Year 6 children spent an interesting morning measuring the speed of traffic outside our school gates. Speeding motorists were encouraged to think about the safety of our children, staff and parents, and the reasons for a 30mph limit around the school.
Year 2 represented St Mary’s in style at the Douglas Strickland Bursary 30th anniversary awards evening on Tuesday. They recited a choral poem about Christopher Columbus which they have been learning as part of their topic about Explorers.
We attended the evening to receive a donation from the bursary, with which we have purchased some class sets of books to support the teaching of reading across the school.
A huge thank you must be said to the bursary as we have received many generous donations over the years which we have used to buy a variety of resources to support the teaching of the arts across the school.
The school Green Team recently visited the Budgens and Coop supermarkets in the town to look at how much unnecessary packaging is being used. They also asked members of the public what they thought and they agreed unanimously that it should be reduced. Next the Green Team will be writing to the supermarkets to ask if this is possible.
The Green Team visited Swanage beach on a very damp afternoon for a beach clean. They found a wide collection of rubbish to remove, including plastic, glass and dead fish and rays.
This Friday, 25 January 2019, we are raising money for St Mungo’s and their work with homeless people. We are wearing hats to school and holding a special assembly and cake sale. The whole day has been organized by Year 5.
The key stage 2 choir were joined by members of the Purbeck Arts Choir for some carolling outside the Co-op to raise money for Swanage Hospital. Many thanks to all who sang; it really brightened up a cold Friday afternoon.
Many thanks to everyone who has already hosted Mary and Joseph and a huge thank you for your generous contributions to the food bank. The first bags of food have already been collected and volunteers at the food bank were delighted. If you haven’t had the Holy Family in your home yet there is still time and I will be delivering the next consignment of food next week.
Please see details of this party – taking place on Saturday 15 December 2018 – on the attached flyer.
Thank you to everyone who attended and took part in our Advent Mass. For the first Sunday of Advent our purple candle symbolised Hope, with the ‘Prophet’s Candle’ reminding us that Jesus is coming. Our new Key Stage 1 choir beautifully premiered a brand new Advent carol – Stay Awake – written especially for them by David Fawcett. Year 3,4,5,6 impressed us all by singing the Posada Song in Spanish. Finally, Father Tim blessed our Posadas and they were taken back to the classrooms to start their journey, through the coming weeks, until we celebrate the birth Jesus on Christmas Day. We hope you enjoy offering the Holy Family hospitality in your homes this Advent and sharing the Noisy Neighbour story together.
Our next Mass will be on the last day of term, December 21st at 9 am. We will welcome back Mary and Joseph; each class will receive a baby Jesus to complete the family; the food collected for the food-bank will be blessed and we will celebrate Mass together as we look forward to Christmas Day.
This Friday, 30 November at 9am we will be celebrating Mass; finding out about the start of Advent and lighting our first Advent candle.
We will also be celebrating Las Posadas again as part of our Advent preparations. The ‘Holy Family’ will be brought to Mass and blessed ready to start their journey, visiting your homes until they return to school on the 21st December.
I have attached the information about Las Posadas below and it will also be inside the pack when your child brings Mary and Joseph home with them.
On Friday 21st December @ 9am we will be celebrating our Christmas Mass, the Holy Families will come back and return to the classrooms with the addition of a baby, Jesus. We hope you will be able to join us for this very special celebration.
This year, as part of our Advent preparation for Christmas, we are going to celebrate Las Posada at St Mary’s.
This is a celebration that is predominately practised in South America and follows the ‘Holy Family’s’ journey and search for somewhere to stay. We will be representing this by asking each child to take home the ‘Holy Family’ to stay with them overnight. The following day they come back to school, ready to go home the next night with someone different.
As part of the traditional celebrations when the Holy Family eventually finds somewhere to stay gifts are given; songs are sung; food is shared and Pinatas are broken.
To represent these celebrations, we are asking that, if you feel able to, you might send in a small token of Christmas giving when your child brings back Mary and Joseph. These will be given to the local Foodbank and used in Christmas food parcels for those who need support this Christmas. If it could be something slightly Christmassy that would be wonderful e.g. gold coins, sweets, Christmas biscuits etc. there is quite a range in the various supermarkets for £1. Inside the pack there will also be a copy of ‘The New Noisy Neighbour’ book. This is for you to keep and share at home. We would also welcome any photographs of Mary and Joseph whilst they are staying with you. If you email them to me or the school office, we will put them onto the school website.
