UNICEF Rights Respecting School

RIGHTS…RESPECTING…and US!!!!

Our school came into being on September 1 2014.

Everyone involved with the school at that time had their own vision but when drawing up the school Code all agreed that we wanted everyone to be Gentle, Fair, Generous, Well mannered, Hardworking and Honest. These attributes are interwoven through everything we do in St. Clare’s Abbey Primary School. They are at the core; and our constant focus in putting children at the forefront, heart and culmination of any and all our decision making is overriding.

Therefore, based on our strong foundations we wanted to embed children’s rights into our ethos, culture, policies and daily practice.

We applied for Rights Respecting status because in doing so we would be putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of our planning, policies, practice and ethos and very importantly we would unequivocally give all our children a voice and a platform so that they could express their opinions.

A Rights respecting school not only teaches about children’s rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between staff and pupils, between staff and staff and between pupils.

RRSA is based on principles of equality, dignity, respect non-discrimination and participation.

To find out more about the Rights Respecting Schools Award please visit: http://www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa

Recognition of Commitment

After registering our school, the first stage of the RRSA was obtaining the Recognition of Commitment (ROC). The RRSA was introduced initially to the school community – staff, pupils, governors, parents and to the wider community.

A steering group composing of adults and children was formed to guide, promote and develop the Rights Respecting initiative throughout the school. Procedures were put in place for monitoring the impact of the initiative.

One of the first undertakings we the Steering Group did was to create a mascot. We wanted a mascot that would draw the interest and ignite the curiosity of all the staff, parents and most importantly the pupils.

Our mascot had to be child friendly, had to impress the pupils, have the ability to communicate the Articles and generate positivity.

A sub-committee made up with pupil members of the Steering Group and led by Mrs Sloan worked on this challenge.

After a number of sessions they came up with our mascot,

‘Pop the Peacock’…

They finished it off with a matching slogan, ‘Rights for all…’

Going Forward

RR Steering Group

Our Rights Respecting Steering Group has a very important role in raising awareness of the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) and promoting the awareness of children’s rights in St. Clare’s Abbey.

In our Steering Group meetings, all members work hard to ensure that UNCRC Article 12 ‘You have a right to give your opinion, and for adults to listen and take it seriousl ’ is always top of our agenda.

By working together, we seek to ensure that all stakeholders have an opportunity to have their views heard and grow in confidence and knowledge when discussing the UNCRC and its impact on our daily lives. We work closely with our School Council, Anti Bullying Ambassadors, ECO committee and Digital leaders to strengthen the voices of children both inside and outside school

Our New Primary One's

Having A Say

Our Class Charters

Keeping Fit and Healthy

Well done to Mr Digney who along with Healthy Kidz organized a wonderful day on how to keep active. They put all our boys and girls and staff members through their paces. During assembly they told us of the importance of health care and nutritious food in order to stay healthy. (Article 24)

Many pupils from P1 to P7 shared their experiences of joining groups and clubs in order to stay active such as Camogie, Football, Irish Dancing, Karate and much more. The pupils then enjoyed a full day fitness marathon supervised by Healthy Kidz and enjoyed healthy, nutritious fruit provided by Neighbourhood Renewal.

This big workout helped raise vital funds to help us promote healthy lifestyles and encourage positive eating habits. (Article 31)

Donation to Southern Area Hospice Services

October 8 2018

We Have a Right to be Alive

Miss Amy Mc Keown from Southern Area Hospice Services received a cheque from members of the School Council. At the beginning of every year the Council members choose which charities they are going to help and then organise fund raisers. The Steering Group with the help of the School Council used this visit to highlight Articles 6 and 24 of the UNCRC.

Each class discussed the important role hospitals, doctors, nurses and other health care workers play in our lives; the reasons why our school insists on our snack being fruit or vegetables; the reason why chips are only served on one day per week in the Dining Hall. Everyone agreed that we all have a RESPONSIBILITY to live healthy lives and not become unwell because of a bad diet or lack of exercise.

Article 24 states that every child has the right to the best possible health, safe water to drink, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment and information to help you stay well.

Nurses Julie Laverty and Kathleen Mc Ateer from The National Health Service visited KS2 pupils on October 18 to talk about Healthy Living and also to give the boys and girls their Flu Vaccine.

Each year, viruses that are most likely to cause flu are identified in advance and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends which type of flu virus strains to include in the vaccine. This is one of the ways that the government ensures that our health is being looked after.

The nurses discussed the importance of daily exercise, eating the recommended portions of fruit and vegetables, eating a healthy breakfast, drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day and getting 10 hours sleep each night.

We have the right to the best…

October 29 2018

Our school teamed up with STATSports to try out the latest performance monitoring devices used by elite sports teams. These are worn by athletes during practice games and matches to collect intricate data on their performance and physical wellbeing.

Teams in the English Premier League, La Liga, the NFL, NBA and other professional sporting leagues use STATSports’ performance trackers to gather and analyse real-time player and team data during training and games to help them improve performance, strategy and reduce injuries.

We enjoyed learning about the cutting edge technology and sport science which has changed the way elite sport is played, coached, measured and analysed.

Articles 31 and 24 help ensure we are part of the FUTURE!!!!!!

Pictured are Primary 7 pupils with Stephen Bradley from STATSports using specialised equipment to enhance performance and improve physical wellbeing.

Anti - Bullying Week 2018

This week all children from Nursery through to Year 7 were involved in the school's Anti-Bullying Programme; looking at how St. Clare’s Abbey can continue to provide a safe and happy place to learn where all the children feel secure.

All classes studied and discussed Articles 15 and 19 and agreed that everyone has a responsibility to make sure children experience their rights as well as making rights a reality.

Fantastic Anti- Bullying posters were produced by pupils in all year groups sending a clear message that Bullying is not tolerated in our school.

The week culminated in an assembly led by a collaboration of the Anti- Bullying Ambassadors, UNICEF Rights Respecting School Pupil Steering Group and Digital Leaders. The assembly gave children an opportunity to listen and learn from their peers on the various types of bullying, what pupils should do if they feel they are being bullied and what they can do to stop it. The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, the Rights Resting Steering Group and Digital Leaders all spoke passionately and reinforced their message with two videos on Bullying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybwC6vQ0nY0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S03Br1dwJR8

This week was very important, but at St. Clare’s Abbey we know that we are all against bullying every week.

All agreed we must 'Stamp Out Bullying' for good.

Christmas and Advent Around the World

We have in our school many children whose parents have come to Ireland in search of a new and better life. These boys and girls along with their parents have enriched and opened our minds to countries which for many seemed to be on the other side of the world. Quite a number of these parents were quite keen to share with everyone their Christmas and Advent Traditions. So the Rights Respecting Steering Group organised a ‘Christmas and Advent Around the World’ event in school with the focus on Articles 14 and 30.

Article 14

You have the right to choose your own religion

and beliefs. Your parents should help you decide

what is right and wrong, and what is best for

you.

Article 30

You have the right to practice your own culture,

language and religion - or any you choose.

Minority and indigenous groups need special

protection of this right.

It was a brilliant event! The boys and girls enjoyed learning about the various traditions that take place in so many children’s homes prior to Christmas. They enjoyed sampling the many varieties of food that are enjoyed by so many of their friends. Our parents from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Italy, Philippines, Bangladesh, Russia, China, Germany, USA, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Moldova and of course Ireland went to great lengths to ensure that the Christmas and Advent traditions of their home country were proudly displayed. Some parents sent in traditional costumes which are worn over the Christmas season.

December 2018

St Clare's Abbey Shoe Box Appeal For The Homeless

Homelessness

Why is having a home so important?

We believe that having a place to call home is the most fundamental of human rights.

‘Home’ is a powerful word. It means many things to many people. At its most basic, we believe that the word ‘home’ means a safe and secure place where you can truly be yourself.

We all take having a home for granted. But imagine if you woke up tomorrow to the news that you’d lost your home. What would you do? Where would you go? What would it mean for your job? What would it mean for your children’s schooling?

Imagine not having a say in when you’d like to go to sleep. Imagine not having cooking facilities. When you don’t have a home, every mundane, routine aspect of your day becomes another hurdle to overcome. And now imagine you have a young family to look after, and you’re in nightmare territory.

The right to housing is recognized by the United Nations (Article 25 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and the UN has been active in highlighting homelessness as a violation of human rights.

Homelessness has been a long-running problem in Ireland, despite numerous pledges from politicians to tackle the crisis. Every night many are forced to sleep rough on the streets, especially in Dublin, Belfast and even in our own town of Newry because they can't find a suitable bed for the night. Listen to some of the personal stories from the homeless.

http://homelessnessinireland.ie/personal-stories-3/

The UNICEF Rights Respecting Steering Group agreed that there was a strong link between Article 27 and the issue of homelessness. They had no hesitation in agreeing to promote and support local homeless people through the Newry Helping the Homeless (NHTH) Christmas Shoe Box Appeal.

Article 27

You have the right to food, clothing, a safe

place to live and to have your basic needs met.

You should not be disadvantaged so that you

can't do many of the things other kids can do.

The shoe boxes were designed to help those living on the street and in order that the boxes contained a variety of necessities each class was requested to bring in a particular item.

P1/P2 pupils brought in crisps and biscuits; P3 pupils brought in cans and bottles of soft drinks; P4 pupils brought in tins of food; P5 + ECPD pupils brought in sweets; P6 pupils brought in hygiene products; P7 pupils brought in items of clothing.

The response from our parents and pupils was amazing. The UNICEF Rights Respecting Steering Group were able to fill over 100 Shoe boxes which were collected, dispatched and delivered to the needy by Newry Helping the Homeless.

Support For The Hospice At Christmas

We Have the Right to Life

Mr John Dalzell, an ambassador and a treasured volunteer for Southern Area Hospice has devoted 27 years to sitting out on Hill Street Newry raising much needed funds. Members of the Rights Respecting Steering Group visited John’s Trailer during the duration of his Sit Out to offer their support and to highlight Article 6. John was very appreciative of the support and has promised to come to visit the school in the new year to talk to the children about the Hospice and his work.

Global Learning

Rights for Everyone

Article 1

Everyone under 18 has these rights.

Article 2

All children have these rights, no matter who

they are, where they live, what their parents do,

what language they speak, what their religion is,

whether they are a boy or girl, what their culture

is, whether they have a disability, whether they

are rich or poor. No child should be treated

unfairly on any basis.

Miss Katie Mc Ardle, a past pupil and third-year student in Trinity College Dublin led an Assembly as part of our Global Learning Curriculum. She recently visited India through her voluntary work with Suas.

Suas is an Irish Charity that works both in Ireland and Internationally (India, Kenya and Zambia) in deprived areas. Suas believes that through literacy change is possible.

Katie went to Kolkata, India for 11 weeks during the summer of 2018 (June-Sept). She worked with a partner organisation of Suas in Kolkata called the Thoughtshop Foundation.

She worked in Youth Resources Cells (YRCs) along with her team of 9 others. The YRCs work with children in rural and urban communities in Kolkata. The Youth Resource Cells provide sustained holistic support and protection against child trafficking, abuse, child marriage as well as instilling values of gender equality and inclusion. The Thoughtshop focuses on social issues such as Children’s Rights, Youth Issues, Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equity and Adolescent Health.

The pupils of St Clare’s Abbey Primary School helped Katie raise £2,995 putting into action Article 28 ‘richer countries helping poorer countries’. She showed the pupils photographs of life in India and described vividly the conditions that children experience every day. Katie then challenged our children to compare their lives with the lives of the children from India.