IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL STAFF
Every partner institution decided to involve as much staff as they can, first of all directly (by mobilities), but non-directly too - by other activities taken place locally (teacher rooms, miniprojects with pupils, different dissemination activities). In that way everybody will try to maximize the projects’ impact on the whole staff: management, teachers, therapists, others.
We hope that at the end of the project a major part of the staff involved will:
- be more open to different opportunities regarding professional and personal development
- develop a broader educational view
- be better informed about other educational systems functioning in Europe
- be more confident, tolerant and empathic
- be able to prove more good behaviours as a school team member
- develop closer relationships with their colleagues from travelling and learning together
- be a better member in child-parent-teacher/therapist team
- have a better English
- increase their cultural knowledge about all the countries involved
- be more conscious about their European citizenship
LOCAL ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SCHOOL STAFF
Preparation for Co-ordinators’Project Meeting, Transilvania, September 2007
Co-ordinators and staff from all the partner institutions had organized meetings with colleagues informing them about the success of the Comenius application realized in March 2007:
- obtaining a Comenius multilateral school project
- remaining partners countries (U.K. and Hungary)
- overall goals
- Comenius team organization
- preparing materials and program visit for the first co-ordinators’meeting at Scoala Speciala Transilvania, Baciu, Cluj, Romania
Comenius Day at MACI Preschool, October 2007
All the pupils and the teaching staff, coordinated by the head teacher of the school, realized a “self preparing – self presenting” activity: they collected in albums information about their institution which need to be presented to partners.
Reports from Co-ordinators meeting, November 2007
All staff from all partner institutions was informed about the conclusions of the first project meeting, program visit, final jointly outcomes, miniprojects with children, mobility focus points a.o.
Kingfisher Gallery - Exhibition, May 2008
Coping with Burn out - workshops in partner schools, September 2008
At the Transilvania Special School every teacher answered to a questionaire with some questions related to the burnout phenomenon .The answers were centralised and presented at the Coordinators’ Reunion in November 2008 at Maci (HU)
International Holiday of SEN people in Romania, December 2008
Teachers and pupils from Transilvania Special School prepared to perform in a show at the Cultural Hall of the city together with friends from other special schools from Cluj-Napoca
Final evaluation sessions in partner schools, May 2009
Expressive Arts production, Kingfisher, June 2009
MOBILITIES
Preparatory visit to Romania, 8th -9th of March 2007
Where? - Place:
With two years ago the Comenius RECSPEN 2 team from the Kingfisher Community Special School found two institutions in Europe which were open to collaborate in a future multilateral partnership, one of them in Poland and the other one in Hungary. We decided to meet each other to present ourselves and discuss details.
The Kingfisher team visited in 2006 the Polish school and the Hungarian team drom the MACI Preschool visited Scoala Speciala Transilvania in Romania. This meeting took place at Women’s Day – 8th of March.
Why? - Focus points:
- knowing each other’s interests and educational / therapeutic items
- finalizing the jointly concrete aims
- guiding Hungarian school in writing the Comenius application form, because they had obtain expertise in other kind of projects
- visiting other Romanian special educational institutions (Sp. Preschool Nr.35, Cluj-Napoca)
Who? - Participants:
- Mrs. Katalin Csernátoni – head teacher at MACI Preschool and three teachers and therapists:
- Mrs. Magdolna Babucs
- Mrs. Eszter Járominé Németh
- Mrs. Katalin Novákné Berényi
- Mrs. Cosmina Urs – head teacher at the hosting school and the Comenius co-ordinators:
- Ms. Diana Irimies
- Mrs. Clara Ilies
The starting Co-ordinators’meeting, Romania, 5th-9th of November 2007
Where? - Place:
Scoala Speciala Transilvania, Baciu, Cluj, Romania
Why? - Focus points:
- re-evaluation af the new Comenius partnership (remaining partners): activities, final outcomes, mobilities
- knowing better each other (presenting teachers & children, life or through PPT Presentations)
- establishing final concrete aims, focus areas in mobilities
- presenting Comenius teams to each other, establishing the best ways of communication, jointly and particular expectations a.o.
Who? - Participants:
MACI Comenius co-ordinators:
- Mrs. Csernátoni Katalin – head teacher
- Mrs. Judith Kovacsne Varga – conductor
Kingfisher Comenius co-ordinators:
- Mrs. Patricia Ayrton – assistant head teacher
- Mr. David Mercer – special education teacher
Transilvania Comenius co-ordinators:
- Mrs. Cosmina Urs – head teacher
- Mrs. Clara Ilies – special education teacher
- Ms. Maria Baias - physiotherapists
and all the teaching staff their different way!
Teacher exchange from Scoala Speciala Transilvania to MACI Preschool, 4th-8th of February 2008
Where? - Place:
Maci Foundation Preschool, Jaszbereny, Hungary
Why? - Focus points:
- somatotherapy, physiotherapy, massage, hydrotherapy, horse back riding, sensorial stimulation and occupational therapy; working in classrooms, visiting integrated classes, art therapy (music, hand made arts), school-parents relation, outdoor activities with children.
- My Country miniproject presentation
Who? - Participants:
- Ms. Maria Baias - physiotherapists
- Mr. Mihail Bara - special education teacher
Teacher exchange from Kingfisher to Scoala Speciala Transilvania, 10th -14th of March 2008
Where? - Place:
Scoala Sepciala Transilvania, Baciu - Cluj, Romania
Why? - Focus points:
- Working with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- Sensorial stimulation
- Romanian folk and traditions
- Romanian culture and science
Who? - Participants:
- Mrs. Ronda Lord – specialist in ASD
- Mrs. Tricia Ryder – specialist in sensorial stimulation
Head teacher study visit from Maci Preschool to Kingfisher, 3rd -7th of March 2008
Teacher exchange from Maci Preschool to Scoala Speciala Transilvania, 31st of March - 4th of April 2008
Where? - Place:
Scoala Sepciala Transilvania, Baciu - Cluj, Romania
Why? - Focus points:
- Working with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- Sensorial stimulation
- Romanian folk, traditions and culture
- Speach therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Working in classrooms
Who? - Participants:
- Ms. Csaki Brigitta
- Mrs. Kisnemeth Gizella
- Ms. Elias Nikolett
Teacher exchange from Scoala Speciala Transilvania to Kingfisher, 12th -16th of May 2008
Where? - Place:
The Kingfisher Community Special School, Manchester, England
Why? - Focus points:
- physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, horse back riding, sensorial stimulation and occupational therapy;
- working in classrooms, visiting integrated classes – curricular development
- speachtherapy, alternative communication and working in teacher partnership team
Who? - Participants:
- Ms. Nicoleta Bucur – speach therapist
- Mr. Dragos Adrian Maniu - physiotherapist
Teacher exchange from Kingfisher to Maci Preschool, 19th -23rd of May 2008
Intermediate project evaluation - co-ordinators’meeting at Maci Preschool, 5th -10th of November 2008
Where? - Place:
Maci Preschool, Jaszbereny, Hungary
Why? - Focus points:
- evaluation of the first year of Comenius partnership: activities, mobilities
- establishing the final concrete aims, focus areas in the next year’s mobilities
- establishing the program for the final project meeting
Who? - Participants:
MACI Comenius coordinators:
- Mrs. Csernátoni Katalin – head teacher
- Mrs. Judith Kovacsné Varga – conductor
Kingfisher Comenius coordinators:
- Mrs. Patricia Ayrton – assistant head teacher
- Mr. David Mercer – special education teacher
Transilvania Comenius coordinator:
- Ms. Maria Baias – physiotherapist
During this time, Simona Marian - special education teacher – was involved in activities among special children at Maci Preeschool. Her interest points were: inclusive education, conductive education, working in classrooms, visiting integrated classes, art therapy (music, hand made arts), school-parents relation, outdoor activities with children.
Teacher exchange from Kingfisher to Scoala Speciala Transilvania, March 2009
Where? - Place:
Transilvania Special School, Baciu - Cluj, Romania
Why? - Focus points:
- Physical education, Romanian traditional dance, communication and communication aids, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, melotherapy, and Arts and crafts (Romanian traditional handmade objects)
- "Spring in my heart" miniproject
- Romanian folk and traditions
Who? - Participants:
- Mrs. Kat Marney-Holt
- Mrs. Catherine Hunter
- Mrs. Catherine Howarth
Teacher exchange from Transilvania Special School to Maci Preschool, March 2009
Where? - Place:
Maci Foundation Preschool, Jászberény, Hungary
Why? - Focus points:
- somatotherapy, physiotherapy, massage, hydrotherapy, horse back riding, sensorial stimulation and occupational therapy; working in classrooms, visiting integrated classes, art therapy (music, handmade arts), school-parents relation, outdoor activities with children.
- "Spring in my heart" miniproject presentation
Who? - Participants:
- Mrs. Alina Giurgiu - special education teacher
- Mrs. Adela Irimieş - special education teacher
- Mrs. Erika Veres - special education teacher
Teacher exchange from Maci Preschool to Kingfisher, April 2009
Head teacher study visit from Kingfisher to Maci Preschool, April 2009
Teacher exchange from Scoala Speciala Transilvania to Kingfisher, May 2009
Final project evaluation coordinators’meeting at Maci, June 2009
Comenius International Conference, Maci, June 2009 
