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

• A&N Borough Council Girls' Soccer League

  Fri 23 Jan 2026

  Our Girls' Soccer Team embraced their opening five games in the first round of the Antrim and Newtownabbey Girls’ Soccer League with enthusiasm, sportsmanship and skill. Over five hard‑fought matches, our determined strikers scored a total of five goals, securing two wins, one draw and two losses. A special mention to Hannah-Rose our top scorer of the day.  Well done girls — we look forward to Round 2!

  

• Year 3 Celebrate Grandparents' Day

  Fri 23 Jan 2026

  A heartfelt thank you to all our Year 3 grandparents, extended family members and friends who joined us in school today. It was a joy to welcome so many special visitors to share in the beautiful singing, storytelling and poetry performed by our talented Year 3 children.

   

  Our guests enjoyed some light refreshments before being invited into the classrooms, where they spent quality time with the children, chatting, exploring their work and sharing special moments together. The smiles and conversations filled our corridors with warmth and joy.

   

  A special word of thanks goes to our Year 3 teachers and classroom assistants, who helped the children create the wonderful handmade gifts for their grandparents — thoughtful keepsakes that were very much appreciated.

   

  This celebration was a fitting conclusion to our Catholic Schools Week events.

  

• SW Antrim Cumann na mBunscol Allianz Camogie Tournament

  Thu 22 Jan 2026

  Congratulations to our Girls' Gaelic Football Team who travelled to the Antrim Forum to take part in the SW Antrim Indoor 5‑a‑side Camogie Tournament.

   

  The girls showed fantastic teamwork, determination and skill throughout the competition. They did St Joseph’s proud and finished as runners‑up in the Allianz SW Antrim Cumann na mBunscoil Shield, missing out in a hard‑fought final.

  A special word of congratulations to Moneynick Primary School, winners of this year’s Shield.

   

  Well done, girls – we are very proud of you!

  

• St Brigid’s Cross Making with Miss McAuley

  Thu 22 Jan 2026

  Today we were delighted to welcome back our friend and former teacher, Miss McAuley, who visited St Joseph’s as part of our Catholic Schools Week celebrations. Since her retirement, Miss McAuley returns each year to work with our Year 6 pupils, teaching them the traditional Irish craft of making St Brigid’s Crosses — a skill she is passionate about passing on to the next generation.

   

  The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience, learning about the significance of Saint Brigid while carefully weaving their own crosses. As a special surprise, Miss McAuley also gifted every Year 6 pupil a beautiful medal.  We are very grateful for Miss McAuley’s time, talent and generosity. Her continued connection to our school community is a blessing, especially during Catholic Schools Week.

   

  Next week, Canon Colm will visit the school to bless the St Brigid’s Crosses before the children take them home to celebrate the Feast Day of St Brigid on 1st February.

  

• Primary 1 Curriculum Morning

  Wed 21 Jan 2026

  A warm thank you to all our Primary 1 parents who attended our Year 1 Curriculum Morning. It was wonderful to welcome you into school and share how we support our youngest learners as they continue to settle confidently into life at St Joseph’s.

   

  As we begin Term 2, our focus shifts more deeply into the core building blocks of early learning.  Staff shared practical strategies and examples of how we teach these vital skills in fun, child‑centred and accessible ways, and how parents can support learning at home.  We are very grateful to the Primary 1 staff team for organising an informative parental session. 

  

• Pupil Council Lead the Launch of Stella the Star

  Wed 21 Jan 2026

  As part of Catholic Schools Week 2026, our Pupil Council proudly led a very special staff development session to introduce Stella the Star, our new school mascot.

   

  Over the past number of months, the Pupil Council have worked thoughtfully and creatively to shape every part of Stella’s development. They explored ideas, voted on designs, helped craft her story, and contributed to the creation of activity packs that will support our vision and values across our school.

   

  During the staff session, the pupils confidently presented their work, explained why a star was the perfect symbol for St Joseph’s, read Stella’s story aloud, and shared the classroom resources they helped design. Their leadership, teamwork and communication were outstanding, and staff were genuinely impressed by the maturity and pride shown by each member of the council.

   

  This launch connected beautifully with the theme of Catholic Schools Week — “Normal Lives, Called to Holiness.” Stella reminds us that holiness is found in everyday kindness, care, respect and love. 

   

  What happens next?
  Stella will begin her journey around classrooms in the days ahead, helping celebrate our school values and encouraging pupils to be their best selves. Teachers will have access to a full Stella Activity Pack, and classes will be invited to create their own ideas, artwork and writing inspired by our new mascot.

   

  Stella will be officially launched to all pupils during our January Golden Assemblies next week, where the whole school will have the chance to meet her, hear her story and celebrate this exciting new chapter for St Joseph’s.  We are incredibly proud of the Pupil Council for their leadership and delighted to introduce Stella the Star — a bright new symbol of our motto:

  
  “Everyone Matters, Every Moment Counts.”

  

• Spirit of Catholic Education Awards 2026

  Wed 21 Jan 2026

  We are delighted to share that St Joseph’s Primary School has once again been awarded the Spirit of Catholic Education Award — for the third time. This recognition celebrates the vibrant faith life of our school and the commitment of our pupils, staff and families in nurturing a community rooted in prayer, reflection and the love of God.

   

  Today, representatives from our school travelled to St Mary’s University College Belfast to receive the award from the Catholic Schools Support Service.  Mr. Traynor and Mrs. Loughran were joined by Aoibhinn and Freddie, two dedicated members of our school’s Faith Group, who proudly accepted the award on behalf of all pupils.  The award was presented by Bishop Alan McGuckian.  Mr. Grant, Chair of our BOG, and Mrs. Wright (Ethos Governor) were also present.

   

  This year’s award focused on how schools develop, nurture and promote the spiritual and prayer life of their Catholic community, with a special emphasis on how pupils have responded to the call of prayer during the Jubilee Year 2025. Our submission highlighted the many ways prayer, reflection and faith are woven into the daily life of St Joseph’s — from classroom prayer and sacred spaces to pupil‑led liturgies, guided reflection, sacramental preparation and opportunities for children to encounter God in meaningful and age‑appropriate ways.

   

  We are especially proud of the leadership shown by our pupils. Whether preparing assemblies, writing prayers, leading worship or supporting their peers, our children play an active role in shaping the spiritual life of the school. Their example reflects the heart of this year’s Catholic Schools Week theme: “Ordinary People, Called to Holiness.” This theme reminds us that holiness is found not in extraordinary moments, but in the kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love shown in everyday school life.

  

• Catholic Schools Week Assemblies

  Tue 20 Jan 2026

  Catholic Schools Week runs from Sunday 20th January to Saturday 26th January.  This year’s theme, “Catholic Schools: Normal Lives Called to Holiness”, invites us to recognise that holiness is found in the everyday—through simple acts of kindness, honesty, forgiveness and love.

   

  Our Year 1–3 assembly was beautifully led by Mrs. McDonnell’s Year 1 class, while our Year 4–7 assembly was confidently led by Miss McMullan’s Year 6 class.  At both assemblies, the children shared a thoughtful message about how holiness can be lived out in the simple, everyday moments of our lives. They reminded us that being holy is not about doing extraordinary things—it is about the small acts of kindness, the quiet choices to be a good friend, and the respectful way we treat one another at home, in school, and within our parish family.

   

  The children beautifully expressed that holiness grows when we try each day to “be the best version of yourself you can be.” Through their prayers, readings and reflections, they helped us see that these simple actions—showing care, offering a helping hand, including someone who feels left out—are all ways of letting God’s love shine through.  They also reflected on the example of St Carlo Acutis, a young person who showed that holiness can be found in ordinary life by choosing kindness, faithfulness and goodness each day

   

  A huge well done to all the boys and girls involved for leading such prayerful, reflective and inspiring celebrations.

  

• Year 4HF Shared Education Project

  Tue 20 Jan 2026

  Today Mrs Fenton’s Year 4 class enjoyed their first joint activity at CIPS, where they met the other Year 4 classes from CIPS and Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach.

   

  The children enjoyed taking part in a series of icebreaker games which provided a fantastic opportunity to meet new friends and work together.

   

  They're already looking forward to their next ICT Coding activity activity in a few weeks time—this time at St. Joseph's!

  

• Catholic Schools Week 2026

  Mon 19 Jan 2026

  Catholic Schools Week 2026 will take place from 18–24 January, and this year’s theme is “Catholic Schools – Normal Lives, Called to Holiness.”
  This theme reminds us that we don’t need to do anything extraordinary to live holy lives — we simply try to show love, kindness and faith in the everyday moments of life.

   

  Inspired by the example of Saint Carlo Acutis, Pope Francis encouraged us to remember that holiness is for everyone. Saint Carlo was an ordinary young person who loved his family, enjoyed his friends, worked hard at school and used his interest in computers creatively — all while keeping his faith at the centre of his life.

   

  Throughout Catholic Schools Week, pupils will explore how we can all live with faith and love in the ordinary things we do each day. Each day will have a special focus, supported by prayer, reflection, classroom activities and community involvement.

   

  As a school community, we look forward to celebrating how our everyday actions help us grow closer to God and one another.