Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day - a day when love is really celebrated, but every day is Valentine’s Day when we do what we have been asked to do; to love one another.
Who was Saint Valentine?
It is believed Valentine was a priest living in the 3rd Century at the time of the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor - Claudius Gothicus - banned his soldiers from getting married, because he felt marriage was a distraction from fighting. But Valentine continued to marry Roman soldiers in secret. When Gothicus found out Valentine was thrown in jail. The story continues that the jailer had a daughter who was blind, but Valentine was able to restore her sight by praying to his Christian God. The jailer released Valentine, but when Gothicus found out both Valentine and the jailer were sentenced to death. On 14 February Valentine wrote a farewell letter to the jailer's daughter - the very first Valentine's Day letter. There are many different types of love.
What does LOVE mean to you? How do you FULFIL love?
This week’s mission - how can you share you love this half term and show people that you love them?
Catholic Life as we move towards Lent…
Almsgiving during Lent is one of the foundational pillars - along with prayer and fasting. This Lent, as with every year, we are fundraising for CAFOD,
Over half term, can every child in school make their lenten box for someone in their partner class. This lenten box will be used to collect money for CAFOD for completing acts of kindness - any coins will do! Please can the lenten boxes be brought in after half term on the first day back. Thank you so much.
Food bank donations for February - Baked Beans. The foodbank have seen a significant surge in demand at their food bank over the past few weeks, making it increasingly challenging to meet the needs of those who rely on their services. Let’s help where we can!
Parents’s Day
Thank you to everyone who has joined us today to have conversations with your child’s class teacher. We hope that you found them useful and gave you a direction in which we are all moving forward with for the next half of the year. Don’t forget book looks after half term where you can come and sit with your child whilst they talk you through what they are proud of. Reception Stay and Plays will be on the Reception page.
Tuesday 24th February 9am: Year 5
Tuesday 24th February 2.30pm: Year 6
Wednesday 25th February: 9am: Year 3
Wednesday 25th February: 2:30pm: Year 4
Thursday 26th February: 9am: Year 2
Friday 27th February: 9am: Year 1
As well as the teachers being involved in class meetings, our support staff have had training of their own. Each February they have a day devoted to SEND where they work with a SEND advisor. Today, they have been looking at Makaton and the use of Wigit. This is a programme to ensure consistent visuals for all children across the school. As well as the children receiving micro adaptations and cues verbally, they will also be getting them visually too.
Enriching Experiences
We love enrichment in school and this week was no different. From Year 6 playing different board games, to Year 5 getting the garden area ready for new compost bins, to Reception making kites - everybody tried something new and something different; working with different adults from across the school.
School Events next half term…
When I met with parents recently, we spoke about how whole-school fundraising events are essential, and there are two coming up after half-term - on consecutive days! These days not only increase school spirit and that community feel, they also help towards raising much-needed funds for our school too.
Thursday 5th March - World Book Day
We are inviting every child to come into school dressed as their reader identity; what types of books are they really interested in? Comics, non-fiction science or dinosaurs, history, princess? The choice is yours. Don’t forget to bring a copy of the book with you.
Friday 6th March - World Day of Prayer & Love Yourself Day
Friday 6th March is World Prayer Day - a celebration of united love and global support. On this day the children will have the opportunity to make the ‘People we love planter,” which we did last year in conjunction with Lytham Hall’s Leafy Lytham. If your child does not want to make a planter, they can get involved by coming into school wearing something that they love to wear - something that makes them them - something that celebrates who they are and who we love. No uniform required.
Our choir will be singing at the World Prayer Day service on Friday 6th March from 2pm at the Parish Centre. We will also be going down the week before for a rehearsal. This week Gladys and Kate came in to teach the children the Nigerian song that they will be singing. It is beautiful. We need adult support to walk the children down on the 27th February at 1.15pm and on the 6th March at 1.30pm. If you are able to, please complete this form below.
The World Day of Prayer is going to tie in with our Lenten challenge this year - to walk as far as we can to get to Nigeria - 4,230miles - the origin of this year’s prayer day. We are going to work as a community to walk, scoot and cycle our way there, completing as many miles as we possibly can. In Lent we raise money for CAFOD through their Big Walk campaign. This year is no different. Sponsor forms will be going out after half term so the children can be sponsored to walk as many miles as they can. This is not just for children, if you walk as a family, everyone’s distances count. If you do manage to get out and about - don’t forget to record what you have done on our school form. Any amount will help.
Fundraising is an essential part of school life and with ever decreasing budgets and schools required to do more with less, fundraising helps us to still provide for our children in the best way we can. We are hoping that more and more whole school events will take place, including an Our Lady’s Got Talent in the Summer term (get thinking about how you could enter). Recently, we have also had a number of donations into school from families which have been greatly received. But one of the easiest ways is to sign up to Easy Fundraising. So far, over £500 has been raised through this method and it is really easy. Every time you purchase something, the company will donate to our school - it really is that easy and at no cost to yourselves. Thank you as well to everyone who has contributed to the Pay it Forward Campaign on Parent Pay. Since September, £510 has been donated which has really helped us to support children to go on trips with the increased cost of transport. What you are giving is invaluable - thank you so much!
Office news
Thank you to everyone who has settled their Parent Pay accounts before half term; we have had a flurry of All Stars payments this week. If you haven’t managed to do so yet, please can you do so before close of play on Friday.
Parking around School Reminder
Having a school in the middle of a residential area is not easy to manage. In the morning, I am certainly seeing more cars disregard the yellow line, corners of streets, zig zags around school, neighbours driveways and parking irresponsibly. Please remember that this is a school and the care of the people within it is essential. Please park safely and away from the school. The local PSCO has been alerted and will be doing some spot checks in the coming weeks.
The car park in school is also staff car park. Please can you ensure that when you are dropping your child off or picking up from All Stars, that the car park is not used. The increased traffic coming in and out needs to be minimised. Once staff cars are in, they remain in. All children need walking to the gate and collecting by an adult. Thank you so much for your support with this.
Dates for Sports Day
These are just being finalised and will be ready after half term. Will pop them on the calendar.
Winter Warmer Snack Booking Form
Here is the winter warmer snack booking form for next week. Please book before 8am on Monday. A reminder text has been scheduled for Monday at 7.20am.
We hope that you have a lovely half term with your families. School will reopen on Monday 23rd February at 8.45am.
God bless
Mrs Gregan