Given a rich environment, learning becomes like the air - it's in and around us.
Sandra Dodd
School Facilities at St. Mary's
We have an extensive school site with a range of modern, well-equipped, innovative learning spaces that support our pupils' learning and development.
Our classrooms are bright and spacious, with ample natural light and LCD interactive screens. Heat recovery ventilation units provide fresh, filtered and warmed air. These units also help to maintain excellent ventilation and optimal room temperature in winter and summer.
Our IT room is equipped with the latest technology to support our pupils' learning and enhance their digital literacy skills. Among our IT resources are a suite of networked Chromebox computers, one hundred and twenty portable Chromebooks, display screens and digital projectors, an iMac desktop computer, iPads, Lego Wedo kits, Vex Robot kits and Lego Spike Prime kits.
Our art room is a dedicated creative space where our pupils can explore their artistic talents and express themselves through a range of artistic media. We have a wide range of materials for all classes to work with. We have engaged with the Art Council's Creative Clusters and Creative Schools projects and have hosted visiting artists for project work.
Our school gym supports our pupils' physical health and well-being. It is equipped with equipment and resources that enable our pupils to engage in a wide range of PE lessons. The gym floor is marked for basketball, volleyball, indoor football and badminton. We also have two indoor One Wall handball walls.
Our school gym was used as an Exam Centre when our school was a secondary school. Desks were placed in straight rows on the maple floor for Leaving Certificate exams. When the gym is quiet and still, remember those who sat there with pen and paper many years ago !
St Mary's, Our School, Our Story
We have an outdoor classroom surrounded by a sensory garden.
At the front of our school we are developing an outdoor learning area in a small area of woodland.
This new special space will link us closely to our natural surroundings.
Our school playgrounds are safe and secure spaces where all our pupils can socialise, play, and have fun during their break times. We have a large individual play area for each individual class level, allowing all pupils to play together in the separate yards for Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth.
Sixth Class have a choice of the All Weather 3G court, the 2 vs 2 Sacar Sráide court, a basketball court and an activity trail.
We also have a large soft play surface with dedicated play equipment including two slides and two swings and towers.
Our 1000m2 3G playing surface is used for PE and as a training and practice area for all school teams.
Sixth Class enjoy many competitive games here at breaktime !
Our 3G all weather pitch is the exact same specification as the surface in the NUI Galway Connacht GAA dome at Bekan, Mayo and was installed by the same company. It has a shockpad below the surface and the grass has a specific pile and length to accommodate fourteen tonnes of sand topped up with sixteen tonnes of crumb surface. It has certified specification for GAA, FIFA and World Rugby.
St Mary's, Our School, Our Story
At the centre of our school site, we have a dome which is used for classes for well-being, meetings, learning and school events.
Any ball, any wall
Any Handballer
We also have a full size exterior handball court, where our pupils hone their handball skills. This court has seen thousands of games over the years, Hughie Mc Entee being the undefeated and undisputed King of the Court.
Hughie Mc Entee Fergal O'Hanlon Ordnance Survey
The great Hughie Mc Entee from Park St. (Back St.) was the master of our handball court and defeated all comers. Fergal O'Hanlon was also a keen handball player. The court, as an outdoor facility is recorded on the Ordnance Survey map of Monaghan Town as Ball Court.
St Mary's, Our School, Our Story
