In Piercestown N.S. we pride ourselves on being an inclusive school where everyone feels valued and differences are celebrated. We strive to lead by example, teaching children to become accepting of one another, to treat others with respect and to show kindness to all. Here are some events that took place throughout March and April to raise awareness and celebrate diversity and individuality.
World Down Syndrome Day – 21st March
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is celebrated annually on the 21st March. It is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD is always the 21st day of the 3rd month, as people with Down Syndrome are born with an extra copy, a 3rd chromosome 21. Click here for a video which gives you more information on the origin of WDSD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6L7SgvFPgQ
In Piercestown N.S. we participated in WDSD by holding our annual Odd Socks Day, with children and staff wearing odd socks, and the brighter and more colourful they were the better! There were balloons and the children in Junior Infants and 4th class also made special treats on the day to celebrate. Teachers took the opportunity to talk to their classes and show videos, helping the children to see people with Down Syndrome as valued members of society who are striving to achieve their goals and pursue their passions, just like everyone else!
Epilepsy Awareness Day – 25th March
Purple Day took place nationwide in Ireland on Thursday 25th March to raise awareness of epilepsy. Click on the following link to find out more about this https://www.epilepsy.ie/content/purple-day-2021 In our school many of the children and staff wore purple to mark the day. There were purple balloons and the children in 1st class even had special treats with purple wrappers – Freddo bars!!! Once again, teachers took the opportunity to teach the children about epilepsy and help them to understand, at an age appropriate level, what can happen during a seizure.
Autism Awareness Month – April
April is World Autism Month when we celebrate people with Autism, try to raise awareness of the everyday challenges they face and learn how we can all play a part in making our community a more Autism friendly place to live. AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity, are running a campaign to encourage people to say Yes to Autism Acceptance – Yes to employment, Yes to education and Yes to community inclusion. For more information see https://asiam.ie/world-autism-month-daily-actions-autism-friendly-ireland/#
Friday 2nd April is the day when we celebrate World Autism day. This year it fell during our Easter holidays but this did not stop Ms. Sinnott and her team from marking the day for her class by sending a special video message to the parents and children. Next Friday 16th April our school will celebrate World Autism Day. We are inviting all children to wear blue on the day in recognition of people with Autism and those who love and support them.
Piercestown National School 