CATHOLIC LIFE AND MISSION
Advent 2024
During Advent, our children will plan, organise and take part in a range of activities to reflect on, and to bring the true meaning of Advent and Christmas to the forefront of their minds.
Our Advent journey began with Advent Day on Monday 2nd December in school. Children made their Advent wreaths in class, decorated their classrooms and thought about their Advent promises. In the afternoon, we gathered together as a whole school where Mrs Nichol led us in Celebration of the Word, sharing with the children the true meaning of Christmas and how we can prepare for the birth of Jesus.
Each class has a Travelling Crib to take home to share with their families and we also have our beautiful Advent Prayer Stations in school where each class can take some time to be still, to reflect and to remember the true meaning of Advent and Christmas.
We wish everyone a happy, holy and peaceful Advent.
Year 3 and 6 Class Mass - Friday 29th November
On Friday afternoon, Year 3 and 6 celebrated their first class Mass of the academic year together in school.
The children did the readings and led the offertory and the singing, as always was beautiful.
It was a wonderful way to join together as a school community. Thank you to Fr Butler for such a lovely first class Mass together.
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Catholic Care Craft Afternoon - 27th November
Our families and children had a lovely craft afternoon led by Catholic Care. The children worked on Christmas Crafts with their parents/carers and made some great crafts to take home. There were lovely refreshments too provided by Catholic Care. Thank you for coming into our school and leading such a wonderful afternoon. The families all commented on how they had really enjoyed their time in school with their children.
Family Mass
On Sunday 24th November, we celebrated a lovely family Mass together. This was a lovely opportunity for our school families to come together, in our beautiful parish church, Our Lady of Lourdes. It was so lovely to come together and celebrate Mass as a school community in our parish together. Thank you to all our children and families who joined us.
Anti-bullying week
From Monday 18th November to Friday 22nd November, the pupils in school took part in various activities designed to raise awareness about this important issue and promote kindness within our school community. The theme this year was Choose Respect.
To culminate these activities, we had a wonderful celebration assembly on Thursday 28th November at 9:00am where pupils shared what they have learnt over the week. This a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to showcase their learning. Thank you to all our parents and carers who joined us in this special assembly as we came together to stand against bullying and celebrate our achievements.
Interfaith week - November 2024
We celebrated Inter Faith week in school and the focus was celebrations. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to learn about and celebrate the diverse beliefs and cultures that make our school community so vibrant. Each class studied a different faith and throughout the week, took part in various activities and workshops designed to promote understanding and respect of the faith they were studying.
It was fantastic to hear all the new information children had learnt in our Celebration Assembly on Friday and we have loved seeing all the lovely creative pieces children have been making too linked to their class faith. Well done everyone.
Whole School Mass - 12th November 2024
On Tuesday morning the whole school celebrated their first Mass of the academic year together in school.
The children in school did the readings and our Year 4 pupils wrote and read some lovely bidding prayers. The singing, as always was beautiful.
It was a wonderful way to join together as a school community. Thank you to Fr Butler for such a lovely first Mass together.
Shoebox Appeal 2024
This year, as a school we would like to support the Christmas Shoebox Appeal. This is to support Leeds children living in poverty.
Thank you to all our families who have supported this appeal by donating items or brining in full shoeboxes. Your donations will make a really special difference to someone in Leeds this Christmas.
Remembrance Assembly - 11th November 2024
Today, our school gathered for a meaningful Remembrance Day assembly. Our children reflected on the importance of remembering those who served and sacrificed in times of conflict.
They also learnt about the significance of the poppy, a symbol we wear to honour those who gave so much. We sang Remembrance by Hillsong Worship and observed a 2 minute silence.
As we concluded, the moving sound of The Last Post guided us out, re-minding us all to carry forward the legacy of remembrance.
Thank you to everyone who took part, and to our children for their respect.
Thank you also to our Year 6 pupils who have been selling poppies throughout November, raising money for this year’s Poppy Appeal.
Mission Day - 7th November 2024
On Thursday 7th November, we celebrated a whole school mission day. Throughout the day, the children and staff unpicked what our school mission truly means and how it resonates within our school community: Together, we learn and grow in God's Love.
In school, we had a variety of reflections and engaging activities designed to inspire our understanding and appreciation of the values we stand for. It was a chance for everyone in school to contribute their thoughts and ideas about how our mission can come to life in our everyday actions.
It was a lovely day to celebrating what makes our school unique. Click here for more information about our Mission Day.
Black History Month
In our final week of the half term, all our children learnt a poem by Joseph Coelho, exploring themes of identity and resilience.
Each class performed their poem in assembly and were absolutely inspirational in their presentations. Thank you to all our parents and carers who attended. It was so special to be able to share such a wonderful assembly together and celebrate our beautiful diverse school.
In addition to poetry, pupils also completed some artwork inspired by the renowned artist Kehinde Wiley. His vibrant portraits spark imagination and creativity, encouraging children to reflect on cultural heritage through their own artistic lens.
Harvest Assembly - 11th October 2024
Can we follow the charitable example of St Vincent De Paul? The Bishop's Pastoral Letter read last weekend in all parishes reminds us to care and give thanks for God's creation especially at Harvest.
To amplify the spirit of giving, we kindly asked each family to donate a piece of non-perishable food to help those in need. Whether it's a tin of soup, pasta, or cereal, every donation makes a difference. The contributions will support local families in need and enhance our school community.
We celebrated our Harvest Assembly where our children reminded the whole school that at this Harvest Time, we can grow and spread kindness. The children also sang some lovely songs and our parents/carers joined us for the celebrations. We collected a huge amount of donations all contributed by our families and this will support those in the local community. Thank you everyone.
October - The Month of the Holy Rosary
Mark 10 Mission Rosary Challenge October 2024
October is the month of the Holy Rosary and this October, our children will be taking part in the Mark 10 Mission Rosary Challenge. Our children (and staff) will pray a decade of the rosary every day at school. A decade of the Holy Rosary is: 1 x Our Father, 10 x Hail Mary and 1 x Glory Be. Mr Prowse will also run a Rosary Club every Friday lunchtime where children can pray the Rosary together.
During each decade, we pray with a Mystery of the Rosary. Mysteries are moments in the life of Jesus and Mary. There are four sets of five Mysteries: The Joyful Mysteries, The Glorious Mysteries, The Luminous Mysteries, The Sorrowful Mysteries.
The Mark 10 Mission team travelled to Lourdes in July to film the videos for this years challenge.
Could you take part in this challenge at home? Please follow the link to join in:https://www.themark10mission.co.uk/rosary-challenge
We will also send home a Traveling Rosary bag. This special bag is designed to encourage families to pray the Rosary together at home, fostering a spirit of reflection and community. Inside, you’ll find everything you need, including rosary beads, prayer cards, and a reflection book. After your family prayer sessions, we’d love for you to note down any reflections or write your own prayer in the book.
