Gracehill PS (Ballymena) sending £2000 to Africa.

weetightballymenaman · 22 June 2011 at 12:16AM

Imagine my surprise when I Googled my childs' school to find this thread. I think it has to be said first of all that if you have commented on this thread as someone who has had no experience of the school in question and you have not had or have a child at the school then your comments have been soley based on the 'Unhappy' gardener and as such are totally one sided. It seems from reading the post that there may have been two versions of the letter sent out with regard to the sponsored walk organised by the Principal of Gracehill Primary School because the one that my child brought home certainly did not have a 'tone or emphasis' which could be found offensive.
The school a while back had asked parents to donate old uniforms to be sent to Africa, to a wee place in Kenya called Aberdare. Parents were forthcoming and donated what they could. A lovely genuine local couple took the uniforms to the kids in Aberdare where they had just built a school. The people of Aberdare though poor were logical and reckoned that they could call their wee school Gracehill school as their kids were wearing the uniform with the school name on it. The Aberdare kids walk around 4 miles each day to school and the people who had built the school thought it would be nice to build a kitchen to allow a meal to be prepared so as the kids could eat before the long trek home.
Ok now you all have the background to the thread.
The principal stated in his letter regarding the 4 mile sponsored walk that the hope would be that we might be able to raise enough to build a kitchen, which was costed at c.£2K and that with 400+ kids in the school this would amount to an average of £5 per child, no pressure, no demands, just a suggestion.
The schoolkids and their families raised over SIX thousand pounds which, when I last spoke to the couple from Ahoghill who go back and forth to Aberdare, will build a kitchen, 3 long drop toilets and allow them to buy more land to increase the size of the school. Well done Gracehill Primary school.

Alas there is more to defend

Again, "fur coat no knickers", as this will be a perfect photo opportunity for the school...the facade of the school is perfect, but it is only when you are in the system , then you see how flawed it is.

It is rare you find anything in the local press relating to Gracehill and as such the comment is untrue.

Instead of gifts for teachers, or Xmas selection boxes for kids, they prefer the money to go to charity...good Idea....and you pay £1 on monday coming, kids then can go in their own clothes and they get an easter egg....so they get a gift at easter but not at xmas, and you still have to pay.

The Easter egg non uniform day was a fundraiser by the PTA not the school as per letter sent out

In reply to complaining to the Governors/PTA...I do not think it would make a difference...they too are above the normal parent in terms of income.

I know some of the PTA and they are normal down to earth people, not a double-barrelled name amongst them and they work hard behind the scenes to raise funds to help our kids.
I know some of the governors and they again are normal people who again I believe dedicate time to ensuring our kids have an excellent education.

My kids are a few years away from entering Cambridge house...but the Principal there seems to be a good person and she is from a secondary background (Downshire, Carrickfergus) so therefore has practical outlook on things..and I would fully support her. Lets hope my lot get in there

In light of recent media reports perhaps the Unhappy Gardeners judgement is some what flawed...

Ok so let us make the Unhappy gardener happy again...

1.Her kids have the privelege of an education and its FREE
2.Her kids live in a society where we have access to medicines ( even asthma ones) and its FREE
3.Her kids live in a society with healthcare and its FREE
4.Her kids are in a safe and secure environment at school and its FREE
5. Her kids are taught to socail skills which will benefit them throughout their lives and its FREE.
6. Sometimes her kids are given an opportunity to help others through a sponsored walk and ok it isnt free... but surely with all the small yet precious priveleges we have, we can show our kids that it is much better to give than receive.

Fellow moneysavers, times are tough..agreed and money is tight but sometimes it isnt all about saving sometimes we need to give too.:)

Flower-power22 · 22 June 2011 at 10:13AM

weetightballymenaman wrote: »

Imagine my surprise when I Googled my childs' school to find this thread. I think it has to be said first of all that if you have commented on this thread as someone who has had no experience of the school in question and you have not had or have a child at the school then your comments have been soley based on the 'Unhappy' gardener and as such are totally one sided. It seems from reading the post that there may have been two versions of the letter sent out with regard to the sponsored walk organised by the Principal of Gracehill Primary School because the one that my child brought home certainly did not have a 'tone or emphasis' which could be found offensive.
The school a while back had asked parents to donate old uniforms to be sent to Africa, to a wee place in Kenya called Aberdare. Parents were forthcoming and donated what they could. A lovely genuine local couple took the uniforms to the kids in Aberdare where they had just built a school. The people of Aberdare though poor were logical and reckoned that they could call their wee school Gracehill school as their kids were wearing the uniform with the school name on it. The Aberdare kids walk around 4 miles each day to school and the people who had built the school thought it would be nice to build a kitchen to allow a meal to be prepared so as the kids could eat before the long trek home.
Ok now you all have the background to the thread.
The principal stated in his letter regarding the 4 mile sponsored walk that the hope would be that we might be able to raise enough to build a kitchen, which was costed at c.£2K and that with 400+ kids in the school this would amount to an average of £5 per child, no pressure, no demands, just a suggestion.
The schoolkids and their families raised over SIX thousand pounds which, when I last spoke to the couple from Ahoghill who go back and forth to Aberdare, will build a kitchen, 3 long drop toilets and allow them to buy more land to increase the size of the school. Well done Gracehill Primary school.

Alas there is more to defend
It is rare you find anything in the local press relating to Gracehill and as such the comment is untrue.

The Easter egg non uniform day was a fundraiser by the PTA not the school as per letter sent out

I know some of the PTA and they are normal down to earth people, not a double-barrelled name amongst them and they work hard behind the scenes to raise funds to help our kids.
I know some of the governors and they again are normal people who again I believe dedicate time to ensuring our kids have an excellent education.

In light of recent media reports perhaps the Unhappy Gardeners judgement is some what flawed...

Ok so let us make the Unhappy gardener happy again...

1.Her kids have the privelege of an education and its FREE
2.Her kids live in a society where we have access to medicines ( even asthma ones) and its FREE
3.Her kids live in a society with healthcare and its FREE
4.Her kids are in a safe and secure environment at school and its FREE
5. Her kids are taught to socail skills which will benefit them throughout their lives and its FREE.
6. Sometimes her kids are given an opportunity to help others through a sponsored walk and ok it isnt free... but surely with all the small yet precious priveleges we have, we can show our kids that it is much better to give than receive.

Fellow moneysavers, times are tough..agreed and money is tight but sometimes it isnt all about saving sometimes we need to give too.:)

I totally agree with weetightballymenaman on this one. My 2 children attend Gracehill Primary School and I have never felt pressured into giving money directly to the school. The majorirty of the letters home are to support the PTA! A £1 for this or £2/£3 for the disco last night for example.

My 11 year old was extatic to discover how much the children has raised for the school in Aberdare her words were "oh mum they are going to get a new kitchen to cook their school meals in, the one they have now is disgusting" she was soo proud that she had been able to contribute towards that total.