Cathedral’s four learning streets (Discovery Drive, Brainbox Boulevard, Winners Wynd and Ambition Avenue) are extensions of our classrooms. Pupils across the school were recently asked through Smart School Council how they would like to improve their learning street and their ideas have
now been collated and written up on our Action Board:
- Cathedral pupils would like systems in place to ensure resources are quickly replenished when they run out;
- Cathedral pupils would like learning streets to be zoned to include a technology/construction area, a reading area, a Publication Station for independent writing and a ‘wellbeing area’;
- Cathedral pupils would like systems in place to keep learning streets tidy and organised, including brushes and dustpans to clear up after messy learning.
Mr Young would like to thank Cathedral learners from across the school for coming up with such great suggestions. These will now be taken forward and actioned by our twelve House Captains over the coming weeks.
Karen Jackson has been a much-loved member of our school community for fifteen years, so it was with much sadness that Cathedral waved a sad farewell to Karen on Friday 15th September. Karen will be particularly missed in the dining hall, where she was always waiting with a friendly smile for hungry Cathedral pupils… as well as a sneaky bottle of tomato ketchup on Fish Fridays!
Primary 7 hosted a very successful coffee morning
Cathedral Primary is committed to continuous improvement and, this year, is working in partnership with Glasgow University to research the impact of our approaches to learning and teaching. Kevin Lowden and Stuart Hall from the university’s ‘Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change’ spent the morning of 14th September in Primary 6b and Primary 7c seeing the school’s ‘Active8’ approach in action. Our visitors were extremely impressed with the children’s confidence and independence in planning and leading their own learning as well as their ability to work in different ways and talk about the skills they were using and developing. 
The National Schools Singing Programme has been running in Motherwell Diocese for the past year. After a hugely successful start in 
four Glasgow schools in the west of the diocese, the project has now been extended to Cathedral, St Bernadette’s and St Brendan’s Primaries as well as Our Lady’s High School.
Read Write Inc. Phonics is now into its third year in Cathedral Primary and, as an integral part of our holistic approach to teaching infant literacy, has led to increased attainment in reading and writing. Even at this early stage of the year, our new Primary 1s have learned 13 sounds and are already starting to ‘Fred Talk’ (blending these sounds into simple words).
Cathedral school community, along with parents and families, gathered for our first Mass of the year on Friday 8th September, the feast of Our Lady’s Birthday. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Stephen and the liturgy was led by Primary 6 pupils. The children, including our new Primary 1s, participated attentively and prayerfully and Fr Stephen complimented them on their beautiful singing and confident responses. 
Following the Fundraising Committee meeting
on Wednesday 6th September, we can confirm that this year’s ever-popular Family Night will take place on Friday 10th November. There will be the usual entertainment and stalls, with something to appeal to people of all ages. Tickets will be £3 for an adult and £1 for a child and will go on sale later this term. Please save the date in your diary!
Mr Young – with the help of Mrs Campbell – finally solved the mystery of the three blocks of standstone which, until 4th September, lay at the front of the school. It turns out they were part of the original school building in Park Street and, upon closer investigation, Mr Young noticed the date the school was founded (1895) carved into the stone. The stones, along with a statue of Our Lady, have now been relocated to a peaceful corner of the playground, providing Cathedral Primary with a beautiful memorial to our school’s long and rich history as well as a quiet outdoor space for prayer and reflection.
A recent reading book on the electric guitar really caught Primary 6b’s interest and the class were very excited to come across an actual
electric guitar in the music room. One pupil popped along to ask Mr Young if they could take the guitar up to their classroom and Mr Young (who had a wee bit of inside knowledge!) said ‘absolutely’, but on the condition that the pupil’s dad came in to play the electric guitar for the class. Mr Saunders was delighted to accept and spent the afternoon of Friday 1st September talking Primary 6b through the workings of the electric guitar and entertaining the children with some well known guitar riffs.