Welcome to our News section!

• Susie Millar Visits P6 - The world's most renowned Titanic expert!!!

  Tue 23 Apr 2024
  

• P6 superstars enjoy their first residential at Greenhill YMCA!

  Mon 22 Apr 2024

  Our P6s have enjoyed their first-ever residential at Greenhill YMCA in Newcastle!

   

  Over the course of four days, our 62 intrepid adventurers tackled a range of challenges including bouldering, archery, zipline, team-building games and a blind trail and even managed to build their own campfire where we toasted marshmallows - bliss!

   

  Thank you to our dedicated staff team of Mrs Bell, Mr Massey, Mr Coetzee, Mrs Freeburn and Mrs S. Graham for giving up their time to allow our pupils to participate in such a unique experience.

  

• P7s - it's time to get your Leavers' photographs taken!

  Mon 22 Apr 2024

  P7 Leavers' photographs will be taken on Wednesday 24th April.  If you wish for your P7 child's photograph to be taken, please register with Cool for School Photography https://orders.coolforschoolphotography.com/register/?code=BrookiesP7 by following the instructions below (a larger version can be downloaded from our Letters page).  Registrations must be received by 7pm on Tuesday 23rd April.  Please note that these photographs are for P7 pupils only!  P7s should come to school in their school uniform for their P7 class photo but bring a change of clothes if they wish for their individual photographs.

  

• P7's super successful Share Village stay!

  Tue 16 Apr 2024

  28 of our P7 pupils headed west last week for the 85 mile trip to their residential at the Share Discovery Village in County Fermanagh! 🚌

   

  The outstanding group enjoyed a packed programme of canoeing, paddle boarding, banana boating, laser tag, bushcraft skills, orienteering, circus skills, t-shirt printing, team games and a nightline! 🛶🚤🌳🎪🧭

   

  They dodged the April showers, listened carefully, ate like kings and queens and slept soundly, all under the watchful eye of the terrific team of instructors and led by Mr Henry, Miss Steele & Mrs G Graham. 

   

  This group was singled out by staff for their fantastic manners, kind gestures & tidy chalet rooms - well done boys and girls! We're all so proud of you for representing Brooklands so well at a brand new residential experience for our school. 

   

  Huge thanks to the teachers for pressing 'pause' on real life to bring the pupils away AND to the absolutely fantastic staff at the Share Village - helpful, kind, encouraging & engaging, superb! 

  

• Vote for Brooklands Primary School in the Families First Education Awards!

  Thu 11 Apr 2024

  We are honoured to have been nominated for the School of the Year "Educator's Award" through Families First!

   

  A panel of judges will select the winning school based on the positivity of comments left by families and friends.

   

  To leave your comments and show Brooklands Primary School your support, please click here!  

  https://www.familiesfirstfinalists.com/brooklandsprimary

   

  Please share this link with friends and family to spread this great news!

   

  Go Team Brookies!  With your support, we can do this for our pupils, families and school community as a whole.

• Marvellous Money Week!

  Tue 26 Mar 2024

  We've been celebrating a fantastic Money Week at Brooklands Primary School!  Our P1-P3 classes took a deep dive into the world of finances with Milo's Money, learning the valuable lessons of spending and saving. From counting coins to understanding the importance of budgeting, their enthusiasm was truly inspiring! Meanwhile, our P4-P7 classes delved into thought-provoking themes like "Needs and Wants" and "Where does our money come from?" and had lots of fun designing their own coins for the "Bank of Brooklands"!

   

  Thank you to the Just Finance Foundation's LifeSavers programme for providing our teachers with such fantastic training and resources which will help our pupils to build healthy money skills and habits. 

  

• Parent/Carer Survey

  Wed 20 Mar 2024 N.McWilliams

  Dear Parents/Carers,

  At Brooklands Primary School we strive to nurture a positive ethos to ensure all our pupils achieve their full unique potential.

  As we review and evaluate the ethos of our school, we would value your opinion. We would appreciate it if you could complete a short questionnaire by clicking on the link below.

  Your feedback will be combined with that of the children, staff, and governors to inform the review of our ethos.

   

  Please complete by Wednesday 27^th March

  Thank you for your feedback.

   

  5=highest score   1= lowest score

   

  https://forms.office.com/e/UHyTwr8Tnv

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• WALK AND WHEEL!!!

  Tue 19 Mar 2024 CLASSEY

  Saddle up everyone!!!!!!!!!! Today starts the competition, between classes, to see who can have the most people walking or wheeling or scooting to school! Ditch the car! GOOD LUCK!

  

• Money Week is about to begin!

  Thu 14 Mar 2024

  It will soon be time for our Money Week which will run from Tuesday 19th – Monday 25th March.  This will be a themed event where every class does some work on issues related to money and financial capability.

   

  Financial Capability is part of the Northern Ireland Curriculum and is divided into three areas:

  1. Financial Knowledge and Understanding is about helping children to understand the concept of money.
  2. Financial Skills and Competence is about helping children to deal with day-to-day money management issues and to begin thinking about planning for the future.
  3. Financial Responsibility is about raising children’s awareness of the wider impact of money and personal finance decisions, not only on their own future, but on their family and community.

   

  The aim of our Money Week is to help children develop their understanding of money in a way which is most appropriate to their age and circumstances.  During the week, the children will be working on various activities and developing their understanding of money through discussions, role-play, practical mathematics activities, reading and writing.  

   

  Each year group will be looking at five key questions:

  • Where does our money come from?    
  • How does money make us feel? 
  • What can we use our money for?
  • How does our money help other people?
  • How can we look after our money?

   

  There are many ways in which you can help your child understand about money.  HSBC’s website https://moneyheroes.org.uk/ is a fantastic place to start with lots of games and activities for you and your child to look at together.  Ulster Bank’s website https://ulsterbankni.mymoneysense.com/parents/ provides activities to help your child develop essential savings skills and learn how to budget for future purchases.

   

  Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that, by working together, we can help our pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to manage their money in the future.
   

• Another brilliant Book Week!

  Mon 11 Mar 2024

  The whole school joined with the Brooklands Nursery team last week to celebrate Book Week!

   

  Pupils were able to celebrate reading, share stories, & listen and learn from a variety of authors & illustrators in classes, year groups and key stages during the special five-day event.

   

  The P1s and P7s became Book Week Buddies with a focus on a story called "The Lonely Book", written and illustrated by two cousins of P1 teacher Miss Wilson! The pupils read together, drew illustrations and shared them with each other, and listened to author Chris Sanders' answers to their questions via video - all the way from his home in New Zealand! They finished the week by coming together for a BEAR HUNT around the school grounds!

   

  P6 pupils visited St Mary's and Dundonald Baptist churches to read to senior citizens during the week, and had a Surprise Storyteller - former principal and Brooklands legend, Mr McCartney! 

   

  P5s enjoyed an afternoon of reading from the comfort of the Book Forts created under the desks in their classrooms. They also sampled a number of new books, restaurant-style, in a Book Tasting event.

   

  World Book Day was a mix of colourful costumes, remarkable readers and a sea of smiles as pupils and staff joined thousands across the UK for the annual celebration.

   

  It was a busy day around the school - kicked off for P1, P2 & P3 pupils by Mrs Smart and Peanut who made a guest appearance with a special story at their lively assembly.

   

  P7H visited Waterstones bookshop in Belfast city centre for a brilliant morning exploring, reading & buying books, while pupils from P7S popped into Towell House with Mrs Smart and Peanut to share stories & renew friendships. 

   

  Thank you to our fantastic teachers for planning such a range of excellent events & learning experiences all week long - and to parents & carers for the time consuming preparation ahead of today! (Well done to our Homemade Heroes too - go to Instagram Highlights to see them all get their prizes!)

   

  Next up - The Big Pedal (see previous News article by Mr Massey) and Money Week, starting Tuesday 19th March! 

   

  We're always up to something at Brooklands!