Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• St Colmcille pray for Michaela

  Tue 14 Feb 2023

  The St Colmcille’s School Community wishes to extend our heartfelt sympathies to our P6 pupil James and (recent) former pupil Daniel on the sudden passing of their mother Michaela. 
  We also extend our condolences to Michaela’s husband Kyle and the Curran/Walsh families at this time. 
  St Colmcille pray for Michaela and her family at this very difficult and sad time. May she rest in peace.

  

• 📱🕹 Safer Internet Day 2023 📱🕹

  Sun 12 Feb 2023

  All of the pupils at St. Colmcille’s PS enjoyed participating in Safer Internet Day 2023! Each class engaged in important and fun learning activities based around this year’s theme, ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’. We held a Safer Internet Day competition in each key stage, in which pupils showcased their wonderful ideas and learning. Well done to everyone who worked so hard throughout the week, and to each class winner who received a certificate and a homework pass. Our Digital Leaders have also chosen an overall winner for each key stage, which we can’t wait to share with you after mid-term break!

  

• 🗓 School Closed for Mid-Term Break 🗓

  Sun 12 Feb 2023

  School is closed for Mid-Term Break, from Monday 13th February, and will reopen on Monday 20th February. Breakfast Club and our full compliment of After-school Clubs will be available from Monday 20th. We hope the entire school community has a safe and restful break and we look forward to seeing everyone again for the second half of Term 2!

  

• 📝📖 Key Stage 2 Literacy Competition 📝📖

  Sat 11 Feb 2023

  During National Story Telling Week, Miss Gelston visited Primary 5-7 classes to share her book, Felicity Flipflops, with the children and give some tips for writing stories and character creation. 

  The pupils entered a homework competition where they were tasked with creating their own character, 'Felicity's friend'. Miss Gelston was so impressed with the children's entries and has commended everyone's efforts. 

  The class winners were all delighted to be presented with a prize by Miss Gelston!

  

• 🏆➕➖ Mental Maths Challenge ➗✖️🏆

  Sat 11 Feb 2023

  As part of our 100 Days of School celebrations, Miss McCaughey and Mr Brennan held a mental maths challenge for each year group. The teachers were blown away by the talent and mental maths strategies used by the pupils in each class! Well done to everyone who took part in the mental maths challenges and to all the class winners!

  

• 💬💚 NSPCC Speak Out, Stay Safe 💬💚

  Fri 10 Feb 2023

  Children from across our school have been taking part in Speak out, Stay Safe assemblies and workshops this term, delivered by the NSPCC. P6 and P7 classes were also lucky enough to have a special visit from the NSPCC and meet their mascot, 'Buddy’. Speak out, Stay Safe is an important part of our safeguarding and learning in St Colmcille's PS. The program helps empower children to speak out, be heard, be safe and get help when they need it. #SpeakOutStaySafe

  

• ⭐️🏅 Pupils of The Week 🏅⭐️

  Fri 10 Feb 2023

  We are so proud of our terrific pupils of the week. They have worked very hard all week long and really impressed their teachers and classroom staff, well done!

  

• 📖📚 National Story Telling Week 📖📚

  Fri 10 Feb 2023

  This month, we celebrated National Story Telling Week. In St Colmcille's PS, we aim to instil a love for reading with all our children and support children in developing their imagination and storytelling skills. To celebrate this special event teachers have been inspiring children by sharing their favourite childhood stories with their classes and some classes even got a special visit from Mr Austin who read with them! We are also very lucky to have a published author as part of our teaching staff, Miss Gelston! Miss Gelston is the author of Felicity Flipflops. Felicity Flipflops is a story about how empathy, encouragement and friendship can positivity impact children's lives. Miss Gelston shared her book with Key Stage 2 children and provided tips and advice on writing a novel with them!  Each class has also been busy working away to create animations to retell their favourite story. These animations have been entered into a school competition which we can’t wait to share with you all!

  This month, we celebrated National Story Telling Week. In St Colmcille's PS, we aim to instil a love for reading with all our children and support children in developing their imagination and storytelling skills. To celebrate this special event teachers have been inspiring children by sharing their favourite childhood stories with their classes and some classes even got a special visit from Mr Austin who read with them! We are also very lucky to have a published author as part of our teaching staff, Miss Gelston! Miss Gelston is the author of Felicity Flipflops. Felicity Flipflops is a story about how empathy, encouragement and friendship can positivity impact children's lives. Miss Gelston shared her book with Key Stage 2 children and provided tips and advice on writing a novel with them!  Each class has also been busy working away to create animations to retell their favourite story. These animations have been entered into a school competition which we can’t wait to share with you all!

  

• 🗞📱 Online Safety Newsletter 🗞📱

  Tue 07 Feb 2023

  This special edition of our Online Safety Newsletter, for Safer Internet Day, contains lots of resources that families can use to make space for conversations about life online. #SaferInternetDay

  

• 📱 TikTok Parent & Carer Guide 📱

  Tue 07 Feb 2023

  This guide for parents & carers, from the EA, Safer Schools NI and Department of Education, is available on our website:

  stcolmcillesps.co.uk/online-safety
   

  Please see below information from the Education Authority

   

  📢 On Safer Internet Day we are delighted to launch TikTok Guides along with Safer Schools NI and the Department of Education NI.

  The guides provide advice to schools, parents and carers on the basics of how TikTok works, the potential risks associated with it and helpful tips on how to best support children and young people on the use of such platforms.

  ➡️ To view the guides please visit: https://saferschoolsni.co.uk/tiktok-guides/

  📷 The new guides were launched at Ashfield Girls’ High School by (L-R) Emma Wilkinson, Head Girl; Elaine Craig, EA Interim Assistant Director of Children and Young People’s Services; Julie Plackitt, DE Interim Head of Pupil Support; Colin Stitt, Head of Service and Safer Schools, INEQE Safeguarding Group; Louise Hanvey, Ashfield Girls, Principal; Beverley Cripps, Ashfield Girls, Vice Principal; Rachel Gilmore, Deputy Head Girl.

  For more information click: https://bit.ly/3X9vULa

  #SaferInternetDay | C2k | Ineqe Safeguarding Group