Thank you for supporting the Disaster Emergency Committee fund on Thursday with your donation for the non-uniform day which will go towards the much needed financial support for the families and communities who are suffering in Ukraine. 

Today was a wonderful celebration to mark our school's patronal feast day.  The day started with a whole-school Mass which was shared with our partner St. Joseph's School in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent.  The children also had the opportunity to learn about the life of Saint Joseph and also to create a special leaf which will be used for our tree display in the school hall.  Thank you also to the PTA for buying an ice-cream for every child - this helped to make the day feel extra special for the children.

Throughout the school years, the whole family will grow and change – learning more about life and about one another. Change can be an exciting part of family life. The Season of Lent presents a great opportunity to examine our conscience – do we need a change of heart, a change of attitude? In this Sunday’s Gospel, the fig tree represents God’s people – it represents all of us. We are all called to change: to grow and so enrich the world around us – to love as Jesus loved. That is what being fully human means! Jesus is like the gardener. He is patient with us, nurtures us and helps us to change for the better.

Thank you to the parents who attended our first face-to-face Parents' Evening session since Autumn 2019. We hope that you found the session informative and know how to support your child moving forwards.  Our second session next Tuesday will also be for Reception to Year 5. The Year 6 sessions will take place on Tuesday 29th March and Tuesday 5th April at the same times. We ask that parents undertake a Lateral Flow Device test before coming into school for their appointment and also wear a face covering as advised by our Local Health Protection Team. Thank you.

Thank you once again for supporting the Diocesan Lenten Charity, The Good Shepherd Appeal, in association with Fr. Hudson's Care.  It is one of the oldest appeals dating back to when children would collect coins during the early days of the charity and is now one of its biggest and most vital fundraising campaigns.

We will also be supporting SIFA Fireside in helping the homeless of Birmingham. This will be a good opportunity to spring clean as we move into a new season and our Lenten journey together.

Each and every one of us could be confronted by poverty, depression or addiction and could soon find ourselves vulnerable and searching for long-standing, sustainable routes out of homelessness.

In Birmingham, many adults are homeless or vulnerably housed with the true figures often unknown due to the hidden homelessness that’s associated with sofa surfing, modern slavery and individuals not making themselves known.

SIFA Fireside supports clients in their recovery from the effects of homelessness. From essential services such as the Adult Support Hub, our Tenancy Support Services and the essential needs met through our Drop-in Centre, our range of services exist not to ‘throw money at the issues’ but to stand by people while they rebuild their lives with safety and dignity.

We are asking for donations of the following items during the season of Lent. Please bring these to the main reception and a representative from Fireside will collect before the end of term.  Any of the following items are gratefully received: towels, plastic carrier bags, men's jogging bottoms (waist 30-32inch), trainers, men's jeans (waist 30-32inch), sweatshirts and hoodies (small and medium), new women's underwear, socks, gloves, hats, sleeping bags, roll mats and rucksacks.

In terms of food items, we please request the following: Pot Noodles, canned meals, cereal bars, biscuits, crisps, long-life desserts, bottled water, soft drinks, squash and instant hot drinks.  

Football training for boys and girls in Years 5 and 6 will change to a Wednesday lunchtime due to the reintroduction of the 'Daily K' programme across the school.  This is an opportunity for children to walk a km with Ted, our mentor dog, around the school field for about 30 minutes.  This is organised on a rota basis so that every child can have the opportunity over the course of the remainder of the term.  Years 5 and 6 on Tuesday, KS1 on Wednesday, Years 3 and 4 on Thursday and Reception on Friday.  This all helps to support our children to achieve the CMO recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

On Monday 21st  February, the Prime Minister set out the next phase of the government’s COVID-19 response ‘Living with COVID-19’. COVID-19 continues to be a virus that we learn to live with and the imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education remains.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), accessed through option 1 of the DfE COVID-19 helpline, will be decommissioned from Friday 1st April 2022. The UKHSA advice service was introduced in September 2020 to provide advice to education and childcare settings on the action they should take to respond to positive cases of COVID-19 in their setting.

The Wednesday Word can be accessed via following link: The Wednesday Word Primary School Resource | Catholic Church.  Please go through this with leaflet with your child so that they become more familiar and understand the focus of the Gospel each week.

Prince Yaroslav the Wise consecrated Ukraine to the Virgin Mary in 1037. Following the invasion of Ukraine we now seek the intercession of the Mother of God.

We fly to Your patronage, O Virgin Mother of God.  Despise not our prayers in our needs, but deliver us from all dangers, since you alone are pure and blessed.

O most glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ our God, accept our prayers and present them to Your Son and our God, that for the sake of You, He enlighten and save our souls.

Our Lady of Fatima; pray for Ukraine.

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.

MARCH

For a Christian response to bioethical challenges

We pray for Christians facing new bioethical challenges; may they continue to defend the dignity of all human life with prayer and action.