Picture: Keith Wiseman
ALMOST 230 pupils, including 25 junior infants and 28 preschoolers, celebrated their first day in their new school on Tuesday, which was created following the amalgamation of Galvone NS and Southill Junior School.
The 12-classroom Le Chéile NS in Roxboro will be part of a wider education campus yet to be developed, and is the first mainstream primary school in Limerick city to offer a dedicated unit for pupils on the autism spectrum.
Principal Mary Blennerhasset told the Limerick Post: “It’s a significant investment in regeneration on the southside, and a very visible sign of regeneration in the area.
“The opening of this school is the first phase in the development of an education campus through a unique collaboration between the Diocese of Limerick, the Department of Education, Tusla, and Limerick City and County Council.”
Phases two and three will see the pupils of Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy accommodated in an adjacent building, and the development of a Child, Family and Community Centre that will offer a range of supports through the HSE and the Child and Family Agency, Tusla.
Ms Blennerhasset said the pupils’ first day in the new building was “lovely”.
“Obviously with a new building and a large cohort of pupils and staff, it’s been a hectic summer, but we have a lot of busy and very committed staff.
“There are a lot of new aspects, but there is still some continuation, the children are still with their friends and many are renewing old friendships. There are also a lot of familiar teachers as we’ve retained all of the staff from the two schools. There has been some reassurance for them because there are still a lot of familiar faces here.”
According to Ms Blennerhassett, Le Chéile NS is looking forward to enhancing the supports and facilities that had been provided to parents and children at both schools over the years.
