Call to run or walk the bridges
Fundraiser for Ballina NS
Next year Ballina Primary School will celebrate its seventieth anniversary. But much like the village of Ballina itself, this local education institution is virtually unrecognisable from the cluttered three-teacher school that first opened its doors in 1956. Perched on the Grange Road at the foot of the mountain, Ballina Primary School is now a modern 415 pupil centre of learning with 26 teachers, 10 SNAs, and a specialist autism unit. Its modernity on the outside is matched by its sophistication within.
But there’s one part of the jigsaw left to complete, one last component to make the school a truly inclusive educational environment. Chairman of the school’s board of management, Tom Moore, a man who has been centrally involved in the school over the past decade, explains the dilemma.
NEW EXTENSION
“We’ve just completed a new extension, and that new extension houses two of our three special classes - for children diagnosed with autism. And that extension was fully cost-neutral for the school, because the department paid for it. So, what we have now is a state-of-the-art school, but we don’t have a state-of-the-art facility for children to socialise and play.”
Tom cites extensive research highlighting the importance of play in children’s daily lives. Often the school yard is as important as the classroom, he says, but what happens when that yard isn’t sufficient to meet the needs of the children that mingle and mix and play within it? That reality struck Tom, and indeed principal Bernice O’Connell, a number of years ago, and so they hatched a plan to fix it. The overriding objective was - and still is - to provide a recreational environment which promotes the social, physical and intellectual development of the children that roam within it, as Tom outlines.
“Children need to be engaged. They love to run, they love to climb, they love to hide - as well as play with the football and other things. So, we’re going to have a new ball wall, a new rubberised surface, but the big thing as far as education is concerned is that we’re trying to incorporate STEM technology within the installations that we put into the yard.”
STEM FACILITIES
The inclusion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) facilities within the playground is particularly innovative, and highlights the forward-thinking nature of the board of management and the staff. According to the most recent census data, Ireland has the highest rate of STEM graduates in the EU27, although a significant disparity exists between men and women, with males much more likely to enter the sector. Part of the aim of this new project in Ballina Primary School is to foster pupils’ interest in STEM, both in the classroom and outside it. The aim is to have playing structures - such as climbing frames and board games - that provide intellectual stimulation and promote learning.
But there are other aspects to this project too. Improving access to the playground - particularly for students in wheelchairs - is a priority, as is the development of an outdoor classroom, a polytunnel, and a perimeter fence.
RUN THE BRIDGES
Cost was always going to be an issue, and so raising funds became a necessity. There were a myriad of potential fundraisers that the school could have chosen to pursue, but it was decided early on that they would stage a running/walking event. With Ballina-Killaloe now linked by two crossings, somebody somewhere suggested the idea of mapping the route around both bridges. It was a gem. The event itself, scheduled for September 7 and dubbed ‘Run the Bridges’, has two categories - a 10km run and a 5km run/walk. It is designed for all abilities, but crucially, it is approved by Athletics Ireland and it is chip-timed - which means that participants will be able to record and see their finishing times. The thinking here was that because the run was fully approved by Athletics Ireland, it would attract a large cohort of stronger runners. Thus far, the strategy appears to be working. At the time of writing, over 250 people have signed up to compete, with the deadline for entry extended until September 1.
The main sponsors, biotechnology company Regeneron, have provided indispensable support, and so too have the local business community - on both sides of the water. Without them, and without the school’s Parents’ Association, the entire project would not have been possible, Tom says.
“We have a number of businesses that have come in and sponsored us, simply because it’s a community initiative and they have a business within the community. And the other thing that has been huge for us is that we have a great Parents’ Association. They have come on board, and they’re giving us great assistance. One of the parents is even doing the warm-up for us on the morning of the run.”
Another vital cog has been the contribution of Timmy Crowe, the former Sixmilebridge athlete and present-day managing director of Just Race events, a company which specialises in the management of events such as these. Tom says that Timmy has “shown them the way” in terms of how to bring the project to fruition.
Local organisations have pledged their support too. Ballina GAA, Camogie, and Handball clubs have helped in terms of promoting the event, with various past pupils also contributing messages of support on social media, all of which are available to view on the Run the Bridges Instagram page. The buy-in from within the school community was huge as well, with many of the teachers assisting over the summer.
Over the next couple of weeks, a new cohort of junior infants will enter the school and open a new chapter in their young lives. By the time those pupils finish - and perhaps much sooner - Ballina Primary School will be truly complete, on the inside, and on the outside too.