After a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick's Boys' Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
AFTER a long and proud tradition as two separate schools, St Patrick’s Boys’ Junior and Senior National Schools in Skibbereen have decided to amalgamate.
When they first opened in 1931 – in what is now Cara House on Market Street – both schools operated on the same campus but were in fact two individual schools, each with their own vice-principal and principal. The Junior School taught junior infants, senior infants and first class and the Senior School taught boys from second to sixth class.
When the schools moved to their present location at Gortnaclohy in 1981, the idea of amalgamating was considered but it never materialised. As a result, St Patrick’s found itself in the unique position of having two schools share the same building, the same staff room, the same yard, and even the same secretary, but were separate. ‘We have always worked well together and were of the belief that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Alan Foley, the principal, told The Southern Star. ‘But the school has grown significantly in recent years and we had reached a stage where we needed an administrative principal.’
Alan has taken on the role of ‘walking principal’ and has swapped his classroom for a newly converted office.
‘Joan Connolly – who is the principal of the junior school – and I, felt we couldn’t do our roles justice,’ said Alan. ‘We were both trying to teach a class and manage our respective schools and we both felt we weren’t doing either job as well as we would like.
‘With an autistic unit, 30 staff and almost 220 pupils, it made sense to amalgamate. We have a fantastic school and hopefully the amalgamation will see it go from strength to strength.’ The school actually opened its doors as a single entity at the start of September, but the time for everyone to celebrate has been set for 1.30pm this Thursday, September 17th.
