Nov/Dec Newsletter
Published by News Editor on Wednesday, 4 January 2012 at 08:15.
Roll Up Roll Up
Enrolment is now open for September 2012. If you have a younger child who is ready for school or know of someone who intends to enrol their child, and have not received the forms, please contact Mrs Stinson or Miss Young in the school office. Forms are officially due in by 12.00 noon on 18th January 2012. Alternatively you can come along to our official ‘Open Morning’ on Saturday 7th January from 10-12.
P1,2 &3
P1, 2 & 3 have been studying healthy eating and have created their own ‘Healthy Eating Café’ with a menu of sandwiches and fruit salad. Everyone played their part, from the food preparation staff, the waiters, the managers and of course the customers. They also baked ‘Healthy’ buns using carrots, apples and bananas and sold their produce to the rest of the school. Along with the proceeds of the charity train they donated £35 to ‘Children in Need’.
P4 & 5
Primary 4 & 5 have been learning about Victorian life. They have looked at photographs of houses, clothes and artifacts from the Victorian period and learned about how different life was for children then. They agreed they wouldn’t have liked to climb a chimney, go down a mine or spend many hours a day in a factory. School seems like a better option now.
Now they are finding out how the Victorians spent Christmas and how many of today’s traditions date from that time.
P6 & 7
Primary 6 & 7 have been very creative this term writing stories, making 3-D pictures and designing Christmas trees which light up. They are also looking at Christmas through the ages and have been interviewing their parents and grandparents about their childhood memories. They have heard the sob stories about an apple and an orange in the toe of their stockings.
They are now starting to make home-made decorations for their Victorian Christmas tree from recycled materials.
Extra, Extra!
It’s been a busy month with a lot of visitors. On Friday 11th November the playschool came to visit P1 & 2 and took part in activities on the theme of road safety. P1 –3 also had a visit from Ben Best who led a personal development session with games about working together. On Monday 5th December the class joined a number of other schools at Kilrea Sports Complex for a morning of games and activities.
P4 & 5 were joined by pupils from St Columba’s for a day of art and creativity led by Kilcranny House. Paddy, Charlie and Lotte organised the games and discussions and Mrs Maud Steele brought along the Kilrea Community Quilt and explained how the group had come together to create it. Then everyone had a go at cutting and sticking fabrics to make pictures of their own.
The Dairy Council also gave a talk to P6 & 7 on healthy eating and balanced diets.
On Monday 14th November past pupil, Shannon Smyth came to talk about her visit to the Asha project in New Dehli, India. She wore her sari and showed us photographs and souvenirs from her trip.
Christmas Treats
P1-4 travelled to Ballymoney to see Cinderella and her ugly sisters on Wednesday 30th November.
P5-7 enjoyed Ballymoney High School’s all-singing, all-dancing production of ’Grease’ on Tuesday 6th December. They had a great time and were Ram-a-lam-a-ding-donging all the way home.
All the musicians in school will have the opportunity to display their talents to the rest of the pupils in a special musical assembly on Friday when we will be treated to the strains of violins, clarinets, flutes and tin whistles.
Charity Donations
Many thanks for your continued support of the PTA with the fireside quiz and smartie tube collections.
The fireside quiz raised over £350 and the winners have been notified.
Calendars will be ready for collection soon.
We also donated £150 to the
British Legion Poppy Appeal and £97.50 to the Wings Appeal.
Enrolment is now open for September 2012. If you have a younger child who is ready for school or know of someone who intends to enrol their child, and have not received the forms, please contact Mrs Stinson or Miss Young in the school office. Forms are officially due in by 12.00 noon on 18th January 2012. Alternatively you can come along to our official ‘Open Morning’ on Saturday 7th January from 10-12.
P1,2 &3
P1, 2 & 3 have been studying healthy eating and have created their own ‘Healthy Eating Café’ with a menu of sandwiches and fruit salad. Everyone played their part, from the food preparation staff, the waiters, the managers and of course the customers. They also baked ‘Healthy’ buns using carrots, apples and bananas and sold their produce to the rest of the school. Along with the proceeds of the charity train they donated £35 to ‘Children in Need’.
P4 & 5
Primary 4 & 5 have been learning about Victorian life. They have looked at photographs of houses, clothes and artifacts from the Victorian period and learned about how different life was for children then. They agreed they wouldn’t have liked to climb a chimney, go down a mine or spend many hours a day in a factory. School seems like a better option now.
Now they are finding out how the Victorians spent Christmas and how many of today’s traditions date from that time.
P6 & 7
Primary 6 & 7 have been very creative this term writing stories, making 3-D pictures and designing Christmas trees which light up. They are also looking at Christmas through the ages and have been interviewing their parents and grandparents about their childhood memories. They have heard the sob stories about an apple and an orange in the toe of their stockings.
They are now starting to make home-made decorations for their Victorian Christmas tree from recycled materials.
Extra, Extra!
It’s been a busy month with a lot of visitors. On Friday 11th November the playschool came to visit P1 & 2 and took part in activities on the theme of road safety. P1 –3 also had a visit from Ben Best who led a personal development session with games about working together. On Monday 5th December the class joined a number of other schools at Kilrea Sports Complex for a morning of games and activities.
P4 & 5 were joined by pupils from St Columba’s for a day of art and creativity led by Kilcranny House. Paddy, Charlie and Lotte organised the games and discussions and Mrs Maud Steele brought along the Kilrea Community Quilt and explained how the group had come together to create it. Then everyone had a go at cutting and sticking fabrics to make pictures of their own.
The Dairy Council also gave a talk to P6 & 7 on healthy eating and balanced diets.
On Monday 14th November past pupil, Shannon Smyth came to talk about her visit to the Asha project in New Dehli, India. She wore her sari and showed us photographs and souvenirs from her trip.
Christmas Treats
P1-4 travelled to Ballymoney to see Cinderella and her ugly sisters on Wednesday 30th November.
P5-7 enjoyed Ballymoney High School’s all-singing, all-dancing production of ’Grease’ on Tuesday 6th December. They had a great time and were Ram-a-lam-a-ding-donging all the way home.
All the musicians in school will have the opportunity to display their talents to the rest of the pupils in a special musical assembly on Friday when we will be treated to the strains of violins, clarinets, flutes and tin whistles.
Charity Donations
Many thanks for your continued support of the PTA with the fireside quiz and smartie tube collections.
The fireside quiz raised over £350 and the winners have been notified.
Calendars will be ready for collection soon.
We also donated £150 to the
British Legion Poppy Appeal and £97.50 to the Wings Appeal.
Labels: PrintedNewsletter
Sept/Oct Newsletter
Published by News Editor on at 07:57.
P1,2 & 3
In P1, 2 & 3’s topic this term, ‘All About Me’, they have been learning about their bodies, their senses and food. They’ve made a food pyramid and gone on a ‘Senses Walk’. They have also been creating musical instruments and experimenting with sounds so prepare yourselves for some beautiful music.
P4 & 5
Primary 4 & 5 have been studying the topic of rocks and mountains. They have found out what causes earthquakes and volcanoes and have even had an eruption in their classroom. They have also been researching the highest mountains in the world and famous landmarks made of stone. Finally they have been imagining what it must be like to be a mountaineer and climb to the top of the world.
P6&7
Primary 6 & 7 have also been studying rocks, mountains and volcanoes. They researched animals which live in rocky habitats before creating imaginary creatures which might live in caves or under rocks. Now they are writing stories about a day in the life of their creature.
They also made their own volcanoes and used food colouring, baking soda and vinegar to make them erupt.
Extra, Extra!
Kidz and Co is back on this year, between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on Wednesday mornings in the school assembly hall. All Mums, Dads, grandparents or child-minders who have small babies or toddlers at home are welcome to come along, have a cuppa and catch up while the kids play.
This year we are taking part in a project, sponsored by the Irish Football Association, to deliver basic skills training to classes P1-5. All the pupils have been enjoying the games and activities designed to improve their co-ordination, speed, and agility with their trainer, Mr Eamon Curry.
We are also pleased to welcome back Mr Mark Anderson who has been providing expert tuition in tin whistle for the last eighteen months, and Mrs Christina McGarvey, our Spanish tutor, who is now teaching all the classes in the school. Even the teachers are beginning to learn something! Muy bien!
This term’s after-school club has been football, taken by Mrs Cooper, and has been valuable in preparing the team for their forthcoming matches. If any parents are available to help with transportation or supervising at school events please see Mrs Cooper to fill in the appropriate vetting forms.
Next term Miss Steele will be taking the choir and you will have a chance to see them perform at the carol service in December.
In P1, 2 & 3’s topic this term, ‘All About Me’, they have been learning about their bodies, their senses and food. They’ve made a food pyramid and gone on a ‘Senses Walk’. They have also been creating musical instruments and experimenting with sounds so prepare yourselves for some beautiful music.
P4 & 5
Primary 4 & 5 have been studying the topic of rocks and mountains. They have found out what causes earthquakes and volcanoes and have even had an eruption in their classroom. They have also been researching the highest mountains in the world and famous landmarks made of stone. Finally they have been imagining what it must be like to be a mountaineer and climb to the top of the world.
P6&7
Primary 6 & 7 have also been studying rocks, mountains and volcanoes. They researched animals which live in rocky habitats before creating imaginary creatures which might live in caves or under rocks. Now they are writing stories about a day in the life of their creature.
They also made their own volcanoes and used food colouring, baking soda and vinegar to make them erupt.
Extra, Extra!
Kidz and Co is back on this year, between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on Wednesday mornings in the school assembly hall. All Mums, Dads, grandparents or child-minders who have small babies or toddlers at home are welcome to come along, have a cuppa and catch up while the kids play.
This year we are taking part in a project, sponsored by the Irish Football Association, to deliver basic skills training to classes P1-5. All the pupils have been enjoying the games and activities designed to improve their co-ordination, speed, and agility with their trainer, Mr Eamon Curry.
We are also pleased to welcome back Mr Mark Anderson who has been providing expert tuition in tin whistle for the last eighteen months, and Mrs Christina McGarvey, our Spanish tutor, who is now teaching all the classes in the school. Even the teachers are beginning to learn something! Muy bien!
This term’s after-school club has been football, taken by Mrs Cooper, and has been valuable in preparing the team for their forthcoming matches. If any parents are available to help with transportation or supervising at school events please see Mrs Cooper to fill in the appropriate vetting forms.
Next term Miss Steele will be taking the choir and you will have a chance to see them perform at the carol service in December.
Labels: PrintedNewsletter
Summer News
Published by News Editor on Saturday, 9 July 2011 at 03:47.
Going For Gold
Primary 7 have been extra busy with their ‘Ready Steady Grow’ Industry Matters Challenge. The project began with the setting up of their own company, to sell salad boxes containing seedlings which they had grown themselves. They hoped this would also encourage people to try growing their own vegetables so they would have fresh produce at their back door.
First they had to delegate the jobs, including management, sales, publicity and distribution; then there was the research which included a visit to a garden centre to learn about the plants they wanted to sell. They also had to approach investors to obtain the start-up capital. They planted seeds for all sorts of salad fruit and vegetables, and as the orders came in they made up the boxes to the customers’ specifications. Their business has been most successful, realising a healthy profit, some of which was invested in a day out for all the ‘workers’.
Their sterling efforts were rewarded with a gold award and an invitation to the finals in the Odyssey Arena last week. Six representatives manned the display of work and talked to the judges and to their great delight Kilrea Primary were announced the overall winners, returning home with the trophy and £100 for the school.
Apart from the obvious benefits the project has sparked an interest in gardening among the pupils involved and many have also discovered their entrepreneurial spirit. Alan Sugar had better watch his back!
First they had to delegate the jobs, including management, sales, publicity and distribution; then there was the research which included a visit to a garden centre to learn about the plants they wanted to sell. They also had to approach investors to obtain the start-up capital. They planted seeds for all sorts of salad fruit and vegetables, and as the orders came in they made up the boxes to the customers’ specifications. Their business has been most successful, realising a healthy profit, some of which was invested in a day out for all the ‘workers’.
Their sterling efforts were rewarded with a gold award and an invitation to the finals in the Odyssey Arena last week. Six representatives manned the display of work and talked to the judges and to their great delight Kilrea Primary were announced the overall winners, returning home with the trophy and £100 for the school.
Apart from the obvious benefits the project has sparked an interest in gardening among the pupils involved and many have also discovered their entrepreneurial spirit. Alan Sugar had better watch his back!
Class Catch-Up
P1 & 2 have been talking about their holidays, painting summery pictures and surveying what they like to put into their picnics. They have even enjoyed one of the few sunny days with a trip to the beach at Portrush, where they explored rock pools, built sandcastles and ate ice-cream. They were so inspired they now have their own ice-cream van in the playroom.
Primary 3 & 4 have been studying mini-beasts. They have searched the wildlife area to find lots of interesting creepy crawlies and have even had some caterpillars of their own in the classroom to watch turning into butterflies. They had a day out at ‘The World of Owls’ where they saw some more sizeable bugs and beasts, including giant cockroaches, lizards and snakes.
The Primary 5-7 topic for this term is trees and they have been looking at the variety of trees in our own school grounds and in the local area. They have also been learning about the rainforests, the people who live there and the products which come from them. They are now more aware of how dependent we are on them and the problems created by their destruction.
P7 have been very busy this month putting together their records of achievement and looking back on all the fun they’ve had at Kilrea Primary. They have also completed their cycling proficiency award , and after many hours of training from Mrs Anderson they have all passed with flying colours. The PSNI community officer also came in for a visit to talk about cyber-bullying.
Safety First
Mr Sean Keogh, from the Health and Safety Executive came along to give each class a talk on the dangers of the farmyard, especially with large machinery around.
P5 also had a visit from Mr Martin McAllister from Kilrea Fire Service who talked about the importance of having a working smoke alarm and an escape plan to use in case of an emergency.
Out and About
P7 have been getting very crafty this month by taking part in a community quilt project, organized by Kilcranny House. They took some inspiration from the Kilrea Community Quilt, created by a group of local women, which depicts a range of scenes and organisations from the local Kilrea area. Then each group created pictures of their pastimes and interests.
P5 pupils have also explored their more artistic sides with an art day at St Columba’s, as part of the All Set project. They created some beautiful pictures with acrylic paints and then voted on the best 2 which the groups turned into larger versions of the originals. Each school will now have a picture to display in their own school.
P6 & 7 have completed this year’s salmon project with a visit to the fish hatcheries at Bushmills on Wednesday 8th June. They saw where the fry are reared, the laboratory where they are monitored and they walked along the River Bush to see the waterfall which the adult fish have to leap up. They were amazed by how big the adult salmon were.
Kilrea Primary School will be featuring in another Ulster-Scots Agency production. It’s a CD recording of songs, poems and stories which will be distributed to schools all across Northern Ireland. All ages have been taking part. Younger pupils have been learning nursery rhymes and the older ones ‘Do your ears hang low?’ in Ulster-Scots.
P7 have been getting very crafty this month by taking part in a community quilt project, organized by Kilcranny House. They took some inspiration from the Kilrea Community Quilt, created by a group of local women, which depicts a range of scenes and organisations from the local Kilrea area. Then each group created pictures of their pastimes and interests.
P5 pupils have also explored their more artistic sides with an art day at St Columba’s, as part of the All Set project. They created some beautiful pictures with acrylic paints and then voted on the best 2 which the groups turned into larger versions of the originals. Each school will now have a picture to display in their own school.
P6 & 7 have completed this year’s salmon project with a visit to the fish hatcheries at Bushmills on Wednesday 8th June. They saw where the fry are reared, the laboratory where they are monitored and they walked along the River Bush to see the waterfall which the adult fish have to leap up. They were amazed by how big the adult salmon were.
Kilrea Primary School will be featuring in another Ulster-Scots Agency production. It’s a CD recording of songs, poems and stories which will be distributed to schools all across Northern Ireland. All ages have been taking part. Younger pupils have been learning nursery rhymes and the older ones ‘Do your ears hang low?’ in Ulster-Scots.
The Mitre Trust
Thanks to all those who participated in the Portglenone Forest Walk, which raised £1515 in aid of the Mitre Trust, Musgrave Hospital. Once again your generosity has been amazing and every penny is much appreciated.
Thanks to all those who participated in the Portglenone Forest Walk, which raised £1515 in aid of the Mitre Trust, Musgrave Hospital. Once again your generosity has been amazing and every penny is much appreciated.
Curtain Call
The term ended with a faulous performance of 'The Vikings Are Coming', written by P7, on Thursday 23rd June. All classes sang their hearts out and were greeted by rapturous applause from the many parents and friends who packed the hall.
The term ended with a faulous performance of 'The Vikings Are Coming', written by P7, on Thursday 23rd June. All classes sang their hearts out and were greeted by rapturous applause from the many parents and friends who packed the hall.
The annual awards and prizes were then presented by Mrs Winifred Gribbon, a past member of staff and three new prizes were presented to the school by the Kelso Family, Mr Crawford and Mrs Gribbon. Mr Crawford was also presented with a token of our esteem as we bid him farewell and wished him all the best in his new post in D.H. Christie Primary School.
On Monday we held our Potted sports and team games and after the points were all counted the overall winner of the house cup was Movanagher.
Good luck to all the P7s in their new schools, enjoy your holidays and we'll see you all again on 1st September.
March/April 2011
Published by News Editor on Monday, 16 May 2011 at 07:04.
All Set Project
The cultural project for P4 & 5 pupils from Kilrea and St. Columba’s Primary Schools culminated in an evening of music and dance in Kilrea Town Hall on Thursday 24th February. Pupils performed on their tin whistles and demonstrated their dancing for parents and friends before inviting them to join in. The second half of the evening was comprised of a wide variety of acts including a harpist, a highland piper, Ulster-Scots storytellers, Irish dancers, and traditional musicians who played the banjo and the bodhran. Everyone agreed that it was a most entertaining evening and we look forward to developing similar projects in the future.
As a conclusion to the project the pupils involved attended a day of teambuilding activities at Woodhall Outdoor Activity Centre on Thursday 24th March. Luckily the sun shone and everyone had an excellent time canoeing, completing the ropes course and taking part in the games, although Mr Crawford, Mrs Dundas, Miss Glendinning and Solomon were all more than relieved to return home without getting wet.
Book Week
This year the book fair ran from 2nd-9th March with our fancy dress day on Friday 4th. During the week all the classes enjoyed activities focused on particular books and then painted pictures and designed book covers based on them. The winning entries were awarded book vouchers to spend when the books went on sale on Monday 7th. The adults also contributed by buying second hand books and donating books for our ‘Cash For Books’ appeal. The proceeds from this venture will provide new resources for our school library and many thanks to all those who supported us.
P1 & 2
This half term P1 &2 are learning about Spring and all the changes that are taking place around us. They have visited Woodhall, planted seeds, painted spring flowers and a flower shop has even appeared in the playroom. They have also been finding out about frogs and tadpoles and looking at little chicks, not to mention debating philosophical questions such as ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’
P3 & 4
Primary 3 & 4 have been studying circuses in the past and present. They have also learnt about the kind of exotic animals which used to be kept in circuses and the reasons that fewer animals are seen there today. The topic finished with their very own ‘Circus Day’ when they came to school dressed as acrobats, lion tamers and clowns and entertained each other with their own tricks.
P5, 6 & 7
The Primary 5-7 topic for this term is Vikings and pupils have enjoyed learning about the exploits of Eric the Red. They have been writing in runes and creating collages and Viking boats. They have written sagas and drawn Viking Gods such as Odin and Thor. The topic finished with a wider look at the countries which the Vikings came from such as Denmark and Norway.
Overseas visitors
We have welcomed two new faces onto the staff over the last few weeks as Solomon Lubwama from Uganda and Marianna Pasztor from Slovakia have joined us as part of their placements for their courses. We hope they enjoy their time in Kilrea Primary School and wish them well with their future studies.
Ready Steady Cook
P5 –7 have been enjoying cookery in their after-school club with Mrs Cooper and Miss Steele. They have been making clown pizzas, kebabs, smoothies and banana desserts, all from fresh ingredients. Move over Jamie Oliver!
Out & About
Following on from our visit from the W5 staff P5-7 set off for the science museum itself on 21st February. The visit started with a maths workshop involving 5 challenges to find a mystery word which then qualified them for a technology challenge. After lunch everyone had time to explore the exhibits on the two floors. Everyone had an excellent time and hope to return as soon as possible.
P7 shared a day out with St Columba’s pupils on Tuesday 22nd March to the Ulster-American Folk Park. They dressed in Victorian costumes and learned about how people lived 150 years ago and how many of them travelled to America to seek their fortune.
P5 & 6 have also been sharing resources and expertise with St Columba’s pupils by learning about the local history of Kilrea. The pupils met for a walk around the town to look at the local buildings followed by a talk from Mrs Pearl Hutchinson from the Local History Group.
Sporting Heroes
Over the last month our teams have attended several sports tournaments and this time it was the girls’ opportunity to shine when they landed joint first place at the Coleraine High School Hockey Tournament and came second at the netball tournament in the Jim Watt Centre in Garvagh, both in the same week.
Thanks
Thanks to all those who participated in the Barnado’s Egg Challenge. We saw some fabulous creations from Homer Simpson and Harry Hill to chicks, dogs and dinosaurs. We were delighted to present them with a cheque for £872.30 on Wednesday 6th April and Lee McNally was the winner of the draw for the Barnardo’s teddy.
We also raised £72.60 through our ‘Guess the Number of Eggs in the basket’ for Autism N.I. and this time Steven Toner was the one who took home the goodies.
Thanks to the generosity of one of our families we are the proud owners of a brand new polytunnel which will be well used in our gardening club.
The cultural project for P4 & 5 pupils from Kilrea and St. Columba’s Primary Schools culminated in an evening of music and dance in Kilrea Town Hall on Thursday 24th February. Pupils performed on their tin whistles and demonstrated their dancing for parents and friends before inviting them to join in. The second half of the evening was comprised of a wide variety of acts including a harpist, a highland piper, Ulster-Scots storytellers, Irish dancers, and traditional musicians who played the banjo and the bodhran. Everyone agreed that it was a most entertaining evening and we look forward to developing similar projects in the future.
As a conclusion to the project the pupils involved attended a day of teambuilding activities at Woodhall Outdoor Activity Centre on Thursday 24th March. Luckily the sun shone and everyone had an excellent time canoeing, completing the ropes course and taking part in the games, although Mr Crawford, Mrs Dundas, Miss Glendinning and Solomon were all more than relieved to return home without getting wet.
Book Week
This year the book fair ran from 2nd-9th March with our fancy dress day on Friday 4th. During the week all the classes enjoyed activities focused on particular books and then painted pictures and designed book covers based on them. The winning entries were awarded book vouchers to spend when the books went on sale on Monday 7th. The adults also contributed by buying second hand books and donating books for our ‘Cash For Books’ appeal. The proceeds from this venture will provide new resources for our school library and many thanks to all those who supported us.
P1 & 2
This half term P1 &2 are learning about Spring and all the changes that are taking place around us. They have visited Woodhall, planted seeds, painted spring flowers and a flower shop has even appeared in the playroom. They have also been finding out about frogs and tadpoles and looking at little chicks, not to mention debating philosophical questions such as ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’
P3 & 4
Primary 3 & 4 have been studying circuses in the past and present. They have also learnt about the kind of exotic animals which used to be kept in circuses and the reasons that fewer animals are seen there today. The topic finished with their very own ‘Circus Day’ when they came to school dressed as acrobats, lion tamers and clowns and entertained each other with their own tricks.
P5, 6 & 7
The Primary 5-7 topic for this term is Vikings and pupils have enjoyed learning about the exploits of Eric the Red. They have been writing in runes and creating collages and Viking boats. They have written sagas and drawn Viking Gods such as Odin and Thor. The topic finished with a wider look at the countries which the Vikings came from such as Denmark and Norway.
Overseas visitors
We have welcomed two new faces onto the staff over the last few weeks as Solomon Lubwama from Uganda and Marianna Pasztor from Slovakia have joined us as part of their placements for their courses. We hope they enjoy their time in Kilrea Primary School and wish them well with their future studies.
Ready Steady Cook
P5 –7 have been enjoying cookery in their after-school club with Mrs Cooper and Miss Steele. They have been making clown pizzas, kebabs, smoothies and banana desserts, all from fresh ingredients. Move over Jamie Oliver!
Out & About
Following on from our visit from the W5 staff P5-7 set off for the science museum itself on 21st February. The visit started with a maths workshop involving 5 challenges to find a mystery word which then qualified them for a technology challenge. After lunch everyone had time to explore the exhibits on the two floors. Everyone had an excellent time and hope to return as soon as possible.
P7 shared a day out with St Columba’s pupils on Tuesday 22nd March to the Ulster-American Folk Park. They dressed in Victorian costumes and learned about how people lived 150 years ago and how many of them travelled to America to seek their fortune.
P5 & 6 have also been sharing resources and expertise with St Columba’s pupils by learning about the local history of Kilrea. The pupils met for a walk around the town to look at the local buildings followed by a talk from Mrs Pearl Hutchinson from the Local History Group.
Sporting Heroes
Over the last month our teams have attended several sports tournaments and this time it was the girls’ opportunity to shine when they landed joint first place at the Coleraine High School Hockey Tournament and came second at the netball tournament in the Jim Watt Centre in Garvagh, both in the same week.
Thanks
Thanks to all those who participated in the Barnado’s Egg Challenge. We saw some fabulous creations from Homer Simpson and Harry Hill to chicks, dogs and dinosaurs. We were delighted to present them with a cheque for £872.30 on Wednesday 6th April and Lee McNally was the winner of the draw for the Barnardo’s teddy.
We also raised £72.60 through our ‘Guess the Number of Eggs in the basket’ for Autism N.I. and this time Steven Toner was the one who took home the goodies.
Thanks to the generosity of one of our families we are the proud owners of a brand new polytunnel which will be well used in our gardening club.
January/February News 2011
Published by News Editor on Sunday, 20 February 2011 at 09:39.
Robot Wars
They say that there’s a ‘streak of geek’ in all of us and that was never more apparent than when we got stuck in to our two maths, and technology workshops for P5, 6 & 7. First we had the Northern Bank ‘Science Counts’ W5 Roadshow on Friday 21st January which included a whole-school maths show and a K’nex building challenge for Key Stage 2. Vehicles were constructed and raced down ramps with Anthony Gibson, Christopher Gordon and Brandon Patterson finally emerging the winners. This is to be followed with a visit to W5 in Belfast later this month.
Two weeks later, on Thursday 3rd February, Mr Darren Houston from the Sentinus programme brought us a robotics challenge which involved writing programs on our mini laptops, uploading to our bots and sending them off down the winding tracks towards the finish line. Everyone had a great time and Natalie Armstrong and Lydia Bloomfield were declared the winners for their accurate calculations and programming.
Class Updates
There have been some ‘Grand Designs’ in P1 and 2 where they have been studying houses and homes. They have been recording the types of houses people live in, choosing furniture from the catalogues to furnish different rooms and writing about their own homes on the computer. They have even made houses from gingerbread and had lots of fun decorating them with icing and sweet treats.
Primary 3 & 4 have been finding out about how houses are built. They have surveyed the wide variety of houses on the Lisnagrot Road, compared the types of materials used and learned about the dangers of a construction site. They have even designed the interior furnishings including the wallpaper. They have made houses out of fabric and cardboard and have used pastels to draw famous buildings such as the Huntertwasser house in Vienna.
Primary 5, 6 & 7 have been studying ‘The Blue Planet’ with work ranging from comparing the length of the world’s longest rivers, following the lifecycle of an eel, recording the monthly rainfall, researching sea-creatures and famous ships, making paddle-boats and learning about the Belfast shipyards. They have painted with water-colours, written stories and poems and drawn graphs. Most of all they have learnt about how lucky we are to have so much water and why, even in this country, we need to conserve it.
Twit-to-whoo?
Due to the snowfalls the visit from World of Owls’ was postponed twice before Christmas but it was third time lucky when Mike came to talk to us on Friday 14th January, accompanied by a celebrity owl, a spider, some giant cockroaches, a bearded dragon and a snake. Everyone learned a lot about keeping different animals and those who had the nerve even got to hold some of them.
Wedded Bliss
P7 enjoyed their trip to Coleraine Council Offices where they had a tour of the offices, debated in the council chamber and some even had the chance to wear the mayoral chain. The highlight of the trip was, of course, the wedding of the year when Andrew Stinson ‘married’ Natalie Armstrong, attended by best man, Leon Armstrong and bridesmaid, Ellen Alexander. The reception was held in Kilrea Primary School canteen and would you believe it, they didn’t even keep us a piece of cake!
All Set
P4 & 5 pupils have been joining those from St Columba’s for ‘All Set’, a project about Irish and Scottish musical and dance traditions. Along the way they have made new friends, talked about their hobbies and interests and interviewed their grandparents about the dancing they may have done in their youth.
The project will end with an evening of music and dance in Kilrea Town Hall on Thursday 24th February when the children will perform for their parents and friends.
Charity Presentations
On Friday 4th February we welcomed Beth McIlrath from ‘Save the Children’ and Roisin McCaughan and Elizabeth Snelling from the ‘Zomba Action Project’ to accept cheques for £130 each , the proceeds of our carol service. They explained to us how the money would be used to buy much needed resources for children in other parts of the world.
Diary Dates
Book Week
This year our fancy dress day will be held on Friday 4th March and the winners will receive book tokens to spend at the book fair. Books will be available to buy on Monday 7th March between 2 pm and 7 pm.
P6 Meeting
There will be a meeting for P6 parents to discuss next year’s transfer arrangements on Monday 7th March at 7.00 pm. NB: This is a change to the previous letter. If you are unable to attend please contact Mrs Stinson for information.
They say that there’s a ‘streak of geek’ in all of us and that was never more apparent than when we got stuck in to our two maths, and technology workshops for P5, 6 & 7. First we had the Northern Bank ‘Science Counts’ W5 Roadshow on Friday 21st January which included a whole-school maths show and a K’nex building challenge for Key Stage 2. Vehicles were constructed and raced down ramps with Anthony Gibson, Christopher Gordon and Brandon Patterson finally emerging the winners. This is to be followed with a visit to W5 in Belfast later this month.
Two weeks later, on Thursday 3rd February, Mr Darren Houston from the Sentinus programme brought us a robotics challenge which involved writing programs on our mini laptops, uploading to our bots and sending them off down the winding tracks towards the finish line. Everyone had a great time and Natalie Armstrong and Lydia Bloomfield were declared the winners for their accurate calculations and programming.
Class Updates
There have been some ‘Grand Designs’ in P1 and 2 where they have been studying houses and homes. They have been recording the types of houses people live in, choosing furniture from the catalogues to furnish different rooms and writing about their own homes on the computer. They have even made houses from gingerbread and had lots of fun decorating them with icing and sweet treats.
Primary 3 & 4 have been finding out about how houses are built. They have surveyed the wide variety of houses on the Lisnagrot Road, compared the types of materials used and learned about the dangers of a construction site. They have even designed the interior furnishings including the wallpaper. They have made houses out of fabric and cardboard and have used pastels to draw famous buildings such as the Huntertwasser house in Vienna.
Primary 5, 6 & 7 have been studying ‘The Blue Planet’ with work ranging from comparing the length of the world’s longest rivers, following the lifecycle of an eel, recording the monthly rainfall, researching sea-creatures and famous ships, making paddle-boats and learning about the Belfast shipyards. They have painted with water-colours, written stories and poems and drawn graphs. Most of all they have learnt about how lucky we are to have so much water and why, even in this country, we need to conserve it.
Twit-to-whoo?
Due to the snowfalls the visit from World of Owls’ was postponed twice before Christmas but it was third time lucky when Mike came to talk to us on Friday 14th January, accompanied by a celebrity owl, a spider, some giant cockroaches, a bearded dragon and a snake. Everyone learned a lot about keeping different animals and those who had the nerve even got to hold some of them.
Wedded Bliss
P7 enjoyed their trip to Coleraine Council Offices where they had a tour of the offices, debated in the council chamber and some even had the chance to wear the mayoral chain. The highlight of the trip was, of course, the wedding of the year when Andrew Stinson ‘married’ Natalie Armstrong, attended by best man, Leon Armstrong and bridesmaid, Ellen Alexander. The reception was held in Kilrea Primary School canteen and would you believe it, they didn’t even keep us a piece of cake!
All Set
P4 & 5 pupils have been joining those from St Columba’s for ‘All Set’, a project about Irish and Scottish musical and dance traditions. Along the way they have made new friends, talked about their hobbies and interests and interviewed their grandparents about the dancing they may have done in their youth.
The project will end with an evening of music and dance in Kilrea Town Hall on Thursday 24th February when the children will perform for their parents and friends.
Charity Presentations
On Friday 4th February we welcomed Beth McIlrath from ‘Save the Children’ and Roisin McCaughan and Elizabeth Snelling from the ‘Zomba Action Project’ to accept cheques for £130 each , the proceeds of our carol service. They explained to us how the money would be used to buy much needed resources for children in other parts of the world.
Diary Dates
Book Week
This year our fancy dress day will be held on Friday 4th March and the winners will receive book tokens to spend at the book fair. Books will be available to buy on Monday 7th March between 2 pm and 7 pm.
P6 Meeting
There will be a meeting for P6 parents to discuss next year’s transfer arrangements on Monday 7th March at 7.00 pm. NB: This is a change to the previous letter. If you are unable to attend please contact Mrs Stinson for information.
Labels: PrintedNewsletter
November/December News
Published by News Editor on at 09:32.
Another Big Freeze
As you all know the cold weather came early this year with icy and snowy conditions arriving in November and continuing throughout December. For the first few days this caused great excitement, with snow sculptures appearing all around the playground, but then it got too slippery to go outside and the novelty soon wore off.
A heartfelt thank-you to all our parents, pupils and staff who have been extremely accommodating throughout the adverse weather conditions and have made courageous efforts, both to get to school and to collect children at short notice when the weather took a sudden turn for the worse. We appreciate your patience and we look forward to a more tropical 2011!
Class Updates
P1 and 2 have been learning traditional nursery rhymes. They have been painting Humpty Dumpty and building his wall and there are rows of Mary Mary’s flowers on the playroom walls.
On the 22nd November they went to Woodhall for their woodland walk and everyone had a great time looking at the leaves and berries and finding frogs and slugs.
Primary 3 & 4 have been studying ‘Light and Darkness’. They have been reading ‘The Owl who was afraid of the Dark’, finding out about nocturnal animals and making owl collages.
P3 also joined several local schools to take part in a fundamental skills day at Kilrea Sports Hall on 29th November where they got to play lots of games.
Primary 5, 6 & 7 have been finding out about electricity and energy. They have made circuits, lit up Christmas trees and designed quizzes. They have researched famous scientists and have checked the school for energy efficiency before designing posters to encourage us to ‘Switch off’ to save energy and money! P5 & 6 have also been reading ‘The City of Ember’ and wondering what it would be like to live without any sunlight and how to save resources for the future.
Extra! Extra!
Kidz and Co had their own private Christmas Party on Wednesday 15th December when Santa made his first visit to the school. The mothers and toddlers group will resume on Wednesday 12th January, between 10 and 12.
The school choir and clarinet players were invited to share their sweet music with the customers of the Northern Bank on Thursday 16th December and received an excellent reception from all those present.
Meanwhile a contingent of P6 & 7 represented the school at St Columba’s Pantomime which was excellent entertainment. P7 pupils also joined those in St Columba’s for the ’Jigtime’ music workshop on the 26th November.
Winter Wonderland
P1 and 2 joined Kilrea Playgroup on 3rd December for a snowy trip to W5 to travel on the Santa Express. Their winter wonderland adventure took them by train to meet Santa and they also had time to explore some of the zones of W5 before returning home to their own ‘winter wonderland’ in Kilrea!
Term ended with our special assembly which included performances from our instrumentalists and speech and drama pupils. There was also a second chance for P1 and 2 to see the great man himself. Weather conditions were ideal for a one-horse open sleigh and he arrived exactly on schedule to give out the gifts, wish everyone a Merry Christmas and slip away to get ready for a busy weekend ahead.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Mrs Roulston and her husband on the birth of their baby boy who arrived early, on Christmas Day! We have sent best wishes on behalf of the school and we hope it isn’t long until we all meet Master William Roulston.
Thanks
Many thanks for your continued support at our Annual Carol Service which was held on Wednesday 15th December. The offering of over £300 will be presented to Save the Children and the Zomba Action Project in January.
Also, thanks for your support of the PTA fireside quiz which raised £350. The winners were as follows:
!st Lucy and Hannah Greenhill
2nd Dylan Selfridge
3rd Bridie Mongonigle
Highest seller: Charlie Williamson
As you all know the cold weather came early this year with icy and snowy conditions arriving in November and continuing throughout December. For the first few days this caused great excitement, with snow sculptures appearing all around the playground, but then it got too slippery to go outside and the novelty soon wore off.
A heartfelt thank-you to all our parents, pupils and staff who have been extremely accommodating throughout the adverse weather conditions and have made courageous efforts, both to get to school and to collect children at short notice when the weather took a sudden turn for the worse. We appreciate your patience and we look forward to a more tropical 2011!
Class Updates
P1 and 2 have been learning traditional nursery rhymes. They have been painting Humpty Dumpty and building his wall and there are rows of Mary Mary’s flowers on the playroom walls.
On the 22nd November they went to Woodhall for their woodland walk and everyone had a great time looking at the leaves and berries and finding frogs and slugs.
Primary 3 & 4 have been studying ‘Light and Darkness’. They have been reading ‘The Owl who was afraid of the Dark’, finding out about nocturnal animals and making owl collages.
P3 also joined several local schools to take part in a fundamental skills day at Kilrea Sports Hall on 29th November where they got to play lots of games.
Primary 5, 6 & 7 have been finding out about electricity and energy. They have made circuits, lit up Christmas trees and designed quizzes. They have researched famous scientists and have checked the school for energy efficiency before designing posters to encourage us to ‘Switch off’ to save energy and money! P5 & 6 have also been reading ‘The City of Ember’ and wondering what it would be like to live without any sunlight and how to save resources for the future.
Extra! Extra!
Kidz and Co had their own private Christmas Party on Wednesday 15th December when Santa made his first visit to the school. The mothers and toddlers group will resume on Wednesday 12th January, between 10 and 12.
The school choir and clarinet players were invited to share their sweet music with the customers of the Northern Bank on Thursday 16th December and received an excellent reception from all those present.
Meanwhile a contingent of P6 & 7 represented the school at St Columba’s Pantomime which was excellent entertainment. P7 pupils also joined those in St Columba’s for the ’Jigtime’ music workshop on the 26th November.
Winter Wonderland
P1 and 2 joined Kilrea Playgroup on 3rd December for a snowy trip to W5 to travel on the Santa Express. Their winter wonderland adventure took them by train to meet Santa and they also had time to explore some of the zones of W5 before returning home to their own ‘winter wonderland’ in Kilrea!
Term ended with our special assembly which included performances from our instrumentalists and speech and drama pupils. There was also a second chance for P1 and 2 to see the great man himself. Weather conditions were ideal for a one-horse open sleigh and he arrived exactly on schedule to give out the gifts, wish everyone a Merry Christmas and slip away to get ready for a busy weekend ahead.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Mrs Roulston and her husband on the birth of their baby boy who arrived early, on Christmas Day! We have sent best wishes on behalf of the school and we hope it isn’t long until we all meet Master William Roulston.
Thanks
Many thanks for your continued support at our Annual Carol Service which was held on Wednesday 15th December. The offering of over £300 will be presented to Save the Children and the Zomba Action Project in January.
Also, thanks for your support of the PTA fireside quiz which raised £350. The winners were as follows:
!st Lucy and Hannah Greenhill
2nd Dylan Selfridge
3rd Bridie Mongonigle
Highest seller: Charlie Williamson
Labels: PrintedNewsletter
October/November News 2010
Published by News Editor on Thursday, 11 November 2010 at 00:49.
A Very Important Date
Many thanks for your fabulous support at October’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and cake sale. All the classes got into the spirit by baking their own buns and biscuits on Monday and then on Tuesday they displayed their hats at their big tea party in the assembly hall. Meanwhile the canteen had been transformed into a classic tearoom with fine china and cake-stands groaning with goodies.
Thanks to all those who contributed tray-bakes and cakes, to Mrs Gordon for making all the scones, to the staff and P.T.A. volunteers who acted as waitresses and to all the family and friends who came along and enjoyed the craic. Along the way we also raised the grand total of £560 for P.T.A. funds.
The Big Quiz
Thursday 21st October was the date for the P.T.A. AGM where 4 new faces were welcomed onto the committee in the shape of Sue Gibson, Jackie Gordon, Diane Williamson and Sandra Johnston. Those who were retiring were thanked for all their hard work and commitment over the years before the adults joined the children who had been quizzing away in the hall. Family teams then answered questions on everything from current affairs, celebrities and music to flags and American football teams. After some hot competition ‘The Twits’ were proclaimed the worthy winners.
P1 & 2
‘Our School’ has been P1 & 2’s topic this month when they have been finding out who’s who and where’s where around the school and the grounds. They even tried out the digital camera by taking photographs of all the staff.
P3&4
Primary 3 & 4 have completed their topic with a look at stories about giants. They also hosted their own ‘Healthy Eating Café’ in which they acted as cooks, waiters and customers. The sandwiches and apple tarts were delicious.
P5&6
Primary 5, 6 & 7 have continued their study of the body by learning about the workings of the heart, lungs and digestive system and how to keep healthy by avoiding smoking and alcohol, eating healthily and taking plenty of exercise. P5 & 6 wrote diary entries for the year 2110 and P7 plotted their own personal timelines and created artistic representations of their favourite healthy meals.
Calling all Prospective Pupils
There will be an ‘Open Afternoon’ on Tuesday 7th December from 3.15 pm to 5.00 pm when prospective pupils and parents can come and see what we, at Kilrea Primary School, have to offer. Please pass the word on to any friends, relations or neighbours who may be interested. Of course if this time doesn’t suit they can phone at any time and arrange a tour with Mrs Stinson .
Club News
After the success of last year’s Tuesday After-School Clubs they have begun again with Mrs Cooper and Mrs Stinson’s athletics being well supported in September and October.
November has seen the start of the choir, with Mr Crawford and Miss Steele, in charge and all those in P5, 6 and 7 who wish to take part are welcome to stay each Tuesday from 3.05pm until 4.15 pm.
Kidz & Co
Kidz and Co didn’t miss out on the action with their very own early Hallowe’en party on Wednesday 20th October. The kids came dressed in fancy dress and enjoyed the treats.
Thanks to all who bought a fireside quiz which raised a total of £150.
Outings and things
On Friday 15th October P6 & 7 were ‘following the yellow brick road’ to Cambridge House Grammar School in Ballymena where they saw ‘The Wizard of Oz’. They enjoyed an excellent show including performances of music, dance and drama worthy of the professional stage and we look forward to having a go ourselves later in the year. We also had a visit from the Dairy Council on 9th November who gave P5, 6 & 7 a talk on eating a balanced diet and increasing fitness.
Football Fanatics
On Wednesday 13th the football team of 7 boys and 1 girl took part in the first day of the small schools tournament at Eden Primary School. Although there were no high scores the team enjoyed the chance to play together and are looking forward to the next day of the tournament at Cullycapple Primary on Wednesday 10th November.
Dates for your diary
After School Club Dates
Choir will be held on Tuesdays 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th November and 7th December.
OPEN AFTERNOON
Tuesday 7th December 2010 from 3.15 to 5.00 pm
As Coleraine Council have cancelled all their fireworks this year there will be no hotdogs at the school on Saturday 4th December. However, Santa will be available to turn on the lights at the Diamond as usual.
Carol Service
The annual Carol Service will be on Wednesday 15th December at 7.30 pm in 2nd Kilrea Presbyterian Church.
Christmas Holidays
Santa will come to visit on Tuesday 21st December and school will close at 12.15 pm. Buses will run as normal. It will reopen on Thursday 6th January 2011.
Good Luck
Good luck to all our P7 pupils who are sitting tests in the next few weeks and to all the Mums and Dads who will be having a few stressful Saturday mornings as well!
Many thanks for your fabulous support at October’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and cake sale. All the classes got into the spirit by baking their own buns and biscuits on Monday and then on Tuesday they displayed their hats at their big tea party in the assembly hall. Meanwhile the canteen had been transformed into a classic tearoom with fine china and cake-stands groaning with goodies.
Thanks to all those who contributed tray-bakes and cakes, to Mrs Gordon for making all the scones, to the staff and P.T.A. volunteers who acted as waitresses and to all the family and friends who came along and enjoyed the craic. Along the way we also raised the grand total of £560 for P.T.A. funds.
The Big Quiz
Thursday 21st October was the date for the P.T.A. AGM where 4 new faces were welcomed onto the committee in the shape of Sue Gibson, Jackie Gordon, Diane Williamson and Sandra Johnston. Those who were retiring were thanked for all their hard work and commitment over the years before the adults joined the children who had been quizzing away in the hall. Family teams then answered questions on everything from current affairs, celebrities and music to flags and American football teams. After some hot competition ‘The Twits’ were proclaimed the worthy winners.
P1 & 2
‘Our School’ has been P1 & 2’s topic this month when they have been finding out who’s who and where’s where around the school and the grounds. They even tried out the digital camera by taking photographs of all the staff.
P3&4
Primary 3 & 4 have completed their topic with a look at stories about giants. They also hosted their own ‘Healthy Eating Café’ in which they acted as cooks, waiters and customers. The sandwiches and apple tarts were delicious.
P5&6
Primary 5, 6 & 7 have continued their study of the body by learning about the workings of the heart, lungs and digestive system and how to keep healthy by avoiding smoking and alcohol, eating healthily and taking plenty of exercise. P5 & 6 wrote diary entries for the year 2110 and P7 plotted their own personal timelines and created artistic representations of their favourite healthy meals.
Calling all Prospective Pupils
There will be an ‘Open Afternoon’ on Tuesday 7th December from 3.15 pm to 5.00 pm when prospective pupils and parents can come and see what we, at Kilrea Primary School, have to offer. Please pass the word on to any friends, relations or neighbours who may be interested. Of course if this time doesn’t suit they can phone at any time and arrange a tour with Mrs Stinson .
Club News
After the success of last year’s Tuesday After-School Clubs they have begun again with Mrs Cooper and Mrs Stinson’s athletics being well supported in September and October.
November has seen the start of the choir, with Mr Crawford and Miss Steele, in charge and all those in P5, 6 and 7 who wish to take part are welcome to stay each Tuesday from 3.05pm until 4.15 pm.
Kidz & Co
Kidz and Co didn’t miss out on the action with their very own early Hallowe’en party on Wednesday 20th October. The kids came dressed in fancy dress and enjoyed the treats.
Thanks to all who bought a fireside quiz which raised a total of £150.
Outings and things
On Friday 15th October P6 & 7 were ‘following the yellow brick road’ to Cambridge House Grammar School in Ballymena where they saw ‘The Wizard of Oz’. They enjoyed an excellent show including performances of music, dance and drama worthy of the professional stage and we look forward to having a go ourselves later in the year. We also had a visit from the Dairy Council on 9th November who gave P5, 6 & 7 a talk on eating a balanced diet and increasing fitness.
Football Fanatics
On Wednesday 13th the football team of 7 boys and 1 girl took part in the first day of the small schools tournament at Eden Primary School. Although there were no high scores the team enjoyed the chance to play together and are looking forward to the next day of the tournament at Cullycapple Primary on Wednesday 10th November.
Dates for your diary
After School Club Dates
Choir will be held on Tuesdays 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th November and 7th December.
OPEN AFTERNOON
Tuesday 7th December 2010 from 3.15 to 5.00 pm
As Coleraine Council have cancelled all their fireworks this year there will be no hotdogs at the school on Saturday 4th December. However, Santa will be available to turn on the lights at the Diamond as usual.
Carol Service
The annual Carol Service will be on Wednesday 15th December at 7.30 pm in 2nd Kilrea Presbyterian Church.
Christmas Holidays
Santa will come to visit on Tuesday 21st December and school will close at 12.15 pm. Buses will run as normal. It will reopen on Thursday 6th January 2011.
Good Luck
Good luck to all our P7 pupils who are sitting tests in the next few weeks and to all the Mums and Dads who will be having a few stressful Saturday mornings as well!
Labels: PrintedNewsletter
