Preparatory visit to France completed May 1997.

Project commenced March 1998.

Mr.F.Watters (Principal), accompanied by Mrs.G.Turley (Vice-Principal) and Mrs.A.Kennedy (Teacher), visited the Ecole Primaire in Verneuil sur Indre at the end of May 1998 to meet with the French and Irish teachers to develop the planning for the first year of the project. The meeting was attended by Mr.J.J.McKeever from the Scoil Naisiunta Gort a Choirce and by A.Genty (Principal) and Mme. Monique Poirier (Teacher) from the Ecole Primaire Verneuil.

Mme. Poirier is the contact teacher for the project, and has been responsible for maintaining the links with St.Joseph's Primary School since her visit to the school in June 1996 as part of a visit by a group of French primary school teachers to the SELB.

The visiting teachers met the staff and pupils of the Ecole Primaire Verneuil, and the visit provided an excellent insight into French education in general, with time to visit the classrooms, see the children's work and talk to the children and teachers. The Comenius project was discussed and reviewed. The focus of the project, "Trees", has proved to be an excellent choice, suited to the environmental setting of all three schools and enjoyed by all the children. The workplan for the year was agreed and the necessary arrangements put in place.

Project Objectives

a comparison and appreciation of landscapes through the study of trees

the strengthening of a sense of the pupils' own identity

an appreciation of other European identities

the development of pupils' communication skills

a cross-curricular approach to the development of specific subject areas, eg.

English : descriptive writing about sounds - forest sounds, rustling, sound of the wind.

Maths : measuring a tree - circumference, height, spread of branches - estimate.

Science : habitat of the tree ; planting an acorn ; pollution / lichen ; food chain ; visit to a timber yard or paper factory.

History : age of trees ; family tree ; place names.

Music : instruments made of wood.

Art : leaf prints ; rubbings.

The teachers enjoyed a visit to the chateau at Loches, along with the children from the Ecole Primaire Verneuil, and a visit to Chenonceau, one of the most beautiful of the chateaux in the Loire Valley. This first full meeting of teachers from all three schools was very successful, and has strengthened links between the schools as they continue to develop European awareness among their pupils.

Project co-ordinator : Mrs.G.Turley Vice-Principal St.Joseph's Primary School