Newsletters

Hopefully the children have shared with you at home , how we are approaching liturgies and assemblies in school.

The usual whole school liturgy, is now classroom based in individual bubbles. The children cover on a weekly basis, the themes of Sundays  Gospel .

In an effort to reach out to the whole school. there is still a Friday assembly, but with a difference. This is now done from my office and all classes access this !

To date a number of themes have been covered during this assemblies ..Kindness..friendship and hope... This is all part of our recovery plan - to make sure that children feel a real sense of belonging to our school family.

Last week was the first week, that we mentioned our "golden children," the ones that had gone over and above both in terms of effort and achievement .Each teacher shared something about the special child from each class and it was lovely to then share this with the whole school.

Last weeks golder children :

Nursery - Gabriel - for always trying really hard and Jonah for always being a fantastic friend.

Reception - Antoni - who is simply good, in every single way !

Y1 - Eliza - Who always tries very hard and always does her very best !

Y2 -Oliver - for excellent phonics work and beautiful handwriting.

Y3 -Sophie - for writing a lovely piece about love (you can have a look at this at the end of the newsletter)

Y4 - Dominic - For always doing the right thing.

Y5 - Nimra - For participating well in maths all week.

Y6 - Katelin - For making a brilliant start to Y6 and for showing real determination.

This week has been another fantastic one in school . The children as always have worked incredibly hard and it really is a delight to feel "normal," school business carrying on during these uncertain times. Children are resilient , but here at St Josephs they never fail to impress !

This weeks golden children :

Nursery : Mason - for being really grown up and coming into school all week without getting upset. He has also been an absolute star in maths meetings.

Reception - Rico - for being a superstar in phonics and trying his very best.

Y1 - LH , who has been fantastic with sign language, both in her music lessons and also for National Poetry Day - when learning We're going on a bear hunt.

Y2 - Isaac - for asking very thought provoking questions.

Y3 - Ollie - for lovely writing and also for being a very kind friend.

Y4 - Megan - For always trying hard and persevering.

Y5- Ava - For being amazing all week and for always being an excellent role model to the rest of the school.

Y6- Francisco - for his hard work and determination and for always being a great friend to everyone.

 As you know from the week beginning Monday 5^th October we will be having parents’ evening for Reception to Year 6 (Nursery will have theirs next half term – details to follow)

Due to the current restrictions, the meetings will be carried out via Google Meet. You will receive booking information by Friday 2nd  of October. We will then publish the link for you to follow a few minutes before your time. You will then wait for the teacher to let you into the meeting.

This is a ten minute meeting, to discuss how your child has settled back into the school routine.

If you have not used Google Meet before please follow this link for a short demonstration on how to join a Google Meet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg3YC0P80LM

Google Meet can be used on any device but you may need to download the Google Meet app if using a mobile phone or tablet. Please get in touch if you need help with this.

Hidden Treasure

Like many people today, Jesus faced rejection. From His friend Judas who betrayed Him, from the religious leaders who didn’t like His teachings and from the crowd who called for His death over the murderer Barabbas.

In the week commencing 10^th October, we shall share a film with the  children to highlight  that even in people who seem to be rejected by society, we can find hidden treasure.

Click to play the film below, and then why not discuss it with your child.

www.tentenresources.co.uk/parent-newsletter/

In the film, ‘Hidden Treasure’, the people who rejected the gift from the homeless man missed out on the most delicious fruit, just like many people missed out on recognising Jesus’ true identity as the Son of God when He was on earth.

Children will hear that sometimes we don’t recognise the value in others, simply because they are different from us. We might turn away from them, causing them to be rejected or excluded. 

Sometimes we may want to welcome the weak or the vulnerable, perhaps because we feel sorry for them, or we think we may be in their position someday and imagine what it would be like if we were them.

These are not bad reasons to show compassion and kindness, but children heard that Jesus offers a greater reason to treat vulnerable people as our brothers and sisters: because Jesus is living in them, just as He is living in us.

Why not take a moment to discuss with your child how you might reach out to the vulnerable in your community?

The Rosary

In the Catholic tradition, October is ‘the month of the rosary’. In the words of Saint.John Paul II:

"To pray the rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and His Mother; the rosary does indeed 'mark the rhythm of human life', bringing it into harmony with the 'rhythm' of God's own life, the joyful communion of the Holy Trinity, our life destiny and deepest longing."

Long-term friend of Ten Ten, the sadly now departed Fr. Digby Samuels, said the following:

“Countless generations have found the rosary a sure-fire way of letting Jesus and Mary into their lives, growing in faith and closeness to them, and a powerful way of praying for others. 

“If you're someone who possesses a rosary but, for whatever reason, have stopped using it or have never done so, why not make a fresh start? Grandparents, and some parents, may remember a time when it was the custom every day to gather to pray the rosary as a family. For some this was an experience that became an important part of their faith journey; for others the memory is not that positive perhaps because it was 'rattled' through at great speed or because the presence of each child was far from voluntary!  Whatever your past experience of the rosary, here’s some guidance on how to pray it and why it could enrich your family life.”

How to pray the Rosary

As many will know, the main part of the rosary is divided into parts or 'mysteries': the Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Glorious, and Mysteries of Light. Each of these 'mysteries' is divided into five 'decades' (ten beads), usually following one 'Our Father' and ending with 'Glory be'. All are taken from sacred scripture and tradition, and encompass our main beliefs in who Jesus Christ is and what he's done for us. All involve Our Lady, Jesus's mother Mary, in some way or another. When we pray the rosary we're invited to see Jesus with the eyes of Mary and to be drawn into his divine life. As Mary was closer to Jesus in his life on earth than anyone else she points the way for us and shows us that we, the Church, God's family on earth, are also called to be like her eventually in the glory of heaven but also in our lives here on earth.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph knew about family life first hand; they knew about being displaced (the flight into Egypt soon after Jesus's birth ); they knew about conflict (when Jesus, as a teenager, was lost and when found by Mary and Joseph, he implied that he now had to make his Father's will a priority). If our family life includes similar tensions and more we can be sure that real help and support is right there in the prayer that is the rosary. Placing our trust in the Lord, we are sure to find a way through what seems humanly impossible.

The Joyful Mysteries

Ten Ten has prepared a resource for praying the rosary with children. Click here to access it:

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/2020-10-parents-joyful-mysteries/

Catch Up Curriculum

I am sure that you have all seen in the media, that there will be a "catch up curriculum," to help children close the gaps, that may have occurred during lock down.

At St Josephs, we have taken a number of steps to try and accelerate our children's learning, to ensure they get to where they need to be.

Phonics - Phonics has always been a priority in school . This will continue to be the case . Prior to breaking up for the summer we purchased the RWI (Read Write Inc) phonics programme. All staff have been trained in the use of this - and already it has been  fantastic  to see teachers and children enjoying this.

Fisher Family Trust -All Teaching assistants are currently being trained in the use of this reading intervention. This will then be used with small groups of children across the school.

Abridged Maths Curriculum - Maths Mastery have ensured that the maths curriculum for each year group reinforces key concepts that may have been missed during lockdown. In this way the children will have a firm foundation on which to build their maths understanding and knowledge.

Small group interventions - As you know we haven't formally assessed the children yet - this is something that will be done next term, giving the children time to settle and receive face to face teaching. Some children will require additional booster sessions , to help them to catch up. These will start prior to the half term holiday.

We have also expressed an interest in a number of DFE led initiatives and are yet to receive a response .

This is something that we shall obviously be monitoring closely and will adapt and develop to meet the needs of our learners.