Schools News from across Waterford: Cold plunges, rising sports stars and school extension approved
St Declan's Junior Hockey team, who beat Presentation Kilkenny 2-0.
This December, two students at Mount Sion CBS will brave the cold weather and get into the sea on 12 different occasions to raise funds for Pieta House.
Students Alex Whelan and Cian Moran have decided to do the ’12 Dips of December’, setting a goal of raising €400 each for the charity, a goal they are already halfway to achieving.
The pair will kick off the challenge by facing the freezing waters of Tramore Bay straight after school on December 3, just after 1pm, inviting anyone with an interest to join them.
Speaking to the Waterford News & Star, Alex said the pair decided to get involved as they both thought Pieta House was an important organisation.
“We think the work they do is important, and a few of our friends and family have benefitted from their services,” he said.
Mount Sion Deputy Principal Colette Kearney praised the two for their undertaking, pointing out how busy they are as Leaving Cert students.
She also echoed their belief in the importance of Pieta House, as the school has been involved in fundraising for them in the past.
A pair of students at St Declan’s brushed shoulders with the top brass last week at the GAA Youth Forum 2026 in Croke Park on November 7.
Alannah Power and Tom Behan, who are TY Future GAA Leaders, were selected to take part in the forum led by the National GAA Youth Committee.
At the forum, they had the opportunity to get involved in discussions and debates, as well as taking part in an interview with Uachtaráin of the Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Jarlath Burns.
They also got involved in various workshops, hearing new ideas on how young members of the GAA can take on leadership roles within their GAA clubs and communities.
GAA activity at St Declan’s didn’t end with the forum, with wins for the 1st and 2nd year camogie team who faced St Augustine’s college on November 12, beating them 5-06 to 0-06.
The Junior hockey team had similar success, beating the Presentation Kilkenny 2-0 in less than pleasant weather conditions, with goals from Ella Coffey providing an exciting end to their league campaign.
They now have a chance to recharge until their next match against Carlow’s St. Leo’s later in the year.
Scoil Garbháin have been given approval for an extension, with plans for four new classrooms, two new special educational classrooms and an additional three special education tuition rooms.
Minister John Cummins announced the news on November 12, following a meeting between Minister Cummins, Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton and members of Scoil Gharbháin, including principal Sinéad Uí Ruairc earlier in the year.
The new facilities will provide Scoil Gharbháin with a modern, high-quality learning environment, whilst also ensuring that the school is well-equipped to meet the growing population in its area.
Minister Cummins thanked Principal Uí Ruairc, the school’s Board of Management and parents for their work in bringing the project forward.
“I look forward to seeing these works progress in the time ahead,” said Minister Cummins, also taking time to thank the Minister for Education on her “extensive engagement”.
Now that the plan has been accepted by Scoil Garbháin’s board of management, it will be transferred to the Department of Education’s modular delivery unit and will progress to full design and construction once planning permission is granted.
Waterford Education Support Centre (WESC) hosted a special training day for teachers on November 13, as part of a national effort to make school grounds better places for nature.
It comes after the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD launched the ‘Our Dúlra Agreement’, which encourages improving biodiversity on school grounds.
The ‘Whole-School Biodiversity Train-the-Trainer’ day asked schools to send a principal or deputy principal alongside a member of staff to learn how to train their teachers on how to help nature on their grounds.
The agreement aims to share out the workload, calling on the wider education system to take responsibility for supporting biodiversity instead of one or two committed teachers.
WESC announced on their Instagram that they were backing the commitment, encouraging teachers and SNAs to take part in their online ‘Bitesize Biodiversity’ course.
It offers a 15-minute online class at 4pm every Monday that focuses on an Irish plant, bird, mammal or insect, and provides resources for teachers to use in class afterwards.
The agreement is modelled off the pledges made by countries at a UN Conference of the Parties (COP), and sees educational support and training centres committing to leading by example.
Minister O’Sullivan described their leadership as vital, saying “a whole-of-society response” was needed, adding that “schools are the soil where that restoration takes root.”
Dr Patrick Kirwan, Founding Director of the Irish Schools Sustainability Network (ISSN), described how, in his day, many people left school without being taught to respect nature.
“It’s time to break that cycle,” he said. “Schools take their cue from the people who lead them, and when education system leaders sign this agreement, they get behind the great work already happening in schools across Ireland.”
