Dear Parents
It is now time
to pause and reflect on the school
year gone by. Much has happened
over the year with a range of developments
permeating all aspects of school
life. I would like to take this
opportunity, on behalf of all the
school staff to thank you for your
continued support and encouragement
throughout the year at St. Mary’s.
During the year
we said thank you and good-bye to
our classroom assistants Mrs Blanche
Wright and Miss Karla Glenny. We
wish them well for the future. Mr
Seamus Rooney continued in his appointment
as a Reading Recovery teacher in
partnership with Moneydarragh PS.
We are delighted that this has been
continued for the upcoming year.
We were also delighted to have Miss
Donna Hanna as cover for Miss Walsh
during the autumn and spring terms
and also to cover P1 and Reception
during Miss McEvoy’s maternity
leave in the summer term. We thank
her for her efforts over the year
and congratulate her on completing
her induction successfully. Congratulations
to Mrs McEvoy and Mrs Murphy on
their new arrivals during the year
and indeed congratulations to all
parents who have the patter of new
feet during the last year.
Following the
successful application made to the
Big Lottery we were pleased that
the dressing room/toilets and redevelopment
of the sports field have been completed
and will be ready to use for the
new school year. We would like to
thank our contractors Glasgiven
Contacts Ltd for their professional
manner in dealing with the contract.
This will certainly be an excellent
addition to the school resources
and indeed to the local community.
CCTV cameras have
also been installed within the school
as has an ISDN line and video conferencing
equipment.
The school continues to be a recycling
school with wastepaper being collected
and recycled on a monthly basis.
The next year also sees the school
becoming an ECO school and hopefully
an increased awareness in the world
around us.
There now follows
some of the highlights of the past
school year:
From a curriculum
and staff development aspect much
has been accomplished over the last
year. During the year the School
Development Plan has been published
and the majority of targets having
been accomplished. A significant
focus has been on the self –evaluation
model of improvement and the integration
of ICT into planning. A number of
policies have been produced and
agreed by Governors. These include
Anti Bullying, Health and Safety
policies and parent summaries for
Internet Safety and Behaviour.
A new school brochure has also been
published. Over the year parents
were presented with a number of
questionnaires including a school
evaluation questionnaire, healthy
eating questionnaires, health questionnaires
and “Talk to Me “ Maths
Homework Box questionnaires. Comments
from these will be used to influence
future school planning.
The teachers have
completed Year 2 of the NI Numeracy
Strategy and are employing a variety
of strategies throughout their teaching.
The school continued in the Health
Promoting School program and we
held a very successful and enjoyable
Health Week in the autumn term.
The children enjoyed a wide range
of activities involving issues such
as diet, exercise, hygiene, drugs
and role of nurses. There were also
information meetings for parents
dealing with drugs and diet. . The
importance of exercise was highlighted
through our “Walk to School
“ and “ Fun Run”
activities. Many thanks to all the
groups involved and a special thank
you to Centra – Annalong for
their generous sponsorship of the
event. We will continue to encourage
and highlight Health issues with
our children.
Numeracy, ICT Training
and moderation of children’s’
Numeracy, literacy and ICT work
were the subject of our training
days.
The school also
became involved in “Talk to
Me “ Maths homework boxes
project. This project allows children
to consolidate and reinforce work
attempted in school and allows parents
to play a more “hands on “
role in their children’s education.
The workshop, which launched the
initiative, was very well attended
by parents and there has been a
very positive response so far.
The school continued
to build on its distance learning
projects. The instalment of video
conferencing equipment improved
the access and the older children
enjoyed working collaboratively
with our partner schools namely
Presentation Convent PS, Tralee,
through the Dissolving Boundaries
Project, and Portville School, New
York. The school received visits
from teachers from Tralee in October
and a visit from one of the American
teachers in January. The children
not only gained much experience
in using a variety of software but
also had opportunities to meet children
from different cultures and experiences.
It is hoped to build on these experiences
in the next academic year and extend
throughout the school.
Two other members
of staff successfully completed
the First Aid at Work programmes
and the older children successfully
completed a programme of First Aid
training including life saving strategies.
The school continued
in the Reading Partnership and MIST
Programme with a number of parents
also becoming involved with children
in the younger classes .
With regards to
helping others we raised £450
for NSPCC, £100 for Mourne
Underwater Rescue Team, £30
for PHAB £400 for Trocaire
and we sent over 100 Christmas Boxes
to children in Eastern Europe as
a result of the Operation Christmas
Child Appeal. Many thanks for your
continued generosity.
Our successful Cross Community Contact
(EMU Scheme) with Newcastle PS continues
to develop and provides some wonderful
experiences for our children. There
were a number of educational visits
covering various aspects of the
curriculum. For the younger children
this involved trips to the pantomime
in Downpatrick, W5. Ark Open Farm,
a story telling workshop and the
seashore. The older children also
visited W5 at the Odyssey for science
workshops. They also went to Exploris
and Newcastle for a music workshop.
Primary 6/7 had very enjoyable trips
to Cultra and Castleward to study
Victorian life and an Art workshop
day in Newcastle. They also had
a very enjoyable residential to
the Share Centre in Co Fermanagh.
It must be acknowledged that all
of these trips are heavily subsidised
by the Government and the day trips
are generally free for all our children.
The whole school went to see a most
enjoyable Christmas pantomime at
the Waterfront. P6/7 met Tralee
PS at the Blanchardstown Bowl in
Dublin as part of the “Dissolving
Boundaries Project” and P7
had a special leavers trip to Dundonald
Ice Bowl in June.
The school participated
in a number of competitions including
the Newry and Mourne Halloween stories
and the art competitions organised
by the local Credit Union. The school
also won a prize in the WI art competition.
The Primary 7 children also had
the opportunity of participation
in the SELB Cycling Proficiency
Scheme. A number of our children
entered the Feis an Duin competitions
and there was success in poetry,
language and recitation. School
teams also represented the school
in the Credit Union Annual Quiz
and the St Louis Technology Challenge.
Parents, relations
and our guests enjoyed excellent
performances by our children at
Christmas. The older children performed
their version of “The Nativity”
to two packed houses and the younger
children got in on the act and performed
a number of Christmas songs in their
own imitiable fashion. Many thanks
to all staff and Linda for their
efforts. The school choir performed
admirably at masses and celebration
of the sacraments throughout the
year and many thanks to Miss Walsh
for her continued expertise and
tutelage. Guitar classes continued
and a number of children have availed
of the opportunity. Violin and viola
tuition continued one morning per
week under the tutelage of the SELB
Music Department.
Bishop McKeown
confirmed 11 children in May. 8
children made their First Communion
and 13 children received the Sacrament
of Reconciliation for the first
time. In addition to celebration
of the Mass and Reconciliation at
various times we shared with Fr
Peter a variety of spiritual celebrations,
liturgies and sacrament enrolment
services throughout the year. The
Services of Light was also held
in preparation for Confirmation.
A “Love for Life” workshop
involving Primary 7 children from
local schools was hosted this year
in St Mary’s.
We also celebrated
local success with representatives
from Glasdrumman AOH Pipeband and
St Louis GS football team showing
us their All Ireland cups that they
won during the year.
On the sports front the netball
team performed well in all competitions
throughout the year finishing third
in St Louis’s tournament.
The footballers also played very
well throughout the year and came
third in the St Columban’s
tournament in June. The older children
were involved in hurling coaching
throughout the year and used their
skills to good effect by finishing
third in the tournament involving
local schools.
Many thanks to
Glasdrumman GAC for their continued
support and encouragement throughout
the year. It is greatly appreciated.
Our own Sports
Day was also a success. It continued
as a team event. All the children
enjoyed the day and everybody won
at least one medal. There was a
big turn out of parents and friends
and the weather was kind. A big
thank you to everyone for making
this a really enjoyable event. .
The children also
enjoyed the Easter Egg Hunt and
Easter raffle. Many thanks to those
who sponsored eggs. A big thanks
to Santa who visited us at Christmas.
“ The Giant
Balloon Race” took place in
June and over £800 was raised
for school funds. Many thanks to
everyone who bought tickets and
gave us sponsorship for the event.
Unlike previous years no balloons
have returned they must be near
the North Pole by now!
Other events included
a Green Day for the children to
celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
The Book Fair took place in February
and the school acquired over 30
new books as a result of parent’s
generosity.
We said goodbye
to our P7 children and we wish them
well in their new schools.
Healthy eating
break times continued however following
a parental survey in June this will
now be extended to five days per
week. There may be some correlation
with this and the fact that we have
moved up to midway in the dental
health table of local schools. A
great improvement over the past
three years. Many thanks for your
help and encouragement in this matter.
We had visits from
the Fire Brigade Road Safety and
the PSNI at various times throughout
the year.
The school swimming
programme continues in Kilkeel.
The voluntary help of some parents
is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks to the Friends of the
School Committee who organised a
variety of successful events including
the Quiz Night’s, Annual Raffle,
children’s Easter Party and
Halloween and Christmas Parties.
As a result of the funds collected
last year the school received Christmas
treats for the children, Leaver’s
Gifts, Sports Day Medals, payment
of transport to the Christmas pantomime
and P7 leavers trip and a donation
to Glasdrumman GAC of £1000
in appreciation of the valued use
of their minibus for school morning
runs and bringing children to a
wide variety of events.
Many thanks to
the minibus drivers who continue
to voluntarily drive the football
minibus in the mornings bringing
the children to school.
Many thanks to the group of parents
who organised and attended their
function in the summer term over
£500 was raised for the Friends
of the School.
I would like to
take this opportunity to ask everyone
for their support in our fundraising
efforts. All monies raised are used
to improve the educational experiences
of our children. In addition, I
would like to ask parents to consider
joining the Friends of the School.
It is a small but hard working group
of people and your presence would
be very beneficial.
With regards to
the future education is again in
a state of change with a variety
of issues including a new curriculum
coming on board, changes in how
children transfer to Secondary education
and the problems and implications
regarding funding to our schools
to mention a few. Nevertheless we
will endeavour to prepare ourselves
to provide the children of St Mary’s
a first class education where every
child is guaranteed a broad and
balanced curriculum and challenges
each child to realise their full
potential in a school community
where everyone is dedicated to the
success and happiness of the child.
In concluding,
I would like to thank the following
who make valuable contributions
to the life of St Mary’s PS
• The children
who come to school and use their
talents and knowledge to contribute
to their own personal achievements,
to their class achievements and
to whole school success.
• The Parish
Priest, Board of Governors and
all the parents and carers who
have supported the efforts of
the school this year.
• The Friends
of the School who make valuable
contributions to fundraising and
the social and everyday life of
the school.
• The ongoing
support of Glasdrumman GAC.
• The ancillary
staff for their care and attention
to the children and to the school.
Finally, our teaching
staff whose commitment and energy
helped to make the previous year
a successful one I thank you sincerely.
M Madine
(Principal)
