Today, a group of 20 boys and girls proudly represented our school at the inaugural Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach Gaelic Football Tournament, held in memory of Jennifer Magee. The event brought together pupils from the three local primary schools and Crumlin Integrated College, reflecting the strong links developed through Shared Education within the Crumlin area.

All pupils played with great skill, teamwork and determination going on to win the final against Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach in a very exciting and closely contested match.

Following the tournament, everyone gathered in the Ionad Teaghlaigh Gleann Darach for the presentation of medals and awards. Congratulations to Noah, who was named Player of the Tournament, Jude, who received Goalkeeper of the Tournament, and Áine, who proudly lifted the trophy as team captain.

A sincere thank you to Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach for organising such a well-run and community-spirited event, and for the warm welcome and hospitality afterwards.

This annual tournament continues to be a very fitting tribute to Jennifer’s memory and her love of Gaelic games.

We extend our thanks to St. James GAC Aldergrove for their generous donation of £300 towards our staff Belfast Marathon school fundraiser. Your support is greatly appreciated and will make a significant difference in our efforts. Your generosity not only supports our immediate goals but also strengthens the bond between our school and the community.  We look forward to your continued support and collaboration in the future.

Mrs. McCallum’s Primary 1 boys and girls led our Year 1–3 May Golden Assembly, providing a lovely way to bring the month of May to a close in school. Their focus on Mary was very fitting, reminding us that May is a special month dedicated to her. The children reflected on Mary as Our Lady Queen of Peace and thoughtfully shared the different ways we can bring peace into our classrooms, playground, homes and wider community.

The children spoke confidently and sang a selection of beautiful hymns to Mary, including both modern favourites and traditional classics. As part of the assembly, we also celebrated our weekly Year 1 and 2 Headteacher Awards, Year 3 Pupil of the Month certificates, recognised achievements outside of school and sang Happy Birthday to our May birthday boys and girls.

We finished with a prayer that the sunshine would continue over the mid-term break, giving everyone the chance to enjoy time outdoors with family and friends.

We had another great day hosting our Year 5–7 Sports Day.  A massive thank you to all the mums, dads, grandparents, families, and friends who came along to cheer on our pupils— your support truly made the day special.

Pupils took part in a variety of events, showcasing their energy, enthusiasm, and team spirit. Congratulations to our winning teams in Years 5, 6, and 7 who proudly received gold, silver, and bronze medals. Every participant was awarded a Sports Day certificate in recognition of their fantastic effort and sportsmanship.

A huge thank you goes to Mrs. Campbell our PE co-ordinator for organising such a fun-filled day, and to all the staff who helped make it a success by setting up and supporting the teams throughout.

Today, Mr McKenna’s class led our Year 4–7 May Golden Assembly with a vibrant and uplifting focus on ‘Finding Your Roar’. They reminded us that a ‘roar’ is the unique talent or kindness within each of us — sometimes bold and loud, and sometimes gentle and quiet, but always important.

We are very fortunate in St Joseph’s to have so many talented and thoughtful boys and girls who achieve so much, both in and out of school, and this assembly captured that spirit beautifully through its energy and positive message.

The assembly also provided a special opportunity to celebrate our pupils’ successes. We presented ‘Pupil of the Month’ and Accelerated Reading certificates, and recognised a wide range of achievements across school life and beyond. There was certainly much to be proud of and thankful for.

As we look ahead to June — our final full month of the school year — this assembly was a timely reminder of the many ways our staff and pupils continue to shine.

The nursery children enjoyed a wonderful day visiting Ark Open Farm in Newtownards with their shared education partner, Crumlin Integrated Preschool.

They had great fun on a tractor ride around the farm and enjoyed the opportunity to handle and feed a variety of animals, including reptiles, chicks, rabbits, goats and lambs. After a delicious lunch with their friends, the day ended happily with playtime in the park.

#LearningTogetherGrowingTogether

Today we brought our Reading Partnership Programme to a close for this school year. Coordinated by our Literacy co‑ordinator, Mrs. Matthews, this valuable initiative provides one‑to‑one reading support for a number of children across the school.

We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated volunteers for giving their time so generously each week. Their encouragement and support make a real difference to our pupils’ confidence and enjoyment of reading.

A special word of thanks to John, Brenda and Amy for their commitment and enthusiasm throughout the year. We truly appreciate all they have contributed and look forward to working together again when the programme resumes next year.

Congratulations to our amazing Year 4 pupils who celebrated their First Holy Communion on Saturday 16th May in Mater Dei Church. 

The sun shone brightly and the children all looked fantastic and played their parts so well. 

Thanks to our school choir and staff for their lovely music on the day, to Canon Colm for a beautiful service, to all our staff who helped with refreshments in the school hall after the service and to our Year 4 team for all their hard work in preparing the children.

A very special and memorable day for our wonderful Year 4 girls and boys, their families and our school community! 

Lord Jesus, come to me.

Lord, Jesus, give me your love.

Lord Jesus, come to me and give me yourself.

Lord Jesus, friend of children, come to me.

Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and my God.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

On Sunday morning, 71 children and their families enjoyed a fantastic junior parkrun at Moira Demesne. It was wonderful to see such great participation, with Evie’s dad kindly volunteering to support the event.  Evie from Miss McMullan/Miss Ayre’s P6 class secured an impressive PB!

Mrs. Campbell took on the important role of tail walker, accompanied by her daughter Lucy. As tail walkers, they made sure everyone finished safely — it also means they came last so everyone else was in front.

Junior parkrun is a free, fun, and friendly weekly event, and we encourage all families to get involved.

Our next outing will take place on 7th June at Antrim Castle Gardens, and we would love to see even more of our school community there.

https://images.parkrun.com/blogs.dir/2023/files/2019/10/junior-parkrun-code.jpg

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/antrimcastlegardens-juniors/