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School News

Published on February 16th, 2017 | by admin

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French Professional Visit.

Staff and students extend a warm Castlerea welcome to Mme. Carole Bocahu on a Professional Visit from Champagne, France.

 

To say we were excited about the prospect of a professional visit from a qualified French teacher coming to stay with us for a two week period and working with our students in refining their French speaking skills, would be somewhat of an understatement.  Ms. Carole Bocahu arrived in Castlerea on Sunday 5th February and has spent the last two weeks working with the students and staff in the school, as she outlines below.  We are grateful to Carole for her contribution to our school and welcome her back to Castlerea in the future.

 

“I come from Reims, the capital of Champagne, an area located in the North-East of France. I currently teach in a Lower Secondary School.  My students are aged 11 to 15.  I have been teaching there for 3 years but I’ve been a teacher for 30 years now.

I’ve already attended a few teacher training courses in Ireland, mainly in Dublin but this is my first professional stay over here.  My goal when applying was to’ brush up’ on my English and get a deeper insight into the Irish culture.  I love Ireland and I have already come over to the country quite a number of times.  What made me choose a professional stay, was the possibility to see how the Irish Education system worked from the inside and to contribute modestly.

Over the 2 weeks I spent at Castlerea Community School, I assisted Ms. O’Leary, the French teacher, in her French lessons and attended as many classes as possible as an observer.

I’ve thus been to Irish, English, R.E, Geography, Guidance, P.E, Woodwork, Science and Music classes.

I’ve been really impressed by the warm welcome extended by the staff and the students’ involvement in the classes I attended. I think they are lucky to be able to follow some classes in very small groups (8 or 10 while in France all my groups gather between 21 to 26 pupils) .

I do feel there is a deep sense of community at Castlerea Community School and I ‘m also stricken by the positive messages that are conveyed through various activities or displayed on posters around the school and even in the students’ journals.  Moreover the staff is very supportive and yet challenging their students.

To conclude, I must say I am really happy I applied for this professional stay and I am thoroughly grateful I was sent to Castlerea Community School.  Back in France I will tell my colleagues how  enriching an experience it was and will encourage them to apply since, as the saying goes   “Travel broadens the mind!” All my thanks goes to Ms Ryan , the Principal, for organising my visit to the school, Ms O’Leary for all the preparatory work, the arrangements, her kindness and for all she’s done to make me feel at home here, to Mary and Seamus Ronane for their hospitality and to all the staff for their warm welcome.”

 


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