
Helping people to help themselves
HOME ABOUT US ABOUT ETHIOPIA OUR WORK PROJECTS SCHOOL LINKS SPONSORING VOLUNTEERING DONATE NOTICE BOARD CONTACT US FORMS PHOTO GALLERY	School Links Hillside Community Primary School, Our Lady & All Saints R.C Primary School, St Catherine's RC Primary School and Karagutu Elementary School (Ethiopia) The first link with Hillside Community Primary School was established in April 2006. The school is situated in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire and we are right on the top of a hill; hence our name and it is always very windy. It was once a farm in the countryside until they built a new town here to house the over-spill from Liverpool which is approximately 20 miles away. We have just under 200 children in the main school and 38 in the Foundation Stage Unit. Many are brothers and sisters or close relatives. Everybody knows everybody as the houses are tightly packed together and they all 'look out for each other' and there is a great sense of community. Although Hillside is a very poor catchment area (11th poorest in Britain) and nearly three quarters are eligible for free school meals, the children are happy and enthusiastic to learn. Pamela Bowes is the organiser of the Karagutu link and is a Learning Mentor at Hillside. She works with vulnerable children and their families and especially loves running the after-school Gardening Club. Pam says, "I can see there may be similarities between our children and those in Karagutu. Although this project is very new for us, staff and children are eager to develop links, fundraise and get to know our new friends". And what a good start for the first link... wihin a short time the children in class 4D have raised £100 to buy a school desk and chair, a blackboard, a teachers's desk and school kit for 10 pupils! The school held a non-uniform day and raised £250. We recently received a cheque for £100. Thank you very much for all your support. Karagutu Elementary School is situated in Dessie in the Amhara region, Central Ethiopia. It is a large and modern city, densely populated and crowded. The school has currently four classrooms and six unfinished classrooms for 550 pupils. Children can only attend school either morning or afternoon due to lack of space. The average class size is 50 and there is a shortage of school supplies. Ato Yimer Baynesagne, the Headmaster is looking forward to the benefits of such a link. The children at Karagutu school, Hillside CP School and Our Lady All Saints R.C Primary school have exchanged letters and drawings with their pen friends. Our Lady & All Saints R. C. Primary School The second link with Our Lady & All Saints R. C. Primary School was established in November 2006. The school is a Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic Primary School. It was originally built in 1968 and has had a number of extensions over the years as numbers on roll at the school have grown. The school is a single-storey building and has four classrooms. Claire Cropper, the Headteacher is looking forward to the benefits of such link. In Key Stage One and Two there are two classrooms catering for mixed aged teaching. In Key Stage One there is an open resource area, which can be used as a multi-purpose teaching area. There is a mobile computer suite of laptops, which are used throughout the school. PCs are located in each classroom and in the library; every classroom has Internet access. Our school is situated in the village of Parbold in West Lancashire and is surrounded by an environment rich in sources of learning experiences, particularly historical and geographical. Amongst many of its attractions, the village of Parbold is surrounded by beautiful countryside, agricultural land and also has the Leeds-Liverpool canal running through it. We take an active part in village life; the children participate in a wide variety of local community activities including involvement with the local Age Concern group, decorating a float for the village festival, singing around the village Christmas tree, working with the local Tree Wardens and entering local sporting competitions and quizzes. The school is near to its parish church, Our Lady and All Saints Roman Catholic Church and so the children attend Mass during term time on Holy Days with the parish. Ampleforth Abbey are the trustees of the school, as they own the land the school was build on and built the church of Our Lady and All Saints. St Catherine's RC Primary School St Catherine’s school is situated in Didsbury South Manchester. We have approximately 420 children on our register. It comprises of a nursery and reception class (foundation stage) for children aged 3/4 and then there are years 1- 6. Y1 and Y2 are termed Key stage 1 and years 3 – 6 are Key stage 2. Each year group has two classes of 30 children. Y6 children, who raised some money for Karaguto School, have their 11th birthday in this year before moving on to High School in September, which is when the school year begins. (All school years begin in September and finish in July). The children in year 6 are paired with a child in the reception class in September and go and play with them at play times to help them settle in. We also meet up during lessons a few times a year to read with the little ones or play number games. Year 6 children spend every morning studying literacy (reading and writing) and doing mathematics. The afternoons vary because we do Science, History, Geography, Religion, Outdoor Games, ICT, French, PHSE or Art. At the end of the morning or afternoon we sing a song! There are two play times a day for all the children in Key Stage 2 and three playtimes for children in Key stage 1. Both Key Stages gather together twice a week for an assembly. The children wrote about themselves and sent pictures too. We have had a busy couple of weeks as it has been reading week and an author came into school to entertain the children with stories, pictures and music and we had to do some follow up work. For that week also all classes had to prepare and perform a poem for rest of the school to watch in an assembly! A band came in too, one afternoon and we still had to make sure we had covered all we have to do in the curriculum- so no time for art or fun. (the poetry assembly was great fun though) You should try learning fun poems and if you would like to read the ones we performed do visit our school web site. You will be able to see some photographs of us too! If you want to learn to speak English, learning poems and rhymes is a fun way to do it! Susan Bishop (Year 6 Teacher)

Helping people to help themselves

School Links

Hillside Community Primary School, Our Lady & All Saints R.C Primary School, St Catherine's RC Primary School and Karagutu Elementary School (Ethiopia)

The first link with Hillside Community Primary School was established in April 2006. The school is situated in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire and we are right on the top of a hill; hence our name and it is always very windy. It was once a farm in the countryside until they built a new town here to house the over-spill from Liverpool which is approximately 20 miles away.

We have just under 200 children in the main school and 38 in the Foundation Stage Unit. Many are brothers and sisters or close relatives. Everybody knows everybody as the houses are tightly packed together and they all 'look out for each other' and there is a great sense of community. Although Hillside is a very poor catchment area (11th poorest in Britain) and nearly three quarters are eligible for free school meals, the children are happy and enthusiastic to learn.

Pamela Bowes is the organiser of the Karagutu link and is a Learning Mentor at Hillside. She works with vulnerable children and their families and especially loves running the after-school Gardening Club. Pam says, "I can see there may be similarities between our children and those in Karagutu. Although this project is very new for us, staff and children are eager to develop links, fundraise and get to know our new friends".

And what a good start for the first link... wihin a short time the children in class 4D have raised £100 to buy a school desk and chair, a blackboard, a teachers's desk and school kit for 10 pupils! The school held a non-uniform day and raised £250. We recently received a cheque for £100. Thank you very much for all your support.

Karagutu Elementary School is situated in Dessie in the Amhara region, Central Ethiopia. It is a large and modern city, densely populated and crowded. The school has currently four classrooms and six unfinished classrooms for 550 pupils. Children can only attend school either morning or afternoon due to lack of space. The average class size is 50 and there is a shortage of school supplies. Ato Yimer Baynesagne, the Headmaster is looking forward to the benefits of such a link.

The children at Karagutu school, Hillside CP School and Our Lady All Saints R.C Primary school have exchanged letters and drawings with their pen friends.

Our Lady & All Saints R. C. Primary School

The second link with Our Lady & All Saints R. C. Primary School was established in November 2006. The school is a Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic Primary School. It was originally built in 1968 and has had a number of extensions over the years as numbers on roll at the school have grown. The school is a single-storey building and has four classrooms. Claire Cropper, the Headteacher is looking forward to the benefits of such link.

In Key Stage One and Two there are two classrooms catering for mixed aged teaching. In Key Stage One there is an open resource area, which can be used as a multi-purpose teaching area. There is a mobile computer suite of laptops, which are used throughout the school. PCs are located in each classroom and in the library; every classroom has Internet access.

Our school is situated in the village of Parbold in West Lancashire and is surrounded by an environment rich in sources of learning experiences, particularly historical and geographical. Amongst many of its attractions, the village of Parbold is surrounded by beautiful countryside, agricultural land and also has the Leeds-Liverpool canal running through it.

We take an active part in village life; the children participate in a wide variety of local community activities including involvement with the local Age Concern group, decorating a float for the village festival, singing around the village Christmas tree, working with the local Tree Wardens and entering local sporting competitions and quizzes.

The school is near to its parish church, Our Lady and All Saints Roman Catholic Church and so the children attend Mass during term time on Holy Days with the parish. Ampleforth Abbey are the trustees of the school, as they own the land the school was build on and built the church of Our Lady and All Saints.

St Catherine's RC Primary School

St Catherine’s school is situated in Didsbury South Manchester. We have approximately 420 children on our register. It comprises of a nursery and reception class (foundation stage) for children aged 3/4 and then there are years 1- 6. Y1 and Y2 are termed Key stage 1 and years 3 – 6 are Key stage 2. Each year group has two classes of 30 children.
Y6 children, who raised some money for Karaguto School, have their 11th birthday in this year before moving on to High School in September, which is when the school year begins. (All school years begin in September and finish in July).

The children in year 6 are paired with a child in the reception class in September and go and play with them at play times to help them settle in. We also meet up during lessons a few times a year to read with the little ones or play number games. Year 6 children spend every morning studying literacy (reading and writing) and doing mathematics. The afternoons vary because we do Science, History, Geography, Religion, Outdoor Games, ICT, French, PHSE or Art. At the end of the morning or afternoon we sing a song!

There are two play times a day for all the children in Key Stage 2 and three playtimes for children in Key stage 1. Both Key Stages gather together twice a week for an assembly.
The children wrote about themselves and sent pictures too. We have had a busy couple of weeks as it has been reading week and an author came into school to entertain the children with stories, pictures and music and we had to do some follow up work. For that week also all classes had to prepare and perform a poem for rest of the school to watch in an assembly! A band came in too, one afternoon and we still had to make sure we had covered all we have to do in the curriculum- so no time for art or fun. (the poetry assembly was great fun though) You should try learning fun poems and if you would like to read the ones we performed do visit our school web site. You will be able to see some photographs of us too! If you want to learn to speak English, learning poems and rhymes is a fun way to do it!

Susan Bishop (Year 6 Teacher)