Star of the Week

Joseph Minshull, Louis Spreadbury, Harry Butler, Martha McGrath, Vedh Jaykrishnan, Viyaan Jaykrishnan, Matilda Parker, Alfie Tarbuck, Alexa Stanley, Daniel Simcock, Emelia Pucill, Isaac Hillier, Raphaela Tsang, Ura Yeung, Jude Lewis and Sophia Robinson

Birthday Greetings

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

   Mirac Atug, Jack Banks, Hercules Pat, Harry Butler and Isabelle Bannon 

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

Thought for the week

In prayer and liturgy this week, our children have listened to the following reading:

If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.

(Romans 10:9 )

OPAL Update
We’re excited to share that we’ve completed our baseline assessment with our OPAL mentor and developed a comprehensive improvement plan for our outdoor spaces. This plan covers all areas of the site, including the field, playground, courtyard, and garden.

Implementation will take place in phases over the next 12–18 months, starting early next year. These changes will bring fantastic benefits for the children, and we’ll keep you informed through social media and the school newsletter.

To make this project a success, we’ll be relying on support from our school community, local businesses, the PFA, and grants where possible. Initially, we’re asking for donations of specific items for our small world play area, stage and performance space, and den-building zone.

We’ve attached a poster with details of the items needed—perfect timing for a pre-Christmas clear-out!

If you have any questions, please contact the PFA via your WhatsApp group representative or reach out to Emma at chair@stjosephspfa.org.uk or 07512 674904. We’re happy to help!

Family Parish Involvement

The Eucharist, the Mass, is the source and summit of Christian life and St Joseph’s parish is always wanting to welcome our families to regular worship on Sundays. Fr Ray often asks about altar servers and now our RE ambassadors are welcome to serve at school Masses or when we take classes to church in the autumn and summer terms. We would still encourage children who have made their first Holy Communion to volunteer to serve at Sunday Masses.  Likewise, the children are invited to come to Sundays Masses as part of monthly greet and meet teams or to help with the offertory gifts or collections.

Although faith is personal, it is not private. We are called through our Baptism to be part of the living Church and coming together each week helps nurture our faith and active life of service to others.

Pope Francis repeatedly spoke of the Church in terms of healing and welcome: ‘You, helped by the grace of the Holy Spirit strive to make the churches like a field hospital.’ Pope Leo XIV in turn goes further as expressed in his statement soon after becoming the Holy Father.

‘Brothers, sisters…

I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left. To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.

I, too, was angry with God. I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine. And yes… there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.

But then I discovered something:

God doesn't shout. God whispers. And sometimes He whispers from the mud, from pain, from a grandmother who feeds you without having anything.

I don't come to offer you perfect faith. I come to tell you that faith is a walk with stones, puddles, and unexpected hugs. I'm not asking you to believe in everything. I'm asking you not to close the door. Give a chance to the God who waits for you without judgment. I'm just a priest who saw God in the smile of a woman who lost her son... and yet she cooked for others. That changed me.

So, if you're broken, if you don't believe, if you're tired of the lies...

come anyway. With your anger, your doubt, your dirty backpack.

No one here will ask you for a VIP card. Because this Church, as long as I breathe, will be a home for the homeless, and a rest for the weary.

God doesn't need soldiers.

He needs brothers. And you, yes, you... are one of them.’

Please think about joining St Joseph’s parish community on Sundays (8:30am and 4pm) to part of a community of sinners but one that knows they are loved deeply by God. 

Mental Health Support for Adults

The Early Help team in Warrington have shared a possibly useful website for adults.  Please see the link below:

https://www.mhm.org.uk/warrington-halton-support-hub?Title=warrington-halton-support-hub

Youth Zone information

Parent presentation from the Brihanna Grey Trust:  Tuesday, 9th December (9am in school). 

You are invited to school on Tuesday 9 December at 9am for a Look Up & a live Parent presentation from the Brihanna Grey Trust.  It is a 60-minute interactive

session designed to help parents and carers understand the impact of smartphones, social media, and screen time on children’s mental health.  It will offer practical, non-judgmental support for parents, helping parents feel more confident setting screen boundaries, improving communication, and building healthier technology habits at home.

The workshop covers:

The latest research on screens and child development

How social media affects attention, self-esteem, and sleep

Simple strategies for setting boundaries and managing resistance

How to build real-world connection and emotional resilience

This will help parents feel informed, empowered, and connected to a supportive community that wants the same thing: to help children thrive online and offline.

If you would like to attend, can you please let the office know.

Many thanks

Alan Saunders

Headteacher

St Joseph's Club Community Tea Dance:  Tuesday, 9 December (1-4.30pm)

Please see below information regarding a Community Tea Dance to be held at St Joseph's Club on Tuesday, 9 December.    Please come along for an afternoon of live entertainment, including festive performances from the children's choirs of St Joseph's and St Vincent's. 

St Rocco's Hospice Candlelight Service at St Elphin's Church: Wednesday, 10 December (7pm)

All welcome for a Service of Light, Love and Loss at Christmastime - followed by mince pies, tea and coffee.  Books of remembrance will be open to view

Christmas lunch for pupils: Thursday, 11 December

Christingle at St Joseph's:  Thursday, 11 December (6pm)

This Service will be held on Thursday, 11 December, 6pm at St Joseph's Church.   Christingle packs are available now from St Joseph's School Office for a £1 per pack.

International Carol Service: 14th December (2pm)

An invitation is extended to all our parishes to contribute and get together with family and friends to share Christmas songs and stories from all countries at a Carol Service to be held at Alban's Church on Sunday, 14th December at 2pm.  Please come along and join us.

Christmas Nativity, 16th & 17th December

Please note the following dates for our Christmas Nativity:

Tuesday 16th December:

EYFS 1.45pm

KS1 2.15pm

Wednesday 17th December:

EYFS children to school at 5pm to get changed.

EYFS performance start time at 5.30pm (the audience will be admitted 10 minutes prior to the show starting).

KS1 children to school at 5.30pm to get changed.

KS1 performance start time - 6pm (the audience will be admitted 10 minutes prior to the show starting).

All families will be given 4 tickets for the afternoon show and 4 for the evening show. We will give these out nearer the time. All 4 tickets will be sent out, regardless of whether you need them all.

If you have any questions, please email the school office. 

Morning start

Children are allowed on the playground from 8:30am each day and the school day begins at 8:45am. Staff arrive on the playground from around 8:40am and Mr Saunders or Mrs Riches will blow the whistle for children to line up.  We would respectfully ask parents not to hold up the children’s entry to school by talking with teachers.  Miss Rose will be on the playground if parents need to pass on messages.

Thank you for your understanding. We want the day to start as smoothly as possible and enable the children to maximise their learning time. 

Holy Communion Dates

The Sacramental Team at St Joseph's Church have given us dates for our Year 4 Holy Communion Programme to pass on to you  -   all sessions will take place in Church and attendance is essential:

Sunday, 14th December (8.30am):  Guadette Sunday Mass  (Children will receive a small gift from the Legion of Mary).

Sunday, 1st February (4 pm):   Presentation of the Lord Mass

Thursday, 12th February (6pm):  Reconciliation Preparation

Thursday, 26th February (6pm):  Reconciliation Service

Thursday, 19th March (6pm):  Communion Preparation 1

Thursday, 23rd April (6pm):  Communion Preparation 2

Friday, 1st May:  Rehearsal  (St Vincent's - 10am / St Joseph's after lunch)

Saturday, 2nd May (times to be confirmed):  Communion Day

Road Safety and Considerate Driving

Please be reminded that the school is in a residential area and obviously at the beginning and end of the school day, the pavements and roads will be busier. Please take extra care with road awareness and speed of driving.  The roads must be a safe place for all users.

My Child’s Art portal

PFA Winter Raffle

PFA Class WhatsApp Contacts 2025/26

To help us communicate with parents easier, volunteers have nominated themselves to be class contacts in WhatsApp groups on behalf of the PFA. Please note this is for PFA correspondence and questions only, any matters in relation to school should go through the normal channels.  They are as follows:

Reception - Anne Byrne

Year 1 - Hannah Hughes

Year 2- Sally Lucas

Year 3- Amanda MacFarlane

Year 4- Maria Simpson

Year 5- (Mr. W) Liz Houghton

Year 5- (Mrs T) Stacy Larkin

Year 6 - Kate Leighton

Thank you.

Your PFA

St Joseph’s Family Centre Christmas Hamper Appeal

Warrington Borough Council Christmas Appeal

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 or Epipens and call 999. 

Please do not use Nivea sun cream 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.

请注意，我们学校有些孩子对花生、坚果、扁豆和豌豆有严重的过敏反应。如果发生过敏反应，我们会立即使用Jext笔或Epipens并拨打999。

请勿使用妮维雅防晒霜，因为它含有杏仁油，而且我们学校也有一些孩子对坚果有严重的过敏反应。

请勿将任何含有上述成分的物品带入学校作为您孩子的午餐或零食。这包括像Nutella这样的涂抹酱，因为它含有榛子成分。

一如既往地感谢您的支持。

PE Days

Please see below the PE days for your child for this new term.   (Please note new change of date for MW PE Day from Tuesday and Wednesday to Tuesday and Thursday)

EYFS CT - Friday

Y1 LH - Thursday and Friday

Y2 KS - Monday and Tuesday 

Y3 CF/KR - Tuesday and Wednesday

Y4 KD - Tuesday and Thursday (Swimming Thursday)

Y5/6 MW - Tuesday and Thursday

Y5/6 MR - Monday and Thursday

Y5/6 RT - Monday and Wednesday

Children are to wear their PE kits on these days.

If your child wears earrings, please ensure that you provide tape so the earrings can be covered for safety. 

Many thanks.