THE children of St.Tierney's Primary School in Rosslea have been working hard at home to mark what should have been their Grandparents Day in school – a special annual event to celebrate all of the grandparents in the childrens' lives and their role within the school community.

Principal Elaine Murray said: "Each year during Catholic Schools Week, we like to recognise and celebrate the important role that grandparents play in the lives of our pupils and our community.

"On Grandparents Day, we would usually host a special Open Assembly for them, followed by activities in the classrooms and some home-made refreshments, which is a real highlight of our school calendar for everyone.

"Although we couldn’t welcome them in to school this year, we felt it was more important than ever to continue to show our grandparents our gratitude and celebrate all that they do for us, particularly when so many children have been separated from them for prolonged periods to protect them during the ongoing pandemic."

The art project had been part of the children's remote learning during lockdown, as Mrs. Murray explained.

"Our pupils have been really engaged with remote learning and we set a whole school task for families through our online classrooms to create a piece of art that would reflect the role that grandparents play in their lives.

"Our boys and girls really embraced the challenge, and worked hard to send back such creative and individual pieces that will really mean a lot to their grandparents.

"We were then able to share these through our school website, www.sttierneyspsroslea.com, and to send a massive virtual hug from our whole school community, while remembering those grandparents who have sadly passed away."

On an optimistic note, Mrs. Murray added: "Hopefully, it won't be long until we are able to welcome everyone back in to school to celebrate together."