A WALK THROUGH FERMOY ADAIR SCHOOL
When you step inside the gate of Fermoy Adair School first impressions are, well……impressive! There is no trace of the featureless concrete playground to which we’ve all become accustomed. Instead, you walk on to spacious school grounds surrounded by trees and hedges and planted with flowers and shrubs. There are spectacular views of the town. The children have an extensive playground, including a large and well maintained grassy area, in which to play, and the space to let their imaginations soar.
If you arrive during playtime you will immediately notice one of the many things that make this little school so special: children of all ages and of various nationalities playing together, where everyone knows everyone’s name and no one is excluded.
Now walk in the front door. The staff will be happy to see you; parents are always welcome. The Junior Classroom, which will be your child’s first experience of the school, is a busy, warm and welcoming place. The Junior Room Teacher, Katie Lenahan, will tell you that having four classes in one room keeps everyone so busy that the days just fly by. She will tell you that the smaller children learn so much from the older children, who show them that school is fun but that ‘we’re here to learn’. She will tell you that the children learn to be patient, tolerant and kind. She will tell you that there is laughter and fun every day.
In the Senior Classroom, the children are encouraged to take on more responsibility for their own learning. Their teacher, Andrea Mutabazi (School Principal), gives the children the opportunity to learn the skills of research, presentation and collaboration. Her lively classroom atmosphere allows the children to develop their individuality; to follow their own path; to explore their interests and creativity; and to become more fully the person they are meant to be.
Gillian Nagle, our A.E.N. teacher supports and nurtures and challenges those who spend time in her classroom. She makes learning fun and interactive and the children under her care are encouraged to reach their fullest potential in their own time and in their own learning style. Eleanor, our wonderful S.N.A. is always close by lending a hand to whoever needs it.
As well as delivering the curriculum in an interesting, vibrant and stimulating way, Adair School also provides the children with some extra learning opportunities. Visiting teachers teach topics such as Hurling, Football, Science, Geography, Sports, History, The Arts, S.T.E.M. and French, to name a few.
If you spend any time in the school, you can’t fail to notice another of the many things that enrich the Adair experience: there is a wonderful sense of community. Parents, teachers and children are all part of one family working together for the good of the school. Adair’s families come from all over the world, and bring with them a rich ethnic and cultural diversity. Parents give the pupils an opportunity to experience the foods and traditions of each other’s’ culture, and the pupils love to try new things. It’s so easy to do this in a small school where parents are actively involved in their children’s learning.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere permeates the whole school and may well be its defining characteristic. While Adair is a Church of Ireland school, with a Protestant ethos and close ties to the local church community, it is open and welcoming to families of all faiths and none. Children are taught to respect each other’s’ points of view, and no-one is excluded or made to feel different.
As you leave the school there is a strong sense of leaving behind a very unique, very special place. Your child would be happy there.