Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

These Primary 6b learners popped down to Mr Young’s office on Friday 19th September to show off their incredible creation. One of their class’s ‘Explore and Extend’ activities was left open-ended, inviting learners to access the ‘continuous provision’ in their learning street and make a model of their choice. Inspired by their recent class novel, ‘The Borrowers’, the girls carefully read the description of the Borrower’s house before gathering various materials to design and construct their impressive 3D model, complete with table, chairs and miniature food. What creative learner-led learning!

An audience of family and friends were transported to sunny Brazil during Primary 5’s Learning Showcase on Friday 19th September. The performance was jam-packed with fascinating information about the South American country and included signing, dancing and (as always) lots of humour throughout. There were chuckles around the audience when one pupil took to the front of the stage to play the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer! The audience left with their feet tapping when the showcase concluded with vibrant music and dance from the Rio carnival.

Well done to Primary 5 on such a fantastic Learning Showcase and many thanks to Mrs Irwin, Mrs Devanney and Mrs Loose for all their hard work preparing our young learners for their big day.

Forest adventures continued for Cathedral’s nursery learners on Thursday 18th September. The children used a new tool to safely whittle their marshmallows sticks. They also had fun comparing stick sizes and were able to place them in order of size.

The tight-rope was a popular activity and helped the children improve their balancing and co-ordination skills. Before lunch, our young explorers embarked on a nature walk, looking for different shapes and colours of autumn leaves which they gathered to take back to the nursery to use in the art area.

Lunch was a little different this week as the children gathered at the fire area to learn about how to stay safe while using the fire to toast our sandwiches. The cheese toasties got mixed reviews but the marshmallows scored high on Trust Pilot!

Our young learners have now mastered the two verses of the forest song and are showing signs of improvement in sharing and taking turns. Next week sees the final week for this cohort and parents/carers will be invited to join the children in the forest to see first-hand the skills and knowledge the children have gained.

Under the watchful eye of Cathedral’s Active Schools Coordinator, Fiona, Primary 7b embarked on their Young Leaders training on Thursday 18th September. The Young Leaders Award gives young people aged eleven and over the knowledge and skills to organise and lead small games and activities that can be used as a part of club sessions. Primary 7 will engage in a three-week training programme before leading lunchtime clubs for younger Cathedral learners.

Cathedral girls’ football team participated in the Firpark Football Festival on Thursday 18th September. Our young sportswomen played eight games, winning five, drawing in two and only losing one match. Super scoring was on display, with an amazing twenty-three goals across the team! Most importantly, the girls’ commitment, passion and positive attitude shone through throughout.  Well done Team OLGA!

Primary 3a were engaged in some exciting Viking-themed learning in Cathedral’s Investigation & Innovation Hub on Thursday 18th September. Our young learners worked in their co-operative learning groups to plan, design and build their own version of a Viking longship.  They were tasked with building a ship which will successfully float while holding people, weapons and any loot the Vikings might pillage and plunder! Primary 3a are excited about testing their ships to see how they fare, which will then allow them to evaluate and modify their designs.

Our first artwork to appear in the 2025/26 Cathedral GOMA (Gallery Of Magnificent Art) online exhibition comes from Primary 1/2. Our young learners’ beautiful self-portraits feature the use of pattern and colour and bring a burst of colour to Discovery Drive.

Watch this space for more masterpieces from Cathedral’s talented artists.

As I listen and talk in different situations I am learning to take turns and I am developing my awareness of when to talk and when to listen. Lit 0-02a

Our young learners have been very busy this week implementing our ‘keeping safe’ prompts and talking about what we can do to keep our nursery free from hazards. Our new learners have also been familiarising themselves with our playroom motto, ‘Choose, Play, Put Away’, and have shown themselves to be responsible citizens in their play throughout each day.

Staff have been working with the children to create inviting experiences that spark and develop curiosity within the nursery environment. With the arrival of autumn, the children have been observing and discussing the changes in the weather. One learner brought in a special leaf they had found on their way to nursery and showed this to their friends during gathering time.

P7c enjoyed a fascinating live workshop, delivered by Barclays Bank, on Wednesday 17th September. Along with other schools from across the country, our Primary 7 learners learned about managing their money, including the importance of setting and sticking to a budget (something Mrs Duffy regularly needs help with!).

One of the Cathedral Pupil Parliament departments is the Finance Directorate, which ensures Cathedral learners are involved in, and kept informed of, how the school budget and school funds are used. The knowledge and skills Primary 7 gained from the Barclays workshop will come in handy when our Cabinet Secretaries for Finance are looking for support to take forward finance-related Pupil Parliament priorities later in the year.

As the month of October approaches, a special display has appeared in the school library dedicated to Black History Month. We hope the books on this display will highlight the achievements of the black community, celebrate their many contributions to our country and help Cathedral pupils learn about key black historical figures who have helped make Britain and the world what it is today.