Cork School Named National ‘Something Fishy’ Competition Winners 2015
Press Release - Monday, 19th October 2015
Cork School Named National ‘Something Fishy’ Competition Winners 2015
St Mary’s Senior School, Dunmanway, Co Cork, awarded top prize for ‘The Wonderful Water Kids Show’
Fifth and sixth class students from St Mary’s Senior School, Dunmanway, Co. Cork, were named National Winners of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s ‘Something Fishy’ competition award at a prize giving ceremony held in the West Cork Education Centre, it was announced today (19.10.15).
Something Fishy winners - St Mary's Senior School, Dunmanway, Co. Cork.
Pictured at the IFI’s ‘Something Fishy’ prize giving ceremony at West Cork Education Centre were: Michael McPartland, IFI; Michael Kennedy and Pat Seaver, Blackrock Education Centre; Jim Daly TD; Michael McCarthy TD; David McCarthy, IFI; Mairead Twohig, Principal, St Mary’s Senior School; Sarah Collins, class teacher; Noel Harrington TD; and students from St Mary’s Senior School, Dunmanway, with prizes.
The students received the award and a €700 prize for their class project ‘The Wonderful Water Kids Show’. Project entries in this year’s competition addressed the themes ‘Water: A Precious Commodity’ and ‘Water Quality and the Environment’. Their innovative entry comprised a digital and artistic interpretation of the theme, presented through a video format.
Jim Daly TD and Noel Harrington TD, congratulated the students while presenting the perpetual ‘Something Fishy’ award to the students on behalf of Joe McHugh, Minister for Natural Resources, who was unable to attend the event.
Pictured at the IFI’s ‘Something Fishy’ prize giving ceremony at West Cork Education Centre were: Michael McPartland, IFI; Mary O’Donovan, Director, West Cork Education Centre; Mairead Twohig, Principal, St Mary’s Senior School, Dunmanway; Sarah Collins, class teacher; Noel Harrington TD; Jim Daly TD; and students from St Mary’s Senior School, Dunmanway.
Ms Mairead Twohig, Principal, St Mary’s Senior School, was presented with the school prize by Michael McCarthy TD, at the ceremony. Commenting today, Ms Twohig said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the students of St Mary’s Senior School, who have demonstrated their excellent understanding of water and its huge importance in the world in their ‘Wonderful Water’ project”.
Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), commented: “I would like to thank the participant schools and the staff of Inland Fisheries Ireland, who bring to life the ‘Something Fishy’ educational programme, not only at St Mary’s but at many other schools around Ireland. IFI is committed to this programme which I hope ignites an interest in all things fish, fishing and fish habitat.”
Speaking at the event, Suzanne Campion, of IFI, said: “‘Something Fishy’ is an educational resource designed and promoted by IFI in conjunction with the Blackrock Educational Centre. It ensures that children do not become an ‘endangered species’ on the banks of rivers, lakes and our coast. In a typical year, we bring the programme to around 100 schools across the country. Every year, IFI staff aim to make the programme exciting and interesting for children so that learning is easy and fun.”
Those addressing the attendees included Mary O’Donovan, Director of West Cork Education Centre and Pat Seaver Director of Blackrock Education Centre. Both educationalists applauded the high production standards of St Mary’s Senior School’s winning project and noted the many teaching and learning experiences emanating from the strand and strand units of history, geography, science in particular, but also through linkages and integration with most subjects in the new curriculum.
‘Something Fishy’ 2015/16 programme
Aimed at fifth and sixth class students at primary level, the programme is based on the life cycle of salmon and gets students to explore, water, fish, fish stocks, angling, conservation of rivers and lakes and fish as part of the food chain. As well as class based work Inland Fisheries Ireland fishery officers take students into the ‘field’ to get hands on experience of their work. A comprehensive set of resources for teachers and children is available on www.somethingfishy.ie.
Schools interested in participating in the 2015/16 programme should contact their local Education Centre for details.
This year’s winning entry ‘The Wonderful Water Kids Show’ can be viewed online at: www.somethingfishy.ie/blog.html.
For more information, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie.
ENDS
Contact: Suzanne Campion, Head of Business Development, Inland Fisheries Ireland
Mob: 087-2690183 Tel: 052 6180055 Fax: 052 6123971
Email: suzanne.campion@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie
Notes to Editor:
Something Fishy is a project aimed at fifth and sixth classes in primary schools based on the SESE Curriculum. It aims to create awareness of the fisheries’ resource and to highlight the importance of the children’s local environment and fishery habitat. The programme explores different aspects of fish life including the life cycle of the salmon, fish species, angling methods and the conservation of our rivers and lakes. It is an activity-based educational resource and is designed to be interesting and attractive to both teachers and students. Key elements of the programme are that it promotes learning about fish and the environment in a specifically local context and promotes sustainable angling. Programme resources are available on www.somethingfishy.ie.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. IFI promotes, supports, facilitates and advises the Minister on, the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling. It also develops and advises the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling. www.fisheriesireland.ie.
