St John Vianney School Newsletter 7.11.2025

Headteacher's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

I do hope you and your families have had a pleasant half term break from School. The 2 week break, we feel, will certainly help pupils and staff in the run up now to Christmas. The pupils have returned to school positively this week and re-engaged with our learning activities and school expectations. They have certainly settled well, which bodes well for the 7 week half-term before Christmas.

The build up to Christmas and Advent particularly, is a lovely time in SJV and we have many planned events, trips and experiences which I know the pupils will really look forward to. We are planning some informal coffee mornings in the next few weeks, which will be a great opportunity to welcome you into school during November and December.

We are also busy preparing the first interim report, where we will share the progress made by your child since September. This will be sent home in early December.

We continue to monitor pupil attendance, which has been excellent since the start of the academic year. Can I ask please ask that you do not plan holidays during term time and additionally you do all you can to send your child into school each day. The onset of the winter season will bring with it a range of illnesses, where children and staff may need time away from school. Sniffles and tiredness are not excuses for absence; please send your children into school each day if they are well enough to attend. Can I also ask that pupils in KS3 and KS4 have the correct uniform on in school each day. Thank you for your support in these matters.

Next week we are celebrating the Diocesan Jubilee 'Year of Hope' in School. We have the opportunity to host the Anchor of Hope in the Chapel next week, where we will have extra services to commemorate Remembrance Day and also to get our pupils to consider their personal, family and wider hopes for the future. I'm sure the week will be an excellent opportunity for reflection, as we also remember those who have passed before us and the impact they have had on shaping our own lives.

Additionally, if there is anything we can offer to support you or your families with, throughout the winter period, do please contact the Admin team in the first instance.

Best wishes,

Mr A Moloney, Headteacher

Key information and Dates for your Diary

Dates for your Diary

• CANCELLED!! - Tue 11th Nov @ 9:15 - 10:00am - Open Morning for prospective parents to attend.
• Fri 19th Dec 2025 @ 3:15pm - School closes for the Christmas break.
• Mon 5th Jan @ 9:00am - School re-opens for the Spring Term.

Key Info

Zones of Regulation - Parent Course

Our Zones of Regulation, online course for Parents and Carers is starting again this week with Module 4. 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. I 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

Shoebox appeal

Last chance for our Shoebox Appeal! There's still time to spread joy to children worldwide! Send in your individual items or completed shoeboxes by Monday 10th November. Your generosity makes such a difference in creating smiles across the globe! The outpouring of kindness from our school community has been absolutely heartwarming. Nothing beats knowing we're making a child's day brighter together! Thanks for your amazing support! Mrs Murphy

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 10th November 2025:

Stars of The Week

• Class 1 Mrs Jordan - Blake - For being a really good friend and showing support to others.
• Class 2 Miss Walsh - Igor - For trying hard and never giving up.
• Class 3 Mr Healey - Anea - For fantastic work in art and showing maturity.
• Class 4 Mrs Garfin - George - For being a good friend and doing a selfless act.
• Class 5 Mr Whelan - Tyler T - For showing a much improved attitude and effort in lessons.
• Class 6 Miss Shaw - Hassan - For spending more time in the classroom.
• Class 7 Miss Graham - Isabella - For having a great attitude throughout the week.
• Class 8 Mrs Wood - Danyaal - For being kind to his friends.
• Class 9 Mr Donovan - Zack - For having a fantastic week and helping his peers.
• Class 10 Mr Wood - Charlie - For being an always pupil, putting in maximum effort into his school work and making the right choices.
• Class 11 Miss Sherwin - Rayyan - For being an always pupil.
• Class 12 Miss Lord - Harley - For his contribution in assembly and focusing on his work.
• Class 13 Mr Kanakides - Callum - For working really hard and independently in his maths lesson.
• Class 14 Miss Wilkinson - Andrew - For being a really good team player and helping his peers and staff.

Employee of The Week

Highlights of the Week

Our Catholic School

Our spiritual focus in SJV this week is:

'Prayer brings us not only closer to God, but also nearer to one another'

– Pope Benedict XVI

It is good to be back after the half term break, we are all relaxed, refreshed and looking forward to the term ahead. Within our Catholic School we are remembering and celebrating November as the Month of the Holy Souls and All Saints. If you have anyone who has sadly passed away, and you would like us to remember them in our prayers, please send their names into school and we will add them to our pious list. Father Nick will be praying for all our Holy Souls every day throughout November.

Mrs Garfin

Mrs Garfin

Poetry Corner

A Very Special “Poetry By Heart” Workshop

This week at Saint John Vianney, our Poet in Residence Mr. Lomax brought poetry to life in a creative and unique way with all the wonderful pupils in Class 6. Leading a “Poetry By Heart” workshop, introducing pupils to the beauty of poet Christina Rossetti’s verse through his accessible and fun game of ‘Poetry Pass the Parcel’ As the music played, the parcel was passed from hand to hand, building anticipation and excitement. Each time the music stopped, a layer was unwrapped to reveal a line from Rossetti’s poem. Together, our pupils read, remembered, and performed the poem, learning the words, but also the rhythm and emotion behind them. It built a great sense of community and togetherness in the classroom room, with students encouraging each other and applauding after each individual performance.

A particularly special moment came when one of our non-verbal pupils took part using TD Snap Core on his iPad. He carefully typed in his line of poetry, and with a tap, his device gave voice to his words. A moving reminder that poetry belongs to everyone, and every voice can be heard. Thanks to all the amazing Class 6 staff for their support in helping facilitate this. Please follow the link below to see Mr Lomax discussing his workshop ideas, this filmed resource is used by The Poetry Society to help inspire teachers nationally.

Oliver Lomax

Useful Information

Winter Coat Appeal

This year we are supporting 'The Wellspring Charity for Homeless'. The Wellspring charity supports people that are homeless or at risk of losing their home. We are asking for your support by donating any unwanted adult winter coats. If you have any coats that are still in good condition, but no longer needed, please consider donating them to help others stay warm this winter. Please send your unwanted coats into school by December 5th and we will collect them at School and then pass them through to the Charity before Christmas. Your generosity will make a real difference to those facing hardship in our community. We appreciate your kindness and support in making this initiative a success. To find our more information regarding the charity click here.

To find out more information click on the link which will take you to our online safety hub:-

https://stjohnvianneyschool.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/articles/unmasking-online-bias-in-social-media

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

Supporting the wellbeing of children has never been more critical than it is right now. All custodians of a child, from parents, to teachers, governments and policy makers are more focused than ever on ensuring that children are protected from online harms.

The wellbeing outcomes of children are heavily influenced by their digital experiences. A child’s online activity, including what they view, who they interact with, and what they share can contribute to a deeply positive outcome, or pose a worrying threat to their wellbeing.

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