Knockavoe pupils get best out of Strabane

Strabane employers are supporting Knockavoe pupils as they study employability as part of the  new revised curriculum.  Dominic McCallion completed his year’s work experience at MacFadden’s Newsagent this year, the proprietor is Seamus MacFadden.

Julian Gawley and Marc McLaughlin completed their year’s work experience at Better Deals, with proprietors Una and Gary McLaughlin. Julian Gawley completed another work placement at the Your Store.

School principal Dorothy Kincaid would like to thank all employers for their support and understanding. Bobby Rao, the Development Worker for Strabane’s Ethnic Community Association, came to the school to talk to the students about the Indian way of life. Mr Rao presented the school with an ethnic calendar. In turn, student Steven McDevitt presented Mr Rao with a painted canvas on behalf of the pupils of Knockavoe School.

Multi-Lingual Leaflet Launch

A close association between Strabane Grammar School and Strabane Ethnic Community Association led to the creation of a leaflet by a young school student, which will act as the first port of call for foreign workers arriving into the district.

Grammar student Dane Coyle worked along side SECA as part of a work experience placement. Along side other projects, he produced a revamped version of SECA’s community leaflet, which provides helpful information in nine languages. The use of national flags and an easy-to-use design layout make the leaflet accessible and easy to understand.

The young man’s work was hailed by SECA Chairman, Bobby Rao, as well as Ruth Hopkins of Strabane Grammar, who is a linguist herself. Commending Dane’s practical use of various languages she said: “Here in Strabane Grammar we recognise the importance of promoting mutual respect and tolerance amongst our pupils”. “We aim to develop an awareness, knowledge and regard for other cultures and societies, and to educate the young people in our care to take their place confidently in today’s increasingly multi-cultural society, and achieve employment in today’s global economy,” she added.

The school’s association with SECA began two years ago, around the theme of problems impacting local society at the time. SECA highlighted the growing problem of racism, which was becoming increasingly common around Northern Ireland, especially in the Belfast area. Bobby Rao was subsequently invited to the school to share his thoughts on the subject and his own experiences of living in the community

Chinese New Year

February 7, 2008

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an important holiday in East Asia. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called the Lantern festival.

Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as Chúxī . Chu literally means “change” and xi means “Eve”.

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, but it is not part of the traditional culture of these countries.

Source: Wikipedia