Who is on the European Development Team 2023/2024?
2nd Class: Caoimhe Fitzgerald & Lochlan McCarthy
3rd class: Freya Roche and Tamara Williams O'Grady
4th class: Evan Whelehan & Harry Neville
5th: Cian Millar & Olly Waters
6th class: Nathan Rooney & Scott Murphy
Here is our European Development Team this year:
What is the European Development Team?
We set up our first European Development Team (EDT) in 2019 in our school. Every September pupils from 2nd - 6th classes are asked if they would like to run for the election to be on the European Development Team. Pupils must put forward their plan/manifesto outlining all the things they want to do to be a voice for pupils on this team. Pupils in each class vote for and elect the pupils they think will make a difference.
The Principal works with the newly elected EDT. She guides them on how a committee runs and the positions of Chairperson & Secretary are elected by the committee. The Committee meet once every month.
The aim of the EDT is to build awareness about European education and to develop European activities, events and policies in our school. A very small percentage of our pupil population in this school come from outside of Ireland so we want to build links with European schools to make our school a more inclusive and culturally diverse place.
Another aim is to help the school develop their Erasmus objectives. We have an Erasmus Plan for our school where we want to build links with European schools. We have received funding for Erasmus projects. In 2021/2022 12 members of staff travelled to visit schools in Europe. In 2022/2023 pupils and staff travelled to schools in Europe. This year staff will travel to Sweden, Denmark and France to visit schools. There will be continued funding for projects like these so that, over the years, all classes will have a chance to travel when they are in 5th/6th classes. You can follow our Erasmus journey on our website here: http://ballymittyns.ie/page/European-Projects/82919/Index.html
Our EDT help to promote the aims and objectives of these Erasmus projects.
The EDT team is led by the school Principal Audrey McCarthy.
What will the EDT do for our school this year?
- Our EDT will sit and develop a committee with a Chairperson & Secretary elected. They will then plan the yearly events and activities which they will promote through this website, newsletters etc.
- The EDT will actively follow the staff who will go on different mobilities this year to Sweden, Denmark and France.
- The EDT will prepare a programme of events and activities for our Spanish Erasmus visitors in November 2023 (14th = 16th) and our French Erasmus Visitors in November 2023.
- The EDT will help to organise Safer Internet Week for the month of February where they will promote safer and less use of the internet through a motto that they will create.
- The team will also get ready to host our 4th Erasmus School Week in May 2024. During this week the team will build an Erasmus corner where we can put up ideas about any special events in our school such as Erasmus School Week etc.
- The EDT will organise Inclusion and Diversity week from May 20th - 24th and organise activities, speakers, events and competitions to promote inclusion and to celebrate difference in our school.
- Our EDT team will organise a celebration around Europe Day on Thursday May 9th 2024.
- Some of the members of the EDT will help in the preparation of a Parents' information session to promote Erasmus+ and to inform parents about what is happening in our school to promote Europe.
- Finally, our EDT will ensure that pupils and staff in Ballymitty NS are active participants in Europe!