Category: Stranmillis News

The College is delighted to be able to congratulate Early Childhood Studies graduate, Susan Jones  on being awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) medal.  Susan received her Honour from Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, at a ceremony in Windsor Castle in November, in recognition of her services to Pre-School Education and Integrated Education in Primary Schools in Northern Ireland.

Susan began her career in advertising. Her interest and passion for childhood development was triggered through wanting to learn more about her own children. Having been involved in developing several cross community, intercultural and arts projects with children and parents in the Craigavon area, Susan returned to education and was part of the first cohort of students to undertake the ’new’ BA (Hons) degree at Stranmillis, graduating in 2000. Susan then completed the PGCE (Early Years) at Stranmillis and, since then, has taught in several Primary Schools and is currently Head of Nursery Education at Fort Hill Integrated Primary School, Lisburn.

Commenting on her Award, Susan said: “I am very humbled to have received this amazing honour. It is a celebration of Early Years education, and of everyone who was involved with the vision of developing the ECS degree.

During a placement visit to Fort Hill, Sheelagh Carville, Head of Early Childhood Studies at Stranmillis, congratulated Susan, who continues to mentor current ECS students in their professional development. “Our ECS graduates’ accomplishments never cease to amaze me!” says Sheelagh. “Susan is the epitome of professionalism. The ECS team are proud that they can claim some small part in all of the wonderful achievements in her career.”

 Stranmillis currently offers the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies as a full-time or part-time programme, and a Foundation Degree in conjunction with the Regional Colleges. The College also offers the MA Early Childhood Studies and the PGCE (Early Years).

Professor Sir Desmond Rea’s term of office as Chair of the Stranmillis University College (SUC) Governing Body, ended on 31 December 2021.  The Governors, Staff and Students would like to thank Sir Desmond for his dedication and leadership as Chair of the Board over the last 8 years.  We wish him well and look forward to celebrating his tenure in the near future.

Following an open competition and appointment by the Department for the Economy, Mr Edgar Jardine, who has served as Vice-Chair of the SUC Governing Body from 1 August 2014, took up the position as Chair with effect from 1 January 2022.  As a College community we congratulate Mr Jardine on his appointment and welcome him to his new role.

Mr Jardine is a former Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. He has also served at senior level in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy first Minister, and in the former Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and as Interim Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. He was awarded the CB in 2012 for public service.

Since his retirement from the Northern Ireland Civil Service Mr Jardine has served in a number of non-executive roles. He was a member of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland from 2012 to 2018 and of the Education Authority from 2015 – 2020. He joined the NI Policing Board as an Independent Member on 1 April 2020.  He is also Chair of the Department of Finance’s Statistics Advisory Committee and serves as an Education Authority representative on the Board of Governors of Dundonald High School.

At the start of each term, the College is delighted to welcome international students from our partner universities and colleges around the globe. Those students quickly become an integral part of the Stran community, experiencing the Northern Ireland culture, creating long lasting friendships and developing both personally and professionally. Our international students always add a richness and diversity to college life and it is then with sadness and best wishes that we have to say goodbye to them.

We hope that all our international  students who have been studying with us this semester will remember their experiences of Stranmillis and Northern Ireland fondly and we will see them again in the future!

A huge congratulations to all of our Graduates from 2020 & 2021 who were finally able to enjoy in-person graduation ceremonies!  On December 8, our Winter Graduation enjoyed a welcome return to in-person graduations and, on December  13, our graduates from Summer 2020 and  2021 and Winter 2020 finally had the opportunity to don their graduation robes, enjoy their spotlight on stage and celebrate their achievement with family, friends and academic staff at the graduation garden party.

To see more of our graduation pics, visit facebook.com/stranbelfast/

 

With a big Santa “Ho Ho Go!” an amazing 595 schools and Early Years settings took part in The Daily Mile Santa Run on Friday 3 December, across Northern Ireland.

The event was organised by the Daily Mile Network NI to encourage children and all people to participate in the Daily Mile. The day aimed to raise awarenes of the positive impact being active can have on children’s mental health and wellbeing.

The Daily Mile™ initiative was started nine years ago by headteacher Elaine Wyllie in Sterling, and has since enjoyed momentous success with three million children worldwide now running a mile a day across 13,500 schools in 88 countries.

Dr Brenda Mc Kay-Redmond, co-Chair of The Daily Mile Network NI and Stranmillis University College lecturer, would like to thank all the children, staff, school and early years settings that took part and succeeded in making this an overwhelming success. “This has been phenomenal! Witnessing children in their Christmas attire carrying out fifteen minutes of exercise, jogging or walking, outside safely can contribute to them becoming happier, fitter and stronger. Self-esteem, wellbeing and satisfaction can also improve mental health, so let’s keep our hearts and minds healthy by having fun, friendships, fitness and freedom in the fresh air.”

Clare Drummy, Physical Activity Coordinator and Daily Mile Network NI member, says: “We are thrilled with the number of schools and early years settings who have participated in the Santa Run event. There is real appetite out there for The Daily Mile initiative across all settings. It’s free and evidence shows the huge benefits it has on children’s physical health, but also on concentration, focus, mood and behaviour. Our regional aim is to get all children everywhere participating in the inclusiveness of The Daily Mile™ in Northern Ireland.”

Colette Brolly, the Public Health Agency’s lead on physical activity said: “We were delighted to support the Daily Mile Santa Run. This was a fantastic achievement to get so many children moving on the same day, having fun and celebrating the positive benefits that daily activity can have on their physical health and emotional wellbeing.”

Wishing all a Happy and Healthy Christmas!

We would like to encourage all schools and early years settings in Northern Ireland to sign up to The Daily Mile™. To register for The Daily Mile™ please visit:  https://thedailymile.co.uk/