Scoil Mhuire’s new Erasmus+ KA229 project for 2020-2022
Scoil Mhuire’s TY students and teachers have already enjoyed working collaboratively with our European partner schools and museums from Germany, Poland, and France on two Erasmus+ projects in the past. In years 2014-2016 the topic was “European Memories-Connecting, Constructing, Collecting” (100 years since the end of WWI) and in 2017-2019 the project was named “Real vs Fake” where the student’s work was a part of a major exhibition in the LWL Westphalia Museum Dortmund.
Following consultations with the teachers, TY students and keeping in line with the latest EU Green initiatives, we have decided to work collaboratively with our new German partner school Petrinum Gymnasium from Recklinghausen in North-Rhine Westphalia on a brand new KA229 project. This endeavour is a multilayer school partnership and the project programme is fully in line with the “Looking at Our Schools 2016, A Quality Framework for Post-Primary Schools/LAOS 2016” document, that:
1. supports the efforts of teachers and school leaders, as well as the school system more generally, to strive for excellence in our schools.
2. underpins both school self-evaluation and school inspection.
3. is built around the areas of teaching and learning and leadership and management. These are the two key areas of the work of a school that directly impact on students’ learning outcomes and experiences. (LAOS 2016: Pg 5)
In April 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown the application form was finalised and submitted. Many teachers and students from both partnering schools have contributed with their ideas to the application form. Today we got great new from the Irish National Agency Léargas that we were successful!
Here is a brief overview of the KA229 Eramsus+ project:
1. project title: “School Exchange Partnership: Ways to a greener future”.
2. lead by the TY students and teachers and involving the whole school community.
3. EU funding breakdown: total grant approx.€65300 = Scoil Mhuire €36000 + Petrinum €29300
4. the new COVID-19 school life – exchange of best practice.
The following is planned for, but the timeline for the realisation of it depends on the COVID-19 restrictions and governmental rules and procedures:
5. Students exchange with 15-20 Irish and 15-20 German students from Petrinum Gymnasium in Recklinghausen (near Duesseldorf).
6. One week for Irish students in Germany in November/December and one week for German partners in Scoil Mhuire Trim after our Easter break- including flights, 2 full day outings and 2 half day outings for students and accompanying teachers.
7. Accompanying teachers staying in a B&B/Hotel and students staying with Host families.
8. During the week in April (Germans coming to us) students could be experiencing in our school/lessons: German/Irish breakfast in Home Economics, Olympic Handball/Camogie in PE, Irish music and dancing in Music, History: German/Irish theme, etc.
9. exchange of good practice in Learning & Teaching between schools and teachers.
10. exchange of ideas for Green School/Sustainability between schools.
11. exchange of ideas in the development of ICT in Learning & Teaching, HW strategies, Remote Learning etc. between schools.
