St Mary's Primary School
Latest News
Have a look at what's happening in our school.
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Visitor from Japan
Wed 11 Mar 2026We were delighted to welcome Professor Masataka Kizuka to our school this week. Professor Kizuka is visiting from Japan as part of his research into education in remote and island communities.
During his visit, Professor Kizuka spent time meeting staff and students, learning about our school. His research focuses on how schools in island locations work with their communities and adapt to their particular challenges and opportunities.
It was a pleasure to share our experiences with Professor Kizuka and to learn more about his work. We thank him for taking the time to visit us and for the gifts he brought.
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Forest School Friday 6th March 2026
Mon 09 Mar 2026Forest School – Friday Update
On Friday, at Forest School, the children enjoyed a busy and hands-on outdoor learning session. We began with the older pupils reading their own stories to the younger pupils- a nice way to finish off World Book week activities. After that, pupils helped with the planting of a variety of vegetables in our garden area, including potatoes, green beans, and carrots. They are excited to watch them grow over the coming weeks.
The children also worked on their own to create maps showing the journey from their homes to our school. Using natural and outdoor materials such as sticks, stones, leaves, and moss, they built creative pathways and landmarks to represent their routes. This activity encouraged, imagination, and early mapping skills while making the most of our outdoor environment.
It was a wonderful afternoon of exploring, planting, and learning in nature. We look forward to checking on our vegetables and continuing our outdoor adventures!
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World Book Day 2026
Mon 09 Mar 2026World Book Day 2026
Our school had a fantastic time celebrating World Book Day 2026, with a range of fun activities designed to promote a love of reading across the whole school.
During the week, everyone took part in Drop Everything and Read, where pupils and staff paused what they were doing to enjoy some quiet reading time together. It was wonderful to see so many children absorbed in their books and sharing their favourite stories.
Classes also got creative by designing their own Wooden Spoon Characters. Pupils used spoons and craft materials to recreate well-known book characters and invent some imaginative new ones. The finished creations were colourful and inventive.
Another highlight was our Extreme Reading Challenge. Pupils were encouraged to take photos of themselves reading in unusual or exciting places around Rathlin. From the top of bales to adventurous outdoor spots, the photos showed just how much our pupils enjoy reading anywhere and everywhere.
Well done to everyone who took part and helped make World Book Day (and week) such an enjoyable and inspiring celebration of books and reading!
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New Build
Thu 05 Mar 2026The building work commenced at the school last Tuesday, with the first sod being turned over by Robert on the digger.
From Tuesday 10th March the road will be closed from the hill below the Fire Station to the school as the builders prepare the site. This should only be for about 7- 10 days.
Access to the school will be via Church Brae during the day. The road closure will not affect access to the Fire Station or the dwelling house across from it.
We will keep you updated of any further developments as they occur.
Many thanks for your co-operation and patience during the coming weeks.
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Construction
Thu 05 Mar 2026This week marked a special moment for our community as we officially break ground on our new school building. The start of construction represents our shared commitment to providing outstanding facilities that support learning, creativity, and opportunity for every student.
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Tuesday Club Visit
Thu 05 Mar 2026On Tuesday we were delighted to pay another visit to the Tuesday Club. This week, we talked about our favourite books with the members of the club and enjoyed a game of Bingo in Irish learning the Irish words for common food and drink. Maith thú to everyone involved.
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Laureate na nOg visits our school
Thu 26 Feb 2026We were delighted to be part of Whole Wild World North, when Irish authors Eoin Colfer, Patricia Forde- current Laureate na nOg and Oliver Jeffers visited our school on Wednesday. We had a great morning listening to their stories of how they were inspired to become authors.
More information on the project is available here: https://childrenslaureate.ie/whole-wild-world-north/
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Bounce Back
Thu 26 Feb 2026please see the leaflet on information about-Bounce Back . It is a practical 3-week online programme designed to support parents in building calmer, more connected family relationships.
The workshop will run across three consecutive Mondays, starting 9th March, from 7.00–8.30pm, delivered online via Zoom.
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NI Science Festival 2026
Mon 23 Feb 2026Thank you to Alex and Emma from Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA) and Painting with Plants who lead a workshop for our pupils on Friday as part of NI Science Festival 2026.
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Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2026
Fri 20 Feb 2026Fundraising Events in Support of Trócaire
We’re delighted to announce a special series of events in support of Trócaire, the Irish charity working to empower communities and protect human rights across the world.
Over the coming weeks, we will be hosting a range of activities designed to bring our community together while raising vital funds for Trócaire’s life-changing work, starting with our Lenten Walk. Look out also for our guess the number of sweets competition.
All proceeds will go directly towards supporting Trócaire’s programmes, helping vulnerable communities overcome poverty, injustice, and the impacts of climate change.
We encourage everyone to participate, donate if you can, and spread the word. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.
