This article is from page 28 of the 2007-03-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 28 JPG
A NEW project being organised at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna is helping to revo- lutionise the relationship between young people and the rest of the community in North Clare.
The project culminated last week in Promoting Courtesy, Care and Con- sideration week which saw students from the school organising a series of events involving members of the wider community.
One of the main focuses was a post- er, painting and poetry competition which attracted hundreds of entries from primary schools, community groups and individuals from all over north Clare.
The inspiration for this initiative came from a committee set up last
year which included students, teach- ers, parents, community representa- tives as-well-as project leader Mau- reen Droney.
“One of the thing that came from the group was the Courtesy Care and Consideration. It has been going for a number of months now but this week is really the culmination of all of that work,’ said Maureen.
“We all worked together on how we would involved the community with the students and we came up with the poster or painting and poetry com- petitions. We wanted to create an awareness. To try and understand the needs of other people. Consideration is the best way to describe it.”
One of the areas specifically fo- cused on was the relationship be- tween young people and the elderly. The group has forged a connection
with the Stella Maris day care centre in Lisdoonvarna and last Wednes- day and Thursday students from the school entertained the people there with a collection of music and danc- ing.
“It has been wonderful to be in- volved the Stella Maris. I’d say it has been a powerful lift to them, but the children will get a lot back from them as well. They are getting a lot back already some of them, with grand parents in the home. It can have a huge positive effect,” she continued.
In the school itself each class and subject, from Business Studies to Home Economics, has been incorpo- rating the theme of consideration.
One of the more interesting ele- ments of this has seen students write a series of poems which are now be- ing used as the ‘thought for the day’
at the school.
“Each day this week the winning poems have been read out by the stu- dents over the intercom,” continued Maureen. “It has been a really suc- cessful part of the programme. We will also be putting a booklet togeth- er of all the poems.”
On Friday March 30 at 8pm, poet John O’Donohue will give a talk in Mary Immaculate Secondary School. Tickets are €10, €5 OAP, with all money raised going to the Stella Maris Day Care Centre.