PTA Christmas Fair

What a wonderful afternoon of fun, food and festivities for all families and friends! There was a great range of stalls to browse and buy from! The PHOTOBOOTH was very popular with some very funny poses being captured! We do not have a final total as yet but we believe it to be over £1300. Thanks to Kelly Shimmin and her team who did a marvellous job of co-ordinating this event. We would also like to thank the many parents and 6^th Form pupils from Priory College who helped to set up the Fair, sort and price gifts and also for helping to tidy up after the event.

P1- P3 Christmas Nativity

Proud friends and families of our P1, P2 and P3 children gathered in a packed Assembly Hall where they were treated to a delightful Christmas Play ‘A Midwife Crisis’. The children sang, danced, played instruments and acted so well and really did give all their appreciative audiences performances to remember for a very long time! Thank you to a number of P4- P7 children who provided a musical programme prior to the Nativity. We were delighted to welcome some younger boys and girls this year from Plas Merdyn, Holywood and Glendhu Nursery Schools. A picture of the Nativity even featured in the Belfast Telegraph!  

Open Morning Wednesday 8th January 2014 9.30 - 10.30 a.m.

For those who were unable to attend our Open Day in December we are having an Open Morning for prospective families on Wednesday 8th January 2014. There will be a guided tour of the school at 9.30 a.m.

The morning should offer everyone the opportunity to have a real look around and have a taste of what goes on in our school.

HPS really did enjoy being Madhatters for Children In Need Day!

What a day! The boys, girls and members of staff had a great day in school! Everyone entered into the spirit of things! We were delighted to see so many creative and very original designs. Thank you mums, dads, grannies and grandas for helping to make this such a special day.  

Thank you to everyone for their generosity. Over £500 was raised!

All the photographs can be seen in our gallery.

We also presented prizes to two children from each class for their extra special hat! The winners can be seen here.

Corin puts her own stamp on things!

We were delighted to welcome Mr Gordon Dunne MLA and Barbara Roulston from the Post Office Head Office in Belfast to present Corin in Primary 6, one of two Northern Ireland winners in the Royal Mail’s Children’s Christmas Stamp Design Competition. She has won £500 for herself and for our school!

There were over 240,000 entries in this UK competition. 

CONGRATULATIONS CORIN! You can see the other entries on the Royal Mail website.

Waste Free Lunch Week 18th - 22nd November 2013

 

As part of the European Week for Waste Reduction and in line with our promotion of Healthy Lifestyles, we are making Monday 18th to Friday 22nd November 'waste free' lunch box days.

We want to minimise the waste paper and wrappers from breaks and lunches. Your child's lunch box should contain the normal healthy food but resuable small containers should be used.

This is a whole school challenge, with a view to extending the challenge later in the school year. We hope that you will support this new endeavour and welcome your comments. Further information about healthy lunch boxes can be found in this leaflet supported by the Department of Education and the Public Health Agency.

HPS Pupils Involved in Road Safety Week

To coincide with November Road Safety Week, the PSNI and some of our older children will be visible and vocal at the school entrances to ask drivers to slow down. Please continue to be considerate to members of the school community and local neighbourhood.

PTA Bake Sale A great success!

The bake sale was a busy, happy success today.  The total raised was £315.
Thank you to all the helpers and to all the parents and children for their wonderful baking.  We hope everyone enjoys the lovely goodies!

Get Safe Online

This week is Get Safe Online week, an annual awareness campaign to reinforce the fact that people can stay online safely just by following some simple precautions. 

Everyone needs help sometimes and that’s especially true of parents trying to stay switched-on to their children’s online safety. Get Safe Online provide expert, up-to-the-minute advice and have produced some checklists according to your child's age. They are available for under 5 years, 6 - 9 years, 10 - 12 years, and if you have older children too, 13 years and over. This year the campaign has launched an online code of conduct - a set of ten safety tips for parents too.

PSNI Constable Chris Rose will be visiting HPS to lead an awareness workshop with our P4 – P7 pupils highlighting the importance of safe use of the Internet. PSNI reccommend that you help your children to visit thinkuknow.co.uk. This website helps children to go on the Internet in a safe way and know who to talk to if they are worried. Links are provided for each age group.

Be safe, be seen Campaign

Our P1- P3 boys and girls were very pleased to receive a special bright badge today from local business people Elizabeth and Charlie. Their company are supporting the national campaign to encourage children to be safe and be seen particularly when walking to and from school. The children will wear the badges on their coats or attach it to their schoolbags.

Harvest presentation to Saphara

Earlier today we welcomed Christine Burnett, a representative from Saphara. Christine showed everyone really interesting slides from her recent visits with a team of young people who travelled to the Himalayan region of India. The pictures gave us all an insight into what life is like for the boys and girls who live in this mountainous area and also helped us appreciate what school is like there too. The children attend Donk Primary School. Christine was delighted to receive a cheque for £620. This is enough money to buy 124 pairs of shoes for the children. Thanks to everyone  at HPS who supported the charity.

Security alert in Holywood. HPS not affected

Police are in attendance at a security alert in Church Road/Brooke Street after a suspect object was found in a hedge on Church Road. Holywood Primary is not affected and remains open. 

Church Road is closed between Brooke Street and High Street. The BBC reports that Holywood Nursery School is closed. Further information is available from PSNI and BBC.

Parents:

• Please collect your child at the normal time from the front gate this afternoon; the back gate is closed. All pupils will be accompanied to the gate by their teacher. Please be aware that there is likely to be a high volume of traffic at this time.
• 1,2,3 Club is still on this afternoon.

Proposed Reduction in Primary School Funding

You will be aware from the letter sent home last week about the proposed changes to the Budget Allocation for our school in the coming years along with over 80% of other NI schools.

Governors and staff urge every parent to respond to the DENI consultation which must be completed by Friday 25th October.

A number of parents have asked for guidance when completing the consultation responses. Please click here for guidance material which has been compiled by the Northern Ireland Primary Principals’ Action Group. You are not expected to make an exact replica of this information in your own response it is simply for guidance only.

Click here to be directed to the online consultation response.

Many thanks.

D. Crookshanks

Thanks for your help with our Harvest Appeal for Saphara

This year our Harvest Appeal was for a local charity called Saphara. It works in the Himalayan Region of India and some of our former pupils have spent time there, helping families with building projects and their local school - Donk Primary School (above). The children walk many miles to school and wear little shoes like flip-flops. For £5 Saphara can purchase proper shoes for pupils to wear. 

We welcomed Aaron Ditty to our Harvest Service. The boys and girls enjoyed singing songs and listening to the School Choir. We look forward to welcoming a representative of the Saphara charity to collect a cheque for the money raised and talk to the children.

Thank you for your help in our appeal.

J Wallace
Charity Co-ordinator

Beginner musicians at HPS

Best wishes to the many pupils who are learning to play a musical instrument for the first time this year at our school. Georgia, Eshneha, Bailey, James and Jamie have enjoyed their first lesson with one of our music tutors, Mrs Ashmore. 

Bike It 2013-2014

Pamela, our Bike It Officer, came to visit Holywood Primary School to plan the Bike It Programme for the year ahead. Pamela is pictured with Ben from P6 who has been trying to come to school as often as possible on his bicycle (even in the rain!). Check back soon for more information about some forthcoming Bike It events at HPS.

Healthy break each day in HPS

Teachers and Classroom Assistants have been really encouraged this month that parents have been very supportive of our Healthy Eating Break Initiative. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of boys and girls bringing healthy breaks each day which is great to see. A BIG THANKYOU! HPS is also part of the SEELB Milk Scheme. Each day Mrs Dowling, with the help of P7 Room 10, distribute milk to over 110 P1- P7 boys and girls. 

PTA House of Colour Tuesday 8th October 7.00 p.m.

Come along with friends and family for an informative and relaxed evening to learn about what House of Colour can do for you ! Helen Allen, House of Colour Consultant, will discuss about the effects and benefits of wearing the right colours and styles. You will gain an insight into how you can save time shopping and save money by not making mistakes when buying clothes and accessories – some of which never get worn!

7.00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

@ H. P. S

£5 (incudes tea/coffee)

Eco & Garden Club Gets Underway

The ECO Club have begun their busy schedule for this term by together tidying two flower beds and planting some Autumn bedding plants. This year our school will be applying for a third ECO Flag. Keep watching for ways in which you can help us achieve this goal and support the school Action Plan for the year ahead.

Curriculum Evening Tuesday 10th September 2013

All parents are invited to attend the Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 10^th September 7.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m in the School Hall. Important information relating directly to each Year Group will be given. i.e. classroom routines, homework details and aspects of the curriculum that will be covered during the year.

Please see the timetable here for more details.

Many thanks.