Yesterday's articles from the Irish Independent can now be viewed on our Media page of our Website.
After four years of campaigning a new Educate Together school has finally opened in South Dublin. Citywest ETNS, located at the Saggart end of Fortunestown Lane, welcomed its first pupils on Monday September 3rd. School Principal Caitriona Hand warmly welcomed her new pupils and their parents on the school’s first day: ‘Citywest ETNS is opening in a fantastic new building with space for us to grow into. This school has a bright future thanks to the community support and non-stop campaigning to make it a reality. It is very real, we are open and I hope that today will be a day you will all remember for the rest of your lives’. Dedicated local parents with the support of Educate Together, have been campaigning to have a new school opened in the greater Tallaght area for four years. Member of the local parent group Sinead Harrington expressed her delight as the school opened: ‘I am so happy that this day has finally come. All the parents who campaigned for this school wanted their children to be taught through the Educate Together ethos. Unfortunately for some it has opened too late for their children but the school is here now and the Citywest community owes them a debt of gratitude’. In March the Department of Education and Skills announced that Educate Together had been awarded patronage of two new schools, Citywest and Firhouse (which opens in 2013). Work commenced on locating a site for the school and in June, the Fortunestown Lane site was secured. The building in which Citywest ETNS is housed was originally developed for residential and retail use. The bottom floor of one building has been converted to house an Educate Together and a Community National School. Both schools will share yard facilities. 2012 is an important year for Educate Together as four other new primary schools are opening in Kildare, Ballinteer, Stepaside and Ashbourne. In addition three new Educate Together second-level schools have been announced which will open in 2014 in Lucan, Blanchardstown and Drogheda. Please visit our class page to see some photos of the lovely work we did outside today, decorating our yard! It was so much fun! Please remember that access to the school will be via Swiftwood estate. The entrance is opposite the Citywest Hotel (at the pedestrian bridge). We think our school looks fantastic. Have a look through these photos and see for yourself! Thank you SOOO much to the amazing team of volunteers who turned up today to prepare our school for Monday. Every inch was bleached, vacuumed or mopped; every piece of furniture wrapping saved for Art activities; every corner filled with colourful books! Such dedication - thank you! Thank you Leona, Mick, Stephen, Vanessa, Anita, Julie, Kinga, Nico, Anna, Darragh, Alfonso and Marc. Thank you to our caretaker Brian, to our teacher Ross and to our principal Caitriona, each of whom put in very long days recently! It will all pay off on Monday when we see our children safely and happily settled in their school. And huge thanks to James and everyone at Orna Building Services, who put in an amazing 4 weeks' work to get the school ready for us on time. It was a huge challenge and we really appreciate their achievement! |
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