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5th year Passport for Inclusion Graduation

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5th year Passport for Inclusion Graduation

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Russian Language club is taking place each month in Room 10 this year!

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October 2024: Immigrant Council of Ireland poster competition

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October 2024: Immigrant Council of Ireland poster competition

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Our SoS committee ran a poster competition in conjunction with Immigrant Council of Ireland. The topic was "Show Racism the Red Card". Junior Cycle CSPE classes discussed what this slogan meant to them, and we displayed a selection of posters in the Social Area afterwards.

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November 2024: Promoting Inclusion in Sports

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November 2024: Promoting Inclusion in Sports

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We are now a designated Champion School of Sanctuary - the first all girls secondary school in Waterford to receive this honour.

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In a heartwarming celebration of diversity and inclusivity, Presentation Secondary Girls School in Waterford City has been declared a Champion School of Sanctuary. A monitoring team, led by Andy Pollak from Schools of Sanctuary Ireland, recently conducted a monitoring visit to the school, accompanied by a diverse panel including Teachers from Champion and Member Schools of Sanctuary, Community Leaders, Parents, and Sanctuary Ambassadors.

With a student body boasting over 100 immigrant young women from 42 countries, speaking an impressive 44 languages, Presentation Secondary Girls School exemplifies the ethos of sanctuary. The school's commitment to embracing and nurturing its multicultural community was evident throughout the visit.

During the tour, the team witnessed firsthand the vibrant artworks of refugee students, sampled delicious dishes from over 20 countries prepared by students, and engaged with passionate Sanctuary Ambassadors who embody the school's dedication to inclusivity.

From critical thinking lessons in Politics and Society class to artwork exhibitions honoring powerful women leaders, Presentation Secondary Girls School cultivates an environment where kindness, welcome, and empathy are paramount. The school's prayer room, open to individuals of all faiths and none, reflects its commitment to respecting diverse beliefs.

The visit culminated in a breathtaking concert showcasing the talents of students from various cultural backgrounds, leaving the monitoring team deeply moved and inspired.

Principal Orla Bolger, Deputy Principal Ruth Gallen, and the dedicated team of teachers, including Karen Heffernan, Kelly Dempsey, and others, were lauded for their unwavering commitment to creating a sanctuary for all.

With resounding cheers from the student body, Presentation Secondary Girls School was officially designated a Champion School of Sanctuary, a testament to its exemplary efforts in fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.

It's worth noting that Presentation Secondary Girls School is also a Yellow Flag school, further demonstrating its dedication to inclusivity and diversity. Yellow Flag initiatives complement the ethos of Schools of Sanctuary Ireland.

For more information on Presentation Secondary Girls School please click their School of Sanctuary Portfolio

To learn more about schools of sanctuary and or join the School of Sanctuary Network, you could reach us using the following email address or by engaging with our website or social media channels.
Website: https://schools-ireland.cityofsanctuary.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolsofSanctuaryIreland

X (Twitter): @SofSIreland

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Presentation Secondary Girls School, Waterford, Designated Champion School of Sanctuary

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Supporting schools to build a harmonious and integrated future for Ireland

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We have added a QR code in prominent places throughout the school and at the offices of our pastoral care team. This is to support our EAL students and their families by offering easy access to an online translation tool.

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Parents have enjoyed a variety of classes this year including cookery, makeup, sewing and English. These classes have encouraged inclusion beyond the classroom and have been a great way for parents to get to know each other and learn more about each other.

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April 2024: Students creating art work to advertise Culture Week 

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April 2024: Students creating art work to advertise Culture Week 

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Our EAL students really enjoyed creating posters for Culture Week. They got to share their flags and languages with each other and learn more about each other’s countries, backgrounds and languages.

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April 2024: Culture Week Language Clubs 

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April 2024: Culture Week Language Clubs 

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Giving our staff and students an opportunity to learn the languages of our school during culture week. Exposing ourselves to the languages and cultures of our students means that we can develop a deeper understanding of their stories and their backgrounds.

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Our EAL and SEN students are supported at every level. We have a number of systems in place to ensure that every student can access the education that best suits their needs.

Referral system in place to support SEN and EAL students.

SEN and EAL students have individualized support plans in place for the academic year.

EAL students take CEFR exams twice a year to test their English language proficiency and progress. Progress made means more access to the curriculum.

Collaboration between SEN and EAL team with a member of staff that works on both the SEN and EAL teams to ensure that information is shared in a timely manner and that there is regular communication regarding student support.

Students with EAL needs are considered for SEC accommodations.

A wide variety of teaching strategies are shared with teachers to help accommodate EAL and SEN learners.

Documentation is translated for parents of EAL students.

EAL and SEN teachers are in regular contact with parents to update on progress and supports that are in place.

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April 2024: Waterford Garda Youth Awards 

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April 2024: Waterford Garda Youth Awards 

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Our Schools of Sanctuary committee has been nominated for the Waterford Garda Youth Awards 2024 for the outstanding work they have been doing in our school community to foster inclusion, celebrate diversity and create a welcoming, kind environment for all of our students where they feel understood  and where they feel they belong.

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April 2024: Visit to Presentation Primary School 

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April 2024: Visit to Presentation Primary School 

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Members of our Schools of Sanctuary committee paid a visit to Presentation Primary to talk about Schools of Sanctuary, inclusion and Challenge for Change. Angie Goma spoke to Mrs McAra’s 5th class and shared her story as a proud ambassador of our schools and of Schools of Sanctuary.

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How many miles to Presentation Waterford? 

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How many miles to Presentation Waterford? 

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Our students have travelled 228,006km to be with us in our school. That’s the equivalent of 5.5 trips around the world!

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Our school community is vibrant, diverse and a place for all. We come from 44 different countries and we are proud to represent Presentation Waterford.

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42 different languages are spoken in our school. That means we have a one unique language for every ten students.

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We are always working hard to ensure that our EAL students can access the curriculum through their own language and that their language is visible in the learning environment.

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April 2024: Meeting with Funmi Young, SoS Ambassador and students from Mercy Secondary School, Waterford. 

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April 2024: Meeting with Funmi Young, SoS Ambassador and students from Mercy Secondary School, Waterford. 

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We were delighted to welcome Funmi Young, Schools of Sanctuary Ambassador, and a group of students and teachers from Mercy Waterford to our school this morning. Funmi talked to us about Schools of Sanctuary and how to be kind, inclusive and welcoming to all.

We are just over a week away from our monitoring visit, so it was wonderful to be able to take some time to share our journey as a school of sanctuary with the group from the Mercy as they begin theirs.

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Our Schools of Sanctuary ambassadors and committee members 2023-2024 

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Our Schools of Sanctuary ambassadors and committee members 2023-2024 

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March 2024: First Year English Poetry Class

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March 2024: First Year English Poetry Class

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B2 studied the poem "Refugees" by Brian Bilston in their English class. This is a palindrome poem which enabled students to explore the topic of refugees immigrating into our community from two different perspectives. Students learned a lot from the pre-reading research they conducted and also enjoyed studying the poem.

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Students were given the opportunity to type up traditional recipes from their cultures and have them made into a school-wide cookbook.

Members of the diversity committee informed their classes of this opportunity.

Cultural cookbook created from recipes from members of our diversity committee and wider student body

The home Ec department spread the word and encouraged all students to take part.

Cook book created and available to rent from school library

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2nd year students completed an art project on their hometowns. We decided to display their artwork to celebrate and showcase the variety of backgrounds, cultures and diversity in our school. Ní Neart Go Cur Le Chéile!

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The Weight of Water - Second year English Ordinary Level Novel about immigrant from Poland 

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The Weight of Water - Second year English Ordinary Level Novel about immigrant from Poland 

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"The Weight of Water" by Sarah Crossan demonstrates the challenges faced by immigrant Kasienka, offering a platform for teaching inclusion. Through her narrative, students explore issues of xenophobia, racism, and social exclusion, fostering empathy and understanding of diverse experiences. The novel prompts reflection on stereotypes and prejudices, encouraging students to advocate for inclusivity and social justice. By incorporating the book into teaching, educators create opportunities for students to develop empathy, critical thinking, and a commitment to building inclusive communities.

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On the 16/11/22, our school sent out an invitation to all EAL parents to meet with our link teachers, home school liaison, principal and deputy to talk about their experiences as an EAL parents in our school and a discussion was held about inclusion in our school. The letter was translated into over 30 languages to ensure that all parents felt included and invited to come to our meeting.

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April 2024: Racial and Cultural Inclusion Policy 

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April 2024: Racial and Cultural Inclusion Policy 

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Our Racial and Cultural Inclusion Policy is in its final draft stage. We are planning to hold a student focus group and will seek staff feedback before it is ratified by the Board of Management.

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During the month of March, the diversity committee planned events to mark this occasion. Members of the committee gathered resources and created a whole school workshop (80 minutes for Junior Classes and 40 minutes for senior classes). This Anti Racism workshop included discussions, games and worksheet about topics of stereotyping, prejudice, bias, hate speech, and impacts of hate speech. The Junior workshop took places during SPHE, CSPE and religion classes and senior workshops took place during religion classes. The workshop was delivered by senior students of the diversity committee.

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Welcome to school booklet - accessible to all 

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Welcome to school booklet - accessible to all 

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TY Language ambassadors worked on the creation of a visual ‘Welcome to Presentation Secondary School’ booklet where information about our school was written in an accessible way for non-English speakers. This includes information on the general timetable, lunch, books, uniform and the Irish schooling system.

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Students involved in the language buddy system met after school before the December holidays to celebrate with cakes, hot chocolate and good company!

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September 2023: Meetings after school -sharing cultures 

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September 2023: Meetings after school -sharing cultures 

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Our Yellow Flag link teachers have held after-school meetings for language buddies and anyone who had questions, concerns, or wanted to chat. This has been popular with our students as it allowed them to share their language and culture with their peers and teachers.

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September 2023: Creating a space for our EAL students 

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September 2023: Creating a space for our EAL students 

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Our Diversity Committee wanted to create a space that reflected the diversity of our student population and to highlight the importance of EAL as a subject in our school. The Diversity Committee spent time during and after school helping to clean and decorate room 35. This is now our EAL hub. There are posters to help our English learners and welcoming signs in a variety of languages.

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Inclusive and welcoming languages around the school 

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Inclusive and welcoming languages around the school 

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Our goal was to make our environment more visually inclusive. Religion and CSPE classes spent time making flags, signs in different languages that were put in our EAL hub in room 35 and around the school.

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Students took part in peer one-to-one reading with EAL students to help them with their reading skills in English.

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February 2024: Black History Month Display 

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February 2024: Black History Month Display 

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2nd year students worked on researching important black historical figures and made a poster display to engage other students and help them to learn more.

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April 2024: Interculturalism in subject plans 

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April 2024: Interculturalism in subject plans 

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All staff members have been busy updating department plans.  A yellow star in each subject plan indicates areas where we can broaden discussions and learning around interculturalism. We believe that inclusion needs to go further than events and activities - it needs to be embedded into our teaching and learning and into our everyday life in school.

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April 2024: Pres Waterford awarded the European Language Label (ELL) 

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April 2024: Pres Waterford awarded the European Language Label (ELL) 

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Our school has been selected as one of the winners for the prestigious European Language Label (ELL) Award for the 2023-2024 academic year. ELL Award is coordinated by the European Commission and is managed by Leargas in Ireland.  This application highlighted innovative initiatives in language teaching, learning and promotion in our school.Those initiatives include:
German department:

successful partnership with a school in Neumarkt, Germany, facilitating online activities focused on cultural exchange;

partnership with schools in Czech Republic and Spain (2022-2023)

sixth year students annual language learning trips to Germany

Performing songs in German at annual Christmas concerts

French department:

a longstanding partnership with a school in Nantes, France, facilitating exchange visits

collaborative performance with students from German department at 2023 Christmas concert

EAL department:

supporting parents and students who may face language barriers

English language club for EAL students

a buddy system helps new EAL students adapt to the school community

translations of reports into native languages for parents who do not speak English

colorful celebrations of Multicultural Day

Our projects, which is called 'Languages Connect Us', will be showcased by Leargas at the annual event The Gathering in May.

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'Nation of Hatred' - A poem written by our 5th year student, Faye Simpson

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'Nation of Hatred' - A poem written by our 5th year student, Faye Simpson

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Nation of Hatred

By Faye Simpson

49 assaults.

190 discriminations.

Be careful where you go and what you do, your skin, your hair, your attire too,

May alert those most unsavoury foes that you are different that you don’t go,

Our children on the street slinging slurs like sticks and stones at the poor young girl,

Just trying to go home,

Instead of teaching those kids to respect the lives of strangers,

We tell her to get stronger.

Because;  “they don’t know better, they’re just kids, too young to grasp what racism is.”

Our bosses who over and over overlook applications for jobs simply because the name your parents picked doesn’t seem Irish,

Despite the determination and degrees your name being too far from familiarity will leave them failing to even feign interest,

Brushing you off with “you wouldn’t fit.”

Our parents and friends who swear they’re not racist but really think all those immigrant refugees should just be somewhere else,

Because they don’t belong here,

Engorging the circumstances that brought them to our jagged shores,

Seeking stability, escape, freedom, work, home, somewhere to accept them as they are.

Yet you would rather send them away back to drought and famine, back to bullets and bombs, back to religious persecution, back into oppressions arms,

But you are so quick to condemn what the British did to our land,

To shout from the rooftops the treatment abroad of those forced to flee this nation from drought and famine, from bullets and bombs, from religious persecution to escape oppressions arms

Because that’s different, that was wrong.

Our neighbours who over the sound of foreign tongue come armed and ready to send them back where they came from,

Despite the foreign syllables glued to our lips,

“tá tú in Éirinn, labhair Gaeilge!”

Is not a sentence I’ve ever heard thrown about.

Ruckus and riots and speeches and debate fuelled by hate,

The people shout;

“We don't want them in our neighbourhood, our town, our schools, our city, our country, our world. Get them out!”

This is the reality of the nation we live in hatred hidden behind the guise of pride for the idea of an island that only exists in their mind.

And yet still in every class some ignorant child exists yelling petulantly “what’s the point?”

about learning about the struggles of people not like them.

“Sure we have laws put in place by the state!

And I don’t see racism in my day to day,

Must have all gone away.”

We must learn to see with more than just our eyes,

To take in the world through all our senses,

And learn a bit about what common sense is.

Look to your past and look to your future,

And what side of history you are,

Do you wish to be fueled by hate for other members of the human race simply because their clothes, or skin, or accents or hair aren’t exactly as yours are?

This outdated mind-set could do with a reset,

But who am I kidding you're not gonna read this.

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January 2024: Word to word dictionaries 

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January 2024: Word to word dictionaries 

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We have purchased a variety of word to word dictionaries to support our EAL students in their various subjects. We hope to be able to supply each individual student with a dictionary in their language for the exams this year.

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Celebrating flag day 2024 and sharing the flags of the students of our school.

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Celebrating all of the flags and languages of our school for flag day 2024.

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February 2024: Visiting Presentation Primary 

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February 2024: Visiting Presentation Primary 

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Ms. Heffernan was thrilled to visit Presentation Primary for their monitoring visit. It was a wonderful morning of learning and we were grateful for the opportunity to engage with so many local schools.

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Our SoS ambassadors sharing the story of their journey from Syria to Ireland and one of our Religion classes watching ‘The Swimmers’ in the lead up to Open Book Day.

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Celebrating all things Irish this week with Seachtain na Gaeilge. All of our students are taking part in a variety of activities to learn more about Irish culture and language. We strive to highlight, share and celebrate all of the cultures of our school as much as we can.

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Members of the Diversity Committee and Schools of Sanctuary Ambassadors attended a talk from the Black and Irish Group during Black History Month.

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We are providing a room in our school to facilitate prayer at lunch for 15 minutes for our Muslim students during this time. A member from our Diversity Committee also made an announcement this week extending warm wishes to those observing the sacred seasons of Lent and Ramadan. We encouraged our school community to foster unity and respect for each other's beliefs. Together, we can create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued.

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All of our students have a Sora account. Sora is an app run by the JCSP Library Initiative. This app has thousands of books, many about topics such as diversity, inclusion and seeking refuge. First year students in particular are given time each week to read for enjoyment and are encouraged to read books which broaden their knowledge on news topics.

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Our EAL team was visited by a member of the Inspectorate from the Department of Education in October 2023. The inspector indicated that she observed VERY GOOD Teaching and Learning. She praised the accommodation and support for all our EAL students and the huge welcome and inclusion given to all our students. The inspector also said that everything we are doing to support our EAL students is an example of Best Practice.

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Reaffirming our commitment to Schools of Sanctuary with Presentation Primary School on Presentation Day. We carried the lantern as Nano did to symbolise her work guiding the lost, the sick, the elderly and the marginalised.

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In Transition Year, it is possible for us to promote social awareness using the curriculum. Our integrated PE programme takes place over the course of TY and sees our students working with people from Belmont and START (young people with intellectual disabilities). It is a certified course for TY students but more importantly, it promotes student integration with people with disabilities. The aim of this programme is awareness-raising but also for our students to learn new interpersonal and participation skills. The group takes part in PE activities that emphasise team-building. Outside activities are also part of this programme- trips to the beach and bowling are just some of the ways that students are made aware of the role they play in social integration. There is also an option for TY students to become Special Olympics coaches as an extra-curricular activity.

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Learning about Black History Month through various topics in CSPE, History, Art and Science.

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Students learned about Black History Month through the lens of religious values, justice, compassion and equality in RE class. They also learned about black activists that were inspired by their faith to stand up for justice.

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Students in Junior Cycle SPHE classes learned about resiliency through studying the life of Rosa Parks.

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Our Green Schools Committee includes students from every year group. These students meet each week and plan different environmentally friendly initiatives for our school. The current focus is Litter and Waste. The committee includes students from many different backgrounds, but all with a similar goal in mind - to take care of the planet for future generations. Students share different ideas, experiences and perspectives and combine them to help steer our school in the green direction.

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Our Mentor Programme has been running for a number of years and is designed to help our new first years settle in to life in secondary school. Fifth year students work with a group of three first year students and act as their ‘buddy’ for the year. The fifth year mentors will check in with the first years regularly and are there to offer guidance, support and answer questions. This is particularly helpful for our EAL or newly arrived students as we recognise how much more difficult this settling in period can be with a language barrier or if it’s their first year in the Irish education system.

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Ongoing: Professional Development in Inclusion 

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Ongoing: Professional Development in Inclusion 

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'EAL Series - EAL and Academic Language - Dr. Aoife Merrins Gallagher' - ECSI.

An introduction to Disability Equality, Inclusion & Human rights( DESSA).

Leading the Inclusion of EAL Learners in Post Primary Schools (OIDE).

Supporting English as an Additional Language (EAL) Learners in the Post-Primary Classroom.

Traveller cultural awareness training, Yellow Flag.

Post-Primary Mental Health, OIDE.

Uncovering our unconscious bias to increase inclusivity and build positive relationships – Nicola Cullotty.

Stand Up Awareness Training, Belong To.

Nurturing Groups and Nurturing Schools, Dr Susan Gibney.

Leading Inclusive Learning, NCSE.

Education Support Centres Ireland Introducing Trauma informed practice – the stress factor getting the balance right for School Leaders.

Shane Martin:The Psyschology of Bouncibilty, building resilience.

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The concept of nurture in education recognises that students’ wellbeing is as important as their academic achievements. Through the nurture approach schools address the social, emotional and learning needs of individual students and remove barriers to learning. There is a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, language development, relationships and communication. The project implements a innovative approach to addressing educational disadvantage, through a focus on the social-behavioural needs of the students, balanced with a recognition that teachers often hold the keys to unlocking educational potential and outcomes for students.

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The Yellow Flag Programme provides a practical series of 8 steps that brings issues of interculturalism, equality and diversity into the whole-school programme and allows schools to apply them to the day to day running of the school. It works with students, staff, management, parents and wider community groups so that issues of diversity and equality are not merely seen as “school subjects” but can be understood and taken outside the school setting into everyone’s personal lives. We have nearly completed the 8 steps and we are hoping to be awarded our Yellow Flag soon. We are so grateful for all the work being completed by our Diversity Committee.

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Get Involved Applications for the Yellow Flag Programme for September 2023 are now closed. Thank you to those who applied to join our programme. This was an extremely competitive selection... read more →

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Our school's Diversity committee meets every Monday to organise and plan events happening in school. At the beginning of the year the committee comes up with an action plan for the year ahead and works on making the school a more inclusive place through events, inviting guest speakers etc. We often integrate our SoS committee with this group to prepare for big events. Successful initiatives this year include Black History Month, Wear Red Day, and adding an Inclusivity section to our school library.

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Our English language club is held weekly for EAL students to allow them to practice their English skills in a relaxed, social setting. Students from 1st-6th year meet every Wednesday at lunch time and have been really enjoying learning English in an informal way, often supported by their friends.

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Mincéirí Port Láirge is the only Traveller led organisation in the City and County of Waterford. This group was established in 2002 and they aim to contribute to the improvent the quality of life, living circumstances, status and participation of Travellers through working for social justice, greater solidarity, development, equality, and human rights.

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Mincéirí Port Láirge, Formerly known as Waterford Traveller Community Development Project, information for the travelling Community in Watereford, Ireland

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The Global Schools Programme has been running for over 20 years providing peer teaching and learning training to Transition Year students from around Waterford. The programme focuses on promoting Global Citizenship Education which is education centred around what’s going on in our world, critically thinking about and exploring these issues and how they interlink with our everyday lives. This year’s programme, which focused on sustainable transport, had the TY’s learn about and explore the Sustainable Development Goals, the impact our actions have at both a local and global level and how to take action on these issues.

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Young SVP | St. Vincent de Paul - Ireland | SVP

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The Young SVP Programme is a youth development programme designed for use in school/youth groups.
The programme focuses on social action within the ethos and mission of SVP. Young people are offered opportunities to learn about SVP, social justice and how to engage in social action in a positive & meaningful way. We have found that Young SVP promotes awareness of the many different people who benefit from the programme. Our students strive to take action and help others in need.

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The Young SVP Programme is a youth development programme designed for use in school/youth groups.

The programme focuses on social action within the ethos and mission of SVP. Young people are offered opportunities to learn about SVP, social justice and how to engage in social action in a positive & meaningful way.

Our Youth Development Team are here to support the following throughout their engagement.

Please, contact your regional youth development officer to get started.

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Young SVP | St. Vincent de Paul - Ireland | SVP

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Young SVP Programme provides opportunities for young people to engage in social action, encourages personal and social development.

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Homework Club is an initiative run for first year students. From Monday to Thursday each week, students are given a snack after school and then stay for an hour to do homework. Help is on hand if needed. We have found that Homework Club is a great space to make students feel included. It also encourages EAL students to ask for help with their school work and develop strategies for study.

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We are lucky to be part of the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), which is a national programme under the guidance of Oide, a Department of Education Support Service. Currently, the programme is offered in 220 schools throughout the country. JCSP operates within the Junior Cycle curriculum. It follows the curriculum framework set out for the Junior Cycle, which is re-focused to cater for JCSP students. It helps to make the curriculum accessible and relevant to young people who would benefit from a different approach to the Junior Cycle. The JCSP attempts to help young people experience success and develop a positive self-image by providing a curriculum and assessment framework suitable to their needs. The programme aims to ensure that students actively participate in their learning, make progress and build on their achievements. The programme also aims to develop students’ literacy, numeracy, communication and group work skills. We feel that the JCSP truly encourages inclusion in our community and caters for the diverse needs in our school.

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Our TY students take part in workshops with One Millions Stars each year. One Million Stars promotes the values of social justice, that everyone deserves to be safe, no matter what economic, ethnic, social background you come from.

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Our TY students studied the poetry of Maya Angelou to celebrate Black History Month.

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This was shared with all staff to encourage discussion and to allow our students to learn about and celebrate refugees through our curriculum #celebraterefugees

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Our Website - commitment to celebrating diversity in our school

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Our Website - commitment to celebrating diversity in our school

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Presentation Secondary School Waterford is a DEIS 1 school. DEIS forms part of the Department of Education's social inclusion strategy, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS), to help children and young people who are at risk of or who are experiencing educational disadvantage. The programme was first introduced in 2005. Overall rates of literacy and numeracy, school retention, and progression to further and higher education have increased for pupils in DEIS schools.

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#celebraterefugees

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Some of our SoS ambassadors have been sharing their stories with their fellow students this week. This is the PowerPoint we have been using as a guide to help the speakers explain their journeys.

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Our ambassador students shared the story of their family’s journeys from Syria to Ireland. They talked to students in Religion and Geography classes from 1st-6th year. We talked about refugees, asylum seekers, the myths and facts of what it means to be a refugee and her classmates learned about the Syrian civil war. Many of these students were not aware of the courage needed to undertake such a journey and were grateful that our ambassador student felt safe to share her story with us.

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February 2024: Preparing for Black History Month 

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February 2024: Preparing for Black History Month 

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Students will engage with activities for Black History Month in CSPE, SPHE, Religion, History, English, Art and Science.

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January 2024: Sharing the languages of our school while making a commitment to celebrating inclusion and diversity 

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January 2024: Sharing the languages of our school while making a commitment to celebrating inclusion and diversity 

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January 2024: Inclusion section in our Library 

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January 2024: Inclusion section in our Library 

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This year our school purchased sets of exam suitable dictionaries available to rent for our EAL students. We have also purchased many books that deal with the themes of immigration, inclusion, racism and books written from by authors from diverse cultural backgrounds.

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December 2023: Christmas Party with Belmont

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December 2023: Christmas Party with Belmont

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Our TY students held their annual Christmas Party with Belmont in December - a great time was had by all! TY students have been working with Belmont (Brothers of Charity) in PE for many years. Brothers of Charity Services in Waterford provide a range of services to adults with an intellectual disability some of whom may have additional medical, physical and/or sensory needs.

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Our LCA1 class read this novel in their English and Communications class. They explored themes of racism and stereotyping and they welcomed the discussion, dialogue and learning around these topics. The class enjoyed this novel so much that they requested more books from this author in our school library.

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December 2023: Christmas Jumper Day in aid of UNICEF, SVP and Waterford Lions Club 

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December 2023: Christmas Jumper Day in aid of UNICEF, SVP and Waterford Lions Club 

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We’re so grateful to be part of a school community that cares and that spends their free time helping others.

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Students took part in many workshops and activities for stand up awareness week this year including a quiz, a collaborative art piece and ally bracelet making. Don’t stand by, stand up!

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TY’s held their annual trade fair in November. All of our students got to go shopping and purchase a variety of products including products from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

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Donating two full cage trolleys of food to the Waterford Food Bank as part of their Fill A Bus campaign. We’re grateful for the generosity shown by all our students.

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November 2023: Attending Climate Action Plan Day 

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November 2023: Attending Climate Action Plan Day 

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January 2024: STEM passport for Inclusion 

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January 2024: STEM passport for Inclusion 

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January 2024: Making inclusion inclusive!

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January 2024: Making inclusion inclusive!

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Every student in the school was sent a survey on Microsoft Forms to allow them to have a say in the drafting of a new Inclusion Policy.

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Well done to our 8 TY students who completed training with Waterford SLI as part of the Global Schools Project and are really looking forward to facilitating primary school workshops in January.

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Our parents enjoyed a variety of classes from September - December 2023 including cookery, makeup, dance and art classes.

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November 2023: Celebrating Presentation Day 

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November 2023: Celebrating Presentation Day 

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Reaffirming our pledge to School of Sanctuary while honouring our founder, Nano Nagle.

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Ensuring that our EAL learners can access the curriculum in their coding classes.

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Our SoS ambassadors spread the Christmas cheer around our school halls this week hanging up posters wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" in different languages we have in our community. We also made decorations of our home flags for our diversi-tree.

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Always celebrating individuality, self expression and supporting every member of our diverse community.

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November 2023: Visit from Homayoon, Schools of Sanctuary Coordinator 

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November 2023: Visit from Homayoon, Schools of Sanctuary Coordinator 

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Our TY students and representatives of our Diversity Committee had the opportunity to meet with Homayoon from Schools of Sanctuary today. This visit gave us all great insight to the exciting journey we are on with Schools of Sanctuary and reminded us to be proud of all the work we are doing in our school community. Building this community benefits ALL individuals and allows us to celebrate difference every day.

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Creating a sense of belonging through art 

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Creating a sense of belonging through art 

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This mural was funded by creative engagement in 2021.  The theme was to celebrate the diversity of culture and identity in our school, to create a sense of inclusion, belonging, student voice and celebration of culture.

Caoilfhionn Hanton was the artist and she worked with our TY students. This mural is a reminder to our school community that there is beauty in diversity.

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Celebrating our diversity and sharing our SoS journey on Twitter 

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Celebrating our diversity and sharing our SoS journey on Twitter 

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All of our students took part in a lesson on racism to mark Wear Red Day. We encouraged students to explore what racism is, what stereotyping is, how we can stand up for one another and why diversity is a positive thing for our school community.

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Students and teachers all wore red on Friday, 20th October to show our support for Wear Red - Show Racism the Red Card.
There was a real atmosphere of inclusivity around the school and wearing red sparked lots of conversations about what we can do to be more aware of making everyone feel welcome. Here is a picture of B2 and C1 showing their support.

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Our students created wonderful posters in a variety of languages to highlight our Wear Red Day. We want to send out a strong message that we welcome diversity and that we are taking a stand against racism in all forms.