All the children have taken part in a volleyball taster sesison this half term. It was great to hear how they enjoyed exposure to this sport and responded well to the visiting coach- thanks Mr Abrahams for organising.

It is great to see so many parents turning up to our weekly parents tours. Since September we've had a new child join us pretty much every week and we are pleased that so many are actively seeking to be a part of our school community. Remember that Parent/Carers tours are every Wednesday at 9.30am. These are for prospective parents, but if you wanted to come along to see how we are doing and the new developments in the school you are more than welcome.

Year 3 enjoyed their trip to the Natural History Museum on Thursday. They children had a great time learning interesting facts and extending upon their learning. Thanks to all the helpers and teaching team who made the trip a great success.

This term children across the Federation have been taking part in a project with the Guardian Newspaper! Thanks to Ms Bickmoore we've been accepted onto this special project, resulting in the children meeting and learning from journalists and editors of our top newspapers.

A huge congratulations to our Pupil Leadership Team who were selected today. They each submitted an excellent application stating why they should be in post for this year. The applications were of an extremely high caliber which made choosing the pupil leadership team even more challenging this year! A huge congratulations to Emmanuel and Naomi, who will be our Head Boy and Head Girl and Phillip, EJ, Jael and Ayelen who will who will be their deputies. Aaron will be Senior House Captain and his response to gaining this post brought teachers to tears and the children filled the hall with rapture. We will have our first meeting after the half term and we are all excited about what this pupil leadership team will accomplish. Last year's contributed immensely to behaviour and attitudes and played a pivotal role with a tender process.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful half term. Well done children and thank you!

From Mrs Ashley and the Team

Wellbeing

Half-Term Support

We are aware that some families are struggling financially and that not having access to free school meals during the break may impact you.

There is a range of support available if you need it. Please click here to see a list of Food Banks available locally.

Please click here to see a range of venues where children can eat for free, or for £1. If you need any further assistance, please let us know.

Early Years

This autumn reception have enjoyed exploring the natural world around us. We have loved going to Forest School and have stated to talk about the seasonal changes we have noticed. We have made leaf wreaths, done leaf rubbing and printing and made a collage using leaves. In the Forest School we made pictures using the natural resources and made kebabs using sticks and leaves. We are very proud of our amazing art work in class and at Forest School.

Reception: This week in phonics we are learning the sounds: e, l, h and r.

Key Stage 1

This week, Year 1 enjoyed a delightful autumnal walk around the school grounds, exploring the beauty of the changing season. The children observed how leaves transform from green to shades of orange, red, and yellow, discovering the magic behind this colourful change. As they walked, they discussed how autumn brings cooler days and falling leaves, learning how these changes help prepare nature for winter. It was a wonderful hands-on experience in understanding the seasons and we made our very own autumn tree in the playground!

Lower Key Stage 2

This week has been a busy one in year 4 including an exciting trip, an online zoom training course as part of the NewsWise journalism project and lots of creative art sessions.

Our first trip of the year saw us travel to London and visit the Natural History Museum. The pupils explored the numerous exhibits, particularly enjoying the blue Whale, the natural world and experiencing an earthquake!

A huge 'Thank you' to all the parents who accompanied us.

The NewsWise online training allowed the pupils to become a journalist where they identified fake news and created a short news script. Pupils will eventually create an audio news report of their own.

Art has been a focus for us this week and the pupils explored different types of pencils, created pictures in charcoal and pictures with scissors and explored tone, shading and proportion.

Upper Key Stage 2

This week in Year 6 we have been focussing on descriptive writing in Engish, drawing on our senses to inspire our use of figurative language. We spent a part of our lesson in the forest school to collect a word bank to use in our writing.

In Maths we further developed our learning on Long division, and how to solve multi-step word problems. The children worked together to help each other and showed great mathematical skills.

We concluded our Science learning on Classification, as well as our RE topic on the Kingdom of God. Finally, in History, the children presented their escaped from Robben Island plans, and shared a deep understanding of why Nelson Mandela fought for jusice for all.

In PSHE we looked at self-esteem, and what we focus on what makes us feel good about ourselves.

We are looking forward to half term, and more excited to come back, ready to learn!

Curriculum Focus

Music

The music program is off to a great start this year! Mr. Tranter has been working with students in Years 2, 4, and 6, introducing them to a variety of music styles and teaching the basics of composition. Junior hymn practices have been particularly lively, with the children engaging not only with their voices but also adding actions, making the experience even more fun and interactive.

MFL (Modern Foreign Languages)

Portuguese lessons have also begun successfully this term, being taught from Year 1 through to Year 6. Ms. Santos has been focusing on helping students introduce themselves, along with learning numbers, family vocabulary, and school-related terms.

We’re excited for the term ahead and all the wonderful things the children will be learning!

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!