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Castle Gardens Primary School, Newtownards
This week's newsletter is now online. Good morning I'm presenting at a conference this afternoon in Antrim so the newsletter is a bit earlier this week, so early in fact most of the news hasn't been added yet. I'll share again on Monday but in the mean time, have a great weekend. https://sway.cloud.microsoft/mmJiZ66SIWauIGkq?ref=Link
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P7 visit The Clandeboye Estate

21st Mar 2025

Yesterday P7 had a wonderful day out at The Clandeboye Estate. This was part 3 of the Shared Education programme that Ards and North Down Borough Council had organised for P7 pupils. We were joined by P7 pupils from Millisle Primary School. The sun shone all day for us and it proved to be a fun, informative day for all involved. Pupils were taken to the training site of the 36th Ulster Division and had the opportunity to try on some of the soldiers' uniforms and handle the weapons. Nicky Gilmore, the local historian who visited us at school at the start of this project, was on hand to fully inform us of what life would have been like as a soldier being trained.

We were also given a guided tour of Clandeboye House, which is a real hidden gem. This was the home to Lord Dufferin, who had travelled the world on behalf of Queen Victoria, as a peace negotiator. (This house is open to the public at various dates throughout the year and is definitely worth a visit!) Then pupils had an opportunity to play some Long Games out in the forest and in the Courtyard.

This has been a great programme for our P7s and has helped us all appreciate the huge sacrifice, from both sides of our community, that was paid for our freedom. Thanks again to Jonny Bell from ANDBC for organising this and for allowing Castle Gardens to be part of this.