Date: 14 June, 2011

The smell of paint, the fresh tarmac and the the shining façade of Our Lady’s and St Patrick’s Grammar School, Knock, clearly signal this school has been recently handed over to the 1300 students and 150 staff that populate it’s 14,000 sq metre space.

After ten years in the planning, Phase 1 of new building opened in April 2011, giving students and teachers bang up to date technology, facilities, classrooms, and social areas that would make other post primary schools green with envy. Phase II will see parking, landscaping and all outside sports facilities completed by Sept 2011.

With the move, black boards have been swapped for interactive Smartboards, notice boards for Onelan digital signage and dark corners replaced with airy corridors and generous dining and social areas flooded with natural light.

School Principal Mr Dermot Mullan oversaw the project management of the new school since its inception and has worked directly with NIAVAC in planning the audio visual provision throughout the school.

NIAVAC installed interactive whiteboards in all classrooms and the Onelan digital signage system which relays information to plasma screens throughout the school at 18 key crossroads.

The school uses the Onelan system to display the latest information for students and visitors; promote after school groups and clubs; highlight educational visits by special guests; carry health news and celebrate sporting achievements and they’ve even posted a humorous photo of year 12 students at their own bush tucker trial challenge in Biology!

Mr Mullan says: “We have over 60 smart boards throughout the school and 18 points to support the Onelan signage system for internal communication. NIAVAC were fantastic professionals throughout the process from the first visit to the installation and most recently the training of staff to use the interactive Smartboards. While all technology helps create educational stimulation and promote learning, the medium can’t overtake the message and it’s important to say we don’t use technology for technology sake.  Each teacher has trained extensively to employ interactive technology to support the very best delivery of  student’s learning in their subject."

“The technology helps teachers to use a variety of teaching techniques to deliver a message to our students who respond to different ways of learning – visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. The outcome is that it engages students, cements knowledge and yields great results.”

Mr Mullan says the technology has been embraced across all departments, from music to biology, science to history assisted by full time ICT assistants Paul Ashe and Sabrina McCourt.

Within the staff room too, plasma screens and digital signage are put to good use as a state of the art bulletin board.  Notes from each morning’s staff meeting are uploaded instantly so teachers are aware of what’s happening in the school throughout the day - from visitors and special events to exams and operational issues. 

“The staff notes are visible on the staff room screens throughout the day so it’s an effective reminder of what the priorities are on that day. I believe the use of the digital signage promotes a sense of community through enhanced visual internal communications that’s essential in a school of this size with a teaching staff of 92.”