On the 22nd March 2012, the Regional Training Unit (RTU) for N Ireland, celebrated its final graduation for the Online Learning and Teaching for Educators (OLTE) Programme in the Craigantlet Room, Stranmillis University College Belfast.  This year seventy six post-primary teachers from across Northern Ireland schools, including Head of Irish at St Paul’s, Miss Ciara McCoy successfully completed the RTU’s Online Learning and Teaching for Educators (OLTE) Programme.  The keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony was Mr John Anderson, Managing Inspector ETI.  Mr Anderson paid tribute to the success and quality OLTE has achieved over the years, in particular he said, “One of OLTE’s strategic gains has been to disseminate OLTE graduates’  e-learning knowledge and skills and consequently widen curriculum choice and foster collaboration across schools.   And in that it has been most successful Because of OLTE, We are set up for online and digital success “.

The Regional Training Unit (RTU) developed the OLTE programme in 2003 to meet the Department of Education’s (DE) requirement for a continuous professional development (CPD) programme that would help address the overarching goal of the Education Technology Strategy “That all young people should be learning, with, through and about the use of digital and online technologies”.

The OLTE programme, which focuses on the development of online tutors skills, is accredited at Level 4 by the National Open College Network.  The participants complete 3 progressively challenging units:  Unit 1- Introduction to Online Tutor Skills, Unit 2 – Design, implement and tutor an online lesson and Unit 3 – Design, implement and tutor an online programme.  To date the final number of OLTE graduates is 154 teachers from 95 post primary schools.  They have provided more than 2000 participants with first-hand experience of learning in an online environment.

From 2007/08 the Department of Education funded post-primary teachers’ places on the OLTE programme.  Teachers were able to avail of a CPD programme which requires them to reflect on their practice, develop resources, plan for delivery, teach and assess their pupils in an online environment.  This valuable CPD opportunity allows teachers to revisit many of the GTC Professional Competences and can be used towards Performance Review and Staff Development (PRSD) requirements.  The current OLTE Graduates developed and delivered a variety of online courses to pupils from across a range of post-primary schools including, for example, aspects of GCSE Music, GCSE Geography, GCSE Irish, and AS Psychology.

The Online Learning and Teaching for Educators (OLTE) Programme has now come to an end but there is a significant pool of qualified teachers within the education sector who are in a position to continue developing online courses for schools.  This is evidenced by the OLTE Graduates who have gone on to develop online courses in AS Product Design, AS French, GCSE Irish, AS History and BTec Engineering for blended-course delivery.

Once again, as part of St Paul’s High School Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations, a successful Céilí was held in the school Assembly Hall.   With the expert Catherine McAnulty as bean an tí, and music provided by the Gold Ring Céilí Band, a great night has had by the large crowd attending.  Our photos from the night are below, and our highlights video.

Pictured above is some Céilí action at St Paul’s 

Below are some photos from the night:

Video below: Highlights from the St Paul’s Céilí night:

Students in Year 9 enjoyed a Tráth na gCeist Mór (Bumper Table Quiz) for Seachtain na Gaeilge recently.  Questions were posed by Fear a’tí, Mr Murray and the winning team came from the boys of 9/28, 9/92 and 9/82.  Mr Burns presented Easons vouchers to the winning team, and Easter eggs to the runners up.

Mr Burns, Vice-principal congratulates the winners of the annual Year 9 Irish language quiz

Below few photos during the quiz: 

A Level students of Irish at St Paul’s High School and St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen, along with guest speakers, Tomaí Ó Conghaile (Journalist), Niall Comer (Lecturer at University of Ulster), Lynette Fay (Broadcaster & Producer, BBC), Head of Irish Miss Ciara McCoy  and Irish teacher Mr Stephen Quinn.

Year 13 and Year 14 students of Irish at St Paul’s High and St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen, had the opportunity to discuss career opportunities in Irish with three distinguished guest speakers who visited the school as part of Seachtain na Gaeillge celebrations.  Tomaí Ó Conghaile, a journalist and TV presenter who hails from Cloghogue, Lynette Fay, producer and presenter with BBC Northern Ireland, and lecturer at the University of Ulster, Niall Comer, discussed their careers and backgrounds and answered questions as Gaeilge from the interested students.

Some photos below which were captured during the event, and scroll down for video footage of the three guest speakers’ remarks.

BBC Broadcaster, Lynette Fay 

Journalist, Tomaí Ó Conghaile

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge faoi lánseoil in Ardscoil Naomh Pól, An Sruthán.  Féach ar chlár na n-imeachtaí thíos.

Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish week) is well underway in St Paul’s, Bessbrook.  Have a look at our list of events below.

It was wet and windy when the St. Paul’s girls arrived at Killeeshill on Wednesday 16th of May, to meet St. Fanchea’s from Enniskillen in the Ulster final.

Both teams knew from the first whistle this was not going to be easily won.  It was over 8 minutes into the first half when Colleen McVeigh managed to put the first score over the bar for St. Paul’s.

It wasn’t long until the second score was over the bar and without a doubt St. Paul’s began to rally, and dominate the possession and the scores.   The halftime whistle blew and St. Paul’s lead 3.05 to 0.01.  However this did not truly reflect the possession and zeal that St. Fanchea’s had played with.

The second half commenced, and St. Fanchea’s came out running at St. Paul’s, quickly knocking in two goals in succession.  This was definitely a wake up call for St. Paul’s and Brianne and Hannah had to work hard at the mid-field to win possession and move the ball to the forwards.

Ellen Daly and Gemma O’Callaghan were caught alone in the goal again and St. Fanchea’s had a third gaol in the back on the net despite the valiant efforts to keep the ball out.

St. Paul’s challenged every ball, but fresh legs were needed, Rachel Rigney and Cliodhna Sloan ran on to support the back line.  St. Paul’s rose again and Aoibheann Jones received the ball to score two points.
The final score was St. Paul’s 3.09 to St. Fanchea’s 4.02, player of the match was awarded to Rebecca Gamble, and well deserved as she undoubtedly give 100% on the day.

Múinteoirí agus scoláirí Ardscoil Naomh Pól, An Sruthán ag ócáid bhronnta GLEO i mBaile Átha Cliath

Staff and students from Ardscoil Naomh Pól travelled to Dublin to receive the All-Ireland GLEO award for Irish language.

The school was presented the award by Mr Pat Carey, TD, Minister for Community Affairs, Equality and the Gaeltacht at a special awards ceremony in the Alexander Hotel, Dublin.

Receiving the award, students Oisín Mac Murchaidh, Caoilfhionn Nic Eoin-Manus and Alannah O’Hanlon were congratulated by Minister Carey for their efforts in promoting Irish and encouraging their friends and classmates to speak it.  Teachers, Dáithí Ó Muirí, Stiofán Ó Coinne and Ciara Nic Aodha, accompanied the students and paid tribute to the hard work by all the students of Irish in promoting the national language.

The GLEO award, which is accompanied by a prize of £3000, will be used by Ardscoil Naomh Pól to further strengthen Irish within the school.

Éist le hagallamh a rinne Louise McCreesh ó ‘Blas’ ar BBC Raidió Uladh le scoláirí agus le múinteoirí Ardscoil Naomh Pól

Is cúis áthais agus bróid do scoláirí agus do mhúinteoirí Ardscoil Naomh Pól, An Sruthán an chéad áit a fháil i gcomórtas GLEO, de chuid Fhoras na Gaeilge.

The students and staff of St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook are proud and delighted today on receiving the news that the school has been awarded first place in the All-Ireland ‘GLEO’ competition (Gaeilge Labhartha san Earnáil Oideachais), which is run by Foras na Gaeilge in primary and post-primary schools throughout Ireland.

This prestigious award carries a prize of £3000 and will be presented to the school on 12 May at a special ceremony in Dublin.

The competition is open to primary and post-primary schools all across the island, and it is a tremendous achievement for St Paul’s to win first prize at our first attempt.

This is the second year in succession the first prize has come North. Last year’s winners were the staff and students of Thornhill College, Derry.

The judges who visited St Paul’s during Seachtain na Gaeilge were very impressed by the way the Irish language is prominently used throughout the school, and with the ease the students they met conversed with them, and expressed their enthusiasm for the language. The school’s investment in innovative online platforms was also highlighted as an area of outstanding achievement.

Irish teacher at St Paul’s, Mr Dáithí Murray, speaking on hearing the news said, “We’re delighted with this award, and very proud of our students. The Irish Department at St Paul’s continues to go from strength to strength and the hard work, dedication and commitment of our students to the Irish language has been recognised and rewarded with this achievement.”

Tuilleadh eolais faoin bhua iontach seo ar ball / More information about this terrific achievement later.

The students of Irish Drama Group at St Paul’s High School were celebrating this weekend with the news that they had reached the All-Ireland finals of An Féile Scoildrámaíochta, the Irish Schools Drama Festival.

Their play, Áras an Rún, adapted from an original script by Ré Ó Laighléis, was highly praised by the adjudicator, Helen, Bean Mhic Ruairí, at the Ulster finals of the competition held in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh.

Bean Mhic Ruairí complimented the students on the effectiveness of their characterisations, the clarity of their delivery and the slickness of the production.  She wished the Drama group well as they progress to the All-Ireland finals which take place in Mullingar, County Westmeath after Easter.

The Michael Warde Library was the location for this year’s Foram Plé, a discussion forum for senior students of Irish, which is part of Seachtain na Gaeilge.

The theme of the discussion was ‘Cad é atá i ndán dom leis an Ghaeilge?’ and the students heard from three very interesting speakers who shared their own personal story and experience of learning Irish and how it benefitted them in later life.

The first speaker was local man Réamann Ó Ciaráin, Bainisteoir Chúige Uladh with Gael-Linn, who spoke about his youth growing up in Crossmaglen, and his work with all-Ireland language body Gael-Linn.  Past pupil, and TV and radio producer and presented Céara Ní Choinn was the second speaker, and Céara spoke about her experiences learning Irish at St Paul’s, and how this encouraged her to continue her studies at university.  Céara talked about her experience in working in various different media roles, and how having Irish was an additional advantage.

The third speaker was Niall Comer, Uachtarán Chomhaltas Uladh and lecturer at University of Ulster, Coleraine.  Niall spoke of how his family was steeped in Irish culture and how, again his early days and experiences of learning Irish helped him to develop a deep love for the language.

A lively discussion continued after the speakers.