Welcome to yblive - Autumn 2009
Autumn has just come to a close with Hallowčen, parades, pumpkins and all kinds of fun. We are now moving into winter nad here in youngballymun our thoughts are turning to our first Christmas Conference - A Child Is Born - on Thursday December 10th in the Axis Arts Centre. We are honoured that the President of Ireland Mary Mc Aleese is addressing the Conference. Our Conference focus is the importance of those vital first few years in s child's life and all the potential that can be tapped into and activated. Further information on the conference in Highlights
Focus on Services: In the yblive autumn issue we are focussing on our Incredible Years and Write-Minded services and bringing you up-to-date their work.
Incredible Years was launched in September by the programme developer Caroline Webster-Stratton who was really energised by the effort that has been put into IY in Ballymun by so many different groups, by our schools and our parents . We have several articles on IY in this issue including one from Colma Nic Luaghadh of Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership looking back on four years of IY in Ballymun. Two parents who completed the IY Basic Parenting Programme share The Last Word. Breege Brehony describes what her role as schools coordinator entails, CAFTA take us through the IY Basic Parents Programme and we have thoughts from the BEST School Completion on IY in school.
Write-Minded our new literacy service Write-Minded is also up and running! Martina Gannon our literacy coordinator takes us through how Dr. Tim Shanahan’s ‘Chicago Literacy Framework’ is shaping thinking and practice in Write-Minded. Duana Quigley, our Oral Language Coordinator sets out what ‘oral language development’ means and why it is so critical for children’s wellbeing and learning.
Of course Write-Minded is not just about literacy in schools – it is all about family and community too. Jason Burke of the Aisling after-school programme, tells us about the links between Aisling and Write-Minded and Valerie O’Carroll of the Ballymun Drop-In Well Family Resource Centre gives us an update on a family reading programme she organised with Martina and Duana over the mid-term break.
Sixty Second Bulletins give a quick snapshot of developments across the rest of our work whilst Out and About gives a flavour of where we have been and why!
The Last Word goes to two parents who share their reflections on the impact of the Incredible Years Basic Parenting Programme.
And finally…. as the clouds of recession gather and the cutbacks impact on families it is vital to remember that the protection of our children is our first responsibility as a community and as a society. The failure to commit to the full realisation of the potential and the rights of all our children will invariably cost us as a society financially much more in the short, the medium and the long term than a real and rich investment in our children from their earliest days and years.
Thank-you to all of you – parents, teachers, health service workers, youth and community workers, residents - who have worked with us to make real and visible the youngballymun commitment to the learning and wellbeing of children here in Ballymun.
Eleanor McClorey, CE, youngballymun
