Chairperson of the Mullingar Chamber of Commerce, James Bourke, was guest speaker at a ceremony in St. Colman's N.S. last week to recognise the school's Student Council.
Mr. Bourke added his voice to those of Principal Ger Beehan and Assistant Principal Aisling Walters as they commended members of the outgoing council and wished the incoming members well. He presented certificates and tokens of appreciation to the outgoing Student Council members and badges to the incoming members.
Mrs. Walters spoke to the group about the achievements of the outgoing council, which included organising the Shoebox Appeal, collecting food for St. Vincent de Paul, creating a lego noticeboard in the school hall and the introduction of a 'board-games afternoon' throughout the school each term.
“As a child-centred school, we wish to instill in the children that they have a voice and they will be listened to, and that by working together they can make a difference. As young as the children are, their opinions, suggestions and happiness count and are taken into consideration”, she said.
The incoming council were elected by their classmates last month, with one representative from each class from first classes through to fifth, and two representatives from each of the sixth classes.
Mr. Bourke, a past-pupil of St. Colman's, spoke to the students about the similarities between the Student Council and the Chamber of Commerce as representative bodies who must listen, collaborate and be respectful to all the people they represent even when their opinions differ.
“To stand up and say 'I want to represent my class' is not an easy thing to do, so well done and I hope this is something you will continue to do when you leave school and go forward in life”, he said.
Mr. Beehan praised the outgoing council members and wished the incoming members good luck, adding that they had already made a worthwhile proposal of using the plastic bottle return system as a school fundraiser.
“Your responsibility is to leave the school in a slightly better way by the end of the school year than it is in now”, he said. “I'm looking forward to hearing all of your ideas at our first meeting. By coming up with ideas, big or small, that's how you can make a difference.”
