This Sunday 29th November marks the First Sunday of Advent.  Today Canon Colm called to school to bless our Advent Wreath.  During our Prayer Service we had a number of special readings.  To conclude the service our Year pupils sang a beautiful rendition of Silent Night.  The Advent Wreath was then moved to the foyer of our school.   

After the Prayer Service our Year 4–7 pupils were also presented with their Accelerated Reading certificates and November Pupil of the Month awards to mark the end of another busy month in school. Congratulations to all our pupils for their hard work and achievements!

Also today Canon Colm was presented with a festive Christmas Hamper generously donated by the staff of St. Joseph’s. The hamper will be featured at the Annual Parish Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, 30th November, helping to support our parish community and spread seasonal cheer.

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone."

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

There was great team work, determination and skill displayed and the girls did St. Joseph's proud finishing as Runners-Up in the Allianz SW Antrim Cumann na mBunscoil Shield.

Thank you to Mrs. Rogan, Miss Rogan and Mr. McMullan for the work which they do in promoting and developing Gaelic sport in St. Joseph's.  Also thank you to St. James' GAC Aldergrove and Gaelfast for all of their support and for the provision of coaches to assist with the coaching of these girls and indeed the development of Gaelic sport throughout our school.

WELL DONE GIRLS!

We were delighted to welcome Jackson Kavanagh from AS Creatives, Liverpool to lead our exciting Maths Day. The day began with a fun and interactive assembly for Years 4–7 on the theme Wild About Maths. Jackson captivated pupils with a mathematical story that required audience participation to solve a series of problems along the way—a brilliant way to kick-start the day!

Each year group then enjoyed hands-on workshops featuring a carousel of activities, packed with resources and designed to link different mathematical topics to problem-solving challenges. Pupils showed fantastic critical thinking and problem-solving skills throughout, and they left with further activities to explore back in class.

The day concluded with a highly informative staff development session on Shape and Space, one of our key mathematical priorities this year. A huge thank you to Jackson for an inspiring day that was thoroughly enjoyed by pupils and staff alike!

Our Year 6 pupils travelled to Mosley Mill on Tuesday to attend a Business Masterclass. They learnt about the supply chain for apple juice and the importance of branding and packaging. They also learnt that higher prices don't necessarily guarantee better taste! They are now in the process of designing their own juice cartons which they will be completed over the coming days and sent back for judging.  Well done and good luck boys and girls!

A big thank you to the boys and girls in Miss Patton’s Year 2 class for leading our November Golden Assembly on Tuesday morning. On Monday afternoon, they called in to visit Mr. Traynor in his office to share all about their assembly, which was on the lovely theme of forgiveness—a perfect message as we move towards the season of Advent. They proudly showed Mr. Traynor their beautiful friendship blankets, each one a reminder of how important it is to care for one another.

During their assembly to Years1-3 on Tuesday morning they delivered a wonderful message about being a good friend. In their own words:
“A good friend is someone who shares, listens, and never gives up on you.”  Simple but powerful words from our some of our youngest pupils!

We also celebrated lots of achievements:

• Year 1 and Year 2 Principal’s Awards for this week
• November Pupil of the Month certificates for Year 3
• And of course, we sang a big Happy Birthday to all our November birthday boys and girls!

The countdown to Christmas has officially begun—lots of excitement ahead as we prepare for a season full of joy, kindness, and celebration.

We were delighted to receive our school certificate from Trócaire in recognition of the incredible £950 raised through our charity efforts earlier this year.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our Trócaire campaign. Your generosity will make a real difference to many people who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Thank you for helping us live out our values in such a meaningful way!

Ellis is the lucky winner of a family ticket to see Jack and the Beanstalk at the Belfast Waterfront Hall on Thursday, 25th November. This fantastic prize was kindly donated to our school by Michelle Maternal Promotions.

We hope Ellis and her family have a magical time at the show!

A huge thank you to all the members of our school choir who took part in the Crumlin Christmas Lights Switch-On on Thursday evening. The atmosphere was fantastic and made even more special by the beautiful singing of our boys and girls.

We are also very grateful to Mrs McDonnell and Mrs Matthews for their dedication and hard work in preparing the choir, especially as we move into the busy Christmas season. Thanks also to all staff who came along to help with supervision of the children on the evening.  Well done, everyone!

We were delighted to welcome pupils from Crumlin Integrated Primary School for the first of our two Twinning Days as part of the 6-week Twinning Programme in partnership with Sport Changes Life. This initiative, fully funded by Clanmil Housing, promotes friendship, inclusion, and teamwork through sport and shared learning experiences.

Our Primary 6 pupils enjoyed a fantastic day of inclusive sports and values-based workshops focusing on equality, respect, and excellence. It was wonderful to see new friendships forming and both schools working together.

The next Twinning Day will take place at Crumlin Integrated Primary School on Thursday 11th December, and we look forward to continuing this exciting programme that strengthens community links and celebrates diversity.

Our Year 4 pupils had a fantastic visit from Will and Lou from Langford Lodge as part of their World War II topic. Arriving in an authentic army jeep, they brought history to life with a fascinating collection of wartime artefacts, including a military police uniform, medals, cameras, radios, typewriters, and photographs.

The children were thrilled to see these objects up close, gaining a real sense of what life was like during the war. The visit sparked curiosity and inspired further learning, giving pupils plenty to explore as they continue their topic.

A huge thank you to Will and Lou for such an informative and enjoyable experience!