St Patrick's receives iPads

Mr Martin Freeburn, the father of Year 8 pupil Hannah Freeburn, works for Diageo Ireland.

Mr Freeburn contacted the school before Christmas, inviting them to enter a competition so the school had the opportunity to win reconditioned iPads previously used by Diageo Ireland.

The school jumped at the chance and Learning Support Centre teacher Miss McKay knew exactly where they could be best placed if they were successful.

To enter the competition the school had to submit a paragraph stating why they needed the iPads.

They said: “There are thirty six pupils in our Learning Support Centre here in St. Patricks College, all with complex and multiple learning needs; ranging from speech impairment, ADHD, Autism and Down’s Syndrome.

“The vast selection of educational apps on an iPad could significantly assist in the development of our pupil’s social, literacy and numeracy abilities, as well as develop their research, creativity, reading skills and spelling abilities.”

The winning entry secured eight iPads for the school, which are now used extensively in the Learning Support Centre.

The school would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Freeburn for his invaluable support and for thinking of them at such an opportune time.