Visit from the Irish
Published 8:38 am Thursday, May 9, 2019
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Pictured at Longwood University are, from left, front row, Richard Melaniphy, vice principal, Newry High School, Northern Ireland; Dr. Robbie Higdon, assistant professor, College of Education, James Madison University; back row, Karen Gordon, head of maths, Newry High School, Northern Ireland; Lauren Johnston, head of science, Newry High School, Northern Ireland and Isobel McKane, principal, Windsor Hill Primary School, Northern Ireland.
Educators in Northern Ireland meet with representatives of Longwood University and Sunrise Learning Center to discuss potential programs between Northern Ireland and Prince Edward County. Pictured are, from left, Richard Melaniphy, vice principal, Newry High School, Northern Ireland; Patti Trent, executive director, Centre for Global Engagement, Longwood University; Erik Varela, study abroad advisor, Centre for Global Engagement, Longwood University; Karen Gordon, head of maths, Newry High School, Northern Ireland; Lauren Johnston, head of science, Newry High School, Northern Ireland; Isobel McKane, principal, Windsor Hill Primary School, Northern Ireland; Prof. Hood Frazier, professor in residence, College of Education, James Madison University; Dr. Robbie Higdon, assistant professor, College of Education, James Madison University.
Several public school representatives in Northern Ireland met with representatives of Prince Edward County Public Schools and Longwood University to discuss the country’s history and its similarities to Prince Edward County.
All of the teachers and principals also spoke with teachers at Sunrise Learning Center in Farmville about how early childhood programs operate in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the Sunrise teachers shared with their guests some of their innovative preschool and kindergarten teaching practices.
On Friday, the representatives had a tour of the Moton Museum lead by Cainan Townsend and also met with Patti Trent from Longwood University’s Office of Global Engagement. While there they discussed some possible collaborations between Newry High School and Windsor Hill Elementary School in Newry, Northern Ireland and Prince Edward Public Schools as well as schools in the Harrisonburg area.
This program was arranged by Dr. Robbie Higdon of James Madison University (JMU) who wrote the grant that allowed them to visit, and Dr. Chapman Hood Frazier, JMU Professor in Residence at Prince Edward County Schools.