THE FRIDAY NOTE (27TH MARCH 2026)
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
We are now approaching the final week of term and what a busy few weeks it has been! This morning, our P3/4 class led us in a fantastic Easter assembly. The children were brilliant and it was lovely to see so many parents in attendance. Thank you to Mrs McCammon, Kelly-Ann, Nicola and Julie for all of their hard work in preparing the children, it is very much appreciated. Thank you also to our Parents’ Council for providing refreshments afterwards. This continues to be a lovely addition to our assemblies and is greatly appreciated.
I hope you find the following information useful as we move into the final week of term.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEXT WEEK
Next week is the final week of term. Please note that Friday will be a half day, with children dismissed from 11.00am.
Staggered dismissal times for Friday are as follows:
11.00am – P7 children and younger siblings
11.10am – P5 and P6 children and younger siblings
11.20am – P3 and P4 children and younger siblings
11.30am – all remaining children
There will be no school bus service on either Thursday or Friday of next week.
ILLNESS REMINDER
There has been a sickness bug circulating within school over the past week. To help reduce the spread, we would ask that any child who has been unwell with vomiting or diarrhoea remains off school for 48 hours from their last episode before returning. Thank you for your support with this.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS
We always love celebrating our pupils’ achievements. If your child has had any success outside of school, please do let me know via Class Dojo or email. We are always delighted to celebrate the many successes our children experience both in and beyond school.
SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATE
Our School Development Plan priorities for this year are:
Work has been progressing well across all areas. Teachers have engaged in meaningful self-evaluative processes, and we have reviewed planning and pupils’ work during staff meetings to ensure that all children are being supported to reach their full potential. There is clear evidence across the school of effective differentiation, alongside high-quality teaching and learning. Targeted interventions have also been introduced to support children who require additional support, ensuring they are able to achieve and experience success.
Parental engagement remains a key priority for us as an integrated school. Our Parents’ Council has worked proactively this year to strengthen our sense of community, and their events have been a great success. Teachers continue to keep parents well informed through bi-monthly learning overviews, and Class Dojo remains an important tool in supporting strong communication between home and school.
We also reviewed our homework policy earlier this year, and it is encouraging to see how well homework is reinforcing learning across all classes. Parent information sessions held at the beginning of the year were well attended, and in Term 3 we look forward to building further on this through a series of evening workshops aimed at supporting parents in helping their children at home. Please keep an eye out for further details.
In terms of emotional wellbeing, we have placed a strong focus on developing pupil voice across the school. Our School Council and Eco Council have played an important role in this. Mr Cloughley has been leading our work towards achieving the Rights Respecting School Award, and Jenna from BeeMindful has been delivering yoga sessions to selected classes, with very positive feedback. These sessions will continue into Term 3. Our nurture provision continues to be a real strength within the school, and we are very grateful to Mrs Hughes for her ongoing commitment and hard work in this area. We will continue to build on this provision over the coming months and into next year.
We are very pleased with the progress made so far across all three priority areas and look forward to continuing this work as we move into the final term of the year.
THERMOMIX COOKERY DEMONSTRATION FOR PARENTS
We are hosting a Thermomix event where parents (and friends) can discover how to make delicious, nutritious meals from scratch with ease. Please join us on Thursday 23rd April at 7.00pm in school.
During the session, you will learn:
Spaces are limited, so if you would like to attend, please let me know via Class Dojo or email. Everyone is welcome!
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
In line with guidance from the Department of Education, parents have the right to request that their child is withdrawn from Religious Education and/or collective worship.
Should you wish to do so, please contact the school office to request a withdrawal form. This must be completed and returned so that appropriate arrangements can be put in place for your child during these times.
EA ENHANCED SUPPORT MODEL CONSULTATION
The Education Authority has launched an eight-week public consultation on the proposed Enhanced Support Model for Special Educational Needs. This model aims to improve outcomes for children and young people through a more needs-led approach, increased school-based support, a highly skilled multidisciplinary workforce and more flexible local provision.
Parents and carers are encouraged to take part and share their views, as this will help shape how support is delivered in the future. The Education Authority will be hosting engagement events over the coming weeks, which will be advertised on their social media channels.
The survey can be found here: Enhanced Support Model - Public Consultation | Education Authority Northern Ireland
NURSERY AND P1 ADMISSIONS
Parents of children due to start Nursery or P1 in September 2026 have now been notified of the outcome of their application. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new pupils in September- welcome to the Saints and Scholars family!
If you ever have any questions or concerns, you’re always welcome to get in touch with me or your child’s class teacher via Class Dojo or you can catch me at drop off or collection time.
Please note, I am away at Gortatole OEC with the Primary 7s from Monday to Wednesday. Mr Cloughley will be deputising for me during this time and can be contacted by email at pcloughley890@c2kni.net.
Mrs O’Braonain will also be on the residential trip from Monday to Wednesday. If you have any safeguarding concerns during this period, Mrs McGeown (Deputy Designated Teacher) can be reached at rmcgeown617@c2kni.net.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Mr A. Scott-Mulholland
Principal