Learning in the great outdoors at Coolarne NS

Initiative in Coolarne, a real community effort

PUPILS at St Vincent's NS in Coolarne are ditching the stuffy indoors for lessons out in the fresh air following the opening of their new outdoor classroom.

Teachers will have the opportunity to bring the children for lessons outside following the decision to convert an old shed into something that can be used by the entire school community.

Filled with chairs made from the stumps of trees that fell during Storm Éowyn and tables repurposed from old cable reels used by the ESB, the classroom has been christened the Woodlands. It was officially opened during a ceremony at the school on Thursday, October 22.

“This is something I have had a vision of bringing into a school for some time,” Principal Roisin Reilly told The Tuam Herald.

“We are lucky to be surrounded by nature here and have been awarded ten green flags in the past, so the school community have always cared about the outdoors. I thought it would be a great idea to have somewhere we could bring the children to learn out in the fresh air.

“I chatted with the Parents Association, who came together and helped us raise enough money to go ahead with our plans. The parents also took on a lot of the work themselves, be it a bit of carpentry or painting. It is great to see it come to fruition and it already getting great usage.”

Funding came through quizzes and car wash events organised by the Parent’s Association, a bake sale held by the children and grants and bursaries courtesy of West Midlands Credit Union and Bank of Ireland.

It has already had plenty of use with teachers choosing to come outside for reading time, the school band hosting practice here, alongside becoming the go-to venue for meetings of the Student Council. It also allows for the schoolchildren to get fresh air during break times, even when it's raining.

Among those already enjoying the new facility are Turloughmore duo Student Council President Abigail Murphy and Vice President Amy Tarpey.

“We are a small school, so it is great to see us getting something like this, something that other schools don’t have,” stated Abigail.

“It’s great being able to learn outside, anytime the sun comes out, we will be pushing our teachers to bring us outside and enjoy being outdoors,” joked Amy.

Crowds of parents, students, teachers, alongside current and former school staff were on hand for the official opening of the Woodlands outdoor classroom.

Following speeches from Principal Reilly, Abigail and Amy, the classroom received a blessing from Parish Priest Fr John O'Gorman, before the ribbon was cut by Mary McNally. She is a recently retired school secretary who spent 28 years working at St Vincent's and is also a past-pupil.

“I was delighted to be asked back to officially open this new outdoor classroom, that was a real honour,” commented Mary.

“I’ve seen many changes down through the years, but it is great seeing something new like this. I hope the children have a great time playing and learning in this fantastic new addition to the school.”

Not ones to rest on their laurels, the school are already looking at other projects, with fundraising underway for plans to build an all-weather pitch at the school. Principal Reilly is also planning to introduce a sensory garden in the future.

“We are always trying to improve the school experience for our students, but this is only possible through the massive support of the Parents Association. Everyone in the school community works together to make projects like our new outdoor classroom a reality,” added Principal Reilly.