THE FRIDAY NOTE (23RD MAY 2025)
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
We’ve had another busy week in Saints and Scholars and it’s great that the sun is still shining! Please find attached some important information about the coming week.
Have a lovely, long weekend everyone!
SPORTS DAY
As you know, our annual Sports Day is taking place on Monday 2nd June. We’re looking forward to welcoming lots of supportive parents along on this day!
The day will run in the usual format. The traditional races for Nursery to P3 will take place on the playground. P4 to P7 will race on the top pitch. The races will take place at the following times. Please note children will race in year groups.
Nursery 9.15-9.45am
P1 9.45-10.15am
P2 10.15-10.45am
P3 10.45-11.15am
P4 9.30-10.00am
P5 10.00-10.30am
P6 10.30-11.00am
P7 11.00-11.30am
Mark from Healthy Kidz will be leading some fun games with each class throughout the day, so we’re looking forward to a great day. Your encouragement from the sidelines means the world to our young athletes. Let’s make it a day full of fun, laughter and unforgettable memories!
BOOK FAIR
We’re excited to share that we raised £2196.96 from book sales during the Book fair this week. This means we now have a fantastic total of £1318.18 to spend on brand-new books for our school library.
A huge thank you to all the parents and families who supported the Book Fair. Your generosity helps us inspire a love of reading and build a library our pupils will treasure. Happy reading!
BANK HOLIDAY
School is closed for the Bank Holiday on Monday 26th May. We hope everyone has a lovely, long weekend!
NI EDUCATION AWARDS
We’re proud to announce that Saints and Scholars IPS is a finalist in the Best School in Co. Armagh category at the Families First Education Awards! The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 7th June at the iconic Titanic, Belfast and we’d love your support!
Please vote for us here:
https://www.familiesfirstfinalists.com/saintsandscholarsips
Your comments will be shared with the judges and could make all the difference. Every kind word helps and we’d be so grateful for your support. Let’s show everyone what makes our school so special!
NURSERY AND P1 INFORMATION SESSIONS
We will be hosting an Induction Morning for Nursery and P1 parents at 9.30am on Tuesday 27th May. School will start at 10.30am for current Nursery and P1MT pupils to facilitate these induction sessions. School will be open as normal for everyone else on Tuesday.
RSE POLICY
It is a statutory requirement that all schools in Northern Ireland have a RSE Policy. An RSE policy outlines how a school teaches pupils about relationships, personal development, respect for others and understanding emotions. It ensures that learning is age-appropriate, inclusive and supports pupils in developing healthy, respectful relationships.
The draft of our RSE Policy is now available for consultation on the school website. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
If you would like to share your thoughts, please email them to ascottmulholland193@c2kni.net by Friday 13th June. Thank you!
TAG RUGBY BLITZ
A big well done to the children in Mr Cloughley’s class who represented our school at the Tag Rugby Blitz hosted by Armagh Royal on Tuesday of this week. You all played amazingly and did our school proud! Thank you to Mr Cloughley and Joanne for accompanying the children and supporting them on the day!
CYCLING PROFICIENCY
A huge well done to all our P7 pupils who took part in the Cycling Proficiency sessions each afternoon over the past two weeks. We’d also like to give a special thank you to Mr Bourne for his fantastic work in preparing and supporting the children!
The Cycling Proficiency programme plays an important role in helping our children develop the skills and confidence they need to stay safe while cycling on the road. It teaches essential road awareness, bike control and safe riding habits that will benefit them for years to come. Well done everyone- and safe cycling!
APPLE BLOSSOM SWIMMING GALA
Well done to all the Saints and Scholars pupils who represented our school at the Apple Blossom Swimming Gala last Friday at the Orchard Leisure Centre. You were all fantastic ambassadors, showing great sportsmanship and team spirit throughout the day.
A special congratulations to:
We are incredibly proud of everyone who took part and gave their best. We’re already looking forward to next year’s gala!
SACRAMENTS
Some of our P4 pupils will celebrate their First Holy Communion on Saturday 31st May in St Malachys, followed by a tea party at school from 1-2pm for the children and their families. Some of our P7 pupils will make their Confirmation on Saturday 7th June at 2pm in St Patrick’s RC Cathedral.
The school choir will perform at both services- please ensure full attendance to help us represent the school proudly.
SHARED EDUCATION CELEBRATION
Our P4 and P5 pupils have thoroughly enjoyed working with the children from St. Malachy’s as part of our Shared Education project over the past few weeks. They’ve learned so much from one another!
A big thank you to Mrs. O’Braonain, Mr. McCadden, and Miss O’Hagan for leading the project.
To celebrate, the children will be heading to Airtastic on Tuesday 27th May. We’re excited to continue our partnership with St. Malachy’s in the next school year!
ARMAGH PARISH FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Our P7 football team represented our school at the Annual Armagh Parish Football Tournament. The boys played really well against some stiff competition winning two of their games and drawing one! Well done boys!
LOST PROPERTY/ UNIFORM SWAP SHOP
A stand has been placed outside the school with lost, unlabelled property. Please collect any items that may belong to you before 30th May 2025. Any items remaining after this date will be included in the uniform recycle swap shop (further details below).
Last year’s uniform recycle was a huge success and our Parents’ Council will be leading this again this year. We will keep everyone updated with dates as soon as these have been finalised by the Parents’ Council but for now, we’d ask that everyone keeps hold of old wellies and items of uniform that your children have outgrown. Thanks so much for your support with this!
PERMISSION SLIPS/ PARENTPAY
Please remember to check your child’s school bag for any permission slips as we’re heading into a busy period filled with class trips and outings. It’s really important that these slips are signed and returned promptly so that you child doesn’t miss out on any upcoming activities. Please also ensure that all items on parentpay are checked and paid for as we approach the end of the school term. Thank you!
If you ever have any questions or concerns, you’re always welcome to get in touch with your child’s class teacher or me at any time via Class Dojo. I’m out at the front of the school each morning and, as often as possible, in the afternoons. Alternatively, my door is always open if you need to catch me during the school day. If you have a safeguarding concern, Mrs. O’Braonain, our Designated Teacher for Child Protection, can be contacted directly at aobraonain211@c2kni.net.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend!
Mr. A. Scott-Mulholland (Principal)