St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Bo’ness

The pupils learned about different types of visual impairment, including tunnel vision, cataracts and the impact of white spots and floaters. Through hands-on activities, they had the opportunity to wear specialist glasses that simulated these conditions, helping them gain a better understanding of the challenges people with visual impairments can face. They also explored the various supports available, including Braille, long canes, guide dogs and assistive technology.

The workshop also focused on hearing loss and how we can protect our hearing by keeping volumes at a safe level and looking after our ears. Pupils learned about the different ways people with hearing loss can communicate and access support, including hearing aids, lip reading, British Sign Language (BSL) and cochlear implants. They particularly enjoyed learning the BSL alphabet and practising some signs themselves.

A highlight of the session was hearing about the important role of guide dogs and the extensive training they undertake. Pupils were delighted to meet Dale and Owen, two guide dogs currently in training, and learn more about how they will support people with visual impairments in the future.

It was a fantastic opportunity for Primary 7 to develop their understanding of sensory impairments, build empathy and learn how we can create a more inclusive society for everyone.

These pupils will play an important role in representing the views of their peers, supporting school events and initiatives, and serving as positive role models for younger learners. We know they will lead with kindness, respect and enthusiasm as they take on these responsibilities.

We are very proud of all pupils who applied for leadership positions and would like to thank them for their enthusiasm, confidence and willingness to contribute to school life.

We look forward to seeing our new pupil leadership team flourish throughout the year and wish them every success in their roles.

The speeches showcased the pupils’ leadership qualities, enthusiasm for our school and their ideas for making a positive difference within our school community. We were impressed by the effort, thought and determination shown by everyone who took part.

A huge well done to all of our candidates. You represented yourselves brilliantly and demonstrated the confidence, respect and responsibility that make us proud of our P7 pupils.

Take a look at their colourful creations and see how many different shapes you can spot! We were very impressed with the children’s creativity and their growing confidence in using mathematical language to describe the shapes they used.

Well done, P4!

Primary 1/2 have been developing their Creating skill through a fun and engaging hands-on activity. Using colourful wooden shapes, a cork board and small screws, the children carefully designed and constructed their own unique pictures.

The children used their imagination and creativity to transform simple shapes into amazing designs. They showed great concentration and perseverance as they learned how to safely use a hammer to tap the screws into place and bring their ideas to life.

As well as being creative, the activity helped the children develop their fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities and confidence when using tools. We were so impressed by their focus, determination and the wonderful creations they produced.

Well done, Primary 1/2! We loved seeing your ideas come to life.

The children then thought carefully about what they can do in Primary 5 to make God proud. They shared some truly thoughtful and touching ideas, speaking about kindness, helping others, showing respect, working hard and being a good friend. Their contributions to the discussion were wonderful and showed great maturity and understanding.

Each child wrote their promise or idea on a footprint, which will be displayed in our classroom as a reminder of the ways we can follow Jesus’ example throughout the year.

We were incredibly proud of the children’s reflections and the enthusiasm they showed during our discussion. Their kind hearts and thoughtful responses were a joy to see.

The challenge required lots of communication, careful listening and problem-solving as pupils worked together to achieve their goal. It was wonderful to see everyone encouraging one another, sharing ideas and demonstrating excellent teamwork throughout the activity.

Well done, P7, for showing such fantastic communication and listening skills while working together to overcome the challenge!

Mr McPeake warmly welcomed all of our pupils back after the summer break and gave a special welcome to the new children and families joining our St. Mary’s family. He spoke about the importance of kindness, friendship and looking after one another as we begin the year together.

During the assembly, Mr McPeake shared a Bible story with the children, encouraging them to reflect on how they can live out the values of faith, love and respect in their daily lives. It was a lovely way to begin the new term and to remind us of the strong faith and sense of community that make St. Mary’s such a special place.

Throughout the school, children spent time getting to know their new teachers, settling into their classrooms and catching up with classmates. From sharing holiday stories and taking part in team-building activities to exploring new learning spaces, there was a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere from the very start.