Navan's newest school opens its doors

It was a proud day for all involved last Wednesday when the new Ard Rí Community National School in Navan opened its doors to its inaugural class of 2010. The historic day was marked by the attendance of Peter Kierans, CEO of Meath VEC, and Christy Duffy, manager of the newly established school. Parents were welcomed to the school with complementary refreshments, allowing their children to settle quickly into their new surroundings. Principal of the newly-opened school, Patrick Sullivan, commented: "Its a great feeling to be able to open our doors and welcome these pupils and parents to our school; we are delighted with the enrolment and the future looks bright for Ard Rí Community National School." Ard Rí CNS is a new model of school under the patronage of Meath VEC. The new model seeks to offer a choice to parents who want their children to be educated in a multi-denominational environment and the school aims to create an environment of acceptance and respect between the faiths represented in the community. The new model of patronage has been designed by the Department of Education and Skills to complement the existing models of patronage in Ireland. It is one of only three community national schools outside Dublin city. Ard Rí CNS is now open for enrolment for 2010 and beyond.