C - 15th Ordinary

Christ Our Neighbour

We prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time this week, listening to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus tells this parable in response to the question, “Who is my neighbour?” We discussed how this parable shows three important actions the Good Samaritan took:

He noticed someone in need and didn’t walk by.
He took practical action to make a difference.
He offered financial support to keep the good work going.

In the same way, we invited children this week to support the work of our international charity - FISCH. Earlier in the week, children learnt about the work of FISCH, they then planned some practical action to help and, finally, they had the opportunity to donate some money at our FISCH Market under the willow tree. In this way, we have followed in the steps of the Good Samaritan.

FISCH Market

Our thanks to all those children and families who followed in the footsteps of the Good Samaritan this week: noticing a global neighbour in need, taking some practical action to help and offering financial aid to kee the good work going.

Our FISCH Market, selling items that children have baked, donated or crafted made almost £400 to support the important work of FISCH - funding school uniforms for children who would otherwise be refused an education. Thank you children for being a great global neighbour!

Seaside Adventure!

Year 2 enjoyed a beautiful day out on Tuesday as their final trip of the year. We headed down to Portsmouth where we were able to spend some time on the beach before going to the Bluereef aquarium to see all sorts of incredible fish. The children then enjoyed lunch and a playtime in the fantastic playground at the aquarium which included sand and water play. We had a talk in the aquarium classroom about all sorts of different underwater habitats before devouring a lolly in the sun. A fantastic day out was had by all!

Special Moments

As the school year winds down, our Nursery children have been soaking up every moment of sunshine and laughter together. With summer holidays just around the corner, we’ve been spending extra time outdoors, turning every day into a little adventure.

From chasing bubbles across the garden to building castles in the sandpit, our little learners have been making the most of these precious last weeks. Whether it's a picnic under the trees or a group game of tag that turns into giggles and teamwork, the joy in their faces says it all—these are the moments where memories are made. We’re so proud of all they've accomplished and grateful for the time we've shared. Here's to a summer full of sunshine and to new adventures ahead!

I'm an 11-Year-Old:

Get Me Out of Here!

Congratulations to our inspiring Year 6 cohort for their confident and hilarious performance of their leavers' production, "I'm an 11-year-old: get me out of here!" The children sang, danced and acted out the perils of primary school education - from the "cringe" behaviour of their parents to the dangers of being caught by a "little'n". It was a magical performance that showcased just how much our young people have grown and flourish during their time at St Joseph's. What a blessing you have been on our school community!

Refreshing Fruit Salads

Take a look at these impressive fruit salads that Year 1 created! There were certainly some masterpieces with carefully considered presentation and preparation techniques.

After taste testing which fruits we liked, and learning how to chop, juice and grate different fruits, we designed and made our own fruit salads. Each child carefully selected which fruits they would like in their fruit salad, how they would like to prepare each fruit and how they would like it to be presented.

Probably most importantly, we then enjoyed eating them and evaluating what had gone well and what we would change next time. Some children said they wouldn't change a single thing, whereas others commented that next time they might add a wider variety of fruits to include more flavours, and others considered that they might like to try grating more fruits or juicing an orange.

Dinosaur Museum

Reception children have been learning about dinosaurs! They wrapped up the topic by creating their very own dinosaur museums. Check out their fabulous work!

Rocket Boots & Stars

Cameron and his family have written a book to raise awareness of and money for organizations that support people with clubfoot.

Cameron was born with one clubfoot and it’s been a journey! Cam was casted from 2 weeks old, had a tenotomy operation and then had to wear boots and bars for 23 hours a day for 3 months. He will continue to need to wear the boots and bars until aged 5. Understandably, Cameron got to the stage where he refused to wear his boots, so we began making up stories to motivate him and that’s how "Rocket Boots and Stars" was born. It’s not only for children with clubfoot, it’s a great story for all children.

Additionally, we have partnered with two charities who provide this treatment in developing economies and will donate 10% of the proceeds to them!

You can buy a copy of Cameron's book here: https://amzn.eu/d/j5wtwMQ

House Music Day

Congratulations to all the children for their impressive contributions to House Music Day! The morning began with solo and duo performances from children competing in various instrumental categories: Infants, Piano, Vocals and Juniors. We had performances on the cello, drums, electric guitar and ukulele. A special mention to Enzo in Year 3 who was the morning's overall winner for his beautiful piano performance. The afternoon culminated in a circus themed "Greatest Show" extravaganza with each year group performing a song from the popular musical. The staff concluded with a Greatest Show medley as a special "Thank You" to the children for all their hard work.

House Music Competition 2025

Joseph's fundraising cycle for the RNLI in memory of his Gramps (Peter Walker)Help Jonathan Fishburn raise money to support RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution

The Ride of His Life!

From Joseph in Year 5:

Too many people are still drowning. More than ever we need the RNLI’s help. As a charity, the RNLI depends on our donations so it can go on saving lives and keeping us and our loved ones safe.

RNLI lifesavers are our lifeline. They’re the lifeboat crews who provide 24-hour search and rescue right around the UK and Ireland. The lifeguards keeping watch on 240 of the busiest beaches in the UK and Channel Islands. And the RNLI safety teams and educators working tirelessly to stop people getting into trouble in the first place.

I have decided to combine my love of cycling with fundraising for this amazing charity in memory of our Gramps. In August, my Dad & I are going to get the ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe then cycle approximately 200km all the way to Paris. We hope to complete the challenge in 2 and a half days and raise lots of money for the RNLI!

Year 4 Fun!

Year 4 enjoyed an afternoon of fun and laughter today with a class party like no other. As the children will no longer be in the classes of St Stephen, St Non and St Rose next year, the Year 4 team wanted to make sure that the children could make some memories with both their existing and new classes by throwing a year group party instead!

Year 4 were able to use their PFSA ‘Fun Fund’ to hire inflatable sumo suits and buy festival paraphernalia and crafts such as face glitter and temporary tattoos and have a friendship bracelet making station. The festival vibes were completed with music, dancing and pom poms!

A huge thank you needs to go to the PFSA, for the tireless efforts they put in to provide each year group with a fun fund each term, to Toby, Luke and Amy, our work experience students who volunteered to come back to Year 4 to help us (much to the delight of all the children!) and to Mr and Mrs Steer, parents in Year 4, who donated our incredible festival wristbands from their company, Ink on Everything.

Netball - new & old

As the school year comes to a close, we had the privilege of ending on a particularly special note with a heartwarming event that brought our school community, old and new, together in a beautiful display of sportsmanship and camaraderie. To mark the end of the school year, we had the unique opportunity to watch a wonderful netball match between our current Year 6 children and a group of Year 7 children who left the school this time last year. It was such a special occasion to see these former students return for a friendly match.

Whether they were making impressive passes, performing well-timed interceptions, or simply cheering on their teammates, the match was not only a showcase of talent but also a beautiful representation of the true essence of sports: fun, collaboration, and mutual respect. It wasn’t about winning or losing, but about coming together to celebrate the end of a school year in the best possible way.

We hope to make this an annual tradition and can't wait to welcome back our current Year 6s this time next year!

Summer Soiree

Our thanks to the musical community of St Joseph's for a beautiful evening of sound and song! We enjoyed the twinkling keys of some talented piano soloist, alongside the mighty voice of our Junior Choir (led by Mrs Jopson & Mrs Le Vallee) and Year 3 choral singers (supported by Mr Ellson). With thanks to the talented staff, visitors and alumni who made the night such a success - with a special mention to the Le Vallee boys, whose live music put a spring in all our steps!

Celebrating Excellence: Year 6 Awards Ceremony 2025

As we come to the end of the school year, one of our proudest moments has been the Year 6 Awards Ceremony - a true celebration of the talent, perseverance, and character shown by our pupils. With 95 children and only 11 awards, the standard was incredibly high, making each achievement even more remarkable. Congratulations to Luke and Bella, who were jointly awarded the Yarrow Cup for Outstanding Sports Achievement, and to Marcel and Giulia, recipients of the Spectrum Cup for their admirable sportsmanship. Marianne received the Margaret Fordyce Award for Creativity, while Hanna was honoured with the W.E. Howells Award for her all-round excellence in art. Oskar was presented with the Michaels Cup for overcoming barriers in his reading, and Nathan was recognised with the Lucas Cup for his exceptional ability in Maths. The wonderful Sarah received the Cyrene Cup for her citizenship, support of others, and selflessness. Ariana’s passion and dedication to music earned her the Bacon Cup, and Emmanuel’s imaginative storytelling was celebrated with the Haigh Story Writing Cup. Each of these pupils has demonstrated outstanding qualities that reflect the very best of our school. Well done to all our award winners and to the entire Year 6 cohort, thank you for your energy, kindness, and contributions throughout the year.