Our netballers displayed excellent skill, determination, and teamwork during their matches at Crumlin Community Centre on Friday 15th June.  The girls played three games in total, beginning with an impressive 7–0 victory against Loanends Team 1. Their second match against Loanends Team 2 proved more challenging, finishing with a score of 0–3. In their final game, the team showed great resilience to secure a well-earned 0–0 draw against St Aloysius.

Throughout the day, the standard of teamwork and skill was outstanding, and the girls represented the school with pride.

We look forward to seeing them in action again on 19th June

We were delighted that Johnny from Sustrans was available to come in to school today to offer a 'Learn To Cycle' afternoon to some of our Year 6 pupils.

He demonstrated the importance of getting good balance on your bike by removing the pedals and everyone had a try at moving around the playground simply by balancing.

Once everyone was feeling a bit more confident, the pedals were put on the bikes again and it was wonderful to see how happy and confident everyone was at trying to cycle, with some of the group able to do this very quickly.

Everyone was very proud of themselves and are looking forward to trying this out at home and building on their cycling skills.

We had a fantastic day at the Ballymacricket Cup tournament, where forty children proudly represented St. Joseph’s. All of our players performed exceptionally well, demonstrating excellent skill levels and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day.

One of our girls’ teams progressed to the semi-final, where they were narrowly defeated by Moneynick, whom they had previously beaten during the group stages. One of our boys’ teams finished joint top of their group alongside St. Oliver Plunkett’s and Ballymacricket, but unfortunately missed out on a semi-final place due to goal difference. Our other boys’ team reached the final of the Shield competition and were narrowly beaten by the host team.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Ballymacricket and Glenavy GAC for organising such a superb tournament and for their warm hospitality. We are also very grateful to our amazing parents for their support with transport, their encouragement on the day, and, of course, the much-appreciated extra supplies of Jaffa Cakes.

Mr. Traynor, Mr. McKenna and a group of our P5 pupils had a very enjoyable and memorable experience at the Creative Connections Celebration Day, held in the stunning Guildhall in Derry.

From the outset, it was clear this was a very special occasion. We were warmly welcomed and treated to a delicious breakfast, alongside pupils and staff from schools right across Ireland. With over 40 schools and more than 160 pupils present, the atmosphere was vibrant, celebratory and full of creativity.

The day was packed with exciting opportunities for our pupils to explore and express their creativity. They took on the fun challenge of designing and making their own ducks in under a minute, explored the Guildhall on a guided tour capturing unique patterns and architectural details through photography, and enjoyed an exclusive visit to the Derry Girls exhibition.  A standout moment was the lively and interactive Human Orchestra, which brought great energy and excitement to the group, before the day concluded. 

In the lead-up to the event, Mr McKenna’s Year 5 class took part in a Creative Connections filming project, where a professional crew captured the pupils sharing their artwork and drama and reflecting on their creative journey. They spoke confidently about their experiences, and we were very proud to see them featured in the official Celebration Day video.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Kelly, Alanna and all those involved in organising such an inspiring and memorable event. It was a wonderful day that celebrated creativity, collaboration and confidence—leaving our pupils with experiences they will treasure for years to come.

Well done, Year 5—you should be incredibly proud of your creativity!

Our incredible Digital Leader Team had a day to remember as they attended their Dream Space Ambassador Graduation at W5 in Belfast—and what a celebration it was! We are thrilled to announce that our team achieved the Platinum Level of Recognition, for their outstanding contributions in school, with fellow pupils, our teaching staff, and throughout the wider community.

The graduation day was packed with excitement and hands-on learning. The children took part in three fantastic workshops:

• Games Session – A fun-filled mix of online and board games that tested their strategy and teamwork skills.
• Minecraft EDU Pixel Art – Creativity came to life as pupils used Minecraft to design and build their own pixel masterpieces.
• Sphero Indy Challenge – Problem-solving was the name of the game as they decoded coloured tiles to guide their Indy robots through a series of challenge cards.

It was a brilliant and well-deserved celebration of all their hard work, innovation, and leadership. We couldn’t be prouder of our Digital Leaders - Congratulations on this amazing achievement!

Stephanie from Time Steps visited school today to deliver an interactive workshop with our Year 6 pupils.

During the course of the workshop, pupils had an opportunity to learns lots of Viking facts, engage in storytelling and drama activities and view Viking artefacts to include some weapons and shields they used during the course of their battles and journeys.

A very interactive, informative and enjoyable workshop for our Year 6 pupils on their topic of 'The Vikings'.  Thank you Stephanie!

Congratulations to our school hurlers who showcased great skill, commitment and teamwork at the South West Antrim Cumann na mBunscol Hurling Tournament at Tír na nÓg in Randalstown.

They reached the final of the shield section and what a final it was!  Every boy played their heart out and gave it their all. After a thrilling draw, the game went to golden score where we just lost out to Millquarter PS finishing Runners-up.

A fantastic effort from start to finish and a performance to be proud of.  Well done to all involved!

Primary 7 visited Antrim this afternoon to take part in the 2026 Bee Safe Event. This event is tailored towards Year 7 pupils and informs them about how to react and deal with challenging situations that they potentially may be faced with over the coming years, as they move on to their new schools.  Each agency present used interactive scenarios and role-play exercises to encourage the pupils to think for themselves. 

Bee Safe covered: bus safety; fire safety; safety in the home; safe use of the Internet; staying safe around electricity; personal safety; farm safety; water safety and how to act if approached by strangers.  Pupils were also provided with a healthy snack and received a goody-bag filled with stationary for their pencil cases. An afternoon well spent!

We had a very special performance in school this afternoon, thanks to M & M Theatrical Productions. They enchanted us with their adaptation of the classic children’s novel ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll.

The children were captivated by the lively characters and engaging storytelling, bringing the timeless tale to life right before their eyes. The opportunity to experience the wonder of a live theatre performance was truly magical for our pupils, sparking their imaginations.

Our Year 7 children also thoroughly enjoyed the workshop delivered by the team at the end of the performance.  The actors shared lots of insights in terms of characters, costumes, scenery, sound and lighting and acting techniques. Our pupils also got the chance to partake in a question and answer session with the actors.

Many thanks to M & M Theatrical Productions for putting on this wonderful show for us.

On Sunday 3rd May representatives from St. Joseph’s staff, parents and our friends in St. James GAC proudly took part in the Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon to raise funds for our school. The relay teams showed fantastic teamwork, commitment and determination as they completed the course, supported throughout the day by a wonderful sense of community spirit.

A special word of congratulations goes to our parent Mr. Fay and staff members Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Graham, who both took on the incredible challenge of running the full marathon – 26.2 miles! For both Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Graham completing their first ever marathon is a remarkable achievement and something they should be extremely proud of.

The atmosphere throughout the day was uplifting, with families, friends and supporters cheering on all participants and providing welcome encouragement along the route. It was a day filled with positivity, camaraderie and shared achievement, making it a truly memorable fundraising event.

We are very grateful to everyone who has taken part, supported and donated so far. If you would still like to support our fundraiser, donations can still be made by clicking the link below.

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.21ab64c7-4494-4eb3-89cb-6dc50c8894f0&share_token=Rx4DWpYBQb-5WQK_-IVylw&mode=share

All funds raised will go directly towards enhancing school life for our pupils.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a success!

#BelfastRunningBeyondLimits #TeamStJosephs