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The Background
The Action Team Partnership Committee first began in St. Louis GNS in November 2013. It is an American initiative and is primarily the work of Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director of the Centre on School, Family and Community Partnerships for John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Our school was one of three pilot schools in Ireland to test the model on behalf of the National Parents' Council (NPC) and the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN)
What it does
The partnership is an opportunity for teachers, support staff, parents, pupils and community members to work together. The aim is to discuss the current work of the school and to find ways of supporting it. It focuses on four areas, two curricular, one behavioural and one which ensures that the school is a welcoming place. The curricular areas are drawn from the School Improvement Plan and the school's current work on School Self-Evaluation. The planning completed by teaching staff is not changed or altered in any way but further enhanced to ensure success. The partnership operates as a Think Tank to develop an Action Plan for the year. The plan has measurable and realistic targets. There is a focus on simplicity and taking small steps to ensure success. This group of people coming together to look at the work of the school and using their outside position to come up with fresh and interesting ideas to enhance this work ensures the success of the model.
The Committee 2017/18
6th class: Fausta & Kathy, 5th class: Ella L & Ella C, 4th class: Natalie & Melisa, 3rd class: Greta (missing from photo) & Angel, 2nd class: Rebecca, Karina & Caragh
Yearly Plan 2017-18
Academic Areas:
1. SESE- Environmental Awareness & Care
• Support the Green Schools' Committee in working towards the Water Flag
• Organise Water Conservation workshops for some classes
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. Reading
- Tips for Parents to support their children's reading at home to be published on the website.
- Read aloud story sessions facilitated by pupils from St. Louis Secondary School
- Vocabulary Building Challenge
Behavioural Area:
To help improve the quality of the children's play during outdoor and indoor (wet) playtime.
- Mindful Colouring
- Go Noodle
- Creating colourful backdrops for the yard e.g. doll’s house
Climate of Partnership-Making the School a more Welcoming Place
• Community-based Project.
• School Annals.
• Punctuality Drives.
• Hot Chocolate Stall at the Big Switch On.
The Committee 2016/17
Eve McNally, Lauren Dorris, Fausta Lekniute, Cathy Otsalt, Ella Lappin, Ella Connolly, Natalie Connolly, Melisa Rutkauskas, Greta Antimonovaite and Angel Ogbedeagu.
Yearly Plan 2016-17
Academic Areas:
1. SPHE- Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Support the HPS Committee
• Talk for parents from Mental Health Professionals.
• Using music to promote a calm atmosphere in the classroom.
• Positive mental health messages (posters from HSE).
• Continuing with Healthy Recipes on Newsletter.
2. Reading
• Tips for Parents to support their children's reading at home.
• Read aloud story sessions facilitated by pupils from St. Louis Secondary.
Behavioural Area:
• To help improve the quality of the children's play during outdoor and indoor (wet) playtime.
• Dancing.
• Go Noodle
Climate of Partnership-Making the School a more Welcoming Place
• Gratitude Tree.
• School Annals.
• Punctuality Drive.
• Hot Chocolate Stall at the Big Switch On.
The Committee 2015/16
This year's student committee members are Melisa Rutkaukas, Natalia Connolly, Ella Connolly, Ella Lappin, Victoria Sherry, Niamh Mc Guinness, Aoife Mc Skeane, Laura Smyth, Anna Mallen and Sophie Mallen
Yearly Plan 2015/2016
SPHE - Support the schools' SPHE focus. The school is ratifying a new Healthy Eating Policy and participating in the Health Promoting Schools Programme. It was decided that the ATP would work with these initiatives in various different areas from lunch box ideas to healthy recipes.
Maths Problem Solving - Support the school's Problem-Solving Focus. Tables are to be focused on and a book with the tables language will be given to parents.
Behavioural - Behaviour In The Playground. The student Committee will conduct a survey with each class group to see what activities they would like in the yard.
Climate of Partnership Change – Making the school a more welcoming place. The class groups are going to take one month each to display art work on the tree at the front of the school.
Thanks very much to each and every member of the adult team:
David Mc Cague, Anne Healy, Niamh Coyle, Laura Dunlop, Aurelija Miskinyte, Fionnuala Mc Carron, Fiona O' Gara, Maeve Hackett, Tracey Mullen, Bernie Farrell & Anna Mai Rooney
The Committee 2014/15
There are ten girls on our present Action Team Partnership, one to represent each class in the school. They are:
Ella Lappin and Ella Connolly in second class, Niamh Mc Guinness and Laura Smyth in third class, Victoria Sherry and Aoife Mc Skeane in fourth class, Sophie Mallen and Anna Mallen in 5th class and Sarah Douglas and Aimee Mc Carron in 6th class.
Meetings
The committee meet once a month beginning in October. The meetings last for one hour and are attended by both the adult and child members.
The Work achieved
Because we are working on Oral Language along with Tables and Mental Maths in numeracy, the group did the following:
• Developed Oral Language and Maths homework tips which were sent out to all parents
• Organised drama classes facilitated by a Lithuanian parent
• Organised an assembly on the etiquette of meeting and greeting
• Addressed the language needs of parents whose first language is not English by discussing their educational experiences and listening to their impressions of the Irish system
• Facilitated a Maths challenge each week and an awards system for the challenge
• Collected and published Maths facts to make Maths part of everyday living
To support the school's Anti-Bullying work, the Action Team Partnership assisted by:
• A review of the school's Anti-Bullying Plan
• School-wide promotion of the school's new approach to bullying
• Organisation of Anti-Bullying Week with parent workshops, pupil workshops, media reports, Smile and Compliment Day and a special assembly
Finally, to promote the school as a welcoming place for all, the partnership made the following changes:
• A new lay-out and presentation of newsletters
• Organised coffee mornings and talks for parents
• The organisation of new books for each classroom library
The Future
It is the linking of all our work in each area to the partnership and the extra time, resources and ideas brought to our planning which makes the ATP a great success in our school. This is our new way of doing business, one we hope to keep, improve and ensure continued success with in the future.
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