Dear Parents
Isn’t it great news that the national COVID guidance is relaxing from Monday 17th May? For all families and staff, it is great to feel that there is an end in sight. The new guidance for schools is not yet significantly different, but we are planning to make some small amendments to outside arrangements from after half-term. This will help us to maximise learning time for the children and support logistics for families. Please keep an eye out next week for further details!
Congratulations to Red Class who have participated in their first school Mission Week this week! Well done to all of you for your lovely class assembly today – we were very proud of you for using big voices and super smiles! Red Class have been thinking about creation and have planted what seems like a whole allotment worth of produce which is growing impressively – we are looking forwards to seeing the fruits of their labours through the summer and on into the Autumn Term. Good luck to Orange Class whose first Mission Week will be next week!
A huge well done also to our Year 1 children who read and sang at their first whole school Mass this week. They really impressed us, helping Fr Bill to celebrate Mass for the great Feast of the Ascension yesterday. At a staff meeting this week, we reflected on the words from the children’s YouCAT, “Christians say Jesus ascended into heaven. That does not mean that Jesus simply disappeared or took a journey into space… It’s not a way as we know it here on earth… It’s a way from time into eternity.. from the visible into the invisible…” Fr Bill explained it to the children in a similar way – going from the dark into the Light of God, just like St John Henry Newman (and therefore our school prayer) says: Lead kindly light – Lord Jesus lead me on.
We are very lucky to have both Fr. Bill and Fr. Richard to support our children in school. Fr. Richard is coming in next week to talk to our Year 3 children about their first confessions and we will be working with our Year 3 children in school supporting their understanding of their First Holy Communion.
On Wednesday of this week, Year 6 children and staff presented at school looking just a bit different – their topic is World War Two and they dressed as children from that era. You may have seen the Home Front Bus at pick-up – the children had workshops and really developed their historical understanding of air raid shelters, rations and life in the 1940s. (Photos below) Now that residential trips are once more permitted, Year 6 are looking forward to going to Henley Fort on an evacuee experience after half-term.
It is great to see so many children cycling and scooting to school. Please make sure bikes and scooters are pushed (not ridden) on school premises and especially that cyclists walk (not ride) out of the school gates, so that our school community (pedestrians, scooters, bikes and cars) are all kept safe and in piece! Thank you!
Next week will bring more excitement for all classes with the PSHE work from the Life Bus, as well as Bikeability for Year 6. This half-term has been particularly busy for staff and pupils as they adjust to the former pace of learning and really take advantage of the good weather and the learning opportunities we have previously missed. Children are loving being back in school and are certainly enjoying the social interaction, as well as the structure and routine of the classroom. It is nevertheless tiring for them and we hope they will have the opportunity for some relaxation and some downtime over the weekend.
We wish you all a very happy weekend.
Catherine Burnham
Headteacher
