CLONAKILTY GAELSCOIL SAYS "GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT" FOR IPADS
Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin in Clonakilty has expressed a "Go raibh maith agat" mór to school families, businesses and the general public following a successful old mobile phone collection which has resulted in the provision of two IPads for ASD pupils in the school from Irish Autism Action.
Last March, the school launched a public appeal to the general public to donate old mobile phones. 10 businesses and the local County Council Recycling staff placed collection boxes on their premises to which the general public placed their old phones. There was also a great response from the general school community.
As a result of these combined efforts, nearly 400 phones were collected and Autism Ireland donated two iPads to ASD Unit at the school recently as a result.
The initial ASD class was set up in the Gaelscoil in September 2011, and there are now 13 pupils ranging from three to 11 years attending three classes. Teachers and SNA's have found that iPads are a vital tool of communication for the pupils. Many children with autism have communication difficulties, with some being non-verbal, and IPads loaded with specific language and communication apps open up the world of communication.
Pupils can construct sentences allowing them to express their opinions, wishes and needs which their fellow pupils and adults can easily understand.
School Principal Carmel Nic Airt explained that the school has been providing a full Primary school placement for Children with diagnosed ASD – the only service of its kind in the West Cork area, since last September.
"We have marvellous facilities, including a €43,000 purpose-built Multi-Sensory room, an Occupational Therapy Hall and dedicated Speech and Language rooms along with teachers and SNA's in the school who together bring out the best in our pupils with autism. We have seen the advantages that iPads bring to the children over the last couple of years but unfortunately we don’t have enough for all the pupils at present.
We are very thankful to the local businesses and workplaces that accepted collection boxes in their premises and collected the old phones for us, as well as the families of the school who bring in their old phones to us.
We want to especially thank the staff at the Council Recycling Centre who have been putting old phones aside for us and these meant that we got our IPads sooner than we expected.
This however is an ongoing campaign and we again appeal to the good people of Clonakilty and beyond to please drop their old phones to us so we can continue to purchase more IPads for our very special pupils.
The phones can be dropped off at O' Donovan's Hotel; Clonakilty Library; Quality Hotel; Park Leisure Centre; Harte's Spar; Sally's Super Valu; Technology Park; Carbery Milk Products; Irish Yogurts; Vodafone Shop and Clonakilty Recycling Centre".
Deireann Gaelscoil Chloch na gCoillte "Go raibh maith agat" as ucht iPads
Tá buíochas mhór á ghabháil ag Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin i gCloch na gCoillte do mhuintir na scoile, gnólachtaí áitiúla agus an pobal tar éis feachtas mór bailiúcháin sean fón póca, óna tháinig dhá iPad mar thoradh. Bhronn Irish Autism Action na iPads orthu, le n-úsáid ag páistí sa scoil ag a bhfuil ASD (neamhord de chuid speictream an uathachais) acu.
Mí Márta seo chaite, sheol an scoil feachtas poiblí don phobal ginereálta lena sean bhfón póca a thabhairt dóibh. Chuir 10 gnólachtaí agus an foireann áitúil athchursáil ón Comhairle Contae boscaí bailiúcháin ar a n-áitreabh ina gcur an pobal a gcuid fón póca. Bhí freagra iontach ón gcomhphobal scoile ginireálta chomh maith.
Mar thoradh ar na hiarrachtaí ar fad, bailíodh beagnach 400 fón agus dheonaigh Autism Ireland dhá iPad don Aonad ASD le déanaí mar thoradh.
Bunaíodh an rang ASD sa Ghaelscoil i Meán Fomhair 2011 agus anois tá 13 daltaí ó aois trí go 11 ag freastal ar thrí rang. Ceapann múinteoirí agus na cuntóir riachtanais spesialta gur uirlis fíor thábhachtach cumarsáide iad do na ndaltaí. Bíonn deacrachtaí cumarsáide ag an t-uafás páistí a bhfuil ASD acu, roinnt dóibh gan caint ar bith, agus cabhraíonn na iPads seo go mór mar go mbíonn siad lán le 'apps' dírithe ar teanga agus cumarsáid amháin. Is féidir leis na daltaí abairtí sothuigthe a cruthú lena dtuairimí agus riachtanais a chur in iúl.
Mhínigh Príomhoide na scoile Carmel Nic Airt go bhfuil na seirbhísí seo á sholáthar acu ón Mean Fomhair seo chaite. Is iad an taon scoil in iarthar Chorcaigh a sholáthraíonn áit bunscoile lán aimsire do pháistí a bhfuil ASD acu.
"Tá áiseanna iontach againn, ina measc sheomra Multi-Sensory ar chostas €43,000, Halla 'Occupational Therapy' agus seomraí Teanga agus Caint, chomh maith le múinteóirí agus cuntóirí riachtanais spesialta sa scoil a dhéanann a ndícheall leis na daltaí. Tá buntáistí na iPads feicithe againn ó thús an aonad ASD, ach faraoir níl dhóthain iPads againn faoi láthair do na ndaltaí ar fad.
Taímid thar a bheith buíoch as na gnólachtaí áitiúla a ghlac na mboscaí bailliúcháin ar a n-áitreamh agus a bhailigh na fóin dúinn, chomh maith le teaghlaigh na scoile a thug a sean bhfóin isteach dúinn.
Tá buíochas spesialta le ghabháil leis an bhfoireann ag an Ionad Athchursála Áitiúl a choimeád sean fón ar leataobh dúinn. Tháinig na iPads níos sciobtha mar gheall ar seo.
Is feachtas leanúnach í seo agus arís iarraim ar phobal Chloch na gCoillte a sean bhfóin a thabhairt dúinn ionas gur bhféidir linn níos mó iPads a fháil donár ndaltaí iontach speisialta."
Is féidir na fón a fhágáil isteach sna háiteanna seo a leanas; O' Donovan's Hotel, Leabharlann Chloch na gCoillte, Park Leisure Centre, Harte's Spar, Sally's Super Valu, Technology Park, Carbery Milk Products, Irish Yoghurts, Vodafone agus Ionas Athchursála Chloch na gCoillte."