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Some of the members of the LÁMH Choir from St Paul's School, Montenotte, Cork.
St. Paul's school caters for 97 pupils aged 4 to 18 years old. There are 7 classes for pupils with a moderate intellectual disability and 8 classes for pupils with a severe or profound intellectual disability. 15 class teachers and 35 SNA's work alongside the pupils. It is a very busy, happy school.
LÁMH is sign language for children and adults with an intellectual disability, It is used on a daily basis throughout the school. In 2012, St. Paul's LÁMH Choir was formed to enhance the teaching of communication through music and make it fun. Today, there are 50 pupils from both streams of the school in the choir. They work extremely hard at choir practice every Tuesday. They perform for visitors to the school, at the Christmas concert and this year for the first time, they will accompany the staff choir for the First Holy Communion and Confirmation masses in St. Joseph's Church, Mayfield.
Both pupils and staff are MASSIVE Ed Sheeran fans and chose the song Perfect as most of the pupils were already familiar with it and due to it's tempo, it gives them ample time to do the key LÁMH signs. The fact that everyone sings along to it, also helps.
The pupils love to showcase what they have learned and always enjoy an appreciative audience. Their next task will be to find an appropriate song to wish their peers well when they head off to the Special Olympic Ireland games in Dublin in June.
Pic; Larry Cummins