Gaelscoil release balloons to signify 12-year wait
May 10, 2012
Staff and students from Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, Knocknacarra will stage a protest event in Galway City this Saturday, 12 May, when they will release 12 balloons to signify their 12-year wait for a school extension. The school was excluded from the Government’s five-year capital investment programme announced in March.
Saturday’s event will start at Eyre Square at 11.15 am and finish at 12noon near Griffin’s Bakery on Shop Street. The event will feature 16 children’s pop-up tents, eight of which will represent the eight portacabins in which students are being educated. The event will also feature lots of balloons, a ringmaster and snake banners.
Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh has been campaigning for a school extension since 2000 and plans to replace the eight portacabins in which over 200 children are being educated has full planning permission and includes the provision of a Naíonra for which over €330,000 has been raised locally.
GALWAY INDEPENDENT
Two new EPV courses being offered by Gaelchultúr
May 10, 2012
Over 2,000 primary school teachers have done one of Gaelchultúr’s online EPV courses since they were first offered three years ago, and many of those have expressed a desire to do another of the company’s courses this summer. In light of that interest, we have developed two new courses to meet the growing demand:
How to Teach Irish Effectively in the Classroom: This course is aimed at primary school teachers who are looking for more effective ways to teach Irish. Each unit contains sample lessons relating to the curriculum themes, as well as videos showing how to teach those lessons. Teachers participating in the course will be able to use this material in the classroom and copy the approach when developing their own lesson plans.
Ardchúrsa Cruinnis do Mhúinteoirí Bunscoile is aimed at primary school teachers who have a reasonably good standard of Irish grammar but who wish to focus on the more challenging aspects and perfect their language skills.
Gaelchultúr is offering eight online courses in total for primary school teachers this summer, all of which are recognised by the Department of Education and Skills and entitle successful participants to three EPV days. You can click on the course titles below to get more information about them, to try sample units, or to make a booking.
How to Teach Irish Effectively in the Classroom
Ardchúrsa Cruinnis do Mhúinteoirí Bunscoile
Bunchúrsa Cruinnis do Mhúinteoirí Bunscoile
Irish Language IT Resources for the Classroom
Practical Irish for Primary School Teachers – Junior and Senior Infants
Practical Irish for Primary School Teachers – 1st and 2nd Class
Practical Irish for Primary School Teachers – 3rd and 4th Class
Practical Irish for Primary School Teachers – 5th and 6th Class
Gaelchultúr’s EPV courses have been in great demand since they were first offered in 2009 and one of the reasons for this, according to Siobhán Patten, Gaelchultúr’s Specialised Courses Manager, is the interesting, useful content. “There are plenty of practical ideas and fun activities in the courses and participants really look forward to trying them in the classroom.”
Another aspect that really appeals to users, says Siobhán, is the logical layout of the website. “We’ve added to the technology since last year, and teachers will find the courses even more user-friendly than they were in previous years. So the good news is, those taking our programmes don’t need to be particularly knowledgeable about technology.”
Gaelchultúr’s online EPV courses have received glowing praise from previous participants. This is what two teachers who’ve previously completed the courses had to say about them:
“I wish to thank everyone in Gaelchultúr – I will certainly use the course material in the classroom. Well done!”
“This is the most useful and practical summer course I have ever done. I will recommend it to my friends and I look forward to doing another course of yours next year.”
Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh ar na sráideanna
May 10, 2012
Irish alive and well in Gaelscoil Átha Í
May 9, 2012
Retired RTE GAA commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was on hand to perform the official opening of Gaeilscoil Átha Í last Thursday morning.
Local politicians, clergy, parents, teachers and members of the local community in Athy joined the pupils in celebrating the occasion and they heard the guest of honour say that the spirit of the people of Athy made the day possible.Each of the class groups gave musical performances between the speeches and in keeping with the tradition of the school these speeches were ‘as Gaeilge’.
The 199-pupil school opened in September 2004 with 21 students at the Aontas Ogra premises on the Kilkenny Road. The new building opened in 2010 and it has eight classrooms, 10 teachers, one special needs assistant, a secretary, a cleaner and a caretaker.
Sinead Ní Nualláin has been principal of the school since last November. During her speech to the assembled audience she said her school was more fortunate than most. “There are schools that have been on the waiting list for buildings before us who are still on the list.
“We have a lovely building now but when we opened first in 2004 we had nothing. We were working out of the Aontas Ogra Hall and I want to thank the parents who believed in the dream of a gaelscoil in Athy and I want to thank them for their support.”
Credit for the establishment of the school was given by all who spoke to local woman Kathleen Robinson. Ms Ní Nualláin said that Kathleen Robinson had an unbelievable dream. “People didn’t think that a gaelscoil could ever exist in Athy and it’s a proud day for us because Kathleen did succeed. Without Kathleens belief we wouldn’t be here. For that reason we are naming our new general purpose hall after Kathleen.”
Following this Mícheál O Muircheartaigh and Kathleen Robinson unveiled a plaque, which named the hall Halla Mhic Róibín.
The MC for the event was local man and parent Johnny Watchorn who said that the school was a great achievement which was due in no small measure to the work of Sinead and her team and the commitment of the parents.
“Once upon a time people used to ask me when Irish was last spoken in Athy. Today I am able to tell people that Irish is alive and well in Athy and that is because of the gaeilscoil.”
The guest of honour Mícheál O Muircheartaigh said that Kathleen Robinson had succeeded because the people of Athy supported her. “Kathleen is not a fluent speaker but she believed Irish was as much for her as it was for those who are fluent. The people of Athy bought into her vision and the parents took a chance sending their children to this school and it is this spirit that made today possible.”
He went on to add that it was good to see inclusiveness at the heart of the school. “It is great to see boys and girls from different traditions and religions side by side in an inclusive and positive environment.”
Bunscoil an Iúir get successful inspection report
May 9, 2012
The ETI visited Bunscoil an Iúir last week and have informed us that we have successfully moved out of the Formal Intervention Process. The inspectors reported very good practice in the school and have given us an overall grade of good.
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Mrs. Bernadette McCaul congratulated everyone involved saying, “ It is a credit to the teaching and support staff and to the parents and children who have contributed very positively to the outcome.”
During the Monitoring Visits, ETI reported back to the school the following areas of improvement that had been implemented by the school:
- The Board of Governors has been re-constituted and governor training has been instigated.
- Parents are more involved in the life and work of the school.
- Co-ordinators have been appointed and there is now a more equitable re-ditribution of roles and responsibilities. They have developed significantly in their roles and are working at a strategic level and monitoring and evaluating
- There is more joint planningand better subject overviews.
- ICT is used effectively.
- There is a wider range of teaching approaches.
- In the Foundation Stage, play-based learning supports well the children’s literacy and numeracy.
- SEN provision has been reviewed and more realistic targets are set.
- intervention and withdrawal
- Classroom Assistants working well with SEN children
- Standards are rising- some children have moved off the SEN register
- Leadership in the school is very good. The Principal has given structure and is providing strategic direction to the school. She has a clear agenda for school improvement
- Effective deployment of classroom assistants
- Active learning/ Assessment for Learning/ Clear Learning Intentions/ Use of Plenaries/ Connected Learning/ Development of Skills
- Whole school improvement
- Test results – Paired Reading programme was very successful.
- School has continued on the road of self-evaluation
- There was a more focused approach to monitoring Maths in the school. Some evidence of connecting Maths to real life situations, e.g. Trocaire and Credit Union. Processing – Numeracy advisor was supporting the school on this and work was progressing.
- There was more focus on monitoring and evaluating – there had been a ‘booklook’ on Addition. Suggested that this could be more focused in the future, e.g. rather than data-handling, focus on the use of pictograms throughout the school. There were also some observations of Maths lessons and this was an appropriate start for Co-ordinator
Gaelscoil Chionn tSáile – drámaíocht agus ealaín den scoth
May 9, 2012
Seachtain Na Gaeilge – Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn 2012
May 9, 2012
Cleamhnas Gasta in Eochaill
May 9, 2012
CONNECT 3 – A new online Language Awareness and Good Relations resource for post-primary learners
May 9, 2012
A new online resource aimed at helping learners in post primary education to discover more about the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots will be officially launched by Mayor Alderman Maurice Devenney on Wednesday 16th May 2012.
The project, titled CONNECT 3, was jointly designed and developed by Derry City Council and The Verbal Arts Centre to record young people’s attitudes to these languages.
Young people from a range of schools in the Derry City Council area were surveyed to establish their level of awareness of the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots and to ascertain what role social influences play in young people’s different attitudes to languages. Survey data from these workshops was subsequently analysed and used to form the basis of the CONNECT 3 website.
Speaking ahead of the launch, the Mayor, Alderman Maurice Devenney said: “The Connect-3 project illustrates how a creative approach to dealing with complex subjects such as language and cultural identity can often be the best; and because this project has been designed in partnership with young people from the Council area, it accurately reflects contemporary attitudes towards the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. I would encourage as many schools as possible in the Council area to make use of this creative resource as a means promoting positive attitudes to languages and fostering good relations”.
The new website which can be accessed at www.connect-3.co.uk includes a fun, interactive language awareness quiz with a range of teaching resources designed to complement specific areas within the NI post-primary curriculum.
The CONNECT 3 project was funded by Derry City Council’s Good Relations Section and the project launch is one of a number of events taking place in the Council area as part of Community Relations Week 2012 which runs from 14th – 19th May 2012.
The project launch will take place at 1.15pm on Wednesday 16th May at the Verbal Arts Centre, Derry.
Website URL: www.connect-3.co.uk
Deireadh an Chomórtais BEO beagnach anseo!
May 9, 2012
