OVER 620 Christmas dinners were served up by teachers in a Cork city secondary school for their students last Tuesday.

The annual Christmas feast in Coláiste Éamann Rís is a celebration of the festive season and serves as the ideal way for the students to unwind before they start their Christmas exams.

Coláiste Éamann Rís TY co-ordinator Megan Wallace said the day began with a prayer service. “We headed down for a prayer service in the morning in the South Parish Church. We have a newly formed school choir, and they sang. We also had two students Lacey Kelly and Shaina Andales who sang solos. They were fantastic. O’Crualaoi Butchers prepared all the food such as turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, gravy and veg. The food was delicious,” she said.

“We spent the day sitting down with Christmas tunes playing,” said Ms Wallace. “This is an annual event in our school, but this year was the first time it was held in three years due to Covid. Before every student would have been in the hall, but this is no longer feasible as we now have 620 students. We had close to 200 students in the hall eating. The other students ate in their base rooms with their tutor teachers.

“The school was decorated, and the Christmas lights were on. There was music and games, while both the staff and students wore their Christmas outfits. There was tinsel everywhere. There was a lovely festive atmosphere. It was a real fun day,” she added.

The TY co-ordinator said the maim aim is to bring students and staff together for one last celebration before the Christmas holidays. “It was a big undertaking, but everyone worked well together. Our exams started yesterday so it was a nice way to end the term before the exams commenced. The main aim is to bring the students and staff together and have one last celebration before the end of the year. It is nice to let the students have some fun.” 

Ms Wallace said students work better if they enjoy coming to school. “There is a fantastic spirit in our school. We always strive to make sure students enjoy being in school. They work better in school if they like coming in to school and enjoy themselves.”