Charter Implementation Update 2 / Student Guide to Schools’ Charter 3 / Talking for Ireland St Declan’s College, Cabra 3 / Roscommon Students in Belarus Roscommon CBS 3 / Exciting Literacy Initiative North Monastery Primary School, Cork 5 / 6th Successive Earl of Cork Scholarship CBS Secondary School, Dungarvan 6 / Intercultural Schools Tournament Mount Sion Secondary School, Waterford 6 / Calcutta Project Gathers Momentum St. Mary’s Academy, Carlow CBS 8 / Indian Visit Changed Our View of Life Ardscoil Rís, Limerick 9 / World Book Day Events Kilkenny Cbs 11 / Portlaoise Students Experience Zambia Portlaoise CBS 12 ‘The Seed will Grow’ Blessed Edmund Rice Edmund Rice Schools Trust Newsletter / Issue 1 / Summer 2009 During a period of reflection and Greetings from the Edmund Rice Schools Trust discernment prior to the establishment Fáilte of the Trust, key elements that characterise the Edmund Rice School were identified. These are: Edmund Rice founded his first school in Waterford in 1802, and Christian Brothers’ education - Nurturing faith, Christian spirituality has since been provided for over two hundred years in schools in Ireland and abroad. At the and Gospel-based values; start of this century the Christian Brothers, through an act of generosity, decided to hand on - Promoting partnership in the school responsibility for their schools to a group of lay people. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust was community; established on the 1st September 2008 to ensure that the schools in the former Christian - Excelling in teaching and learning; Brother Network would continue to provide a Catholic education into the future, in the - Creating a caring school community; spirit and tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice, for the people of Ireland. There are currently - Inspiring transformational leadership. 97 schools in The Edmund Rice Schools Trust. The school communities have identified these elements as the essential ways in which the founding vision of Blessed Edmund Rice is realised in practice in each school. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust will support and assist our schools in promoting the principles in our Charter. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust office is located in Blackrock in Dublin. There are seven members of the team based in the office: Gerry Bennett (Chief Executive); Tony McCann (Coordinator of Ethos Development); Helen O’Brien (Coordinator of Governance Support Services); Louise Callaghan (Finance/Property Officer); Br. Seán Breartún (Finance); Natasha Kearns (Senior Administrative Assistant) and Brenda Walsh (Administrative Assistant). (continued on page 2) Back row, left to right: Br. Seán Breartún, Gerry Bennett and Tony McCann. Front row, left to right: Brenda Walsh, Helen O’Brien, Louise Callaghan and Natasha Kearns. 2 / Síol / Edmund Rice Schools Trust Newsletter Fáilte (continued) We ask you to always be mindful, and to take care of, those less fortunate It is a tremendous pleasure for us all to read than yourselves. about the very many positive contributions and outstanding achievements of our Following on from a very successful students during this school year. The stories Principals’ Conference last year, we are and the articles represent the academic and currently making arrangements for the sporting achievements, drama, debating, 2nd Annual Conference during term 1 musicals, competitions, the myriad of of 2009/2010. Details and arrangements societies and clubs in our schools and will be posted out to Principals in the the excellent community work in which coming weeks. our students are involved. The activities depicted in this Newsletter are at the very In the past six months we have enjoyed heart of the work of our schools and we visiting the schools and witnessing at first congratulate our teachers who provide hand the Edmund Rice spirit that is evident opportunities for the social and personal in the school communities. By the end of development that such activities facilitate this year we will have visited all of the for our students. schools in our Network. These visits will greatly help us to plan for the coming year. For those students sitting exams this summer we send our heartfelt good We would like to take this opportunity wishes and prayers at this time. To all to sincerely thank all the members of the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate educational community in our schools who Students, may the exams bring the desired contribute to the quality of education for results. From all of us at the Edmund our students. We thank the teachers, the Rice Schools Trust, we wish especially the special needs assistants, the secretaries, Leaving Certificate Students well as they the caretakers, the parents, the Parents’ bid farewell to their schools after what Councils and the Boards of Management. will be, for many, the end of 5 or 6 years We thank also the Members and Directors of attendance. We wish them all every of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust who success for the future. We hope that as past give so generously of their time to ensure students they will keep in touch with the the continuance of Catholic Education many friends that they have made at school in the spirit of Blessed Edmund Rice into and that they will treasure the values that the future. have been passed on to them. We urge the students in the Edmund Rice schools to use Gerry Bennett their many talents for the benefit of their Chief Executive local community and for society in general. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust. Beannacht ar Chách Beannacht ar chách Nara tiugha féar ag fás Ná gaineamh ar thrá Ná drúcht ar bhán Ná na beannachtaí ó Rí na ngrás Blessed Edmund Rice Ar gach anam a bhí, a bheidh ná atá. Feast Day 5th May Not more generous the growing blades of grass He opened his heart to Christ present in Nor the grains of sand on the shore those oppressed by poverty and injustice. Nor the dewdrops on the pasture Be the blessings of the King of grace Blessed Edmund lives on in the noble On every soul that was, that will be or that is. band of Christian workers to whom he has bequeathed his spirit and his work. The Glenstal Book of Prayer The gatherings were facilitated by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust Charter Implementation Office. During these sessions the school representatives engaged in a further exploration of the Charter. Central to the process was the living out of the key element, Excelling in Teaching and Learning. During the day representatives from the schools were invited to reflect on what inspires them as teachers. They were also invited to focus on Jesus as the inspiring teacher and role-model. As part of the process schools representatives were asked to explore what challenges them as Charter Implementation teachers and what their concerns are. Update The day continued by exploring what is working well in the schools of the Trust with regard to teaching and learning. They were invited to share what current structures they have in place with regard The implementation of the Edmund to reviewing teaching and learning in their Rice Schools Trust Charter to the school individual schools. communities has continued during the current academic year. A number of From an analysis of the feedback and cluster gatherings took place throughout evaluation of the participants the cluster the country during October. There were days seem to have been a great success. two gatherings in Dublin, one in Clonmel, The Charter implementation team of Limerick, Cork and Belfast. These were well Séamus and Kevin are currently making attended by representatives of the various individual visits to the schools to support school communities. the implementation of the Charter. Issue 1 / Summer 2009 / 3 Student Guide to Schools’ Charter Activity Sheet for the Student Guide The Student Guide to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust Charter should To assist with the utilising of the Student Guide to the Charter we have put together have arrived in your school at this stage. In a true spirit of school this activity document. There are questions and activities ranging from simple partnership, as espoused by the five key elements of the Charter, comprehension to deeper research and analysis. Project and research ideas are the students can continue to play a conscious, committed and included, as are questions that focus specifically on the living out of the five key enthusiastic contribution to the school community in the new elements in the school. reality of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. The Student Guide The activity sheets will accompany the guides. to the Edmund Over a year, we met with student council representatives as part Rice Schools Trust of their training days with Br Chris Glavey. The students looked We hope that you will find this a great resource as you use the Student Guide Charter at the Charter, its five key elements, the life of Blessed Edmund to the Edmund Rice Schools Charter in your school. and his vision and Charism. Following on from this, a focus group was formed who made final suggestions and recommendations for the student guide. With these, we in the Charter Implementation office along with Br Chris, edited and finally agreed on the guide as it is now. It is very important that students see the guide as a document for them to utilise in realising the mission and the vision of their school and as part of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. Its contents cover information on Blessed Edmund, the establishment of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, an exploration of the Charter and a reflection on the icon of Blessed Edmund. In a true spirit of school partnership, It is hoped that the Student Guide to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust as espoused by the five key elements of Charter will be used and reflected upon as all school communities move forward within the new Trust.