November – Praying for those who have died November is the month when the Church celebrates two great feasts; this is also the month when we remember those who have given their lives during war. The first day that is celebrated by the Church is November 1.  This is the feast, of All Saints.  The second, normally celebrated the following day, November 2, is the feast of All Souls. The final day is Remembrance Day on November 11. Remembrance Day marks the actual day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918. We continue to pray for all the people who are caught up in war and have died for their cause. We remember them all. The children of St Joseph’s held a one minute silence to remember all those who have died in war. Each class  carried out  special lessons and said special prayers . The children also collected money for the poppy appeal , prior to the day. This month of November the children  will focus on the prayer which is used in the funeral Liturgy and is often prayed by Catholics when we learn that someone has died. The Eternal Rest. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.  Amen.

Friendship and Anti-Bullying Week Odd Socks Day marked the start of Anti-Bullying Week. Odd Socks Day 2024 took place on Tuesday 12th November. It designed to be fun and an opportunity to encourage people to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes us all unique! Year 2 celebrated this, along side the rest of the school.

Year 4 explored the formal elements of art. They looked at line, shape, texture and tone. They created a piece of art using shape based on the work of the French artist Henri Matisse. They also gave their work a title. They look great!

Year 4 are making good progress with their writing. They are focused and engaged throughout our lessons and they are independent when editing and improving their work. The children have completed a letter linked to The Firework Maker’s Daughter and they also wrote a recount of our visit to Kirkley Hall Woods. The children are currently re-writing the story of The Iron Man in their own words using fronted adverbials and ambitious vocabulary. Great writing Year 4.

Year 6 have been learning about micro-organisms. Yeast is a microbe that feeds on sugar. When the sugar is digested a gas is released called carbon dioxide. We can see this as bubbles. How would the amount of sugar added to the yeast affect the size of the balloon? An idea that needs to be proven is called a hypothesis. We came up with….As the amount of sugar increases, the size of the balloon will increase, because there is more carbon dioxide being released. How does it work? As the yeast eats the sugar, it releases a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas fills the bottle and then fills the balloon as more gas is created. We all know that there are “holes” in bread, but how are they made? Most breads are made using YEAST. Believe it or not, yeast is actually living micro-organisms! When bread is made, the yeast becomes spread out in flour. Each bit of yeast makes tiny gas bubbles and that puts millions of bubbles (holes) in our bread before it gets baked. When the bread gets baked in the oven, the yeast dies and leaves all those bubbles (holes) in the bread. Yum!

Year Six have been learning about the 7 elements of Catholic Social Teaching.

Year 6 enjoyed their First Aid refresher session which also reinforced some of the key messages from Safetyworks.

Friday was a fun, friendly day where we prioritised our mental health. We painted, doodled, relaxed and discussed our feelings. We know how to ask for help if we are feeling overwhelmed or sad.

What an inspirational day we had at The Beacon of Light! A fantastic selection of businesses were ready to show us the great STEM opportunities available in the local area. We explored the four zones which represented Space, Cyber Security/Technology, Environment & Energy, as well as Engineering and Manufacturing. There was so much to experience alongside the friendly and knowledgeable exhibition staff.

All of our Year 2 and Year 4 children worked collaboratively on the special Primary Rail Engineers Project. It was an intense couple days for all of us but well worth the effort to see the proud engineers and their unique creations! We held a celebratory event where we tested out our locomotives and evaulated our machines. Did it travel in a straight line? Was the brake fully functioning? How effective were the designs? Were any modifications needed? All participants received a well-deserved certificate and there were also some special awards for communication, themes and the overall functioning of the locomotive. Well done everyone!

Year 5 computer Club Year 5 children had the opportunity to attend an after school computer club to consolidate their class learning and try out new and fun iPad and computer work. The children explored: MOLDIV Pic Collage Skitch ChatterPix Kids Micro-bits ...

Staff from Durham University visited Year 5 to introduce our history topic – The Anglo-Saxons. Year 5 learned many interesting facts about the Anglo-Saxons, including object handling and investigation, the life of a Monk, and the Lindisfarne Gospels.