This article is from page 28 of the 2008-06-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 28 JPG
RAHEEN Wood Steiner School is celebrating its 21st birthday this week and not least on its list of cel- ebrations will be a present from the Department of Education.
It has taken the school 21 years to get official recognition from the de- partment, but now the Raheen Wood school has achieved that goal.
Principal Pierce Sheils, said the ‘achievements over the last 21 years have been many in terms of the chil- dren, but the recognition from the Department of Education is an ac- knowledgement that Ireland is now a place where people are exercising
choice. We were to the forefront of that movement 21 years ago.”
The school started out with 27 chil- dren on the roll in the old Cooleen Bridge National School building. They celebrated 100 years of the building being home to primary education before growth in num- bers prompted a move to the present building in Raheen Wood. A sure sign that the school has come of age is the fact that a second generation of children, including Pierce’s own grandson, are now coming to Ra- heen Wood for their education.
Many familiar faces will be back next weekend for the twenty-first celebrations in Tuamgraney. Past pu-
pils, teachers, administrators, fami- lies and friends will come to attend the first official reunion since the school’s founding in 1986. The 100 children currently enrolled in the school will also join in the fun.
More than 400 children have been educated at Raheen Wood Steiner School during those 21 years, and more than half of their families still live in east Clare.
‘There is much excitement among these past pupils about the prospect of meeting up with fellow schoolmates and teachers, as well as commemo- rating their many accomplishments and current national school recogni- tion by the Department of Education
and Science,” said Susanne Sturton, PRO for the school.
Bonnie Boyle, past pupil and cur- rent parent of a Raheen Wood child said, “My time at the school is one of the happiest and richest of my life and I am so looking forward to meet- ing up with everyone again.”
“If you are a past pupil of the school and you have not received an invite, it simply means that the school does not have your current address. Eve- ry effort is being made to invite all past families so please contact me, Susanne Sturton on 061 640923 or email susanne@eastclareyoga.com to provide us with your current con- tact details,’ said Susanne.