Pride of Place

The “Meath County Council Pride of Place School Gardening Scheme” is an initiative with the aim of providing children in early years and primary school settings with opportunities to learn about and be active in their outdoor environment. You can learn more  by clicking here .

This is the third year that we in St Patrick's NS have signed up to the Pride of Place Scheme. In June 2021 and 2022, we achieved Level Two and we are hopeful that we can achieve the same again this year. In an exciting development, we hope to contribute this year to the “Stamullen Revival” plan, in collaboration with some fantastic members of the local community, including the Tidy Towns committee.

Back in March we began in earnest, planting, weeding and making general improvements outside and inside classrooms throughout the school. Tulips and daffodils we planted last October began to bloom in tubs around the front of the school. We cleared space in our native woodland and cleaned and added gravel to the path running through it. We planted bedding plants in pots along the front fence and added more hardy annuals, such as heather, to our lovely tractor tyre flower beds near the top yard. 

Pupils in classes from infants all the way to 6 th class began planting flowers, herbs and vegetables and several classes participated in the Incredible Edibles initiative, an Agri Aware scheme. Mr Russell fixed trellises to the front wall and built raised beds for climbing plants. Our buddleias and clematis are now flourishing, as well as balsam rose donated by Zara Hanley's mammy Claire, some broadbean plants and sunflowers. 

The saplings we planted in December 2021 continue to grow from strength to strength. Some are outgrowing even their larger fences, so again the wonderful volunteers from Ms Griffin’s 5th class have been busy re-fencing, but this time with help from Ms D Keane's and Ms N Keane's 4th class pupils. 

With the recent fine weather, volunteers have been busy watering, weeding, litter picking, and maintaining the aforementioned climbing plants by staking them up / weaving them through the trellises, labelling plants, checking bug hotels and lots more besides. Dahlia's, also donated by Claire Hanley, and potato plants, planted by Mr Delaney's 3rd class, are all growing healthily in their pots.

Mr Russell, Corey, Cathal, Lucy and Niamh are photographed in the gallery above, deciding a location for our latest addition. ENORMOUS thanks to Nicola Moore, Phoebe and Sarah's mammy, for the brilliant donation of a no-longer-usable fish tank. We will update about how we put it to use, once we've decided!

Mrs Niamh Uí Loinsigh visited us in mid-May for our Pride of Place inspection. The pupils did a wonderful job of presenting the work that has been undertaken to Mrs Uí Loinsigh and she gave us some great advice and information. We will share news of her conclusion when we receive it!

As always, if anyone has large plant pots that are in your way at home, or anything novel you think we might be able to use (like the bathtub and water tank that were so kindly donated last year and put to great use near the bottom yard!), please send them in to Ms Griffin and/or email mgriffin@stamullenns.ie