centre. They were young like us at one time and it was a great experience for us to meet them. On their website it says the Park Road Centre is where we love to entertain the young at heart and we could really see their enjoyment and goodness when we visited.
Other Activities we were involved in
No Uniform Day Three pupils, Ryan Dillane, David Ogbebor & Dylan O’Donovan, asked Mr. Farrell if they could have a fundraiser for Marymount Hospice in Cork. A ‘Red Day’ was held on the Friday before the All Ireland Football Final and €456 was raised altogether.
Concern Christmas Fast €1,557 was raised from our annual Fast for Concern and this was sent to the Concern Haiti Emergency Appeal. The school has been taking part in the Christmas Fast for Concern since 1989 and we have raised over €30,000 in that time for Concern.
