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Buncrana mum wins
national award
14.11.08
by Ian Gomersall, Inishowen Independent
MOTHER of three, Sarah Quigley-Burns is in "complete
shock" after scooping the National Student of the
Year Award from Portobello School in Dublin. Sarah
graduated last June from the regional course in
Letterkenny, with a first class distinction in her
Diploma in Montessori Teaching.
It was a tough year for Sarah, juggling the
responsibilities of parenting alongside her studies
and all while she was pregnant with her third child,
Saorla. In fact, she gave birth to her baby daughter
just ten days after sitting her final exam four
months ago.
“It was a bit close alright. I was worried that I
was going to have her before the exam," said Sarah.
“This award isn’t just for me. It was a total family
effort. My mother would look after Cillian (3) and
Líoda (2) and my husband Steven would have to
organise to work at home some days to be with the
children so I could go to my placement and to the
course.” |
Last September, Sarah
and Jennifer Grant, set up the Little Acorns
Montessori Playschool in Carndonagh. They work as a
co-operative where each takes it turn about, working
one week in the playschool and the other week
looking after the under 3’s as Jennifer has a baby
too.
It is an arrangement that suits Sarah well as she
finds that working |
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part-time gives her
more energy to be with her children.
Meanwhile, she explains the Montessori philosophy
that children are happiest when they are busy
working and that if a child can choose its own work
freely then they learn faster and more happily.
Children don’t have to struggle to keep up with
others as they work at their own pace. Sarah and
Jennifer’s Little Acorns Montessori Playschool is
open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and can
be contacted on 07493 74096. They two women are also
planning to open a Montessori playschool in Buncrana
next September. |
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