Dear Parents and Carers

Our final week before we break for a well-earned rest draws to a close.  The rain has stopped and the clouds are beginning to let some blue sky through on a day that I hope our children will remember forever.  The teachers have prepared fantastic activities for all of the children and each infant and junior class are moving classrooms to take part in a range of Jubilee associated activities.  Thank you for making the effort with your children’s clothes.  They all look fantastic and I hope that they enjoy our whole school Jubilee lunch which will take place on the Junior playground, followed by a whole school disco, party games and team games using our fantastic Darby Ground and our beautiful school field.  As well as decorating the front of our school we have decorated the Junior Playground which we hope you will see on the children’s Twitter pages.  The children will then have a whole school outdoor assembly where we will present our weekly awards as well as our Tombola ‘I’m a Celebrity’ raffle prizes for children who have been seen being good.  When I started this at the beginning of the year I had no idea just how much the children would enjoy it and it is certainly something that I am keen to continue.  The assembly will finish with the class St John Bosco Awards being presented to 7 children who the teachers and support staff feel have displayed the qualities that are associated with our very special Saint.  Kindness, thoughtfulness, helping others and being respectful.  We will all end with a rendition of the National Anthem as we walk back to our classes.

Our girls football team went in the school mini bus to St Georges where they took part in an excellent and very competitive match.  The end result was a draw and once again I was so proud of the girls' behaviour and attitude. 

Our Year 3 class enjoyed their final swimming lesson and we hope that our Year 2 class enjoys this opportunity when we return after half term. 

On Thursday our school opened its front door to a most impressive Roman soldier, who marched into the building and into our school hall where he led a Roman Workshop to support our Year 4 children’s history lessons.

Unfortunately, I decided to postpone our Year 1 trip to Gorse Hill Nature Reserve due to poor weather and although it had largely stopped raining we felt that the ground underfoot would be slippy and potentially dangerous.  This will be rearranged for our final half term of the school year.

Our boys football team welcomed St Gregory’s and we all witnessed an extremely competitive match which saw both teams displaying some amazing skills.  St Gregory’s were the stronger team and deservedly won.  However, I was delighted with our performance with more than half of the team consisting of Year 5 children who will live to fight another day.  On a serious note I was extremely proud of the way that they conducted themselves as well as the parents of both schools who supported their children in a way that made me proud to be associated with the two schools that form the Parish of St Catherine of Alexandria.  I know that Fr Grant will be delighted when I tell him as I have sadly witnessed behaviours from both children and adults that quite frankly have no place in a primary school.

I have attached the after-school clubs and PE Days. I do hope that the children will consider one of these clubs if they have not in the past, as many of them require quite different skills. 

May I remind you to label your children’s clothing particularly if the pen has faded as a prompt return of items reduces children’s anxieties. 

Before I finish on a positive note, the governors are a little concerned that there is an increasing number of children who are having their ears pierced and wearing earrings to school, it is clear in the school prospectus that earrings are not acceptable and that if children have had their ears pierced they should wear clear plastic hole preservers and not earrings.  On a personal note I have seen a child’s ripped ear lobe and would hate for this to happen to any of our children.

I must inform you that we have been instructed to clamp down on holidays being taken in term time.  The government has made it very plain to all school governors that school attendance will have a significant impact on future inspections by Ofsted.  It would be a great shame if this impacted negatively on a school that works so well together with teachers and parents and school governors working together in partnership to give our children the very best start in life. 

I would like to wish you all a peaceful and happy half term as the beads of sweat begin to form on my brow in anticipation of the kick off in Paris tomorrow.  I look forward to welcoming you all on Tuesday 7^th June when we all hope for a warm and sunny end to our school year.

Yours sincerely

Mr D MacAreavy – Headteacher

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS

SUMMER TERM 2022—2nd HALF TERM

STARTING TUESDAY 7^th JUNE

PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILDREN’S PROPERTY IS CLEARLY LABELLED

MONDAY                    Morning Cricket – Year 5-6 if dry

                                    Year 3-4 Tennis -– Mr Parry

                                    School Choir – Year 3 Classroom – Miss Briscoe & Miss Rogers

                                    Infant Dance Club – School Hall – Mrs Boynton

TUESDAY                   Morning Cricket – Year 5-6 if dry

                                    Year 5-6 Tennis -– Mr Parry

                                    Year 2 – Gardening Club – Mrs Johnson – 12 children – starting on Tuesday 14^th June – letter                                        of intent to be sent.  If more than 12 pupils apply there will be a waiting list

WEDNESDAY             Morning Cricket – Year 5-6 if dry

                                    Year 2 – Swimming – pm

                                    Year 3-4 Rounders & Kick Rounders – Mr Parry

                                    Year 2 Fielding & Striking Games— Active Soccer

THURSDAY                Morning Cricket – Year 5-6 if dry

                                    Year 1 – Fielding & Striking Games — Maricourt SCCO—

                                    Miss Cousins

                                   Year 5-6 Cricket Club – Mr Parry

                                   Junior Dance Club – School Hall – Mrs Boynton

FRIDAY                      Morning Cricket – Year 5-6 if dry

                                   Years Reception, 1 & 2 – Football – Active Soccer

                                    Year 3-6 – Girls Football - Mr Parry

Please note that all after school clubs finish

at 4.15pm unless stated otherwise and infant children will be brought out to the infant play ground while junior children will be brought to the front of the school as are the current arrangements

This information is also available at www.stjohnboscoprimary.co.uk

PE Days are as follows, children come to school in PE Kit: 

Monday – Reception

Tuesday – Year 5

Wednesday – Year 3 Swimming – Year 2 PE

Thursday – Year 1, Year 6

Friday – Year 4

Please be aware if Staff and Governors of St John Bosco Catholic Primary School are subjected to any forms of verbal or physical abuse the relevant authorities will be contacted.