I will be spending the next two days at the annual Catholic Head Teachers’ conference. This year’s event is being held in St Andrew’s and will be a great opportunity to connect with Head Teachers from all over Scotland as well as hear some thought-provoking speakers. The opening address this morning will be given by Archbishop Leo Cushley and then Isabelle Boyd, Head of Service from North Lanarkshire Council, will provide some more food for thought.

Anyone who pops into St Bart’s this morning will notice that rewiring work has now begun on two of the offices, including my own. Mrs Smillie has been relocated to Mr Lynch’s Office, just across the corridor, for a few days.

Tuesday saw this year’s first meeting of the ‘Pray for our School’ group and it was great to see such a healthy turnout of parishioners. The group meets in the oratory on the first Tuesday of each month at 11.00 am to pray for the school before popping along to the Get Together Room to enjoy a cup of tea, a biscuit (or two!) and a good blether with some of our Primary 7 pupils. It’s always a highlight of the month for both parishioners and pupils, so please consider marking Tuesday 7th October in your diary. It would be great to see you!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE’S JUST OVER A WEEK TO COLLECT SPONSORS FOR OUR SPONSORED WALK ON THURSDAY 11th. EVERY LITTLE HELPS!

Glasgow was buzzing with top athletes during this summer’s Commonwealth Games. However, St Bartholomew’s also has its fair share of sports champions.

Aidan in Primary 3 recently competed in an Irish Dancing tournament at Ravenscraig and became the under 7s Scottish champion! What an AMAZING achievement!!!

Patrick in P5 was extremely proud to be awarded his green belt in karate last week.

When Jake in P3 heard that other pupils were bringing in their trophies to show me, he thought he’d bring along a trophy he won way back in P1 for street dancing. I know Jake still keeps himself active with street dancing, so I’m very happy to show off his trophy to our blog readers.

Well done to all three of our sports superstars! Check out the photos below:

St Bartholomew’s school community received some extremely sad news yesterday. Mr Joe McDade, the artist who painted the beautiful icon of St Bartholomew which hangs in our entrance area, passed away over the weekend after suffering a stroke.

Joe was a longstanding member of the community art group which has met in St Bartholomew’s Primary every Wednesday for many years. Within a week of my arrival at St Bartholomew’s way back in August 2012, I asked Joe if he would consider painting an image of our patron saint for the school foyer. A mere week later, Joe turned up at the school with the beautiful icon we have grown to love over these past two years. Joe was justifiably filled with pride when the icon was blessed by Bishop Joseph Devine at a special Mass on 23rd October 2012.

Joe was an absolute gentleman and he will be sorely missed by our school community. We give thanks for the good life Joe lived, hold his family in our prayers at this sad time, and ask God to receive his soul.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.