On Thursday we took part in World Mental Health Day and wore something yellow in support of Young Minds. Children across the Federation had lessons focused on improving their wellness and interaction with others. It was wonderful be in the Nursery and observe part of the children's session. They sat together in a circle and passed a smile along to their friend (it was like pass the parcel, but instead of passing a parcel, the children passed along a smile). Watching them sit so wonderfully in anticipation or receiving a smile was heart-warming and observing their faces light up as their friend passed a smile along to them showed the power of social connection and love; most importantly how a simple act of kindness can improve and elevate someone else's mood.

October marks the beginning of Black History Month, it is a National celebration which aims to promote and celebrate the contributions of those of Caribbean and African heritage to British society. At St. Joseph's, we don't just wait until October. Our inclusive and diverse curriculum celebrates the contributions of all people and ensures that all our children are reflected in what they learn throughout their educational journey with us from Nursery to Y6. We have been deliberate in our curriculum choices and made cross curricular links to enhance the children's engagement, cultural awareness, empathy and knowledge of the world.

In celebration of Black history month, the children will be learning about Black Innovators and inventors and their contributions to Science and Technology. We will be also having an author visit on Monday 4th November, more details to follow.

The PTA will be hosting a Sweet Read, this will entail a few sessions where the families can listen to books and enjoy something sweet. You'll have the opportunity to taste delicacies such as cerasie tea, sorrel and sarsaparilla.

A huge congratulations to the boys Football team who won their first match against St Cyprian's. I heard that they performed brilliantly and demonstrated St. Joseph's excellence! A great start to the season- well done!

Our new rugby team had their first tournament today and they also played really well. I am really proud of the children who were chosen to represent our Federation. They showcased great teamwork and resilience. Thank you for all, having your first match togther in a tournament is no small feat.

Key dates for the year have been sent today. We hope this helps you and your family to plan ahead. We will keep the key dates section on the newsletter as well.

The tickets for our Annual Musical Fireworks are flying off the internet! hundreds have already been sold and this Sunday is the last day to purchase early bird tickets.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend.

From Mrs Ashley and the Team

Wellbeing

World Menopause Day

Friday 18th October is World Menopause Day. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of

menopause and the support options available for improving health and well being. .his day has been

created to increase global awareness about this phase in a woman's life.

We will be hosting a coffee morning at 9am in the Garden Hall to share key information, all are

welcome to join. For more information about this topic, click here .

Early Years

This week in science Reception tested different materials to see which would help our toys sleep at night in their boxes, we needed to make them curtains. It was very exciting and we looked carefully at each material and made predictions.

We then tested our materials which were tin foil, paper white/black, material and plastic. We covered Teddy’s window with the material and used an ipad to film how dark the box gets. We found out which materials work best and now our teddies can sleep very well.

This week in phonics we are learning the sounds: p, g, o and c.

Key Stage 1

This week year 1 have had a fantastic week! In literacy we've been enhancing our writing skills by exploring the feelings of the animals in the story 'Wombat Goes Walkabout' and we've made our first attempt at using dialogue! In numeracy, we've been ordering objects and numbers and comparing numbers on a number line. In RE, students have continued to think about God's world and we had lots of fun role playing Noah's Ark. We continued to think about our heritage and changes in our life cycles and we created a memory box to add our earliest memories. For science we talked about how daylight hours change across the different seasons which surprised many of us! It has been an amazing week for learning and we feel very proud of our achievements!

Lower Key Stage 2

In history Year 3 have been delving into the fascinating world of prehistoric times! They've been captivated by the thought of how humans lived so many years ago. Their curiosity and excitement have been infectious, making our lessons truly engaging.

On World Mental Health Day, pupils were encouraged to wear something yellow, symbolising sunshine and optimism. This bright colour served as a visual reminder of the importance of nurturing our mental wellbeing. During our class assembly and discussions, we explored the concept of mental health. Pupils learned that just as we care for our physical bodies, it's equally essential to look after our minds. We emphasised that everyone experiences wellnesss challenges at times, and it's okay to seek help and support.

Upper Key Stage 2

Year 6 have had a busy week! On Thursday we had an online Zoom meeting with a journalist, who answered our questions on his career. The children had great questions for him, and even got a favourite football team one in. They were inspired and excited as they heard about his life, and he enjoyed speaking with the pupils.

In English, we have almost finished writing our biographies on inspiring people. The pupils have researched the lives of Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Marcus Rashford, Nelson Mandela, Stormzy and Megan Markle and are now getting ready to put facts into beautifully written biographies.

In Science we have continued our learning on Classification and are looking foward to their trip next week to the Natural History Museum!

Curriculum Focus

Art

It has been a busy term in the Infant School this Autumn with a lot of seasonal and 'All About Me' creations happening!

The Nursery children have been having a wonderful time creating nature art during their weekly Forest School sessions. The children have embraced the outdoors, collecting leaves and twigs to craft their leaf creatures. Through this hands-on experience, they have started to learn about the beauty of nature and how to use natural materials in creative ways.

In Reception the children have been to exploring the theme "All About Me" and have been creating painted portraits. The children were able to create self-portraits using mirrors, vibrant colours and various brushes to express their unique identities. They have discussed what makes each person special and the children have been encouraged to observe their features using a mirror to catch their likeness. Parents have been able to see these displayed on our classroom topic boards where all the children are very excited to point out their portrait, explaining their eye colour and hairstyle.

In Year 1, our students have been exploring mark making through observational drawing of their own face. This engaging activity has encouraged the children to closely observe their features and express their creativity using a variety of drawing tools. They have had the opportunity to experiment with different lines and patterns to capture their unique characteristics.

Miss Hayter

Art Leader

Exciting News!!!

Rugby

Ten Year 6 children represented St Joseph’s at the Catholic Tag Rugby Tournament held at Cedars School. Despite it being their first time playing together as a team, they performed admirably, showcasing the skills they had developed during their P.E. lessons. They ended up finishing 5th out of 10 teams, which is a wonderful achievement! A special thank you to all the team that helped. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved!

Football

St Joseph's 1st VII kicked off their season with a fantastic 2-0 victory against St Cyprian's. The team showed strong defensive cohesion throughout, working together to keep a clean sheet. The highlight of the match came from Daniel F, who scored one of the most remarkable goals ever seen on St Joseph's pitch. The goal was the perfect culmination of a beautiful build-up play initiated by Jacob D and Roman T. It was a great start to the season and the team is looking forward to maintaining this momentum in the upcoming matches!