STUDENTS from St Nessan’s Community College and Salesian Secondary School came together on Friday March 7 to mark World Book Day, as well as marking the amalgamation of the two schools in September 2016.
Mayor Kathleen Leddin paid a visit to St Nessan’s for the event and read from ‘Angela’s Ashes’, one of her favourite novels, and Moyross illusionist Leon Anderson captivated students with his ‘Class Magic’ programme.
Marie Toomey, Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) coordinator at St Nessan’s, stated that students who read regularly will perform better in education and become more developed than those who avoid reading.
“The main aim of World Book Day is to encourage students to explore the pleasure of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
“Reading for pleasure is one of the most important things a student can do and it has been shown in various studies that students who read regularly perform better academically, enjoy school more and make more progress in maths, vocabulary and spelling than those who rarely read.”
“You can’t expect to get better if you’re not going to read beyond your normal expectations of yourself. You need to kick start your reading because reading and writing go hand in hand. Reading is key.”
Ms Toomey also praised Eugene O’Brien, principal of St Nessan’s, for his work in promoting a reading culture, saying: “He is very supportive of what we are trying to do and he has provided lots of resources. All the students involved deserve great credit for their behaviour and enthusiasm on the day. Hopefully this something the students will try at home.”
