Saplings School Mullingar gets seasonal visit from Santy

Last Thursday Santa Claus took time out from preparing presents for next Wednesday night to visit Saplings School on Lynn Road, Mullingar.

The excitement among the pupils as the man in red was significantly increased as he was driven to the school by a unit of the Westmeath Fire Service. The visit is becoming a Christmas tradition for the school.

Saplings School Mullingar is a child centred, evidenced based school, whose aim is to provide an optimal education for students with autism and additional complex needs.

“Santa came on a fire truck to deliver toys to all the kids in Saplings,” Bojangles the Elf told the Westmeath Examiner.

Bojangles, who is a close friend of Sinead Glynn, a member of the school’s parents association, explained the school’s mission: “Saplings is a school that specialises in educating kids with autism or with complex needs. The school will be running for 20 years next year and the work they do there is phenomenal.”

The elf spoke of the dedication of the staff: “All the teachers do extra curricula and everything to help our kids. They teach our children in a manner that makes it easier for them to learn.”

Claire Charles added: “They teach life skills and take a different approach to mainstream schools. We want to acknowledge the work that Saplings do with the students and we want to acknowledge that they’re 20 years working with kids.”

The excitement of the pupils for Santa’s arrival was evident: “It’s a big thing for our kids. Some kids don’t like Santa, while others love him. It explains the whole time of year. Many children wouldn’t be able to visit Santa because they wouldn’t be able for the environment. So for Santa to come in here, into their safe places, is great because they finally get to meet Santa.”

Dasher the Reindeer, who was brought to the school by Mark Glynn, coordinated the festive visit: “We did it last year. We’re trying to make it a little bit bigger this year, obviously for the 20th anniversary. We’ve got the Fire Service involved, and they decided to bring down on the fire truck.”

The parents association are arranging an event to give back to the school in the coming months: “We’re launching a fundraiser for the school. We’re going to hold a dinner dance on Friday April 24 in the Greville Arms. All proceeds are going towards Saplings.

“We’re having a big raffle on the night. There will be fantastic prizes. A lot of businesses have donated raffle prizes. We want to thank those businesses. All the money will go toward extra curricular activities like swimming or horse riding for the kids.”