It was with enormous pride that Aljezur International School learnt that it was to receive the Selo Protetor – literally meaning “Protective Stamp” – from the national commission for the promotion of rights and protection of children and young people, in a ceremony in Cantanhede, last Friday.
A group of teachers from the school, led by director Sílvia Catarino, travelled to Cantanhede to receive the honour from the Coimbra borough’s mayor and president of Portuguese Child Protection Services Rosário Farmhouse.
“I felt truly honoured”, said Sílvia Catarino, “with a sense of justice for our school, for all the hard work every professional has made towards the wellbeing of our children. We started applying for this recognition in May 2021. It involved months of working in formal documents that had to be submitted to be approved.”
In the words of the national commission, receiving the Selo Protetor “means that the entity focuses on children’s rights, creating proactive methodologies to promote those same rights”.
In the photo, Sílvia Catarino can be seen holding the Selo, standing next to Cantanhede Mayor Helena Teodósio (right), Aljezur teachers Giacomo Osti and Helena Sacadura, and Rosário Farmhouse on the far right.
