Category: Stranmillis News

The Daily Mile Network in Northern Ireland hosted their third annual Santa Run on Friday 1 December.

Over 320 schools across NI joined the fun, with staff and children putting on their Christmas jumpers and Santa hats and taking part. Dr Barbara McConnell and Dr Brenda McKay-Redmond from the Early Childhood Studies Department at Stranmillis University College joined other members of The Daily Mile Network at Rosetta Primary School.

Dr McConnell said: “It was lovely joining the Nursery and P1 children of Rosetta Primary to complete their Daily Mile Santa Run. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit!”

“The Daily Mile challenge offers a fun and interactive way for children to get moving more and incorporate physical activity into their daily routine. Being physically active helps to build strong bones, muscles and a healthy heart, supports the development of social skills, and encourages a sense of wellbeing. It also benefits children’s mental health, so it really does have a wide range of benefits.”

Simon Melville, Teacher at Rosetta Primary School, said: “We love taking part in the Daily Mile challenge every year and the Santa Run is a great way for us to kick off the countdown to Christmas – our pupils loved it! Doing challenges like this is good for our children to get outside and reap the many benefits of physical activity. We always notice they come back to class reenergised and ready to learn. We would highly recommend the Daily Mile challenge to other schools!”

Speaking about the Daily Mile, Dr. Brenda McKay-Redmond, Co-Chair of The Daily Mile Network, said:

“The ethos of The Daily Mile is for physical activity to be social, non-competitive and fun. It encourages children to be aware of their health and aims for inclusiveness for every child, regardless of age or ability. Increasing physical activity levels for all children in Northern Ireland is critical and The Daily Mile is committed to supporting the implementation of The Daily Mile across the country and creating an evidence base that is relative to Northern Ireland.”

Dr McCourt, Physical Activity Co–ordinator of the PHA and member of the Daily Mile Network said: “The PHA would encourage as many families and schools as possible across Northern Ireland to get involved in the Daily Mile programme this year. It’s important that children are introduced to a culture of being active from an early age as it is something that will stay with them and benefit them throughout their lives.”

To find out more about The Daily Mile, visit www.thedailymile.co.uk.

Pictured (L-R) Ben Hanvey, Physical Activity Lead at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Iain Sneddon, Active School Travel Officer at Sustrans, Beth Harding, Active School Travel Manager at Sustrans, Dr Barbara McConnell, Co-Chair of The Daily Mile Network, Dr Hannah McCourt, Senior Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Officer at Public Health Agency, Dr Medbh Hillyard, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Ulster University, Brenda McKay-Redmond, Co-Chair of The Daily Mile Network and pupils at Rosetta Primary School.

It was with sadness that the College learnt of the passing of a long-serving colleague and former Principal, Professor Richard McMinn, on Friday 3 November after a period of illness. Announcing the sad news to staff and former colleagues, Stranmillis Principal and CEO, Professor Jonathan Heggarty, said: “Professor McMinn was know personally by many current staff, having dedicated over thirty years of faithful service to the College until his retirement in 2007, serving as Principal for fourteen years during what was a very significant period of change for the College. Our condolences and thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.”

Speaking about his time at Stranmillis and the impact he made, his successor as Principal of the College, Professor Anne Heaslett, said: “Professor Richard McMinn gave a lifetime of dedicated service to education in Northern Ireland. He was the first member of his family to benefit from a university education. His appreciation of gaining a place at Queen’s University, where he graduated with a BA in History (1968), signalled a lifetime commitment to opening educational opportunities for others. Completing his Dip Ed (QUB) he entered the world of teaching and a career primarily focused on roles within Stranmillis University College.

His association with Stranmillis College began with his appointment to the History Department in 1974 where he developed a successful lecturing and research career. This academic background equipped him with the critical tools to analyse the complex Northern Ireland educational landscape. Such knowledge proved invaluable as he steered Stranmillis through a number of challenging episodes when he became College principal in 1993.

For the next fourteen years he presided over a period of change. As Northern Ireland emerged from conflict with the signing of the Good Friday /Belfast Agreement in 1998, it provided him with the ideal context in which to promote the concept of Mutual Understanding and partnership working. He was a firm believer that the education system should promote mutual respect and tolerance. This belief went beyond mere rhetoric. It was part of who he was – a gentleman and a professional of the highest integrity.

One of the most significant achievements during Professor McMinn’s tenure was the introduction of new degree programmes to complement the teacher education courses. The successful introduction of Early Childhood Studies and what is now the Health & Physical Education courses were the fruits of his careful, diligent leadership and helped ensure the College had a strong academic foundation to meet the demands of the 21^st century. These developments also reflected Professor McMinn’s lifelong commitment to promoting academic opportunities for young people, especially those, like him, who came from homes where there was no tradition of going to university.

The strengthening of the College’s academic profile, including the conferment of the title University College in 1998, are part of his legacy on which the College continues to build.”

Educators have been challenged to rethink the way they teach reading to ensure young people learn to read for pleasure, in their own time and develop their identities as readers. That challenge was posed by Professor Teresa Cremin from the Open University, at a conference to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of SCoTENS (Standing Committee for Teacher Education North and South), the all-island network of 34 Higher Education Institutions, teacher unions and other education bodies with a shared interest in teacher education.

Professor Cremin, invited delegates to move beyond a vision of ‘readers for the system’, to one where learners become readers for life: “When it comes to teaching reading, there has traditionally been a focus on what is measurable, on short-term gains, and performing in line with traditional notions of decoding and comprehension. If, as educators, we want our young people to be readers for life, we need to pay attention to their identities as readers, and support them in developing sustainable reading behaviours and in discussing the texts they choose to read”.

The conference was opened by Dr Mark Browne, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Education: “Since its establishment, SCoTENS has brought together educators, researchers and policymakers from both sides of the border, reflecting the collaborative nature of our jurisdictions in the provision of education to our children and young people. Much has been achieved across the spectrum of teacher education provision over this time and that is to be celebrated.

Professor Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship at Stranmillis , added: “This conference represents an important milestone for SCoTENS, and we are proud of what we have achieved. But we are not resting on our laurels. Today, we are looking to the future with hope, and are more determined than ever to build on our achievements, and on the constructive cross-border partnerships that have been developed to date.”