The school delivered a great performance yesterday afternoon at our Golden Jubilee celebratory concert.  It was a real Blast from the Past for the audience as they were taken on a nostalgic trip down memory lane and revisited the sounds of the 60’s,70’s, 80’s, 90’s and noughties. The school will perform once again to a packed house this evening.  Tickets are now sold out.  We will get pictures posted on the blog that capture the talent on display from across the school. Please remember to check the blog.  The children would love to hear your comments from the evening so please post a comment.

Our concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school takes place tomorrow afternoon and Thursday evening.  Tickets are still available from the school office.

If you have been dropping off or collecting your child(ren) from school you will see that there are workmen hard at work putting the finishing touches to the latest new addition to our school grounds.  We have a newly installed trim trail that will challenge our younger pupils and a more challenging one for our junior and senior pupils.  We also have a teepee added to our playground area at the front of the school.  An information letter will be issued that details the benefits to health and well being of having such features in our playground.  A rota will be drawn up to ensure all classes get access at set times during the week.  Classes will also get access during P.E. blocks to develop teamwork and resilience.  Please note the information letter will request that you inform the school if you do not wish your child to use this equipment.  The equipment will be ready for use next week.

As part of our celebrations this week to celebrate our Golden Jubilee the whole school were treated to a visit by Hopscotch Theatre Company who presented their entertaining and informative presentation of Scotland: A Nation of Innovation.

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The school community joined together this afternoon for a beautiful concelebrated Mass led by Father Kane and Father Travers.  It was a most fitting way to begin our festivities as we celebrate the school’s Golden Jubilee.  The children were a real credit to the school, their teachers and were a credit to all the former pupils and teachers who both attended and served the school over that last 50 years.  Many thanks to Father Kane who presented the school with a special commemorative  Chalice to mark such a momentous occasion in the school’s long history.  Father Kane’s Homily highlighted to the children the long history of the school, all of which is well chronicled in the parish archives which are also available on the Parish website.   Did you know St.Augustine’s original school opened in 1882?  The log books  provides us with some stark information about how difficult life was for children at that time.  Here are a few sad extracts

20 January 1882:   Lack of books.

24 November 1882:   Frost having set in, those who have no shoes are seldom seen.

10 April 1885:   A child died of measles

17 April 1885:   Another child died of measles.   School closed because of epidemic.

20 November 1885:   Weather fearfully cold.   Attendance poor.   As so many of the children are bare-footed this cannot be wondered at.   Indeed I feel very sorry to see them at all in school in such a state.

24 December 1886:   Children with bare feet who came in the snow were unfit to work in class.   I kept them round the fire at intervals in batches.

Such sad entries tell us in only a few sentences how poor the children of that time were and how fortunate we are today.  We celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our school building  but we also recognise the long history of which we are a part.

This week is a momentous week for everyone who is part of our community of faith and learning as we celebrate our Golden Jubilee.  We commence our programme of celebrations with Holy Mass on Monday and will be joined by former teachers who served the school in the past.  On Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening we will have our school show “A Blast from the Past.’ Tickets are available from the school office.