The Council of Casalmaggiore Province of Cremona Social Services department

1. The Council of Casalmaggiore Province of Cremona Social Services department

2. The Town of Casalmaggiore has accommodated the ethnic minority of Lombardy Sinti, setting aside an area equipped with water and electricity supplies, made possible thanks to regional contributions. This area has become insufficient to their needs because they have grown. They were 37 people in 1986. Now they are 66.

3. They are Italian born Sinti who are semi-stationary. They were merry-go-round builders, now they try to find temporary work. Some of them collect discarded iron and old objects in rubbish dumps, some are actors and musicians involved in travelling shows.

4. The Council of Casalmaggiore has set up 2 projects: “Sucar Plaza” which has been financed with Lombardy Region contribution – and – “Mengro Kher” financed with Casalmaggiore Council resources.

5. The main aim is to help them to integrate into local communities, volunteer Associations, schools at all levels. Since 1986 16 Sinti pupils have obtained scuola media diploma which is similar to the British Middle Schools.

6. The Council of Caslmaggiore has bought land in the surrounding area of their current residence in order to build new facilities such as roads, prefabs and caravan parks so that, for example newly weds may live in their caravans near the parents’ prefabs. We can assist a gradual passage from caravan to houses..

7. “Sucar Plaza” means beautiful Square that is an instalment consisting of three prefabs each with their own caravan park for relatives. Naturally the Council will provide all the basic services like water, electricity, gas and drainage

8. “Mengro Kher” means our home. As we are nearing the 2007 European Year of equal opportunities and the 2008 European Year of interculture this project is important to encourage to integrate and interact with each other with respect to each other’s language, culture and history

9. The Council is in the process of trying to find someone from the Sinti Community to act as a cultural mediator. A Professional work force is necessary to bring together the Sinti Community and local people so that they both contribute to the project.

10. This is the project implemented in Casalmaggiore middle school for pupils with personal difficulties at home. It has proved to be very useful for Roma and Sinti children.

11. WELCOME PROJECT

12. ANALYSIS OF THE NEEDS • It is directed at • the pupils who find it difficult to interact • who are marginalized by society, • who run the risk of turning to delinquency because of cultural differencies and inability to express themselves.

13. HOW TO GROUP THE PUPILS They are put together on the basis of their academic aptitudes, the knowledge they need to acquire, their level of competence

14. OUTLINES FOR THE PROJECT How to create a serene atmosphere How to make them get to know themselves How to grade their academic work in respect to their background

15. METHODOLOGY  The class teachers choose from amongst themselves a person responsible for being the pupil’s mentor and for organizing the staff at school and any people outside of the school involved in scholastic matters such as family, parish, volunteer association to aid the pupil in settling into school.

16. HOW TO CREATE A GOOD PUPIL-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP

17. A good relationship is based on: Trust: making sure that the pupil feels confortable confiding in the teacher

18. Respect for the teacher’s authority and decisions that the pupil has helped to make taking part in discussions

19. Listening: the need to communicate well with each other

20. Being a good mentor who cares, supports, listens , gives advice and is affectionate to them

21. Empathy: sharing their emotions and thoughts

22. Problem solving: listening to the pupil’s proposals and ideas on how to resolve a particular problem

23. Firmness: making sure pupils obey rules discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a rule so that they can understand the reasons why it exists

24. Teaching the social and civic responsabilities

25. THE CLASS TEACHERS AGREE ON:

26. Different programmes which involve pupils from different classes, • amendments to the timetable, • simplified classwork –

27. Even if the pupils don’t participate in the lessons planned the subject teacher must monitor and mark the related activity done by the pupil in the separate class

28. The teachers • in their evaluation • take into account any work done by the pupil • outside the classroom

29. Thanks to these programmes the social integration of these pupils is guaranteed

30. OBJECTIVES

31. The school makes pupils aware of any cultural diversities and teaches the pupils how to respect them

32. It also promotes self-esteem, communication skills, sense of belonging, consideration of the existing abilities, knowledge of oneself in all problematic pupils.

33. DESIRED RESULTS

34. -          Educational-social-emotional sphere: personal satisfaction thanks to communication skills, self-esteem, sense of belonging, being able to keep their emotions under control

35. Knowledge sphere: developing their academic potential as much as possible

36. Skills sphere: growth of their academic skills in analysis and synthesis, development of their creative skills i.e. music, arts and crafts, dance and so on,

37. METHODOLOGY

38.   Learning laboratories •   Moduls for different classes • Making use of teachers’ time or supplementary hours • Also of volunteers experts

39. STRATEGIES

40. all the laboratory teachers have to report to the subject teacher • they have also to plan the programmes together pupils and teachers must agree on their rights and duties in school • when necessary school can employ a psychologist

41. school can also employ cultural mediators • teachers, pupils and families organize parties, social events and public exhibitions of their artwork • the school is linked to sport and leisure associations

42. ASSESSMENT

43. The subject teachers and the laboratory teachers are responsible for assessing the pupils • they can do this with oral texts and written texts • they judge how well the pupils have adapted to school • and how well they have responded to the programmes • the end of year examination is based on the programmes • that they have followed