Rath Dara CC and Donabate CC Awarded Schools of Sanctuary Status

Rath Dara Community College

Rath Dara Community College was thrilled to be awarded Champion School of Sanctuary status at a ceremony held at TU Dublin, Grangegorman, in February.

At the ceremony, nine students showcased a unique cultural fusion, blending performances of bodhrán, African drums, Irish dancing, and a group dance incorporating elements from five different countries. Additionally, 19 students contributed to a video that was featured during the ceremony.

A 3rd-year student captured a stunning aerial shot of the school with a drone, while 12 students greeted the audience by saying ‘hello’ in various languages and six students each recited a stanza from a Séamus Heaney poem in their native language.

This event was a true reflection of our ETB Core Values and the spirit of our school motto, ‘ní neart go cur le chéile’ (‘there is no strength without unity’). We are immensely proud of all the students and staff who contributed to this whole-school initiative.

Donabate Community College

On Tuesday February 11th the Donabate Community College School of Sanctuary club gathered with 9 other schools from around the country for a national award ceremony in T.U.D. Grangegorman, where all 10 schools officially received their “Champion School of Sanctuary” award.

DCC students presented a poem about sanctuary and how this is valued in our school. DCC student Nikolai Polnis-Borzyk spoke on behalf of Medina Salihovic, who could not be there on the day and talked about the lessons and values that inspired the posters which are on the corridor walls. One poster entitled ‘EVERYBODY IS WELCOME’ celebrates diversity and inclusion. It was inspired by Medina’s belief of creating a space where everybody is equal and valued. The second poster entitled ‘ANTI-RACISM’ highlights the importance of activism in the ongoing fight against racism. Medina is very passionate about this subject and sees her art as a way to showcase her message of inclusion.

We were presented with the award from the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain who gave a short speech on the values and importance of sanctuary in schools and the wider community. She stated that “These Champion Schools of Sanctuary are beacons of hope for the whole country, now and in the future. I commend the students and teachers for setting standards of excellence in their commitment to welcoming and including newcomers and minority groups, and I look forward to seeing more and more schools learning from their shining example.”

Another guest speaker was woman’s empowerment and health campaigner, Aishah Akorede. While the public might know her best for her appearance on Dancing with the Stars or her victory in Miss Universe Ireland 2023, In everyday life Aishah dedicates much of her time to her efforts to fight discrimination and promote diversity.

Alihah believes that the ceremony “is about recognising the impact that motivated students can have on creating school cultures that celebrate and champion inclusivity. It has been a real pleasure to get know some of these creative and empowered students and I look forward to celebrating their day with them”.

We had a wonderful day celebrating our Award and we were delighted to bring it back to Donabate CC and display it proudly for our school community.

By Nikolai Polnis-Borzyk (Student Donabate CC)