School News

Dates for your Diary

Tuesday 7^th March – Friday 10^th March	Book Fair in the Joan Lingard Library
Wednesday 8^th March	School closed at 12.15pm Year 9 Online Parental Consultation 1pm-3.30pm
Tuesday 14^th March	School Health visit
Friday 17^th March	School closed for Staff Training
Tuesday 21^st March	School closed at 12.15pm Year 8 Online Parental Consultation 1pm-3.30pm
Friday 31^st March	Spring Term ends for all at 12.15pm
Monday 17^th April	Summer Term begins
Monday 1^st May	May Day Bank Holiday
Thursday 4^th May	Final Day Years 12 & 13
Friday 5^th May	Final Day Year 14
Monday 8^th May	Coronation Bank Holiday
Monday 29^th May	School closed for Staff Training
Tuesday 30^th May – Monday 5^th June	Summer Examinations

Industrial Action

Thank you for your understanding and support as teaching unions took strike action last month. At time of writing, we have no firm information regarding potential further action, but will pass any news on to you as soon as it is received.

Year 9 Parental Consultation

Our Year 9 parental consultation will be held online next Wednesday. Parents of pupils involved will be contacted directly. Please note that School will close at 12.15pm, after period 5. A bus to Comber will be available at 12.30pm from the usual halt. Pupils travelling to Newtownards should take a service bus.

Staffing News

Dr Hazel Khamanra finishes her time in Bloomfield tomorrow (Friday 3^rd March). She leaves to take up post as lecturer on the PGCE course at Queen’s University. We know that she will be missed, and wish her well as she embarks on her new journey. Our new Head of Physics takes up post on Monday 17^th April, when Mrs Lynn Wallace will be joining us from Strathearn School. In the meantime, staff timetables will be adjusted to ensure teaching and revision continues, with Dr Khamanra kindly agreeing to set work and keep in contact with examination classes via MS Teams until the Easter break.

We are delighted to be able to share with you that our new Vice-Principal, Mrs Ashleigh Thomson, will be taking up her role from 1^st June. Mrs Thomson joins us from the position of Deputy Headteacher at Priory School, Portsmouth. She is looking forward to working as part of the leadership team, and alongside governors, colleagues, pupils and parents/carers at Bloomfield Collegiate School.

Thank you

We are very aware that we are all in the midst of difficult economic times. The Governors and staff of our school are united in continuing to deliver the best quality educational experience for our pupils in a dire financial landscape, and we can only do so with your ongoing support. So far this year, your voluntary contributions have allowed us to replace outdated projectors with smart screens and TV displays, employ specialist coaches in PE and Games lessons and pay entrance and affiliation fees for a broad range of extra-curricular activities.

Unfortunately, it is likely that we will become ever more reliant on your generosity. If you have not yet made a voluntary contribution to school funds and would like to do so, this can be done via your ParentPay account. If you have any queries, please contact Mrs Craig in our Finance Office or email finance@bloomfield.belfast.ni.sch.uk.

Kind regards,