St Bernadettes Junior National School
School Details
Location
About
St Bernadette’s Junior National School is a vibrant primary school situated in the Quarryvale community of County Louth. The school caters for around 300 pupils in the junior classes together with a further sixty children in its Early Start programme, providing a seamless transition from early childhood into formal education. A strong emphasis is placed on creating a caring and loving environment where children feel safe, happy and encouraged to develop their individual gifts and talents. The school’s facilities have been continually modernised, most notably through a major building project completed in 2007 which brought the campus into the 21st century. Classrooms are equipped to support a broad curriculum, and the school runs initiatives such as the “Strive for 5” attendance drive to promote regular school attendance and community spirit. Extra‑curricular activities, including science, maths and cultural weeks, complement the academic programme and foster a well‑rounded education.
History
St Bernadette’s first opened in 1982 after an initial start in rented rooms at St Mary’s school in Rowlagh in 1981. The original building in Quarryvale opened in 1982 and by 1987 enrolments had risen to over 650 pupils. In 1995 Ms Breeda Bonner became principal, overseeing a period of growth that later stabilised to around 300 pupils with an additional sixty in Early Start. A major building project in 2007 modernised the school’s facilities. Ms Bonner retired in August 2017 after 35 years of service and was succeeded by Mr Donal Ward as principal.