Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

Mark Huang, a good friend of Mr Young, lives 6000 miles away in Hong Kong and he got in touch on Thursday 20th February to let Mr Young know that Cathedral Primary and the forerunner of the school he attended in HK have something in common: they’re both 150 years old!

Six French and Irish De La Salle Brothers made the long and arduous journey to Hong Kong 150 years ago, establishing St Joseph’s College in 1875: the exact same year our parish school opened its doors for the first time. What a special connection, as well as an important reminder that we’re part of the Universal Church which continues to flourish and change lives for the better.

https://www.lasalle-lead.org/lead-stories/150th-anniversary-lasallian-mission-hong-kong

Hong Kong in 1875

Hong Kong today

Cathedral Primary was absolutely delighted to receive a copy of a motion lodged in the Scottish Parliament by Clare Adamson MSP, Motherwell and Wishaw, on Wednesday 12th February:

The Parliament congratulates Cathedral Primary School on celebrating the 150th anniversary of the parish and school; recognises what it sees as the importance of this milestone in highlighting the longstanding role that the school and parish have played in the education and spiritual life of the community; commends the dedication of teachers, staff, parents, and parishioners who have contributed to the school’s rich history and continued success, and wishes Cathedral Primary School and the parish every success in the years to come as they continue to inspire and support future generations.

Following a generous donation of £9135 from local charity, Forgewood Holdings, Cathedral learners returned to school after the February break to find our brand new 150th Anniversary Theatre installed in the playground. The performing arts have been an important part of Cathedral’s curriculum for many years and this latest addition to the school grounds provides a fantastic new performance space for learners to use during breaks as well as for their class drama lessons. We look forward to seeing the stage come to life in the weeks and months ahead!

We’ve all been there:

“What did you do in school today?”

           to which your child replies “Nothing!”

Of course, as a Cathedral parent/carer, you already know there’s NEVER a wasted day in our vibrant school community and that EVERY morning and afternoon is filled with enjoyable and challenging learning experiences to engage your child and help them reach their full potential across the curriculum.

As we arrive at the February break, Mr Young encourages parents and carers to dip into our ‘Talking to your child about their learning’ leaflet and select one or two prompts to have a short chat with their child about their recent learning. The leaflet can be accessed via the link below:

Talking to your child about their learning

Motherwell is twinned with the German town of Schweinfurt and Primary 5 learners took to the stage on Friday 14th February for a fantastic Learning Showcase all about their recent class work on Germany. There was barely an area of the curriculum left out of the children’s showcase, with geography, history, drama, music, dance, PE and technology all making an appearance in the vibrant presentation. There was even a countdown in German and a mention of pretzel making in class! The finale of the showcase featured Jude (Primary 5a) performing a convincing re-enactment of the moment back on 31st December 1989 when David Hasselhoff sang “Looking for Freedom” to a crowd at the Berlin Wall.

Well done to each and every one of our Primary 5 learners for their outstanding performance and many thanks to Mrs Devanney, Mrs Burns, Mrs McMillan, Mrs Irwin and Miss Graham for all their hard work getting the children ready for the day.

Mr Young was super-impressed with the artwork of these Primary 3 learners on Thursday 13th February. Their class are learning about famous artists and were inspired by the painting ‘The Great Wave’ by Japanese artist, Hokusai. Our young artists used pencil to create the lines and shapes of the waves, sea and sky and then added colour and tone using watercolours. The beautiful paintings wouldn’t look out of place hanging on a Primary 7 classroom wall!

Mrs Michelle McMullen, Head Teacher of All Saints Primary School in Airdrie, is a well-kent face in North Lanarkshire. After many years of service in Catholic education, during which she has touched hundreds of lives, Michelle retires on Friday 14th February. On behalf of everyone here at Cathedral, this cheeky wee chap wishes his Aunty Michelle a very long and happy retirement!

“Don’t act your age in retirement. Act like the inner young person you have always been.”

(J. A. West)

Primary 1 learners joined their Primary 7 buddies on Wednesday 12th February for some fun art and craft. With Valentine’s Day falling at the end of the week, Cathedral’s youngest and oldest learners worked together to make beautiful heart-shaped gifts to give to someone in their family.

Following input to our Primary 6 and 7 learners on Wednesday 12th February, PC Lisa McCrone spoke with Cathedral parents and carers at the end of the school day about online safety. Although mobile phones and other digital devices have many benefits, PC McCrone highlighted the very real dangers they can pose for children and young people’s wellbeing and safety. Cathedral parents and carers left more informed and equipped with practical strategies to help ensure their child stays safe online.

It was our Primary 3 and Primary 4 learners’ turn to make the short walk to Motherwell Heritage Centre on Wednesday 12th February for a workshop linked to our 150th anniversary. The parish school has been around for an incredible 150 years and the children had the opportunity to find out what daily life, education, industry and the town of Motherwell was like when our school opened in 1875. The chimney sweeping was particularly popular with our young learners!

Primary 5 – 7 classes will visit the Heritage Centre in the coming weeks.