Recent Study on ‘being-bullied’ experiences of immigrant children

A recent study undertaken by the Trinity Immigration Initiative titled ‘*Where to from here? Children and the Future of Integration in Ireland’* evidences that many immigrant children experience racist bullying by peers in their school lives. Among the recommendations of the Report there is a call for schools to recognise the racism inherent in much of this bullying and to ensure that their anti-bullying policy and practice is tuned-in and sensitive to this very hurtful and destructive propensity. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all our school community ( parents, teachers, care-staff and friends) to refamiliarise themselves with our school’s Anti-Bullying Policy ( available on the website under ‘Policies’) and to rest assured that the school is both vigilant and cogniscant of this dynamic. Our forthcoming Human Rights Month (October) will focus on these themes through SPHE, RSE, SESE, Drama and Learn Together lesson, events and activities.

Why do we have an After-School Programme?

Why do we have an After-School Programme? On the main school website you will find the school’s current After-School Programme for the Autumn/Winter 2010, or as it’s commonly called ‘The Clubs’. This is our sixth year to be offering this service to the community of our school. The service is offered by the school’s teachers and some invited coaches and it is administered and financially supported by the school’s Parent Association. As with all services that become customary, it is important to occasionally reflect on why it is that we as a school community put such a huge amount of effort and energy into offering this service. Here is a short ‘top ten’ of the many and varied reasons:
1 The clubs are a great source of happiness for the children.
2 The clubs are in identified curricular and educative fields which the school identifies in its ‘2nd Five Year Plan’ as the flagship and priority areas of school endeavour ( Arts, Sport and Health, Digital Learning, Citizenship Education)
3 The clubs will enhance the children’s learning and standards of attainment across the Irish National Curriculum complementing the work undertaken in normal school hours.
4 The clubs are maximally accesible to all members of the school community and are finacially supported by contributions from the Parent Association, parent contributions and other sources.
5 Some clubs will specifically cater for ‘gifted’ children.
6 Some clubs will specifically support children who are currently experiencing low levels of curricular attainment.
7 The clubs take place in the safe environment of the school with professional standards of care and management.
8 The clubs offer the teacher/facilitator the opportunity to ‘indulge’ and develop his/her own teaching strengths in a conducive ‘club’ environment with small groups (10children) of self-selecting (and, thus, motivated) children.
9 After-school activity and the levels of parental-involvement accruing to administering and logistically-supporting them are part of the Educate Together ethos.
10 Through dabbling in a variety of clubs over the duration of their school life the children can come to identify in themselves their own likes and talents.
Please feel free to leave a comment ( please note that no ‘anonymous’ comments will be posted or even heeded!). The Principal is available at all times to discuss any issues arising from this project and posting.