Special visitor Pictured with their guest from Slovenia, Coco the Rabbit, in Gaelscoil na Cruaiche last week are, from right: Mairéad Ní Ghionnáin, Peadar Ó Corcoráin, Oisín Mac Lochlann, Cáit Ní Chumhail, agus Jessica Ní Riain.
From Westport to Slovenia
Neill O'Neill
A UNIQUE schools co-operation project between Gaelscoil na Cruaiche in Westport and Osnova sola Ivanjkovci, in Ormoz, Slovenia, will be the subject of international attention next week, when the Slovenian Ambassador, His Excellency Franc Miksa, visits Westport.
Accompanied by Dr Jimmy Devins, TD and Junior Minister at the Department of Education and Science, Mr Miksa’s visit will celebrate and acknowledge the conclusion of the joint project which has run between the primary schools for the past eight months. Fifteen teachers from the Slovenian school will also be in Westport next week.
The idea for a cultural twinning was suggested early in the current academic year by Liam Cabot, who had visited Slovenia and whose children attend Gaelscoil na Cruaiche. After staff sat down and discussed the idea they formulated a proposal for a twinning which focused on the cultural aspects of both nations. The Slovenian school also loved the idea and both schools agreed that something would be exchanged between them every four to six weeks.
Since then an entire wall at Gaelscoil na Cruaiche has been filled with posters of Slovenian landscapes and artworks from the students there, and in the school in Ormoz there is an equivalent area with details and images of Irish history and culture.
Each school involves all its students in the learning programme and each has made DVDs which demonstrate its culture through drama, singing and dancing. This was then sent to the other school and watched by the students there.
One of the unique ways that the younger children have been included is through each school giving two stuffed toys to the other and each of the children in first and third classes then taking this toy (a rabbit called Ciara Coinín in first class and Coco Coinín in third class) home, and bringing it with them wherever they go. The travels of each toy are documented and photographed and compiled in a scrapbook which will be sent back to its home country for the other children to see what their counterparts do outside of school. Through this it is hoped to give the younger children an insight into a new culture and so far the two Slovenian rabbits have helped cut a lawn, been on a trampoline, received a piggyback from a cat, encountered a hedgehog, played the drums, worked on a farm and watched a GAA match.
Meanwhile, the pupils at Gaelscoil na Cruaiche can only guess as to what the leprechauns they have sent to Slovenia have gotten up to, but say they are excited about finding out.
Three teachers from Gaelscoil na Cruaiche – Márie Nic Aodha, Niamh de Paor and Caroline Ruiséal – travelled to Ormoz during their mid-term break in May and brought a wealth of information back to their pupils, whose knowledge of Slovenia and its culture and language is now very impressive. They also brought 30 tin whistles with them to the Slovenian school, and taught Irish music to several classes.
The arrival of the Slovenian delegation will coincide with the raising of the third green flag at Gaelscoil na Cruaiche next Thursday, and this will be followed by a gala evening of music, arts and converging cultures, to celebrate the conclusion of the inter-schools project.
