The PDSL is delighted to be running in Tralee Education Centre this September and I was hoping you may bring it to your colleagues attention. The programme is open to those who aspire to leadership positions at both Primary and Post Primary level. It runs part time, 1 evening a week and part funded by the Department of Education and Skills and I believe is unique in having 2 leadership visits so students can shadow senior leaders during the spring and final semesters of the programme.

Registering for our online information session which takes place on May 27^th at 4pm https://pdslinfo.eventbrite.ie This will provide interested parties an opportunity to meet myself and my colleague and ask any questions they may have.

Alternatively interested colleagues can apply for the programme now

• Visiting www.ul.ie/pdsl which contains all the programme information the application links

The PDSL is a partnership programme between the University of Limerick, National University of Ireland Galway and University College Dublin and supported by the Centre for School Leadership and the Department of Education and Skills

Click Hibernia to register

Specifically for Kerry Support Teachers. Continuation of the already established forum. Open to all SET teaching in Kerry schools only.

On the 12th of March, 2020, schools were mandated by Government to close to slow the spread of COVID-19.  Since this date, ‘Home Schooling’ has become a norm.  Anecdotal evidence, reported on social and print media, suggest that school management and all teachers quickly responded to support families in this endeavour and provided their students with ICT platforms to enhance teaching and learning in the home.  However, research suggests that students with additional needs are challenged by independent learning (Westwood 2015).  The lack of structure and routine that school provides to students may increase challenges for all student learning and in particular, for those with additional needs who would be supported by the Special Education Teacher in schools.  The next meeting of our SENCO Forum Primary CoP will discuss how you, the members of the Forum, are negotiating this space. The focus will be on what is working well and how we can support each other to support our students.

A practical workshop examining the signs and symptoms of dyslexia and how teachers might recognise it in the classroom. We will look at the specific difficulties associated with the diagnosis and will use basic assessments and checklists suitable for classroom and school use to help teachers plan to help the children. 

Annette Ormond, Grad Dip. SEN, M.Ed ASN.

I am a primary teacher working in schools for the past fifteen years. I am a passionate lifelong learner and am currently completing a Masters in Educational Leadership in Waterford Institute of Technology. I have completed many different courses in the area of educating children with Special Educational Needs and I have significant and varied experience in the area also. I believe wholeheartedly in the difference we can make in the lives of people with many additional needs through our understanding and our knowledge. I have worked with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland for the past seven years and was awarded the IATSE Testimonial and Award for excellence in Support Teaching in 2017 when studying in University College Dublin.

Webinar for Parents

Life at home has been tricky for all of us these past few months, none more so than for parents of children with Dyspraxia/DCD.   This webinar aims to provide parents with oodles of both practical and fun ideas to help and support their children over the summer period (and possibly beyond!).

Biography of Presenter

Dr Sharon Drew has over 25 years of experience of working with children, young people and adults with Special Educational Needs. Although her professional background is in children’s Occupational Therapy Sharon works independently as an educational consultant, trainer and author with a special interest in children with developmental co-ordination disorders (DCD) and physical skills development in young children. Sharon has written and published a number of books and resources in relation to DCD for teachers and parents.

Sharon is also a senior lecturer within the University of South Wales where she co-teaches on the Masters Programme for Special Educational Needs and Post Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties. 

No country, government, medical organisation, scientists, educational bodies or people
could have been prepared for what has just happened in our world over the last
number of weeks. As adults, parents, teachers, doctors, SNA’S, frontline workers or
people who have closed their businesses or who cannot return to work, we all have
been catapulted into shock.

We have spent years encouraging connection and relational knowledge to the
children we work with and now they have been told to stay at home, wash their
hands and keep away from many people. Children’s mental health difficulties have
been the focus of attention over the last decade and we have made substantial
progress in this area to-date. This webinar will explore the impact of Covid-19 and
outline how we can support the children who were under our care before this
pandemic.

You will be sent an email link on the morning of the webinar. If you don't revieve this link before 10am email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. immediately. You will enter a waiting room after joining. The meeting will be closed at 12.05. anyone joining after this will not be permitted to join.

Keeping the momentum going with younger students in the home.

We are creating a space for teachers of infants to share practises and support each other in these challenging times.  The session will be guided by Denise Duffy and Emma Grufferty, both are experienced infant teachers and tutors in the field of early childhood education.

The themes for this session are:

• Creating a calm learning space for young learners in the home
• Creating a shared repository for collating useful resources and ideas for infant teachers

You will be given an opportunity to discuss practices and approaches which may be useful in maintaining distant learning with younger students in the coming weeks.

Make a tea/coffee and log in!

Hosted by NESC, Tralee Ed Centre and Monaghan Education Centre