Hope

A bridge rises

over a river

that flows and flows

and does not hear

what went before

or fear what is to come:

 

a gift for our present,

a step from our past,

a beacon in white

to catch the light of our future,

a walk of peace for our children,

a rainbow over the Foyle.

Poem and illustration © Deirdre Devine

Once again, we are delighted to be working together with Galliagh Nursery School on an exciting new project, “Sharing from the Start.”  The project is funded by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme.

“Sharing from the Start” involves early years settings forming cross-community partnerships which provide opportunities for children, staff and the community to engage in collaborative and meaningful learning experiences.

In our city, Lisnagelvin Nursery School is situated on the East Bank of the River Foyle and Galliagh Nursery School is situated on the West bank of the River Foyle. There are many similarities between our two schools, particularly when it comes to addressing the needs of our young children, regardless of socio-economic, political, geographical and religious factors.

The children have had the opportunity to play, have Jo Jingles music & movement sessions and Easter Egg hunts in each other’s nurseries. They also visited local residential homes together to sing along with the residents. We always looked forward to our joint sessions and enjoyed watching the children’s friendships develop over the course of the year.

Staff availed of joint training opportunities and the sharing of good practice.

Many of the parents involved commented positively on their experience, how they were made to feel welcome in both settings and how their contributions were valued as they engaged in the play activities.

One parent said, “This project is an excellent opportunity for our children to learn more about other backgrounds…start as we mean to go on!”

We look forward to continuing our cross-community “Sharing from the Start” project with this year’s children and parents.