St John Vianney School Newsletter 01.03.2024

Headteacher's Message

Dear parents and carers.

I do hope that you and your families had a pleasant February half term break. We have been pleased this week to welcome back our pupils to school for the fourth half term of the school year. The pupils have generally settled back well into the routines and their lesson activities and behaviour across school has being generally good.

The construction team, Kier, have made good progress on the school rebuilding project and have started to do work on securing the foundations for the new build. We will be in the current building phase for at least another year and will have to continue to manage more condensed space for school activities and also in transitioning pupils into and out of school safely from Ryebank Rd. We have reduced play spaces and some of our learners find it difficult at break and lunchtimes. The staff are continuing to support the pupils in making the most of the school spaces that we have. Many other pupils have been really supportive and have successfully managed the new routines we have imposed on them. We will continue to keep you informed of all building developments.

In late March we will send home the second interim report of this academic year. The report will identify the progress being made by your child, since the last report in November. Following the report we invite you into school for our annual parents evening. Please make a note of the date and time of this really important event, where you will have an opportunity to meet with teachers and class teams to discuss the progress made by your child and look through the work that they have been undertaking this year. Parents evening this year will be on Wednesday 27th March from 4:30pm to 6pm in the school hall; please make every effort to attend.

If you require any information or wish to discuss any aspects of the child’s education please contact the school Admin team who will direct you to the correct person to deal with your enquiry.

Best wishes,

Mr A Moloney

Dates For Your Diary

• Weds 27th March @ 4.30pm - 6.30pm - Parents Evening

Stars of the Week

Congratulations to our Stars of the Week!

• Class 1 - Abdul - For excellent manners when using the bus.
• Class 2 - Benjamin - For improved behaviour.
• Class 3 - Adnan - For a fabulous drama lesson.
• Class 4 - Dylan - For increased effort with his work and returning well to Duke of Edinburgh.
• Class 5 - Rome - For kindness to his friends.
• Class 6 - Charlie - For being positive around school and trying hard to go into every assembly.
• Class 7 - Sana - For being an always pupil.
• Class 8 - Jason - For having a fantastic attitude and trying hard in lessons.
• Class 9 - Troy - For having a superb week academically and emotionally.
• Class 11 - Aliya - For being an always pupil.
• Class 12 - Louis - For making the right choices.
• Class 13 - Dylan - For achieving excellent exam results.

Employee of the Week

Congratulations to Joseph M!

Joseph, a student in Key Stage 5, has been gaining valuable work experience in the school office over the last 6 months. He has proven to be a consistent, reliable and conscientious worker who has made some great contributions to the office team. What a brilliant advocate for the work we all do at School. Well done on winning Employee of the Week Joe!

Introducing Jake

• What have you been doing this term/week? This week I have been doing PSHE, Geography, ICT and Maths.
• What is the best thing about being in SJV? The best things about SJV is the Work Experience, PE and Maths.
• How could SJV be even better? SJV would be better if it had vending machines and an actual swimming pool and an onsite ice cream van.
• What are your hopes and dreams for the future? My hopes and dreams for the future is to pass my exams and go to College.

Highlights of the Week

Our Catholic School

'Lent is a favourable season for deepening our spiritual life through fasting, prayer and charitable giving’

-Pope Francis

It’s wonderful to see everyone back at school after our half term break and to catch up on what’s been happening in and out of school. It has been a busy start to the half term; we have begun our Lenten activities, in particular the 'Acts of Kindness'. Our staff and pupils are recording the Acts of Kindness they see or experience throughout our school community. The Catholicity team are very busy supporting their peers and making sure there are enough slips to write down all the wonderful Acts of Kindness we see around SJV.

Each class has visited our Chapel for some valuable time in Si' Lent reflection. This helps us to really focus our prayer time and spend time with God.

Within Religious Education, we have been brainstorming ideas for our charity appeal and what Acts of Kindness we can do throughout Lent. It’s going to be a wonderful run up to Easter at SJV with our children and young people leading the way with their good work and kindness.

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This week's Wednesday Word is 'Enthusiasm'.

Mrs Garfin

Poetry Corner

‘Everyone has a poem hiding inside them that can change someone’s life.’

In the last week before half term our poet in residence, Mr. Lomax, ran a whole-school poetry intervention, focusing on poetry and wellbeing. In collaboration with The Poetry Society, pupils took part in a wide range of workshops. Firstly playing a fun poetry game, in which they were asked if they could tell the difference between Taylor Swift lyrics and lines of poetry by Sylvia Plath, it was much tougher than we all expected! Pupils also recited poems and discussed the themes and emotion within the work and how it might connect to their own thoughts and feelings. It was magical day, culminating in pupils celebrating their individuality and writing about their own experiences to share with other pupils. As we explored how this shared experience can create a poetry map of empathy across the school, make us less fearful, give us a greater understanding of others, and improve our mental wellbeing. A huge well done to all pupils and staff involved in the day! Thanks also for the brilliant sessions organised and led by Mr Lomax!

Oliver Lomax

Useful Information

Riding the Rapids is a course for parents and carers of children who have a diagnosis of Autism, severe learning disabilities or other complex disabilities. The course aims to help parents and carers to understand and support their child's behaviour, in the context of additional needs.

If you are interested in attending Riding the Rapids, the next course commences on Thursday 17th April 10am until 12pm in school; this is a fantastic opportunity to meet other parents and carers.

For more information about this course, follow the link below or please contact Mrs Griffin via the school office. Riding the Rapids

National Online Safety Information

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