CATHOLIC LIFE OF THE SCHOOL

Year Three Assembly

Unity

On 7th February the children in class 3 performed an assembly on Unity. In the assembly they told us about the inclusive nature of our school and how our diversity makes our community unique. We leanred that there are many different languages in our school and that our different backgraounds brings great wealth. Class three talked about thei charity- refugee in action and how we should always aim to be inclusive. We remember that Mary, Jesus and Joseph were refugees and that we should all ask to support other. 

Class 4 Assembly

On Wednesday 31^st January Class four performed their class assembly to the whole school. This was on the them of John the Baptist. In the assembly the children taught us that when we are baptised we become a special part of the family of God. We learned that when we are baptised we are called to be a special servant of God. We would like to thank all of the children and the year four teaching team for a great assembly. Thank you to all of the year four families for attending the assembly.

Year 5 Holocaust Memorial day Assembly

On Wednesday the children in Class Five performed their spring term assembly on a very challenging theme- the theme of the Holocaust. In the assembly the children we are to explain the many challenges that the Jewish people in Europe faced in World War II and how this affected the people who were living at this time. The children dealt with this very sensitively and were able to explain it in a way that could be understood by all. We would like to thank the children for a thought provoking and well- delivered assembly.

British Values Assembly

On Monday the children from the student council delivered an assembly to the whole school based upon the fundamental British Values. These are:

·                   The rule of law

·         Democracy

·         Individual Liberty

·         Tolerance of people with different religions and beliefs

·         Mutual Respect

The children explained what the values mean and how those values shape the society that we live in in Britain. They also talked about how the British Values relate to the Gospel Values and our Holy Family 5 values of happy, faithful, loving, respectful and resilient. We would like to thank all of the student council for reminding us on the importance of the British Values.

Class 5 Laudato Si' Assembly

We have been called by Pope Francis to think about the impact that our actions have on our planet. We have been tasked to be Stewards of the Earth and as a result have a responsibility to ensure that there are enough resources to support generations to come. The Pope used St Francis of Assisi as his model for how we should take care of our planet. In their assembly, Class Five taught us about the impact we are having on the world through deforestation and pollution which is causing climate change. We prayed together asking God to guide us and help world leaders to make good decisions about how look after earth.

We would like to thank the children and the Class Five teaching team for providing us with such an informative assembly.

Class Six Mary Assembly

On Wednesday, we joined together as a whole school family to celebrate the birth of Our Lady Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This assembly was led by our Year Six children who were able to describe to us the importance of Mary in the Christian Church. As the mother of Jesus and part of the Holy Family, Mary is one of the patron saints of our school. We look to her in prayer and ask that she helps us to make good and positive choices and to live in the image of Jesus.

Class Six did a great job of reminding us that, like Mary, it is important to say yes to God and allow him to guide us in our lives. We would like to thank Year Six and the teaching team for putting together such an informative and reverent assembly.

Thank you Year 6!

Welcome Back Mass

On Tuesday 26^th September we joined together as a school community to celebrate Holt Mass with Fr Frankie. This was the first time we have celebrated in Church this academic year and is was wonderful to worship together. We offered up the Mass to Our Lady of Walsingham in honour of her Feast Day which had taken place on Sunday. Father reminded us again of the power of prayer as he asked us to open our hearts and let God into our lives. Thank you to all of the children, especially the readers and of course Fr Frankie for conducting the Mass.

Class 3 Mothers Assembly

On Wednesday 4^th October we came together to celebrate mothers- our own mothers and all of the female figures who inspire us across the world. Class Three were the class that presented this week’s assembly. They told us about the importance of the special women in their lives, how they nurture and care for them and how they add value to the lives that they lead. The children also reminded us of the importance of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Mary is a mother to each and every one of us, listening to our prayers and interceding with God on our behalf. Class Three shared the Rosary with us, reminding us of the important relationship that we all have with Jesus’ mother.

The assembly was a big hit with parents and staff. A big thank you is owed to all of the children and to Miss O’Rourke and the Class Three teaching team for guiding the children through their assembly. Also, thank you to the parents and friends who attended the assembly- your support is always appreciated.

A Message from Fr Frankie

Fr Frankie

A couple of years ago, I was approached by a popular retreat house in the UK who were starting a Mission House to train up young adults to be Missionary Disciples. They asked if I would be their Chaplain to help to train up the young people to be Missionary Disciples and then to go out into mission with them in the UK.

Back then, I prayed about it and felt I was called to be in Salford serving you all. Earlier on this year in May/June through situations and circumstances I started to pray and reflect along with the Bishop and his two Vicar Generals to understand if this was what God was calling me to. After prayer, discernment and reflection with Bishop John and his two Vicar Generals we think that this is what God is calling me to. The recent Mission House members began their year in September and so the Bishop wanted to release me in order to catch up with their programme and upcoming missions. So, it is with a heavy heart I leave St James’ Parish and the school community but our Lord and Our Lady are asking this of me in the next chapter of my priesthood.

Fr Ian Farrell, who is a great priest, will come to take over the parish. I have no doubt he will do great work and ministry for the parish, the school and the community. I will miss you all. You will have a special place in my heart and prayers. I hope to see you down the road.

God’s blessings and prayers,

Welcome Back Mass

On Tuesday 26^th September we joined together as a school community to celebrate HolY Mass with Fr Frankie. This was the first time we have celebrated in Church this academic year and is was wonderful to worship together. We offered up the Mass to Our Lady of Walsingham in honour of her Feast Day which had taken place on Sunday. Father reminded us again of the power of prayer as he asked us to open our hearts and let God into our lives. Thank you to all of the children, especially the readers and of course Fr Frankie for conducting the Mass.

All Saints Mass

Today we celebrated the Feast of All Saints. Together we honoured all of the special followers of God who have devoted their lives to helping to spread the ‘Good News’. We thought about all of the Saints who are so special to God and prayed that in our lives we were able to be more like them in everything that we do. In the Mass, Father explained to us that we are all called to be Saints and that God asks us to live our lives in order for us to realise that dream.

In mass we opened our hearts to God. Fr Frankie illustrated this to us by opening doorways using props to show the love inside. He explained that our love for each-other lives within God’s love for us.

As it was Fr Frankie’s last Mass it was particularly poignant. We wish him well on the next stage of his Mission and thank him deeply for his devoted service. We would also like to thank the children for their contribution to Mass, particularly the Faith Leaders who read so well.

Diwali

Diwali also known as the Festival of Lights is India’s biggest festival celebrated as part of the Hindu religion. The Festival of Diwali was celebrated on Sunday 12^th November 2023. This week in school we celebrated Diwali by discussing the tradition in class with Miss Riley dressing in traditional clothing worn at the festival. We would like to wish everyone who celebrates the festival a happy Diwali.

We would like to thank Mrs Kaur for joining us to inform the children about Diwali.

Advent

Sunday 3^rd December will mark the first day of the Advent season. On Sunday we will light the first Candle of Advent. The theme for the first week of Advent is Hope. The candle is purple to remind us that Jesus is a king and that he made great sacrifices for us. This is the beginning of  watchful waiting as we anticipate the birth of Jesus and his arrival on 25^th December. We are filled with hope at the beginning of this special season.

Christmas Craft Morning

It was lovely to welcome all of our parents to school for our Christmas Craft morning. All of the classes were involved in making a different Christmas craft and enjoyed making these with their friends and families.

As the Advent season begins it was good to meet with families as our period of preparing for the arrival of Jesus gets underway. We would like to thank all of you for attending and we hope that you had a fabulous morning.

Prayer Stations

On Friday as part of the Christmas Craft morning, our children in Key Stage 2 and their families were invited to join together to celebrate Advent Prayers together. Here there were several prayer stations set up and the children were able to visit these stations sharing the prayerful activities with their parents. This was a very special time as we began our preparations for the Advent period.

Light Fever

On Tuesday evening we hosted our annual Light Fever event. Families were invited to some into the hall and to place a candle at the altar honoring Mary and Joseph who were patiently awaiting the arrival of Jesus.  We would like to thank all of our families for attending this very spiritual event.

It was lovely to see Fr Ian in school this week as he led us in one of our special Advent events- Light Fever.

 It was a pleasure to be guided by Father at this event and we look forward to his welcome presence as we continue our journey of faith together.

Advent Mass

On Tuesday 19^th December, we celebrated our Advent Mass together as a parish community. This was Fr Ian’s first Mass with us and we were very pleased that we were able to share the Sacrament of Holy Mass with him.

We would like to thank everyone from the community of St James’ and All Souls for joining us for the Mass. We would also like to thank Fr Ian for a beautiful Mass and a very warm welcome.

Key Stage 2 Carol Concert

On Monday 18^th December, the children in KS 2 presented a carol concert for us at St James’ and All Souls’ Church. This was a lovely event where the children sang beautifully. We would like to thank all of the children for their efforts and also the staff for helping to put this together. Thank you to all of our families for joining us to celebrate the Advent season.

A Miracle in Town

EYFS and Key Stage 1 Nativity

On the 8^th and the 13^th of December, the Early tears children and KS2 treated us to a retelling of the story if the Nativity. The play they performed for us was called A Miracle in Town which shared with us the joy of the miracle of Jesus. The children acted brilliantly and sang with gusto entertaining us all whilst reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas. We would like to thank the children and the teaching team for a wonderful nativity. We would also like to thank all of our parents for sharing this special time with us and for supporting our school.

Carols Around the Tree

On Thursday evening after school we all joined together as a school family to sing Christmas carols around our Christmas tree. This was a truly beautiful event where all we joined together to celebrate the festive season. We were joined by the choir from All Hallows who supported us at the event.  Thank you to all of the children from All Hallows who helped to make the vent so special. We would also like to thank our families for your fabulous support.  

Advent Mass

On Tuesday 19^th December, we celebrated our Advent Mass together as a parish community. This was Fr Ian’s first Mass with us and we were very pleased that we were able to share the Sacrament of Holy Mass with him.

We would like to thank everyone from the community of St James’ and All Souls for joining us for the Mass. We would also like to thank Fr Ian for a beautiful Mass and a very warm welcome.

Caritas Visit

On Monday 15^th January 2023 we had a very special visit from Kath Ansley who works for Caritas. As part of the day she hosted and assembly for us, conducted a workshop for our Caritas Ambassadors and led a staff meeting on the importance of Catholic social teachings. This was a great day and a valuable learning experience for both children and staff.

Prayer Stations

During Lent, we have been reflecting upon the Easter story, beginning with Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and ending with his crucifixion on Good Friday. This is a very important tome for us as Christians as we reflect upon the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, but also the suffering that was necessary in order for Him to fulfil His Father’s wishes. On Wednesday 29th March all classes in KS2 were able to participate in pray stations. During this time they were able to reflect on the meaning of Jesus falling during the Stations of the Cross and His doubts in the Garden of Gethsemane. We reflected on this by writing prayers and being mindful of the sacrifices He made. Many thanks to the faith leaders who helped all of the children to reflect at this special time.

Prayer Stations

The Kingdom of God

On Friday in school the children were able to come together as class families to celebrate worship and our faith together. The theme we were exploring was the Kingdom of God. The children were able to consider the beauty of the world that God has provided for us and responded to this in a variety of different ways. The children were able to share their ideas in a variety of creative ways. We would like to thank all of the Faith Leaders involved for helping to make this event a success.

Advent Mass

Thank you to everyone who attended our Advent Mass on Wednesday. It was the perfect ending to our autumn term. It was great to sing and open our hearts to Jesus, led by Fr Frankie. Thank you to all of the children who read so beautifully in Mass.

We would like to wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and a happy new year. We look forward to welcoming the children back to school in January. 

Light Fever

On Friday 14th December 2022 we celebrated Light Fever in the school hall. This is a special time where we come together as Holy Family to pray and to light a candle to show that Jesus is the Light of the World. We do this as a part of the very important preparations that we make in Advent- we clear a space in our hearts for Jesus and pray together as one family.

We would like to thank Fr Frankie for leading our event and and also would like to thank our faith leaders for supporting us. 

And, thank you to all of our friends and families for joining us this afternoon. 

Key Stage 2 Carol Concert

This week the children blew us away with their beautiful singing for the Key Stage 2 Carol Concert. The children gave us a rendition of traditional carols and modern songs, some as a whole Key Stage and some as individual classes. It was great to see so many of the children’s families who came to support us. Thank you to all of the children and the Key Stage 2 team for a fabulous show.

The Big, Little Nativity

We would like to thank all of the staff and children in KS1 for their performance of the Big, Little Nativity. The show was performed with passion and humour. Thank you to all of the families who attended this fabulous event. 

Away in a Manger

On Thursday 1^st December, the children in EYFS performed their fantastic nativity for us- Away in a Manger.

It was great to see all of the children perform with such confidence and joy. Well done children and the EYFS team. We would like to thank the friends and families of the children for joining us for this special production.

Advent Craft Morning

Thank you to all of the families who joined us today at the Advent Craft Morning. It was great to see so many of you working on your Christmas Crafts with your children. Also a big thank you to all of the parents that joined us for prayer stations in the hall. The children have loved having you in school today and so have we!

Remembrance Day

Today as a whole school we came together to remember all people who have been affected by war. We prayed for soldiers past and present, their friends and families and for ourselves. We asked God to watch over them as we said our special prayer for the dead: 

Eternal rest grant unto them O’Lord and Let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace, 

Amen

  At 11 o’clock we shared a minutes silence together. We pray as Holy family for peace in the world and ask that world leaders come together to help to build a safer future for everyone.

A Visit from CAFOD from

Lynne Smith

This morning we had a visit from Lynn Smith who works for the CAFOD team. CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Lynne delivered two assemblies- one for KS1 and the other for KS2. In the KS1 assembly Lynne talked about the terrible effects of a typhoon on the Philippines and how CAFOD had helped a village after the terrible storms. They build new homes, schools and roads. They even provided the villages with pigs to farm so that they could feed their families. 

In the KS 2 assembly, Lynne talked about the importance of Catholic teachings such as The Common Good, Thinking of Everyone, Solidarity and Showing we Care. She quoted the Gospel of St Matthew to help us to understand the impact donations have on people in desperate need. 

 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me,

 I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Matthew 25- 35:36

We were reminded today of the important role we have in ensuring that everybody's Universal and Unconditional rights are respected. We would like to thank Lynne and the CAFOD team for her visit and reminding us to be #missionariesofChrist. 

Family Mass

The Welcome of the Sacramental Programme Children

For all of our children who are continuing their journey of faith through the Sacramental programme, this is a very special year. Today, children from school joined the parish to profess their wish to become full members of the Catholic Church. In this special service, the children's families and parish made their commitment to supporting the children as they work towards receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. 

In the Mass Father explained that faith and the love of God was for the living. He explained that when we are a part of God's Kingdom, we never die. He emphasised this by the use of his prop- a gravestone with his own name and date of birth. Through this he was able to show that as His love of God has no end, his life will have no end. We hope that in time the children will realise what a special gift the love of God is. 

We would like to thank all of our children and and our families for attending Mass today and loom forward to sharing this very special time with you.  

The Feast of All Saints Day

Mass

Fr Frankie gave us all a very special message today in the Mass for the Feast of All Saints. This message was, 'If they can do it then you we can do it.' This was the theme of the Mass where Father reminded us that we have all been called to be saints and to live a good life as Jesus showed us. We celebrated Mass by listening to The Gospel of St Matthew and singing some of our favourite hymns such as Colours of Day and Give me joy in my Heart. It was lovely to celebrate this special day with our school family. 

Rights and Diversity Week

Thie week we  have been celebrating Rights and Diversity Week in school. He have thought about the unconditional and universal human rights of all children. In class today, the children engaged in a collective worship where they considered the following words from the Gospel of St John.

'Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth.'

We related this to the Unicef Rights and how we can act in deed to ensure that those rights are respected. 

Prayer Stations

September 2022

Today we came together to celebrate 'Jesus the Light of the World', which was the theme we explored during our prayer stations meditation. We thought about how Jesus lights out life, even now over 2000 years after his death. We prayed to Him to ask that we might be the light of the world in our own communities.  

During Holy Week, Years 5 and 6 performed an assembly to demonstrate the fourteen stations of the cross, leading up to Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday. 

Parents and children sharing in Adoration together

After recently celebrating Adoration with the children in school, Fr Frankie invited our families to join us in school for Exposition, where we were able to join as a Holy Family and spend time with Jesus together. It was lovely to see our school family meditate on the vision of Jesus together. 

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Benediction

Today we came together as a family to honour Jesus in Benediction. This service was led by Fr Frankie, who brought Jesus as the consecrated host to school. In the service, Father processed into the hall with the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, exposed in the monstrance; the throne of Jesus. As part of the Service of Benediction, we knelt and prayed. Father shared the parable of the lady who was healed by touching Jesus' cloak. As part of the service, Father Frankie held Jesus in the monstrance and we touched the cloak that he wore so we could also be healed. 

This was a special time in school today where we have been able to sit in the presence of Jesus, joined as a school community. For this we are truly thankful. 

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

Today marks the beginning of Lent. To mark this, Fr Frankie came into school to lead our Ash Wednesday celebrations. In this we were able to think about the sacrifices that Jesus made for us. Today marks the beginning of a 40-day fast where we give up many luxuries, sacrifice extra time in support of others and give to charitable organisations. 

During Lent we ask Jesus to help us to be strong in our fats and to remember the suffering that he went through so that we could be forgiven for our sins. 

Prayer Stations

Jesus is the Light of the World

 As part of our Candlemas celebrations this week, the children in Key Stage Two have been celebrating Jesus as the Light of the World. We have been thinking about what it means to have Jesus in our lives and the love that he brings to us. We were able to meditate upon this today as we completed activities in the hall that reminded us of the light that Jesus' love brings. 

Candlemas

In school today, we have been celebrating the Feast of Candlemas. This special feast is always celebrated 40 days after the birth of Jesus. This feast celebrates the anniversary of Jesus being presented at the Temple. When Mary and Joseph presented Jesus an elderly prophet Simeon was overjoyed. He had waited his whole life to see the Messiah and knew who Jesus was immediately. He knew that the ‘Light of the World’ had come to save us all.

Traditionally, before the birth of Jesus, the 2^nd Day in February was always a festival of light. This continues today as we remember the presentation of Jesus. I school we have celebrated this festival with a special liturgy today. Each class has learned of the story of the presentation and has completed special work for their floor book. We ask all children to remember that like Jesus, they are the ‘Light of the World’ and that they should take their light to be a beacon of hope to others.

Blessed Carlo Acutis

We received a visit from Brother Raj who is touring the relic of Carlo Acutis! Carlo was an inspirational young man, a keen computer programmer, who spread the word of God and his miracles through the internet. His modern ways helped to spread His word and give others the gift of God. The relic contains a lock of Carlo's hair and each class received a blessing with the relic from Brother Raj.

Whole School Collective Worship

Christmas Liturgy

..

Today as a school family we came together to think about the true meaning of Christmas. This morning guided by Fr Frankie we prayed together and reflected on the Gospel of St Luke through which we considered the story of the nativity. In his Homily, Fr Frankie taught us that some people's hearts are like closed doors similar to the closed doors of the inns in the nativity story. Father explained that the seasons of Advent and Christmas are times when we can open the door of our heart to to Jesus. Doing this is an act of love.

The worship was greatly helped by the faith leaders and the children from Early Years, Year One and Year Two who helped to stage the Nativity scene. The Liturgy helped to provide a powerful message about the real meaning of Christmas which we will carry forward into this Christmas season. 

Advent Parent's Morning

What a fabulous morning we have had at Holy Family as we began our journey in preparing for the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. All classes were engaged in a variety of Advent activities and we were lucky enough for our parents to be able to join us. As part of the morning, Key Stage Two visited the hall with some of their parents for prayer stations. Here we were able to really think about the spiritual preparations we need to make for Christmas Day. 

We would like to thank all of our parents for making the morning so special for us. 

Remembrance Day 2021

Today has been a very special day, not just in school but across the world. In the month of November, we always remember all of the Holy Souls who have departed our world and gone to live with Jesus in heaven. On the 11th November though, we pray particularly for all of those people who have been affected by war and have died as a result of it. We remembered today that war is not a thing of the past, but a thing of the present. People are still suffering today as a result of ear, just as they did in the past.

As part of our reflection, we asked our families to join us after school in the school hall where they were able to light a candle in remembrance of somebody that they loved. Tank you to Miss Maguire for suggesting such a great idea and to Mrs Monkman and Mr MacDonald for helping to organise it.  Together, as Holy Family, we pray for all of our school community and anybody who has been affected by the horrors of war. We pray for anybody that has been lost.

Eternal Light grant unto them o' Lord

and let perpetual light shine upon them

May they rest in peace. 

                                                             Amen

 Go Green For CAFOD

Once again, the Year 1 children are raising Money for CAFOD. So, today we held our 'GO GREEN FOR CAFOD' event to link with the COP26 climate talks as we have been learning that the climate change effects our poorest brothers and sisiters the most. Everyone in school wore green and we raised an amazing £139!  We also had a visit from Charles Flannery from CAFOD who met us all and told us all about how to be a 'Zero Hero'  - Ways to help the climate crisis and how we can be 'net zero'. Thank-you Charles and we look forward to sending the money to CAFOD to help where it is needed most.

Salford Diocese Walk for Our Climate

In School today all of our classes have been reflecting on the importance of slowing down the rate of climate change. This is particularly important as this week marked the beginning of COP 26 where all world leaders came together to discuss the problem of global warming. As part of answering Pope Francis call in his encyclical Laudato Si, Salford Diocese organised a walk for climate change to raise awareness and ask us to support their environmental revolution. 

As part of the day we were involved in a climate walk and also a class worship session reflecting upon the impact we have on the environment as consumers and the steps that we can take to reduce our impact on the climate. 

All Saints Mass

On Monday 1st November, we all came together to celebrate the Mass at St James' Church. This was a special Mass as it was the Feast of All Saints Day. In the Mass, Fr Frankie shared the Gospel of St Matthew where he explained to us the idea of being full of the Holy Spirit. He illustrated this message by showing us that our souls can overflow with love in the same way that a glass can overflow with water. This ended with a water fight on the altar between Father and one of our faith leaders. 

Father told us that we are all called to sainthood. He explained that out of the billions of Catholics that every lived, there are only 3000 Catholic saints. He also explained that there are some very holy people who are waiting to be made saints such as Blessed Chiara Badano who devoted her very short life to God. As part of the Mass, the children brought of pictures for the offertory procession of our class saints. It was a pleasure to spend this special time together. 

Rights and Diversity Week

This week we have been celebrating the Universal and Unconditional rights that all children are guaranteed to receive as part of the UNICEF Charter for human rights. We have enjoyed exploring may ideas concerning similarity and diversity and have a good understanding of what our human rights are. However, we have also learned that despite promises from governments, not all children receive the rights that they deserve. In certain cases this is even true in our own communities. 

This week we have looked at the theme 'One Kind Word' where we have thought about the impact that just doing one kind thing a day could have on our communities. One of the kind things that we have done for others this week is to donate £1 to The Good Life Orphanage in return for wearing odd socks for school. This was a great way to celebrate diversity and raise money for a worthy cause. 

If you would like to find our more about The Good Life Orphanage, and how you can donate, you can do so through the following website.

https://www.thegoodlifeorphanage.com/

The Crowning of Our Lady

Today we celebrated the Crowning of Our Lady in school. Due to the pandemic, we were unable to do this as a whole school with Father Frankie in May, so we have chosen the Month of the Holy Rosary to revisit this and to also remember our children who took their First Holy Communion this year. Thank you to Fr Frankie for his wonderful Homily and for leading us in prayer today. 

Additional thanks goes to parents  for showing your support by sending in the lovely flowers that we presented as a part of the service. Also a huge thank you to our Faith Leaders who were a great help in making the morning such a huge success. 

Prayer Stations

On Wednesday 6th October, the Class Six Faith Leaders led Key Stage Two in prayer as they hosted our first Prayer Stations event of the year. All children from classes Three to Six were able to come to the hall and work in an area with an activity that helped them to pray together and share some special time with God. 

The Class Six Faith Leaders worked exceptionally well as a team to ensure that the experience was well run and more importantly a joyful experience for all. We look forward to our next Prayer Station sessions where we will have some new Faith Leaders to help to support the fantastic work that Class Six has been doing. 

Celebrating God's Love Together

It was a very special time in school today as we were able to invite Fr Frankie into school to spend time in prayer with us. This was a particularly happy time as today was the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross which Key Stage Two were able to celebrate together in Mass, led by Fr Frankie. After sharing Mass with the older children, Fr met with Key Stage One and Early years to share prayers with them. Celebrating our faith is always very special, but it has seemed even more so today after being separated for so long. We look forward to spending many more of these happy times together. 

Prayer stations

Year 3 enjoyed spending some quiet time this week completing four prayer stations, each designed by the teachers in Key Stage 2. 

Refugee Awareness Week

Ahead of Refugee Awareness Day on 20th June 2021, and to celebrate National Refugee Week, Class Five were involved in an evacuation activity. As part of this activity the children completed a role play where they found themselves fleeing their country with only six belongings each! Over time they lost some belongings and sum were damaged. People we injured and families were separated. The journey was hard but eventually they made it to their destination after a dangerous overseas voyage. This powerful activity helped the children to understand what it means to be a refugee. 

Year Five Celebrate 

May- The Month of Our Lady

Our Lady, Mother of Mothers, Immaculate Mary, Mother of Christ, Blessed Virgin- Jesus' Mother has many names. In Class Five today we have meditated upon Mary as a young pregnant woman who went on a journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. We discussed that this was one of God's many miracles as Elizabeth was very old to have a baby. We talked about how important Mary is to our Catholic Faith and the support she gives to us, even today. We wrote a prayer of praise, thanking Mary for all that she does to strengthen our faith. 

The Road to Emmaus

Year Five

In Class Five we have continued to think about how Jesus continued to renew the faith of his disciples by appearing to them on several occasions. Out Lectio Divina today was based upon the story of the Road to Emmaus where two of the disciples were joined by Jesus on the road. At first they didn't recognise him, but they were overjoyed when they realised that Jesus had risen from the dead and that God's great plan had come to pass.

We remembered the times that we sometimes fail to recognise Jesus in our lives and pray to God to allow us to always follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Feast Day of St Catherine of Siena

On Thursday 29th April, Year 4 celebrated the feat of St Catherine of Siena by having a party. They played some games, ate some food and prayed together. We had a great time on the feast day of our class saint.

Class Five Reflect  on what the Resurrection means for us

In class today, we have engaged in a guided meditation, reflecting upon what the resurrection of Jesus means for us and how this has shaped us to be the Christian community we are today. We thought about how it is hard to believe and prayed to God to give us the strength to remember that Jesus is risen and that he died for our sins. 

Holy Week

It was wonderful to see Year 6 reflect on the significant days of Holy Week in a variety of creative ways. Each group created a liturgy based on a theme of Holy Week; they designed their own altar, acted out scenes or freeze frames. Take a look at their fantastic posters too! 

Holy Week Collective Worship

This week Reception have been reflecting on Holy Week. We made beautiful palm leaves for Palm Sunday and reflected on the other significant events during this time. Mrs Micaela has also made us a beautiful picture for our altar which celebrates Jesus' resurrection. He is risen!

Holy Week Prayer Stations

Year 6 spent time in the presence of God and reflecting on his journey to the grave. Each station was focused on the Easter story and gave opportunity for reflection and prayer. 

Year 4

Holy Week Prayer Stations

We took part in some Easter focused prayer stations in Holy Week. The children reflected and remembered different parts of the Easter story. This orientated their prayers and actions.

Class Five

Prayer Stations brought us closer to God

The preparations that we have made during Holy Well as we remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us at this time have been very different this year.I n many ways we are separated, bit in some ways we have never been closer together. The last year has reminded us what it is like to suffer and how we can find ourselves alone as Jesus did in the desert during Lent and in the Garden of Gethsemane. During Holy Week we came together to pray,  to think about the sacrifices that Jesus made for us and to be thankful for all of his special gifts. 

Holy Week Prayer Stations

To celebrate and reflect on Holy Week, the children in Year 3 completed prayer stations. The four stations were to celebrate:

• Palm Sunday
• The Garden of Gethsemane 
• The Last Supper
• The Crucifixion 

Day of Reflection

On Tuesday 23rd March the Bishop announced a day of reflection and prayer to mark the first anniversary of the first lockdown. We have talked about the struggles we have faced and how it has brought us all together as one. We watched a video from Fr Frankie and Reception made a boat to retell the story of Jesus calming the storm and to show that we are all in the same boat.

Mass with Father Frankie

As we are unable to visit Church in person at the moment, Fr Frankie held a live stream mass for the children at school. Year 3 enjoyed listening to the word of God (and Fr Frankie's jokes!)

LECTIO DIVINA

In class today, we have been looking at what it means to be a good friend, We read the story of Jonathan and Paul (Samuel 1: 2-14, 23) where we learned that Jonathan cared for his friend so much, that he was willing to put himself in danger to protect him. We all decided that true friends are those that protect each other, even in the darkest of times. We prayed to God to help us to be good and true friends to each other. We also learned that there are four types of friendship;

• Friendship with God
• friendship with each other
• Friendship with yourself
• Friendship with the world around us
•  

We prayed that we can all be good friends in all of these very special ways. 

Rights and Diversity Week

Anti-Bullying Week

In school we have been celebrating Rights and Diversity Week and  Anti-Bullying Week. In class today we did a class worship focusing on this Bible extract:

“Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

We know that God loves us in our individuality and diversity and that he wants us to care for everyone equally. We prayed for this in our worship session, asking God to help us to be kind and give us the courage to 'Unite Against Bullies.' We offered up our prayers for all people in the world who have ever felt alone and excluded at the hands of others. 

Nursery’s Charity- Mary’s Meals

This year Nursery was given the charity Mary’s Meals who believe:

“…that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education and that all those who have more than they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things”

Nursery raised money for Mary’s Meals by hosting world porridge day in October.

For this we came in our pyjamas and tasted some delicious porridge and added our own toppings.

Also the whole school took part and came with their pyjamas on and donated £1 each towards Mary’s meals.

Prayer Stations

The children enjoyed some quiet time reflecting on themselves and their actions. They prayed to God and asked for help and guidance while completing a range of tasks prepared by each class and by the Faith Leaders. 

Class Five Meditation- Loving Mary

In class today we thought about the life of Mary; the love that she has for Jesus, the sacrifices that she made. She is our Mother, our Holy Queen and out light in dark times. Today we thanked Mary for always loving us. 

Collective Worship - Choices

‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ Matthew 22:39

This week our Year 6 Lectio Divina focused on the parable 'The Good Samaritan'. We discussed what it means to be a neighbour and the importance of treating others as we would expect to be treated. 

 Faith Leaders get Planning in Class Five

 Our new Class Five Faith Leaders have been busy today preparing for their first Child Led Class Worship tomorrow based on the theme of looking after your community. Congratulations to Lucie, Ciara, Ethan, Maks, Gabriel, Freya and Evie who are our new Faith Leaders in Class 5. 

The Holy Rosary...

Year 4 have been enjoying an online art lesson on how to draw a set of rosary beads. We discussed the meanings of the different beads and what it helps us to do. 

The Feast of St Peter and St Paul

29th June 2020

Today in school we celebrated the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. On this special day we rememebr these two remarkable men; the First Pope Peter and the infamous letter writer Paul. Both did so much to spread the Good News and both lost their lives for their love of Jesus. They were completly full of the Holy Spirit! We pray that we can grow a love as strong as their's for God. 

We also thought about St Peter. Even though Peter was the first Pope he sometimes struggled with his faith. We wrote a prayer to St Peter, asking him to help us to be strong like he was, especially when we feel weak in our faith. 

Our key worker children discussed why we celebrate Pentecost. We looked at the symbols of Pentecost and decided to use these to create items to celebrate the birth of the church. We even practised greetings in different languages!

Ascension Day

Ascension Day, commemorates the moment Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after Easter to sit at his Father’s right hand. To celebrate the Ascension of the Lord Year 6 have made some lovely craft pieces at home - click on the links to take a look.

Andrej - https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.714391cb-7318-46e7-8d2b-d62fc155bd6e&share_token=bWeLJzTDSxWNuSta1ztfYg&mode=share

Erin - https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.920f6e57-7667-4b13-abdb-3db07e8b4bee&share_token=dk_7ZRTPRVqLf2x23YVbHw&mode=share

Jack - https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.0d6ff15f-bff2-4908-a256-20f4a3184648&share_token=NiUjvdOtTsaGTzhqHNNtjQ&mode=share

Class Five have also been thinking about the Ascension. They thought about Jesus rising into the sky, surrounded by Angels, going to join his Father. They also remembered how alone the disciples would have felt- they had yet to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Laudato Si

This week, Catholics across the world have been celebrating the fifth anniversary of the publishing of Laudato Si': Care for our Common home. The children in Early Years watched a video to help them understand how important it is to care for our wonderful world – OUR COMMON HOME – and to look after all the plants and animals we share it with. They then made bird feeders and binoculars to do some bird spotting! Have a look at some of the wonderful work that they have completed! 

Our Lady

If we had been in school this week we would be having our annual Crowning of Our Lady in our school garden, when we put a crown of flowers on the statue of Mary and lots of flowers around her. This week Early Year have been asked to make a flower for Mary, they could choose what they wanted it to be made from. There are some great crowns for Our Lady here - Well done!

The month of Our Blessed Mother, Mary

May is a very special month where we think about the love that Mary showed to Jesus and the loyalty that she gave to God. In class five we have been celebrating the month of Our Lady. Some of the children have created prayers; others shrines. Together we celebrate this special month. 

The Month of May dedicated to Our Lady

Year 4 have been thinking about Mary and how if we had been in school this week we would have been holding out annual 'Crowning of Our Lady'. Instead the children have been busy making their own special alters at home and prayers to honour her.

Laudato Si

To celebrate the anniversary of Laudato Si, today the key worker children said a prayer for a place in our common world that may need our prayers right now. We read some scripture, placed a pebble on these places on the map and then said a prayer for them. It's important we care and pray for others in our common home. 

Laudato Si

Year 6 pupils have created their own prayer tables at home to offer a wonderful place for their families to reflect and pray for our common home. 

Year 3 NHS Prayers

Year Four - The New Commandment

We have been thinking about the New Commandment Jesus has given us - “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27) … We read a poem about the types of things we could do to help others during this time of crisis called ' What can I do?'

We thought about what we could do to help ourselves, as well as others, and how doing good deeds can make us feel.

Praying for Key Workers

At this time we are all thinking about the great work key workers are doing for us at this difficult time. In Class Five, we are praying for all people who are acting heroically for us at this time. We ask God to watch over them all. Look at some of the examples of the children's work below. 

World Earth Day

We have had a great response from many of the children in Class Five on World Earth Day showing a great understanding of the challenges our planet faces. In this picture we can see a very powerful message that makes us think about our actions.  

Wednesday Word

With the current situation Wednesday Word is not printing their weekly leaflet - However they have sent this so that you can still access the information - enjoy!

For interim online editions please visit: www.wednesdayword.org and simply click “Schools please click here for the Primary School version”

Easter Gardens

Well done to all the children who made their version of an Easter garden whilst they have been off school. I am impressed with the creativity of these. Below are a few examples.

Easter Reflections

The children of key workers,, that are attending school during this difficult time spent some time reflecting on what this season of Easter means for us - they created some wonderful colourful work! Well done everyone! 

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Father Frankie joins us every Wednesday morning during Lent with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - What a fabulous way to start the day!

Tree Planting at Wardley Hall

The Faith Leaders were invited to attend an event at Wardley Hall, where they took part in planting plum trees and shrubbery along with some other schools in Salford. The aim of this event was to create an orchard, develop the existing woodland, increase wildlife and develop biodiversity in the area. The children had a fabulous time taking part in this. Thank you to the staff at City of Trees and Life for a Life.

Collective Worship

Some examples of the Collective Worship during Lent

Parable work - Year of the Word

As part of the Year of the Word, The Faith Leaders gave each class a parable story to focus on. The children created some excellent work, fabulous acting and wonderful displays.

Gloria

Year 3 looked at the Gloria prayer that is said during Mass, and wrote their own version of the prayer, giving glory and praise to God. 

Year 3 Stone Soup Story

Year 3 looked at the importance of sharing in their RE lesson this week. They recreated freeze-frames for the story of the stone soup, in which villagers all come together to make a soup that can feed the village as a whole.

Multi Faith Week

Each class studied a different religion over the course of the week to learn more about different religious practices and cultures of others.

Year 6 focused on Judaism and we even had a visit from Rabbi Feldman from Broughton Jewish Primary School. We appreciated the insightful discussion with children asking lots of brilliant questions.

The Deanery Celebration

Today our Faith Leaders joined members of other schools to mark the Year of the Word. Each representative from the different schools were given some scripture from Matthew's Gospel to focus on and to prepare a prayer station based on it. The Faith Leaders had an amazing time, singing, listening to scripture, participating in prayer stations and speaking to members from other schools and the community.

Collective Worship with the Faith Leaders

The Faith Leaders led a lovely collective worship for the children in year 4. They told the story of the Good Samaritan and how Jesus would want us all to be kind and helpful just like the Samaritan was. They prayed for the people who are suffering in the world today especially the poor families and animals in Australia.  

Prayer Stations

Today the chilren in Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 took some time out of learning and put it into reflecting. They took part in the prayer stations that had been puty together by staff, which included - thinking about their actions, the words they use and how they respond. They had to reflect on what God would think about the world today and decide on the changes that could be made to make it a better and happier world.

The Year of the Word

The Faith Leaders kicked off the 'Year of the Word' with a fabulous assembly for the whole school. They explained what this means, shared some stories from the Bible and told the children about some exciting work that we will complete over the next few weeks.

Light Fever with Father Frankie

To start our Advent journey and prepare for Christmas we took part in light fever, we lit candles, said prayers, recieved blessings and were given a prayer card to take home and say during Advent. It was lovely reflecting time. Thank you to all who took came.  

Faith Leaders Leading Faith

Today the Faith Leaders lead collective worship in class five. The theme was on treating people fairly. We heard about the life of the Good Samaritan. We pledged to pay witness to his story by acting more like the Good Samaritan in our own lives. 

Year Five CAFOD Workshop

.Class Five have had a great morning today. After the CAFOD assembly, we were joined by Ann in class who delivered a workshop for us on the UN Convention for children, and the UNICEF Rights of the Child. It was a great morning and we learned even more about UNIVERSAL and UNCONDITIONAL rights.  Thank you Ann!

CAFOD - World Gifts

Today we welcomed Ann, who works with the charity CAFOD, to help those people who are in need. She reminded us all about the fabulous 

work that CAFOD does and how we can get involved! The children were very enthusiastic about raising money and deciding on what they wanted to spend it on. 

After a lot of preparation and hard work we managed to raise a fabulous £315! Thank you to all got behind us!