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

At our Early Learning Centre (ELC), we believe that learning is enriched through meaningful connections – not only within our setting, but across our wider community. Recently, we had the absolute pleasure of working with residents from Bo’ness Care Home for a very special intergenerational Bookbug session.

The Power of Intergenerational Connections

Intergenerational experiences like this bring enormous benefits for everyone involved. For our children, spending time with older adults nurtures empathy, confidence, and communication skills. They learn patience, kindness, and respect, while gaining a deeper understanding of the world beyond their immediate circle.

For the residents, these visits offer opportunities for social connection, stimulation, and shared purpose. The energy and curiosity of young children can be incredibly uplifting, sparking conversation and treasured memories.

Most importantly, these sessions remind us that community matters. When different generations come together, something truly special happens – stories are shared, friendships are formed, and everyone leaves smiling.

Looking Ahead

Following the success of this Bookbug session, we are excited to continue developing our partnership with Bo’ness Care Home. We look forward to more shared stories, seasonal celebrations, and creative activities in the months ahead.

A huge thank you to the residents and staff who welcomed us with warmth, enthusiasm, and kindness.

Here’s to many more moments of intergenerational joy!

A huge well done to our wonderful Primary 2 pupils who did a magnificent job leading their Lenten assembly for their families this week. The children spoke with such confidence as they explained the significance of Lent and why it is a special time in the Church’s calendar. They used the Stations of the Cross to thoughtfully share Jesus’ journey, helping everyone in attendance reflect on the season.

The afternoon continued with a lovely ‘stay and play’ session, where it was fantastic to see parents and carers engaging in activities alongside the children. There was a particularly touching moment when Mrs Mein shared a photo presentation, taking a trip down memory lane from the children’s very first visit to Primary 1 as nursery pupils right up to the present day. Seeing how much they have grown and flourished was a proud moment for staff and families alike.

A sincere thank you goes to Mrs Mein, Mrs Shanks, and Mrs Russell for their hard work and dedication in preparing the children so thoroughly for the assembly. Their support ensured the children felt ready and inspired to share their learning with their families.

We are thrilled to share an exciting update regarding the local history project, “Without Fear: Stories of the Men on the Bo’ness War Memorial.” The dedicated writing team behind this moving series is preparing to launch their third book, and this time, the focus turns to the brave servicemen and women of Bo’ness who served during the Second World War.

What makes this launch even more special is the involvement of our very own Primary 7 pupils.

Some of our Primary 7s have been hard at work in a unique “recording studio” setting right here at school. The children were tasked with recording voiceover excerpts from the upcoming book, giving a voice to the real-life accounts of local heroes.

These voice recordings aren’t just for practice! They are currently being edited into a series of short films which will be shown at the official book launch.

We would like to thank Fiona Markey who supported the children with learning their scripts and managing the technical side of the recordings, ensuring every word was captured perfectly. We are incredibly grateful for her time and for giving our pupils such a professional recording experience!

This week, our Primary 7 pupils teamed up with Primary 1 for a special paired reading session, and what a wonderful time they had!

The Primary 7 children took on the important role of reading buddies, supporting and encouraging our youngest learners as they explored their books. They showed great patience, kindness and enthusiasm, helping to build confidence and a love of reading in Primary 1.

Primary 1 thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories with their buddies. It was lovely to see them so engaged, turning pages proudly and talking about the pictures and characters together.

Experiences like this are so valuable for both stages. Primary 7 developed their leadership and communication skills, while Primary 1 benefited from positive role models and extra reading support.

Well done to both classes for such a fantastic example of teamwork and friendship, we are very proud of you all! 

Our Mini Vinnies were proud to host a wonderful coffee morning for the parishioners of St Mary’s RC Church this week.

The children worked hard to prepare for the event and were fantastic ambassadors for our school community. They warmly welcomed our visitors and created a lovely atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.

We are especially proud of how confidently each of our Mini Vinnies spoke during the morning. They shared their message clearly and respectfully, demonstrating kindness, compassion and a true spirit of service.

The coffee morning was a lovely opportunity to strengthen the links between our school and parish community, and it was heartwarming to see different generations coming together in such a positive way.

Well done to all of our Mini Vinnies – you represented our school beautifully and should be very proud of yourselves!

This week some of our classes took part in an important and informative Carbon Monoxide Safety Workshop. The children learned about the different appliances in our homes that could leak carbon monoxide if they are not working properly, such as boilers, fires, and cookers.

Through interactive activities and discussions, pupils discovered how to recognise the signs of a possible leak and the steps they should take to stay safe. They were also taught who to contact for help in an emergency and the importance of having working carbon monoxide alarms at home.

The workshop helped raise awareness of this invisible gas and gave our learners valuable knowledge they can share with their families. We are very grateful to the workshop leaders for delivering such a practical and engaging session and for helping our children become confident safety ambassadors.

Our Mini Vinnies group at St Mary’s are delighted to be hosting a coffee morning in support of the St Vincent de Paul Society. The children have been working hard to organise this special event and are looking forward to welcoming members of our school and local community.

The coffee morning will take place on Wednesday, 11 February, from 9.30am to 10.30am in the school. Everyone is very welcome to come along, enjoy some refreshments, and support the children in their efforts to help others.

The St Vincent de Paul Society is a church charity with branches in many parishes, including here in Bo’ness, and our Mini Vinnies group are proud to play a small part in its important work. We hope you can join us for what promises to be a warm and friendly morning.

As a special thank you for all their hard work and time, Mr McPeake treated our wonderful Breakfast Club volunteers to a delicious breakfast this morning.

Our volunteers give up their time to help pupils start the day in a happy, calm, and welcoming environment, and their support makes a real difference to our school community. It was lovely to have the chance to show our appreciation and enjoy some time together.

A huge thank you to all our Breakfast Club volunteers, we are very grateful for everything you do!

Primary 2 have been enjoying learning all about Scotland. As part of their topic, the children made their own shortbread last week. They read the recipe carefully, followed the instructions step by step, and worked brilliantly together to create the final product.

The shortbread smelled delicious while it was baking, and everyone was excited to taste what they had made. The children agreed it tasted just as good as it looked!

Well done, Primary 2, for being such super cooks and enthusiastic learners.