The school community at Finn Valley College has taken the digital approach to say a fond farewell to Leaving Cert students and a warm welcome to incoming First Years.
A series of videos have been produced to mark the milestone moments for students as they take new steps on their educational journeys.
For the Leaving Certs, while they cannot say goodbye in person, staff shared a special video packed with final year memories and well wishes for students.
A school spokesperson said: “Unfortunately we cannot say goodbye to our Leaving Cert class of 2020 in the way we had planned. There will be no final week of celebrations; no shirt signing, no ecumenical service.
“Our Leaving Cert class have become a big part of our lives over the course of the past 5 years and it’s important to mark their time with us. This is by no means our final goodbye, we hope to see you soon from a distance, but we do want to share a few memories from the past 5 years in Finn Valley College.”
Things are also very different for incoming First Years at FVC. In ordinary times they would have been welcomed to the school for an induction programme this summer. While the school remains closed to students, staff felt it was important for students to ‘meet them’ before they start their new chapter at Finn Valley College.
The friendly introductory message videos will go a long way in helping new students recognise some faces when they arrive in the new school year.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our future 1st years for choosing Finn Valley College for their second level education and we will do everything in our power to repay that trust and to support our new pupils. There will be many questions and indeed concerns about the transition from primary to secondary school but please be assured that we are working on helping everyone through this transition,” a spokesperson said.
“We are looking forward to meeting and greeting our new students when it safe to do so, in the meantime, please take care and stay safe at home.”
FVC students have also contributed to the recent video series with their own advice for First Years.
Current First Year Digital Literacy students used the power of the internet in a positive way to collaborate remotely on a blog with their top tips for new students. Read the blog here: finnvalleycollege.scoilnet.ie/blog