Ollie on Tour - Armagh
Quite a few 'pinch me' moments during Ali and Caroline's recent visit across the Irish sea to Armagh.
Standing in front of several hundred children at CBS Primary, while Ali worked her magic was definitely one of them. A quick break between the younger half and the older half of the school, and soon we were role-playing a bullying scene, also involving the staff, before Ali armed the kids with the key words "you don't know me", so that every child rehearsed them ready for their next encounter with a bully. Principal Mr Doyle made us so welcome, showing us around, clearly passionate about every child and every aspect of school life at CBS Armagh.
After a bit of sustenance (with its own key ingredients), we made our way to the impressive new Southern Regional College building in Armagh. I'm getting better at photos - they capture special moments and memories. We had a lovely mix of age groups and backgrounds, even three generations from one family. We had one child, who had seen us at school earlier in the day, who seized the chance to attend with a parent, and learn more about Ollie and His Superpowers. I knew the audience were in for a treat (and not just the cake at the break). One person reflected, "I looked around the room and realised that everyone in the room was captivated by what they were learning", hearing about angry Peter, REP systems, rapport etc. Everyone seemed to enjoy putting some of the tips and tools into practice, moving around the room, meeting strangers, and realising how what they had learned could be useful elsewhere in their lives.
Before I knew it, I was thanking some key people, and waving Ali and Caroline off, as if it had all been a really vivid dream. It did feel great knowing I would see Ollie classmates and Team Ollie soon at CPD day, another chance to network, learn and have fun! The connections and opportunities arising from our Ollie events in Armagh, are growing fast! Thanks a million to all involved!
Nuala Judge
n.judge@ollieandhissuperpowers.com