All About Cork: School raised €5k towards €50k cost of dome class
Ciara Drummond, who was one of those who fundraised by performing a tandem skydive, pictured here with her son Darragh. Picture: Larry Cummins
€5,000 has been raised by the Beaumont Boys Primary School in Blackrock for a new outdoor Geo Dome classroom.
The new Geo Dome classroom, which cost approximately €50,000 and accommodates up to 50 students, was funded through a sizeable philanthropic donation, however €5,000 was raised internally through a charitable skydive and a local community contribution.
Through the charitable skydive, which was undertaken by parents of students and teachers at the school, €4,500 was raised, with the final €500 raised via a donation from St Michael’s Credit Union.
Sean Coakley, who is a teacher at the school, said that outdoor education has become a “central pillar of teaching” at the facility, with the 7-metre COSMOS dome providing a safe space for students to undertake outdoor learning activities.
“Our outdoor educational curriculum is strengthened further by the school’s current Erasmus+ project, which focuses on outdoor learning and digital literacy,” said Mr Coakley.
The school, situated adjacent to Beaumont Park, utilises an area of the old Beaumont Quarry to aid in their outdoor learning, with the new Geo Dome classroom now located in the park.
Principal of Beaumont Boys Primary School, Fiona Meehan said the new outdoor classroom will provide “a safe and experimental setting where students can explore, collaborate, and learn in a more holistic way”.
“This space will allow teachers and pupils to step outside the traditional classroom and engage with the environment as part of their daily learning,” said Ms Maher.
“It’s taken a lot of work and effort from school management, staff, and parents along with the support of the local community and local business to get the impressive Geo Dome in situ and in use this academic year.”
Mags Cronin, chairperson of the school’s parents’ association said they are “deeply grateful for the support of Ger O’Brien and St Michael’s Credit Union in Blackrock”.
“Their contribution, along with the large contribution from a philanthropic organisation, will have a meaningful impact on our school community and on the future of outdoor learning in Beaumont.
“These contributions, along with a busy fundraising drive, supported by parents and families, [and other fundraising efforts] including cake sales, jumble sales, a bingo night, and a jersey raffle, got us to the target needed.
Ms Cronin said the next stage for the Geo Dome, which is starting “very shortly with support from sustainability funding”, is to make the dome wheelchair accessible and inclusive for all children undertaking outdoor learning activities.
A fundraising raffle in honour of St Vincent De Paul will take place next month, with tickets available for purchase at the Marina Market this weekend.
Members of SVP’s South-West branch will be at Marina Market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm each day.
Members of the public are invited attend Event Room 1, where representatives will be selling tickets for their annual SVP Car Draw.
Entrants in the raffle, taking place on January 9, will have a chance to win a brand-new Ford Focus, with tickets priced from €10.
Representatives at Scoil na Croise Naofa have also thanked members of the public for contributing to their non-perishable food drive in aid of SVP, with a spokesperson for the school saying the student council “truly appreciates the amazing support from our school community”.
“Thank you to everyone who generously contributed to our non-perishable food drive for St. Vincent de Paul,” the spokesperson said.
“Thanks to your kindness, we were able to deliver all the donated items.
“Your generosity will make a real difference to families in need.”
The Mahon Tidy Towns Christmas Bazaar will take place this weekend.
The event will take place at the Mahon Community Centre on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.
The festive fundraising event will see all proceeds raised put towards the local tidy towns group.
A spot prize raffle will take place during the event, with a range of prizes up for grabs.
There will also be live music, a children’s arts and crafts table, several local vendors and stalls, and teas and coffees available on the day.
Tickets for the event will be available at the door and priced from €3.
Registration for spaces at Mahon’s Rainbow Club Cork Centre for Autism is now open.
In a post shared on social media, a spokesperson for the centre said they are “excited to announce that registration at Rainbow Club is now open”.
“Whether you’re a returning family or a new one, it’s the perfect time to join our caring, fun-filled community.
“Spaces often fill up fast and are completely subject to availability, so we encourage you to sign up early to avoid disappointment.
“To register with us, contact our office or pop us an email to enquire and our team will link you in with the needed paperwork.
“If you have any questions about Rainbow Club, our pricing or anything else — don’t hesitate to get in touch.
“We can’t wait to welcome you to Rainbow Club.” For more information, call 086 080 5810 or email: info@rainbowclub.ie.
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