Autism Acceptance Day 2022 – report by Ms. M. Jordan
Loreto Secondary School celebrated Autism Acceptance on Thursday, 5 May. The day focused on celebration and education as students and staff wore red to show their support for students with autism.
Our SNAs Marianne, Jacinta and Kellie were busy face painting all morning as students queued up to have the symbol for neurodiversity painted on their faces to show that all our brains function differently and that’s OK.
The Inclusion Committee posted facts about autism around the school. There are many myths associated with autism, so it is important for us all to learn actual facts about what it is like to be autistic. Students who wore red and were able to quote one of these facts were treated to a free tub of strawberries in the GP Area at little break courtesy of Kearns’s Fruit Farm who kindly donated the strawberries free of charge.
Students in TY, 5th & 6th year also viewed an informative PowerPoint about autism in their RE classes and a short video that followed the life of Rosie, a teenager with autism living in England.
One of the highlights of the day was the trip to the park. Students who prefer a quieter space at lunchtime attend our Lunchtime Club with the SNAs. Today to mark our celebrations our SNAs brought the group to Min Ryan Park for some treats and we were blessed with beautiful sunshine.
Many thanks to all the staff and students for supporting the important message that we are all unique in such great numbers.
School News
The school calendar for 2022/2023 will be published on the website next week. Details of booklists will follow before the end of May.
In a letter to families, Mr. O’ Shea has announced that he will be retiring as principal this summer. He has thanked the Loreto school community, present and past, for the tremendous co-operation and goodwill displayed to him over the past 23 years. The process to appoint a new principal will begin shortly.
School activities on Social Media
Please follow us on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to read about and see pictures of school activities this week:
• The TY drumming workshop in Gorey
• Autism Acceptance Day being marked in the school on 5 May
• Practical examinations for Junior Cycle Home Economics students
• Congratulations to Meenakshy Bino and the Loreto Japanese club who won prizes in the 2022 Japanese Language Contest. Meenakshy won the Best Performance Award in the 5th year category and the Loreto Japanese Club won Special Mention Award in the Open category. おめで
• Well done to Cara Kelly who won the 300m inter hurdles & Eimear Halpin who was 2nd in the 400m senior hurdles at the South Leinster athletics meeting. The following students took part:
Emma Barrett, Abbie Bolger, Lea Bolger, Sarah O’Mahony, Molly Chin, Layla Stafford, Aoife Walsh, Rachel Kelly, Nicole Lague and Ciara Laffan.
