St John Vianney School Newsletter 04.07.2025

Assistant Headteacher's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

I do hope you are enjoying the lovely weather we have been experiencing recently. There have been times when it has been too hot outside but I am pleased to report that the new building is coping better with this extreme heat than the old building, keeping classrooms at a pleasant temperature for learning.

While attendance at school remains excellent we have taken a slight dip in recent weeks. Please continue to support the school by ensuring our pupils are in school and ready to learn every day. There will be a range of prizes to celebrate high attendance in the end of term assemblies!

This week our Duke of Edinburgh pupils completed their Bronze award with an overnight stay at Wythenshawe Park. The final expedition is a culmination of skills developed over the last 12 months. They completed a 10k walk independently and canoed from Castlefield to Stretford. In the evening they cooked their own meal on outdoor camping stoves and pitched and slept in their own tents. I’m reliably informed that there wasn’t a lot of sleep for some!

A massive thank you to all the staff who have made the Duke of Edinburgh Award possible this year, it is only through their hard work and dedication to providing the very best for our pupils that these opportunities are possible.

On Friday, Mrs Garfin and Fr Nick invited a group of displaced people from the St John’s Centre to SJV for a sandwich, cake and a cup of tea. The fantastic catering was delivered by our Key Stage 4 hospitality group. It was lovely to see staff and pupils support some of the most vulnerable members of our society, an essential part of our mission as followers of Christ.

This term will end for the Summer break at 3.15pm on Friday 18th July. The new school year will begin on Tuesday 2nd September at 9.00am for our pupils. As this is my last entry of this academic year I would like to take the opportunity to wish all our pupils and their families a safe and enjoyable summer break. I wish those leaving us the very best in all their future endeavours and look forward to welcoming back some new and familiar faces in September.

God bless,

Mr G Damant, Assistant Headteacher

Key information and Dates for your Diary

Dates for your Diary

• Fri 11th July - Sports afternoon at Longford Park.
• Mon 14th July - Class end of year trips.
• Wed 16th July - End of Year Mass 9.30am and 11.15am.
• Fri 18th July @ 3:15pm - School closes for the half term break.
• Mon 1st Sept - All Day - Staff INSET Day. School closed for pupils.
• Tue 2nd Sept @ 9:00am - School re-opens for the next academic year.

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 7th July 2025:

Stars of the Week

Congratulations to our Stars of the week:

• Class 1 - Hassan - For having a really good week.
• Class 2 - Ava - For consistently working hard and being positive with her friends.
• Class 3 - Tyler - For improved emotional regulation and relationships with others, listening to staff and caring for peers.
• Class 4 - Victoria - For great effort at work experience.
• Class 5 - Maisy - For being a supportive friend and trying her best.
• Class 6 - Keldon - For looking after his peers and being an 'always' pupil.
• Class 7 - Charlie - For his excellent performance at the football tournament.
• Class 8 - Danyaal - For representing the school at the football tournament and doing really well.
• Class 9 - Kyan - For a very good week.
• Class 10 - Callum - For much improved attitude, behaviour and uniform.
• Class 11 - Reece - For being a good friend and working hard all week.
• Class 12 - Aliyah - For being very mature when visiting Manchester Courts.
• Class 13 - Micah - For having a really good, settled week.

Employee Of The Week

Congratulations to Mr Wood !!

Highlights of the Week

Our Catholic School

Our prayer focus this week:

'Let us go to Jesus: He can heal us, He can revive us. Jesus is our hope!'

- Pope Leo XIV

The weeks are flying by and it's hard to believe we only have two weeks left of the school year! Time flies when you're having fun and at SJV we really do enjoy our time together.

This week, our Chaplaincy team played a key role in supporting our 'Come Dine With Us' event. Ms Nesbitt and the KS4 Hospitality group created a wonderful afternoon tea for our visitor's from St John's Centre, a ‘community hub’ for those needing support in Trafford, and some of their service users from the local community. It was a joyful and moving event that truly reflected our gospel values. Reminding us that everyone is equal in the eyes of God.

In R.E. this week, our Key Stage 3 and 4 students have been learning about the rules surrounding kosher foods. As part of this, they've designed a menu in line with the different laws and requirements. It's been an enjoyable and engaging way to explore religious practice. Meanwhile, in Post-16, we've been exploring the Sikh faith. Looking at important festivals and in some classes, even learning a festival dance!

-

Mrs Garfin

Poetry Corner

This week we dedicate Poetry News to this beautiful poem and a wonderfully talented poet from Class 2 who would like to remain anonymous. However, I'm sure you will all agree that this powerful piece of language speaks for itself.

'Once' paints a vivid picture of a world where lush forests, and vibrant wildlife once thrived, reminding us that these are all gifts from God, lovingly entrusted to our care. Through her words, our young poet expresses a deep concern for the destruction of these natural wonders and the urgent need for us, as stewards of creation, to act with love and responsibility.

This poem is not just a reflection, it is a call to action. Echoing Laudato Si’, it invites us to see the Earth not as something to exploit, but as a sacred home to be protected. Let us be inspired by her voice and continue to raise awareness, pray, and take steps toward healing our world.

Poems can change the way we live our lives! Well done again, we are so proud to be featuring this poem, thank you for sharing your powerful voice!

Oliver Lomax

Useful Information

☀️ Summer Holidays Are Coming – Looking for Days Out?

The summer holidays are fast approaching, and we know many families are looking for fun, affordable ways to keep the kids entertained. Why not check out Kids Pass? For just £1, you can access a 30-day trial that unlocks 1,000+ amazing discounts on:

• 🎢 Theme Parks
• 🐾 Zoos & Animal Parks
• 🎬 Cinemas
• 🍔 Family Restaurants
• 🛍️ and much more!

With Kids Pass, you’ll never pay full price again — more fun, less spend for the whole family.

🌐 Visit www.kidspass.co.uk to find out more and grab your £1 trial.

We hope this helps you make some great memories over the summer break!

The VPN Vanishing Act: How Tech-Savvy Teens Trick Parental Controls

Young people are increasingly using VPNs to overcome restrictions and bypass parental controls on the internet. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) enhances privacy and anonymity by concealing a device's IP address and encrypting internet data. There are a number of methods parents can use to detect VPN, communication and education are key to deterring young people from using VPNs.

To find out what a VPN is, why young people use them, how to tell if your child is using a VPN and how to stop your child using them visit our online safety hub by clicking on the following link: Online Safety Hub VPN 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