Striving for Greatness Together
Latest News
*** End of Year School Year/P7 Leavers' Mass ***
Tomorrow (Thursday) at 9:30am in the Sacred Heart Church, Canon Fleck will be celebrating our End of School Year/P7 Leavers' Mass. The whole school will be in attendance. As previously requested, all children are to wear their full school uniform (summer dresses are permitted). We would love to see our family members and all those in our wider school community attend.
Thank you.
* P4–P7 End of Year Trip to Let’s Go Hydro *
What an incredible day our P4–P7 pupils had at Let’s Go Hydro! From giant jumps to thrilling slides and action-packed assault courses, the Aqua Park was full of excitement and non-stop fun. There were smiles, laughter, and plenty of splashes all around!
A huge thank you to POSH for helping make this fantastic trip so affordable, and to our brilliant staff for joining in and making the day run so smoothly.
An unforgettable way to celebrate the end of the year—what an amazing trip!
Let's Go Hydro
Runners, speech and drama participants, gymnasts and Irish dancers all converged on Mr Fitzsimons' office this morning to show off the incredible successes in each discipline that they all achieved over the weekend. There is remarkable talent in this school and we were all more than enthused in sharing in with our children's achievements!
*** P7 Residential – Day 2 Overview ***
On Friday morning, the children got up and enjoyed breakfast before clearing and tidying their rooms.
They then took part in a fun games session, followed by an archery activity where everyone had the chance to develop their skills and have a go at hitting the target.
Later, the group took on Ireland’s highest climbing wall, where pupils challenged themselves and showed great determination and teamwork.
After working up an appetite, everyone enjoyed lunch together before preparing for the journey home.
It was a full and enjoyable final day, with lots of great effort, enthusiasm and memorable experiences.
East Coast Adventure Centre
*** End of School Year Trip Fun ***
Our P1, P2 and P3 children had the most fantastic day at Airtastic, Craigavon as part of their end-of-year celebrations!
From bouncing and playing to lots of laughter and smiles, the children had an absolute ball and made so many lovely memories with their friends. It was wonderful to see their excitement and energy as they enjoyed all the activities.
A big thank you to the staff at Airtastic for looking after us so well, and to our brilliant staff team for helping make the day run so smoothly.
What a perfect way to finish off a busy and successful year — well done everyone!
Airtastic Entertainment Centres NI
*** Green Flag Award Ceremony ***
Miss McConville (Eco Co-ordinator), along with Eco Council members Eoin and Caille, attended the Green Flag Award Ceremony at St Patrick’s Centre in Downpatrick on Friday. The event celebrated the hard work and dedication of schools across the region in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.
Eoin and Calle represented the school with pride, demonstrating their commitment to eco-friendly initiatives and their role in supporting the Eco Council’s ongoing projects. The ceremony provided a valuable opportunity to share ideas, learn from other schools, and celebrate achievements in areas such as recycling, biodiversity, and energy conservation.
The school is extremely proud of the efforts of Miss McConville, Miss Crozier and the Eco Council, whose enthusiasm and leadership continue to inspire the whole school community to take positive action for the environment.
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful
*** Pupil of the Week ***
Ella P1, Beth P2, Elaina P3, Orlaith P4, James P5 and Kasia P6 were the very happy recipients of the Pupil of the Week award. Each and everyone of them were fully deserving of the accolade. Well done to you all!
*** Principal’s Award ***
Cora P1
Cora is receiving the Principal’s Award this week for her fantastic hard-working attitude and the great progress she has made across all areas of school life.
She has made brilliant progress in reading, and it’s lovely to see her becoming much more fluent. Cora enjoys choosing the writing area during play time and isn’t afraid to have a go at sounding out trickier words. She is also very thoughtful and loves writing letters and making cards for her friends.
In Numeracy, Cora has worked really hard and has made great progress, especially during their recent topic on money. She is a valued member of the school Eco-Council and clearly enjoys her learning, particularly when the class are out in the forest or at the beach.
Cora has excellent manners, and her behaviour is always exemplary. Well done!
** P1/P2 ASPIRE - A Day Out in Newcastle **
P1/P2 had a fantastic and fun-filled day out in Newcastle with their friends from Knockevin. The boys and girls enjoyed spending time together in the park before heading to Nugelato, where they treated themselves to some delicious ice cream. The excitement continued in the arcades, where everyone had great fun and made the most of their day. It was a lovely way to bring the ASPIRE programme to a close for the year, with friendships strengthened and many wonderful memories created.
Knockevin School
*** P7 Residential – Day 1 (Afternoon) ***
The P7 residential at East Coast Adventure was a packed and exciting experience today!
On arrival, pupils enjoyed lunch, before settling into their rooms at the mountain lodge.
The group then travelled down to the shore at Warrenpoint, where the afternoon was filled with water-based activities. Everyone took part in a speedboat tour of Carlingford Lough, spotting a seal along the way, as well as Belgian and Latvian ships passing through the Lough!
Back on the water, the boys and girls enjoyed paddle boarding, followed by some thrilling pier jumping. The session finished with high-energy banana boating, which was a highlight for many.
It was an action-packed session that combined adventure, teamwork and unforgettable experiences.
East Coast Adventure Centre
*** Sacred Heart P.S. Claim Historic First Jarlath Carey Memorial Cup ***
- 5th Annual Jarlath Carey Cup & Dundrum GAC Shield Competition -
A resplendent Páirc Seán Ó Caoilte provided the perfect backdrop for the fifth staging of the Jarlath Carey Memorial Cup and Dundrum GAC Shield Competition, showcasing an excellent day of school football.
After several near attempts, Sacred Heart Primary School, Dundrum finally captured the Jarlath Carey Memorial Cup for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, St Joseph’s Primary School, Carnacaville emerged victorious in the Dundrum GAC Shield.
- Tournament Overview -
Six schools participated in this year’s competition:
St Francis’ P.S., Drumaroad
St Nicholas’ P.S., Ardglass
St Mary’s P.S., Newcastle
St Joseph’s P.S., Carnacaville
Sacred Heart P.S., Dundrum
St Macartan’s P.S., Loughinisland
Each team played one another in a round-robin format before progressing to placement matches:
5th/6th place playoff (exhibition)
Shield Final (3rd vs 4th)
Cup Final (1st vs 2nd)
- Final Matches -
Both finals delivered thrilling contests:
Dundrum GAC Shield Final
St Joseph’s P.S., Carnacaville edged past St Mary’s P.S., Newcastle in a closely fought encounter:
St Joseph’s P.S. 1-03 St Mary’s P.S. 1-02
Jarlath Carey Memorial Cup Final
The Cup decider was equally tight, with Sacred Heart P.S. Dundrum overcoming St Macartan’s P.S. Loughinisland:
Sacred Heart P.S. 1-03 St Macartan’s P.S. 1-01
A decisive moment came in the form of a superb goal from Casey Rogan, which ultimately secured victory for the Dundrum side.
- Acknowledgements -
Special thanks are extended to:
Referees: Coran Clendenning, Nathan Stone, and Jack McMullan.
Dundrum GAC for hosting the event.
Eddie Campbell, Dundrum GAC President, for presenting the Shield.
The Carey family, particularly Martin Carey, for presenting the Cup.
- A Proud Moment for Sacred Heart -
This triumph marks a significant milestone for Sacred Heart P.S. Dundrum—it is not only their first Cup victory but also their first appearance in the final.
Congratulations to all players and especially to coach Ruairi McGuigan, whose dedication and hard work throughout the year has clearly paid dividends.
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2026 Winners
🏆 Jarlath Carey Memorial Cup: Sacred Heart P.S. Dundrum
🛡️ Dundrum GAC Shield: St Joseph’s P.S. Carnacaville
Dundrum GAC
*** Striving for Greatness Together Acknowledgement ***
Niamh, Jessica, Matty and Caolán P4/P5
Our P4/P5 pupils have been learning all about procedural writing by designing and creating their own board games. They worked incredibly hard using Just2Easy to include clear instructions, equipment lists, rules, challenge and chance cards, and exciting ways to win. They also showed fantastic use of bossy (imperative) verbs, time connectives and clear steps to help others understand how to play. These four pupils stood out for creating an amazing game for the P7 class. Their game was challenging, fun and engaging, and they worked brilliantly as a team to bring their ideas to life. The P7 pupils had a fantastic time playing it and gave very positive feedback! This was a wonderful example of using writing skills in a real-life way and working together to achieve something special. Well done for striving for greatness together, you should be very proud!
