NCBI will once again be holding National Spex Day on 12th of October. Now in its second year, National Spex Day is a national schools campaign to promote children wearing their prescribed glasses. Each pupil receives a pair of cardboard “spex” to be decorated and worn on the day, donating a suggested €1 to NCBI.

Sensory Gardens is the theme of the 2010 campaign and NCBI have been working closely with leading environmentalist and ecologist Dale Treadwell to develop a sensory garden starter kit which each participating school will receive, allowing them to grow their own sensory garden. This activity has been designed to compliment the Spex Day resource pack which includes the, “Finding out about Sight Loss” education pack and will enable pupils and teachers to learn about sight loss with hands on, interactive and fun activities.

“Finding out about Sight Loss”, NCBI’s educational resource pack features five lesson plans and fun activities to allow the class to explore issues around sight loss. Each lesson has been developed in conjunction with primary school teachers and the national curriculum and includes interactive activities for the class, who can learn about different eye conditions, how to write their names in Braille, and how to prevent damage to their eyes.

Des Kenny, Chief Executive of NCBI says, “National Spex Day is a great opportunity for kids to learn about the environment and eye health.”

To sign your school up for National Spex Day or to find out more log on to the website www.spexday.ie [2] or lo call 1850 33 43 53