Earlier this afternoon the First Minister and Deputy First Minister made an announcement relating to the threat of COVID-19. Part of this concerned schools and wider educational settings. This is to confirm that schools, pre-schools, and statutory nurseries will close at the end of the day on Friday 20th March for all pupils and children. We intend to send out more detailed information tomorrow. This remains a rapidly changing and challenging situation and I appreciate the dedication of all staff working in the sector at this incredibly difficult time. PETER WEIR MLA MINISTER OF EDUCATION
Dear Parents/Carers, School closed Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th March 2020 to all pupils. The Board of Governors have taken the decision to move two staff Development Days from later in the year to Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March. Therefore, the school will be closed to pupils on these days and will reopen to all on Friday 19thMarch. The Board of Governors have not taken this decision lightly, but as a necessary step in light of this rapidly changing situation. This will allow staff to develop our contingency plans and prepare home learning advice and resources in the event of a long term closure. It is clear that the continued education of our children, albeit in a different format, will continue. We want to thank you for your continued support in these difficult times and acknowledge the concerns you have about the health of your families and the wider community. Kind regards, Ciarán Conway | Principal
A huge congratulations to all the boys and girls who performed on behalf of St Mary’s on the Hill at the Peace Proms last night in the SSE Arena. The children were simply outstanding. I cannot communicate highly enough what a great experience this is for the children. A huge thank you goes to Mr McEvoy for preparing the children and to Mrs Dempsey and Mrs Niblock for accompanying them. It was a wonderful opportunity and one that will live long in the minds and memories of the children and parents who attended.
P1 and P2 Mr Hulabaloo 9:30-10:30am for the 'Winter Wonderland' Christmas show. It includes movement, singing and live theatre with puppets.
OPEN MORNING: Children who are due to start P1 in September 2020 are invited, along with parents, to attend our Open Morning on Friday 6th December 2019 at 9.30am–11.00am.
O2 and the NSPCC have joined forces on a mission to help all children and their families in the UK stay safe online. Together, they’re offering useful tools, support and guidance to help parents and carers have conversations with their children about their online lives. Online safety workshops for parents As part of this, they’re running free online safety workshops for parents and carers and will be hosting one at St Mary’s on the Hill Primary School at 9.15am on Thursday 14th November. We would like to invite all parents and carers to join us. The hour-long workshop will help parents and carers understand their child’s online world and build confidence to have those important conversations that can help keep children safe online. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. A reply slip will be sent home with your child, please complete and return to your child’s class teacher. Until then, if you need any support or guidance, check out our website pages and step-by step guides online, call the O2 and NSPCC Online Safety Helpline on 0808 800 5002, or pop into your local O2 store for help from a Guru.
Bounceathon: St Mary’s on the Hill PTA Annual Bounceathon will take place on Friday 18th October. This is a great fundraiser for the school and sponsor sheets will follow with your child shortly.
After school clubs should be booked via school money. They will go live on Friday 30th August and registration will remain open until Wednesday 4th September. Clubs will begin Monday 9th September 2019.
REMINDER: The school will close for the Summer break on Friday 28th June at 12 noon. School will reopen for pupils in P2-7 on Friday 30th August 2019 for half day only. The school will close at 12pm on this day.
St Mary’s on the Hill Summer Fair will be held on Saturday 8th June from 3.00pm until 5.00pm. We welcome you and your children to an afternoon filled with entertainment and fun.
The children from P4 are invited to the Corpus Christi Procession from 12 noon mass in St Mary's on the Hill on Sunday 2nd June. They will process after mass to the garden party in Father Darren's garden. It is also an opportunity for the children to wear their beautiful communion dresses/suits again.
The School Council have organised a fundraising event for Friday 31st May. They are asking parents to contribute £1 per child. Monies raised will be used to purchase new markings for the playground. Thank you for your continued support.
We have organised a day of workshops for the children on Tuesday 28th May. They centre around the themes of healthy eating, sun safety, exercise and smoking. Representatives from Cancer Focus NI will visit the school and facilitate workshops with our pupils. We would like to ask for a voluntary donation of £1 per family. All money received will be presented to the volunteers on the day to fund the worthwhile work they do.
P1 SPORTS DAY Wednesday 15 May 10—11.30am (Alternative P1 Sports Day: Tues 21 May) P2/3 SPORTS DAY Thursday 16 May 10—11.30am (APPROX) (Alternative P2/3 Sports Day: Wed 22 May) P4-7 SPORTS DAY Friday 17 May—Ashgrove PS : 9.45am—12 noon (Alternative P4-7 Sports Day: Thurs 23 May)
School will close at 12pm on Thursday 18th April for the Easter break and will re-open again on Monday 29th April. We wish you all a happy and holy Easter.
Monday 8th April will see the start of Trócaire Week 2019. As part of our Lenten Campaign, each year group have organised a different fundraising activity. Last year, we raised a wonderful and much needed £2900. With your generosity and support, we would love to increase that total this year. Money raised will be collected from 8th – 12th April.
On Friday 15th March we have our Whole School Day Of Culture for St Patrick's Day. The children are invited to wear something green, it can be socks, a hairband, or a badge! Each class will take part entertaining everyone with a song, a poem or dance.
4th February 2019 Dear Parents and Carers, World Book Day 2019 takes place on Thursday 7th March. To celebrate the reading achievements of the children in St. Mary’s on the Hill, we invite all pupils to dress up as a favourite book character on this date. There will be lots of fun-filled activities, Accelerated Reader quizzes and story-sharing sessions for the children to take part in. Each child will receive a £1 book token, which is valid from 28th February – 31st March. It can be redeemed in participating bookshops against any book costing £2.99 or more, or exchanged for a special 2019 World Book Day book. This year, we want to spread the word about the importance of sharing stories for just 10 minutes a day – anywhere, anytime! Over the coming weeks, a story-sharing challenge will be sent home for you and your child to complete – Have fun! Many Thanks for your continued support. Happy reading! Yours Faithfully, Mrs B. Niblock Literacy Co-ordinator
Catholic Schools Week runs from 27th January - 3rd February 2019. The theme this year is 'Celebrating the work of Our Local Catholic Schools' P1 - P7 children will be taking part in activities to celebrate this important date in our school calendar. Grandparents Day will be celebrated on Wednesday 30th January and parents and grandparents of Primary 2 children are welcome to attend a special assembly at 9.30am.
St Mary's on the Hill Primary School will host an Open Enrolment Coffee Morning on Friday 11th January from 9.30am - 10.30am in the school to assist those parents who would like to avail of support with the completion of the online application form for Primary 1 admission.
Children who are due to start P1 or Playgroup in September 2019 are invited, along with parents, to attend our open morning on Friday 30th November 2018 at 9.30am-11.00am.
This wonderful workshop inspires our P4 children with practical activities and hands on exploration of what it might have been like for a child living during WWII
This term parents can enrol their child using PayPal. Simply follow the instructions on the screen. This facility will be available from 7am on Friday 31st August 2018.
On Sunday 3rd June in St Mary's on the Hill there will be a 'Do This In Memory of Me Garden Party' for the P4 Children who made their Holy Communion last month. The Procession will take place after 12 noon Mass.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into effect on 25 May 2018 introduces changes to the information that an organisation must provide to individuals relating to how it uses and stores personal data.
Advice about the online game Fortnite can be found in 'Letters to Parents' section.
On the 16th of April 2018 the School Council will be going to Mossley Mill for a school council meeting in the Council Chambers. We will meet Alderman Paul Hamill who is the mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey. On the 14th of May the School Council and Class Council will attend Stormont, Parliament buildings for an educational visit.
An afterschool activity timetable can be viewed and printed in the Publications section of the website. Enrolment for Afterschool Clubs for the third term can now be made through the school website using Paypal. Simply follow the instructions on the screen. this facility will be available from 8am 26th March until 3pm on the 11th April 2018.
On the 29th March the whole school will have a Crazy Hair Day to raise money for Trocaire.
On the 28th March the class ballots will be drawn before the Easter break. Good Luck Everyone!!
Good luck to our primary 3 children who are making their First Confession on Thursday 22nd March at 11am.
The PTA Spring Disco Will take place during school hours on Wednesday 21st March. Children can come to school in their own clothes. The children will receive a party bag and the cost is £2.50 per child/£5 per family. Thank you for your continued support, SMOTH PTA P1-P3 12:45 - 1:45 P4-P7 1.50 - 2.50
This Friday 16th March we are having a whole day of culture, where each class will perform for the school something relating to St Patrick. It could be a song, a dance or a poem. The children are invited to wear something green for the occasion. If we are very lucky, we might even get a visit from a leprechaun!!
Join us for St Patrick's Day Lunch on Thursday - Cost: £2.60 Menu: Green Curry & Rice, Baguette - Tricolour Pasta Salad, Chocolate Cookie Milkshake, Rainbow Fruit & Veg Platter
P2 Grandparents' Day - Wednesday 31st January at 9.30am
After School Club registration will close on Thursday 11th January at 4pm.
We're experiencing some technical difficulties this morning so the PayPal pay online feature won't be available until 10am. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.
After school clubs registration will be open from 8am on Tuesday 9th January 2018
