Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

Mass to mark the official opening of our 150th anniversary year will take place in school on Friday 31st January, the Feast of St John Bosco. We are delighted that Bishop Toal will be the principal celebrant and that Provost Duffy will present our commemorative 150th anniversary medals to pupils and staff at the end of Mass.

Please note that, due to Bishop Toal and Fr Lamb being in Rome, we have had to make a change to the dates of our exhibition on the history of Cathedral Primary in St Bride’s Hall in May. The exhibition will now take place on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd May rather than Monday to Wednesday of the previous week.

Our full programme of events can be accessed via the link below:

150th Anniversary & Jubilee programme

THIS IS THE WEEK TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR PRIMARY 1!

Children who turn 5 between 1st March 2025 and 29th February 2026 should be registered for primary school during the course of this week.

Here at Cathedral Primary, registration for our August 2025 intake will take place from Monday 13th to Friday 17th January 2025, from 1.30 – 2.45pm each day. Parents and carers should come to the main entrance and will be directed to the dining hall.

A birth certificate and a current council tax notice must be produced at the time of registration.

Information for parents/carers about registering their child for Primary 1 can be obtained by visiting https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/primary-school-registration-p1

Information on submitting a placing request can be obtained by visiting https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/placing-requests

Information on submitting an early entry request can be obtained by visiting https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/early-entry

Cathedral pupils were absolutely delighted to receive a cheque for £9135 from Mr Allan Blackley of Forgewood Holdings on Friday 10th January. The local charity’s generous donation will pay for a brand new outdoor theatre to mark Cathedral Primary’s 150th Anniversary. The theatre, which will be installed in February, will provide a fantastic facility for Cathedral learners to develop their performing arts skills and showcase their many talents.

Many thanks to Forgewood Holdings from the entire Cathedral school community!

House Captains went through the Smart School Council suggestion box during the first week of term and met with Mr Young on Wednesday 8th January to share and discuss the ideas which will be taken forward in the coming weeks. The Smart School Council action board has been updated with the three new projects:

1. A competition will take place to design a mascot for each of Cathedral’s six Houses. The winning designs will be made into real mascots.
2. A Cathedral talent show will be organised for the summer term.
3. Pupils will be consulted on how they would like to improve the toilets in Brainbox Boulevard, Winners Wynd and Ambition Avenue. This will include choosing paint colours and being given a budget to buy accessories such as pictures and plants.

Pope Francis has asked that 2025 be a year of Jubilee, with the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope‘. Here at Cathedral Primary, the Jubilee will be an opportunity for learners, staff, parents and parishioners to embark on a journey of faith, rediscover the hope that comes from God alone and look with confidence towards a future where, together, we can bring hope and healing to the local and global community.

To mark the Jubilee, a special ‘Door of Hope’ was installed in Cathedral Primary School on Thursday 9th January. This is not a ‘holy door’, as that title is reserved for specific doors located in a number of Rome’s great basilicas, including St Peter’s in the Vatican. Rather, Cathedral’s Jubilee door, which all members of our school community pass through daily, serves as a prominent symbol of hope and a constant reminder to learners, staff and visitors of the hope which has its source in God and the bright future he has in store for each and every one of us.

The scripture on the door comes from the prophet Jeremiah:

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord… “plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE.” (Jeremiah 29: 11)

Cathedral learners and staff are invited to quietly say, ‘I have hope and a future’ each time they pass through the doors.

Cathedral’s programme of Jubilee 2025 activities and events, which will run alongside our 150th Anniversary celebrations, can be accessed via the link below:

150th Anniversary & Jubilee programme

Here in Cathedral Primary, teachers use ‘Milestone Moment’ stickers to indicate key points in each pupil’s learning journey. One of our learners came up with the great idea of having a special 150th anniversary Milestone Moment sticker to use throughout 2025. The above Primary 5 learner was exceptionally proud to be the very first Cathedral pupil to receive one of our special stickers on Wednesday 8th January when she completed a maths assessment on dividing with remainders.

Learners from Primary 1 to Primary 7 are very excited about seeing 150th anniversary Milestone Moment stickers appear in their jotters in the weeks and months ahead.

If you have not already done so, please take a few moments to access our January – June 2025 Family Learning programme. Along with the usual coffee mornings and learning showcases, there will be the opportunity for parents and carers to find out how Cathedral uses digital technology to support and enhance learning across the curriculum. This will include the chance for parents and carers to work and learn alongside their child in the classroom. Each class has been allocated an individual date/time, so please check this carefully and pop it in your diary. The first sessions take place on Tuesday 28th January.

We have a separate programme of targeted Family Learning workshops next term, aimed at parents and carers whose child receives input from our ‘Attainment Team’. The A Team will be in touch with parents and carers directly about these opportunities.

Cathedral’s exciting January – June Parental Engagement & Family Learning leaflet can be accessed via the link below.

Jan – June 2025 Family Learning programme

January’s wellbeing indicator is ACTIVE. Please use the prompts below to talk to your child about this indicator. This will help them complete their wellbeing wheel in school.

Primary 1

• I take part in P.E every week.
• I can follow simple instructions in P.E. 
• I can explain why being active is good for me. 
• I can describe what activity does to my body. 
• I take part in active after-school clubs. 
• I am active outside of school. 

Primary 2 – 4

• I enjoy taking part in P.E. and being active.
• I can describe different ways of being active. 
• I can explain why being active is good for my health. 
• I set targets and know what I need to do to improve my performance. 
• I take part in active after-school clubs. 
• I am active outside of school. 

Primary 5 – 7

• I take part in physical activity every day.
• I take part in a variety of sports inside and outside of school. 
• I know why being active is important. 
• I know exercise uses up energy. 
• I know that different forms of exercise challenge my body in different ways. 
• I understand that fair play is important when taking part in physical activity. 

Children who turn 5 between 1st March 2025 and 29th February 2026 should be registered for primary school during the week commencing Monday 13th January 2025.

Here at Cathedral Primary, registration for our August 2025 intake will take place from Monday 13th to Friday 17th January 2025, from 1.30 – 2.45pm each day. Parents and carers should come to the main entrance and will be directed to the dining hall.

A birth certificate and a current council tax notice must be produced at the time of registration.

Information for parents/carers about registering their child for Primary 1 can be obtained by visiting https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/primary-school-registration-p1

Information on submitting a placing request can be obtained by visiting https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/placing-requests

Information on submitting an early entry request can be obtained by visiting https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/early-entry

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Luke 2: 11, 12

You only need to cast your eye over our website newsfeed to see just what an incredible and exciting term of learning it’s been here at Cathedral.  As we arrive at the last day of term, please can I thank learners and staff for all their enthusiasm and hard work throughout this term: you make Cathedral the very special school it is!

Please can I also thank parents and carers, clergy, parishioners and friends of the school for your ongoing support. It is very much appreciated.

I wish you all a Blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

See you on Monday 6th January 2025!