Chafia Flynn with her classmates and teacher Miss. Sinnott
SHE MAY be just six years old, but that has not stopped Chafia Flynn reaching the final stages of a national art competition.
Chafia, who is in Senior Infants in Our Lady of Lourdes National School, has reached the final 75 entries in the Doodle 4 Google competition, and is the only Wexford child to do so.
Principal James Roberts has spoken of the school’s pride that the six-year-old has done so well.
“It’s incredible; she’s done brilliantly so far. If she wins then the school will receive a €10,000 technology grant which would be just amazing – we could refurbish the entire computer room.”
If Chafia does scoop the top prize, she will also be awarded a €5,000 college scholarship and a Chromebook laptop for her and her teacher. Additionally, she will have her image appear on the Google Ireland homepage for a day in April.
The theme for the competition is ‘My Invention’, which led Chafia to create a ‘playground on the moon’. Mr. Roberts said that it was a ‘true doodle’ as she had designed it when sitting in the car waiting for her sister Ilsa to come out of the library.
Chafia’s Doodle 4 Google design
He added that this is not the first time the school has celebrated success with Chafia, and she has won a number of other contests.
“She’s very ambitious – she has a lot more under her belt than I do,” he laughed.
“She’s a great chess player and stays on after school on Fridays to play with the school chess club.
“This is not the first art competition she has done well in either – she came third in the Wexford Environmental Awards, and was highly recommended in the art contest for Christmas Decorations with recycled materials that was run in the school.”
Chafia now will rely on votes before the judges make their final decision.
“It’s a bit like You’re a Star or something,” Mr. Roberts laughed. “The judges decide, then there’s a public vote, then it’s back to the judges. We’re really trying to drum up support for her now and we want Wexford to get voting. People can vote by visiting the school’s website on www.bunclodyns.com.”
