SAD RETURN TO CLASSES AS PUPILS AND STAFF COPE WITH BOMB AFTERMATH
Sad return to classes as pupils and staff cope with bomb aftermath
AS pupils returned to classrooms for the start of the autumn term this week, four schools in particular were counting the cost of the Omagh bomb atrocity in terms of death, injury and trauma.
Picking up the threads of last term, as well as moving forward alter the bombing, will be a particularly hard task for those at Omagh High School, Loreto Grammar School. Dean Brian Maguire, Carrickmore, and Strabane Grammar School.
One of the hardest hit was Omagh High, where the principal, Mr. William Harper, this week said he was backing ideas put forward by his pupils to commemorate the dead who had links with the school.
At the start of the week the 'new arrivals' in Year 8 were given a day to orientate themselves, and were spoken to by Mr. Harper during assembly to advise them of where to seek help if they needed it.
"Although they were new pupils I gave them background information in case they were affected by the bombing in any way we did not know about, but they are all OK," Mr. "Harper said.
"Later in the morning I brought together a group of about 30 Fifth Year pupils, and gave them various options to consider," he said.
Mr. Harper said the pupils felt that there should be a special assembly, and had come up with a number of other ideas which could be implemented.
"This school is very much a community and the pupils are not pawns in it, their wishes are very important to me," he said.
He said the pupils' plans included a special assembly, remembering the dead and injured, as well as those who were in mourning receiving mention.
He said the pupils had also put forward a suggestion that a commemoration service be held at a later date, with the erection of a memorial of plaque, remembering Alan Radford, Esther Gibson, Debra-Anne Cartwright, Samantha McFarland and Lorraine Wilson.
The school is closed today for President Clinton's visit to the town.
Loreto Grammar School is also closed today.
In a brief statement the school principal, Mr. Colm O'Neill, referred to the fact that the school had suffered as a result of the bombing, with the death of Jolene Marlow.
"Our pupils are coming into school this week in various year groups in a staged process," he said.
Strong
"The staff are well prepared to welcome the pupils and we will be relying on our strong pastoral structures to provide comfort and support for those who need it.
"We are grateful to the Western Education and Library Board for providing the expertise of personnel from the Centre for Crisis Management in Education whose services will be available to the school if required.
"We will try to establish quickly an air of normality within the school while giving the pupils time and space to come to terms with the terrible events of the last fortnight," Mr. O'Neill said.
The principal of Strabane Grammar, Mr. Lewis Lacey, said the staff were hoping to provide whatever was required to bolster pupils at the school, to which Samantha McFarland had transferred from Omagh High to study A levels.
He said staff were receiving training and the school hoped to get help from the Western Education and Library Board for bereavement and crisis management.
"At the moment we are trying to get pupils to continue their grieving and supporting one another. Because it is quite a small school community they will talk," he said.
Mr. Lacey said teachers and pupils were encouraged to talk about Samantha - especially those in her classes - and he added that it was important that it be acknowledged that Samatha should have been at school with her fellow pupils, but was not.
He said the school hoped to develop a programme, but it needed to be done discreetly and pupils needed lime to grieve.
He said it was also felt by pupils that a memorial of some kind should be erected, but the pupils would be allowed to do it themselves, and it was early days yet.
Mr. Lacey said the school welcomed the support it had received so far. and added that a special service was held on Tuesday morning, with time to reflect on the situation, prayers and readings, as well as silent prayers to remember the bereaved.
It is quite a traumatic thing for pupils to come back, to bring it into the open and acknowledge it," he said.
"We want to be left to deal with this situation in our own way and in our own time, and call in help that we think in necessary and when appropriate," Mr. Lacey said.
At Dean Brian Maguire Secondary School, Carrickmore, pupils had to come to terms with the loss of Brenda Logue and former pupil, Gareth Conway.
Brenda was a sixth form pupil and Gareth had left the school only two years ago.
Teaching staff were at the school on Friday, when the impact of the bombing was discussed, and the principal, Mr. John Keenan, said they knew the pupils well and had a few ideas as to who might be most affected.
Mr. Keenan said he spoke to year eight pupils about the bombing on Tuesday at assembly, and talked to year 11 and 13 pupils on Wednesday.
"Pupils are and will be given opportunities to discuss the tragedy in an open manner in form classes. Our pastoral care system has obviously a full role to play in all of this and we are at present receiving excellent support and guidance from the Western Education and Library Board, who have available the services of Elizabeth Capewell, who has much expertise in these matters," Mr. Keenan said.
"Anything that needs to be done will be done to help our school community through this difficult time," the principal added.
"The fact that some time has elapsed since the bomb explosion and our school opening may help to make our task a little easier. I feel the effects on our school community would have been even more traumatic had this tragedy taken place during term-time," Mr. Keenan said.
Bomb victim Adrian Gallagher was a past pupil of St. Patrick's High School, in Omagh, while Julia Hughes and Bryan White were both former pupils at Omagh Academy Grammar School.
AS pupils returned to classrooms for the start of the autumn term this week, four schools in particular were counting the cost of the Omagh bomb atrocity in terms of death, injury and trauma.
Picking up the threads of last term, as well as moving forward alter the bombing, will be a particularly hard task for those at Omagh High School, Loreto Grammar School. Dean Brian Maguire, Carrickmore, and Strabane Grammar School.
One of the hardest hit was Omagh High, where the principal, Mr. William Harper, this week said he was backing ideas put forward by his pupils to commemorate the dead who had links with the school.
At the start of the week the 'new arrivals' in Year 8 were given a day to orientate themselves, and were spoken to by Mr. Harper during assembly to advise them of where to seek help if they needed it.
"Although they were new pupils I gave them background information in case they were affected by the bombing in any way we did not know about, but they are all OK," Mr. "Harper said.
"Later in the morning I brought together a group of about 30 Fifth Year pupils, and gave them various options to consider," he said.
Mr. Harper said the pupils felt that there should be a special assembly, and had come up with a number of other ideas which could be implemented.
"This school is very much a community and the pupils are not pawns in it, their wishes are very important to me," he said.
He said the pupils' plans included a special assembly, remembering the dead and injured, as well as those who were in mourning receiving mention.
He said the pupils had also put forward a suggestion that a commemoration service be held at a later date, with the erection of a memorial of plaque, remembering Alan Radford, Esther Gibson, Debra-Anne Cartwright, Samantha McFarland and Lorraine Wilson.
The school is closed today for President Clinton's visit to the town.
Loreto Grammar School is also closed today.
In a brief statement the school principal, Mr. Colm O'Neill, referred to the fact that the school had suffered as a result of the bombing, with the death of Jolene Marlow.
"Our pupils are coming into school this week in various year groups in a staged process," he said.
Strong
"The staff are well prepared to welcome the pupils and we will be relying on our strong pastoral structures to provide comfort and support for those who need it.
"We are grateful to the Western Education and Library Board for providing the expertise of personnel from the Centre for Crisis Management in Education whose services will be available to the school if required.
"We will try to establish quickly an air of normality within the school while giving the pupils time and space to come to terms with the terrible events of the last fortnight," Mr. O'Neill said.
The principal of Strabane Grammar, Mr. Lewis Lacey, said the staff were hoping to provide whatever was required to bolster pupils at the school, to which Samantha McFarland had transferred from Omagh High to study A levels.
He said staff were receiving training and the school hoped to get help from the Western Education and Library Board for bereavement and crisis management.
"At the moment we are trying to get pupils to continue their grieving and supporting one another. Because it is quite a small school community they will talk," he said.
Mr. Lacey said teachers and pupils were encouraged to talk about Samantha - especially those in her classes - and he added that it was important that it be acknowledged that Samatha should have been at school with her fellow pupils, but was not.
He said the school hoped to develop a programme, but it needed to be done discreetly and pupils needed lime to grieve.
He said it was also felt by pupils that a memorial of some kind should be erected, but the pupils would be allowed to do it themselves, and it was early days yet.
Mr. Lacey said the school welcomed the support it had received so far. and added that a special service was held on Tuesday morning, with time to reflect on the situation, prayers and readings, as well as silent prayers to remember the bereaved.
It is quite a traumatic thing for pupils to come back, to bring it into the open and acknowledge it," he said.
"We want to be left to deal with this situation in our own way and in our own time, and call in help that we think in necessary and when appropriate," Mr. Lacey said.
At Dean Brian Maguire Secondary School, Carrickmore, pupils had to come to terms with the loss of Brenda Logue and former pupil, Gareth Conway.
Brenda was a sixth form pupil and Gareth had left the school only two years ago.
Teaching staff were at the school on Friday, when the impact of the bombing was discussed, and the principal, Mr. John Keenan, said they knew the pupils well and had a few ideas as to who might be most affected.
Mr. Keenan said he spoke to year eight pupils about the bombing on Tuesday at assembly, and talked to year 11 and 13 pupils on Wednesday.
"Pupils are and will be given opportunities to discuss the tragedy in an open manner in form classes. Our pastoral care system has obviously a full role to play in all of this and we are at present receiving excellent support and guidance from the Western Education and Library Board, who have available the services of Elizabeth Capewell, who has much expertise in these matters," Mr. Keenan said.
"Anything that needs to be done will be done to help our school community through this difficult time," the principal added.
"The fact that some time has elapsed since the bomb explosion and our school opening may help to make our task a little easier. I feel the effects on our school community would have been even more traumatic had this tragedy taken place during term-time," Mr. Keenan said.
Bomb victim Adrian Gallagher was a past pupil of St. Patrick's High School, in Omagh, while Julia Hughes and Bryan White were both former pupils at Omagh Academy Grammar School.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0559
Published Date: 03-Sep-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.