Gowna school has art of gold

St Patrick's National School in Gowna has achieved double county winner status in the ‘Someone Like Me’ national art competition.

The school, which has been named Junior and Senior winners in the prestigious contest, joined 46 other schools to compete for the national title at an awards ceremony in Dublin last week.

Now in its eighth year, the 'Someone Like Me' art competition attracted more than 2,200 entries from national schools across the country ranging from posters and collages to large sculptural installations and multi-media pieces. Organised by the National Disability Authority, it aims to nurture more positive attitudes towards people with disabilities.

To date, it has seen more than 17,500 children take part in lesson plans and pupil activities designed to challenge young people to appreciate and respect similarities.

Congratulating the pupils at the local school, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, said that the number of entries this year was "a tribute to the commitment not just of the National Disability Authority, but also to Ireland’s primary school teachers" whom, she added, "continue to play an important part helping to create an ever-more inclusive Ireland".

“Every year more and more of our young people take part in the 'Someone Like Me' art competition, working their way through cross-curricular lesson plans and learning resources, which have been specially designed to challenge and inspire. The number and standard of entries shows a real commitment on the part of teachers and pupils to help develop a shared understanding of how we should treat others in a caring, sensitive and inclusive way, promoting a sense of belonging and connectedness."