Headteachers Blog
At St. Joseph’s, our children are at the centre of everything we do.
We value the support and input of our families hugely and place great importance on the collaborative effort between school and home, in ensuring our children achieve the best they can.
I believe in working in partnership with parents to create a welcoming school community that is inclusive for all.
The idea behind my Head Teacher Instagram page, our school Facebook page and my weekly parental newsletters is to promote partnership between the school, our children and all parents and to highlight our engagement in whole school community activities, which support the education and welfare of the pupils.
I will be updating this page with the latest newsletter each week. You can also find copies of our past newsletters on our newsletters page.
I will also be uploading our Wednesday Word newsletter each week. You can find copies of this newsletter in our Catholic Life section.
Miss D. Buckley, Head Teacher
17th January 2020
This week we have been discussing kindness, and how important it is to be kind to others. We have been carrying out random acts of kindness in school and at home. Remember kindness is helping the world, one person at a time. Mother Teresa said “kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
2020 is the 10th anniversary of Verbum Domini – Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation on ‘The Word of the Lord’ and the 1,600th anniversary of St Jerome’s death. These dates have inspired the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales to dedicate 2020 as a year of focus on the Bible and ‘The God Who Speaks’.
Throughout the year we will have a different monthly focus to help explore our three themes; celebrating, living and sharing God's word. Below is the official prayer for the year of the word. Please say it at home with your children and offer up for your own intentions.
Prayer for Year of the Word
Living God,
you walk alongside us
and speak to us throughout the Scriptures.
Your Son, Jesus Christ, listens to our hopes and fears
and shows us how to live for one another.
Send us the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds
so that we may be your witnesses throughout the world. Amen
Your word is our path and your truth is our light.
This day and every day.
Our Lady of the Annunciation
Pray for us
St Matthew
Pray for us
St Jerome
Pray for us
Maths News
On Wednesday, children from Year 5 represented the school in a National Maths competition. Emmanuel, Basil, Charles and Sartaaj formed the team competing against over 300 other teams for a place in the final of 'The National Young Mathematicians' Awards'. Adults that went with them were not allowed to aid them in any way at all. The boys worked well as a team to complete the challenge in good time. However, the challenge was more about how well they worked through the problem and not about speed!
We will find out whether or not they have made it through to the final in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted on any news we receive.
Film Night
We will be holding a film night for the children next Friday from 3.45 – 6.30pm.
There will be two different films: one for the older and one for the younger children.
If you would like your child to attend Film Night please send £5 (includes evening meal and pudding) in a named envelope via your child's satchel or through the office by Wednesday afternoon.
Bookings after this time will not include the evening meal.
On the day there will be a Tuck Shop and a Fairtrade stall selling a variety of goodies costing either 50p or £1.
Note there will be NO multiskills club on this day.
Year 3 Assembly
Our Year 3 Assembly will be on 31st January at 9am. All welcome.
LAMDA Exams
The LAMDA exams will be on Saturday 1st February in the school hall.
Chinese New Year
Our School Council will be attending the Chinese New Year celebrations at Woodville Halls on 4th Feb at 11 am.
Mrs Hofford
Mrs Hofford will be leaving us for a new role on Friday 24th January. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Mission Statement Working Party
I have spent time with the staff writing a new mission statement for our school. I would really like some parent input. Please sign up at the office if you are interested in coming in one day for an hour or two to put your ideas forward. I will provide coffee and cake!
Young Voices
Our Chamber Choir are singing at Young Voices at the O2 on Monday 3rd February. Please use the link you were sent for the children to practise their songs.
Careers Day
We will be holding a Careers Day in the summer term. If you know anyone who would like to come in and do a workshop or if you would like to volunteer, please let the office know.
Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex recycling
You might be forgiven for thinking that empty crisp packets are worthless trash only fit for the bin, but for the Air Ambulance they are a valuable commodity! The crisp packet recycling scheme - instigated by AAKSS volunteer and fundraiser Adam Hunter, forms part of a recycling scheme set up by Terracycle and Walkers crisps, although all brands of crisp packet can be accepted, including the multipack outer packaging.
Once collected, the crisp packets are separated by plastic type, cleaned, and extruded into plastic pellets to make new recycled products. This ingenious scheme allows the charity to earn points for the waste they recycle. Once credited, the points can be redeemed as financial donations by the Air Ambulance Service.
Our School Council wanted to get involved in helping the wider community and when they heard they could help the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance by eating crisps and collecting the packets - they were straight on board!
Our representatives made posters that are displayed around the school and held an assembly to promote their initiative. Our collection box is situated by the dining hall and all children are encouraged to save their crisp packets. In our last School Council Meeting, the children were very excited to empty the collection box and collate the crisp packets ready to send off their first donation to the Air Ambulance.
Please send in any crisp packets you use, it would be greatly appreciated.
We also collect used postage stamps for the same service.
School Calendar
The early May bank holiday in 2020 will move from Monday 4 May to Friday 8 May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.