THE STORY BEHIND THE RJS CENTENARY STAINED GLASS WINDOW

To celebrate Rathgar Junior School’s centenary, the Parents’ Committee, on behalf of all the families attending RJS, commissioned a stained glass window, which has recently been installed outside the School office on the first floor. This was financed by fundraising activities over the past two years.

The window reveals itself to the children as they climb the stairs on their way to classes or the library. If you walk up, you will notice that the colours reflected in the glass are never static. Over the course of the day the colours dance and move as they are animated by changing light, their patterns wandering across the floor, inviting the children to see different elements of the artwork each time they look at it.

George Walsh, a local, well renowned and award-winning stain glass artist with over 65 years’ experience in his craft, was chosen to develop the piece. Here is an explanation of some of the elements of the glass:

  • Throughout the window you will see aspects of the Quakers, sometimes called the Religious Society of Friends.
  • The top panel shows the Rathgar Junior School crest imposed on the first epistle of St Peter, from which the ethos of the Quakers is derived. Also, on the book, the Quaker symbol of Ireland and the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end). It also signifies the book of learning.
  • In the mid panel, you can see birds representing nature and freedom. The sun shines on the joy of the lives of the school and its children.  Many of the pupils’ activities are shown throughout this section, including tennis, hockey and cricket.
  • The environment is present throughout the glass with flowers, butterflies, blackberries, apples & more. The daffodils that are planted each year by the children are represented in the bottom right hand part of the pane.
  • Across the base of the window, there is water, which is a symbol of cleansing and renewal. The fish is a symbol of nature and ocean life.

There are many more details in the work which viewers will discover on closer examination. We invite you to discover details yourself and to enjoy the beauty of this magnificent piece. We hope that it will give many, many years of joy for both today’s and future generations of RJS pupils.

 

The RJS Parents’ Committee, 12th February 2020

 

We are very excited to announce the date for the adult’s Centenary Party. Current/past parents, past pupils, current/former staff members/Committee members/Directors/Trustees are all welcome! It will take place on Saturday 23rd May 2020 in Marco Pierre White in Donnybrook from 7:30 till late. It is a ticket only event and places will be limited so we’d advise you to book sooner rather than later. To book tickets, click on the  EventBrite.ie. Tickets cost Euro 90 which covers the cost of the party – this is not a fund raising event.

Many Thanks
RJS Parents’ Committee

UPDATE: Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled due to Covid-19.

 

 

29th September 2019

 

On Sunday morning, members of the Parents’ Committee rose early and headed into school to begin preparations for the children’s party. The long-awaited day had finally arrived. By 2 pm everything was ready. The hamburger stalls were cooking up a storm with delicious aromas wafting around the garden. Fairy lights added a twinkle to the atmosphere and the three food and drink stands looked incredible. Joe Daly was setting up his magic show and lively music had everyone dancing around in anticipation for the children to arrive. Everyone looked at each other and gave a sigh. It was all perfect!

Then…. POOF! The mains power went. The food grills went off. The fairy lights were gone. The lights in the school were off and worst of all, the house alarm started blaring. Mrs. Glass and I tried all the codes we had. Kevin and a few dads were running around trying to figure out why no fuses had been tripped yet the power was still gone. Then along came Eliza-Kate and Charlotte’s Uncle Eddie to save the day. He got the power back on and the alarm off. The kitchen was functioning at almost full capacity and everything was back on track, despite the mums having to boil the kettles in a neighbour’s house!

Nothing could take away from the electric atmosphere of the day. The children and parents were riveted by Joe’s magic. Form 6 were brilliant at helping the younger children, doing face painting, playing the oversized Connect4, Snakes & Ladders and giant Lego, and the parents were enjoying the rays of sunshine, good food, and drinks in the garden. In every corner children’s laughter could be heard, their smiling faces beamed with excitement and the entire school community embraced the day.

As you all know, Rathgar Junior School holds many different fundraising activities throughout the year, and over the past two years, funds have been put aside especially for this special day. Last year, apart from the charity-specific events, all fundraising activities raised money to give something back to the children of RJS. It was a day for the boys and girls to celebrate the school’s special birthday. In addition to Joe and the amazing hamburger van, children and parents brought cakes, biscuits and other goodies to share with their friends. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I was so moved by the kindness, generosity and community spirit shown on Sunday. Everything and everyone came together to make the most memorable birthday party the school has ever seen.

I would like to thank everyone for the part they played, especially our amazing Parents’ Committee, whose tireless efforts and organisational skills are nothing short of incredible. I would like to thank Noreen and Kevin for working so hard on making the school look so well for its 100th year. As I already mentioned, our Form 6 boys and girls took their responsibilities for the day very seriously and made us all extremely proud. Finally, I would like to thank our children, parents, and staff for your continued support of RJS and everything we stand for. We are privileged to play such an important part in children’s lives and will continue to cherish the memories we make together.

 

Brigid-Rose Kalisa, Principal

1999-2019

Welcome to the RJS Centenary Page where we are celebrating 100 years of Rathgar Junior School. Make sure to visit this page regularly during the 2019-20 school year to see the latest news and updates from the Centenary Celebrations.

RJS Centenary Logo

100 Years of RJS Memories

We are creating a book of RJS memories from the last 100 years and would love for past pupils, parents and staff to submit memories and pictures that you would like to share. We are collecting memories and will collate them into a ‘100 Years of RJS Memories’ book that we will publish for people to read and share.

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