Speech at Skyline High School
Sammamish, Washington, 22nd October 2015
A dhaoine uaisle agus a scoláirí,
It gives me great pleasure to be here this morning at Skyline High School. May I begin by thanking Principal Donna Hood for the kind invitation, and all of you for your warm welcome to Sammamish. I would also like to thank Brendan Hyland for his kind introduction.
During my tour of Skyline High this morning I was told of your school’s commitment to holistic education, with an emphasis not just on traditional academic achievement, but also on arts and culture, sports, and civic engagement. When you are young it is important to explore and develop all your talents and it is good to see that you are being encouraged to do so here.
I was especially interested to learn about the role that arts and music plays in the life of the school, and how visual and performing art students consistently put in strong performances in local music festivals and art shows and that you go on to participate in State and National competitions.
The emphasis the school gives to physical activity is also to be commended. Fitness and physical activity are good habits to get into at an early age. The skills and personal discipline developed through team-sports or individual sporting endeavour will stand to you throughout your lives. You have excellent sporting facilities here at Skyline, and I was particularly impressed by your main football stadium – I am sure it will be even more impressive for the big Homecoming game tomorrow when the Spartans play the Vikings.
With so many wonderful opportunities available to you as students, it is wonderful for me to also see our Gaelic Games find a role in your education and sporting activities. The Gaelic Athletic Association, the GAA, plays a pivotal role in Irish life at home and abroad, and I want to commend our games to you not just as a means of physical exertion, but also for their values: to play Gaelic Games means also to embrace fairness, inclusiveness, and community.
Both sport and art open wonderful possibilities for connection, locally, nationally and internationally and when you open your eyes to the world around you, you can become not only more appreciative of the opportunities you have here, but also more aware of some of the challenges we all face at a local and a global level.
I have also heard of how this school values community, and of the depth and variety of your engagement in it. This sense of civic participation is one I urge you to nurture as you develop into adulthood. A connection with, and a commitment to, those around you will enrich your communities and your own lives. History is full of examples of how individual and collective actions in a local setting can have tremendous positive impact. The world around us is facing many challenges, but young men and women like you can make a positive difference in your families, your community and in the wider world.
Good schools are about more than simply preparing students to pass an exam. They provide broader educational opportunities which help to prepare students for adult life, but also open up their horizons as individuals, and through them, create the potential for a better, fairer future for us all. Your teachers are key guides and supports on this journey, and, with your parents or guardians, have valuable lessons to impart.
May I congratulate all the teachers and staff of Skyline for the important work you do and your dedication to your pupils. I think it is true for most of us adults that we can look back on our school days and remember at least one teacher who, through their skills and experience, had a profound effect on our lives by providing encouragement at just the right time or, through their own love for teaching, by sparking our interest and our imaginations in a particular subject.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you all once again for the great welcome that Sabina and I have received here today. I wish you all happy, successful lives, and that you will always strive to use your personal potential, talents and skills for the benefit not only of yourselves but also of your families, your communities and the wider world around you.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.
Thank you.