IPPN

15th January 2007 - Diary Note: IPPN Annual Conference Killarney, 25th to 27th January

Last Updated: Monday, 15 January 2007 00:00

IPPN's Annual Conference takes place in the INEC, Killarney from Thursday 25th January to Saturday, 27th January 2007.

The theme of this year's conference is "Changing Ireland".

The Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) is the professional association of Irish primary school principals and deputy principals. With over 6,000 members from over 95% of all primary schools, the IPPN, established in 2000, has grown to become the authoritative voice of school leaders at primary level.

The conference always attracts a large attendance and this year, 700 school leaders will gather for three days to hear inputs from leading commentators and to attend workshops on a wide variety of topics. There will be a special Press Briefing on Thursday at 1.00 p.m. followed by lunch. Please let us know of any special requirements you may have with regard to timing of live interviews or print deadlines. We have IPPN spokespersons available on a wide range of education topics including:

Special Education Needs
New Irish Children
Small Schools, Rural Schools
Educational Disadvantage
Information and Communication Technology
School funding

Media Contacts:

John Curran - PRO - 087 231 4259 and 087 296 9168- pro@ippn.ie

Seán Cottrell - Director - 086 6478717

Tomás O Slatara - President - 087 2420118

IPPN Support Office - 1890 21 22 23

Keynote Speakers:

Terry Prone will be the facilitator over the three days and the conference will be addressed by

Mary Hanafin, T.D., Minister for Education and Science
David McWilliams, Economist, Journalist, Broadcaster, Author
Emily Logan, Ombudsman for Children
Sorina Selaru, the perspective of a "New Irish" parent
Tomas Ó Slatara - President IPPN
Seán Cottrell - Director IPPN
Fergus Finlay - Barnardos - will facilitate a workshop.

Workshops:

A variety of practical workshops are available for principals to broaden their knowledge and hone their skills in a number of professional areas:

Multigrade Teaching - Practical Strategies - Noel Loftus
Staff Meetings - A Practical Guide to Success - Cóilín Ó Coigligh
The School Plan - From the Shelf to the Classroom - Úna Feeley
Handling Challenging Situations - using emotionally intelligent techniques - LDS Team
In-School Management- In the smaller school - Bernard McHale
Curriculum Leadership - In a Changing

- Marie McLoughlin
Coping with Change - Courageous & Principled Leadership - Fergus Finlay
Cultural Diversity - Alvina Grosu
Preparing for Retirement - the Principal's Perspective - Gus Murray, Jim Hayes
Achieving Work/Life Balance - Ruth Handy