Greaghnafarna N.S. welcomes EU partners to Arigna

On Thursday, September 21, Greaghnafarna N.S welcomed European partners from Italy, Spain and Lithuania to the national school. The Principal, Michelle Doyle welcomed the partners from Europe with a red carpet entrance!

The partners are part of a European funded project known as Rural Virtual Classrooms. The aim of the project is to face educational deficiencies in rural areas.

It is a collaborative virtual space in real time where rural schools can support each other, filling their deficiencies in teacher’s shortage, content and activities immediately.

Members of the school's Board of Management, from left, Vincent McLoughlin (Chairperson), Dympna Daly-Finn, Laura McGreevy (teacher), Ruben Abascal, Michelle Doyle (Principal) and Mary Guihen (Treasurer)

The project offers exchange and demand of collaborative educational projects, teaching area of workshops / classes in real time (multigrade, multilingual classrooms), rural teachers Professional development and resources area and free access to all official schools registered.

Part of the project is to create a course curriculum which can be delivered to primary schools. The course curriculum has been created by an Irish teacher and is being pilot tested by primary schools in Italy, Spain and Lithuania.

Michelle and the schools Board of Management took the partners on a tour around the school, showcasing the amazing work that they have put into the school.

All the pupils from St Lasair's NS welcome the European partners from Italy, Spain and Lithuania

The sensory room was the first room that was shown. This room is intended to help children relax. There are colourful water tanks, a ball pit, and a tactile sensory wall.

Michelle went on to show the poly tunnel and explained that from March to June the students all get a chance to plant some vegetables which they get to bring home.

The children also got to create a design for the wall on the outside shed. This design was then sent to a professional artist who then painted the design onto the shed. The painting highlights and encapsulates the history of Arigna and the ethos of the school.

European partners from Italy, Spain and Lithuania with teachers and Board of Management, back, l-r, Ruben Abascal, Eduard Trepat and Aitana Fernandez (Spain), Laura McGreevy (teacher), Mary Guihen (Treasurer BOM), Vincent McLoughlin (Chairperon BOM), Genute Gedviliene (Educational Academy, Lithuania), Maria Fallon (teacher), Katie Brady (resource teacher) and Martina Earley (CEO, Roscommon Leader). Front, l-r, Miquel Camps (Spain), Dympna Daly-Finn (BOM), Vittoria Volterrani (Italy), Karin Volpato (Italy) and Michelle Doyle (Principal)

Inside the school the students had a chance to speak some Irish to the partners and to sing some songs that they had practised as part of their school choir. One of the songs was “My Arigna Home” which was written by Pat Conway, a native of Arigna.

The students also talked about the history and traditions of Arigna and how some of their family members used to work in the mines. The students also got the chance to ask the partners questions about primary schools in their countries.

Lastly the students got to show the European partners how to play Gaelic Football. They explained the rules and how it was native to Ireland.

Rose Mulvihill-Lynch, Mary Guihen and Patricia Lynch pictured in the school's new Sensory Room

Overall the day was a huge success and the partners were extremely thankful to Michelle, the Board of Management and the students for such a full and exciting day!

To learn more about the RVC project please visit the website at https://ruralvirtual classroom.eu/.