This week we have ended our term wonderfully, by showing our Catholic Social Teaching in action. The children have been learning and celebrating Children's Mental Health Week and have bee having lessons to developing their understanding of ways to improve their emotional and physical wellness. A huge thank you to Mrs Phillips and Mrs Langford-Jackson on their leadership of wellbeing across the schools and their planning of this successful wellbeing week.

Many year groups went on trips to solidify and extend the children's learning. We are so grateful to the teachers for organising and all the parents who gave up their time to help.

On Thursday we were blessed to be visited by the Portuguese General Consul Manuel, Deputy Consul Luis, Director of Camoes Institute Catia Verguete and Councillor and Deputy Civic Mayor Richard Chatterjee of Croydon. We were so grateful that all these prestigious people gave up their time to come and meet with the children and team at St. Joseph's to celebrate Internal Mother Language Day with us and witness all the great work happening at St. Joseph's.

They were so impressed by the children's knowledge of languages, respect of each others heritage and our inclusive practice in action. At our Federation, we have worked hard to create a sense of belonging for everyone and it was heart-warming to hear such positive feedback about our children's learning and mannerisms. As huge thank you to Miss Arthur and Ms Santos for their hard work and support in organising.

The reception children sang a special song to our visitors, greeting them in many languages. Y2 - Y6 took part in a special assembly and all children dressed in cultural dress and partook in activities about languages.

Did you know that the Jubilee icon for England and Wales was painted by Mulugeta Araya from Ethiopia? It serves as a reminder that this is a global Jubilee. The icon interprets Jesus' teaching of healing and liberation in the Synagogue in Luke 4:16-21, which refers to Isaiah 61:1-2. This passage is particularly relevant to the Jubilee given its emphasis on bringing good news to those who are poor, and liberty to those who are captive or oppressed.

This scripture reminds us to have hope and faith. No matter how hard life gets, none of us are alone. That's what's special about being in God's family and the St. Joseph's family too. Throughout Lent we have planned special events, just like last year. All parents/carers (family members) are welcome to join in and worship with us. Every class will attend Mass during Lent and this will be a time where we will deepen our relationship with God.

There are a few team members and members of our school community whose loved ones have recently been diagnosed with cancer. Please keep them in your prayers and pray for their strength, healing and comfort. If you need support, please let us know. Here is the link to Macmillan who offer a vast amount of support for free.

Thank you for your support and patience as we navigated a half term full of sickness and without compromising on the standard of education your children receive.

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful half term holiday,

Mrs Ashley and the Team

Wellbeing

On Monday 17th February, it is Random Acts of Kindness Day.

Research shows that helping others can be good for our mental health. It reduces stress, improves our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health. In short, doing good does you good.

It’s essential to look out for each other in and around our communities. This is how we protect and maintain good mental health for all. If you do nothing else today, keep an eye out for an opportunity to help someone with a random act of kindness or hold onto that warm feeling when someone helps you.

Doing something nice for someone doesn't cost a lot of time or money. It's the small things in life that can make a big difference. Here are some ideas of random acts of kindness you can do today:

Call or message a friend that you haven’t spoken to for a while
Send someone a handwritten note
Offer to babysit for a friend
Walk your friend’s dog
Tell your family members how much you love and appreciate them
Help your parents with household chores
Help a friend get active
Make someone laugh
Offer to cook for a friend or family member
Make a cup of tea for a friend or family member
Tell someone you know that you are proud of them
Tell someone you know why you are thankful for them
Send a motivational text to a friend who is struggling
Send someone you know a joke to cheer them up
Send someone you know a picture of a cute animal
Send an inspirational quote to a friend
Send an interesting article to a friend
Put a surprise note or drawing on someone’s desk
Contact someone you haven’t seen in a while and arrange to meet face to face
Engage in conversation with a shop assistant when paying at the till
Spend time playing with your pet
Sign up to do voluntary work in your local community
Reach out to spend time with a friend, family member or neighbour who is experiencing loneliness
Have a clear out and take items to a charity shop
Offer to pick up a friend or family member from work
Make a cup of tea for your colleagues
Get to know the new staff member
Lend your ear - listen to your colleague who is having a bad day
Say good morning

Have a wonderful half term everyone!

Early Years

Art in reception. We have been experimenting with different resources using our fingers, toothbrushes, forks and even sticks in the Forest School to make mud paintings.

Art in reception is vital for fostering young children's creative, cognitive, and emotional development. Engaging in activities like drawing, painting, and sculpting helps children refine fine motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

We enjoy planning a range of activities to develop the children's creativity.

Key Stage 1

Year 1 and 2 have been very industrious this week with their art projects building newspaper spiders in year 1 and constructing 3D relief maps in year 2. Using knowledge from the year 2 Science topic of 'everyday uses of materials' children selected different materials including paper, card, tissue paper, matchsticks, tin foil, pastels, crayons, colouring pencils and masking tape to build a 3D map showing a journey that they take. This could be a real, or imagined journey where they could be creative in their designs and modelling.

As well as this, on Wednesday, year 2 were lucky enough to go on a trip to the Science Museum. The children were most excited about seeing a real piece of the moon, which was collected in 1971 and is now on display for all to see.

Lower Key Stage 2

This week in Year 3, we have been rounding off our fascinating Ancient Egypt topic across Art, History and English. The children have worked incredibly hard and have created some amazing Egyptian scrolls! They began by carefully designing their artwork, then crafted their own papyrus-style paper, and finally transferred their designs onto it—showcasing their creativity and historical understanding.

In History, the children particularly enjoyed learning about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and even tried their hand at deciphering some hieroglyphic words. We also delved into Ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife, learning about the mummification process and the weighing of the heart ceremony. The children were intrigued by the idea that their heart had to be lighter than a feather to enter the afterlife!

Our pupils also had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a virtual author visit with the brilliant M.G. Leonard, who introduced her thrilling new book, Hunt for the Golden Scarab. The children were captivated as she shared insights into the inspiration behind her story, and fascinating facts about Ancient Egypt—perfectly linking to our current topic!

It has been a fantastic term for learning, and we are so proud of all their hard work!

Upper Key Stage 2

This week has been very busy in Year 6. We celebrated the pupils practise SATs results and are so encouraged that they will be more than ready in May. We are so proud of the mature work ethic the pupils have shown us in their early morning booster sessions.

We celebrated Wellbeing Week by looking at growth mindset and how we can change our thinking to change our attitudes.

Finally, on Thursday, we had a fantastic day celebrating International Day. We researched the languages we spoke in our class - 50% of 6P spoke more than one language at home. We then had an exciting assembly with the Deputy Mayor of Croydon, and visitors from the Portuguese Embassy. They shared their roles and how they support teaching the Portuguese Language. As an extra treat for Year 6, they were invited to enjoy in some traditional Portuguese pastries.

It's been a busy, but incredibly enjoyable week.

Curriculum Update: English

Early Years and Key Stage 1 English

Our Infants pupils have been busy showcasing their writing skills! Reception children have been working incredibly hard in phonics, practicing their blending and segmenting skills to sound out CVC words. Their confidence in reading and writing is growing every day! Next term, they will take the next step by writing full sentences, focusing on capital letters, full stops, and finger spaces.

Year 1 have been inventors and authors, designing their own imaginative toys and writing fantastic information texts to explain what their creations could do. Their ideas have been both creative and detailed!

Meanwhile, Year 2 let their imaginations run wild with strange poems, combining unexpected foods to create some truly unusual (and sometimes hilarious!) new treats. Who knew that poetry could be so deliciously weird?

Well done to all our brilliant writers – we can’t wait to see what you create next!

KS2 English

In Year 3 pupils were inspired by The Secret of Black Rock. They explored descriptive language, character development, and the use of vivid imagery to bring their own adventure stories to life.

Year 4 pupils have explored the classic tale The Iron Man, immersing themselves in the world of this mysterious and powerful character. Through whole class reading and discussion, they developed their descriptive writing skills, focusing on setting, characterisation, and suspense. Pupils have written their own versions of key scenes, using figurative language and strong vocabulary to bring their stories to life. They have also worked on dialogue and sentence structure to improve the flow and engagement of their narratives.

Inspired by The Explorer, Year 5 pupils delved into the adventure genre, developing narratives set in the Amazon rainforest. They learned how to build tension, develop realistic characters, and describe vivid settings using rich sensory language. Pupils have worked on structuring their stories effectively, ensuring a strong beginning, middle, and end. Additionally, they have practised writing from different perspectives and using varied sentence structures to enhance their storytelling techniques.

Year 6 pupils have taken inspiration from Titanium, exploring themes of resilience, determination, and survival. They have crafted powerful narratives that reflect strong emotions and dynamic action scenes. Pupils have focused on refining their use of advanced punctuation, such as semicolons and dashes, to add variety to their writing. They have also experimented with different narrative structures, including flashbacks and dual perspectives, to create compelling and original pieces of work.

Book Week

Get ready for a fantastic Book Week from Monday 3rd – Friday 7th March! The children will enjoy storytelling workshops with West End in Schools, dive into exciting books, and take part in creative activities. On World Book Day (Thursday 6th March), we’ll be celebrating with a pyjama day, a Book Day Parade, and a chance to design and wear a homemade book-themed hat. Plus, Dulwich Books will be hosting a Book Fair after school in Junior Hall! We can’t wait to see the children’s creativity and enthusiasm—let the bookish adventures begin!

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a love for writing in our pupils. We look forward to sharing more of their fantastic work in the future.

Information

Happy Birthday!

Everyone at St. Joseph's wishes you the happiest of birthdays

Year 6: Kailem Year 5: Daniel Year 3: Sophia and Marianna Year 1: Freddy Reception: Ola

Staff: Miss Bickmore

Key Dates

24/02/25- Year 2 and RH Library Trip

27/02/25- Year 4 and RP Library Trip

03.03.25-07.04.25 -Whole School Book Week

25/03/25 Y4 Cinema Trip to West Norwood Cinema

We hope you and your family have a wonderful week.

The St. Joseph's Team

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