Our Primary 7 pupils have commenced their training on the Heartstart Programme under the guidance of Mr. McCarthy.  The Heartstart UK Schools Programme is an initiative coordinated by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to teach members of the public what to do in a life-threatening emergency. It focuses on emergency life support (ELS) skills that can help to keep someone alive until professional help arrives.

The Heartstart UK Schools Programme delivers ELS training for pupils so they learn when and how to act in a life-threatening emergency. The programme allows maximum time for practice and hands-on learning using resuscitation training mannequins.

Pupils learn to:

• demonstrate safe approach and assessment
• make a 999/112 call
• open an airway
• check for breathing
• demonstrate the recovery position
• perform rescue breathing
• check for signs of circulation
• perform one-rescuer, adult, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• demonstrate the management of choking for adults, infants and children
• know how to manage someone with a suspected heart attack
• know how to deal with serious bleeding.

The programme is delivered in a series of sessions tailored to reflect the recommended age at which children can learn specific ELS skills.  Year 7 look forward to successfully completing the programme.

We were delighted to receive a copy of 'Perfect Pets' from afterschoolsclub.net which contained a number of illustrations from some of our Year 4 pupils in the final published work. 

Children from across the UK were invited to let their imaginations run wild and draw their own 'perfect pet'.  Mrs. Loughran’s Year 4 class decided to enter the competition.  Amelia, Ava, Caitlin, Clodagh, Isla and Nora were over the moon to find out that their entries were going to be included in the published book. The book showcases a selection of the artwork received alongside fun, fact-filled information pages about some of the world's amazing animals and their weird and wild behaviour. Everyone who entered received a certificate and stickers and the school now has a copy of the book to be placed in our school library.

Well done to all for having your artwork featured in the final edition.  How amazing is that!

There have been lots of amazing individual and class achievements with our Accelerated Reading Programme during Term 1.  The word count continues to rise along with the number of Word Millionaires. 

Today it was the turn of Mrs. Lawlor's Year 6 class to celebrate as deserving class winners from Term1.  There were rewarded with a Pizza Party for their efforts. 

Keep up the excellent reading ...... who will be our class winners in Term 2?

#watchthisspace #lovetoread

Congratulations to the children who participated in the South West Antrim Cumann na mBunscol Indoor Hurling tournament reaching the semi-final of the Cup Competition.  Excellent skill, team work and behaviour on display today.  Well done boys - we are very proud of you all!

Thank you to the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey for visiting our school today to deliver some trees as part of the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough initiative to plant one million trees in the borough. 

The mayor alongside representatives from our Eco-Council planted a 'Red Devil' apple tree at the front of the school.  We look forward to watching it grow and bear fruit in the months ahead.  Many thanks to Mrs. Downey and our Eco Team for organising this visit!

Congratulations to our past pupil Adele O’Dornan who will be appearing with the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland in the upcoming series of Peace Proms concerts.  

Ireland’s renowned Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland (CBOI) is set to captivate audiences across the nation with a sensational series of seventeen Peace Proms concerts commencing at the University of Limerick on January 27th and continuing to Dublin, Belfast and Waterford. Established in 1995, the CBOI has been at the forefront of music education while promoting peace, unity, and tolerance on the island of Ireland. 

These inspirational concerts will feature 35,000 children from every corner of Ireland and Northern Ireland, collectively forming the Children’s Peace Choirs who will perform alongside the 130-member internationally acclaimed Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland. Under the direction of the distinguished conductor Maestro Greg Beardsell and led by Dundalk's own violinist Richie Dunne, this event promises to be an awe-inspiring celebration of youth, music, and talent on an epic scale. 

We wish Adele the best of luck with this amazing opportunity!

Congratulations to our Year 7 pupils who celebrated their Service of Commitment today during the first school mass of 2024. This is an excellent beginning to their Confirmation preparations. 

Confirmation will be celebrated on Thursday 29th February in Mater Dei Church.

This year all staff and pupils have been taking part in the Nerve Centre's Primary Partnership Programme. Our focus has been to enhance educational standards across the school’s curriculum through the use of animation within ICT.

To date we have completed Phase 1 of the Empower Partnership Programme with the Nerve Centre and have just received our school certificate to mark this milestone, proudly displayed here by our Digital Leaders.

The Educational Support Centre Ltd to inform us that 'Let's Move On', an estate agency based in Crumlin, had very kindly sponsored the delivery of a number of Education Information Booklets to our school.  The booklets entitled 'Safety Comes First' explore the themes of fire safety, internet advice, bullying and road safety and show that by working together we can ensure that we provide a safer and more enjoyable place to work and live. 

Today the Pupil Council delivered a copy of the booklet to every class in school.  Many thanks 'Let's Move On' - We appreciate you doing this for St Joseph's!