The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Douglas NS, a small school with very big ambitions
ON arriving into the car park of Douglas N.S just outside of Killorglin last week, I was immediately greeted with flashbacks of a job interview that I’d done there a number of years ago, when you have nerves like I did that day, a memory like that doesn’t tend to fade so easily.
Thankfully this time around, I was returning to the 125 year old, two-class school in a far less nerve-wracking situation, where I am greeted in the yard by the school’s Principal, Dolores Johnston - who tells me all about the schools history and its fantastic facilities.
The original school was opened way back in 1886 before they made the move to the schools current and quaint home, just two and a half miles outside KIllorglin town.
Currently with an enrolment of 26 pupils, the schools offers a number of fantastic services designed to help the children there reach their full potential.
“With the small class sizes that we have here, we can ensure that each child is given the individual attention that they need,” said Dolores, speaking to The Kerryman.
The junior classes are engaged in a high spirited game of basketball when I arrive, all under the watchful eye of the sports coach. “They’ve been practising their basketball since they arrived and by god, they’re getting good at it now,” Dolores says as she watches the Blue Team score their first basket. An active and health promoting school, Dolores and the pupils also boast a whopping 7 Green School Flags amongst their accolades The school, which has both interactive whiteboards and projectors in the classrooms, also boasts a beautifully decorated and large outdoor tarmacadamed play area, football pitch and basketball court. Keen scientists, I am shown the plethora of science awards that hang proudly on the wall by the front door before I am taken outside by four girls from the senior class who demonstrate the uses of the ‘pooter’ device which they delightfully inform me is used for ‘sucking up bugs’. The school wears a generic school uniform which Dolores tells me helps parents cut down on costs enormously, free fresh lunches are provided to the children on a daily basis and there is a book-rental scheme on offer in the school to help lower book costs aswell. Details about enrolment, opening times and contact information can be found on the schools website at www.douglasnskillorglin.com.
WANT US TO COVER YOUR SCHOOL?
The Kerryman will be visiting primary schools around the county as part of the ‘Our School’ feature.
For more information, you can contact our editor Kevin Hughes at khughes@kerryman.ie or contact Fergus Dennehy on fdennehy@kerryman.ie