Over the last several months, Irish primary and post primary education has been faced with unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. School leaders, teachers, SNAs, ancillary staff, school transport services, custodial services, student leaders and mentors, have gone above and beyond to implement and adhere to public health measures to curtail the spread of Covid-19. School communities have had to forgo what we all have experienced as the traditional school environment to maintain a safe setting in which our primary and post primary students can continue their learning.
As we approach the end of first term, in this year like no other, Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) is proud to support national #GRMA Day, to say thank you and “go raibh maith agaibh”. We see every day the commitment and dedication of those working in our schools and so it is great to have the opportunity to acknowledge the ongoing work in our schools to keep our students safe and our school premises open.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir. Thank you for the work you do every day in these difficult times. How will you say #GRMA to your teachers and all the staff in your school communities next Friday Dec 11th? @IrishAirCorps have set the bar high! @NAPD_IE @IPPN_Education @JA_Irl @rte pic.twitter.com/BDavErJA2k
— RTÉ (@rte) December 4, 2020
This initiative was instigated by members of the advisory board of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), and it also has the backing of the NAPD, the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), the National Parents’ Councils – Primary and Post Primary, as well as the Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU).
What: Primary and post primary classrooms across Ireland will pause on Friday, 11 December 2020 to air a video of collective acknowledgement to all school communities from Ireland’s political leaders, media, and sports personalities as part of national “Go raibh maith agaibh” (GRMA) day.
When: Friday, 11 December 2020 – all day.
Where: Primary and post primary schools across Ireland.
Calls to action: now that the Defence Forces have led the way by thanking the staff and students at St Anne’s N.S. Ardclough, we are inviting individuals, institutions and community groups from all backgrounds to either:
Option one: prepare local actions and messages of appreciation for all the efforts by the entire school community in recent months, to express appreciation for the efforts of all involved in maintaining the safety and wellbeing of school goers. Suitable images to be uploaded tagging school accounts and using #GRMA
Option two: record a short 10-20 second video or take a photograph or selfie with a homemade sign reading hashtag #GRMA. Participants upload the image to their personal or professional social media accounts for Friday, 11 December.
All we want is for those who have worked so hard in our schools in recent months to know that their efforts are appreciated up and down the country. Let us know how you say thanks #GRMA?