Category Archives: human-rights

International Mother Language Day – 21st February 2014

human-rights, School Events

Human rights education is one of the key aspects of the Learn Together curriculum for Educate Together schools. In Balbriggan ETNS, we do a lot of work on human rights – not just during our Human Rights Month of October but right throughout the year! 

 

One of the rights highlighted in both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the right to a language. 

 

To celebrate International Mother Language Day on the 21st February, we decided to do a video project celebrating the first languages of the members of our school community (including English and Irish of course!). 

 

We asked the families who spoke different languages to translate some key phrases from English into their first language. The student council then assisted one of the teachers to collect together the children who chose to be identified with the different linguistic groups (and of course who wanted to participate in the project!) to create a video of them teaching others some key words in their language or singing the song Frére Jacques in their language (for those who were so inclined). 

 

Huge and heartfelt thanks to all the children and families who participated for sharing their languages with us! 

 

Check out the project here!

http://languagesinbetns.weebly.com/

 

Human Rights Month 2013

human-rights

Our 9th Annual Human Rights Month was a huge success again this year with every child enjoying a range of lessons on the nine grounds of equality, educational visits, guest speakers, workshops and many more exciting events.   Have a look at the photos of Mícheál’s Sixth Class participating in a Capoeira workshop; Clare’s Class participating in a blindfolded obstacle course and Mary’s Fourth Class enjoying a presentation by Niamh’s mother, Margaret Grogan of Focus Ireland on homelessness in Ireland.

See below for the full Human Rights Month 2013 schedule of events.

 

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blindfolded obstacle course clare clares class 5 clares class obstacle course clares class class class caporeria disability clares class

 

Human Rights Month 2013 Schedule of Events

  • Referendum run by the Student Council: “Are children’s rights respected in Balbriggan?”
  • Sixth Class debate on the referendum
  • Sixth Class media team interviewing students about the referendum
  • Referendum blog on the school’s website
  • Assemblies on the History of Capoeira and Human Rights
  • Assemblies on the Parent’s Association Quilt Stories with Fintan
  • Workshop for staff on “The Third Culture Child” by Livingstone Thompson
  • Talk on living with a disability with Jane’s Uncle
  • Equality art project with Leon
  • Capoeira workshop
  • UNICEF Speaker Nikita White
  • Visit to Irish Aid offices
  • Fairtrade cookery demonstration for parents
  • Focus Ireland speaker Margaret Grogan
  • Trip to Balbriggan Library for children in Third to Sixth Classes to select books with an equality theme (wtih Cathal and Jackie)
  • Student Council meeting with the Board of Management
  • Self-Expression Day
  • Rights Factor Concert
  • Art workshop with Amnesty International
  • Drama workshop on equality with Joanna
  • Student Council elections

 

 

 

 

Referendum Interviews

human-rights, Uncategorized

As part of our 9th Annual  Human Rights Month,  all 400 children were invited to vote in our Referendum ‘Are our Children’s Rights respected in the Balbriggan ?’

60% of children voted “Yes, our Children’s Rights are respected in Balbriggan.

40%  of children voted “No, our Children’s Rights are not respected in Balbriggan”

Throughout the month of October, a media team from Sixth Class (Ava, Olamikun, Laragh and Luka) did a fantastic job recording and editing interviews with children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class to hear their opinion on children’s rights in Balbriggan.  Click on any of the videos below to hear what they had to say.

 

 

 

Fairtrade Cookery Demonstration

human-rights, Uncategorized

The parents of BETNS had a double treat during Human Rights Month when two of the BETNS Fairtrade Masterchef 2013 winners kindly demonstrated how to cook two delicious mouth-watering dishes.

If you’d like to try your hand at being a Masterchef, have a look at Veronica’s Canadian Cookies recipe or Sreevidhya’s Chicken Jalfrezi recipe below.  Enjoy!

 

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Veronica’s Canadian Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

100g plain flour, 75g porridge oats, 25g desiccated coconut, 100g margarine, 100g granulated Fairtrade sugar, one tablespoon of Fairtrade golden syrup,  1/2 teaspoon of bread soda, one tablespoon of hot water

  • Mix flour, oats and coconut
  • Melt margarine, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and remove from heat
  • Stir in flour mixture
  • Dissolve bread soda in hot water and stir into mixture
  • Drop teaspoonful of the mixture on to well-greased baking sheets, well apart to allow spreading
  • Cook in a moderate oven (350 deg.F – Mark 4) for 12-15 minutes until golden brown
  • Leave on baking sheets for 1 minute, then remove from baking sheets and cool on a wire rack.

Sreevidhya’s Chicken Jalfrezi

Two chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), two onions, two tomatoes, two tablespoons of tomato puree, one inch of ginger, two cloves of garlic, two green chillis, mixed peppers, 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder, a pinch of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed black pepper, one teaspoon of salt, two or three chopped coriander leaves, Fairtrade olive oil.

**Some Fairtrade spices are available from the list above

  • Marinate the chicken breast with tumeric, salt and black pepper and leave it covered in the fridge for twenty mins
  • Heat up a little oil in a pan and cook the marinated chicken breasts slightly then leave to one side
  • In the same pan, add a little more oil and when hot add chopped onion
  • Saute for a few minutes until golden brown
  • Add ginger and garlic paste (using a blender make a paste of one clove of garlic and ginger), chopped green chillis and put in all the dry spices
  • Now add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, salt, pepper and a little water.  Leave for a few seconds to let them blend into a paste
  • Return the chicken to the pan and cook for a few minutes
  • Now add peppers and put a lid on the pan.  Leave it for about five minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Serve with steamed rice and naan bread

**The same recipe may be used to make Lamb or Prawn Jalfrezi

More Self-expression photos.

human-rights

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This is a traditional Romanian dress. It is all handmade by her Grandmother. In Romania the girls wear this dress for a week before a wedding.

 

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Ciarán – Gen Bukan suit
Kristina – altar server outfit, I wear special clothes when I serve at mass and help the priest.
Jennifer – my traditional Romanian dress
Philip – a gentlemans’ suit, I want to be an actor, I love Johnny Depp.