Welcome to our News section!

• Home learning - how to access!

  Sun 22 Mar 2020

  Each year group has now set up their own home learning page for use by our children over the coming weeks.  To find your child's page, go to Children - Class pages and then click on the Home learning page for the appropriate year group.

  These pages will be updated on a regular basis with activities for your child to do at home.  Some of the activities suggested may require your child to log in to a particular website.  If you have not received the information page with your child's individual usernames and passwords, please email jarmstrong775@c2kni.net with details of your child's name and class and we will forward the information page to you as soon as possible. 

   

• Supporting Primary School Children of Key Workers in Brooklands

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  As you will know we have been instructed to close from the end of school today. However, Brooklands will be open from Monday 23^rd March to support primary school children of identified key workers and children with a statement of special educational need.

  It is vitally important that we are aware of how many children will have to attend school on Monday.

  With this in mind if you are an identified key worker or your child has a statement of special educational need, and your only option is to send your child to school, please make contact with school by 2pm today either by email to jarmstrong775@c2kni.net or by phoning the office on Tel: 028 9048 7589.

  Before contacting school, please pay particular attention to the points below. Schools will not be able to operate a ‘normal’ school day. Schools are already operating with a significant reduction in staffing and this will probably continue to get worse over time. Staff are also preparing work for home learning during this period.

  Points to consider:

  • Only children with BOTH parents working as key workers and both parents out at work at the same time should consider attending school.
  • In single parent families the main carer MUST be a key worker.
  • If you are working part time only send your children to school on the days you are working
  • If possible alternative child care arrangements should be sought before deciding to send your child to school, for example with other family members or friends.
  • School MUST be used as a last resort.
  • This is to try and limit the number of children and adults together in a small space in line with the recent social distancing guidance.
  • Normal opening and closing times will apply, there will be NO Breakfast Club or Two O’ Clock Club.
  • Children attending will be required to wear their school uniform.
  • Schools will be performing child care duties at this time. All schools are experiencing severe staff shortages and are expected to provide home learning at the same time.
  • For this reason, we will not be engaging with parents on teaching programmes or curriculum content during this period.

  There are currently discussions around how we provide lunch during the school closure period for children entitled to Free School Meals. As yet, there is no clear guidance on this but we will be in touch as soon as this arrives. If your child is attending school on Monday, please provide a lunch.

  Given the alarming pace of change in terms of what we are being instructed to do the content of this letter MUST be read in the full knowledge that this situation could change at any time. Any changes will be communicated by text.

  As a Key Worker, if it is your only option to send your child to school we will look after them with care and understanding as we strive to support you in your important role.

  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your service to our community.

  J. Armstrong

• Update Re: Covid-19

  Wed 18 Mar 2020 F Smart

  Dear Parents and Guardians,

   

  We thank you for your ongoing support through these uncertain, unprecedented times. Our priority, as always, is to keep the children as safe and happy as they possibly can be when in our care.

   

  In order to help us do this, we must implore that all parents follow rigidly the government and Public Health Agency guidelines and advice, specific to newly developed, persistent coughs or a fever within the household. If anyone within your home develops these symptoms, the whole family must now isolate themselves for 14 days. We would urge you to contact the NHS helpline on Tel 111 if these symptoms present themselves within your home, and your child must not attend school with immediate effect.

   

  The last thing we want is for any child to miss school, not even for a day, but we are in the midst of very difficult and ever-changing times, as the country tries to tackle the spread of this virus.

   

  We, as a school, continue to follow the instructions given to us by the Department of Education, and will remain open to children who can be here, until we are instructed to do otherwise.

   

  The children continue to wash their hands regularly throughout the day, as well as before they eat any food. Our cleaning staff are working tirelessly to disinfect surfaces, handles and rails within the building, and conducted a deep-clean of the school at the weekend, which was hugely appreciated by the whole school family.

   

  The teachers are working on providing information, including specific usernames and passwords for each child, to be available in the event of school closure. Please bear with us at this time, as we compile this information, whilst keeping school open for the children who can be here.

   

  We send you all our very best at this time, and will keep you informed immediately of any changes that impact upon our school.

   

  Along with your support, we continue to care for each other and work together, for the health and safety of every child, staff member and family member connected to our school.

   

  Thank you and best wishes.

• COVID-19 update to parents 13th March 2020

  Fri 13 Mar 2020
  Please click here to read the letter which was sent home today with further details about our approach to the Covid-19 virus.

• COVID-19 update for parents 10th March 2020

  Tue 10 Mar 2020
  Please click here to read the letter which was sent home today with up to date information on COVID-19.  There are no cases of COVID-19 connected to Brooklands Primary School at this time.

• Bye Bye Book Week!

  Mon 09 Mar 2020

   

  What a week in Brooklands Primary School! We went book-crazy and boy, did we have a ball! We brought everything together on Friday past (6th) with a 'Finale' whole school assembly where Alan from the PSNI was our Secret Storyteller, we awarded prizes to our 'Reading Heroes' of the week and thanked staff and Pupil Councillors for all their hard work!

   

  Thank you to all our parents and friends who encouraged pupils to take part in everything that was going on last week - the Book Swap, the Pyjama Party, the dressing-up day, Extreme Expression competition and anything and everything related to the wonderful world of books!

   

  Next stop...Wednesday 29th April...the visit of the UK Children's Laureate, Mrs Cressida Cowell, author of the 'How to Train your Dragon' series"!

  More details soon!

  

• Eden becomes our Book Week superstar on EA TV!

  Fri 06 Mar 2020

  On Monday afternoon, our very own Eden from P7S/D headed to Antrim to record a review of her favourite book "The Story of Tracy Beaker" for EA TV!  Along with seven other P7 pupils who were selected from across Northern Ireland, Eden delivered her book review in front of the television cameras for Newsdesk and it is now available for everyone to watch by clicking here!

   

  Pupils can vote for their favourite book out of the seven which were reviewed and we are delighted to see that Eden's choice is currently in the lead!  Well done, Eden - we are very proud of you!

  

• What a World Book Day!

  Thu 05 Mar 2020

   

  Oh how we've smiled, laughed, listened, danced, sang and most of all READ so much this fine day! Brooklands celebrated World Book Day in the only way we know how...with a huge celebration and a massive party! Hundreds of excitable pupils of all ages enjoyed a real whopper of a day in school with a Reading Celebration for P1, P2 & P3 (guest reader was Mr Henry Junior - the younger brother of our own one!), a memorable flash mob song and dance in the playground to 'Gotta Keep Reading' (to the theme of 'I Gotta Feeling') followed by an outstanding array of talented readers in the P4-7 Extreme Expression competition, with guest judges and school retirees Mrs Gray and Mr McCartney!

  Thanks to all our parents and guardians who helped with so many fantastic costumes from the familiar to the downright bizarre!

  Amongst the staff we saw princesses, pirates, superheroes, witches, wizards, a dragon and even a 'Thing'?!? 

   

  Well done Brookies - YOU ARE SIMPLY THE BEST! *Keep scrolling for a mountain of photos!*

  

• The Big Brookies Book Week is underway!

  Mon 02 Mar 2020

   

  Our second Brooklands Book Week kicked off today in celebratory style with a whole school assembly and a most welcome Secret Storyteller...our former principal Mr McCartney! Mr Henry gave everyone an overview of the many wonderful events arranged for this school week, with a few teacher games thrown in for good measure (that dreaded Spinny Wheel was back again!). 

   

  Mr McCartney read a fantastic story about filling up the imaginary buckets of those around us with friendship, kindness and positivity - a wonderful message for adult and pupil alike! He then continued his morning of Secret Storytelling with a visit to some P6 classes where he received a typically warm welcome!

   

  Already, some classes have begun their week of 'Roving Reading', where older pupils read aloud to younger pupils and vice versa. Some of Mr Henry's P7 pupils visited the P1s today and read aloud in groups and at the front of the P1 classrooms. What a brilliant start!

   

  Eden Dalzell (P7S/D) headed off to Antrim with her mum and Mrs Smart this afternoon to film her own book review for EATV, an online network accessible on school computers. She practised her witty, honest and very personal review in front of the whole school today and we await her review going LIVE online to every school in Northern Ireland this Thursday! What a wonderful ambassador for our school - well done Eden - we can't wait to see you on the 'net!

   

  Tomorrow it's Book Swap Day for the whole school - give a book and take a book - no money needed! 

   

  Don't forget the P1, P2, P3 Pyjama Party Wednesday night at 5.45 - 7.15 (a sell-out - ticket only) AND of course WORLD BOOK DAY itself on Thursday - dress up as your favourite book character!

   

  The best is yet to come....don't miss a single thing!

   

  MH