This May, our school community came together for two special assemblies, beautifully led by our talented pupils. Mrs. McCallum’s Primary 1 class guided the Year 1–3 assembly, while Mrs. Wray’s Primary 6 class took the lead for Years 4–7. Both assemblies centred around the theme of Mary, honouring her during this special month of devotion.

The children impressed everyone with their confidence and creativity, delivering powerful messages through heartfelt readings, expressive drama, and traditional songs dedicated to Our Lady. Their performances were not only moving but also deeply meaningful for all who attended.

A highlight of the Year 4–7 assembly was the humorous portrayal of staff members — Mr. Traynor, Mr. McMullan, Mrs. Matthews, Mr. McCarthy, and Mrs. Wray — by our talented Year 6 pupils, adding a delightful touch of fun to the occasion.

These assemblies also gave us the opportunity to celebrate the many achievements within our school. We proudly presented Headteacher Awards, Pupil of the Month certificates, Accelerated Reader awards, and recognised both individual and group successes from inside and outside the classroom. We also sang a joyful Happy Birthday to all our May birthday boys and girls!

It’s been a busy and fun-filled month, and we look forward to an equally exciting June. Let’s hope the sunshine continues as we embrace the many opportunities ahead!

Primary 7 visited Antrim this afternoon to take part in the 2025 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. 

BeeSafe 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!

What a fantastic Year 1-4 Sports Day we had! A big thank you to all the mums, dads, grandparents, families and friends who came to cheer everyone on — your support made the day even more special. The sun was shining, the games were exciting, and everyone had so much fun!

A huge shout-out to Mrs. Campbell for planning such a fun-filled day, and to all the staff who helped set everything up and supervised the teams. We’re so proud of all the children for trying their best and showing great team spirit!

🌞👏🎽

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!

Today, we were delighted to welcome Mrs. Claire Wright, our Ethos School Governor, to St. Joseph’s for a special visit. As part of our school's ongoing self-evaluation procedures, Mrs. Wright met with a focus group of children from across the school to co-create a child-friendly version of our mission statement, vision, and values. This version will be displayed in every classroom, helping ensure our ethos is meaningful and accessible to all pupils.

The children shared their views about St. Joseph’s, how the school helps them grow and succeed, and what success looks like in our school community — not just in learning, but in kindness, resilience, and friendship.

Mrs. Wright was most impressed by the children’s thoughtful reflections and the confidence with which they expressed their ideas. Their voices will play a key role in shaping how we communicate our vision and values in a way that truly resonates with our pupils.  

This visit highlights the importance we place on pupil voice at St. Joseph’s. We believe children should be active participants in shaping their school experience, and today’s session was a wonderful example of that belief in action.

Congratulations to our amazing Year 4 pupils who celebrated their First Holy Communion on Saturday 17th 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.

Congratulations to our children in Primary 1 and Primary 2 who received this weeks Headteacher Award for a variety of wonderful traits.  We are very proud of them all!

A representation of our Year 6 and 7 boys and girls attended the inaugural Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach Gaelic Football Tournament in memory of Jennifer Magee on Friday 15th May 2025.

The teams were mixed with both girls and boys and St. Joseph's had two teams entered.  Both teams played great football with one of the teams going on to beat Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach in a very exciting final. 

Everyone was welcomed back into the family centre for the presentation of medals, the winning trophy and an Allstar Award was presented to Farrah Bennett Year 7.

Many thanks to everyone for such a well organised and community spirited event and the wonderful celebration afterwards in the Ionad Teaghlaigh Gleann Darach where we were all spoiled with lovely refreshments. 

This annual tournament continues to be a very fitting tribute to honour Jennifer's memory and her love of Gaelic sports!

During the month of May, we take time to honour Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in a special and prayerful way. In our school foyer, a beautiful May Altar has been created, featuring serene images of Mary, a candle, and vibrant Spring flowers handpicked from our school grounds. Rosary beads rest on the altar, reminding us of the prayers we offer together.

Thank you to the talented children in Mrs. Lawlor’s Year 6 class for their stunning artwork, which brings colour, reverence, and joy to our May display. Your creativity and care have helped make this a special space for reflection and prayer.

Today marked the exciting conclusion of the St. Joseph's Chess Tournament for 2025. Our Chess finals were held outdoors under the beautiful sunshine.  Both games were fiercely contested, with each showcasing the remarkable skill and dedication of our young chess enthusiasts.

After two tensely fought matches, Ryan emerged as the overall winner, securing the coveted title of St. Joseph's Chess Tournament Winner for 2025.  Oisin finished in 2nd place, Noah in 3rd place and Emily in 4th place.  This bears testament to their strategic thinking and focus throughout the tournament and is a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and dedication to the game of chess.

We also congratulate all 42 participants for their commendable sportsmanship and passion for the game, making this year's tournament a memorable event.  We look forward to many more exciting chess tournaments in the years to come.

Congratulations once again to our overall winner Ryan, our three finalists and all the participants for their remarkable performances!

"Chess is the art of analysis." - Mikhail Botvinnik