This project is part financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the PEACE III Programme.

Project Staff Contact Details:

Shauna Farrell, Training & Development Coordinator

Telephone: 047 74002

Email: shaunafarrell@metc.ie

David McCague, School Support Coordinator

Telephone: 047 74004

Email: davidmccague@metc.ie

Denise McKenna, Project Administrator

Telephone: 047 74002

Email: denise@metc.ie

Included in this picture L – R:

Melissa Mackin, David McCague, Lyndsey Maguire, Erica

Reade, Shauna Farrell & Brenda McMorrow

Upcoming Events:

Friday 23rd August 2013

Induction Day

For Incoming 1st Year Students

St Macartan’s College, Monaghan

September 2013

1st Year Settling in Programme

On Friday 31st May 2013, the Embracing Shared Communities Project

hosted an Induction Day for 6th class pupils making the transfer to

St Louis Secondary School, Monaghan in September.

The purpose of this event was to enable new students to become

more familiar with the post primary school environment, meet their

new teachers and participate in workshops and activities aimed at

smoothing the transition from primary to post primary education.

Workshops topics included Building Friendships, Hopes and Fears and

Identity and Diversity with facilitation on the day undertaken by

Brenda McMorrow, Monaghan Garda Youth Diversion Project, Erica

Reade, Foroige, Melissa Mackin & Lyndsey Maguire, Youth Work Ire-

land Monaghan and Project Coordinators, Shauna Farrell and David

McCague.

The Embracing Shared Communities Project is managed by Monaghan Education Centre and part financed by the European

Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the PEACE III Programme,

managed by the Special EU Programmes Body

The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the

Department of Finance in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU structural funds Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IVA designed to enhance cross-

border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The programmes operate within a clearly defined area includ-

ing Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and in the case of INTERREG IVA, Western Scotland.

The PEACE III Programme, funded under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is worth €333 million and is aimed primarily at reinforcing progress

towards a peaceful and stable society and promoting reconciliation. It focuses on helping Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland to reconcile com-

munities and contribute towards a shared society. For more information on the SEUP please visit www.seupb.eu

St Louis Secondary School, Monaghan

Induction Day for Incoming First Years

January to June 2013

Monaghan

Education

Centre

Celebrating Diversity in County Monaghan Schools

Since September 2012, Monaghan Education Centre through the Embracing Shared

Communities Project has been introducing teachers to locally developed classroom

resources, “About Me, About Us” and “PEACE Together” which aim to support

schools in their drive to promote understanding and appreciation of diversity

throughout the school environment and wider community.

These resources have been developed locally by primary and post primary teachers

and have strong links to the curriculum as it is currently constituted in our schools

incorporating a range of key subject areas such as Religion, Geography, History,

English, Art and Social, Personal & Health Education.

At primary level, specific content includes: developing identity, understanding myself

and others, exploring our community and religious diversity. The teacher’s re-

source pack includes a series of lesson plans, guidance notes, activities and work-

sheets. This resource can be viewed online at www.aboutmeaboutus.ie or

www.metc.ie

At post primary level, the PEACE Together resource content includes: understand-

ing diversity, understanding myself and others, getting to know our community,

developing our identity, understanding migration and establishing a sense of

belonging. This resource can be viewed online at www.metc.ie To date, forty-five

schools have been introduced to the resources.

Monaghan Education Centre through the Embracing Shared Communities Project,

will continue the roll out to schools, both primary and

post primary in the new academic year.

Embracing Shared

Communities

This project is part financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the PEACE III Programme.

Pictured opposite, Mrs T O’Hanlon with the

5th & 6th class pupils in St Patrick’s NS Clara,

who implemented the About Me, About Us

resource this year.

Embracing Shared Communities

Intercultural Events in Local Primary Schools

As part of Embracing Shared Communities Project, a series of Inter Cultural

events have taken place in primary schools in Monaghan Town, St Mary’s

Boys National School, St Louis Girls’ National School, St Louis Infant School

and the Model School.

The Inter Cultural events took place towards the end of May and early

June, providing an opportunity for school age children to participate in a

range of workshops and activities including Art & Crafts, Dance, Drumming,

Tae Kwon Do and Traditional Storytelling, all of which were aimed at

promoting an interest and enthusiasm for learning of various cultures and

traditions within the safety of the school environment.

The School Support Coordinator, David McCague extends his thanks to

the Principals and Teachers of the schools involved and in particular the

representatives from each school who worked on organising the events,

Mrs P McGonnell (St Mary’s Boys), Mrs T McKenna & Mrs M Hannon (St

Louis Girls’ NS), Mrs T McTiernan (St Louis Infant School) and Ms E

Keenan (The Model School).

Above, pupils from St Mary’s Boys School,

Monaghan participating in the Drumming

Workshop.

St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Keady

participate in Embracing Shared Communities Project

Monaghan Education Centre was delighted to involve St Francis of Assisi

Primary School, Keady, Co Armagh in the Embracing Shared Communities

Project this year. Impressed with the content of the About Me, About Us

resource, Mrs Hamill was keen to use the material in lessons with her P7

class. While the resource was designed initially for County Monaghan

Schools, the versatility of the content has meant that it can be easily

implemented to complement the curriculum in schools both North and

South of the border.

Mrs G Hamill pictured with her P7 class

St Francis of Assisi PS, Keady, Co Armagh.

Above, pupils from St Louis Girls’ NS,

Monaghan participating in the Art &

Crafts Workshop.

Above, pupils from the Model School,

wearing masks which they made during

the Art & Crafts Workshop. Above, pupils from St Louis Infant School,

Monaghan participating in Tae Kwon Do.

During the 2012/13 academic year, Transition Year students

from six post primary schools throughout County Monaghan

participated in the Training of Trainers Peer Education

Programme which is delivered by our Training & Development

Coordinator, Shauna Farrell.

This training programme runs in schools for a period of 9-10

weeks and aims to support students in developing facilitation,

leadership and presentation skills as well as confidence and

knowledge to provide peer led workshops to younger students

within their school, based on the theme of “Understanding &

Appreciation of Diversity”.

Workshop topics delivered by students this year have included

Anti-Racism & Anti-Sectarianism, Anti-Bullying, Understanding

Stereotypes, Prejudice & Discrimination and Resisting Peer

Pressure.

To acknowledge the commitment of students to the programme

and to broaden their knowledge and understanding of history

and culture, we were able to visit a number of places of interest

in Northern Ireland including Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, The

Navan Centre, Armagh and Bagenal’s Castle, Newry.

Monaghan Education Centre thank the Principal’s & Staff from

the post primary school’s who implemented the programme this

year and look forward to continuing the Peer Education

initiative in the new academic year.

Above, TY Students from Inver College Carrickmacross

on a recent visit to Bagenal’s Castle, Newry.

TY students from St Louis Secondary School,

Carrickmacross who were participants on

the Peer Education Programme during

2012/2013, pictured with Shauna Farrell,

MEC.

Pictured above TY students from Beech Hill College,

St Louis Secondary School, Monaghan & St Macartans

College on a recent visit to Crumlin Road Gaol.

Peer Educators visit

Places of Interest in Northern Ireland

Pictured opposite students from Inver College,

Carrickmacross & Our Ladys Secondary School

Castleblayney at Bagenal’s Castle, Newry.