Minister for Education opens new extension at Tipperary Town school

Minister for Education Norma Foley paid an end-of-year visit to St Joseph’s Primary School in Tipperary Town on Monday.
The school has just completed a new extension, which is a suite of additional rooms for the two early intervention classes and a number of special education rooms for small group teaching at the school.

The Minister officially opened the new extension and viewed this new space at the school, indeed it’s the first extension since the school was built in 1965. Work at the school is ongoing in the construction of a new roof and a lift at the school.

Ms Louise Tobin, principal, welcomed the Minister to the school and thanked her and her Department for the resources the school now have under the DEIS programme.
“Lower class size, additional grant funding and hot meals have made a huge difference to our pupils and even after one year we can see the benefits and improvements in learning,” she said.

St Joseph’s is also a leader in the field of promoting kindness as an anti-bullying strategy. The school have completed a wonderful project on the theme of Growth Mindset and Kindness.
Minister Foley said bullying remains an unacceptable reality in our schools, so lessons in kindness are key.

“We have worked very hard on lessons in kindness this year with great results. We wanted to showcase these lessons to our Education Minister,” said principal Ms Louise Tobin.
The pupils at St Joseph’s put on an excellent whole school event for Minister Foley featuring pupils’ positive affirmations and an amazing video clip of affirmations from all classes about the Education Minister herself. Pupils spoke about Growth Mindset and growing their brains and shared the school’s mottos and poems all on the theme of kindness. Their concluding performance of Try A Little Kindness was a fabulous display of singing, dancing and sheer belief in kindness as key.
Minister Foley accepted little gifts from pupils including Tipperary products including Apple Juice, Jam, Butter, Cheese and of course a Tipperary mug and a piece of Tipperary Crystal.

In her reply Minister Foley complimented the staff on taking on so many proactive initiatives and embracing the Cinealtas Anti Bullying Plan. She noted the school as very inclusive, welcoming over 24 nationalities and providing early Intervention classes for pre-schoolers with autism.

Minister Foley saw the limitless ambition and opportunities for the students with all the wonderful work going on at the school.
Staff across the board were complimented for stepping up to lead, always for the benefit of the whole school with Minister Foley noting the great work of Pat Ahearne not only as caretaker but also as accordion player on the day.
“Kindness is the heart of all our work,” said Minister Foley.
“Girls, I loved the way you embraced not only kindness but positivity, and thank you so much for your affirmations of my work and for all your smiles and happiness today,” Minister Foley told the pupils.

The Minister thanked the members of the Board of Management for all their work and indeed the parents and guardians of all the pupils for their role in sending them to school every day.
“On September 1, 2023 Ms Tobin begins a two-year secondment as President of the Irish Primary Principals Network,” the Minister stated.

She continued that Louise’s strong leadership in St Joseph’s adds so much to her credibility entering into this exciting role.
“I look forward to working with Louise and IPPN in the future,” said Minister Foley.
A great day in St Joseph’s and what a way to end the school year with a visit from the Minister for Education.