RE News
Harvest Celebrations
Yesterday we celebrated Harvest. Our Year 5 children led us in a beautiful Prayer and Liturgy reminding us all about the importance of Harvest: what it means and why we should celebrate Harvest. They taught us a very important message- a message from our Catholic Social Teaching: The Option for the Poor. The option for the poor reminds us of God’s preferential love for the poorest and most vulnerable people. God’s love is universal; he does not side with oppressors, but loves the humble. Thank you to everyone who donated to our Harvest Collection- we truly appreciate your support.
Diocesan Beginning of Year Mass
Our Diocesan Beginning of Year Mass took place on Thursday 26th September in St. George’s Cathedral. Our Heads and Deputies represented St. Joseph’s and they were wonderful ambassadors for our school and I am very proud of them. It was a beautiful Mass led by Archbishop John Wilson and our children loved being a part of this celebration.
Beginning of New School Year Mass
On Thursday 19th September, we celebrated our Beginning of Year Mass. It was a beautiful Mass and, as always, our children did us so proud. They lead the Mass, read and sang beautifully. Well done, children! A big thank you to Fr TesfaMichael for leading us in this Mass- we are truly blessed. Thank you also to the parents that joined us- we really appreciate it.
Year 6 Prayer and Liturgy
On Thursday 12th September, Year 6 kick-started our 2024 Class Child-led Prayer and Liturgy. They chose the readings, set the altar, chose the hymns and posed thoughtful questions for everyone to think about and reflect on. It was a beautiful worship and we were really proud of them- they have set the bar high! Thank you children and a very big well done!
End of Year Leavers' Mass
Today, Tuesday 23rd July, we had our Year 6 Leavers’ Mass. It was a beautiful celebration and whilst we are so sad to be saying goodbye, we are so grateful for all the memories we have. We are very proud of all their achievements and we wish them nothing but love and God’s guidance as they embark on new adventure. We thank Canon Victor Darlington and Fr TesfaMichael for leading us in this wonderful celebration. It was also wonderful for us as a school to welcome Mrs Angela Cox, the Director of Education and Mrs Colette Doran-Hannon, Director of Academies, from the Archdiocese to join us for this celebration. It was a wonderful celebration. Thank you to all parents for joining us- we really appreciate all your love and support.
Crowning of Mary
Our Crowning of Mary today, Wednesday 22nd May, was a beautiful new tradition. Our Year 3 children and those children, who made their First Holy Communion this year, led us in the celebration. The reading, signing and participation from all was simply lovely. A huge thank you to all these children, to Fr TesfaMichael for attending this celebration and for leading us in the Gospel and to all the parents who attended and for the very generous donations of flowers that we received to school to be laid at Mary’s feet. We were very blessed to have Jonathan, our new Choral conductor leading the music for us. A very big thank you to Ms Fernanda and the Prayer Club who made a beautiful handmade Rosary of paper flowers to present to Mary during today’s celebration. Thank you, everyone!
Rosary Beads Donation
Thank you to The Catenians for their very generous donation of Rosary Beads for our children. Year 3 were delighted to receive these after they were blessed by our Parish Priest Fr TesfaMichael. Our children will use these to pray the Rosary and for the missionaries around our world.
Feast Day of the Ascension
A big thank you to Fr TesfaMichael for leading us in our Mass today, 9th May, to celebrate the Feast day of the Ascension of our Lord . It was a beautiful Mass and our children read and sang beautifully. Well done, children! Thank you to the parents who joined us and celebrated this Feast Day with us.
New Diocesan Choral Singing
We are so delighted to be working with a Diocesan Choral Director. Jonathan Schranz will now visit our school every Wednesday afternoon to deliver whole-class singing sessions. These sessions will support our music curriculum, covering music notation, listening and appraising, rhythm and pitch awareness and vocal technique. He will teach a broad range of music, from warm-up games and simple rounds to sacred motets in two or three parts, as well as hymns, Mass settings and psalms. The children from Year 2-5 had their first session on Wednesday and they absolutely loved it! Thank you, Jonathan! Please look out for the new Choir that will take place next half term on Wednesdays. Jonathan will lead this session and we are very lucky to have such an experienced choral director teaching our children!
Charity Nomination Letter from the children
In St. Joseph’s, we give our wonderful children a voice. After evaluation, the children decided that we should support a new charity. They are so passionate about using their voice that they wrote to Mrs McLoughlin to persuade her that as a school, we should live out the Catholic Social Teaching principle of ‘Preferential option for the Poor’ by supporting the charity ‘Wings of Hope’. Their powers of persuasion worked and so on Friday 26th April, our children will receive a visit from the charity Wings of Hope and will come to school in their own clothes along with a voluntary donation!! Well done to the Faith Leaders and School Council for their persuasive letters and for showing initiative for supporting such a worthy cause.
Easter Joyous Worship
On Friday 19th April, our Year 5 children led us in our Easter Joyous Worship. Year 5 did an excellent job of recounting the Resurrection of our Lord. It was a beautiful act of worship- delivered with such reverence and respect. They recounted the Easter Story beautifully and they did an excellent job with their singing, speaking and acting. Thank you to our Year 5 children!
Little Leaders in St Joseph’s!
In St. Joseph’s we place a very strong emphasis on pupil leadership- ensuring our children have a voice and lead in our school. On Thursday 18th April, Maya in Year 5 wanted to lead the Worship to remind everyone about our responsibility and commitment as Catholics. She shared the CST principles and discussed how we can live these out in St Joseph’s and in our community. She was very passionate about what she had read in the First News about the war between Israel and Palestine. Our children feel very passionate about this and they ensure we treat everyone the same, following the CST principle of Human Dignity. Mrs McLoughlin received this wonderful thought from her. Well done and thank you, Maya! We are so blessed here at St. Joseph’s to have children who are so passionate and who know they must use their voice to do good.
St. Joseph's Day Celebrations
Today, Tuesday 19th March, is St. Joseph’s Day. Fr TesfaMichael joined us to say Mass to celebrate. A big thank you to Fr Tesfa for leading us in this Mass and to the many parents who came to celebrate our Feast Day Mass with us. It was also a special occasion as it is Fr Tesfa’s birthday tomorrow.. Our children surprised Father with a rendition of Happy Birthday and a small present. Happy Birthday, Father! We hope you had a wonderful day. Thank you for all that you do for us :)
Our Father - One prayer; One St Joseph's Family - many different languages
In our school we are proud to be inclusive and diverse. We are proud of our diversity and to celebrate this, our children wrote the Our Father in their home language. We celebrate the fact that this one prayer that is shared by our St. Joseph's Family, can be shared and understood in many different languages.
RE Homework
Your child/ren have been given their RE Homework for this half term. Please do go through this with them and we look forward to seeing their responses.
New Prayer Area
Introducing our newly opened KS2 Prayer Area at St. Joseph's—an inviting space where our children joyfully connect with their spirituality. This sacred area is instrumental in bringing us closer to God, offering a place for quiet reflection and communal prayer during lunchtime. The shared experience of prayer has become a beautiful and integral part of our school community.
Emphasising our commitment to spiritual growth, our children are actively learning the prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This meaningful practice not only deepens their faith but also cultivates a personal connection to the compassionate heart of Jesus.
At St. Joseph's, we integrate Catholic Social Teaching principles, instilling values of justice and compassion in our pupils. Our Prayer Area stands as a tangible expression of this commitment, harmonising spiritual development with social responsibility. 
Year 1 learn about their Parish Priest
Today in RE, Year 1 learned why priests are so special. The children described what makes Fr TesfaMichael special. The children said: ‘They are like superheroes for our spirits, always ready to help and teach about love and kindness. Fr teaches us about how we can live out Fratelli Tutti and be kind global neighbours.’ Oscar wrote a beautiful response that really made us smile. Thank you, Oscar for such a thoughtful response and a big thank you to Fr TesfaMichael- our children think you are a superhero! We are so lucky to have Fr Tesfa and we are very grateful for all he does for our school and children.
Year 6 Visit Church
This half-term our children started a new tradition.
Each Thursday, a different class will be attending Mass at St. Peter and the Guardian Angels Church. This week, Year 6 visited Mass.
They shared the readings and the Prayers of the Faithful.
Thank you so much to Fr TesfaMichael for welcoming our children into Mass each week- our children really enjoy going to Church!
Year 5 Child-led Collective Worship
On Wednesday 17th January, Year 5 kick-started our 2024 Class Child-led Collective Worship. They chose the readings, set the altar, chose the hymns and posed thoughtful questions for everyone to think about and reflect on. It was a beautiful worship and we were really proud of them- they have set the bar high! Thank you children and a very big well done!
KS2 Carol Concert
On Tuesday 19th December we had a wonderful treat with the KS2 Carol Concert. The acting, singing and retelling of the Christmas Story were superb! We were so proud of our children’s use of Makaton throughout and it is testament to how important inclusion is to both our children and staff. We were also treated to two wonderful performances from our St. Joseph’s Choir thanks to Mr Whitehouse, our Choir teacher. The choir did a fantastic job! A big thank you to Fr TesfaMicahel for joining us and leading us in a final blessing for the Christmas holidays and to all of the parents for coming along to sing with us- what a fantastic turn out we had- the hall was packed! A special thanks to our KS2 Staff Team for all their hard work and efforts with ensuring the children were ready to perform- it was a truly beautiful concert! Thank you!
EYFS and KS1 Nativities
During the week of 11th December, we had the great pleasure of watching our EYFS and KS1 children perform in their nativities. Their singing, acting and dancing skills were incredible- they did such a great job and we are really proud of them. Thank you to all parents for supporting your children with their lines and song lyrics- we really appreciate all of your help. A big thank you to the EYFS and KS1 Staff Team who worked incredibly hard to ensure the children had costumes and were ready for their performances.
RE Work of the Week- 15th December
Reception Class were busy this Advent as their Travelling Crib, the ‘Posada’ has been visiting their homes and families. The children were really proud and enjoyed sharing the Nativity Story with their families. Thank you Reception Class for sharing this wonderful learning.
RE Work of the Week- 8th December
As part of Year 5’s RE learning this Advent, the children read the Annunciation and discussed how Mary put her trust in God and believed that He would do what He promised the world. Similarly, they looked at Psalm 27: 13-14 and considered how it invites us to believe that our faith in God will never desert us, no matter what happens. They created their own paintings reflecting this which were inspired by a painting of the Annunciation by Patricia Brintle, a Haitian artist. It was a thought-provoking lesson, which highlighted the importance of Advent as a time of hope when we should put our trust in God that He will come again. Well done, year 5- fantastic learning!
Advent Service at St George’s Cathedral
On Tuesday 5th December, the Faith Leaders, Miss Ropiak and Miss Ella had a wonderful day at the Advent Service. They also had the privilege of meeting Bishop Paul Hendricks. Our Faith Leaders were truly reverent and respectful and were fantastic representatives for our school. The children were reminded to be more like Joseph; to follow his example and when times are hard we must persevere and trust in God. A beautiful message for us all to remember in this season of Advent.
Pope Francis Prayer Intention for December 2023
In his prayer intention for the month of December 2023, Pope Francis asks us to pray for people with disabilities to be the focus of attention, encouraging us to change our mindset to be open to the talents of people with different abilities. This is always in the hearts of everyone at St. Joseph’s and we will continue to do this. We would like to ask all of our school community to do the same.
You can view Pope Francis’ prayer intention here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-11/pope-francis-december-prayer-intention-people-disabilities.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLet%20us%20pray%20that%20people,that%20enhance%20their%20active%20participation.%E2%80%9D
Judaism learning in RE
As a Catholic school, we must teach our children about other faiths and religions. This helps our children to become more aware and accepting of other religions and beliefs. It teaches them to be loving and kind and our children know that Religion is one of the Protected Characteristics. Last week, our children spent the week in RE learning all about Judaism.
On Wednesday 29th November, our children in KS1 and KS2 were extremely lucky to have a virtual assembly with Rabbi Zvi Solomons. Rabbi Zvi met with our children virtually to supplement our teaching of Judaism. Rabbi Zvi is an expert in teaching Judaism and we were very lucky to have this opportunity. They asked him many questions and got to learn more about the Jewish Faith. Thank you to Rabbi Zvi for giving our children this opportunity and thank you to Miss Ropiak for organising this.
Remembrance Day Worship
Today we celebrated Remembrance Day in our Worship. Our children remembered those who have gone before us. In Prayer and Liturgy, they prayed for the fallen: those men and women who gave their tomorrow, for our today. They spent time praying for the eternal rest of all those who fought for our country and for all of our loved ones who are no longer with us. At 11am, our school fell silent for 2 minutes.
All Saints’ Day Mass
On Wednesday 1st November, we celebrated All Saints’ Day, a Holy Day of Obligation, with a whole school Mass. A big thank you to Fr TesfaMichael and our Faith Leaders for leading us in this beautiful celebration. Many thanks to all the wonderful parents who joined us.
Year 1 visit St. George’s Cathedral!
On Monday 30th October, Year 1 had an incredible day at St. George's Cathedral, soaking up the wisdom of Baptism; its symbols, and how through Baptism children are welcomed into the loving embrace of God's family. Father Dermott taught the children about the significance of the holy water, font, holy oils, candle, and the white garment. The children loved learning about all the Baptism symbols and left with hearts full of wonder and knowledge. May this newfound understanding be a guiding light as they continue to grow together in faith and love.
RE Parent Workshops
On Tuesday 17th October, Miss Ropiak led our RE Workshops. We had a great turn out of parents and it was wonderful to see so many of you join us. We truly appreciate you taking the time to find out how you can support your child/ren further with their Catholic faith. It was wonderful to read your positive feedback and we are delighted that you want to encourage The St. Joseph’s Way’ and your child/ren’s spontaneous prayer at home. A big thank you to Miss Ropiak, our RE Leader, for organising and leading this workshop and to our Head Boy and Head Girl for speaking to the parents about their experiences of Catholic Life and RE in St. Joseph’s.
Harvest Worship
On Thursday 12th October, we celebrated Harvest. Our Year 5 children led us in a beautiful Worship reminding us all about the importance of Harvest; what it means and why we should celebrate Harvest. They taught us a very important message- a message from our Catholic Social Teaching: The Option for the Poor. The option for the poor reminds us of God’s preferential love for the poorest and most vulnerable people. God’s love is universal; he does not side with oppressors, but loves the humble. Thank you to everyone who donated to our Harvest Collection- we truly appreciate your support. Well done, Year 5 for sharing this beautiful worship and thank you to Miss Keay, Miss Rosalind and Ms Sam for all their hard work in helping our children to prepare for this.
RE Homework for October
For the month of October, the RE Homework for each class will be about Our Lady: Mary our Mother. Please do encourage your child/ren to give their best efforts and return their work school before 7th October. If you have any questions, please do speak to Miss Ropiak.
Fr TesfaMichael visits Year 4
We are so very lucky as each week Fr TesfaMichael visits a class on Wednesday afternoons. This week Year 4 had a visit and they loved talking to Fr Tesfa about their Big Question which is ‘Where do I come from?’ Father talked about how our immediate family are so important but also how we were all created by God. The children told him how they had created family trees and compared theirs with Jesus'. They also described the story of Abraham and Sarah and how important that story is in relation to our big question! Each week, Father helps our children to deepen their understanding and gives them excellent spiritual guidance and support. Thank you, Fr TesfaMichael!
Year 6 Child-led Worship
On Monday 18th September our Year 6 children did us proud as they set the standard of Child-led worship for the new year. The children prepared all of the readings, hymns and prayers themselves and we were particularly impressed with their acting skills! Well done, Year 6 and thank you for sharing Jesus’ word in such a reverent way.
Diocesan Beginning of New School Year Mass at St George’s Cathedral
We Faith Leaders attended The Beginning of Year Mass at St. George’s Cathedral with Bishop Paul Hendricks. We went with Mrs McLoughlin, Miss Ropiak and Mrs Drury. We had such great time and we loved meeting Bishop Paul Hendricks. We were so happy to get a photograph with him. One Faith Leader was the candle bearer and she was so happy that she got to bring a blessed candle back to our school. 
Beginning of Year Mass- September 2023 with Canon Victor Darlington and Fr TesfaMichael
On Thursday 14th September, Canon Victor visited our school again to lead us in Mass. It was so lovely to see him again and he told us that our behaviour is outstanding and he loves how we behave and respond in Mass. This made us very happy and our Headteacher was very proud of us. Our favourite part of the Mass was when he gave our Headteacher a Blessing from Pope Francis for her Wedding in August. Mrs McLoughlin was very shocked and she loved her present from Canon Victor. Thank you, Fr TesfaMichael and Canon Victor for coming to visit us and we cannot wait until next time!
First Holy Communion Celebrations May 23!
Some children made their First Holy Communion during the month of May. Mrs McLoughlin arranged for a Celebratory Breakfast for them. They shared a lovely breakfast with Mrs McLoughlin, Mrs Drury and Ms Ropiak. Well done to all the children who made their First Holy Communion. We pray for you on your Faith journey.
Ascension Day Mass 18th May 23!
In St Josephs, we were privileged to have Father Tesfamichael lead our Ascension Mass. We also learned about the birthday of the church - Pentecost - and how it taught us and encouraged us to follow our lives’ mission, spreading the Good News everywhere just like the Apostles did. In addition, many children said they were inspired by the Apostles; they also wanted to show the Gospel in their daily lives as well.
May is the month of Mary
As May represents the month of Mary, children across the schools were sent homework on activities to complete, showing their dedication and honour to our Holy Mother. Many beautiful pieces of work were handed in and we would like to give a big thanks to both parents and teachers who assisted the children in their tasks. The products were beautiful and will be posted on the school website at a later date.
Wednesday visits from Fr. TesfaMichael
As a school, we are privileged to have Father TesfaMichael visiting our school every Wednesday. During these times, Father TesfaMichael spends time in each of our classes, telling us all about God’s Word and teaching us how we can live it out in our daily lives. In addition to this, Father occasionally leads us in Masses which inspire St Joseph’s children to 'Grow and Learn in the Footsteps of Jesus'. He also spends this time playing with the Nursery children, supporting them as they grow in our Catholic faith. We are very grateful to Father TesfaMichael for this opportunity and pray that God may bless him as he continues his priesthood and our school community.
Written by Iniemem
Year 5 Joyous Easter Assembly- April 23
The year 5 children led the whole school in the Easter celebration assembly. The assembly thought us about the resurrection of Jesus and how important it is. In the assembly, Jesus’ disciples and some soldiers returned to the tomb to find that Jesus’ body had been gone. Through the assembly, we learnt the true meaning of Easter.
The children gave a wonderful performance!
Written by Mason and Frankie
St. Joseph's Feast Day Celebration!
Yesterday, Tuesday 21st March 23, we were very blessed as Canon Victor Darlington came to visit us for a second time to celebrate our school's patron saint, St. Joseph. The Faith Leaders, alongside Canon Victor and Fr TesfaMichael shared a beautiful Mass with our school family. We loved having Canon Victor in our school and he told us our school is very special! Thank you to Canon Victor, Fr TesfaMichael and our parents for celebrating with us.
