News about SEPS Sustainability for European Primary Schools – SEPS is a child friendly project about sustainability for European primary schools.
Good day dear colleagues, parents and pupils from all our partner schools.
Through global citizenship, pupils feel a stronger connection with each other and the world. Some questions: “What do you do for yourself, the other and the world, make them more enthusiastic and motivated to learn.” The world is getting “smaller” and absolute boundaries are fading. By getting to know other countries and people from different cultures, our children learn a lot about the other and themselves. This gives pupils an edge in our international society.
SEPS: the climate changes. We encourage children to think and act sustainable.
Sustainability
The main question for adults but sure, for pupils is “In what world do you want to live?”
We want improve our education on the subject of sustainably and integrate it in a circular economy. We will integrate our environmental measures at school
This project is for schools that want to cooperate about lessons and education about sustainability by exchanging experience of lessons and projects. The topic is that we pay attention for our youngest pupils to their immediate living environment such as school and home, for the pupils from the middle groups, their place of residence and the region play a more role, the slightly older pupils will pay attention to their country, Europe, in addition to the region and global consequences. We strive to approach things in a positive context if possible.
Sustainable development should not become a separate item but integrated in various disciplines. We will have to think about this together and make goals that we set fit within the learning lines of all disciplines.
The items of sustainability are embedded within several fields.
Concerning a project about sustainability and circular economy, pupils also will be involved. Possibly European pupils from partner schools will be invited to see how European pupils work on these items. There will be all kind of exchanging information via Internet by Etwinning, Whats app etc.
In general, education about sustainability in our Erasmus project is aimed at the immediate environment of the pupils:
The youngest children the focus area: at home and at school.
The middle group: the direct environment and the region.
The higher grades: national, European and global items.
Depending on their grants, subsidies, possibilities and other school-related situations, schools can participate and collaborate in different ways and levels.
These schools participate now, November 2023 in SEPS and/or EPIE (an other project about Inclusion):
- De Plantage in Houten in the Netherlands.
- Staatliche Grundschule Steinheid in Germany.
- 10th Primary School of Palaio Faliro in Palaio Faliro (Athens) in Greece.
- Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Francisco Sanches in Braga in Portugal.
- El Peralejo, Primary School of Alpedrete in Spain.
- Ojakylän Koulu in Ylivieska in Finnland.
- Primary school in Agkistri island in Greece.
- Primary School Of Vatheos, Vathi Aegina in Greece
- Public Elmentary school Juan Navarra Garcia in Murcia in Spain.
- Raudaskosken Koulu in Ylivieska in Finnland.
- Volksschule Leoben Leitendorf in Austria.
- Volksschule Pestalozzi Leoben in Austria.
- Zebbug Primary in Zebbug on Gozo on Malta
Accreditation, Short term or just participating?
Some schools have themselves applied for a subsidy for accreditation. When awarded, the school receives a budget guarantee for 7 years. They then only have to state and account for the necessary budget annually. A school board can also submit this application as a consortium for several schools at once.
Schools can also make a two-year limited application, a Short-term project, which can only be done for a limited number of times.
Schools that do not receive or do not apply for a subsidy can participate, for example the Video project of SEPS.
The participating schools.
Due to the changed regulation, schools are more focused on organizing internationalization based on their own situation and needs. The phenomenon of the “coordinating school” is less topical.
After the cooperation in recent years, a number of schools are willing to work together on Inclusion and Sustainability for job shadowing for teachers on Inclusion, EPIE and student exchange for SEPS. The Dutch school de Plantage in Houten and the German school Grundschule Steinheid will act like contact school with a coordinating role.
For SEPS there can be job shadowing for teachers to experience how the school is shaping the concept of ‘education in sustainability’. In addition, there is the possibility to have job shadowing about Inclusion, for which the EPIE project has been created, for which an extra different website has been created.
Schooling or courses. It is possible that in the following years at one of the partner schools, or via the partner schools, a course will be indicated on education-oriented activities about sustainability. In short, the possibilities are practically unlimited.
In order to inform teachers and parents in particular about the cooperation and the progress of our project, so-called SEPS Bulletins will appear on this website. It is certainly advisable to take note of this, all kinds of things will be announced. Anyone can provide information to the coordinator of the school in Houten Anton Verwey via afc.verwey@planet.nl
Each partner school gets separate access to its own page to post reports, learning experiences, and student messages. Each partner school receives its own login code + password.
Coordinators and management will meet regularly via Meet or Skype to exchange opinions and experiences and discuss plans.
Best X-mas wishes and all the best for 2023.
Till so far, I wish you all the best during the last period before Christmas and a good start afterwards, with all the preparations, for the coming next part of the school year.
In the next Bulletin no. 2 more information about the website, the “Meet” meetings for directors and or coordinators, the first exchanges, our logo and our video project.
As usual, stay safe and keep in touch,
Anton Verwey.
Questions or remarks do not hesitate and contact Anton Verwey.
+31613698777 Whats App, call or mail afc.verwey@planet.nl