The Board of Governors and Staff of St. Mary's on the Hill Primary School would like to wish our entire school community a happy, peaceful and holy Christmas.
We are delighted to invite perspective primary 1 parents to our Open Day on Friday 13th December. Principal, Mr. Matthew O'Brien, will host an information session at 9:30am, this will be followed by a tour given by our wonderful year 7 pupils. We look forward to meeting you soon.
Anti-Bullying Week 2024 will take place from Monday 11th - Friday 15th November, with the theme: Choose Respect. Odd Socks Day is taking place on Tuesday 12th November, with adults and children being encouraged to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique. The theme this year is ‘Choose Respect’ with an emphasis on adults and children alike to coming together to have discussions about what it means to disagree respectfully, how to cope with conflict and avoid resorting to bullying, and how we can all choose to lead by example.
Our Forest School programme is fully underway this year. Many of our classes are having the opportunity to participate in this fantastic approach to learning. This week P2, P3 and P6 will all be having lessons at Lilian Bland Park. Look out for some of the photos on Facebook.
The travelling book fair will be at our school week beginning 14th October. This a great opportunity to replenish your libraries at home. We will also be raising money for our school and hopefully be able to buy some new books as well.
On Friday 27th September we will be hosting a Colour Run on the school grounds. This day will also mark European Day of Languages. The day will be an opportunity to celebrate the diversity in our school and wider community. We look forward to an exciting day and also raising much needed funds for our school.
We look forward to welcoming back the children of St Mary’s on the Hill Primary School and we are getting ready to greet our new Primary Ones enthusiastically in the days to follow. This year, we are particularly mindful of how blessed, privileged and enriched our school family is by children and families from a diverse range of backgrounds, nationalities, and creeds. We celebrate difference, in all its forms, and we have high expectations that each child in our care and each staff member will live out the Gospel values of compassion, kindness, justice, courage, service, and peace. God bless.
The Board of Governors and Staff of St. Mary's on the Hill Primary School would like to wish everyone in our school community a happy, enjoyable and safe summer break. We look forward to seeing everyone back in the new term.
We are delighted to announce that St. Mary's on the Hill Primary School has been awarded the Autism NI Education Award. This award demonstrates the school's commitment to inclusivity and being open to the needs of all our learners. The staff have worked hard to achieve this award and we will continue to work to ensure all our learners receive the best possible care and education.
The excitement is building for our P7's show The Jungle Book. There will two performances of the show, Tuesday 11th June @ 1:30pm and Thursday 13th June @ 7:00pm. The children are really looking forward to performing to their families. We are extremely proud of each and every one of them.
This week the pupils of St. Mary's on the Hill P.S. are looking forward to their Sports Days. The P1 - P3 children will be having theirs on Thursday 23rd May in St. Mary's on the Hill P.S. playgrounds. Our P4 - P7 pupils will be having theirs on Friday 24th May. The P4 - P7 Sports Day will take place at Carnmoney P.S., our shared education partner. We look forward to welcoming parents and carers to both days.
This year, St Mary’s on the Hill Primary School is proud to announce that 16 of our staff members will be participating in the Belfast City Marathon to support a charity that holds deep significance within our school community. The Oscar Knox Fund, established in memory of a former pupil who tragically lost his battle with neuroblastoma in 2014, holds particular importance as this May marks Oscar’s 10th anniversary. Oscar was a kind, caring, and funny little boy who left a mark on many hearts. We are hoping to raise funds for this vital cause to support more children and families affected by this illness. Your generosity can make a meaningful difference. Please follow the link to make a donation. Thank you for your support. https://www.justgiving.com/page/st-marys-on-the-hill-primary-school-oscarknoxfund?fbclid=IwAR08cRMFtFGWMzk0I_BfEbDmzvUgXNCxTQzgCLvmefklvnHhteAflmhmzik
We are delighted that our pupils are able to experience Forest School learning. Our pupils develop all aspects of thinking skills when they take part in these activities. The fact the learning takes place outdoors also contributes to positive mental health. All our classes look forward to taking part in a variety of activities and we have a well trained staff that are able to deliver these lessons also.
The Board of Governors and Staff of St. Mary's on the Hill P.S. would like to wish our entire school community a Happy and Holy Easter. We hope you enjoy the time spent together with friends and family. We look forward to welcoming all our pupils back on Monday 8th April.
As we move closer to the end of Lent, we will continue our Lenten promises by focusing on alms giving over the coming weeks. Our classes are raising money for Trocaire and the Daughters of Mercy. This fundraising is to support Ms Walsh as she makes her way to Nairobi to help children there, as well as our traditional fundraising for Trocaire. All your help and support, as always, is greatly appreaciated.
As a whole school community we are thinking of and praying for our wonderful P3 pupils who will be making their sacrament of reconciliation on Tuesday 12th March and Wednesday 13th March. They have been working very hard with their teachers and we know they will make their families very proud.
Next Thursday 7th March is World Book Day.. During the course of next week the children will be having opportunities to experience the wonderful world of books. Whether they are books that help us solve problems, give us information or facts or indeed something we can sit down enjoy and relax to with a nice cup of tea! We will be looking forward to celebrating everything to do with books.
This week we celebrate Science! A fantastic subject that explores our world and helps to develop skills in analysis, problem solving and thinking skills. This week we also look forward to Eureka Seekers being in school again and helping us to enjoy the fun side of Science. Look out for some amazing pics!
The Board of Governors and Staff of St. Mary's on the Hill P.S. would like to wish everyone in our school community a relaxing, happy and safe mid term break.
We will be participating in Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week from 5-11th February 2024. This year’s theme is ‘My Voice Matters’. Empowering children and young people can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. For example, children and young people who feel that their voices are heard - and that what they say makes a difference - have higher levels of self-efficacy and self-esteem. They also have a greater sense of community – and as people become empowered, they can work together to create positive changes for themselves and for others.
On Tuesday 9 January 2024 Primary One application procedure opens with online portal available from 12noon. On Friday 26 January 2024 at 12 noon the Online Portal will close. Any application received after 12 noon on 26 January 2024 will be treated as late. If you need any support or help to access the online portal please contact the school office and we will be happy to assist you.
A very Happy New Year to our whole school community. School will reopen to all our pupils on Friday 5th January 2024.