PICS: Cork primary school conclude their school year on a high note with a barbecue and DJ set

NORTH MONASTERY Primary School recently held a Wellbeing Day to coincide with the conclusion of the academic year.

The Wellbeing Day was also held as a gesture of thanks to their students, parents/guardians, and all staff members for their contribution throughout the year.

The day consisted of a barbecue and a DJ set from well-known Cork radio personality Stevie G.

The school’s vice-principal, Colin Daly, said the event was a great success.

“It was a fantastic day for the children to be able to celebrate their work and for us to acknowledge all the good that they do,” he said.

“There were plenty of good vibes from the day. We had an awards night and a graduation as well last week, so it was a very busy week in the school.”

The Wellbeing Day was held as a way for the North Monastery primary school to show their appreciation to their students for their efforts during the academic year, Mr Daly said.

“Given the whole situation with Covid over the past few years, this has been the first full year children have had, and we wanted to reward them for all their hard work,” he said.

“The parents and guardians were also invited along to the event. We also wanted to acknowledge the effort the parents/guardians and all the staff have put in.

“It was nice to thank the students and staff members for their hard work over the year.

“We are exceptionally lucky with the children we have. For everybody in the school to have the whole barbecue experience which involved burgers, chips, hotdogs, and chicken was fantastic. We have O’Crualaoi as our hot food supplier and they looked after us.”

Cork DJ Stevie G provided the tunes on the day which went down a treat with the students, said the vice-principal.

“It was amazing, we couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Mr Daly.

“Stevie G is a big name. The children loved him. They were dancing away to his classic hits. It was great to end the year on a high note.”

Mr Daly said the whole concept of wellbeing is vital for students who need to know they are in a ‘safe place’.

“Wellbeing is such a huge part of the school,” he said.

“I think wellbeing should be a huge part of how we teach children. The children must be happy, and they have to know that this is their safe place. This is all part of that. There is a great atmosphere in this school. We have an all-inclusive school, and all the staff members work hard at that to make sure that it is a safe place for the children to come in.

“We are always here to provide support if needed.”

A new era commenced in the North Monastery Primary School last August when both boys and girls started in the school’s junior section for the first time. Prior to this, the primary school only taught boys from second class up to sixth.

Mr Daly, who is himself a past pupil, said the North Mon is delighted with the change.

“This year we changed to a co-educational school, and it has been an amazing success,” he said.

“The school is going in one direction, which is up.

“They have added a new dynamic to the school. They have added positivity and a culture of sheer joy in general. Having them in the school has been a breath of fresh air for all the pupils.”