St John Vianney School

Contents

• Deputy Headteacher's Message
• Key information and Dates for your Diary
• Lunches
• Stars of the Week
• Highlights of the Week
• Our Catholic School
• Spotlight
• Live Simply Day – Tuesday 19th May 2026
• Useful Information
• Online Safety
• Links to Our Website and Social Media

Deputy Headteacher's Message

Dear Parents and Carers, It has been another vibrant and purposeful week here at St John Vianney, filled with opportunities that have enriched our pupils’ learning and strengthened our sense of community. As always, I am incredibly proud of the way our young people continue to engage with enthusiasm, curiosity and maturity. Our Key Stage 4 historians enjoyed a thought‑provoking visit to the Imperial War Museum North, where they explored the interwar period in depth. The trip offered powerful insights into the political, social and economic changes of the time, and the pupils represented our school beautifully; asking thoughtful questions and showing real interest in the stories and artefacts they encountered. Post‑16 students also had an inspiring experience this week during their visit to Manchester Moot Court. Stepping into the world of law and public speaking, they observed real‑life legal processes and even had the chance to role-play a genuine criminal case around hate crime, taking on different roles within a courtroom. Experiences like these help our students broaden their horizons and consider future pathways with confidence. Meanwhile, across school, our pupils have been working diligently through ongoing exams and assessments. I want to commend them for the calm, focused and resilient attitude they have shown. Our staff continue to support them every step of the way, ensuring they feel prepared and encouraged. Thank you for your continued partnership and support. It is a privilege to work with such a dedicated community, and I look forward to the opportunities and achievements still to come this term. Next week on Tuesday we will be celebrating our Live Simply day, pupils can wear their own clothes and make a donation to CAFOD. Further details of the day can be found further in the 'Spotlight' section of this newsletter. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the school will break for the Whit half term at 3:15pm on Friday 22nd May, returning to school on Monday 1st June for the second half of the summer term. Best wishes, Mr G. Damant, Deputy Headteacher

Key information and Dates for your Diary

Dates for Your Diary

• Fri 22nd May @ 3:15pm - School closes for half term
• Mon 1st June @ 9:00am- School reopens after half term
• Fri 26th June - All day - INSET Day school closed for pupils

Key Info

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 Monday 18th May 2026:

Stars of the Week

• Class 1 Mrs Jordan - Callum - For independently learning a fantastic piece of music at home and performing in school.
• Class 2 Miss Walsh - Noah - For good engagement and a more positive outlook.
• Class 3 Mr Healey - Lucas - For being mature and making good choices.
• Class 4 Mrs Garfin - George - For making good choices and working hard in class.
• Class 5 Mr Whelan - Tyler T - For a great contribution to hygiene in class.
• Class 6 Miss Shaw - Ezra - For great work this week.
• Class 7 Miss Graham - Bailey - For a really good week and supporting out Laudato si' work.
• Class 8 Mrs Wood - Miya - For a positive attitude towards her maths exam and always being respectful.
• Class 9 Mr Donovan - Thomas - For excellent contributions in lessons.
• Class 10 Mr Wood - Ryan - For great work in English.
• Class 11 Miss Sherwin - Laura - For steady progress in her independence.
• Class 12 Ms Lord - Bruno - For being kind and calm at all times and being a good SJV role model student.
• Class 13 Mr Kanakides - Callum - For working hard for his exams and his support in KS3.
• Class 14 Miss Wilkinson - Micah - For making mature choices, wise decisions and independently going to the shop.

Employees of the Week

Congratulations to Mr Drummond and Mr Kirby!

Highlights of the Week

Our Catholic School

Our prayer focus this week:

"Let the Holy Spirit be your helper and guide. He will not fail to lead you to peace."

-St John Paul II

Our Chaplaincy / GIFT Team continue to work diligently each week, taking on a range of important responsibilities. These include leading prayers, ensuring staff and student Mass intentions are returned ready for our celebrations. We are also exploring ways to care for our environment and support our new school building, due for completion by summer 2026. As part of this, we are planning to plant more wildflowers to encourage bees and insects, helping to protect and nurture God’s creation. In Religious Education this week, students have been learning about the Ascension, reflecting on its powerful message. They have also been exploring how different religions respond to issues of prejudice and discrimination, encouraging empathy, respect, and understanding.

-Mrs Garfin

Mrs Garfin

Spotlight

Live Simply Day – Tuesday 19th May 2026

We will be taking part in a "Live Simply Day" on Tuesday next week helping us to focus on living out our Catholic values by slowing down, using less, and thinking about others and the world around us. Inspired by CAFOD and Catholic Social Teaching, it encourages us to care for God’s creation, support those in need, and appreciate the simple things in life. Pupils and staff can choose to wear non-uniform clothes, with a suggested £2 donation for CAFOD, supporting communities in need around the world.

What the day will look like

During Literacy time and Lessons 5 and 6, students will take part in a range of planned activities including:

• Classroom based sessions where pupils will learn about global consumption.
• A practical activity where they will carry (as a class) the amount of water used by the average person in the UK across the playground.
• A ‘swap shop’ where pupils can bring in books, comics, toys (no electrical items please) or fidget toys to trade with another pupil.
• A ‘back to nature’ quiet zone in an outdoor space.

Why we do this

Live Simply Day helps us live out our faith in practical ways. It reminds us to:

• Care for God’s creation.
• Think about people who have less than we do.
• Be grateful for what we have.

Small actions like reducing energy use or spending more time together can make a real difference.

Benefits for our school community

For pupils:

• A calmer, more relaxed day with fewer screens.
• More hands-on and creative activities.
• Opportunities to build confidence and friendships.
• Learn about living sustainably and global consumption.

For staff:

• Time to connect with pupils in a different way.
• A positive, less pressured atmosphere.
• A chance to focus on wellbeing as well as learning.

For the environment:

• Reduced energy use across the school.
• Greater awareness of how to care for our planet.

Live Simply Day is a great opportunity for us all to take small steps together in faith, caring for each other, helping those in need, and looking after the world God has given us.

Useful Information

Online Safety

Being safe online is essential for young people.  At school, students are taught about online safety both through PSHCE lessons and through the IT curriculum. However, it is essential that parents/carers actively engage with their children and young people about their online activity to ensure that they stay safe.  The following website provides useful advice to both students and parents/carers about online safety: https://saferinternet.org.uk/online-issues

- 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