Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• ONLINE SAFETY CONVERSATION STARTERS

  Tue 26 Feb 2019

  Need help to strike up a conversation with your child about online safety? Want to know what questions to be asking when they’re online? Take a look at these questions put together by National Online Safety that will help you start an initial conversation with your child. 

  
  These and more are available to download at https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/
  Be aware and be proactive! 

  

• KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE

  Tue 26 Feb 2019

  Following recent media coverage of the online issues and ‘viral media scares’ affecting our children, please make sure you know what your child has online access to. 

  
  Make sure that your child knows not to give out personal information to ANYONE they don't know, that NO ONE has the right to tell them to or make them do ANYTHING they don't want to.

   

  Great information from National Online Safety about the most popular apps and games on the posters below.
  These and more are available to download at https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/

   

  Be aware and be proactive! 

  

• WORLD BOOK DAY CELEBRATIONS, FRIDAY 8TH MARCH

  Mon 25 Feb 2019

  We are celebrating World Book Day next Friday 8^th March 2019. As part of our celebrations, we would love the children to dress up as one of their favourite characters from a book. Each class will take part in a rangeof activities throughout the day linked to World Book Day. There will also be a whole school assembly and a parade which will give pupils the opportunity to show off their costumes. There will be a number of prizes on the day for the best costume in each class. Following the success of last year, we have decided to partner up once again with our Eco Committee to run an extra competition. Mrs Mulholland and Miss Cassidy are offering a special prize for the best costume made using reusable materials.

   

  ‘SHARE A STORY’

  For the first time, this year we are inviting parents, grandparents or relatives to come into school to read their favourite story to a class of their choice. If you or a relative are free next Friday, we would LOVE to have you in our classrooms. All you need to do is pick your favourite book or novel and be brave enough to read it or a short extract to your chosen class. This is an opportunity NOT to be missed!!

   

  ‘GET CAUGHT READING!’

  Last year’s ‘Get Caught Reading’ competition was an AMAZING success so we are going to run it again!We would like children to bring in a photograph of them getting ‘caught reading’ in an unusual, inspiring, magical, funny place or situation. Each photograph must have a suitable accompanying caption. Please send the photographs into each class teacher by Thursday 7^th March. Prizes will also be awarded for the top 3 entries.

   

  We’re looking forward to having a wonderful celebration next week.

   

  Thank you,

   

  Miss McGoldrick(Literacy Coordinator)

   

  ‘You can find magic wherever you look, sit back, relax, all you need is a book!’

  Dr. Seuss

   

• RSPB Big Schools' Birdwatch

  Mon 25 Feb 2019
  Primaries 4, 5, 6 and 7 had a great time taking part in the RSPB Big Schools' Birdwatch before half-term. They counted the different kinds of birds that visit our school grounds and are looking forward to using their data to create graphs to analyse and interpret the results.

  

• PRIMARY 5 AT THE PEACE PROMS

  Mon 25 Feb 2019
  Primary 5 and their friends from Portstewart Primary School had an amazing day yesterday taking part in the Peace Proms at The SSE Arena, Belfast. What a wonderful experience for them as they performed with schools from all over Northern Ireland accompanied by the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland. Four thousand voices!!... the biggest choir in the history of the Peace Proms.

  

• MAIN GATES CLOSING 8:45AM

  Thu 21 Feb 2019

  To promote safe use of the car park and correct use of the pedestrian gate, the main gates will be closing at 8:45am for two weeks starting on Monday 25th February.

   

  Help us make the area around our school safe for everyone.

   

  Many thanks for your continued support. 

  

• PTA QUIZ NIGHT, FRIDAY 29th MARCH

  Fri 15 Feb 2019

  Don't miss a great night out at the PTA Quiz Night at the The Port Hotel, Portrush on Friday 29th March, 8:30pm. 

   

  Only £3 per person (supper included), teams of three or more. And live entertainment to follow.Everyone welcome.

   

  Many thanks for your support.

   

  #StColumsPTA #quiznight #greatnightout

  

• IT'S HALF TERM!

  Fri 15 Feb 2019

  IT'S HALF TERM!

   

  Enjoy the week off. Looking forward to having you all back to school on Monday 25th February.

  

• 5 STEPS TO WELLBEING DIGITAL ANIMATION BY PRIMARY 6

  Fri 15 Feb 2019

  Last term our Primary 6 pupils worked with Wheelworks to create a ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ animation film, a fully immersive and interactive 3D production showcasing the facets of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing – Connect, Learn, Give, Be Active and Take Notice – and the positive impact they can have on our lives and those close to us through simple, every day activities such as reading, small acts of kindness and exercise.

   

  Primary 6 took control of every aspect of the film – from scripting to sound, animation to music, this is all their work.

   

  Well done everyone!👏👏

   

  A huge thank you to everyone who helped us throughout this project especially Veronica and Graham, Helen from Wheelworks and Jonathan from Action Mental Health. 

   

  Watch it here... https://youtu.be/8Dgau9V42YU

   

  

• COMMITMENT AND LIGHT

  Wed 13 Feb 2019

  We had a lovely service of Commitment and Light for our Primary 7 confirmation candidates in school this evening. Best wishes to them all as they prepare for their confirmation in April. 

  
  May the light of faith shine out in their lives.