Dear Parents/Carers,

The First Week of Advent: Light, Hope and God's Love

On Sunday we lit the first candle of Advent, which symbolises hope. How fitting is this as we are in the Jubilee year of hope and and we as a school community have a lot to be hopeful for. We are blessed with strong relationships built on faith, kindness, and mutual support. Our community spirit shines through in how we care for one another, celebrate together, and support each other through life's challenges.

As we enter the first week of Advent, we have been reflecting on the beautiful symbolism of the Advent wreath and what it means for us all. The children have been learning about how the wreath's circular shape represents God's eternal love for us – a love that has no beginning and no end. Each candle we light reminds us of the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus brings into our world.

The evergreen branches teach us about the everlasting life God promises, whilst the light from the candles reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world, guiding us through the darkness. Our children have embraced these lessons with wonderful enthusiasm, understanding that Advent is not just about waiting for Christmas, but about preparing our hearts to welcome God's love. They articulated their learning so well in this morning's assembly. Oscar A's (Y5) explanation was so profound and reflective, we were all so proud of him.

Ava's Triumph: A Moment We'll Never Forget

Today, we witnessed something truly extraordinary. Our brave Ava, who has shown remarkable strength and courage throughout her leukemia treatment journey, rang the bell in assembly to celebrate the end of her treatment – she is cancer free!

The assembly was a moment of pure joy and emotion. Surrounded by her friends, family, parents and the school community watching, Ava rang that bell with a smile that lit up the whole room. We struggled to hold back the tears as we celebrated this incredible milestone together. Ava's resilience, positivity, and determination throughout this difficult journey have been an inspiration to us all – children and adults alike. Thank you all for your prayers and support for Ava and her family.

This is what our school community is all about – walking alongside each other through the difficult times and celebrating the victories together. Ava's journey has reminded us all of the power of hope, the importance of community, and the strength we find in faith and in each other.

Key Christmas Dates

We've shared all the key dates for our Christmas celebrations, and there's so much to look forward to! Please check the dates that have been sent home and mark them in your calendars.

What a wonderful week it has been for our youngest pupils! As always Nursery and Reception have launched us into the festive period with a bang. On Tuesday and Thursday, our Early Years Foundation Stage children performed the most fantastic nativity, bringing the Christmas story to life with such joy and enthusiasm.  A special congratulations to Ester, who was a beautiful Mary, Rion, who played Joseph with great confidence despite having a cold, Arazayah, who was an absolute superstar throughout (pun intended), Ray, who made a wonderful donkey and Clara, Melody and River, who were magnificent as the Three Kings.

Every single child in EYFS was absolutely brilliant, and their performances filled our hearts with Christmas joy. The children worked so hard to learn their lines and songs, and their excitement and dedication really shone through. Thank you to all the parents and carers who came to support – your presence meant the world to the children, and we hope you enjoyed the performances as much as we did! Thank you to Mrs Swain, Mrs Rizzi, Mrs Scalafini and the whole team for their support in making it such a success. We are looking forward to the KS1 and KS2 performances.

Christmas Fair Today – Supporting Our Community and Beyond

We were so excited for our Christmas fair today! The first one the school has had for a long time. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community. Thank you so much to the PTA and staff who helped bring my vision to life- the children really enjoyed themselves and Mrs Daniels was a great Chrstmas DJ! Thank you to Kadel, Oscar A, Riley, Nia and Layla who were brilliant Santa helpers this afternoon! Part of the money raised will go towards Hurricane Melissa relief efforts, in line with our Catholic social teaching. This reflects our commitment to caring not just for our own community, but for those in need around the world.

The Elves Have Arrived!

The elves have been causing excitement and havoc across the schools! Their mischievous antics have brought so much joy and laughter to our children. A huge thank you to Ms Johnson, Ms Woodhouse, Ms Teles, Mr Piscoe, Mr McEvoy, and everyone who has helped bring the spirit of Christmas to life across the federation. Your creativity and dedication have made our school feel truly magical.

The Junior children enjoyed their pantomime on Monday and we are so grateful to Mrs Daniels for arranging such a fun and engaging experience. The Infant School pantomime is next week.

Important Health Reminder

Unfortunately, we're experiencing a lot of staff sickness due to illnesses circulating in the school. If your child has vomited, please keep them at home for 48 hours after the last episode. This helps prevent the spread of illness and protects our whole school community, including our vulnerable members.

Despite these challenges, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our team for ensuring a high consistency of teaching and maintaining our standards. Your professionalism and dedication to our children, even when working under difficult circumstances, does not go unnoticed.

Looking Ahead

As we continue through Advent, let us carry forward the hope and joy we felt today. Please can you keep Miss Francis and her family in your prayers this week. She is on leave from today so that she can lay her grandma to rest in Jamacia. She has shown great strength at this time and she has the support of the whole team during this time. 

Let Ava's courage remind us that even in our darkest moments, there is always light – and that together, as a community rooted in God's love, we can face anything. 

With warmest wishes for uplifting Advent season, 

Mrs Ashley and the Team

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11 

Roblox Security Changes - South West Grid for Learning      

The introduction of the Online Safety Bill earlier this year has brought welcome controls over what we and our children can access online. As internet speeds have increased and the digital world has expanded, the ability for anyone of any age to reach almost any content has grown at a pace far beyond our capacity to safeguard against it. Adults now face increasingly sophisticated attacks from hackers and scammers, while children remain acutely vulnerable to online predators.

For children, one of the most persistent avenues for predatory behaviour has been online video games. These are spaces where young users gather, communicate, and interact, often with limited verification or oversight.

Roblox, a platform widely associated with younger players, is now beginning to address this by introducing facial analysis age checks and optional ID verification for users over 13. These real-world verification measures are designed to confirm a user’s age more accurately and to restrict interactions that could place children at risk. In practice, they signal an important shift in how major platforms are starting to manage online safety which is good news! You can read more about these checks on the SWGfL website:

https://swgfl.org.uk/magazine/roblox-announces-facial-age-checks-for-chat-features/ 

05.12.25

Christmas Fair 3.30 - 5.00pm

08.12.25

Y4 Trip to Tate Modern

09.12.25

Southwark Advent Service at St George’s Cathedral

09.12.25

Infant School Pantomime Treat

09.12.25

Junior Christmas Drama Workshop- West End in Schools 

11.12.25

Christmas Dinner Day

Christmas Jumper Day

Santa Run 9.15am

12. 12.25

Infant Christmas Orienteering Day

16.12.25

KS1 Christmas Carol Concert at 9.15 and 2.15

17.12.25

KS2 Christmas Carol Concert at 9.15 and 2.15

18.12.25

Class Christmas Parties

18.12.25

School closes for Christmas at 2pm

We hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend.

The St. Joseph's Team