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
11th October 2019
It was great to see so many mad scientists around the school today. There were lots of fun activities and experiments! The children took part in many science workshops, which were facilitated by A level students from Mayfield Grammar School and Gravesend Grammar School, which we are hugely grateful to them for. We had fire, skulls, bones, monkeys and lots of other exciting messy scientific materials. The children tested for acid and alkaline, made their own lava lamps and even raced their own handmade rockets.
Science is very important for two reasons as follows: Firstly, there is the effect that science has on the mind in general, and secondly, that there is the practical and immediate use of science in everyday life.
Science is a part of our daily life. Almost everything we do on a day-to-day basis requires some level of understanding that science can provide. Understanding science helps us appreciate and relate to the world around us. Everything we do and deal with in life is science from cooking, playing ball, DIY, growing a garden and understanding how technologies work to watching a rain storm. Understanding how these all work requires some knowledge of science. Even just appreciating the causes of different types of weather or understanding the forces acting on a ball when we throw it rely on science. Of course, since children are naturally curious about everything, childhood is the perfect time to become involved in science.
The technological world we live in also heavily depends on the scientists behind the scenes, and the more children that grow up interested in science, the more future medical experts and technological pioneers will come out of it.
There is also a very real effect on the brain and mind that comes from studying science. Developing a scientific approach to questioning and determining answers is an important skill for life in general, and science can dramatically increase a child’s capacity for reasoning and logical thought.
We all learned lots about Science today and more importantly, we had lots of fun!
Harvest Festival
We will be holding our annual Harvest Festival Celebration on Monday 14th October at 9.00am.
Please can all children bring some non-perishable food to be donated to the House of Mercy.
Annual Swimming Gala
Our annual Swim Gala will be on Monday after our Harvest Festival Assembly. KS1 will commence at 9.45am and KS2 will commence at 2.15pm. Please come along and support the children.
Whole School Mass
We will be celebrating our annual New Beginnings mass on Tuesday 15th October at 2.15pm in the school hall. All welcome to attend.
Open Evening
This year, we will be having an Open Evening instead of Open Day. It will be on Wednesday 16th October from 6-9pm. Children are not required to attend.
Year 6 Class Assembly
Year 6 will be having their class assembly at 9am on Thursday 17th October in the hall. All Welcome.
Diwali Celebrations
On Thursday 17th October we will be holding a day of Diwali Celebrations and fund raising in support of one of our chosen charities – Government Elementary School, Sheikhpura Kamboan, near Patiala, India. Children can come to school in traditional dress or bright colours.
The children will take part in activities in school in the afternoon and we are offering the opportunity to stay in school until 5pm to continue the celebrations. Parents do not need to attend with your child.
For £3 per child they will have the chance to taste some traditional food, take part in a Bhangra Bop led by Miss Scott and have entertainment provided by the Saheli Group dancers. There will also be a tuck shop.
All proceeds will go towards Government Elementary School, Sheikhpura Kamboan, near Patiala, India. If you would like to make an additional donation towards this cause, this should be handed into the school office.
Children should be collected from the school hall at 5pm.
Please send £3 into school in a named envelope for your child to take part. Tuck money can be brought on the day in a named purse or envelope.
There will be no football club after school on this day.
Please sign up by Tuesday at the office.
Staff Training Day
There will be no school on Friday 18th October. The staff are on a Deanery training day.
School will re-open on Friday 4th November.
Winter Uniform
After half term all children will be expected to wear their winter uniform. If you would like any second hand uniform, please ask at the office.
Parents Evening
You will all receive your parents evening letter soon. Please return to the office before half term.
Chamber Choir at Bluewater
On Thursday 21st November the Chamber Choir will be singing at 1.30pm in Bluewater. More details to follow.
Christmas Experience
The date has changed from the 29th November to the 6th December. More details to follow after half term. Watch this space.