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We were delighted to receive our Champion award as it reflects our commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for our school community.

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We were delighted to welcome a representative from Schools of Sanctuary Ireland to Rath Dara Community College. She met with our Ethos Co-Ordinator to discuss our SoSI journey. They looked at our portfolio and talked about future plans.

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We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Multi-Cultural Day on 13th November. Our Culture and Diversity Day in 2023 was a huge success and students have been eager to hold another one.

We are currently a Member School of Sanctuary and the whole school community is committed to achieving Champion School of Sanctuary status.

Our Ethos and Core Values are at the heart of everything we do in Rath Dara Community College. Schools of Sanctuary is a celebration of who we are.

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All students, from 1st-6th Year, watched the SoSI video 'The Sea Between Us'. It was used as a stimulus for reflection and discussion.

They also watched a recent SoSI webinar that contained seven testimonials and learned about their personal experiences.

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Students were surveyed about their heritage and we compiled a list of where everyone is from. Students from a number of different year groups undertook research on the various countries. They then created collages with the information that they learned. These collages are being displayed in the Assembly Hall so that other students can learn from their work.

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Second Year students did a language exchange during French class. They taught each other basic phrases in their own languages. They moved onto different partners every 3 minutes and learned phrases in several different languages.

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All Year students participated in a speed-chatting event. They were given a list of questions to ask their partners. Each set of questions contained general get-to-know you questions but also questions in which students were asked to discuss how many languages they spoke, the festivals they celebrated etc.

The aim was to help the 1st Year students to get to know each other and also to create cultural connections.

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‘Be Irish for a Day’ trip for EAL Students

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‘Be Irish for a Day’ trip for EAL Students

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All EAL students from 2nd, 4th and 5th Year visited Causey Farm to learn more about Irish culture. They learned how to make soda bread and about Irish dancing. They also learned about farming in Ireland.

The aim was to help them to understand Irish culture and also to create links with their own.

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Student Ambassador Presentations to 1st Year Students

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Student Ambassador Presentations to 1st Year Students

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Transition Year students used the knowledge that they learned last year and shared it with 1st Year students this year. They delivered presentations to explain and discuss our Ethos, and Schools of Sanctuary.

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Promoting Schools of Sanctuary Ireland, and our Podcast on Twitter 

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Promoting Schools of Sanctuary Ireland, and our Podcast on Twitter 

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Sports Day 2024/ SoSI

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Sports Day 2024 incorporated cultural sports. Students also did a classroom-based activity before the sports events commenced. They learned about our Ethos and the principles of Schools of Sanctury. They watched Minister O’Gorman’s speech from last years ceremony.  They watched a video about sports from around the world and also completed a quiz on Kahoot.

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Flags of the world are displayed in our PE Hall. They reflect the nationalities of our school community.

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In Rath Dara we are delighted,
To have many nations all united.
That is our responsibility,
To join people like you and me.
Everybody can see,
Rath Dara is racism free,
Happiness for you and me.

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Students learned about the various sports that are native to our cultures and ethnicities.

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Yellow Flag Award: Celebrating Diversity, Promoting Inclusion, Challenging Racism

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Yellow Flag Award: Celebrating Diversity, Promoting Inclusion, Challenging Racism

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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.

Similar to the Green Schools Programme, the Yellow Flag is an award scheme. On successfully completing the following 8 steps and being evaluated externally, the school is awarded its Yellow Flag in recognition of its work in promoting diversity & inclusion. The award is publicised locally, and the school can fly its flag with pride and use the logo on its official correspondence.

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Culture Vultures Club, run by School Completion Programme 

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Culture Vultures Club, run by School Completion Programme 

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ADMISSION STATEMENT

DEFINITION OF A 'MULTIDENOMINATIONAL SCHOOL' IN A DESIGNATED COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

Rath Dara Community College is a designated Community College. Designated Community Colleges are established by the signing of a model agreement between an ETB and the local Catholic Bishop and/or a religious congregation. DDLETB is the patron of the school. The model agreement provides for the participation of the Archbishop of Dublin Diocese in the organisation and management of the community college on an ongoing basis.

Rath Dara Community College was established in 1986 in a spirit of partnership between DDLETB and the Archbishop of Dublin Diocese on a green field site.

The inherited traditions, values and founding intentions of DDLETB and the Archbishop of Dublin Diocese remain enshrined in the characteristic spirit and in the life of our school.

Our school is a state, co-educational, multi-denominational school underpinned by the core values of:

-Excellence in Education;

-Care;

-Equality;

-Community And

-Respect.

All members of our school community are treated equally, regardless of their race, gender, religion/belief, age, family status, marital status, membership of the Traveller community, sexual orientation, ability or socio-economic status.

In our school all students are given equal opportunity for enrolment, in line with the Education (Admissions to School) Act (2018). Once enrolled, our school strives to provide all our students with equal opportunities to engage with the curriculum and school life.

Our school Rath Dara Community College provides a safe physical and social environment that reinforces a sense of belonging to the school community and wider society. We strive to enable every student to realise their full potential regardless of any aspect of their identity or background. Our school promotes a fully inclusive education which recognises the plurality of identities, beliefs and values held by students, parents and staff. We prepare open-minded, culturally sensitive and responsible citizens with a strong sense of shared values. Our school is multi-denominational.

We welcome, respect and support students of all religions and beliefs. The provision of religious education, religious worship and the work of the Chaplain all combine to reflect the founding intention of the school, the school's mission statement and the needs of the students within the school. The characteristic spirit of the school finds practical expression through the provision of pastoral, liturgical and social outreach activities, as appropriate, for each student.

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Rath Dara Community College shall not discriminate in its admission of a Student based on the following grounds:

2.1. Gender of the Student or Applicant. However, where a school admits students of one gender only, it is not discriminatory to refuse to admit Students not of that gender;

2.2. Civil status of the Student or Applicant;

2.3. Family status of the Student or Applicant;

2.4. Sexual orientation of the Student or Applicant;

2.5. Religion of the Student or Applicant;

2.6. Disability of the Student or Applicant;

2.7. Race of the Student or Applicant;

2.8. The Student’s or Applicant’s membership of the Traveller community;

2.9. Special educational needs of the Student or Applicant.

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Rath Dara Community College on Instagram: "Rath Dara Community College is very proud to be one of the 31 Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB post-primary schools. Here, our Deputy Principal discusses his positive experience of the organisation. 💚

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #weareddletb"

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Rath Dara Community College on Instagram: "Rath Dara Community College is very proud to be one of the 31 Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB post-primary schools. Here, our Deputy Principal discusses his positive experience of the organisation. 💚

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #weareddletb"

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72 likes, 3 comments - rathdaracommunitycollege on November 29, 2023: "Rath Dara Community College is very proud to be one of the 31 Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB post-primary schools. Here, our Deputy Principal discusses his positive experience of the organisation. 💚

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #weareddletb". 

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Life in Rath Dara Community College is underpinned by our 5 Core Values. These Core Values are shared by all @ddletb and @ETBIreland schools. 

🌟 Care
🌟 Community 
🌟 Equality
🌟 Excellence in Education 
🌟 Respect 

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #etbethos #NíNeartGoCurLeChéile

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Life in Rath Dara Community College is underpinned by our 5 Core Values. These Core Values are shared by all @ddletb and @ETBIreland schools. 

🌟 Care
🌟 Community 
🌟 Equality
🌟 Excellence in Education 
🌟 Respect 

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #etbethos #NíNeartGoCurLeChéile https://t.co/5kstEf64xX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Life in Rath Dara Community College is underpinned by our 5 Core Values. These Core Values are shared by all @ddletb and @ETBIreland schools. 

🌟 Care
🌟 Community 
🌟 Equality
🌟 Excellence in Education 
🌟 Respect 

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #etbethos #NíNeartGoCurLeChéile https://t.co/5kstEf64xX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Life in Rath Dara Community College is underpinned by our 5 Core Values. These Core Values are shared by all @ddletb and @ETBIreland schools. 

🌟 Care
🌟 Community 
🌟 Equality
🌟 Excellence in Education 
🌟 Respect 

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #etbethos #NíNeartGoCurLeChéile https://t.co/5kstEf64xX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Life in Rath Dara Community College is underpinned by our 5 Core Values. These Core Values are shared by all @ddletb and @ETBIreland schools. 

🌟 Care
🌟 Community 
🌟 Equality
🌟 Excellence in Education 
🌟 Respect 

#rathdaracc #Teamddletb #etbethos #NíNeartGoCurLeChéile

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VIDEO: Travellers share experiences of third-level education

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VIDEO: Travellers share experiences of third-level education

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To coincide with Traveller Pride Week 2022, Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) at Trinity College Dublin have released a new video to raise awareness about routes for Travellers in higher education.

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There are 31 post-primary schools in DDLETB. We were represented in the competition by a Junior and Senior team. Many of the topics encouraged students to reflect on diversity, inclusion, equality, and equity.

‘This House believes that states in violation of human rights should not receive aid money’.

‘This House would ban fee paying schools in Ireland’.

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Senior students participated in the Concern Debates Post-Primary Competition.

The Concern Debates have been running since 1984. They are a core element of Concern’s Active Citizenship programme which seeks to encourage further learning and debate about issues of global justice and human development.

The aims of the Concern Debates are:

• To promote a deeper awareness and understanding of the global issues affecting the lives of millions of people in the developing world.
• To encourage students and teachers to become lifelong advocates on issues relating to development, poverty, justice and human rights.

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3 students participated in a podcast with the DDLETB Ethos Co-ordinator. They discussed the lived experience of our 5 core values: respect, equality, care, community, and excellence in education.

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We proudly promote Schools of Sanctuary Ireland across our social media platforms.

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We reached out to two other schools to learn about their journey. We also hosted delegates from another school to share our Schools of Sanctuary journey with them.

Pictured here are staff from fellow DDLETB school, Luttrellstown Community College. They visited us to learn about how we have embedded Schools of Sanctuary as part of our Ethos.

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Schools of Sanctuary Ireland is proudly displayed on our school website.

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Our Schools of Sanctuary podcast was shared with all classes in school. Students and staff engaged in these lessons.

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Each newsletter has a section devoted to students sharing about their home country and their experience of moving to Ireland.

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Our Ethos Co-Ordinator has provided Schools of Sanctuary updates to the 30 other DDLETB post-primary schools at Ethos Network meetings.

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We raised €500 to support the work of the Irish Red Cross in Ukraine.

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Paired reading initiatives with different year groups and also with a local primary school. This is to embed the practice that we are one community and to foster a sense of belonging.

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We received the Jigsaw One Good School Gold Award for promoting positive mental health amongst our students, staff, and parents/ guardians. Many of our students come from different cultural backgrounds and it is important to us that all students are supported and looked after.

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Immersive EAL

Buddy System with students from their home country

Writing assignments in English as well as in their native language

Partner with HSCL to provide home visits for students who are living in direct provision

Cambridge English exams

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Each year, staff and parents/ guardians contribute to Christmas hampers and they are delivered to students who are living in Direct Provision.

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All year groups explored the topics of friendship and equality in SPHE/ Religion class.

First and Second Year students participated in a Friendship and Respect Challenge to foster meaningful relationships and to remove barriers to connections.

Staff were encouraged to carry out random acts of kindness.

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Seachtain na Gaeilge is a school-wide celebration which promotes both the Irish language and also Irish culture. EAL and SEN students have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.

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To promote inclusion and community, Sports Day 2024 will have a focus on cultural sports from around the world.

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6th Year trip to Margaret Awlward Centre for Faith and Dialogue. Students were discussed to discuss their faith and what it means in their culture.

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4th, 5th and 6th Year students participated in LGBTQI+ workshops to promote and foster inclusion in our school community.

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MFL/ JCSP Celebration of Language, Culture and Literacy 

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MFL/ JCSP Celebration of Language, Culture and Literacy 

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There were food stalls, flags and traditional music. Many of our students are from French-speaking African countries.

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Art/ Religion project, ‘Where is the Divine?’ in which students were asked to creatively express their personal faith. It was inclusive of people who are both people of faith and non-religious students.

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1st and 2nd Year students participated in a 'chatathon' in which they rotated partners and spoke to as many people as possible

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Rath Dara Community College Schools of Sanctuary Podcast

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Rath Dara Community College Schools of Sanctuary Podcast

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6 students discussed their experience of moving to Ireland and what life is like for them in RCC.

The podcast was shared with all students and staff.

It encapsulated the Schools of Sanctuary principles of Learn, Action, Share.

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Students from all year groups learned about sports from around the world and participated in culturally inclusive PE classes.

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Students and staff signed the Schools of Sanctuary pledge to show their commitment to the initiative. We signed it last year and again this year to re-affirm our dedication to supporting SoSI principles.