A Drogheda primary school teacher has been nominated in a national Teacher of the Year competition, led by Miconex and sponsored by group collecting platform Gift Round.
Martina McMahon from Marymount National School was nominated for the accolade by pupils, parents and colleagues at the school. Sandra Brooks said:
“I first knew Martina when she taught my daughter and she stood out as a kind, empathetic, approachable teacher. My daughter loved her to bits and has never forgotten her. I later moved to Marymount National School and have been fortunate to work alongside Martina for the last four years as an additional needs assistant. Martina is an inspiration to everyone, staff, parents and children, and has a lovely manner about her.
“Martina creates a positive environment in the classroom through how she interacts with everyone. Children and staff alike are happy to be in the classroom. She has a way of speaking and explaining things in a really simple way that helps the children to engage and understand. I can’t speak highly enough of her.
“Marymount itself is a great school with lots of fantastic teachers and pupils but I’d really love to see Martina win because she is a role model for all and has time for everyone. The Drogheda Gift Card is a wonderful prize and is such a good idea, giving the recipient choice and locking spend into the town.”
A pupil who nominated Martina said: “She deserves teacher of the year because she is so nice and welcomes everyone in her class with a great big smile and has done every year. I am leaving my school this year and I will always miss her.”
A colleague of Martina’s adds: “Martina is a fantastic person to work with, incredibly professional and a wonderful teacher who is considerate of all children. She is very interested in others and takes the time to listen. Martina took on the Active School Flag and as a result of this, pupils now have active homework in the month of June, which is a great initiative. Martina lifts our spirits everyday and thoroughly deserves to be Teacher of the Year.”
It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in Ireland. The Teacher of the Year competition runs until the31st August 2024 and the winning teacher will be announced in September 2024.
Bairbre English, principal at Marymount National School said: "Martina is a wonderful member of the staff at Marymount NS. Her genuine interest in and care for each individual child in her class and her attention to detail is inspiring. Martina goes out of her way to ensure each child gets exactly the support and encouragement they need to flourish. She is kind and patient with everyone. It would be wonderful if Martina won this award, but in our eyes she is a winner already!"
Other Drogheda schools with teachers nominated to be Teacher of the Year so far include St. Brigid’s and St Patrick’s National School, Ballymakenny College, St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Clever Clogs Preschool, Our Lady’s College, St. Joseph’s CBS Primary School, Elderdale Montessori, St. Oliver’s National School, St. Mary’s Diocesan School and Drogheda Grammar School.
The teacher who receives the most nominations will be crowned as Teacher of the Year in the national competition. The Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a €500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Love Drogheda Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a €250 local gift card.
Trevor Connolly, CEO of Love Drogheda BID, said: “It is brilliant to see nominations pouring in for the national Teacher of the Year competition for so many of our schools and teachers in Drogheda. Martina’s story, and in fact all of the nominations that are coming through, prove just how valued and appreciated teachers are. Remember, it’s the teacher who has the most nominations who will be crowned as Teacher of the Year, so please take a moment to put forward a teacher who has made a positive impact on pupils, our schools and our community.”
Miconex’s local gift cards can be spent with local businesses, encouraging a ‘shop local’ ethos and locking spend into local economies.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Our Teacher of the Year competition in Ireland is designed to shine a light on the teachers and schools who are going above and beyond to care for, educate and inspire children across the country. It takes two minutes to nominate a teacher and there is a fantastic prize on offer.”
The Teacher of the Year competition is sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound. Founded in 2018, GiftRound gives people an easy way to collect money for variousoccasions, including end of term gifts. Town & City Gift Cards are available to buy on the GiftRoundstore.
Craig Forsythe, CEO & founder at GiftRound, said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Teacher of the Year competition so we can bring recognition to the many hard working teachers across Ireland. Teachers’ gifts are amongst the most popular collections on GiftRound so we know how appreciated teachers are by parents and children. We hope that people take this opportunity to nominate a teacher that has made a positive impact on their child’s education or their school community, and we look forward to celebrating with the winner of the Teacher of the Year in September.”
Nominate a teacher in the Teacher of the Year competition at teacheroftheyear.ie
The Love Drogheda Gift Card is available to purchase online or at the Love Drogheda BID office on Meatmarket Lane. The Love Drogheda Gift Card can be spent in over 240 Drogheda businesses. To view the full list of businesses please visit www.lovedrogheda.ie
