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

• Eco-Council Host Hallowe'en Costume Shop

  Wed 15 Oct 2025

  Our Eco Council did a fantastic job organising this year’s Hallowe’en Costume Swap and we were delighted with the response.  This annual eco initiative gives pre-loved costumes a second life, helping families save money while reducing waste and keeping items out of landfill. A win-win for both the environment and the pocket!

   

  It was wonderful to see so many smiles and creative costumes.  The money raised will go towards enhancing our outdoor science classroom with new plants—bringing even more life and learning to our outdoor space.

   

  There are still some costumes available for anyone who’d like to have a look—just pop in!

   

  A huge thank you to everyone who donated and bought a costume.

  Your support made this project another fang-tastic success!

  

• P5 Pottery Adventure: Another Time, Another Place

  Wed 15 Oct 2025

  We are delighted to have been selected to take part in the For Art’s Sake project — a vibrant, community-funded initiative designed to bring high-quality arts education into the classroom.

   

  The first art form we studied was clay. As part of our participation in the project, Mrs Campbell’s P5 class had a fantastic opportunity to work with expert potter Andrea during a series of six hands-on clay workshops. Using our topic Another Time, Another Place as a stimulus, we explored the art and culture of Ancient Egypt.

   

  We began by crafting simple pots and gradually progressed to creating detailed canopic jars, just like those used in ancient Egyptian burial rituals. One of the highlights was sculpting clay tiles featuring the iconic face of Tutankhamun. We also designed and moulded Egyptian-style jewellery, adding a creative twist to our historical journey.

   

  Throughout the sessions, we learned professional techniques such as blending, using slip, and cross-hatching to join pieces of clay. Andrea kindly took some of our work to be fired in a kiln, making our creations durable and ready for the next exciting step—painting and decorating!

   

  We’re looking forward to showcasing our beautiful, history-inspired artwork for everyone to admire. It’s been a truly memorable experience that brought the past to life through creativity and craftsmanship.  Many thanks Andrea!

  

• Year 7 Pupils Explore Identity Through Digital Art

  Tue 14 Oct 2025

  Mrs Matthews’ Year 7 class had a fantastic experience today as part of Good Relations Week 2025, attending a special event hosted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in partnership with The Nerve Centre.

   

  The day began with a visit to the inspiring Oliver Jeffers 'Seen' Exhibition at Mossley Mill Museum, which explores powerful themes of identity, belonging, and representation. Pupils then took part in a hands-on digital art workshop using Procreate on iPads, where they created their own digital self-portraits inspired by the exhibition.

   

  Each pupil received a digital copy of their artwork to share back with the school, celebrating their creativity and personal expression. A huge thank you to the Good Relations Team and The Nerve Centre for providing such a meaningful and memorable opportunity!

  

• Dress-Up for Digits Day - Maths Week Ireland

  Mon 13 Oct 2025

  Maths Week Ireland

   

  Today marks the beginning of Maths Week Ireland.  Mrs. Lawlor our Mathematics and Numeracy Co-ordinator has been promoting this special event, assigning each year group specific mathematical activities to focus on, in addition to our weekly mathematics and numeracy work.

   

  Year 1 - Maths Trail around the school;

  Year 2 - Directing Bee Bot to unlock number combinations;

  Year 3 - Crack the Code Problem Solving Challenge;

  Year 4 - En-Counters: Problem Solving Teamwork Challenge;

  Year 5: Outdoors Maths Hunt as part of outdoor learning;

  Year 6: Exploring Izak9;

  Year 7: Freckle and Researching a Mathematician of their choice.

   

  Dress-Up for Digits Day

   

  Today we launched Maths Week Ireland by hosting a 'Dress-Up for Digits' Day, a non-uniform day with a Maths twist.  Pupils have been invited to come dressed with a number, symbol on shape on their jumper, hats, socks etc or wear their most colourful, patterned or 'mathsy' outfit.

   

  Lots of Mathematical learning and fun to look forward to this week in St. Joseph's!

  

• Blingo PTA Fundraising – A Sparkling Success!

  Mon 13 Oct 2025

  Our second 'Blingo' Friends of St. Joseph's fundraising event was a resounding success, with a great turnout, brilliant fun, and an incredible sense of community spirit. Huge thanks to everyone who joined us, to the generous individuals who donated prizes for the raffle, and to the amazing Friends of St Joseph’s for their hard work in organising such a vibrant and enjoyable evening.

   

  We’re thrilled with the support and enthusiasm shown by all in attendance. The final fundraising total will be announced soon, and every penny raised will go directly towards purchasing resources to be used with the children in school.

   

  Thank you once again for making this event so special — here’s to the next one!

  

• Celebrating Our Weekly Principal’s Award Winners

  Fri 10 Oct 2025

  We’re so proud of our wonderful Year 1 and Year 2 pupils who have received the Principal’s Award each week since the start of September!

   

  These awards celebrate the brilliant way our children have settled into school life — showing kindness, confidence, and enthusiasm in their new classes. From making new friends to being great listeners and eager learners, each award winner has made a fantastic start to the school year.

   

  Well done to all our winners so far — keep up the great work!

  

• Mission Day of Prayer & World Mental Health Day Reflections

  Fri 10 Oct 2025

  As part of Mission Week Ireland, our Faith Group came together for a special breakfast before leading a beautiful prayer service in the school foyer to mark the Children’s Mission Day of Prayer.

   

  The service included thoughtful readings, prayers of the faithful, and a decade of the Rosary — all shared during the month of October. It was a lovely moment of calm and reflection for everyone involved.

   

  Each class across the school also joined in by praying a decade of the Rosary, helping us feel connected as a whole-school community. We took time to pray for World Mental Health Day too, reminding ourselves how important it is to look after our wellbeing and support one another.

  Prayer calendars were delivered to classrooms to help keep the spirit of reflection going beyond this special week.

   

  A big thank-you to our Faith Group for leading us so beautifully and helping us reflect on mission, care, and mental health in such a meaningful way.

  

• Term 1 Fire Drill

  Thu 09 Oct 2025

  Today, our Term 1 Fire Drill was successfully carried out as part of our ongoing commitment to pupil safety during Child Protection and Safeguarding Week. The drill provided an important opportunity for pupils and staff to practise safe and efficient evacuation procedures, ensuring everyone is familiar with the steps to take in the event of an emergency.

   

  We were proud of how calmly and responsibly our pupils responded, demonstrating their understanding of the importance of keeping themselves and others safe. Staff supported pupils throughout, and the entire process was completed swiftly and effectively.

   

  This drill forms part of a wider programme of activities this week focused on promoting safety, wellbeing, and awareness across our school community.

  

• Celebrating Extra-Curricular Success

  Wed 08 Oct 2025

  What a talented bunch of girls and boys we have here in St. Joseph's.  Today at our Year 4-7 assembly the children shared with us their achievements in a variety of extra-curricular activities which they take part in outside of school. 

  There were certificates, medals, and trophies galore today showcasing achievements in a variety of extra-curricular activities! 

   

  Well done everyone - Keep up these great efforts!

  

• Team Trials Kick off a Year of Team Spirit and Competition!

  Wed 08 Oct 2025

  Today marked an exciting start to our sporting calendar as pupils took part in trials for Gaelic football, hurling/camogie, and soccer. The energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork on display were a fantastic reflection of our school spirit.

   

  We’re proud to see so many pupils stepping up to represent our school, and we look forward to participating in afterschool training and a range of competitions throughout the year.

   

  Let the games begin — and may teamwork continue to make the dream work!

   

  #TeamSpirit #SchoolPride #EveryoneMattersEveryMomentCounts