Hope in Christ

In Celebration of the Word, we heard the parable of the persistent widow whose insistence on justice prevails, despite a corrupt judge's attempts to ignore her pleas. Jesus reassures his followers that God will grant justice more swiftly than this but we must persevere in prayer, "Pray continually and never lose heart." In this Jubilee Year for the Church, we are focusing this week on the Catholic Virtue of Hope - the confident expectation of God's saving power at work in our lives.

Children have been thinking this week about what they hope for and how their hope can build God's Kingdom - like the hope for a positive playtime leads to generous choices about who to play with and how to play safely.

C - 29th Ordinary

Making Time (and tea) for Mental Health

Last Friday’s Mental Health Day was a wonderful success! The school was buzzing with energy as children enjoyed tea parties - sharing creativity and connection. Check out the wonderful photos that capture the spirit of the day...

Ancient know-how in Year 3

To enhance our History topic of ‘The Stone Age’, Year 3 visited Butser Ancient Farm on Wednesday 8th October. Enjoying the autumn sunshine, the children spent all day outside, taking part in fascinating, hands-on activities. We began by sitting around a real fire in a Stone Age roundhouse and looking at the materials used to build it. After this, the children loved being archaeologists; digging in the soil and identifying what they had found: bones, bits of pottery, rocks etc. Crushing chalk was also a popular activity as the children carefully used wooden hammers to create a fine powder. This was then mixed with soil and water to make ‘clunch’. Rolling up their sleeves, children were able to use the ‘clunch’ to help build a wall. Everyone was very sensible when using flint to smooth a piece of chalk and collecting a leaf to make the chalk green. We then used the flint again to carve in a picture. Another activity during the day was moulding a clay/mud pot and decorating it using a feather. The children showed impeccable behaviour and impressed the staff at Butser with their knowledge - well done Year 3!

Netball Announcement!

Last Friday, our Year 6 netball team took part in their first tournament at Tormead School – and what a fantastic debut it was! The team came second overall, earning themselves silver medals; they played six matches, winning four, drawing one, and losing only to the eventual winners.

Throughout the afternoon, our players showed incredible resilience and teamwork, encouraging one another and staying positive from start to finish. Their commitment and determination were clear to see, and it was wonderful to see all of their hard work paying off, despite only having had three training sessions so far this year.

What stood out just as much as their performance on the court was their brilliant sportsmanship. Our team supported a player from another school who became upset during a match, and they made sure to shake hands with their opponents after every game, representing St Joseph's in the best way possible.

Well done, Year 6! We are incredibly proud of your efforts and can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds.

Year 1 Program

This week, Year 1 have been learning how to program Bee-Bots to move where they want them to by writing and debugging algorithms. We have been impressed with their perseverance and their willingness to try again if their algorithm was unsuccessful. Well done, Year 1!

From Our Hands to Their Hearts:

A Harvest of Thanks

This week, our Year 6 pupils embodied the true spirit of Harvest as they stepped beyond the school gates to deliver food parcels to the elderly residents living in the bungalows next door. With smiles, kind words and helping hands, they brought not only nourishment but joy and companionship to our neighbours - many of whom were deeply touched by the gesture.

The outing was a beautiful reflection of last week’s gospel theme: gratitude. We spoke in assembly about how thankfulness isn’t just a feeling- it’s something we live out through action. Our children showed that in abundance, recognisng how fortunate we are and choosing to share those blessings with others.

Alongside the deliveries to the bungalows, our school community donated a generous amount of food to the local food bank. These contributions will support families in need across our wider community, reminding us that Harvest is not just about celebrating abundance, but about ensuring no one is left behind.

Thank you to all the families who donated so generously, and to our Year 6 pupils for being such wonderful ambassadors of kindness. You’ve made us proud and reminded us all that gratitude grows best when shared.

Celebrating RE

In a change to our worship timetable this year, we now spend time on a Wednesday celebrating and reflecting on our RE learning from the week. This is a wonderful opportunity to look back at the key moments and messages from the lesson, and this week it featured our very own Year 5 Art Gallery! Our task in RE had been to respond, using art, to our learning about Sin and God's father-like unconditional love and forgiveness. The children produced some beautiful, meaningful artistic reflections and in our 'Celebrate' time on Wednesday we appreciated them and said some prayers of thanks. It was a very special moment.

Reception Creations

Reception has been learning about the creation story. As they listened to the story, they made the different parts with Playdough. Can you spot the snake, the person, the sun and the moon, and the octopus?

The Waters of Baptism

This week in Year 2, we have been looking at the signs and symbols of Baptism. The children enjoyed some role play last week and followed on from this this week by recalling some facts and learning the meaning of the different symbols. It was interesting to hear about the link between Noah's Ark and the symbol of water used in Baptism. The children came up with some wondering questions and during Discovery Time they produced some wonderful creations to represent the symbols used.

Congratulations to Kyla!

Kyla received a wonderful surprise this week - a letter of congratulations from Bishop Richard Moth - Bishop of Arundel & Brighton. Out of thousands of entries from across the Diocese, Bishop Richard has chosen to produce Kyla's Christmas card design to share with the hundreds of schools, families and organisations that he writes to each Christmas season. What an honour! Well done Kyla, we are so proud of you!

Autumn Fun!

Autumn is a magical time for sensory play, and in Nursery we have been embracing the season with hands-on, engaging activities that spark curiosity and creativity. One favourite has been our shaving foam leaf activity—children explored the soft, fluffy texture of shaving foam while swirling in autumnal colours and pressing in cut-out leaves. It was a wonderful way to encourage fine motor skills and sensory exploration.

We also had lots of fun with pumpkin play! From scooping out the insides to exploring seeds and pulp, children experienced the unique textures and smells of real pumpkins. Some even helped wash the seeds and sort them into pots, promoting early maths and sorting skills. These autumn-themed activities not only support sensory development but also create a warm, seasonal atmosphere in the Nursery. The children loved getting messy, learning through play, and celebrating the colours and textures of autumn!