Headteacher's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have had another excellent week in School and the attendance rates in school from pupils have been really pleasing, despite some challenges with transport to school last week. Thank you to those parents who brought their children into school when transport was cancelled at late notice. This helped secure continuity in learning for the children affected, who would have otherwise been absent. We are continuing to encourage children to attend school fully each week and have weekly rewards and treats for pupils who secure 100% attendance in school. At the end of last term all those children who had 100% attendance each week were entered into a prize draw for Lego and art prizes. The pupils involved were very excited to know they had up to 7 weeks of tickets in the attendance draw, and more chance of winning. All those with 100% additionally had a Pizza reward also and 40 pupils qualified. If your child is ill, then please keep them away from school, but tiredness and the sniffles is not a reason for a child to not attend.
This week we have been focusing on the theme of ‘Remembrance’. We have been busy praying each day for those family members who have passed before us as part of the Holy Souls’ month. Additionally, Mr Lomax, our ‘Poet in Residence’, has led some excellent assemblies preparing our children to remember those who fought and were fallen during the World Wars, as we prepare for Remembrance Day on Friday 11th. The children were really engaged in learning about the different coloured poppies that commemorate those who served in the wars and they have certainly gained a better understanding of the importance of remembering and reflecting upon our history.
On Thursday this week, 2 classes were invited by the Variety Club of GB to the Brooklyn Hotel in Manchester for their annual Christmas party; they had a fantastic time and were treated royally by the staff there. Christmas seems to come earlier at SJV each year and we are busy now making plans for Advent so our pupils are able to prepare properly for Christmas time and the birth of Jesus.
Children across the school are continuing to make good progress in their lessons and staff are busy now uploading our assessment platform, SOLAR, to reflect the achievements made by the children in the lessons since the start of term. This information will then be collated over the next few weeks and will allow us to generate the first interim report of the academic year. We are aiming to send the reports home to parents by the middle of December.
We hope you have a great weekend. Please remember to follow the school on Twitter @StJohnVianneySc where you will be able to see daily, the fantastic range of activities and events that our children and young people encounter at School. The School website additionally, will provide you with key information about our provision.
Best wishes,
Mr A Moloney
Our Stars This Week
There has been lots of great behaviour and positive attitudes around school this week. The children & young people below were chosen by their class team as 'Star of the Week'.
- Katie in Class 7 For helping and supporting her peers
- Harley in Class 8 For answering lots of questions this week.
- Oskar in Class 1 For showing more independence at break and lunchtimes! :)
- Isaac in Class 13 For continuing to try really hard with his work and areas of improvement.
- Charlie in Class 3 for improved behaviour and cooperation in lessons.
- Harley in Class 5 For making huge improvements with his reading and communicating well in class.
- Curtis in Class 10 For his enthusiasm and great team work when at Duke of Edinburgh.
- Alfie in Class 6 For absolutely fantastic behaviour and lots of effort!
- Cormac in Class 2 For increased confidence and speaking more in class and ELSA sessions.
- Louis in Class 11 For writing and performing a fantastic poem which he wrote independently about World War 1.
- Andrew in Class 9 For a great positve attitude and approch to his learning.
- Blythe in Class 12 For being a good friend and mentoring a class peer at lunch time.
- Joe in Class 4 For showing really good resilience in school this week - well done Joe!
SJV Class News
Class 7
Class 7 this week finally got to the farm! They had a great time learning about the cost of keeping chickens, how they lay eggs and how many need to be laid. It was a really good educational experience and it really brings our curriculum to life! Also with it being the week of remembrance, we have been doing work on remembrance and one of our students created a great picture of the Poppies. Well Done for a great week Class 7.
Our SJV Special Olympian
Leon has joined the Special Olympics basketball team and was invited to a training day yesterday where he met the Principal Ambassador, Jack Grealish.
Special Olympics GB, is a non-profit organisation and largest provider of year-round sports training and competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities.
Jack Grealish the 26-year-old England football star was there as he has become a Principal Ambassador. Phil Foden and Ederson Santana were also there to greet the team.
Leon said in his own words ‘It was one of the best days in my life, it really was a fantastic day.'
Lancashire Cricket Foundation
Lancashire cricket foundation have been delivering table cricket and cricket skills sessions in school. The pupils have been enjoying trying new things and developing their skills!
Gifts for Ghana Appeal
This week we launched our Gifts for Ghana appeal. Father Nick has put us in touch with a school in Accra in Ghana, and we are planning to send Christmas gifts there. The school is a high school, with 232 pupils aged 13 and above. We are planning to ship the gifts in time for Christmas, so the pupils can feel our support and love at Christmas time. All we need now is your generosity; please consider donating some gifts that we can send to the school. The deadline is Friday 3rd December, so please get your donations into school before then.
Some items that your family could donate to the pupils in Accra include:
• A deflated football and pump, or some smaller foam balls or tennis balls
• Board games, dominoes and jigsaws
• Stationery including colouring pencils, pencil sharpener, pens, notebook, sketchbook, a solar-powered calculator, watercolour paints, a geometry set etc.
• Craft sets
• Frisbee, yo-yo
Anti Bullying Week
We have our usual Odd Socks Day, so be sure to send your child in to school wearing odd socks on Monday 14th, this will make a colourful and fun start to the week.
Have you heard about The Bread and Butter Thing?
TBBT makes life more affordable for people on a low income, builds stronger communities and reduces food waste using an innovative and self-sustaining approach to the redistribution of surplus food and non-food items.
TBBT provide weekly groceries at the fraction of the high street prices through their membership scheme. They will try to provide you with some fruit, veg and something for your cupboard and fridge.
A typical order is three shopping bags, one of fridge goods, one of cupboards goods and one full of fruit and veg, this costs £7.50.
They also accept Healthy Start vouchers.
If you would like further information about the membership scheme or you would like to find out where your local Hub is please contact - Mrs Griffin.
Alternatively, you can find out further information or to become a member by visiting their website – www.breadbutterthing.org
Why is school attendance so important?
Excellent attendance at school is important to allow your child to fulfil their potential and for them to have the best possible start in life.
Below are just some of the key reasons why it is so important children and young people attend school:
• To learn
• To have fun and make new friends
• To experience new things in life
• To achieve
• To develop new skills
• To build confidence and self esteem
• To grow as individuals
• To gain qualifications
Trafford Parents Forum
We have weekly events with service provider drop-ins.
Gillian Scott is holding a listening group, as part of the re-design of this service on 29th November 10-11am @ St Matthews Church Community Rooms, Streford. Families are welcome to attend to discuss the Special School Nursing Service.
Our Catholic school
This week in SJV, in remembrance week, we are reminded by Pope Francis of the importance of peace. ‘God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth.
We need to remember to count our blessings and appreciate all that we have around us.
Within our Catholic school myself, Miss Mollard and Mrs Murphy led whole school training on SJV’s response to Laudato Si. We are each leading a focus area on; the environment, care for others and Global citizenship. We looked at our own impact of the environment and reflect on how we must take up Pope Francis' message and act now. Each class team came up with 3 action points they are going to do throughout the year.
We are continuing to pray for the Holy Souls throughout the month of November. Classes have been producing their own memorial/pious list. Father Nick is praying for all the names that students, parents and carers have sent in.
The chaplaincy team meeting this week was all about us preparing for a full chaplaincy retreat with 42 chaplaincy members, not including staff. It’s a big task! We are looking forward to planning the school Advent launch and activities too.
With RE this week we continue to look at November being the month of remembrance. Focusing in on remembrance day, as well as, patron saints and what it means to be a saint. We have enjoyed researching our interest and finding the saint connected to them. Did you know there is a patron saint of swimming, football, and skiing?
Mrs Garfin
Credits:
Created with images by Rawpixel.com - "Shiny golden stars glitter festive background" • sunftaka77 - "ニッコウキスゲが咲く霧ヶ峰高原" • Prostock-studio - "Santa Claus presenting with hand copy space for Christmas text" • vectorfusionart - "Composite image of santa claus riding on sleigh with gift box" • zef art - "War Concept. Military silhouettes fighting scene on war fog sky background, World War Soldiers Silhouette Below Cloudy Skyline At night." • ZoomTeam - "Gardening tools on wood table in the garden" • Africa Studio - "Beautiful wild red poppies on summer day" • encierro - "woman with green gloves planted in a bed of small marigold, gardening in a springtime " • stokkete - "Vintage film projector and film screening" • MK studio - "New Year. Christmas. Holidays. Composition with new year and christmas gifts on brown wooden background. view from above"