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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

We were delighted to welcome Grace from Bryson Recycling to our school today for a special assembly with our Year 4–7 pupils. Grace delivered an engaging and informative talk about the upcoming changes to the bin collection system across the  Antrim council area, including Crumlin, Randalstown, Templepatrick, Toome and surrounding communities.

Pupils learned about the new wheelie box recycling system and streamlined black bin, which will replace the current blue bin from mid-September to the end of November. The session was linked to the curriculum and helped pupils explore how reducing, reusing and recycling waste can protect the environment and reduce landfill.

Using the new system as a real-life example, pupils discovered clever tips for greener living and gained insight into where our recycling goes and how it benefits the planet. A huge thank you to Grace for helping our pupils understand the importance of sorting waste properly and inspiring them to make environmentally conscious choices.

Today our Pupil Council launched our 2025 Safeguarding Week in school.

What’s happening during our Safeguarding Week 2025:

· There will be a Year Group focus on an aspect of Road Safety (topics covered will include crossing the road, playing at home, pedestrian crossings, bus travel, riding your bike, walking in carparks, and the use of mobile phones and music players).

· All parents/guardians will receive a copy of our Summary of Safeguarding & Child Protection leaflet and a link to confirm that they have received, read, and understood the information on the leaflet.

· Any remaining staff (teaching and non-teaching) will receive their Safeguarding & Child Protection / Medical / First Aid training update(s). 

· Our termly Fire Drill will be carried out.

· We will launch our new child-friendly Mission and Vision statements—designed by the children themselves during Term 3 last year—which will be proudly displayed in every classroom.

· Pupil Council will meet with Mr. Traynor to begin work on our pupil friendly School Development Plan for 2025/26.

We look forward to a successful and informative week.

We are delighted to begin another exciting year as part of the 'Creative Connections Programme' following a successful experience last year. We feel incredibly fortunate to be one of just 40 schools selected to take part in this inspiring cross-border initiative, which brings together schools from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through the power of creativity.

This year’s journey begins with a focus on Dance, involving our Year 5 pupils. We were thrilled to welcome Kieran, our dance facilitator, who launched the first workshop this week. Pupils took part in energetic warm-up routines, explored time frames and short improvisation sketches, and even stepped into the role of director, shaping their own creative movement pieces.

The atmosphere was full of energy, imagination and collaboration, and we look forward to continuing this creative journey over the coming weeks. We can’t wait to share our progress and performances with you as the programme unfolds.