Friday 24th January 2025 - Issue 17

Star of the Week

Mirac Atug, Ellie Marlow, Thomas Vickery, Owen Crossley, Ruben Trotman, Stevie Pickersgill, Primrose Brown, Amelia Kuncewicz , Florence Wheeler, Jude Lewis, Angel Leung, Teddy Thompson, Ashleigh Kerr, Beth Robinson, Jacob Baker, Alarna Olivier-Allen, Klemen Chung and Oscar Owens.

Birthday Greetings

Happy birthday to all the children and staff who have had or who will be celebrating their birthdays this week.

Ayden Leung, Isaac Phillips, Isaac Plunkett, Nathan Robinson and Noah Akerman

We hope you have had or will have a lovely day!

Ofsted Inspection and Parent View

It is five years this month since our last Ofsted inspection, and as you would probably expect if you follow reports in the media, schools become somewhat nervous around this time as we want to show off all the good things we do for our children. The Parent View survey is one way we can listen to parents and affect change if necessary.

Presently, there are only a handful of replies to our 10-minute Parent View questionnaire which cannot give us useful information. Please support us in completing this as it helps us review our practice.

https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/

Sports for Championship Sponsorship

On Friday 7th March, we will be hosting an inspirational workshop with Alisha Evanson. Alisha is a world championship gymnast. Alisha needs your help to raise funds for vital training, medical and competition costs. This money will also help our school and other athletes across the country.

The children will be participating in a sponsored fitness circuit on the day of Alisha's visit. Your child will receive a sponsorship form today (Friday) in school. Please return the form with any sponsor money (or through the crowdfunding page) to your child's class teacher.

Please follow the link below for more information and to view the crowdfunding page for our school.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/st-josephs-catholic-primary-schoolfundraiser

Many thanks for your continued support!

Mrs Tyerman

Scouts and Guides World Thinking Day, Monday 24 February

On 22nd February each year, Guides and Scouts across the world think of each other and express their thanks and appreciation for the international movement. 22nd February was chosen as it is the birthday of Boy Scout Founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, and his wife Olave Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide.

Some of our local Guiding and Scouting members attend St Joseph's Primary School and your child is encouraged to wear their Guiding/Scouting Uniform to school on Monday 24th February 2025. In doing so, the members would be able to celebrate the two organisations that they are a part of and share it with others.

Safe Practices in School

On one level, schools exist to teach children how to read and write and gain knowledge and skills in a number of areas. Likewise, they are to prepare children for the wider world of work. These are both true but the school is much more than that. It can never be merely functional but formative. We have the privilege of nurturing young people to become the best they are. St Joseph’s Catholic primary exists to develop each child academically, emotionally, physically, morally, spiritually and socially. We look to the flourishment of each child, made in the image and likeness of God.

Behind the taught and experienced curriculum, lies an organisation which constantly works at being conducive to learning in its widest sense. Systems and processes are developed to maximise the learning environment and underlying all this must be a site that first ensures the safety and wellbeing of all.

We regularly report on learning and experiences that take place in and out of school via the newsletter and social media. But alongside this is work aimed at keeping all safe.

Safeguarding is often referenced in relation to protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online. But it covers a much wider remit: child protection, policies, governance, health and safety, buildings, SEND, e-safety, curriculum, training, attendance and punctuality.

In relation to buildings, you will have noticed the Heras fencing in the car park outside some of our classes. In future weeks you will see a new electronic fence along the front of school. We regularly have contractors in school to monitor water temperatures, to check fire safety, to inspect equipment. Last week during the severe weather, Mr Eckersley used 26 bags of grit to reduce the danger of falling on icy paths. This figure was twice the number of bags used last year. On Wednesday, I led an assembly on anaphylaxis as several of our children have severe allergies and are at risk of anaphylaxis and later that evening, staff stayed for annual first aid training.

Just as your work place is probably designed and maintained to optimise productivity, the running of St Joseph’s is aimed at the flourishment of our children with systems and protocols maintained to support that good work.

Year of Hope – Rucksack of Hope

Thank you very much to all who have contributed by bringing clothes into school to be shared for those in need in our community. Cardinal Newman will be collecting these, either today, Friday, or on Monday.

We really do appreciate your generosity.

Food allergies

Please be reminded that some of our children suffer with severe allergic reactions to peanuts, nuts, lentils and peas. If an anaphylactic reaction occurs we are trained to immediately use Jext pens of Epipens and call 999.

Please do not use Nivea suncream as it has almond oil in it and we have children with severe nut allergies.

Please do not send any items containing the above into school for your child’s lunch or snack. This includes spreads like Nutella as it has hazelnut as an ingredient.

Thank you for your support, as always.

請提醒，我哋有啲小朋友對花生、堅果、扁豆同豌豆有嚴重過敏反應，如果發生過敏反應，我哋會接受訓練，立即使用 Epipens 嘅 Jext 筆，並打999。

請唔好用妮維雅防曬，因為佢入面有杏仁油，而且我哋有啲小朋友有嚴重嘅堅果過敏。

請唔好將任何含有上述內容嘅物品送入學校，用嚟食你嘅小朋友嘅午餐或者小食。呢個包括好似 Nutella 噉嘅麵糊，因為佢有榛子作為成份。

多謝你嘅支持，一如既往。