Hello everyone!
October is always a great month at school and this year was no different, as new and renewed friendships and connections made at the start of the year developed and deepened and everyone got stuck into doing the things that are interesting and fun for them. Students and staff were engaged in a huge range of activities and it was such a joy to observe. Around every corner you turn at school, you can find groups of people of varying ages or individual children deeply engaged in a passionate pursuit. They might be reading, drawing, computing, cooking, calculating, running, watching a butterfly or chatting with friends, but whatever it is, they are leading their own learning and managing their day in their own way. The power of play is evident throughout the day with children of all ages playing at imaginative games and practising mastery of a myriad of skills. Through this unlimited opportunity to play they develop a whole host of competencies in an integrated and holistic way.
is year was no different, as new and renewed friendships and connections made at the start of the year developed and deepened and everyone got stuck into doing the things that are interesting and fun for them. Students and staff were engaged in a huge range of activities and it was such a joy to observe. Around every corner you turn at school, you can find groups of people of varying ages or individual children deeply engaged in a passionate pursuit. They might be reading, drawing, computing, cooking, calculating, running, watching a butterfly or chatting with friends, but whatever it is, they are leading their own learning and managing their day in their own way. The power of play is evident throughout the day with children of all ages playing at imaginative games and practising mastery of a myriad of skills. Through this unlimited opportunity to play they develop a whole host of competencies in an integrated and holistic way.
We had a number of thoroughly enjoyable local outings this month. One student suggested a hike to a local triple ring fort that he had visited before and wanted to share with his friends. Another group visited the local Hyde Bridge Gallery ECHO art exhibition and explored the art there in a fun and interactive visit that included speed sketching and recording their impressions. As part of Maths week we joined a number of other schools at a lecture in the ATU on Maths and Magic with Dr. Fernando Blasco, a mathematician and lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, interested in recreational maths and magic. He used magic to introduce us to topics such as prime numbers, knot theory, sudoku, topology, number systems, mind games, calendars and quick calculations.
We were delighted to be invited to talk on Ireland AM and to be given a short but sweet chance to explain the concept of Democratic Education. Huge thanks to our student, staff and parent volunteers for participating in this and to our extended community and friends for all of your messages of support and gratitude. It was a great opportunity to share a little about the benefits of this model of education through the medium of TV. Many people are unaware that they have options in education and it is important work for us and a shared goal of ours, along with the other established Democratic Schools in Ireland, to grow public awareness of the power and possibility of Self-Directed Learning.
An important and insightful statement was given by our student who, when asked what she wanted to do after school, explained that whatever she decided to do, she knew she would be supported both by her family and her school.
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