During our recent Maths Week, themed 'Maths, No Problem,' there was an exciting buzz throughout our school as pupils engaged in various maths-related activities. The week was filled with challenges, daily maths puzzles, and jokes that brought fun and excitement to the subject.
St. Colmcille’s Primary School had the privilege of hosting professionals from various careers. They visited many classrooms to show our pupils how maths is applied in their everyday work to solve real-world problems.
Year 1 had a visit from a pilot, Mr. Kieran Chappel, who explained how he uses maths to ensure the safety of passengers before every flight.
Year 2 received a visit from nurse, Ciara McCaul. She demonstrated the importance of maths in healthcare, using scales, measuring tapes, and syringes in her work.
Year 2/3 welcomed NIE Engineer, Chris Surgeoner, who explained how he ensures everyone has electricity by solving problems and calculating sums. In addition, the pupils visited a local Credit Union bank in Ballymena and discovered how currency exchange works.
Year 3 had a visit from Sinead Hamill, a midwife, and a visit from Dr. Aaron Niblock. The pupils learned about measuring medicine and counting blood cells, connecting it to their Capacity topic.
Year 4 pupils met Linda Gillen, a hairdresser, who discussed how maths is used in mixing hair dyes and managing time in her profession. They also had a visit from Peter Connon, an accountant, who emphasised the importance of basic maths skills in financial transactions.
Year 5 pupils had visits from the estate agents, Johnny and Scott who explained how they calculate property values. The pupils participated in activities involving measurements. They also received a visit from a fitness instructor, Scott McGarry where he explained about math's role in creating workout plan. David Hume from the Braid Art Centre also visited Year 5 where he connected maths to Democracy.
Year 6 had the opportunity to tour Lidl's Distribution Centre, where they assessed produce and learned about measurements. They also had a visit from a Global IT Trainer who engaged them in a hands-on maths activity related to product pricing and profit calculation.
Year 7 welcomed Timothy Roddy, an engineer, and Jonathan Mitchell, a Spar manager. They learned about math's importance in retail operations and engineering. Tim used real-life word problems to teach the pupils about manufacturing engineering.
All pupils from Years 1 to Year 7 had the opportunity to learn from A Level students from St. Louis’ Grammar School, who taught them various maths concepts and conducted quizzes. The pupils participated in activities like identifying shapes, multiplication and division facts, maths escape rooms, measuring, and problem-solving.
Year 4-7 students attended a Sentinus workshop named 'Fun with Maths,' where they worked in groups to solve challenging problems. They also competed in a Times Tables Rockstars Battle to test their quick recall of times tables.
The week concluded with all pupils wearing maths-themed hats they designed themselves. Year 1-3 pupils displayed their favourite numbers or math themes, while Year 4-7 pupils presented maths puzzles on their hats for their peers to solve.
Throughout the week, teachers observed pupils working together, solving problems, and applying mathematical knowledge. The outstanding pupils received a Magnificent Mathematician award during a whole-class assembly.
We extend our thanks to the professionals who took the time to visit our school, making Maths Week an enriching and memorable experience for our pupils.
