Newsletters

Welcome Back !

🌟 Welcome Back! 🌟

Welcome back to a brand-new school year!
We’re incredibly excited about the year ahead and are confident it’s going to be a fantastic one for everyone.

This year is even more special as we celebrate a major milestone:

🎉 150th Anniversary Celebration 🎉

We’re proud to be celebrating 150 years of St Joseph’s this term!
To mark the occasion, we will be holding a:

✨ Mass of Thanksgiving

🗓 Date: Monday, 22nd September
🕝 Time: 1:30pm
📍 Location: St Joseph's Church 

It would be wonderful to see as many of you there as possible to share in this special moment with us.

After the Mass, please join us back at school for refreshments – a lovely chance to gather as a community and celebrate together.

Here’s to a joyful, successful year ahead!

Fundraising in Our Anniversary Year

As we celebrate our anniversary, we are making a real effort this year to raise funds for a very special project – the creation of a Spiritual Space within our school grounds. This space will offer a calm and reflective environment for pupils, staff and visitors alike.

Work is already underway! Mr Exley has been hard at work levelling the area of the field where the Spiritual Space will be developed.

We look forward to keeping you updated as the project progresses and sharing how you can support this exciting addition to our school.

👩‍🏫 Meet the Teacher Sessions 👨‍🏫

Our Meet the Teacher sessions are a great opportunity for you to:

  • Meet your child’s new class teacher

  • Find out about the expectations for the year ahead

  • Ask any questions you may have

  • Share any important information about your child

  • And, of course, have a look around your child’s new classroom!

We really encourage you to come along — it’s a great way to start the year with clear communication and a shared understanding of how we can work together to support your child.

Tuesday 23rd September - Y3

Wednesday 24th September - Y5

Thursday 25th September - Y2

Friday 26th September - Y4

Monday 29th September Y6

Tuesday 30th September - Y1

Thursday 2nd October - Reception + Rec/KS1 Phonics 

 

🎨 Calling All Artists!

From September 1st to October 4th, the Christian family around the world comes together for the Season of Creation — a time of prayer and action to protect our common home. This year’s theme is:
“To Hope and Act with Creation.”

To mark this special season, we are holding an Art Competition!
We invite all children to paint, draw, or create a piece of artwork that shows their own understanding of this theme.

🗓 Entries should be handed to class teachers by Wednesday, 17th September.
🏆 There will be a prize for the winner in each class.

We can’t wait to see the creativity and imagination of our pupils shine through in celebration of this important season.

📽 CAFOD National Assembly

On Thursday 11th September, the CAFOD National Assembly for the Season of Creation will be launched and shared with schools across the UK.

Last year, we were honoured to be invited by CAFOD to narrate the assembly — and our then Year 5 pupils (current Y6) rose to the challenge brilliantly. They did an incredible job, and we are so proud of them all!

You can watch the assembly by following the link below:

https://cafod.org.uk/education/primary-teaching-resources/primary-school-assemblies/season-of-creation-assembly-for-ks2

 Stress is something we all experience – but for children and young people, it can feel especially overwhelming. This guide presents 10 simple, actionable strategies to help young people manage stress in a healthy and balanced manner. Whether it’s noticing early signs, encouraging open conversations, or modelling calm responses, there are plenty of ideas here to support positive change. 

Please make a note of the following key dates coming up this term.
Don't forget — the school website calendar is regularly updated, so be sure to check it for the most up-to-date information.

September 

  • Tuesday 2nd – First Day Back of the New School Year 
  • Friday 12th – Whole School Democracy Day 
  • Monday 22nd - 1:30pm - Thanksgiving Mass for our 150th Anniversary
  • W/C 22nd - Meet The Teacher Sessions 

October 

  • Thursday 2nd - Reception and KS1 Phonics Workshop
  • Tuesday 7th (pm) Harvest Festival in Church 
  • Thursday 16th - Parents Evening – Details to Follow
  • Tuesday 21st - Parents Evening – Details to follow
  • Wednesday 22nd - PTA Disco
  • Thursday 23rd - PTA Disco 
  • Friday 24th - Own Clothes day - £1 donation 
  • Half Term 27th October - 31st October 

November

  • Monday 3rd – Return to school
  • Saturday 8th - Open Morning For New Families 
  • Monday 17th – Assessment Week starts
  • Friday 28th - Blessing of the Advent Wreaths

December

  • Wednesday 10th - Infant Natvity - 2:15pm
  • Thursday 11th - Infant Nativity 10am 
  • Friday 12th – Reception Nativity 10am
  • Monday 15th - Elf Day 
  • Tuesday 16th - Carols in Church - 2pm
  • Wednesday 17th - Breakfast with Santa / Christmas Jumper Day /Parties 
  • Friday 19th - Last Day of Term - School ends at 1:30pm 

🌱 Seeds of Peace

This month, we invite our families  to take part in simple but meaningful activities, such as  planting seeds of peace.

Gather some small pots, a little compost, and easy-to-grow seeds such as sunflowers, lettuce, radish, or cress. As you plant, take a moment to reflect on the power of a seed. Though tiny, when given water and light, it can push through soil many times its own weight. We should never underestimate the power of a seed.

The Bible reminds us of this truth in James 3:18:
“Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.”

As you plant your seeds, think about the places in our world where God’s peace is needed. Give thanks to those who bring peace, and let your seeds be both a prayer for peace and a sign of your own commitment to let goodness grow in your life.