Ronan’s attendance poster wins national prize for St Fintan’s NS

Education is a journey and a poster depicting an adventure map to represent that concept has won a national prize for Ronan Reilly, a pupil at St Fintan’s National School in Lismacaffrey.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner on Friday at an event to celebrate his success, Ronan explained his work: “My teacher told me that the theme of the competition was school attendance, so I tried to think of all the different reasons that I come to school and why school is fun. I thought about all the different things we do in school, all the different subjects that I like, school tours, different things like that – and the reason I come in to school: to learn.

“And so, I thought, well, education is kind of just a journey in itself, and I thought making a map, like an adventure trail, would work.”

It did work and Ronan is now one of six pupils from across the country who have won the top prize in the competition. It was organised by the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), and two officials from there were present at St Fintan’s NS on Friday to present the prizes to Ronan. Parents and other family members also joined in to celebrate his achievement.

The TESS officials were Emer Highland, regional manager, based in Dublin, and Niall Rabbitt, integrated services manager, based in Mullingar. Ms Highland said that TESS are running an attendance campaign, and in this, the first year of five, they began with the poster competition for schools.

“That was to engage the whole school, kids, teachers, parents, looking at attendance and the important aspects of attendance, from a child’s perspective. We have webinars for schools and we’re hoping to build on it over a number of years.

“Ronan is a national winner of the poster competition, and we hope to incorporate his poster, so it’ll be used, hopefully, as part of the campaign.”

School principal Conor O’Farrell said he wasn’t really surprised that Ronan’s poster won. “Art is definitely his thing, and the poster really encapsulates all that education is about.

“I think it was a worthy winner, and he’s a very deserved winner himself. He’s a really good guy, and the poster, I think, sums up what education should be – it’s an adventure, a journey, not a destination, it should be fun, and it’s about the relationships and friendships you build along the way – and that’s what Ronan really got across in his poster.”

Ronan’s parents Marcella Reilly and Thomas Parker said they were delighted for and proud of him. “He works very hard on all his projects and art is one of his favourite subjects and something he hopes to carry on,” his mother said.

They were there with Ronan’s older sister Nadine, who is a student at Castlepollard Community School, where Ronan will also be going in September, and his grandmother.

St Fintan’s is a small school, with an enrolment of 27, and those pupils, along with staff members, Mr O’Farrell, Ms McGerr, Ms Stephenson, Ms Mulligan, plus SNAs, Ms Clavin and Ms Tynan, Ms Reilly (school secretary) and Mr Denning (caretaker) and Ms Sheridan (cleaner), are delighted with Ronan’s success.

The TESS staff, Ms Highland and Mr Rabbitt, addressed the group and presented Ronan with his prizes; art supplies and a laptop for himself, and a day out to the TUSLA HQ in Dublin, where he will meet the other five national prize winners, and the TUSLA media team. They will be treated to lunch at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, where the pupils will discuss how their posters can be used in the TESS campaign on school attendance.

The final part of the prize is €200 for the school, and Mr O’Farrell said the pupils have decided to spend it on a bouncy castle.