St Bernard’s pupils are just super

Pictured with her super hero model 'Bionic Bella' is Caelainn McElean (11), who left St Bernards this summer. She is pictured alongside fellow winners (l-r) Michael Finagan (7) and Mega Smasha, Conall Morrissey McCann (7) and Super Dad with Jude McGibben (7) holding Starkey.

The competition is part of an education pilot programme run by the learning disability organisation’s Young People Together project that aims to help children and young people discover what’s ‘super’ about them through the powers and attributes of cartoon superheroes.

Sean Kelly, Young People Together co-ordinator, presented the winners with their action figures in front of the school at morning assembly.

“Super Me has been a unique way to help children explore their own personal qualities, and their potential for the future, by using iconic super heroes and the mythology behind them,” he explained.

“All the children had to do was to draw and write about themselves as a super hero, think about the personal qualities they already have and the super hero qualities they would like to have and how combining these would help them to help others.

“All the entries were fantastic, creative and some were very funny and thought-provoking. I hope everyone who took part enjoyed being involved.”

Entries were judged on creativity, imagination and inspiration by a panel of Mencap’s Inspire me Young Ambassadors. Four of the winners - Caelainn McElean (11), Conall Morrissey McCann (7), Jude McGibben (7) and Michael Finagan (7) - were presented with their own super hero, transformed into a personalised Super Me action figure that looked just like them.

School principal, Paul Flanagan commented: “We were delighted to take part in the Super Me competition and must commend Mencap’s Young People Together team for the effort and time they have put into this project.

“The development of self esteem and confidence is embedded in the ethos of our school. The Super Me project sought to further develop these character traits within our children and indeed our whole school. Right from Year One to Year Seven, we had “would be” super heroes being created.”

He added: “The children studied their heroes both from real life and fiction and decided which super powers they could develop and create for themselves. They followed our school motto ‘What you are is God’s gift to you, what you make of yourself is your gift to God’ as all our winners chose super powers to help others and make our world a better place to live in. What better gift could these young people give to society?

“I know that these personalised Super Me action figures will take pride of place for many years to come.”