Síol Newsletter Edmund Rice Schools Trust • Winter 2016 • Issue 12

ffPrincipal Adele Flynn and Cork County Mayor Cllr. Seamus McGrath, surrounded by ERC Carrigaline students, cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the school Síol Newsletter Edmund Rice Schools Trust • Winter 2016 • Issue 12 Beannachtaí ó Iontaobhas Scoileanna Éamainn Rís agus sinn ag druidim leis an Nollaig Since Edmund Rice founded our first school at Mount Sion, in I attended the Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders Congress Waterford, in 1802, the Christian Brothers’ school network has in New Delhi and Kolkata, India, very recently. expanded to almost 300 schools on every continent of the world. There I had an Immersion experience which introduced me to I am delighted to announce the news that Minister Bruton has the world of the poor and the destitute – the majority world. I invited the Edmund Rice Schools Trust to be the Patron for met the “Rag-Pickers”, people who depend on picking through a new Post-Primary school in Carpenterstown/Castleknock, mounds of refuse to eke out a living. I was shocked by the Co. Dublin, further expanding the growth of the Edmund Rice working and living conditions of these unfortunate people who network in Ireland. This new co-educational Edmund Rice work all day to “earn” the equivalent of 20 or 30 cents, in our school will cater for up to 1,000 students, with all the excellent money. I was greatly troubled by the lack of sanitation, the open values and experience that we as an Edmund Rice Network can sewers, the intense overcrowding, the smells, the swarms of flies bring to it. I am sure you will join with me in welcoming this where these people lived. latest school to the Edmund Rice Network. But I was also greatly heartened to see the love and the work of In recent years the Brothers in Ireland have passed on their the Edmund Rice Communities, the Christian Brothers and the work in education to ourselves in the Edmund Rice Schools Diocese of New Delhi, to bring hope. They provide one-room Trust. Our responsibility is to support Edmund Rice schools schools in tenements to educate the children of the Rag Pickers, as you continue the mission of Blessed Edmund, meeting the responding to the terrible statistic that in New Delhi 40% of opportunities and challenges of today’s world. children between the ages of 6 and 14 don’t ever attend school. Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) is the most The spirit which moved Edmund to found his first school in recent response to these opportunities and challenges in today’s Waterford in 1802 is alive and well in New Delhi in 2016. globalised world. It is a growing organisation, established in 2014, Edmund Rice communities provide support and care, but they of all Edmund Rice Schools, on all five continents. Using modern go one step further. In St Columba’s Christian Brothers School, communications technology, EREBB aims to harness the strength in New Delhi, a fee-paying school, the Brothers and teachers and energy of Edmund Rice schools world-wide, to promote encourage children from the tenements and street children to transformational education for justice and liberation. come to the school, to learn skills and to grow in confidence ffContinued overleaf over time. These children learn to advocate on behalf of themselves and other children – an amazing, empowering, life-changing process. These young people campaign for ‘child Justice Peter Kelly Honoured rights’ and themselves conduct ‘Child Right Workshops’. They by the North American have even met with the President of India seeking his support for better public investment in children’s health and education. University of Notre Dame Please google Pratyek for further information. On Thursday, August 25th, 2016, the North American Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group which aims University of Notre Dame marked the opening of its new to influence decisions within political, economic, and social campus in Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, with a tribute to systems and institutions. EREBB aims to help our students High Court President, and Chairperson of Members of the advocate for a more just world by promoting transformational Edmund Rice Schools Trust, The Honourable Mr. Justice education for justice and liberation. The aim is to assist Peter Kelly. Mr Justice Kelly and Mother Abbess Máire all students to become involved in advocacy, students from Hickey of Kylemore Abbey, were conferred with honorary America, North and South, from Ireland and India, from degrees at Notre Dame’s education centre in Kylemore Australia and Africa, sharing a common vision of a world where Abbey as part of a blessing and dedication ceremony. the Rag Pickers are no longer exploited. University of Notre Dame provost Thomas Burish was In Ireland, we have adapted the two-feet approach to Advocacy. among more than 100 academics and management In summary, this approach comprises two dimensions of representatives who travelled from the Catholic university justice. The first foot is direct service to those in need (the in Indiana, close to Chicago, for the event. The Edmund Good Samaritan); the second foot is advocacy for social Rice Schools Trust is most fortunate to have Mr. Justice change (Moses). Kelly as the Chairperson of the Members of the Trust. As the President of the High Court in Ireland, Justice Kelly Our schools contain many wonderful examples of Good holds one of the most sought-after and senior judicial Samaritan projects. Last year, for example, a pupil led initiative roles in the Irish State. His recent nomination to this in O’Connell’s School meant that anyone who was homeless in position in December, 2015, marks an extraordinary their community all woke up to presents on Christmas morning. judicial career for Justice Kelly. Justice Kelly has been We have also have incredible leaders of the Moses approach. a stalwart supporter of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust The school community at Ard Scoil na Mara worked tirelessly since its inception in 2008. His commitment to the Trust over the past 18 months to raise awareness and understanding and our network of Edmund Rice Schools has been hugely of homelessness in Ireland and its effect on the families beneficial to us all. We are enormously grateful to Justice involved. They led an initiative for all Edmund Rice Schools Kelly for his dedication and expertise over the last eight to sign the “Call to action to end Homelessness” which was years. We congratulate him in his elevation to the position signed across Edmund Rice schools to celebrate Blessed Edmund of High Court President and thank him most sincerely for Rice’s feast day on 5th May this year. Ard Scoil Rís in Limerick his unfaltering and continuing support of the Edmund produced a wonderful video, broadcast internationally, focusing Rice Schools Trust. on the Development Goal of ending poverty. Please check out this video for a way to raise awareness of advocacy issues and please get involved in International Eradication of Poverty Day next October. This edition of Síol shows how bringing together the Good Samaritan and Moses approaches has placed our Irish schools at the centre, the very core of the international network of schools which makes up EREBB. The vision of Edmund Rice is shining bright. Please keep up the great work you are doing in your local community – but also do ffMother Abbess Máire Hickey of Kylemore Abbey, Tomas Burish, CHECK THE WEBSITE http://www.erebb.org/ Each of our schools University of Notre Dame provost, and High Court President, The has a wonderful opportunity to be part of a powerful international Honourable Mr Justice Peter Kelly movement through EREBB and, in the name of Edmund Rice, to encourage our students to advocate for global justice. I wish each and every member of your school community blessings at this time of year; students, teachers, staff, parents and guardians, the Board of Management, Parent Council, Student council and everyone associated with your Edmund Rice School. Blessings to you all. Every good wish, Gerry Bennett Chief Executive ffProfessor Daire Keogh, Justice Peter Kelly and Fr. Séan McGraw CSC Síol Page 2 Edmund Rice Schools Charter Cards and Posters The Charter Cards and Posters have been devised to assist Trust Events Boards of Management, Staff and Students to understand and reflect upon the values in our Charter. It is hoped that Boards All Edmund Rice schools hold dearly to the ethos and and Staff will use these cards as reflection opportunities before spirit handed down to us by Edmund Rice and the meetings, as a way of recognising the good practice of the Christian Brothers over many years. One of the roles school and the distinctive ethos of an Edmund Rice School. of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust is to support our Posters of each of the 5 Key Elements have also been delivered schools, and our Boards of Management, in promoting to schools. It is hoped that teachers will facilitate the students in and maintaining that spirit, and keeping it alive in exploring the values within these elements, and in recognising our schools. how each element is lived out in their school. To that end, the Trust has been involved in a number of activities since the beginning of the school year. Some of these Leadership Programme are as follows: This course is aimed at teachers in our schools who are seeking Link Teacher Meetings an understanding of leadership and management in education. The course, open to both Primary and Secondary teachers, Link Teachers, those coordinating social justice events in our was held in Mitchelstown CBS Secondary School, Cork. The Network, came together at two venues, Callan and the Marino course ran over five Thursday evenings from November 10th Institute of Education (MIE) and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire (A.G.), 2016 to December 8th, with each session two hours in duration, Cork, to discuss the social action projects they are involved from 7pm until 9pm.

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