Community School’s virtual graduation
DURING a virtual graduation and awards ceremony, sixth year students and Gorey Community School were honoured for their contribution to school life, sport and academia during their time in secondary school from the safety and comfort of their own homes.
The event included a surprise doorstep visits to the main recipients of awards to present them with their trophies, with all social distancing guidelines adhered to.
Videos were uploaded online with special messages from teachers and staff for all students, who will not be sitting their exams this year.
The awards were coordinated by Ms Davent Neary and Ms Eileen Tumulty who worked together to create this unusual but enjoyable virtual awards ceremony.
‘As in many areas of life in the current climate Gorey Community School had to revert to Plan B when it came to hosting its beloved 6th year awards ceremony. It was too big an occasion to let slip under the radar so ourselves with senior management, the year head team and their class tutors worked together to create a Virtual Awards Ceremony,’ said Davent Neary.
‘Principal Michael Finn together with Ms Siobhán Mc Cormack, the sixth year head, gave heartfelt speeches to the Class of 2020, supported by Ms Ciara Walshe and Ms Emmeline Fairweather and the School Chaplain Ms Mary Redmond. The ceremony was emotional as the staff said farewell to an amazing group of young people as they embark on the next stage of their journeys. We wish them well’.
During the speeches, Michael Finn praised and level of resilience and emotional strength that students had shown during the Covid-19 crisis in particular when congratulating them on their graduation from school.
Some students contributed to the ceremony by singing and playing music in their own homes. These were Leila Mulhall and Emily Kavanagh, Joe Tallon, Adam Meehan, Ellen O Loughlin and Ben Wright
Being presented with awards in their gardens, students were given the opportunity to say a few words during the live-stream, which is available to view still on the Gorey Community School website.
The class tutors of the sixth year students sent video messages of farewell as did deputy principals Ms Linda Mc Evoy, Ms Stella Kehoe and Mr Frank Duke.
Virtual messages also came from sports stars such as Wexford’s own Dee O’ Keeffe, Kevin Doyle and Paul Boyle.
Kevin announced the Conor O
Sullivan Sports person of the year Darragh Levingston while Paul Boyle announced the winner of the Chris Martin Rugby Award, which was won by Joe Butler.
Awards were given for extra curricular activities from LCA projects, to Kindness, Sports and Merit awards.
The le Prix Francophile French award went to Sherene Hamilton, while the Cervantes Spanish Award went to Paulina Batkute and Gabriela Kruk.
The Innovate Business Award went to Michael Kennedy with runners up Sam Cody and Patrick Doyle while the Amy Sunderland Art Award went to Tadhg Nolan, with Lucia Nolan and John Andrew Mahon as runners up.
The literary award went to Eimear Hagan and Luke Peppar and the Michael Considine Maths Award went to Robert Kelly.
Surrounded by their family, Tomo Murphy and Stephanie Kacsor were named as LCA Students of the Year while Eibhlin Fitzpatrick and Adam Meehan were given trophies for Students of the Year.
All at Gorey Community School feel that the Class of 2020 have lost out on so many rite of passage traditions and held the Virtual Awards ceremony to reach out to every student regardless of whether they received an award or not.