During the Lenten season the pupils at St. Brigid's have been learning about issues affecting the lives of children in the Developing World. In particular, the pupils have been studying climate change and water, with a special emphasis on Kenya.

Through their work in Religion classes and The World Around Us (science, history, geography] each of these themes have been developed though age appropriate active learning lessons. Historical comparisons have made too to the Great Potato Famine in Ireland, an important part of the older pupils' history syllabus.

At the beginning of Lent the children gave small daily contributions to their class Lenten Trócaire boxes and studied how Trócaire used that money in the Developing World.

Towards the end of Lent the children themselves organised whole school fundraising activities including a non-uniform day, bun sales and raffles. The final whole school fundraiser was the Copper Kilometre, where the children took 1p and 2p coins they had donated and laid them end to end, measuring how far it stretched.

The lines of coppers stretched 502m raising a total of £325 itself, which reflected the hard work the children, their parents and indeed grandparents put into collecting the money.

Mr Conlon (school Principal] was particularly pleased with the children.
He said: "The pupils themselves organised the publicity for the event, the laying down and gathering up of the coins, measuring the distance as well as bagging and counting the money at the end.

"Lent and the work Trócaire does forms a very important part of the ethos of the life of this school; it reflects our faith in action. It is with great pride that I look back on Lent and the work that the whole school community of pupils, parents and staff have put in."