Pres Tralee bestow single yellow rose on leave-takers
ONE of the few upsides of the current COVID-19 restrictions is the added ingenuity and thoughtfulness they’ve brought out in so many people.
This was certainly the case at Presentation Secondary School, Tralee, where teachers made sure the girls graduating from the school on Friday could make the best of what would have otherwise been one of the most memorable days of their lives.
This year’s graduation celebrations had to take place online, with staff and students logging on at 11am.
Ceremonies got underway with a Fr Seán Jones blessing at the May altar in St John’s
Church before addresses by Principal Mary Kennelly, Deputy Principal Chrissie Kelly and Year Head Bean Uí Néill.
Head Girls Niamh Rahilly and Allanah O’Sullivan also spoke, while Sarah Cleary delivered a delightful take on ‘Who Will Light the Lantern?’, the school’s anthem.
But there was to be more in store, Chrissie Kelly explained to The Kerryman.
“After graduation, a team of up to a dozen teachers went out and hand-delivered yellow roses to each of the graduating students,” she said.
“The girls as well as teachers and others had logged in to Microsoft online chat to see each other, talk to each other, and there was a bit of sing-song as well.
“And then they got this added surprise.”
The roses were left outside the girls’ houses and were also accompanied by the students’ first-year time capsules as well as special commemorative cards.
The school’s thoughtfulness has received terrific feedback from students and parents alike, Chrissie added.
“We absolutely made the best of what’s been a bad situation for everyone,” she said.
“We may not have been able to have our traditional graduation ceremony this time around, but we intend on holding one later this year.”