Sacred Heart has had the Eco-Schools Green Flag reinstated!

 

A huge congratulations to all the boys and girls of Sacred Heart but particularly to those who were on the Eco Council and those who attended the Eco Club!

 

When the Eco Council was formed this year they were determined to get the Green Flag. This meant a lot of hard work and early morning meetings. They focused on improving and making use of our excellent outdoor learning facilities, increasing biodiversity around our school grounds and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The Eco Club ensured biodiversity within our school by making bird feeders, seed bombs and checking on our bug hotel. The Eco Council gave a fantastic assembly outlining the benefits of active travel and played a vital role in organising the, 'Ditch the Dark Day.' There were many more upcoming events organised by the Eco Council but unfortunately they had to be put on hold.

 

However, the excellent home learning that you all have been doing has served as fantastic evidence and shows the commitment of all our pupils to a more sustainable lifestyle. In a time of uncertainty, it is great to see the boys and girls rewarded for all their hard work, both inside and outside of school. It is well deserved, well done to all!

 

Libraries NI is delighted to announce details of ‘Silly Squad, Summer Reading Challenge 2020’ produced by The Reading Agency and delivered by libraries which will take place from Monday 15th June.

 

The Silly Squad, Summer Reading Challenge, is a free, exciting way to keep young people aged 4 - 11 years reading during the summer months.
Children can sign up for free at https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

 

Throughout the summer there will be online activities, videos, quizzes, games and rewards to unlock along the way.

 

End of Year Reports for existing pupils can be collected from school on Monday 29th June from 10am-12pm. In addition to the report, an information note regarding September’s provisional arrangements for a return to school will also be enclosed. For any parent unable to attend school on this day a, ‘Return to School Note’ and report will be posted out. We would also ask parents to ensure that they bring back any textbooks or reading books with them when collecting reports at the school.

 

Our P1 teacher Miss Murray will be in contact via phone call with our new P1 parents from Monday 22nd June to discuss essential starting school information. There will also be a short induction video and presentation shared on Facebook and our school website on the 25th June.

 

While we would like to provide further updates regarding returning to school in August/September 2020, advice is still unclear at this point in time. Statutory organisations (DENI, CCMS, EA, ETI) are in daily meetings and have indicated that information should be forthcoming towards the end of June. We are aware that there is confusing and conflicting information circulating in the media and we naturally want to inform parents of the next academic year’s arrangements as soon as possible. However, we will delay confirming arrangements until we are confident that the information is as reliable and as up to date as possible. This may result in plans and information not being shared with parents until late June. If it is possible to update parents before the 29th of June we will certainly do so at the earliest opportunity.

 

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding at this uncertain time!

Sustrans Home Activity Week 8 & 9

 

First up, it’s Richard, our Schools Officer in the South West, who has put together a brilliant little video of some fun Cycle Skills games that kids can try at home in their yard, driveway, local park, etc. Usually at this time of year, some pupils might be completing Cycle Skills sessions in school to help them improve their competence and confidence on the bike – this is a good alternative, and something they can have fun with at home. There are accompanying pictures explaining the games – please find attached. Video here: https://youtu.be/roVCJdjY_as

Secondly, I’ve included Dave (South East officer) and his Scavenger Hunt – a simple, outdoors activity to keep kids occupied for a while! He invites them to complete a short story as well, so hopefully it’s a useful activity for you. Pictures attached, video here: https://youtu.be/RIG8N38qKp4

Safe & Accessible Travel

 

During the month of June, there will be a weekly task designed for you to work alongside and complete with your child/children in relation to a key road safety issue:

Road Safety Education - Week 1 Task (Child Cycle Safety)

This week the focus is on cycle helmets – please ensure your child wears a cycle helmet every time they are riding their bicycle and that it is properly fitted and adjusted to reduce the impact of a fall or collision at slow speed. The attached document has been supplied by Department for Infrastructure ‘Safe and Accessible Travel’ as a guide for you and your child to use.

For further information on cycle safety: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/cycling-safety

To view the road safety calendars issued to schools: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/road-safety-teaching-aid-calendars

We are appealing to you to help us pass on this important message to young people in your care - “STAY SAFE... STAY OUT” - so that they heed this warning that quarries (working or disused) are not fun places and that by trespassing they place both their own and their friends lives at risk. Fencing and warning signs are there to protect them, please do not ignore them.
The potential hazards that people expose themselves to are:
• Swimming in quarry lakes that can have very cold water even on a hot day in the middle of summer. Strong swimmers have drowned in quarries due to the unexpected impact that the extreme cold has had on their bodies.
• The water in quarry lakes can be very deep and shelving, exit from the water may only be possible in a few places, there may be pumps working or currents that can drag you under the water.
• There can be concealed underwater obstructions and other hazards that can seriously injure swimmers or individuals jumping into the water – tombstoning into quarry lakes is not safe.
• Tunnelling into piles of sand or playing on stockpiles exposes you to the risk of sudden collapses or movements that can easily bury you.
• Walking near the edge of quarry faces exposes you to the risk of serious falls as the edges can be unstable and collapse unexpectedly or sheer faces be obstructed by vegetation.
• Climbing or walking near rock faces can expose you to the risk of rock falls.
• Surfaces in quarries that may look solid, such as the surface of a silt pond,
can suddenly break and act like quick sand sucking you down.
• Trail and quad biking in a quarry exposes riders to risks from unstable terrain, unexpected obstructions and being hit by moving plant.
• Young people on bikes or on foot may not be visible to operators of large machinery, they may not appreciate that the driver cannot see them.
• Quarries can often be located in remote sites where mobile reception is poor and there is no one on hand to help in the event of an accident

Literacy Bug Club

 

It is great to see lots of the boys and girls keeping on top of their reading during lockdown- well done to everyone! However, we would like to see more pupils engaging with our online reading scheme, 'The Literacy Bug Club' to boost their literacy skills before the summer.

 

For the month of June we will be giving a prize out to the person in each class who has made the overall best effort with their online reading. Remember to attempt all of the Bugs in each book to check your understanding and comprehension skills. We will name the winners on Friday the 19th June.

 

If you have misplaced and require login details for Literacy Bug Club you can contact me on adoyle622@c2kni.net

 

 

Good luck and happy reading!

 Pentecost  Sunday

Pentecost Sunday is celebrated 50 days after Easter. In 2020, it falls on May 31. This event is celebrated to commemorate the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

 

What is Pentecost?

Pentecost comes from 'pentekoste' which means fiftieth in Greek. The Christian holy day of Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks. These events are described in the book of Acts, which comes directly after the four Gospels.

Pentecost is regarded as the birth date of the Christian church, and was key in expanding the number of early Christian believers. In the UK, Pentecost is also called “Whitsunday” or “Whitsun”.

 

Follow the link below for more information- 

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/event/pentecost-sunday-UK-2020

 

Please see the link below for lots of useful information and downloadable application forms for the GL Transfer Test. Remember, all applications must be completed and sent off by parents - we are available for help and support if needed.

http://www.thetransfertutor.co.uk/applying-for-the-gl-test

Don't forget to check out these great coding apps by clicking the links aimed at Foundation Stage and Key Stage One:  

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.hopster.tv/coding-safari/&ved=2ahUKEwjct_jW49TpAhVaSxUIHRj_D7wQFjALegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0ZcZ89ncu4rHJ0axe7qwVq 

 

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.scratchjr.org/&ved2ahUKEwjywMP249TpAhViSxUIHbJSCS0QFjABegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3nC_QDChamKPI4SIRx-cAW 

 

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/bee-bot/id500131639 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=

 

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hopster-coding-safari-for-kids/id1348232140&ved=2ahUKEwiY_Ob-4dTpAhWiQhUIHWxvBDEQFjAMegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw1e16hyWlBeoWLNfifLi3ho