Spring No. 1, Friday 7th January 2022

Gospel of the Week

The Baptism of the Lord

Year C

Jesus Is Baptised by John

All the people were hoping for the Christ to come, and they wondered about John. They thought,

“Maybe he is the Christ.”

John answered everyone,

“I baptise you with water, but there is one coming later who can do more than I can. I am not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

When all the people were being baptised by John, Jesus also was baptised. While Jesus was praying, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit came down on him. The Spirit was in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven and said,

“You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you.”

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Please click here to see our Spring Term RE Newsletter

St Winefride's Icon

During the Christmas break we heard the news of the sad passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He played an instrumental role in bringing the apartheid system in South Africa to an end and was in his own words truly a 'Man of Peace'. Never afraid to condemn those who supported evil he equally gave praise to anyone who showed they were prepared to change and treat everyone the same.

He died peacefully surrounded by his family on Boxing Day, which meant he was able to celebrate the birth of Christ one final time before he joined Him in Heaven.

School Opening Time

Please remember that the school day starts at 8.55am. The main gate will be closed at this time and children will then have to enter via the School Office.

Diocese of Brentwood Visit

Next week we will be having a visitor to look at the Catholic Life, Collective Worship and Religious Education in the school. The Diocese of Brentwood have asked us to distribute a questionnaire to our parents and carers to find out your views on the school.

Please click this link to view and complete the questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/Rq9seWeCwjwsxeod9

Primary Picture News Resource England - 3rd-9th January - Learning outdoors.pptx

Picture News

There is a new format to the Picture News resources. Please click the picture to see a PowerPoint of all the resources including the assembly that the children see each week.

RE Team and Mini Vinnies

The RE team assist with promoting Catholic life and Gospel values in the school while the Mini Vinnies focus is on how we can identify and help those who need it in our community.

Leading up to Christmas the Mini Vinnies organised a Reverse Advent Calendar to collect items to be donated to food banks and to those in need over the Christmas period. Please see the photo below to see how much they collected! Thank you to everyone who donated we were so grateful for your generosity

If you would like to join the Mini Vinnies please use the Extracurricular Club Form below to apply.

The children in the team and Mini Vinnie club are shown below.

Reverse Advent Calendar

Congratulations to the Mini Vinnies who organised the Reverse Advent Calendar. All of the items collected were donated to food banks and those in need at Christmas time. We are very proud of their efforts.

Christmas Raffle

A huge thank you to the Parent Carer Forum, particularly Diane and Malar, for organising the Christmas Raffle. The children and staff are very grateful. Also a huge thank you to everyone who bought a ticket. We will let you know how much was raised in the New Year.

The winners were:

Nursery: Iyla

RW : Lillian

1/2D: Roman

2B: Amelia

3H: Valerie

3/4P: Destiny

4H: Emeila

5M: Malakai

5G: Manav

6M: Kyla

6F: Henry

Staff: Ms Teresa

There were also 5 bonus prizes, these were won by:

Ephraim, Athena, Ellia, Isaiah and Katelyn.

Well done to all of the winners!

The Raffle raised £264 for the school the Parent Carer Forum are very thankful for your contributions

Smarties Challenge

Amazingly money is still coming in from the Smarties Challenge. So far we have raised over £300.00! Please keep sending it in.

Covid Latest

As we are sure you are aware the case numbers are rising rapidly again. We are doing everything we can to ensure that the children's education isn't disrupted. We would like to ask that anyone who visits the school, including the playground, wears a mask at all times, thank you.

Dental Visit

There will be a visit by the Dental Outreach Team on 24th January for the children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1. If you haven't already done so please register on the following link: https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/forms/dental-school-fluoride-varnish-programme-form/

Safeguarding

Vodafone have produced a booklet to help guide parents through the tricky waters of the online world. We have a limited numbers of paper copies which may be collected from the front office or you may download a digital copy here.

Rock Steady

Would your child like to play in their very own rock band?

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Rocksteady in-school band lessons are the perfect opportunity for your child to learn new skills, develop friendships and have the time of their life.

Watch this short video to see what learning in a band could do for your child’s well-being:

https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/watch-video/


Before and After School Clubs

Please click this link to choose a Before or After School club for your child. If they are in the Rugby Club or Mini Vinnies they do not need to reapply. Otherwise please choose up to three options on the form and Mr Brown will let you know which club you are in. Please check the dates and times carefully as some clubs are before the half term break and some are after.

Please note: there is a £1.00 per week charge for the Dance Club.

Link to form: https://forms.gle/xsvtdFah1tGYhJJZ7


National Online Safety

What Parents and Carers need to know about Fortnite Chapter 3

Fortnite is one of those rare titles which breaks through from the gaming world to create a wider cultural impact. This success was swiftly monetised, of course, leading to Fortnite action figures, plush toys, branded clothing, stationery, bedspreads and the like. The nature of these products hints at a sizeable proportion of the game’s fans being below the recommended age limit of 12.

So how much of a danger does Fortnite pose to its younger players? For starters, the game is fundamentally about using an array of weaponry to eliminate a stream of enemies. As our guide outlines, however, on-screen violence is far from the highest concern – with potential issues over in-app purchasing, scams and toxic behaviour from other players.

This Week's Prayer

Dear God,

Thank You for sending Jesus as Your one and only Son to save us.

Please help us to look out for people trying to imitate Him and deceive us.

We put our faith in Jesus alone.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

God Bless You,

Mrs Brosnan

Head Teacher

Parent View

Parent View is the ideal way to tell everyone how great you think St Winefride's is. Follow this link to the Ofsted Website and let them know just how outstanding the school is!