EUROPRIDES visit

Teachers from five countries came to visit St Michael's in November 2004.

They spent four days planning a bid for a SOCRATES COMENIUS project with St Michael's which was submitted to the European Union in January 2005.

If we are successful, then teachers and students from our school will be able to work with and visit schools in Schwabisch Gmund (Germany), Bucharest (Romania), Niedzwiedz (Poland), Tampere (Finland) and Acireale (Sicily, Italy).

This is a School Partnership project between a number of schools across a wide geographic distribution, including countries in the EU and one aspiring to become a member. Our principal aims are to foster in our students an understanding of what it means to be European citizens and an understanding of the rich variety of experiences that these different countries enjoy.

Through the subjects covered by the project, we will develop our students' understanding of being Europeans. We will share concrete experiences, data and materials that demonstrate pride in our cultural and national identity, while building on our European dimension.

This is a top priority in the light of new challenges presented by the widening of our European community as well as the increased mobility of the global population.

Among the countries represented are Poland and Italy where Catholicism has a strong influence, and England, Finland, Germany and Romania where a mixed spiritual heritage is found. We will share with our students the variety of approaches to multicultural tolerance and religion that are represented in our countries in order to foster good relationships in a world where tolerance is often lacking.


The pictures below show our guests at Barnsley Town Hall which they visited as part of their recreation time on the Saturday.

From left to right in the top picture we have: Boguslawa Gniecka (Poland), Sisko Salomaa (Finland), Rosario Tropea (Sicily, Italy), Sabine Harer (Germany) and Minela Olteanu (Romania).
In the bottom picture you can see Minela, Rosario, Sisko, Boguslawa, Sabine and Mr Grabowski who showed them round the Town Hall.