St Pauls is part of eTwinning, funded by the EU, is a network of schools around Europe collaborating online on common cross- curricular projects. for more information click here.

Over the next few months four groups from St Paul’s High School will be packing their bags full of aid for separate projects all over the globe. Almost 50 sixth-form students, four teachers, four non teaching staff members and our school Chaplain will be taking part in our 2018 projects. 
This week Mrs Bridget McConville will introduce our new Chaplain, Fr. Seamus White, to the Kenyan project started 15 years ago by Fr Dermot Maloney in collaboration with St Patricks Missionaries, Kiltegan.

Kenya group leaves on Thursday 25th January, lead by Mrs Bridget McConville, Fr Seamus White and Miss Jamie Larkin.

Miss Jamie Larkin and six students will travel with them to join our host, Fr Martin Barry in Londiani, East Kenya. During their time there they will visit the many schools, clinics, churches and communities that St Paul’s have sponsored over the years, to see how their funds have been utilised to provide the basics we take for granted, for example water storage tanks, running water, toilets (long drops), kitchens, desks, seats, even window panes. Many sweets, pens, football jerseys and footballs are distributed during our visits. The Kenyan students are very keen to find out all about our education system and our customs and delight in sharing their culture through recitations, song and dance. They expect us to do the same.  We will meet with Sister Placida, a Franciscan sister in Kericho, who runs the ‘Live in Hope Centre’, a rehabilitation centre for young mothers with HIV, orphaned and homeless boys and also children learning to live with a HIV diagnosis. She welcomes us with a hearty Scottish welcome and we are very proud to be able to leave a few gifts for the children and assist with her many projects. 

This weekend Mrs Elaine Cahill, Mrs Maeve McShane and Mrs Patricia McAleavey will accompany 23 students to Brasov in Romania.

Winter Romania leave on Saturday 27th, led by Mrs Elaine Cahill, Mrs Maeve McShane and Mrs Patricia McAleavey.

This is the fourteenth year we have given a large group of students the opportunity to visit orphanages, Residential Care Centres, hospitals, Daycare Centres for young adults with Special Needs and more. Massive improvements in the conditions and facilities of the Centres have taken place over the years and there is evidence of a focused educational programme to assist with the integration of young adults with Special Needs in society. Our students will spend a week visiting and interacting with the children and residents, distributing fresh fruit and vegetables, providing essential disposable healthcare products and anything else the centre may require at that particular time, may it be a fridge, bedsheets, curtains or a Robot (Industrial food processor). Last year we provided Robots for 8 out of 12 places visited.  Many bags of children’s clothes, football jerseys, babies hats and lots of books, toys and footballs will be distributed throughout the week. While we may not speak the language, there will be many happy conversations. 

During February Miss Karina Traynor and Mrs Michelle Morgan will travel with another six students to Kirovsk, Russia to visit School 7.

Russia group leave on 17th February, led by Mrs Michelle Morgan and Miss Karina Traynor.

In 2013 Newry & Mourne Council invited our school to initiate a partnership with School 7, Kirovsk. We now work together to share educational experiences and different cultures on an annual exchange visit. Representatives from School 7 have visited Newry and St Pauls in 2013, 2015 & 2017 and this will be our third visit to Kirovsk. School 7 is the top performing school in Maths and Physics in all of Russia and is listed in the top 10 Russian schools. We are made very welcome and all members of the school are happy to showcase their many talents and share their culture. A proud community with a very ambitious young generation who see education as an essential route to a better life. They are very impressed when they visit us and see the contrast in provision and teacher pupil relationships. 

Then in June Mrs Marion McMahon and Mr Kevin Kearney will return to Prejmer in Romania, with another 12 students to work with the Peter Pan orphanage.

Summer Romania leave on 8th June with Mrs Marion McMahon and Mr Kevin Kearney. 

The team plans to remove the old broken fence and play area that was built almost 10 years ago for a much younger clientele. They will replace with a new fence, shelter and picnic area suitable for the young residents there. Our students will be expected to work hard with both grounds work and building work. This is the first time we have taken on a construction role and we do hope to adapt and develop this programme for future projects. 

All of our projects require a vast amount of fundraising from the students and their families. It reflects our school motto “Rooted in Charity”, the hard work helps to develop the essential life skills required for success in today’s society and it is rewarded with the experience gained from the adventure. 
We are very grateful to all the local community who have assisted in supporting the many events that have taken place, to all of those who have sent in very generous donations and to Newry, Mourne and Down Council who have initiated, supported and sponsored our Russian visit.