Friday 27th November 2020

Once again, the countdown is about to begin - Christmas is coming! This Sunday we begin to celebrate the season of Advent, a time of waiting and preparation. Now is the time to think especially about, and look forward to, the celebration of Jesus' birth and to his return in the future. In this Sunday's Gospel, the Master represents Jesus and the servants represent us. Think what preparations you would be making if someone very important was coming to visit. Well, since it is Jesus who is coming - are you waiting eagerly, with your fingers on the door-handle, ready to open the door? The message is clear: we are to 'stay awake!' A little extra daily prayer throughout Advent is a great way to do this - to be alert to Jesus' presence around us. For this week's Wednesday Word, please click the following link: https://www.paperturn-view.com/uk/wednesday-word/wisdom?pid=MTA101634&v=8.8

As part of our preparations during the season of Advent, we will be supporting the residents in our local community who need our support in these current, challenging times.   With this in mind, we will be taking part as a whole school community to contribute to the local foodbank as a Reverse Advent Calendar initiative.  Plastic boxes will be placed at the drop-off/collection points around school from Monday so that parents/children can donate items for the food bank.  These will be quarantined before being sent to Our Lady and All Saints Parish Centre.  The request of items from The Black Country Food Bank can be found via the link below. Thank you in advance for your continued support.  https://www.blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Christmas-Shopping-List-with-toiletries.pdf

Children will be allowed to bring in Christmas cards to school during the weeks beginning 30^th November and 7^th December. The children can deliver them into their class post boxes upon arrival to school. We ask that cards are given to those only in your child’s year group. Anything from home needs 72 hours of quarantine to be shared, therefore, the cards will be handed out on 14^th December. We will not be able to permit Christmas cards into school from 11th December onwards. A further letter outlining the Advent and Christmas activities over the coming weeks will be sent out on Monday. Thank you for your continued support.

Click on the following link to the NHS website for information on what to do if you or your child/ren show the main symptoms of Coronavirus. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-in-the-autumn-term

Congratulations to the following children for being chosen for Good Work or for showing the Catholic Virtues this week (Intentional and Prophetic).  Well done to St. Matthew's house for gaining the most points this week too.

As you may be aware The Youth Sport Trust have taken the step to deliver a free virtual after school club as part of a national response to the second lockdown. The 30-minute club will take place at 5pm each weekday and be led by a different member of the YST's athlete mentor network. The first one aired on Thursday with world no.1 female inline skater and 10-time British Champion Jenna Downing. The After School Sport Club will run for five weeks until Friday 18th December, children and young people can take part live by visiting the YST YouTube channel. - http://www.youtube.com/user/YouthSportTrust.

Aimed mainly at primary-aged children, a different theme has been assigned for each day of the club - Adventure Monday, Tuesday Play, Wild Wednesday, Thinking Thursday and Fun Friday. The YST hope that this will provide support, capacity and inspiration to sit alongside the other great work and offers that are available for schools and children and young people to engage in.

Due to the arrangments of the national lockdown which came into force yesterday, there will not be any further Class Masses for children in school.  Fr. Philip will livestream daily Masses from OLAS Church at 10am from Tuesday to Friday.  Our school will be watching the Mass on Tuesdays which will be more child-centred.  

Dear Lord Jesus, help us to stay awake and to be aware of your presence in the people that we meet in this Advent season. Amen.

Children at St. Joseph's are growing to be: Intentional in the way they live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience; and Prophetic in the example they set to others.

Artificial Intelligence
We pray that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind.