In April, 18 students from Our Lady’s Grammar School and St Colman’s College spent two days in the Dromantine Retreat Centre, training to be Peer Educators in Drug and Alcohol Abuse.  They were the first school students to be accepted for this training which was led by John Taffee and his team from Maynooth.  The Peer Educators will be putting their knowledge and skills into use in September when they will work as a team with second year pupils in both schools. They hope to organise an afternoon in both schools and, using the skills of communication, listening and presenting upon which they were working in Dromantine, to begin the process of helping these younger pupils to see the dangers of drugs and the misuse of alcohol by building up their self esteem and giving them the confidence to say no.  Further work will also be done in Personal Development Classes in both schools.

The Sixth Form Peer Educators were highly praised by the Maynooth team for their dedication and for the way in which they participated and worked together.  On the evening of Monday 26^th April, the students and their parents attended a lovely Awards Evening where the students received their Certificates from Bishop McAreavy.  The students will, as noted, offer the Programme in their schools in September but some also intend to develop this work in their parishes, thus strengthening School and Parish links in a very meaningful way.