Serving Christ
This week, we looked ahead to the 4th Sunday of Advent - we lit the last purple candle and heard that Mary replied to the Angel Gabriel, "I am the handmaid of the Lord." We remembered that to be a Christian is to be at the service of others in the name of Christ. Where Mary leads, we are called to follow, making personal sacrifices to enable God's Kingdom to be seen on earth.
There are a multitude of ways that children can actively serve the school community. Having roles, responsibilities, monitors and routines can really support this culture of service, as well as important school functions, like the PFSA Christmas Market and Nativities plays. We have been so proud and impressed by the children's readiness to serve this Advent season.
Nursery Nativity
We were blessed to enjoy two very special mornings of Nursery Nativities. The youngest children in the school - from Ladybird and Butterfly classes - enthralled their families with a beautiful recount of the Christmas story, full of carols and actions. This was an extremely special first public performance for many of our Nursery children. Well done to all involved!
Party Time
Year 2 had a fantastic time visiting the Co-Op as part of our money topic. The children were fantastic at recognising the coins as they counted how much money each group had. We also calculated the amount of change we would have left after purchasing our items for our Christmas party!
Golden Behaviour
Congratulations to this half term's Golden Table winners! Having modelled consistently beautiful behaviour at lunchtimes, these children have been specially selected and awarded. With a special Friday lunch served in a private dining area, and golden accessories to complement the celebration, a great time was had by all!
Dear members of St. Joseph's School Community,
As Advent draws to an end, we would like to wish you and your families a happy & blessed Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
We thank God for the many wonderful things that have taken place and been achieved this Autumn Term. We are extremely blessed. We also lift up to Jesus any worries and challenges that we are facing.
Now is a good time to press the pause button on the busyness...to be still & quiet and to allow ourselves time to soak in the peace & joy that Christmas brings.
Wherever you are and however you choose to spend it, we pray that this Christmas season is restful and relaxing for you.
With our continued thoughts and prayers,
God bless,
The Parent Prayer Group
Infant Nativities
Our congratulations to the three trios of Infant classes who captivated audiences with their beautiful nativity - A King is Born. The children sang, danced and acted with such enthusiasm and authenticity that families were amazed at their talent. The shining message of God's love was heard again this Advent and the children served the school exceptionally well. God bless you all!
Creative Arts
Nursery children have continued to develop their creativity and learn some new skills, such as needing to put glue on the paper before adding glitter otherwise it won’t stick! We have also been singing a variety of Christmas songs, "When Santa got stuck up the chimney" being a firm favourite! By providing the children with a variety of opportunities to engage in creative activities, it helps to develop the children’s imagination and enables them to explore with a wide range of media and materials. In addition it provides an opportunity to learn new vocabulary and develop their communication skills through the arts.
Spiritual Food
Thank you very much to everyone who donated to the Advent call for goods. We had a wonderful response and were able to make up some lovely little Christmas cheer hampers for the parish pantry and the North Guildford food bank . Thank you to the Spiritual Council and Faith in Action Awards Group for packing and delivering the goods.
Going Dotty
Our thanks to the committed staff and volunteers who make a tremendous effort each term to offer the children free and enriching extra-curricular provision. Here are some of the Christmas Card designs from the talented young artists at Year 1 & 2 Creative Club. They used pointillism to generate Christmas themed images. Well done to you all!
Hospital Choir
It was a joy to hear St Joseph's School Choir sing for the visitors and patients of the Royal Surrey Hospital this week. The children performed a beautiful collection of carols and Christmas songs to brighten the day of the crowds that gathered. In a surprise twist, the Chaplain of the hospital led the children in an impromptu retelling of the Nativity story - head accessories and all! It was a joyous occasion. Our thanks to the children and staff for being so ready and willing to serve the wider community in this way.
Junior Superstars!
Congratulations to our exceptionally talented Junior Drama Group, Choir and choral singers, all of whom represented the school in this year's Junior Christmas Production - Superstar! The show was watched by hundreds of parents and grandparents over the last three days and brough Christmas cheer to all to came to enjoy it. The power and emotion of the singing, with all 360 Juniors taking part, was quite breathtaking. Well done to all involved!
Fun Fund
Amid all of the excitement of the Christmas production, Year 4 enjoyed a fantastically festive afternoon on Monday.
Some of you may have visited the much-loved Christmas Fair recently, which wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of our incredible PFSA. Whilst I’m sure you are aware of some of the recent contributions to the school site from the PFSA, such as the Wellbeing Garden and the Willow Tree Area, what you may not know is that the PFSA grant each year group with a ‘Fun Fund’ to ensure that the children can have an experience that we would not otherwise be able to provide.
The year 4 team decided to use this fund to purchase some decorations for each child to paint and take home. The classroom was full of excitement and Christmas cheer as the children opened their boxes to reveal what was inside. This was followed by some impressive negotiating skills as the children were given the opportunity to swap their decorations with their classmates. Finally, they got onto the delicate job of painting them. We think they did an excellent job and hope they hang on your trees for years to come! A huge thank you must go to the PFSA for allowing us to give the children this lovely experience.
Step into Christmas
Merry Christmas from all the staff in the St Joseph's family. With special thanks to Miss Rycroft - our chief cinematographer.
Step into Christmas .movFrom our friends at FISCH
FISCH Food Winter 2023 December.pdf