Season’s Greetings!
So much has happened in these short months it’s difficult to know where to begin. Since opening in September with an exceptional staff team and 14 students we have established a strong democratic foundation for our school community through negotiation and compromise at our School Meetings, and have seen a wide variety of interests develop including music, art, science, creative writing, nature and biodiversity, cooking, baking, gaming, maths, language, philosophy, yoga, outdoor play and sport, debate and discussion. Some of the things we have enjoyed most have been the simple pleasures of the smell of cooking and baking every day in the busy kitchen and the buzz around the table at lunch. The energy and enthusiasm of the students is always inspiring, whether it involves chairing a meeting, organising a water fight, baking bread, making slime, studying maths, writing, or a foreign language, playing outside whatever the weather, collaborating on a project, bird-watching, or making a den.
We were delighted with the positive energy and the great interest from the general public in our very first Open Day in October, as well as the many enjoyable events we have organised including a piano concert at The Hawkswell, a table quiz at the Harp Tavern, and film screenings at Sligo Sudbury School.
We were also fortunate enough to be awarded a Community Biodiversity grant from the Community Foundation for Ireland and are devising plans to develop the school grounds to protect and develop its biodiversity. Our student numbers have now increased to 15 and we are taking applications for intake in January and April 2019, as well as September 2019.
Overall it has been a very successful beginning and we hope to build on these successes over the coming months. We look forward to continuing the program of film screenings in January and will host an Open Day again later in Spring. Until then, we wish you all a very Peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year!