Enniscrone students have warm welcome for Minister

There was a warm céad míle fáilte at Scoil Chríost Rí in Enniscrone last week as pupils welcomed Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary TD.

The visit, organised by Cllr Joe Queenan, gave Minister Calleary an opportunity to meet pupils and staff, visit classes and experience school life first-hand, with the children themselves taking the lead throughout the occasion.

Due to the weather, the school community gathered indoors with pupils taking centre stage throughout the event.

Four members of the Scoil Chríost Rí Student Council officially welcomed the Minister on behalf of their fellow pupils. Speaking about what makes their school special, they told him:

“We might be a small school, but we are a very close school community. We know each other, we look out for one another, and there is always plenty happening in our school!” 

This school year marks an important milestone for Scoil Chríost Rí with the establishment of the school’s first autism class, strengthening inclusive educational provision for children and families within the local community.

The school’s current accommodation for this provision is an interim arrangement, with Scoil Chríost Rí awaiting the delivery of appropriate modular accommodation to support the provision into the future. The school is particularly grateful to Minister Calleary for his support and advocacy in progressing appropriate accommodation for the newly established class.

Music formed a special part of the welcome, with the Scoil Chríost Rí School Choir performing Make Your Own Kind of Music.

To commemorate the visit, pupils presented Minister Calleary with a specially framed piece of artwork created by the children themselves. Inspired by Scoil Chríost Rí and its home beside the Atlantic in Enniscrone, the artwork features the school, sea and sunrise imagery reflected in the school crest, alongside words and themes representing kindness, friendship, respect, inclusion, learning and community.

At the heart of the artwork is a simple message capturing the spirit and ambition of the school: Small School, Big Dreams.