64 CATEGORIES, 430 STUDENTS, 40 YEARS!
RAMSGRANGE COMMUNITY SCHOOL held its annual awards ceremony last Friday, with awards given to hundreds of students across 64 categories.
This marked a highlight in the school’s 40th birthday year as more than 430 students and their friends and family packed the school gym to hear who won top awards for work completed over recent months. Principal Rachel O’Connor welcomed everyone and spoke of her great pride each year at awards day, but particularly this year’s award’s day as the school finished its 40th Year educating the students of South West Wexford.
Ms O’Connor highlighted the school’s growing numbers each year as an indication of the high esteem the school is held in locally and thanked the present students and staff for being such great ambassadors in the local community.
Awards were given across 64 categories, testament to the many and varied activities which take place throughout the year. Certificates of Achievement were awarded across a variety of areas such as JCSP Gardening participants, library and archive keepers, the catering committee, attendance, chess, poetry, spelling bees and choir, to name just a few.
The student council of 2017/18 were recognised and thanked for their great work throughout the year, as were the outgoing Meitheal leaders. The first buzz of excitement ripped through the gym as the new Meitheal Team, 2018/19 was announced.
Awards were also given across many subjects for best projects in LCVP, art, metalwork, engineering, wood technology, DCG, TG, construction, needlework, ag science and both German and French. The much anticipated sports awards commenced with the awarding of the ‘Liam Fardy Perpetual Mile Challenge Shield’, awarded to two first years for the first time ever – Morgan Ellis and Áine Swan taking the honours.
Trophies were awarded to the best basketball players, male and female at first, second, under-16 and senior, as were trophies for best players in camogie, ladies’ football, hurling and football.
Evelyn Stebbing was presented with a shield for earning the best Junior Certificate results in 2017, while Sophia Bailleuil was presented with the Best Leaving Certificate Results Shield.
There was a break with tradition in awarding the Junior Sports Person Cup, when brothers Pádraig and Tomás Barron were both jointly awarded the cup for their excellence in sport across many disciplines, but most especially for their brilliant approach and attitude to competing, being two of the hardest working sportsmen the school has ever had.
Brilliant all-rounder Laura Cullen was awarded the prestigious Senior Sports Persons Cup, the second year a girl was selected for this Award.
Outgoing Head Boy Sam Elliot and Head Girl Tanya Murphy spoke to the gathered crowd on their memories of the school and gave some parting wisdom to the student cohort. This was followed by one of the highlights of the afternoon, the announcement of the new head boy and head girl for the upcoming year. Joseph Hanlon and Nicole Keating were popular choices after a hotly contested selection process.
Year heads then stepped forward to announce the winners of each year’s ‘Student of the Year’, also presenting the runners-up with certificates. The highlight of the afternoon was the presenting of the overall Student of the Year. The winner is selected following a student and staff vote. The very popular winner this year was Arán Murphy, a brilliant all-round sports person and winner of many of the best project awards. He was wished the very best of luck in the upcoming State exams, as were all the Third and Sixth Year students.