Over the years the staff of Portobello Institute have undertaken many trips to India to work with disadvantaged street chlidren in India, spending time in orphanges and working with the children on everyday activities.  One of the orphanages Portobello Institute staff spent time at is the BSSK orphanage.  Denise Flood Montessori expert and registrar for the college has carried out many trips to India and in March 2012 she travelled to Pune to visit BSSK again but this time to spend time with the staff educating them in the Montessori Method and setting up a Montessori school in BSSK.  The orphange supports up to 70 children aged 0 to 7.  The trip was lead by Dr Meere Oka, a lecturer at Portobello Institute and a Trustee of BSSK Orphanage.

At the end of January the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald announced that in 2012 Ireland will see the development of Irelands first National Early Years strategy for children ages 0-6 years.  The primitive years are the most important for the development of children and Minister Fitzgerald stated "Early-intervention in childrens lives and quality childhood experiences are cruticial to a childs emotional, cognetive and social development". 

Over the years Portobello Institute has dedicated a lot of time working with charities in India spending time with slum children in schools and orphanages.  Denise Flood, Head of the Early Years Department has visited Pune many times devoting her time to street children and accessing how she could make a change to the quality of their lives using her years of experinece within Montessori and Chlidcare.  Her empathetic approach towards these children has led her to further develop education facilites and with this in mind 2012 will see Portobello Institute embark on a new project in India by setting up a Montessori school in Pune.  Experiencing first hand Denise has seen how spending quality time with the children ensuring they are stimulated in every day skills has steadily improved their cognitive and social skills.  In the short time she spend in Pune she saw a dramatic improvement in some of the childrens responses.  In these poor slum areas many children are sent out to beg on the streets as familes are extremely poor.  Portobello Institute aim to open a school which will be able to provide a warm and welcoming environment for these children.  Using the Montessori method Denise and her team will set about encouraging learning and developing the individual childrens potential.

Childrens charity Zest4kidz has been working with disadvantaged children for a number of years, working with children in Orphanages in Belarus, child soldiers in Uganda and slum and street children in India.  The charity organize support groups to travel to these areas to work with children, show them support and love and that they are not alone.  The charity has carried out trips to India a number of times to work with children schooled in the Pune area.  On the most recent trip this month two Portobello Institute staff were part of the support group that travelled to Pune to work with these disadvantaged children.  Denise Flood, Head of Early Years Department and Tara Flood, Marketing Manager worked closey with both the children and teachers of the school.  Denise who heads up the Montessori and childcare division at Portobello Institute took time out to educate the teachers of the school about the philosphy behind Montessori and how this form of education could benefit the children within their current environment.  Tara worked closely with the team who supported the children and concentrated on Arts & Crafts sessions with them.  Simple things like painting, bubbbles and balloons brought smiles to their faces and the children worked as a group to create a mural for the wall.  Tara says "it was really important for us to try and get the quieter children to intergrate with the others.  Some children would be happy to sit in the corner on their own but by the end of our sessions they had grown confidence and were happily playing and enjoying the fun.  It is hard experience such low poverty levels and although we only spent a week there I feel confident that we brought a small change to each of the children."

On May 21st at St Marys Church, Dawson Street Portobello Institute held their summer 2011 Graduation Ceremony.  The church is the ideal venue with its beautiful interior and furnishings.  On the day the college were extremely proud of its graduates which were a mix of Montessori, Fashion Buying and Merchandising, Make-up and Beauty students who were all there to proudly receive their hard earned Diplomas.  The ceremony began with an opening speech from the college director Rebakah Lyons who congratulated the students on their achievements to date and wished them the very best in their chosen career paths. Once the students had all received their Diplomas the ceremony continued with additional awards for Student of the Year from each sector.

Montessori, Childcare and Special Needs are the most popular programmes we deliver outside the Dublin area.  Over the years Portobello Institute have been delivering these courses in Cork, Galway Waterford, Carlow and many more areas.  To ensure potential students are equiped with sufficient information about our courses for Autumn we are carrying out a number of regional open evenings in popular areas.  Portobello Institute prides itself on its dedicated and expert tutors. All of our childcare tutors have a true passion for this sector.  Individually they have vast amounts of knowledge to share with potential students and they will be on hand at the open evening to answer any questions you have about working in this challenging yet rewarding sector.  We are holidng open evenings in the folloing areas:

Fancy getting away this summer yet still working within childcare then this could be for you.  An Irish/Belgian couple are looking for an au-pair for the summer months (May -  August 2011) for their daughter who is 3 months.  The family live  in a quiet village 30 minutes from Brussels in the French speaking part of Belgium.  The train station is 10 mintues away so ideal for getting around.  The au pair is required the child from 8am - 5pm Monday to Friday.  Your evenings and weekends are free.  In addition there aer several bank holidays in Belgium over the summer months where you will be free to visit Belgium or Europe.

Denise Flood and Sinead Matson from our Montessori and Childcare department were fortunate to visit Pen Green training centre in Northamptonshire in March.  The centre specialises in training and research for the early child years   Their vision is for the research base to be an important resource for those working in the early years field.  In doing so the centre is able to help practicioners and childcare professionals learn and improve their services.

There are many obstacles facing people with intellectual disabilities including communication.  Sign language aids the gap for communication between adults and children giving both parties a tool in which to understand each other and form a converstaion.  LAMH is an Irish sign language which has been around since the 80's and has proved to be an invaluable asset to parents with children to have hearing or intellectual disabilities.  LAMH is taught at St Michaeals House and this week a representative from the organisation took the time to deliver a guest lecture to our Childcare and Special Needs students informing them of this advantageous form of signing with young children.  The simple signs in LAMH were developed to allow practitioners and families to communcate with their children until the child learns to speak.  Many preschoolers find it is an excellent tool within thier settings for children with lots of different learning delays.  Signs can be used a primary method of communication.  Many LAMH signs have been adapted from Irish Sign Language (ISL).  However, LAMH uses a smaller number of signs than ISL and the hand positions are complex.  Many of our students who go on to work with children with intellectual disabilities will find LAMH a fundemental tool when working in this sector. 

Are you part of a parent and toddler group or are looking to set up a group in the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown area but are struggling with equipment or training costs?  Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown County Council Childcare Committee are inviting existing groups as well as parents who are looking to set up a group to apply for a grant under the  Parent and Toddler Group Initiative 2011.  Small grands from €100 to €600 are availalbe for various areas such as toys, equipment, arts & crafts, music, or indeed help towards insurance, rent or training.  Application are available on-line and should be submitted by 8th April 2011

Do you love children and have a childcare qualification?  Fancy working abroad for the next 9 months?  Then this could be the role for you.  A French family are currently seeking a live in nanny to look after their two children (4 1/2 & 3) from August/September 2011 for a 9 month period.  The family are based in the South of France in Marseille, just 5 minutes from the beach.  Working hours would be 30 hrs per week with 1 or 2 evenings per week.  You would be required to bring the the children to and from school, prepare meals, organise activties and outings and do the childrens laundry.  Salary is €100 per week with a room and meals provided for you.  Candidates must have a childcare qualification with good references, be honest, loyal and most importanly patient.  Speaking French is not necessary.

Childrens charity Barnardos came into the college at the end of last year to deliver a guest lecture to Portobello's Montessori students.  Enlightented and enthused by the charities notable and continued work the students took it upon themselves to raise some money to contribute to the charity.  The students organized two hampers packed with goodies to raffle just in time for Christmas.  Raising over €2,000 the students proudly presented the cheque to a Barnardos represetative earlier in the month.

Barnardos launched a new publcation this week to support those working in pre-schools in creches, Montessori schools, after school clubs and summer camp settings.  The book acts as a guide for careers to understand their responsibilites regarding child protection and to maximise the safety and welfare of the children while in their care and to report child protection concerns in accordance with the Government's protection guidelines Chilldren First.