SuperValu Best Kept School Awards 2012
Denamona Pre School is Best Kept School!
Congratulations is extended to Denamona PS, Gibson PS and St Joseph's Boys' School who received awards for the 2012 SuperValu Best Kept Schools.
Staff and pupils at a tiny rural school in Co Tyrone are celebrating after winning the top title in a prestigious environmental awards scheme.
Denamona Pre School, Fintona, has been named the overall winner in the 2012 SuperValu Best Kept School Awards, which are organised annually by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council (NIAC) and sponsored by independent retail group SuperValu. The accolade acknowledges the school’s outstanding commitment to green projects and environmental education.
Almost two hundred schools from across Northern Ireland entered the awards this year and NIAC judges have been travelling the country for months in search of the cleanest, tidiest and most environmentally active schools.
Denamona Pre School, which has only 18 pupils, was chosen to receive the overall ‘Best of the Best’ title out of a shortlist of fifteen schools – winners in pre-primary, primary and post-primary categories in each education board area. The County Tyrone Pre school took the title this year after NIAC judges rated its environmental projects, including a pond, raised vegetable beds, bird watching facilities and a clutch of free range hens, the Best in Northern Ireland.
NIAC Chairman Doreen Muskett MBE commented: “The aim of the SuperValu Best Kept School Awards is to acknowledge the environmental work being done in schools across Northern Ireland, which in turn will help children to develop an interest in the environment as a whole."
She continued: “As part of the judging process we look for evidence of pupil participation in environmental projects, and of course clean and tidy school grounds and Denamona Pre School sets a great example in all of these areas. The judges commented that the school has, within a limited space, achieved a wide range of interesting, stimulating and educational projects in which the children fully participate.”
Denamona Pre School has been awarded a monetary prize to help them with their environmental endeavours and all category winners receive a personalized sign, a perpetual crystal trophy and a cash award. Runners up are recognised with a special certificate and a monetary donation. The prize fund for winning schools is £300 per school, with runners up getting £120. The overall wining school receives an additional £200.
SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty, added: “SuperValu and its independent retailers are proud to support the Best Kept School Awards. We would like to congratulate all of the schools that took part this year for the positive impact they have made on their school grounds, the environment and the education of their pupils. A special congratulations must go to Denamona Pre School for scooping the Best of the Best title.”
Nicola McCormick from Denamona Pre School commented: “We are delighted to have won the top SuperValu Best Kept School Award. Everyone at Denamona gets involved in creating our school environment, including the kids, and although it involves a lot of hard work we believe it helps our pupils learn valuable lessons about their surroundings and of course they have great fun enjoying the spaces, plants and wildlife. We are all very proud of this achievement.”
Caption: Gibson PS pictured at the 2012 SuperValu Best Kept School Awards are (l-r) Peter Duffy, Chairman WELB, Doreen Muskett MBE, NI Amenity Council, Briege McGinty, SuperValu Marketing Manager, Gibson Primary School Principal Keith Sterritt, with pupils Tyler and Sarah.
Caption: St Joseph’s Boys' School pictured at the 2012 SuperValu Best Kept School Awards are (l-r) Peter Duffy, Chairman WELB, Briege McGinty, SuperValu Marketing Manager, Seamus Toman, Head of St Joseph’s Boys' school and Doreen Muskett MBE, NI Amenity Council.
Photographs courtesy of Brian Thompson - Press Eye.