Headteacher's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you have had a good week, despite the freezing conditions outside. We have had another very busy week in school, as we prepare for the end of term celebrations for Christmas.
The children are settled in their lessons and are making good progress in their learning, continuing to take advantage of the many enrichment activities we provide, which helps bring their learning to life. Children have been involved in a wide range of activities this week, which we know they have enjoyed; CAFT Christmas days, visits to Cronkshaw Care Farm, representing the school at a Trafford Schools’ Dance and Talent show, our 'Advent Reconciliation' services in the Chapel, our New Build consultation evening ( please complete feedback forms as explained in the letter I sent you last week), a ‘Come Dine with Me’ experience today for displaced people and the Choir provided carols for residents at the Limelight Care Home in Old Trafford; what a week!
Thank you to those parents who also attended our Christmas coffee morning on Wednesday; it was lovely to welcome you into school.
We are finalising the autumn report for you today and we are intending to send these home, be email, early next week. If your child’s report raises any concerns for you, please do get in touch with their class teacher to discuss.
We have a number of activities planned next week to ensure the children (and staff) are ready to celebrate Christmas in the right way. On Monday, pupils will be having trips and activities with their class teams, in midweek (Wednesday for Classes 1-7 and Thursday for Classes 8-13) we will have our Christmas Mass, followed by Christmas dinner, which coincides with Christmas jumper day for those classes. At the end of the week class teams are planning some class based parties for Friday afternoon. The children and staff are certainly excited for Christmas and the opportunity to spend some time away from school celebrating with family and friends. Can I remind you please that the end of the autumn term is Friday 16th December at 3.15pm and that the spring term starts on Tuesday 3rd January 2023 at 9am?
The second weekly theme for Advent is ‘Peace’ and we have shared with the children this week the value of securing inner peace and also the peace we can give and get in our relationships with others. I do hope, as we continue to prepare for the birth of Jesus, that you and your families have a peaceful and restful weekend.
Best wishes,
Mr A Moloney
Headteacher
CLASS 13
Some of Class 13 and Post 16 went to the Childrens' Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT) and completed their work experience.
It was very very cold. But the group worked their socks off.
CLASS 11
As part of their Vocational Studies, Class 11 visited the local shops to practice their customer service skills and using the correct change when paying for items.
Class 6
Class 6 have finished with their tables. They designed their own impressive mosaic tile designs. Some fantastic work here; well done Class 6
Class 2
Class 2 have been very lucky this week, with the chance to visit CAFT for a special Christmas themed day, we met the elves in the forest, drank hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows, played on the park, fed the animals, had a turn in Santa’s sleigh and even got to meet him whilst we ate lunch!
Our Catholic School
Where is the time going? Only one week left in school - the school year is whizzing by, that’s because there are so many wonderful events happening at SJV. This week we celebrate the 2nd week of Advent in our preparations to celebrate the birth of Jesus; ‘The Lord is coming. May we await him with open hearts’; Pope Francis. The second theme of Advent is Peace; We are drawing nearer to Christmas. Are we any more prepared than last week? Are we using the Advent season to prepare for the coming of Christ? And by saying sorry for all the things that we’ve done wrong.?
The chaplaincy team took the lead with this, they helped plan it on our retreat We had two services of reconciliation to make sure we had made peace with ourselves before Christmas.
SJV has extended the hand of friendship this week by inviting a group of displaced people and asylum seekers in from REVIVE. SJV are proud to take part in ‘CARITAS; 'Refugee Come Dine with Me'. The project quite simply encourages and assists ordinary people to invite local refugees for a meal. It is a very simple, but effective way of welcoming people into our parishes who have left their homes and families to seek refuge and safety amongst us. When people sit together to share a meal, especially people from different cultures and life experiences, there is an opportunity to share more than just food. It was lovely to see our lead chaplains serving them and having those conversations with them.
Within RE this week we have continued to look at Advent and how we can best prepare ourselves. We have been looking at all things Christmas and how secular Christmas is becoming. We have been learning what we can do to keep Christ in Christmas.
Mrs Garfin
Credits:
Created with images by Rawpixel.com - "Shiny golden stars glitter festive background" • Olena Rudo - "christmas background - blank paper with decoration" • Karen Roach - "Blue snowflake background for winter or holiday backgrounds" • verona_studio - "Beautiful Christmas composition on white background with golden Christmas gift boxes, snowy fir branches, conifer cones, holiday decoration and red berry. Top view." • shaiith - "Delicious and tasty marshmallows on stick over bonfire" • oksix - "Craft supplies for creative handmade, top view set" • Janisphoto - "A part of a violin or a viola on a black background" • chokniti - "High magnification lens of the microscope for research"