We were delighted to welcome the Minister of Education, Norma Foley TD, to Sacred Heart today.

Minister Foley shook hands with staff and students as she made her way to the GPR. Second and third year students were lucky enough to attend the event. Student Council member, Ciara Brady, gave the official welcome as Gaeilge. Then Sarah Coakley and Nooran Al Rubaiee, also Student Council members, spoke about the ethos of the school and the inclusive holistic education practised here at SHSS.

Minister Foley urged the students to keep the vision of Catherine McAuley alive. She added that Sacred Heart has a ‘rich heritage and tradition’ and that it was a ‘joy’ to be at our school. She also told the assembled students to wear the school crest with pride.

Minister Foley also saluted student leadership, welcoming student representatives onto the NCCA, and looking forward to a future with a stronger student voice.

Ms Brosnan addressed the students after that, thanking Minister Foley for leading schools through the darkest time in education. She spoke of the pressures of the Leaving Cert and the need for change. She also posed the question: are we over-assessing our students?

‘School is not just about subjects and results, it’s about a rich learning environment,’ Ms Brosnan added. She also spoke of how innovative Sacred Heart has been throughout the years, leading the way in many spheres including STEM, Computer Science, Technology, Transition Year, and adapting to online change. She also expressed the excitement about the renovation of the old school building.

Mr Walsh then spoke briefly before Minister Foley spent some time chatting to students about the importance of language. She said, ‘If there’s a word you don’t understand, look it up. Broaden your vocabulary and be empowered by language.’

Mr Walsh and Ms Brosnan were joined by Christopher O’Sullivan TD, Mr Sean Crowley, Chairperson of the Board of Management, and Ms Susan Gallagher, a parent representative. Ms Meade was also present as she leads the Student Voice initiative at SHSS.

Alannah Sexton and Aimee Mulcahy attended as representatives of Student Voice. Alannah presented the Minister with a bunch of flowers.

Minister Foley went on to have a quick tour of the school, meeting students from various year groups.

At Sacred Heart, our motto is: Engage, Inspire, Flourish.

Minister Foley certainly saw evidence of that today.

We would like to the thank the Minister for her inspiring speech and general warmth as she mingled with staff and students.

Thanks to Mr Browne for taking such lovely photos.