On Thursday we had the most an incredible morning as we welcomed Olympian Georgia Hunter-Bell to our school for breakfast! Georgia brought with her not just her world championship and Olympic medals, but an inspirational message that resonated with every child and adult in the room.

The children were absolutely mesmerised as Georgia shared her journey to becoming an elite athlete, the dedication and perseverance required, and the challenges she overcame along the way. Seeing and holding real Olympic and world championship medals was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our pupils, and the excitement in the hall was palpable!

Georgia's message about setting goals, working hard, believing in yourself, and never giving up was truly powerful. She reminded our children that champions aren't just made on the track or in the arena – they're made every day through the choices we make, the effort we put in, and the kindness we show to others. By working on your weaknesses you can make them into strengths. Her message was in total alignment with our mistakes and learnring cultre and seeing the children so inspired made my 4am start worthwhile!

Both Georgia and the Team GB representative were incredibly impressed by the number of runners and budding athletes across our federation. They commented on the enthusiasm, talent, and dedication they witnessed, and were delighted to see so many young people passionate about athletics and sport. It's wonderful to know that our commitment to PE and physical activity is producing such promising young athletes – who knows, perhaps we have a future Olympian among us!

Thank you, Georgia, for inspiring our children to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals. Your visit will stay with them for years to come!

Exciting News: Year 5 Shakespeare Project

I'm thrilled to announce that I have secured funding for our Year 5 children to receive specialist teaching from the Guildford Shakespeare Company – a truly unique and special opportunity!

This half term, Mrs Winters will receive professional training from the company's expert practitioners, learning innovative techniques for bringing Shakespeare to life in the classroom. Then, in the spring term, our Year 5 children will have their own specialist lessons with the Guildford Shakespeare Company, culminating in a special performance that I know will be absolutely wonderful.

Shakespeare can seem daunting, but through drama, movement, and creative exploration, our children will discover the magic, humour, and timeless stories within his works. This experience will not only develop their understanding of literature but also build their confidence, creativity, and performance skills.

I'm also delighted to share that I've been able to extend this opportunity to Good Shepherd RC Primary School, so they too can be part of this special, unique experience.

Southwark Catholic Headteachers Conference

This week, I attended the Southwark Catholic Headteachers Conference, where headteachers from across the Diocese gathered for networking, collaboration, and professional development.

It was wonderful to connect with fellow Catholic school leaders, share best practices, and learn from each other's experiences. The conference included excellent training on using AI to enhance the curriculum – exploring how artificial intelligence can support teaching and learning, personalise education, and help us prepare our children for an increasingly digital world, whilst always keeping our Catholic values at the heart of everything we do.

These opportunities for professional development ensure that I can bring the very best ideas, innovations, and strategies back to St Joseph's, continually improving the education and experiences we offer your children.

What an exciting time it is at St Joseph's! From Olympic inspiration to Shakespearean drama, from cutting-edge educational technology to our strong Catholic community – we continue to provide rich, diverse, and memorable experiences for our children.

Thank you for your continued support and for being part of our wonderful school family. If you haven't seen our Insta page featuring the visit please seen below!

We hope you have a great weekend,

Mrs Ashley and the Team

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." – Philippians 4:13

www.instagram.com/reel/DRVSvwdDGj0/?igsh=MXZ2cTNuN2ljMDY2cw==

Wellbeing

Last week we participated in a wonderful and inspiring Anti-bullying week. We did lots of drama and role play which supported our core values and encouraged the children to explore ways to resolve conflicts and be kind to each other. We had a Kindness assembly on Thursday and created our own odd socks throughout the week. Results from the Odd Socks competition will e announced in the next couple of weeks. A huge thanks to all the parents for supporting the children with this and for coming to our assemblies.

Early Years

Nursery have been busy planting bulbs. The children loved getting their hand dirty as they carefully dug holes and popped in the bulbs and covered them snuggly for the winter. We will look after them and watch them grow into beautiful flowers, in God's wonderful world.

Key Stage 1

There’s a wonderful buzz around the Infant school as our Christmas preparations get underway. Festive songs can already be heard drifting through the corridors as children prepare for our upcoming Christmas performances.

The unmistakable sparkle of glitter on the floors tells us that decoration-making is in full swing! Each class has been busy creating Nativity scenes to be displayed in our hall, year 1 were very busy creating Angels this week, and the excitement is growing day by day. We can’t wait to share the children’s hard work with you all in the weeks ahead.

Lower Key Stage 2

This half term, Year 4 have been diving into the exciting world of electricity. This week, the children had the chance to become real electrical engineers as they worked on creating their very own circuits. With eight different circuit challenges to complete, pupils used light bulbs, batteries, and wires to investigate which circuits would work and why.

Through this hands on activity, the children discovered how a complete circuit functions and how electricity flows. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to collaborate, problem-solve, and learn through practical exploration. Year 4 showed great teamwork and curiosity as they brought their circuits to life!

Upper Key Stage 2

In RE, we linked our learning to Anti-Bullying Week by exploring the theme of justice. We discussed what justice means in everyday life and how we can make our school a fairer and kinder place. To share our ideas, the children created their own powerful posters, promoting messages of fairness, respect, and standing up for what is right.

Happy Birthday!

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

Nursery: Ailsa Reception: Arazaya Year 4: Esey Year 5: Laila Year 6: George

Staff: Mr Teles

Key Dates

17.11.25

Y5 Cinema trip

18.11.25

Y3 & Y4 trip to the Cinema - Streatham Odeon

25.11.25

Y1 and Y2 Trip to Cinema - Croydon Grants

26.11.25

Y6 Cinema Trip - The Ritzy

02.12.25

Reception Nativity 9:30am

04.12.25

Reception Nativity 2pm

KS1 Christmas Concert

16.12.25 9.15am and 2.15pm

KS2 Christmas Concert

17.12.25 9.15am and 2.15pm

Christmas Class Party (pm)

18.12.25

TBC.12.25

Infant Christmas Orienteering Day

TBC.12.25

Junior Christmas Experience Day - West End in Schools

We hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend.

The St. Joseph's Team

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