Harper's Shield - Football tournament

A brilliant day out for our football team. An excellent start from the boys with two wins and draw, coming out top in the group stage. We then faced a strong Knockahollet side in the semi-final but came out on top with a 1-0 win. A well-deserved spot in the final against Crossroads. Sitting with a draw for the majority of the game, unfortunately a late goal from Crossroads allowed them to take the win. We are so pleased for the boys, getting to the final and representing our school so well! Excellent football and sportsmanship. Well done boys! Thanks to Mrs Peden for her work and encouragement for the football team throughout the year.

Shared Education Trip to the Ulster Transport Museum

Our trip to the Ulster Transport Museum was a fantastic day of learning and fun for everyone! Pupils explored impressive exhibitions showcasing the history of transport in Northern Ireland, from vintage trains and buses to iconic cars and aircraft. The hands‑on displays sparked curiosity and encouraged discussion, bringing history and technology to life outside the classroom. Everyone enjoyed discovering how travel has changed over time, and the galleries made it easy to explore and learn together. It was a memorable, engaging experience that inspired questions, excitement, and plenty of smiles all round!

This project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Table Tennis Success at South Lakes, Craigavon

Pupils enjoyed a fantastic day of table tennis at South Lakes, Craigavon, with excellent performances across the year groups. Minnie was awarded first place in the P6 First Constellation Group, after playing with great determination and sportsmanship. In the P7 Girls’ Constellation Group, Izabelle played superbly to be the winner in the P7 Girls Constellation Group. In the P7 Boys’ competition, Toby showed real skill and resilience, defeating Luke in the quarter-finals and going on to be awarded second place overall. Well done to all pupils for representing the school with such distinction. Many thanks to the support from parents for table tennis throughout the year, including transport to the events in Craigavon.

P1-3 Shared Education

P1-3 have enjoyed all their Shared Education activities this term with our friends from St Patrick’s Primary School. This project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

During the sessions in our schools, we have been music makers and learnt lots of fascinating facts about minibeasts. The highlight of our Shared Education activities was a joint trip to W5. We split into two groups and enjoyed the exhibition that W5 offers. We completed different activities in a workshop to help us learn about our senses. Thank you to the staff at W5 for all the activities and hands-on learning in both schools and for facilitating our trip. We are looking forward to lots more adventures with St Patrick’s in the years ahead.

P6/7 Fairtrade Fundraiser for Oxfam

Our P6/7 pupils have been busy making a positive difference in our global community! As part of their learning about Fairtrade and social responsibility, they organised a special Fairtrade shop at breaktime to raise money for Oxfam.

The pupils planned, prepared, and ran the event themselves—baking delicious Fairtrade buns and selling Fairtrade bananas to pupils and staff. Their hard work, teamwork, and commitment to supporting farmers around the world helped raise valuable funds for Oxfam’s vital projects.

Well done to all our young entrepreneurs for showing kindness, creativity, and global citizenship in action! Many thanks to Mrs. Wright who organised the project, along with the support from Mrs. Hutchinson and Mr. Peter Hutchinson.

Oxfam sent this letter of thanks, along with delicious chocolate bars for everyone.

Easter Assembly Awards

Congratulations to these children who received certificates for Accelerated Reading and Reading Eggs. Special assembly awards were also given out for Being Kind and Caring, Success and Using Great Vocabulary. Pupils who got their targets with 100% accuracy and also those with a significant number of points above their targets, received special awards.

We were also delighted to be able to present special prizes to Luke and Archie after they won a competition to create a book, including some German vocabulary after a workshop with a German author.

Well done everyone!

Table Tennis Regional Finals

Our school table tennis team delivered a fantastic performance at the Regional Finals this week. All players showed great determination, skill and teamwork throughout the competition.

A huge congratulations to Toby, who was crowned U12 Champion, showcasing incredible focus and consistency in every match. We are equally proud of Minnie, who achieved a brilliant 2nd place in the U10 category, demonstrating excellent technique and sportsmanship.

Well done to the whole team for representing the school so proudly! Many thanks for Frank for all the help he has given and to Mrs. Armstrong for taking the pupils.

Easter Parents' Assembly

Our school community came together this week for a joyful Easter Assembly, attended by parents, grandparents and friends. The children shone throughout the morning as they sang beautifully, shared a thoughtful poem, and performed an engaging drama that captured the meaning and message of Easter.

We were delighted to welcome Mrs. Eve McMullan from Scripture Union, who shared a special address with the children, adding depth and reflection to our celebration.

A highlight of the assembly was a heartfelt presentation to Mr. Pat Reid, our dedicated EA bus driver, in recognition of his remarkable 28 years of service. We thank him sincerely for his commitment and care for our pupils over the years.

We were also delighted to present the Accelerated Reading Cup to Harvey and Thomas, for their effort and achievements in reading this term. Well done!

It was a truly uplifting event that showcased the talents of our pupils and the strength of our school community.

Class Treat - P6/7 Swimming

To celebrate the end of our swimming lessons this term, our class enjoyed a special treat. After weeks of building confidence in the water, practising new skills, and showing fantastic perseverance, everyone was thrilled to relax and enjoy a well-earned treat together. But this trip wasn’t just about having fun—it was also a great opportunity for real-world learning. Each child was given the chance to bring a small amount of money to spend. They explored:

  • Budgeting: choosing what they wanted while staying within their spending limit

  • Making decisions: comparing prices and thinking about value

  • Handling coins and notes

  • Checking their change to make sure they received the correct amount

These small but important experiences help children build independence and confidence with everyday numeracy skills. Well done to all of our swimmers—we’re so proud of how far you’ve come!

Titanic Presentation

P6/7 were intrigued by Mr. Ivan McClean’s presentation on the Titanic, after looking at this topic in W.A.U. He shared the story of a pastor, John Harpur, who was a passenger on the Titanic, along with his model. Many thanks to Mr. McClean for bringing this story to life.

Bibles for Children

P4-7 children were delighted to receive a beautiful hard backed bible each, thanks for ‘Bibles for Children’.  Mr Ivan McClean who arranged this for each child came to school to present the bibles to all children.  They will use the bible in school and then take their own bible home at the end of P7.

TinyLife Fundraiser

Please click here for more information. Please note: This event is not organised by or affiliated with Rasharkin Primary School. All enquiries should go to the event organisers.

Rasharkin PS Football Team

A huge well done to our football team who recently competed in both the Five‑a‑Side Tournament at Score and the Cup Final. The players showed fantastic teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout both events.

We’re incredibly proud of their hard work and brilliant performances!

World Book Day

Rasharkin Primary School was full of colour, creativity and excitement as we celebrated World Book Day! Pupils arrived dressed as their favourite book characters, showcasing a wonderful range of costumes inspired by much‑loved stories.

We were delighted to welcome the children from Rasharkin Community Playgroup, who joined us for a special storytelling session. Our P6/7 pupils took great pride in reading to the younger visitors, sharing their enthusiasm for books and helping to inspire a love of reading from an early age.

Our School Councillors also played a key role in the day by planning and delivering a fantastic Book Hunt. Pupils worked together to find book hidden throughout the school, making it a fun and engaging way to explore the world of books.

Throughout the day, classes took part in a variety of book‑themed activities—celebrating stories, imagination and the joy of reading.

It was a wonderful day of literacy, laughter and learning. Well done to everyone for getting involved!

Stay and Play Club Party

Yesterday we celebrated Mrs S. Calderwood’s final day at our Stay and Play Club (2–3pm) with a fun-filled party for our P1–3 children. The pupils enjoyed games, music, and treats as they marked the occasion and shared their thanks for all the care and enthusiasm Mrs Calderwood has brought to the club.

We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and the joy she has brought to our youngest learners. She will be greatly missed by pupils and staff alike, and we wish her all the very best for the future.

We are delighted that Mrs. Scott will take offer Stay and Play, enabling us to continue to offer this popular provision.

Football Team Success

Our school football team delivered an outstanding performance at this week’s tournament, winning every match and finishing undefeated. Even more impressively, the team did not concede a single goal throughout the entire competition — a testament to their exceptional defensive discipline and teamwork.

Beyond the results, the players demonstrated excellent team spirit, sportsmanship, and a positive attitude toward one another, representing the school with pride both on and off the pitch.

A huge congratulations to the whole squad — an amazing achievement, and many thanks to Mrs. Peden for all her encouragement and patience with the team.

Coleraine Music Festival 2026

P4-7 pupils had the opportunity to take part in Coleraine Music Festival. The pupils worked hard on two pieces to perform to an audience of parents, friends and other schools. The children sang two pieces. We had a fantastic morning and learnt a lot from the adjudicator, Mr. Johnathan Rea, who told us what he was looking for in the competition!. We waited nervously for our feedback and we were delighted with Second Place, losing out to first place by a mere mark! A score of 87 points and a Distinction rounded off a super morning trying something new and having fun! Well done boys and girls for all your hard work and effort in preparing for the competition and special thanks to Miss Rowe, Mrs. Kelso and Mrs. Arsmtrong for all their hard work in preparing the children.

Information for parents and carers on AI generated and manipulated images involving young people

The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI), Education Authority (EA) and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are issuing this joint letter to parents and carers via schools, colleges, youth clubs and other organisations working with children and young people. The letter highlights growing concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to create or manipulate harmful and sexualised images of young people.

Parents and carers are encouraged to speak with their children about safe online behaviour and to seek help if anything causes concern. Anyone affected by harmful or manipulated images, or involved in creating or sharing them, is urged to contact their school, college or youth club safeguarding lead, or the police.

Further advice is available on the Online Safety Hub, which includes guidance on AI and Emerging Technologies explaining the key safeguarding concerns to be aware of and how to respond. To assist professionals, the SBNI and partners have produced Child Sexual Abuse Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence: An Essential Guide for Professionals Who Work with Children and Young People.