Castaheany Educate Together National School

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Castaheany Educate Together National School

• An Overview of our School Plan for Ethical
  Education

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Why we did the plan?

• Originally we did monthly themes throughout the
  year.
• We decided we needed something more detailed and
  related to the objectives of the curriculum so
  that all objectives were covered by the time the
  children leave 6th class.

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How we got started

• We needed committees for a number of subject
  areas and Ethical Education was prioritised as
  one of these.
• We met each term and planned for that term and at
  the end of the year we had completed and
  implemented a full draft plan.
• Got feedback from the staff throughout the year.

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Term 1

• September
• Moral and Spiritual Golden Rules (Infants-6th
  class)
• Equality and Justice Golden Rules (Infants-6th
  class)
• Ethics and the Environment Recycling
  (Infants-6th class)
• Belief Systems Rosh Hashannah, Ramadan, Eid
  (Infants-6th class)
• October
• Moral and Spiritual Golden Rules (Infants-6th
  class)
• Equality and Justice Promoting Equality, gender
  discrimination(Infants-6th class)
• Ethics and the Environment Exploring a habitat
  (Infants-6th class)
• Belief Systems Harvest, Halloween, Divali,
  Sukkot (Infants-6th class)
• November
• Moral and Spiritual Values (Infants-6th class)
• Equality and Justice Childrens Rights
• Ethics and the Environment Pollution/An
  Environmental Issue (Infants-6th)
• Belief Systems Key Figures (Infants), Common
  links between religions (1st and 2nd), Values
  associated with religions (3rd and 4th), Codes of
  conduct and values associated with religions (5th
  and 6th)
• December

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Term 2

• January
• Moral and Spiritual Golden/Yard Rules
• Equality and Justice Golden/Yard Rules
  (Infants-2nd), Fair Trade (3rd-6th)
• Ethics and the Environment Reduce, re-use,
  recycle (Infants-6th class)
• Belief Systems New Years, Chinese New Year,
  Celebrations (Infants)
• February
• Moral and Spiritual Kindness, caring,
  friendship, anti-bullying (Infants-6th class)
• Equality and Justice Kindness, caring,
  friendship, anti-bullying (Infants-2nd class),
• Democracy (3rd-6th)
• Ethics and the Environment Tidy, clean school
• Belief Systems Religious Buildings (Junior
  Infants), Religious Dress (Senior Infants), Art
• (1st) and music (2nd) associated with festivals,
  Religious Rites-marriage (3rd), funeral
• (4th), Art (5th) and music (6th) associated with
  religion Religious Leaders (5th), Rites of
• passage (6th)
• March
• Moral and Spiritual Feelings (Infants-2nd),
  Decision making (3rd-6th)
• Equality and Justice Racism (Infants-6th)

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Term 3

• April
• Moral and Spiritual Co-operation, negotiation
  and decision making
• Equality and Justice Co-operation and
  negotiation
• Ethics and the Environment Natural and manmade
  materials (Infants), Exploring a
• habitat (1st-6th)
• Belief Systems Easter, Passover
• May
• Moral and Spiritual Peaceful, meditation
• Equality and Justice Peace (Infants-2nd),
  Democracy (3rd and 4th), Local/Childrens
• Issues (5th and 6th)
• Ethics and the Environment Peace in
  nature(Infants-2nd), Environmentally Friendly
• Lifestyle/conservation(3rd-6th)
• Belief Systems Wesak, Bealtaine, (Infants-6th),
  Places of Worship (1st), Religious
• leaders (2nd), Pilgrimage (6th)
• June
• Moral and Spiritual Poems/stories about
  nature(Infants), Taking care of others (Infants
• 6th)

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Our Objectives

• Spiral Curriculum.
• Same themes but more detail in each class level.
• Knowledge in each theme develop with the child
  each year.

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• Junior and Senior Infants-October
• Strand Moral and Spiritual
• Theme Golden Rules
• Strand Unit Exploring Moral Development
• Strand Unit Cultivating Spiritual Growth
• Explore the many day-to-day incidents which occur
  in the classroom
• and school yard to heighten his/her moral
  awareness and empathy.
• Begin the process of self-reflection on his/her
  own feelings and
• experiences.
• Strand Equality and Justice
• Theme Promoting Equality, gender discrimination
  (Equal Measures)
• Promoting Equality. Begin to understand that in
  order to ensure
• everyone is treated equally, sometimes we have to
  treat people
• differently. Explore stories about people who
  have made a difference
• and brought about a fairer world.

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• First and Second Class-October
• Strand Moral and Spiritual
• Theme Golden Rules
• Exploring Moral Development. Explore values and
  codes of
• behaviour in a school community.
• Strand Equality and Justice
• Theme Promoting Equality, Gender discrimination
  (Equal
• Measures)
• Promoting Equality. Become aware and appreciate
  diversity within
• the school. Begin to explore how people are
  interconnected and
• depend upon each other e.g. the postal worker,
  the nurse, the
• doctor, the garda.
• Strand Ethics and the Environment
• Theme Explore a habitat (log pile/bird table)
• Knowledge and Awareness of environmental issues
  Activation of
• Responsibility and Stewardship. Identify, become
  aware of and

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3rd and 4th Class October Strand Moral and
Spiritual Theme Golden Rules Exploring Moral
Development. Deepen his/her understanding in
relation to making personal choices through
discussion of right and wrong and recognition of
what is appropriate behaviour. Begin an
exploration of the concept of conscience through
scenarios, role play, drama and school based
events. Strand Equality and Justice Theme
Promoting Equality, gender discrimination (Equal
Measures) Begin to explore the concept of
discrimination and prejudice. Explore the concept
of discrimination in relation to a specific area
e.g. gender. Critically reflect on stories/poems
about people who have encountered discrimination
and confronted it positively. Strand Ethics
and the Environment Theme Explore a habitat
(hedgerows/trees) Activation of Responsibility
and Stewardship. Create a wildlife garden or wild
flower patch.
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• 5th and 6th Class- October
• Strand Moral and Spiritual
• Theme Golden Rules
• Exploring Moral Development. Cultivating
  Spiritual Growth. Explore
• interpretations and shades of right and wrong
  through an
• exploration of controversial issues. Identify and
  examine his/her
• personal views and insights. Apply these insights
  in a personal
• capacity to his/her own life.
• Strand Equality and Justice
• Theme Promoting Equality, gender discrimination
  (Equal Measures)
• Promoting Equality. Critically evaluate media
  coverage of equality and
• justice issues. Examine an equality issue in
  relation to Ireland.

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Whole School Events Activities

• Assemblies
• Rotating Ethical Ed. Board
• Parent talks classroom visits
• Parents/adult food night
• Childrens food day
• Staffroom central resource box shelf
• Staff meeting discussions and theme
• reminders.
• Our Golden Rules
• Yellow Flag-promotion of diversity and
  interculturalism

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• Celebrating The Festival of Light

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• Food Night 2009

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• Childrens Food Day

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• Dance Classes!

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• School Ethical Education Board
• Celebrating Wesak

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Interactive and Fun