After the children returned to school last year Holy Child PS signed up to The Daily Mile. We realised the importance of exercise outside in helping everyone becoming physically fitter and stronger. We also acknowledged the huge positive impact exercise can have on our mental health, improving self-esteem and well being. On Friday the children participated in The Daily Mile Santa Run which highlighted the fact exercise can also be fun. The children definitely had fun in their Christmas jumpers as you can see in the photos below.

We were very fortunate today to welcome Margaret Gallagher from NSPCC to talk to our parents about keeping their children safe online. Margaret showed parents resources and tools that they can use to protect their children online. The parents also received a free pack of Lego and Margaret was able to demonstrate the power of play for introducing conversations with their child. The parents had great fun making different characters to use to get across key online safety messages.

In the month of November we take time to remember all of our family who we have lost. This year in Holy Child PS we did this by hanging our Remembrance Angels. The children wrote who they wished to pray for on their special angel card and each child then hung their card on the Remembrance Tree in St Mary’s Chapel.

All the classes have been working hard this week on Anti-bullying activities. The children discussed and worked on different types of bullying including online bullying. They also learnt what to do if you are being bullied or you know someone who is getting bullied. This year’s them was’One Kind Word’. It is important the children know that one kind word can change someone’s day and it can also help break the cycle of bullying.

We want to give a huge shout out to all our friends in the community who have helped make our sports provision outstanding this year. 

Thanks to George and the staff of the Old Library Trust who have secured funding to allow us to use Bishop’s Field Hall and to our friends in St Mary’s Youth service for allowing the children to use their amazing new facilities. Both these venues have given the children huge spaces that they need to enjoy their weekly sessions with Maiden City Soccer and Gaelic with Brian from Sean Dolans.

Also thanks to the OLT for securing funding to allow all the children to have taster sessions with Strike Martial Arts Academy. The children have loved it.

Check out the amazing photos below showing all the fun the kids are having whilst keeping fit and improving their mental health.

Congratulations to our Readers of the Month for October!

They have been working hard in class and on Accelerated Reader in school and at home.

Well done, boys and girls! 

Mayor Graham Warke paid a trip to Holy Child Primary on Friday morning last and praised the Creggan school for being the only one in Derry this year to achieve the highly coveted School Of Sanctuary award.

He congratulated Principal Nicola Cullen, her staff and pupils on the magnificent achievement and said he would be delighted to have those involved down to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Guildhall in the coming weeks to further celebrate the award. 

The School of Sanctuary award is aimed at helping schools to develop further the concept that schools are welcoming places for pupils and their families, where every child feels safe and where they are fully accepted. These schools become beacons in the community as places where cultural diversity is valued and celebrated.

On arrival at the school, the Mayor was presented with a Holy Child Butterfly Journal by P1 pupil Erin, while fellow P1 pupil Lee handed over a portrait of the mayor which the youngster had drawn himself. Nursery pupil Marcella also presented the city’s first citizen with a painting by Cohen of Autumn leaves. And proudly displaying the School of Sanctuary plaque and award were P7 pupils Daisy and Emily.

Mayor Warke congratulated the children on the award and told them to keep up the excellent work. He also said he was impressed with the presentations the children made to him and promised they would take pride of place in the parlour at the Guildhall.

Then followed a tour of the school including a visit to the new Butterfly Room, a call-in to some of the classrooms to meet pupils and a tour of the school’s new soon-to-be-opened Forest School where the Mayor was led to by a proud 4 years-old Ollie McDermott and his classmates.

Delighted to have the Mayor visit the school and meet the children, Principal Nicola Cullen said: ‘it’s an honour to have the Mayor of the city and district attend Holy Child PS today. He got a warm reception from all the children and we were pleased he acknowledged our award. Achieving the ‘School of Sanctury’ award is something we are all very proud of here at Holy Child and hope it will lead to even more in the future.’

In thanking the Mayor for taking time out to acknowledge the Creggan school’s award and achievements, she concluded: ‘We earnestly hope to get you back for the opening of the new Forest School which was funded by the Big Lotto and would love to visit the Guildhall.’

Well done to the boys and girls from P1 to P7 who achieved the “Star Writer” award for their class in the month of September. They each completed a fantastic piece of ‘autumn’ writing, if you’re passing Mrs Cullen’s office remember to stop and take a look! Congratulations boys and girls, you all should be very proud of yourselves. 

On Monday Mrs Concannon, Mrs O Connor and our two P7 pupils travelled to Belfast City Hall to collect our Schools Sanctuary award. We were one of only eight schools to receive this award, and now one of fifty schools in Northern Ireland to have it. We are so proud of our children, staff and local community in this team effort success.  This award is aimed at helping schools to develop further the concept that schools are welcoming places for pupils and their families, where every child feels safe and fully accepted. 

Everyone at Holy Child Primary School were today more than a little sad to say goodbye to our favourite and long serving librarian John Campbell. John has been a valuable member of the Creggan community for 45 years and will be solely missed by all.

Our P7 children accompanied by Mrs Cullen presented John with cards and gifts from all the children today as well as his very own ‘2021 Leaver’ hoodie.

We wish John a happy, healthy, long retirement