St John Vianney School Newsletter 12.12.2025

Deputy Headteacher's Message

Dear Family and Friends of SJV, As we enter the second week of Advent, we continue to reflect on the themes of hope, peace and preparation during this special season. Advent is a time for community, generosity, and growth, and I am delighted to share some of the wonderful experiences that have taken place in our school this week.

Our Key Stage 4 pupils enjoyed an exciting trip to Graystone Action Sports, where they had the opportunity to learn new skills in a safe and supportive environment. One of the highlights was scooting; an activity that challenged students to step outside their comfort zones while building confidence and teamwork. It was fantastic to see so many pupils embracing this experience and developing resilience and coordination in such a fun setting. In addition, our Chaplaincy Team hosted a heart-warming “Come Dine With Me” experience, welcoming visitors from St John’s Centre for a festive afternoon tea. The event was beautifully themed for Christmas and served by our talented hospitality team who demonstrated professionalism and creativity throughout. This occasion truly captured the spirit of Advent -sharing joy and kindness with others.

As we look ahead to the final week of school, please make note of the various activities taking place next week. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to engage in seasonal celebrations and enrichment experiences, so I encourage you to check the schedule.  Thank you for your continued support as we journey through Advent together.  Best wishes Ms K Nesbitt, Deputy Headteacher

Key information and Dates for your Diary

Dates for Your Diary

• Mon 15th Dec - Christmas Activities Afternoon P3-6
• Tues 16th Dec - Cinderella Pantomime for KS3, Class 11 and Class 12
• Wed 17th Dec - Christmas lunch and Christmas jumpers for KS3 and Class 11
• Thurs 18th Dec - Christmas lunch and Christmas jumpers for KS4 and KS5
• Fri 19th Dec - Christmas jumpers for all, to raise funds for South Manchester Food Bank £1 donation
• Fri 19th Dec @ 3:15pm - School closes for the Christmas break
• Mon 5th Jan 2026 @ 9:00am - School re-opens for Spring Term

Key Info

Zones of Regulation - Parent Course

Our Zones of Regulation, online course for Parents and Carers is shared again this week with Module 9. The online course will run over ten weeks and each short module can be accessed via our website: Training for parents & carers. This course will introduce to you the ten concepts of the Zones of Regulation. The aim is to encourage the consistent use of language at school and at home to help regulate your child/young person's emotions and behaviours. We will set activities for you to do at home and introduce some strategies for you to use. If you would like some more information about this course, please contact the school office.

- Miss M Rodgers, Assistant Headteacher

Allergies

Please be aware that we have a number of pupils in school with severe nut allergies. To reduce the risk of exposure for these young people, we aim to keep the school nut free. In order to support us with this we kindly ask that you:

• Do not give children nuts or nut products in their packed lunches.
• Do not give nuts, nut products or snacks/bars containing nuts for break time snacks.
• Do not send cakes or food items, containing nuts, in to school for birthday celebrations, cake sales or events.

Thank you for your support.

Lunches

Week commencing 15th December 2025:

Stars of The Week

• Class 1 Mrs Jordan - Hunter - For reading his prayer really well in Mass.
• Class 2 Miss Walsh - Igor - For being kinder to his friends.
• Class 3 Mr Healy - Tyler - For showing more confidence in class and having a consistent attitude to lessons.
• Class 4 Mrs Garfin - Alex - For engaging in lessons and doing well in OMF.
• Class 5 Mr Whelan - Keldon - For excellent, consistent behaviour.
• Class 6 Miss Shaw - Oskar - For lots of great interacting with different staff around school.
• Class 7 Miss Graham - Matilda - For always trying her best and contributing such thoughtful answers in class.
• Class 8 Mrs Wood - Is'haaq - For showing resilience, great contributions in horticulture and science and his presentation in assembly.
• Class 9 Mr Donovan - Cormac - For a fantastic week and great work in lessons.
• Class 10 Mr Wood - Kayden - For really good work in maths.
• Class 11 Miss Sherwin - Joe - For increased independence.
• Class 12 Miss Lord - Katie - For being very kind to others this week.
• Class 13 Mr Kanakides - Katie - For looking after our school community by helping around Post 16.
• Class 14 Miss Wilkinson - Aliya - For exemplary effort across all areas of work this week.

Employee of The Week

Highlights of the Week

Elf Adventures at SJV!

Our Catholic School

Our prayer focus in SJV this week:

‘Remain steadfast in hope even when surrounded by the sound of weapons’

- Pope Leo XIV

This week we have celebrated the second theme of Advent: Peace. At SJV, we are thinking about how we can show peace towards one another using indoor voices and being mindful of our words and actions.

Our Catholic school welcomed Lorraine from the Salford Diocese, who spent time with our GIFT team and enjoyed a tour of the school. It was wonderful to see her again and to share this part of our faith journey together. We also held a fantastic event today: our own version of ‘Come Dine With Me’, where we hosted visitors and volunteers from St John’s Centre. It was a pleasure to share a meal, listen to their experiences and have the support of our Chaplaincy Leaders throughout. In RE, we have been exploring how Advent is celebrated around the world, learning about different customs and traditions. We’ve discovered so much!

Mrs Garfin

Poetry Corner

Poetry As Play & The Winter Lecture

At Saint John Vianney we believe every child’s voice is precious, and poetry is a beautiful way for children to explore their imagination, have fun with words, and also share what’s in their hearts. Poetry doesn’t always have to be serious, sometimes it’s silly, surprising, or simply joyful. That’s the magic of rhyme and rhythm, funny ideas, made-up words and unexpected images. Young people writing or reading a poem should feel like they are playing with language, this builds confidence, and lets us practise creativity without any “right” or “wrong.”

  Please enjoy below a poem by A.F Harold, his hilarious performance at the Poetry By Heart Grand Final last year and his Winter Lecture exploring imagination. Maybe it could inspire a poem or two at home!  

Oliver Lomax

Useful Information

Riding the Rapids Parenting Course – Starting January We are delighted to share that our school will be hosting the Riding the Rapids parenting course this January. This free, ten-week program is designed especially for parents and carers of children aged 3- 16  with neurodevelopmental needs, including autism, significant learning disabilities, or other complex needs. What the course offers:

• Practical skills to support your child’s behaviour and well-being
• Confidence in managing stress and related behaviors
• A mix of teaching and interactive group activities such as role-play and problem-solving
• A follow-up session a few months after the course to reflect and build on progress

The sessions will take place here at school, led by our course facilitator, Mrs Griffin. If you would like to join or find out more, please contact the school office and ask for Mrs Griffin. We  encourage parents and carers to take part in this supportive and empowering program. Things to consider when buying tech gifts this Christmas With Black Friday and Cyber Monday over and Christmas fast approaching there are plenty of new gadgets that parents and carers may be thinking about buying for their children.  This blog contains advice for parents and carers to help them get to grips with the safety features available on the most popular gadgets this Christmas, as well as some key questions to ask before buying connected toys. To find out more click on the link below:  https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/things-to-consider-when-buying-tech-gifts-this-christmas

- Mrs J Griffin, Family Liaison Officer, Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

Developed by a team of world-renowned Online Safety Experts, the Hub is designed to engage and align the community on online safety and wellness by providing up-to-date and evidence-based information to all key stakeholders of a child’s life. Parents will find a rich library of helpful resources, including app reviews, how-to guides and advice on an array of online safety topics.

Click here to visit our Online Safety Hub for more useful tips and advice.

Click on the following link to open a directory of useful links and information about facilities, activities and support available to you and your young person: INFORMATION DIRECTORY