Happy Christmas from Google!
Just for fun! Go to Google, type let it snow in the box and click search. Then wait and see what happens!
Save Our Languages!
A selection of articles from the national press urging Minister Quinn to reverse his decision to abolish the MLPSI.
Modern Languages Initiative is Vital -The Irish Examiner THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011
Lost for Words – The Irish Times - Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thousands speak out over language cuts – The Independent, Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Reaction to education cuts in the Budget
The cutting of modern languages in primary school must be one of the most short-sighted policies in the Budget. The €2.5 million that the scheme cost will not be saved but transferred to another area of the Dept and some of the teachers involved (part-timers) will end up on the dole making this cut a net cost for the Dept.
– politics.ie
On-line Petition
A reminder to all staff, parents, pupils, past pupils and the wider community to sign the online petition to save the Modern Languages Initiatives. We would love to continue teaching French in our school. Please sign a petition to urge Minister Quinn to change this decision! http://tinyurl.com/mlpsi
Save Our Languages!
Pupils can protest by contacting the News2day programme on RTE (Email: news2day@rte.ie Text: Text the word news2day, followed by your comment, to 51101) as a way of having their say against the Minister’s decision to abolish the Modern Languages in the Primary School.
Budget Education Cuts
The budget announcements included a proposal to abolish the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative. We support modern languages in over 550 schools nationally with a core team of just 6 people. We provide training, resources and school-based support as well as funding over 250 visiting teachers who deliver the programme in schools nationwide….all within a budget of under €2 million.
In terms of policy, we are already years behind our commitments under the Barcelona Agreement and the Lisbon Strategy – these agreements called for systems to be in place to facilitate early language learning of at least two foreign languages by 2010 .….Even more incredibly, all EU countries, including Ireland, ratified recommendations in NOVEMBER 2011 in which we have pledged to “step up their efforts” to implement the Barcelona Agreement. As recently as October the Royal Irish Academy published their National Languages Strategy which called for “the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (to)be integrated into the mainstream curriculum, as strongly recommended by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (2005) and the Council of Europe Policy Profile (2008) document, rather than being limited to extra-curricular time and to a portion of schools”. The most recent strategy and action plan issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation argues that ‘the main challenge for Ireland…is to become a truly multilingual society, where the ability to learn and use two or more languages is taken for granted and fostered at every stage of the education system and through lifelong education”. In such difficult economic times, how can this decision be justified??? Over 14 years of expertise will be lost to the system and a whole generation of our children will be placed at an even greater disadvantage as they try to compete for jobs with our fellow Europeans. Please sign our petition below to urge the Minister to reconsider his decision. – From Tanya Flanagan, Director MLPSI
Screen NS has taught French as a part of the Modern Languages Initiative for the past four years at no cost to the Department. We see how learning a modern language benefits our students, especially in the leap to secondary school. Screen NS is extremely disappointed at this proposal but it is not too late to have this proposal reversed. We would ask all Parents, students both past and present and the wider school community to click on the link below and register your protest against this proposal.
Click on this link to sign the petition. http://tinyurl.com/mlpsi
Dig In!
As you all know we have some serious gardeners in our school and I’m sure you all had a taste of our potatoes on Sports Day! A big thank you to the Somers-Cashens for their help! We didn’t just grow potatoes this year, we also grew turnips, onions and carrots!
Reuben the Entertainer
Reuben the Entertainer visited Screen NS in our last week at school as a special treat from the Parents Association. Reuben was very funny and kept students and teachers alike very entertained!
A HUGE Thank You
5th and 6th class would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Jonathan Derham for coming to speak to us all about geology and his work. Click on: Thank You!
Rugby!
We had a visit today from our Tag Rugby trainer Noel Ferguson. Noel had a special surprise for us, the Heineken Cup! 
Award of Science and Maths Excellence
Screen NS just received confirmation that we have been awarded our fourth Award of Science and Maths Excellence! Well done to the Science Committee for all their hard work throughout the year. Click on AOSME2011SNS to see just a small amount of the work from each class which we completed over the year. Also go to Primary Science to find out more as well clicking on the science page on this blog. Well done everyone!
