Tag Archives: dates

Relationships & Sex Education

From September 2020 all primary schools have a statutory duty to teach Relationships & Sex Education (RSE). Department of Education guidance is available on the DFE website.

Our multi-academy Trust, Plymouth CAST has produced an RSE policy to meet these requirements that is also in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church and which will be adopted across all its academies, including St Mary’s. This policy is now open to parents for a consultation period and is available on the policies page. If you would like a paper copy, please ask in the office. The consultation runs from now until the 20th March.

The guidance recommends that schools should ensure that, when they consult with parents, they provide examples of the resources that they plan to use as this can be reassuring for parents and enables them to continue the conversations started in class at home. We have therefore also made available a document that breaks down in more detail what children will be taught. This document, RSE A Model Primary Catholic Curriculum, shows the content different age groups will be learning. Much of this is taken from an online resource teachers will be using called Life to the Full. Parents are able to log in to see some of the resources at https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/parent-portal/
Parent login is as follows:

Username:         st-marys-bh19

Password:          mary-19

In addition, there will be a meeting for parents who would like more information or have any questions about the school’s teaching of RSE in the school hall on Thursday 26th March at 7.30 pm.

Advent & Las Posadas

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.

Las Posadas at St Mary’s

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.

Purbeck Young Artists

PYA invite.JPG

We invite you to join us for  the ‘PYA Celebration Event’ at Rollington Barn, Corfe Castle, BH205JG from 4-6pm, Thursday 26th May 2016.

Come and view the wonderful work created by young artists from local schools for the Purbeck Young Artists ‘Midsummer Dreams’ competition and during PYA workshops. Refreshments will be available and musical entertainment will be provided by Damian Clarke, who will be introducing people to the beautiful hammer dulcimer and the hurdy gurdy. The PYA show will also be open to visitors daily from 10am – 5pm,  28th May -12th June. More PYA work will also be on show at the DOMVS office in Wareham during the PAW festival.

Directions to Rollington Barn, Rollington Farm, Studland Road, Corfe Castle BH20 5JG. From Corfe Castle take the B3351 to Studland: first farm on right. From the ferry: through Studland, follow signs to Corfe Castle: 4 miles on left.

Year 6 Fashion Show

Unfortunately the fashion show has been cancelled BUT we will be selling secondhand clothes, cakes and ice lollies for 50p each on Monday 18th April after school.

We are still raising money to buy world gifts from CAFOD. Please send in any donations of clothes or cakes for Monday.

From the Year 6 Fashion Group.

Fashion Show

A group of Year 6 Pupils have decided to host a fashion show. This will be held on the 18th of April 2016.

The reason for this fashion show is to raise money for CAFOD. We are aiming to raise at least £65 to buy two of their World Gifts: A ‘Perfect Pair of Pigeons’- a pair of pigeons will breed and provide food for a family.  In addition we would like to buy a ‘Chicken coop’; this gift provides the equipment and food to nurture chicks and raise them to chickens.

On the day it will cost 20p to enter and there will be refreshments and biscuits. Clothes will be different ages and sizes so the costs will vary.

We are asking you to send in unwanted clothes, however, these clothes need to be nearly new in order for us to sell them. Please NO school clothes.  Please send clothes to the Year 6 classroom.

If you would like to donate or buy your own World Gifts, you can do it here.

Easter Fair

Year 6 will be organising an Easter Fair on the 22rd of March to raise money for CAFOD. The money we raise will be used to buy: Start a Business; a Goat, Chicken Coop, Vegetable Garden, and a Pair of Pigeons, from CAFOD world gifts. Buying these things will help people in need rebuild their lives

The Fair will be during school times and classes will come one at a time. There will be remote control car races, a cake sale, also an Easter Egg Hunt, and mini games. To have ago at each activity children will need around £2.50.

Fun Run for Brother John

On Friday 18th March we have decided to support Sport Relief by organising a Fun Run at St Mary’s School. All money raised will go directly to our partner school in Uganda to pay towards a much-needed security fence around their school grounds. Our fun run follows a course around our own school grounds and each lap will be around half a mile. Children will be encouraged to run at their own pace for as long as they want.

Members of the school council, who are helping to organise this event, gave an assembly to the whole school, explaining how the Fun Run will work.

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Rotary Young Musician Competition

Swanage Methodist Church: Saturday & Sunday, 6th & 7th February 2016

This is an opportunity for solo instrumentalists and vocalists to show off their musical talent. The competition will be judged according to age group (separate judging for KS2, KS3, KS4 & KS5), with the best musicians from each age group having the opportunity to perform at a concert in the Sunday evening.

To enter, please complete an application form (available in the school office) or contact: swanagerotaryyoungmusician@outlook.com

The overall winner of this competition will be asked to represent Swanage & Purbeck at the Rotary District Competition.

A concert will be held in the evening of Sunday 7th February at the Methodist Church where the best musicians from each age group will be invited to perform. All welcome.

E-Safety sessions for parents and grandparents

LV= Streetwise Safety Centre in Bournemouth will be running ‘Keep Your Child Safe Online’ sessions for parents, grandparents and carers  on Wednesday 21st October. Each session will last for 1½ hours and will be delivered by Dorset Police’s Safe Schools and Communities Team.  The sessions will last for 1½ hours and will take place at 9.45am, 1.00pm and 4.30pm. (Each session will be the same so you can choose the time which is most convenient for you.) If you would like to go then you should book directly with LV= Streetwise on 01202 591330. The cost is just £3 per person.