A gathering of pupils, teachers and parents at Kilmurry National School in Cordal on Saturday evening joined organisers, Cllr. Charlie Farrelly and Joe O’Connor in announcing their own fundraising tractor and vehicle run.
The run will leave Cordal GAA Club grounds at 1pm on the coming Sunday, October 24th but the gates to the grounds will open for vehicle registration at 11am. The run will also end at the club grounds and there will be post event refreshments at Hughes Bar.
Every Class of Vehicle Welcome
All types of vehicles are welcome to join in the run and the proceeds of the event will be used to secure equipment for the classroom for the deaf in Kilmurry National School.
The fundraising efforts for the school will get under way on this Friday from 10am to 4pm with a bucket collection on the streets of Castleisland.
“We are both delighted and privileged to be in a position to educate children who have a hearing impairment here at Kilmurry National School,” said Principal Thérèse Kearney at the launch on Saturday evening.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Class
“Our special class for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing opened in September 2020, with the help of our visiting teacher for the deaf and our special education needs organiser,” said school Principal Therese Kearney.
“We all saw a great need for such a facility, as at the time there was no such class in Kerry, that could cater to the needs of children who were severely or profoundly deaf. Since the class opened last year, it is going from strength to strength and has been a wonderful addition to the school,” she continued.
Fortunate to Have Eilís
“We are very fortunate to have a wonderfully dedicated teacher in Eilís Lynch, who is the backbone of our special class for the deaf.
“Since taking on the role, Eilís has immersed herself in Irish Sign Language (ISL) and has spent the past year learning the language with great proficiency and dedication.
“Eilís has created a lovely relaxed, friendly and caring environment for the children which also offers them intensive and individual attention each day, while also being able to integrate with their peers.
Fundamental to Development
“The early years of students’ lives are fundamental to their development, primarily in the areas of language and communication development.
“This development together with the long term influence of a positive and encouraging environment for deaf students can reap rewards, particularly in relation to education and employment prospects later in life.
“Through the efforts of skilled staff and appropriate resources, Kilmurry NS seeks to provide an environment that fully supports each student’s needs and promotes the maximum potential of each child, both on an educational, social and personal level.
Great Emphasis on ISL
“Thanks to our special class for the deaf, we put great emphasis on ISL throughout the school, with all classes from Junior Infants to 6th class learning the language.
“We are also part of the new Department of Education Modern Language initiative, which includes ISL. This initiative allows the school to facilitate a tutor each week to teach all children in the school ISL.
“This current school year we are hoping to install an interactive whiteboard in our Special Class, along with specific educational software for the children.
“We are thrilled to be the beneficiaries of the coming Sunday’s Tractor Run and are really looking forward to the event on Sunday, October 24th. said Ms. Kearney in conclusion.
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