Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

The makeover of Cathedral Nursery garden is now well underway, thanks to all the donations we have received. Over the past few weeks, the children have been busy learning the names of garden tools and how to use these safely. They have also been transporting the soil into the new planters, ready for planting. The boys and girls have worked together as a team to spread and rake the new bark and have even had a wee hurl in the wheelbarrow!

The whole Cathedral school and nursery community is looking forward to the garden bursting into life during the spring and summer months.

The young learners of Cathedral and Firpark campus teamed up on Friday 25th March to support a local Motherwell foodbank. Miss Cawley and Cathedral Primary’s Laudato Si’ Committee co-ordinated the gathering of items donated by the two schools and Andrew Ewart from the Maranatha Foodbank was utterly blown away by the generosity of Cathedral and Firpark pupils.

This practical act of kindness by our joint campus will make a huge difference to numerous local families, so many thanks to all those who gave so generously.

Cathedral pupils had great fun conjuring up whacky hair styles for this year’s Crazy Hair Day which took place on Friday 18th March. There were some absolutely incredible creations and all money raised went to our two Lenten charities, Missio and SCIAF.

The photographs show just some of the crazy hair Mr Young encountered on his walk through the school.

Around fifty of our Primary 3 pupils celebrated their First Reconciliation in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral on Tuesday 15th March. Fr Chromy led the children and their families in the liturgy and Fr Mark, Fr Stephen and Canon O’Mahony were also present to hear the children’s confessions. It was a beautiful, prayerful occasion and the boys and girls lifted the roof at the end of the celebration with a new song called ‘Our God is a great big God’, which reminded the children that God knows and loves each and every one of them.

Congratulations to the boys and girls and many thanks to those members of staff who supported the children in preparing for the sacrament.

The launch of our new Rose Trainer Achievement Award, named after the very first Head Teacher of the parish school, took place on 11th March (Rose Trainer’s birthday). A special Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral, attended by a representative from each class and the entire Primary 7 year group. Invited guests included Roisin Coll, Director of the St Andrew’s Foundation at the University of Glasgow, and Dan Cardle, Head Teacher of Our Lady’s High School.

Following the Mass and launch ceremony, a rose garden was planted in the cathedral grounds. A commemorative plaque, donated by Sherry’s Funeral Directors, reads: ‘In appreciation of Rose Trainer, first Head Teacher of the parish school. Planted on 11th March 2022 to mark the launch of the Rose Trainer Achievement Award.’ The celebrations continued back in school and included a piped procession through the school and morning tea for our invited guests.

The Rose Trainer Achievement Award helps Cathedral Primary School recognise and celebrate pupils’ wider achievements and the acquisition of essential life-skills. Pupils work towards Bronze, Silver and Gold across each of the seven levels, gaining recognition for such things as being able to dress themselves independently, helping out with chores at home, making a difference in the local community, preparing a meal for their family and doing random acts of kindness. Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates are awarded for each level.

Gerard Gough from Missio Scotland visited Cathedral Primary on Friday 4th March to speak to Primary 4 – 7 pupils about the work of the charity. The children heard about various ways they can support the work of Missio (the pope’s personal mission charity) through prayer and giving.

At the end of the assembly, new Missio collection buckets were distributed to each class and members of the school’s Laudato Si committee were commissioned as Missio Champions and presented with a badge.

Missio is one of this year’s Lenten charities.