Caroline Healy (Principal) and Orla Kenny (teacher) from Scoil Mhuire, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim chat about their experience of welcoming Ukrainian children and parents to their school.

Lighting a Fire! All things Teaching and Learning with The Teaching Council

In this episode, Phil Fox, Acting Director of The Teaching Council, is joined by Caroline Healy and Orla Kenny from Scoil Mhuire National School in Leitrim.

Caroline began her teaching career at Scoil Mhuire in 1983 and is the principal at the school  since 2001.  Orla is a teacher in Scoil Mhuire since 1994 and the current 6th class teacher.

Scoil Mhuire is a mixed primary school situated in the town of Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. The school has a present enrolment of 486 pupils and their enrolment is composed of pupils from many different nationalities - Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, England, Spain, USA - as well as a strong cohort of local pupils. 

Scoil Mhuire has welcomed 15 Ukrainian students since March 2022 and has a strong history of educating pupils from other countries who have come seeking employment or asylum and refuge. It is within this context that the Teaching Council invited Caroline and Orla to participate in this podcast to share their experiences of working with pupils who have arrived at their school from other countries. 

During the episode Phil, Caroline and Orla discuss the experiences of the Ukrainian children enrolling in the school, from their first day emotions to their integration with their fellow classmates. The conversation also explores the experiences of Caroline and Orla including managing language barriers, introducing the children to the curriculum and helping the families meet the local community. During the conversation Caroline and Orla offer advice to fellow principals and teachers welcoming Ukrainian children into their school for the first time.

Podcast Disclaimer Notice: These recordings have been prepared by The Teaching Council for general information and discussion purposes. Any expression of viewpoints or opinions reflect the views of the individual speakers and are not necessarily those of The Teaching Council.