Warm welcome for European teachers

Arriving from Italy, Poland, England, Turkey and Spain, the Multi-lateral Comenius team was welcomed by hand crafted bunting and eager students and staff. St Mary’s, who joined the Comenius Programme last year has established strong links with the European partners and were delighted to host the teachers.

Emma Moore, project manager for St Mary’s, said that being part of the Comenius project is a great opportunity to show what they had to offer and also a chance for them to learn from the partner schools.

She said: “This year it was our turn to host a visit from our European partners and this included visiting our school and trips to places of interest in our locality and within the North.”

Their project, “Small Feet, Big Steps” is a two year campaign which involves the whole school and focuses on sharing and exchanging ideas in areas such as tourism, culture, the environment and geographical features.

Also, since St Mary’s already has a Polish student base, the project helped pupils to learn about and remain close to Polish culture.

Speaking about the project, St Mary’s Principal, Mr Des O’Hagan, said it was a great experience for everybody at the school and he hoped that friendships which formed from the visit will continue. He added: “Being part of the “Small Feet, Big Steps” project is a is a great opportunity for the staff and pupils here at the school to extend their horizions, the entire school got to participate and learn.”