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National Poetry Day was celebrated by pupils at Kirkinriola Primary School today, Thursday 3rd October 2024.
In August 2024, Mrs Crawford, our school Literacy Leader delivered some excellent Poetry training with all of our teaching and non-teaching team. Everyone left feeling really enthused and teachers have been exploring different poems in classes throughout the school.
We also have plans to create and release a Kirkinriola Primary School poetry book to mark this 95th Anniversary year of our wonderful school so watch this space.
Poetry can have hugely significant benefits to children's mental wellbeing, confidence, aptitude for learning and their ability to develop empathy
Recent research by the National Literacy Trust in to Children, young people and poetry in 2024 found that:
- Almost 1 in 2 (48.8%) 8 to 16-year-olds are currently engaging with poetry in some form – whether reading, writing, listening to or performing it – meaning that over half are missing out on the benefits.
- Children and young people who read, watch or listen to poetry identified significant benefits for their wellbeing, confidence, aptitude for learning and empathy.
- Interestingly, more children and young people who receive free school meals say they engage with poetry in their free time than their peers who do not receive free school meals, both in terms of consuming (32.6% vs 20.9%) and creating (18.3% vs 11.3%) poetry.
- There is a significant decline in interest among older children, with only 1 in 6 (17.3%) young people aged 14 to 16 engaging in their free time compared with 1 in 2 (48.7%) of those aged 8 to 11.
Therefore, we would also encourage you to take time to enjoy and share poems with your child.
This might be by:
- Sharing your favourite poem or asking family members to tell you about their favourites.
- Reciting a poem from memory that you learned in your childhood.
- Sing or say traditional rhymes together. (National Literacy Trust have an excellent bank of songs and rhymes available here: https://wordsforlife.org.uk/themes/songs-and-rhymes/ )
Cancer Focus NI and the Minister for Health, Minister Nesbitt visited us today to teach pupils about sun safety.
Every class engaged in Sun Scientist workshops.
Click here to find out more about the Minister's visit to Kirkinriola Primary School Today.
A big thank you to Mr Wray from Wrays Funeral Directors, Antrim for kindly donating 120 Easter eggs for out Easter hunt next week.
The children will have great fun finding them around the school.
P4/5 had an amazing time visiting EA Magilligan Field Centre, Magilligan Point Beach and Martello Tower. They measured the wind speed and light strength at different points to decide where best to place renewable energy sources like wind turbines and solar panels. They combed the beach for shells and made beach art and then explored Martello Tower.
Well done to the P5 girls who took part in the girls Tag Rugby bonanza at Eaton Park. Your behaviour was exemplary and you did us proud! A special try was scored which was the icing on the cake! 🏉
We celebrated Chinese New Year with our Shared Education partners St. Paul's Primary School.
We had a blast watching amazing performances, dressing in Chinese clothes, hearing Chinese stories, making Chinese crafts, playing a Chinese instrument and sampling Chinese food.
P1-3 Shared Education with St. Paul's today. The children were creating lots of patterns and rockets during their Computational Thinking session.
P4/5 Shared Education outdoor session today had a Computational Thinking theme. Children were creating algorithms for their partners to complete an obstacle course, building a den, playing snakes and ladders and line football. Some amazing team work everyone, well done!
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Kirkinriola Primary School, 5 Clougher Road, Ballymena, BT43 6TB | Telephone: 028 25644959 E: info@kirkinriolaps.ballymena.ni.sch.uk
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