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.

Last week, Year 5 had an unforgettable time at STEMFest, where they explored interactive exhibits, enjoyed captivating demonstrations, and took part in hands-on activities aimed at sparking curiosity and enthusiasm. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and math, is a motivational program designed to introduce students to exciting career paths in these fields. Year 5 also participated in a Space competition with many other schools and impressively secured third place! We certainly have many budding scientists in our midst.

On Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Michael to our school for Year 5’s Mini Vinnies commissioning ceremony. Mini Vinnies transforms concern into action by: Making cards for those who are sick, isolated, or lonely Visiting local care homes to sing and share stories with residents Creating arts and crafts to share with others Organising food collections for a local food bank Supporting fellow students in their school or parish Fundraising for the SVP and other charities Baking for others Campaigning for various causes We also received an incredible donation of tins and cans from the children and parents of St. Joseph’s. Thank you all for your generosity!

This week, Year 4 had the opportunity to visit the Centre for Life in Newcastle. We took part in a fantastic workshop called ‘Electrifying Newcastle’ where they were able to experiment with circuits and switches which is what we are currently learning about within our science topic. The children also had the opportunity to explore other zones within the centre such as the ‘brain zone’, the space centre, the Planetarium where we were able to see a 360 degree view of Newcastle and travel into space, we also had the pleasure of watching a fantastic science experiment show. Overall, we had a brilliant day exploring various avenues of science and the children had lots of fun!

Sacrament of the Eucharist The children of St Joseph’s made their first Holy Communion on Saturday 22 nd June 2024, alongside children from St Bede’s School. Families and friends joined in the celebration at St Bede’s Church. The children continued their celebration on Monday, at school, during Celebration of the Word followed by a communion breakfast. Prior to making their First Holy Communion, the children completed a programme to learn about the Sacrament of the Eucharist and reinforce their knowledge through a variety of activities. Each session began during Sunday Mass and was followed up by a session led by the Catechist. The children and their families were encouraged to attend mass on a weekly basis to reinforce the Catholic and human values that form the foundation of a child’s understanding of the Eucharist.

The children had a fantastic visit to the Kirkley Hall where they got to use classification keys to group, identify and name a variety of living things found in the woods. They looked for insects and suggested why they might live in the habitat where they were found. They made sure to return the animals to their habitat once they had observed them using a magnifying glass. The children also collected a variety of leaves and they used them to crete a piece of art. Well done Year 4.