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

• COUGHS AND SNEEZES etc.

  Mon 07 Sep 2020

  Recent interviews on the media and information coming from the PHA/DE have created confusion around the issue of when children should or should not come to school.

  Our school policy remains unchanged. It has always been our policy that children who are feeling unwell with temperatures, colds, flu, vomiting, diarrhoea earaches, sore throats etc should not be in school.

  • They are miserable in school.
  • They pass their illness on to their classmates.
  • Minor illness can temporarily reduce the ability of the sick child’s immune system to fight more serious infections.

  Consequently, they should stay at home and only come to school when the symptoms are cleared.

  This policy hasn’t changed, in fact it is more important than ever, now that we have Covid-19 to contend with.

  We now add Covid-19 into the mix:

  Children MUST NOT ATTEND SCHOOL if they have COVID-19 symptoms:

  • A new and continuous cough
  • High temperature/fever
  • Loss or change in sense of smell or taste

   

  Research by Queen’s University has also found that gastrointestinal problems may also be symptoms ie vomiting and diarrhoea.

  Medical evidence coming from hospital clinicians clearly indicates that Covid-19 symptoms are not exclusive to the three core symptoms and indeed symptoms are VARIABLE.

  To conclude, we are maintaining our existing policy of exclusions and adding to that list, children exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms.

  We are not trying to keep children out of school, nor to disrupt their learning further, rather we are endeavouring to keep our children and staff safe and healthy.

  If one child contracts Covid-19 all of their bubble classmates and staff will be off school for 14 days. That’s how important this fight against infections is, in terms of health and learning.

  We ask all of our families to continue to support us in achieving our aim to keep our children and staff safe and healthy and to keep our classrooms open. Thank you for your sterling work so far at drop-off and pick-up time both at the front gates and at the funeral home gates – please remember to socially distance when gathering during these times.

  

• FRONT PAGE NEWS!!!

  Thu 03 Sep 2020
  Some of our Y1 children featured in The Co Down Spectator - with Madison making the front page :-)

  

• Today was a good day...

  Mon 31 Aug 2020
  Today was a good day 😊🙏
  Today we welcomed boys and girls from Y1 right through to Y7 (2nd week for our big Y7 students!) and the school was alive again 😍 The boys and girls soon got used to the hand sanitizer stations, the arrows directing them through the corridors and areas, and the zoned playgrounds protecting their 'bubbles'.
  Mums, dads, boys and girls, you were AMAZING this morning at drop off time, and equally so at pick up - social distancing, masks and lots of hugs for your children 😊
  Thank you for your patience and understanding, it means alot.
  Today was a good day 😊🙏
  Mr Rafferty.

  

• Be positive....

  Sun 30 Aug 2020
  Some positive messages for our children when they return in the morning.... :-)

  

• Lockdown Leavers 2020

  Tue 30 Jun 2020

  Our Y7 Lockdown Leavers 😓
  Today, on the last day of term, we said farewell to our Y7 children. A wonderful bunch, who we invited back today in small groups for some 'closure'. It was great seeing them again and their news schools will be greatly enhanced by their presence.
  Good luck boys and girls, you are a credit to your families - God bless 🙏
  Mr Rafferty (your very proud Principal 😊)

  

• Thank you!

  Thu 09 Apr 2020

  A message from Mr Rafferty :-)

   

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Carers, staff and boys & girls in the St Malachy’s family,

  As we approach the Easter break, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to our parents, guardians and carers, for engaging with us so frequently via our Class Seesaw platforms and email with regard to your child’s work. I have seen some great effort put in at home, and for this I am very grateful. Thank you for keeping your children at home. It would be tempting of course to let the boys and girls out, especially in the good weather, but as I drive to school every day, and on my way home, I see no-one. This is sad, as we are a bustling and busy community, but it makes me happy as it means we are all staying safe.

   

  Thank you to our magnificent staff, both teaching and non-teaching, who are working remotely on a daily basis via the Seesaw app – providing lessons and activities which you at home are sharing with us regularly. Our staff are also coming into school daily on a rota basis to care for our Key Worker children, and for this I am very grateful. (Please note - School will remain open for Key Worker children over Easter - closed on Friday 10^th & Monday 13^th April only)

   

  And my final thank you is to our boys and girls – this must be such a strange time for you all, separated from your friends, separated from your extended families, but you are all doing so well and being very brave – this will pass, and we will be together again, but for now, keep doing the right thing.

   

  We all need a break over Easter, parents, teachers and children, so for that reason teachers will not be posting lessons on the class pages from this afternoon (Thursday 9^th April) – online learning will re-commence on Monday 20^th April.

   

  Can I take this opportunity, on behalf of all staff in our school, to thank you for your continued support during these unprecedented times, and to wish you all a happy, holy & safe Easter break – and remember – Stay safe, Stay strong, Stay inside!

   

  With every best wish,

   

  Mr Rafferty

  

• Girls new Football Kit!!!!!!

  Tue 10 Mar 2020

  How good is our new football kit?! Only made possible by your generosity via Fitness Freddie sponsorship. The boys will look equally as impressive when their new kit arrives.

  

• Y3 First Penance

  Thu 05 Mar 2020

  Congratulations to our Y3 children who made their First Penance today in a beautiful ceremony at St Comgall's Church. The Sacrament was conferred by our Chaplain Canon Gunn and Fr Dan Whyte.
  We are all very proud of you boys and girls 😊➕

  

• Dr Bike - SUSTRANS

  Wed 04 Mar 2020

  SUSTRANS - BIKE & SCOOTER CHECK
  Wednesday 4th March 2020

  Claire from Sustrans was in school today as Dr Bike. She carried out checks on bikes and scooters that the children had brought to school. it was a great chance to get children's bikes and scooters looked over as the days get longer 👍🚲🚲🚲👍

  

• Catholic Schools Week

  Sun 02 Feb 2020

  What a lovely way to end Catholic Schools Week - 11am mass this morning with children from the four Parish schools in full uniform celebrating our togetherness ❤️