St John Vianney School Newsletter 18.07.2025

Assistant Headteacher's Message

Dear friends and family of SJV,

I am delighted to be able to share with you the fantastic final week our pupils have had here at school. All our classes have enjoyed end of year trips including bowling, Laser Quest and a variety of other class visits that have given pupils and staff an opportunity to share some lasting memories before they head off for summer.

On Wednesday we celebrated Mass in our beautiful chapel and Fr Nick treated us to some very joyful dancing! We may have a new SJV shuffle hitting the scenes in the near future! Celebrating Mass together is always a good opportunity to pause and reflect on how wonderful our school community is and I asked the pupils, at the Key Stage 3 Mass I attended, to really think about how much they’d grown and developed over the last year. Please keep an eye out in the new school year for opportunities to come and celebrate Mass with us in school.

Wednesday afternoon saw the annual KS 3 Festival take place, and whilst we did not have our usual green outdoor space, Mr Dumville and the Estates Team did a great job in turning our MUGA into a Festival Tent. The pictures, further down in this newsletter, demonstrate the brilliant afternoon everyone had.

On Friday we celebrated the end of the school year with our Awards assemblies. Key Stage winners and Headteacher's Awards, plus our Luggage Tag winners were all treated to a range of prizes. Well done to all of our worthy winners.

We also said goodbye to some of our staff who are leaving SJV this term for pastures new, we wish them all the best of luck in their new endeavours. Special mention to Ms Belt who has been a TA at St John Vianney for over 25 years and has been a steadfast support for a large cohort of our pupils. We wish Ms Belt all the best as she enjoys spending quality time with her grandchildren and family. We hope she has a restful and fulfilling retirement.

Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your continued support of our school. By working together, we are able to give our pupils the best opportunities. On behalf of all of the staff here at SJV, I wish you all a joyous and refreshing summer and look forward to seeing you all in the new school year.

God bless,

Kirsten Nesbitt, Assistant Headteacher/SENCo

Key information and Dates for your Diary

Dates for your Diary

• Thurs 21st Aug - GCSE results day. School will be open between 9:30am - 11:00am for pupils to collect their results letter in person. Letter will be posted to those who are unable to attend.
• Tue 26th Aug - Fri 29th Aug between 10am and 2pm - Uniform can be collected from school reception.
• Mon 1st Sept - All Day - Staff INSET Day. School closed for pupils.
• Tue 2nd Sept @ 9:00am - School re-opens for all staff and pupils for the next academic year.

Key Info

School uniform: The Governors have kindly agreed to supply all pupils in KS3 and 4 with free school uniform again this year. You will be able to collect this uniform from Reception at school during the week of Tue 26th Aug - Fri 29th Aug, between 10am and 2pm. If you are unable to collect on these dates please contact the school office via email : admin@stjohnvianneyschool.co.uk to arrange an alternative date.

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 1st September 2025:

Stars of the Week

Congratulations to our Stars of the week:

• Class 1 - Daniyal - For great running at sports day.
• Class 2 - Quinn - For making new staff feel very welcome and always being positive.
• Class 3 - Cory - For being grown up and independent.
• Class 4 - Khalil - For trying to use better words.
• Class 5 - Joe - For listening to advice and being a good friend.
• Class 6 - Jack - For having a much improved week this week.
• Class 7 - Ryan - For being an 'always' student and great effort in lessons.
• Class 8 - Szymon - For a massive improvement.
• Class 9 - Jenna - For having a great week.
• Class 10 - Katie - For being really kind and caring to her friends.
• Class 11 - Rayyan - For always being polite and friendly to staff and pupils.
• Class 12 - Katie - For taking on new challenges.
• Class 13 - Tomasz - For doing amazingly on his work experience.

Employee Of The Week

Congratulations to Miss Hunter!!

End of Term Awards

Congratulations to this year's winners!!

At the end of term we celebrate lots of achievements including:

• Headteacher Awards - Pupil of the term for each class and Pupil of the Key Stage; Celebrating those pupils who have best reflected the St. John Vianney School Ethos and Mission Statement, through always giving of their best and being patient, kind and loving.
• Attendance Awards - Celebrating our 100% Attendance achievers and our attendance raffle winners
• Staff Awards - Celebrating our Teacher of the Term - Mr Whelan, TA of the Term - Mrs Masri, Support staff of the Term - Mrs Kay and Newcomer of the Term - Mrs Kelly.

Highlights of the Week

Key Stage 3 Festival

Other School Activities

Our Catholic School

Our prayer focus this week:

'Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbour.'

-Pope Benedict XVI

It's hard to believe that we've already reached the final week of the school year. It feels like only yesterday we were welcoming everyone back in September! As always, SJV is making the most of every moment, preparing for the new school year and ensuring everything is in place so that our learners can enjoy a safe and restful summer break.

As a Catholic school, we marked the end of the year with two special Masses and held Headteacher's Awards to celebrate the dedication and achievements of both staff and students. These moments allowed us to reflect on and appreciate the hard work that has taken place across the school throughout the year.

In R.E, we've been thinking about those who have helped us take root and grow, creating thank-you cards for friends, family members and teachers who have supported us on our journey. We've also continued learning about world religions, discovering the shared values among different faiths and celebrating the beauty of our differences.

Wishing everyone a joyful and relaxing summer. See you all in September!

.

-

Mrs Garfin

Poetry Corner

A Poetic Tribute. Celebrating the Legacy of Mr. & Mrs. Power

In our final poetry news of the year we are delighted to share this moving new poem, “The Powers That Be”, a collaboration between our in-residence poet Oliver Lomax and the talented young poets here at S.J.V. This work honours the remarkable story of the school’s founders, Mr. & Mrs. Power, whose vision, courage, and enduring love, gave birth to this unique place of learning, belonging, and hope.

The poem was written as part of a creative workshop led by Oliver, whose passion for working with young voices brought out something truly beautiful, a lyrical tribute to the couple who built the school in the 1950’s so that their daughter, Veronica, could receive an education tailored specifically to her needs. Though Veronica sadly passed away before she could ever attend the school her parents fought so hard to create, her spirit continues to guide every corner of Saint John Vianney.

Through its verses the poem captures the journey of the Powers, their struggle against indifference, their resilience, and their deep, unwavering belief that every child deserves the dignity of education.

Mr. and Mrs. Power didn’t just build this school, they built a legacy. One that lives on in every classroom, in every teacher’s voice, and in the laughter of every pupil who walks through our gates.

This poem is not just a tribute to the past, it’s a reminder of what compassion, determination, and love can achieve as we journey on here at S.J.V in our new school.

Oliver Lomax

Useful Information

Screens in summer:

What's the right balance?

For many parents, summer holidays mean a chaotic six-week juggling act. Working, cooking, cleaning… all while being a carer, friend and entertainer for their children.

It’s no surprise that screens can be a valuable (if not entirely guilt-free) tool to keep children occupied and entertained. But this comes with its own challenges. Parents must also ensure their child’s screen use doesn’t become unhealthy or unsafe.

So, with a lot of conflicting advice out there, what really matters when it comes to smartphones, social media and online games?

In this newsletter, Parentzone have free resources, including information to help support good digital parenting this summer. Click here to download the guide:

Find a simple three-step approach to digital parenting during the summer holidays: Click here to see the online guide

Take a look at your Local Offer to find out what activities are being offered in your area during the school holidays….

• Trafford Local Offer
• Manchester Local Offer
• Cheshire East Local Offer
• Salford Local Offer
• St Helens Local Offer
• Stockport Local Offer
• Tameside Local Offer

I hope you find this information useful!

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

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

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