St Conor's shines during successful Road Safety Week

ST Conor’s Primary School and Nursery Unit, Brookmount Road, Omagh, celebrated a hugely successful Road Safety Week on Thursday and Friday, turning important safety messages into fun, memorable learning for all pupils.

The school was delighted to welcome Rachel Harkness from the local PSNI, who shared vital year-round safety tips with every class. Pupils from Primary 4 were fascinated as she demonstrated reflective clothing and glow-in-the-dark strips, showing how they light up when illuminated by headlights. Her visit helped children understand why fluorescent jackets and vests are essential - whether walking home from school, cycling, or even helping out on the farm.

Rachel also emphasised the importance of car safety, reminding pupils to always wear their seatbelts correctly and to travel in the back seat on a booster seat until they are 135cm tall or 11 years old, as required by law.

Linking her talk to the Year 4 novel The Hodgeheg, Rachel guided pupils through the Green Cross Code - Stop, Look, Listen - and highlighted the need to use zebra crossings, traffic lights, traffic islands, and lollipop patrols. She also encouraged safe cycling habits, including the correct use of helmets.

A heartfelt thank-you went to Rachel for her engaging and informative presentation, which helped pupils appreciate just how important road safety is in their daily lives.

The school also extended warm thanks to Andy from Network Auto Store, Omagh, for generously donating reflective bands and a reflective tie-bag for every pupil - a thoughtful gift that will help children stay visible during darker mornings and evenings.

To round off Road Safety Week, the Year 4 class joined community police officer Rachel and several parents at Hamilton’s Spar on Tamlaght Road, where they began their morning with a safe, supervised walk to school. The stroll offered the perfect opportunity for pupils to put their newly learned skills into practice, all while enjoying fresh winter air and friendly conversations along the way.

St. Conor’s expressed sincere gratitude to Hamilton’s Spar for hosting the group and to Rachel for accompanying the children and reinforcing their learning in such a meaningful way.

"The initiative was a great success and is set to happen again. Not only did it reinforce vital road safety skills, but it also gave pupils a healthy start to the day and importantly, helped reduce traffic congestion at the school gates.

"Staff hope parents will consider taking turns to walk their children to school in groups from a designated drop-off point. The pupils are certainly on board - they loved their walk and can’t wait to do it again," said school principal, Katherine McGettigan.

With Road Safety Week now wrapped up, the school encouraged everyone to keep the momentum going by practising safe walking habits daily and reminding one another how essential road safety is for all.