Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope everyone is well and you are all continuing to keep safe. We are moving quickly towards the end of term next Thursday which seems strange given that it also feels like the start of a new term with the recent full re-opening. I am looking forward to what will effectively be my last week in school with a mixture of sadness but also the opportunity to spend most of the next week alongside the children. I have deliberately planned next week so that I can spend each day with a different year group as we mark Holy Week and prepare for Good Friday and the Easter weekend. I officially retire on 30th April but next week will mark the end of my headship though I will be here for the Easter Holiday Scheme and will be supporting Ms D’Souza when she takes over on 19th April.
Next Week
We will not be running PE lessons next week with the sports coaches as it is Holy Week and we have the sponsored walks each day for CAFOD. I would like the children to be in full school uniform each day next week as they will have their Year group Masses in church.
Assessments
I was able to assess all the pupils in literacy and numeracy last week to see where they are in their learning and to plan the catch-up tuition for the summer term and beyond. They have done very well in these assessments, particularly considering the disrupted last 12 months in school. If we can have an uninterrupted summer term, I am confident that all the pupils will continue to make good progress and be ready for their New year groups in September, which is the longer term aim.
Quality Mark Award
I was able to share the good news recently that the school had its Quality Mark Award renewed for another three years Please see attached a letter to parents from Nicola Morris the Quality Mark National Director.
Covid-19
We ask that you continue to remain vigilant to any symptoms of Coronavirus within members of your household, even when your child is at home. If in doubt, please get yourselves or your child tested. All Waltham Forest residents are able to get tested even if they are not showing any Coronavirus symptoms, as this will reduce the spread of infection to others. If your child or a member of your family tests positive for Coronavirus, you will need to self-isolate as a family for 10 days and inform the school, even if your child is at home or school is closed e.g. weekends or holidays.
CAFOD Lenten Appeal
As we have done in previous years, we are raising money for CAFOD’s Lenten Appeal over the last few weeks of term. This will include some non-uniform days and sponsored walks in the last week of term. We raised £240 from last Friday’s non-uniform day and cake sale and we have had another one today. We are doing our “Walk for CAFOD” next week so try and get as many sponsors as you can for your child over this weekend. Each year group will do their walk on one of the days during Holy Week, so Year 4 on Monday 29th March, Year 3 on Tuesday 30th March, Year 6 on Wednesday 31st March and Year 5 on Thursday 1st April. As I mentioned last week, doing the walks during Holy Week itself is special and of course it is my intention to walk every step with the pupils over the 4 days so I am currently in full training! During my time at St Joseph’s, one of the things I am most proud of is our wonderful charity work over the years including the CAFOD Lenten Appeal, so I would really like to make my last one as successful as possible. I am aiming to raise about £1,000 for CAFOD with the non-uniform days, cake sales and especially the sponsored walks.
Masses for Holy Week (29th March to 1st April)
I met with Father Gerry this week and I can now confirm the year group Masses during Holy Week when we take the children down to church for the Masses. The dates for the Masses are – Year 4 on Monday 29th March, Year 3 on Tuesday 30th March, Year 6 on Wednesday 31st March and Year 5 on Thursday 1st April (all at 10:30am). Again with the current restrictions, unfortunately we cannot invite parents to the Masses.
Cycling
Well done to all the children who took part in the Level 1 and 2 Cycle Confident Training for Year 5 and 6 pupils this week. They completed the course today and hopefully they are now more confident and skilled cyclists.
Uniform
To support the full return to school, we have resumed uniform sales. Uniform will be on sale every Wednesday for the remainder of term from 8:30-9:00am including next Wednesday 31th March. This will be the final opportunity to buy uniform before the end of term.
Dates for 2021-22
I have attached the term dates for 2021-22 with this newsletter and they are also on the school website. These are the dates for the Federation so will cover both schools and hopefully will allow parents to start planning ahead and hopefully arrange some holidays later in the year.
Easter Holiday Food Scheme (6th-9th April)
We have received funding to run an Easter Holiday Food Scheme during the first week of the holidays from Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th April. This is mainly for pupils who are eligible for Free School Meals and we are hosting it for pupils from both schools. If you received an invite to the scheme but have not replied as yet, please let us know next week if you wish your child to attend so that we can plan the activities. The scheme is free so is an excellent opportunity to offer this to many of our pupils.
Friday Assembly
We held our end of term assemblies today for each year group. We would normally do these on the last day of term but I wanted to keep next week free for Holy Week. Congratulations to all the prizewinners today. I know it was very hard for the teachers and indeed myself to choose the children, as so many have done well this term, despite the lockdown etc.
Governors’ Prize
3H – Lorenzo 3K – Sloan
4P – Tyrone 4RC – Adam
5L – Anna 5O – Michaela
6PM – Ella 6C – Kristen
Termly Awards
3H – Emily, Beatrice, Catherine, Georgios and Jaydan
3K – Oscar, Jakub, Nehemiah, Emily and Zofia
4P – Goda, Dawid, Jayden H, Gracee and Mason
4RC – Djuliana, Patryk, Byron, Nadia and Jack
5L – Lucas, Loderya, Amber, Denzel and Erel
5O – Joella, Taurus, Lina, Michael and Leila
6PM – Jolene, Sophie, Robbie, Klara and Jacob
6C – Michael, Kelsie, Karolina, Stephanie and Joshua
Class of the Term
Both Y6 classes for their outstanding commitment to learning this term at home and in school and for their excellent results in their recent Mock SATs. Well done.
Readers of the Term
Alexandra 3H, Michelle 3K, Etinosa 4P, Mia 4RC, Malgorzata 5L, Krzysztof 5O, Janet 6PM and Keziah 6C
Writers of the Term
Ameerah 3H, Alina 3K, Faith 4P, David 4RC, Ronan 5L, Chloe 5O, Tristan 6PM and Devonte 6C
Mathematicians of the Term
Owen 3H, Jake 3K, Jaiden S 4P, Alexander 5O, Loderya 5L, Ravinder 5O, Travon 6PM and Olivier 6C
End of term
School will finish for the spring term next Thursday 1st April (the following day is Good Friday) at the earlier times of 1:45pm for Years 3 and 4 and then 2:00pm for Years 5 and 6. This is to fit in with the earlier finishing times at the infant school next Thursday. School will reopen for pupils on Tuesday 20th April at the usual starting times. There will be no After School Club next Thursday because of the early finish in both schools.
As always I wish everyone a lovely weekend with Palm Sunday coming up and a safe week ahead. Again I would like to finish with a special prayer for Lent which I have shared with all the pupils this week in school.
Prayer for Lent
My brothers and sisters,
During Lent, God invites us to be renewed
In our thoughts and actions
And to open our hearts to others.
Lord, be with those who believe in you.
Christ, be with those who take up their cross and follow you.
Lord, be with those who hope in your resurrection.
Yours sincerely,
J Alexander (Head teacher)
Future Dates:
Monday 29th March – Year 4 Mass 10:30am and then sponsored walk for CAFOD
Tuesday 30th March – Year 3 Mass 10:30am and then sponsored walk for CAFOD
Wednesday 31st March – uniform on sale in school 8:30-9:00am
Wednesday 31st March – Year 6 Mass 10:30am and sponsored walk for CAFOD
Thursday 1st April – last day of term – Year 3 and 4 finish at 1:45pm, Year 5 and 6 finish at 2:00pm today (no After School Club)
Thursday 1st April – Year 5 Mass 10:30am and then sponsored walk for CAFOD
Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th April – Easter Holiday Food Programme
Monday 19th April – Ms D’Souza takes over as head of the federated schools today
Monday 19th April – staff inset day
Tuesday 20th April – first day of summer term for pupils
