Primary 7 did themselves proud at their Leavers’ Mass and Prize Giving yesterday. There were certainly a few tears around the hall! Many thanks, once again, to Mark and Lucy Millar for taking the time to attend and for donating the prizes. Your ongoing friendship and support is VERY much appreciated. Thanks too to Karen and Bruce from ‘Curriculo Solutions’ for being there to support the children. Of course, special thanks need to go to parents, carers, family and friends for turning up in such great numbers to give the children a fitting send-off.

After all the ceremony of the afternoon, the children let their hair down in the evening at their beach party. It really was a great get-together!

We say goodbye today to Mrs Polsinelli and Miss Jackson. Many thanks to both of you for all your hard work, and all the very best in your new schools.

So, we reach the end of another jam-packed year. Please can I take this opportunity to thank the fantastic St Bartholomew’s team for working so tirelessly throughout the year for the children. You deserve a well-earned rest over the summer holidays! Many thanks too to parents, carers, parishioners and friends for all your support; I’m extremely grateful for all you do for St Bart’s. Thank you! But, of course, my biggest vote of thanks goes to our WONDERFUL pupils who make St Bartholomew’s the friendly, vibrant school community it is. Have a fantastic summer holiday, boys and girls, and see you on Tuesday 18th August!….

LET THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS BEGIN!

Primary 7’s special day has arrived! The Leavers’ Mass and graduation ceremony take place in the main hall at 1.30pm this afternoon. We are privileged that Mark Millar has found time in his busy schedule to attend this afternoon’s proceedings and are extremely grateful for the various awards he has donated for this year’s P7 prize winners. A very warm welcome to Mark and his wife, Lucy!

Karen Glen from ‘Curriculo Solutions’ will also be attending the Mass and prize giving this afternoon. Karen worked with P7 earlier this month on activities related to the world of work. Pupils from the winning teams will be formally recognised this afternoon.

And, of course, as soon as the graduation ceremony is over, the boys and girls will be off home to get ready for their beach party. Unfortunately, we don’t have beach-like weather today, but we’ll be decorating the hall and bringing the disco and party inside. It’s guaranteed to be a great night!

Enjoy your special day, Primary 7!

Please check out Twitter for photographs of yesterday’s Primary 6 and 7 outdoor adventure trip. The boys and girls had a fantastic time!

We have a busy day ahead:

The final prayer service of the year takes place in the oratory this morning at 8.50am… a great opportunity to give thanks for the year that is drawing to a close.

The nursery graduation takes place in the main hall this afternoon at 1.30pm. The boys and girls will be donning their graduation gowns as family, friends, and staff gather to celebrate the children’s time in nursery and give them a fitting send-off.

Primary 6 have a special treat this afternoon – they’ll be off to Buchanan High School to enjoy the school’s summer show. Many thanks to Buchanan High for their kind invitation.

Finally, report cards will be sent out today. Please check your child’s school bag at 3 o’clock.

Thirty-three of our Primary 6 and 7 pupils are off to Chatelherault country park with Mrs McFarlane first thing this morning for an outdoor adventure day. The boys and girls will be orienteering in the morning and will then have the opportunity to try out some ‘bush craft’ in the afternoon which will involve them making dens from the natural materials around them. Today’s trip is a special reward for these pupils for their consistent outstanding manners, behaviour, attitude and work throughout the year. Well done, boys and girls, on earning a place on today’s trip. You deserve it!

I am absolutely delighted to announce that, following recent interviews, four permanent members of staff have been appointed to St Bartholomew’s, including our very own Mrs McLean and Mrs Keirnan! This is very welcome news for our whole school community and will bring much needed stability to St Bartholomew’s in the years ahead. We will have four brand new faces in St Bartholomew’s in August: Ms Natalie Connor, Ms Aikida Maclean, Ms Jade Duffy and Ms Kayleigh Brennan. A warm welcome to St Bart’s! I am now in a position to send out letters about new classes and these will be with you no later than Monday.

P2 are off on a trip to Drumpellier Park today. Have a great time, boys and girls!

As part of their Japan project, Primary 6 made their very own sushi yesterday. I’m a regular customer at Yo Sushi in Glasgow and can confidently say that Primary 6’s sushi could be proudly served-up in any restaurant without a single customer batting an eyelid! Here’s a photo of the children’s culinary skills, but please check-out Twitter for more.

Finally, please can I apologise to all P7 parents and carers for the wrong time being printed for next week’s Leavers’ Mass and awards ceremony. The Mass has always been scheduled for 1.30pm on Wednesday afternoon. However, I found out yesterday afternoon that a different time had been printed on the list of diary dates sent out a couple of months back. I’m extremely sorry for this misprint and for the inconvenience it has caused.

Primary 4/5 are off to Glasgow Science Centre today where they’ll be finding out more about the amazing human body. Have a super day, boys and girls!

Primary 3 had a lovely party with baby Otto yesterday. The boys and girls (as well as Otto and Mrs Duncan) each received a certificate to show that they had participated in the ‘Roots of Empathy’ programme. I pointed out to the children that, although we need to say goodbye to Otto for the time being, we can look forward to meeting him again when he starts in the nursery in a couple of years’ time. Once again, many thanks to Otto and Mrs Duncan for giving so generously of their time this year. We’ve loved having you in the school and will really miss you!

Please pray for Aidan Di Caccia as he prepares for his move to St Ambrose High School.

Baby Otto and his mum have been working with Primary 3 throughout this year as part of the ‘Roots of Empathy’ programme. The boys and girls have watched Otto grow over the months and have learned lots from him about building relationships and caring for one another. Today will be Primary 3’s last session with Otto, so the boys and girls will be hosting a celebration party as a special thank you and goodbye. Many thanks to Mrs Duncan and Otto for giving so generously of their time throughout this year; it is very much appreciated. Thanks too to Agnes, the ‘Roots of Empathy’ tutor, for all her work and input with Primary 3.

We’ll be welcoming Val Corry to St Bartholomew’s later today. Val Corry was closely involved with St Bartholomew’s last session during her work with the Scottish Government. She recently heard about the major work that has been done to the building this year and contacted me to ask if she could have a look around. Scott and Heather from Primary 7 showed Val around on her very first visit to the school back in February 2014 and both pupils have very kindly agreed to stay after school to give Val a guided tour of our newly refurbished building. I’m sure she will be very impressed indeed!

A very imaginative Primary 3 pupil was busy yesterday afternoon with the ‘K’nex’. Here’s just one of his super creations!


Please pray for Heather Meechan as she prepares for her move to St Ambrose High School.

We welcome Karen Glen from Curriculo Solutions back to St Bartholomew’s this morning. Karen will be completing her work with Primary 7 on the world of work. Interviews today!

Don’t forget that the penultimate prayer service of the year takes place in the oratory this morning at 8.50am.

Please pray for Tia Speirs as she prepares for her move to St Ambrose High School.

Twenty-four of our Primary 4 pupils spent Friday at the Primary Games. The children had a fantastic time participating in the various events and also walked away with the winning prize for the best school banner. The prize is a free block of after school sports activities next session. Many thanks to Mrs Dolan for helping the children with the banner. We’re all delighted with your achievement and the prize you won for the school!

I realise pupils and their parents will be keen to find out who their teacher will be after the holidays. Personnel plan to inform me of new members of staff by the end of this week and I will pass this information onto you as soon as I possibly can. At the very latest, a letter will be sent out along with report cards on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Please pray for Catherine O’Neill and Chloe Foy as they prepare for their move to St Ambrose High School.

Primary 1 had a super trip to Drumpellier Park yesterday. Here’s a picture of the children meeting the cygnets, but please check out Twitter for some more photos of their visit.

Primary 1 Rockets and Stars will be welcoming parents and other guests to their classroom at 2.00pm this afternoon for a special Sunflower Tea. This will include an opportunity to see some of the children’s recent work. What a perfect day for it!

We will also be welcoming Karen Glen from ‘Curriculo Solutions’ to St Bartholomew’s today. Karen will be working with our P7 pupils all morning on some new materials about the world of work. I had a sneak preview of the materials and I know the children will thoroughly enjoy today’s activities on job adverts and interviews. Karen will be back on Tuesday to lead Session 2.

Joe Bradley visited St Bartholomew’s yesterday afternoon to present awards to pupils who have shown particular qualities during this year’s Gaelic football coaching. Here’s a picture of those pupils who particularly impressed Joe during the course of the year, all very well deserved! Well done, everyone!

I happened to pop my head into the computer suite yesterday and found Primary 6 not only busy on the computers but actually doing some basic computer programming! Maybe we’ll see these clever-clog children working in the technology industry a few years down the line!

Please pray for Blair Melvin and Euan McMahon as they prepare for their move to St Ambrose High School.