Friday 14th September 2018

On Tuesday afternoon, through the power of technology, our school along with thousands of other children from across the Archdiocese of Birmingham joined with Archbishop Bernard in prayer and reflection before the Blessed Sacrament. Fr Des was also able to join us and brought a beautifully ornate monstrance which displayed the Blessed Lord too. We are all called to renew this supreme moment when we can pray before the Lord in adoration. The Aid to the Church in Need are calling to all Christians to go to Mass or Adoration for someone who is unable for many different reasons. For further information please go to the following website: acnuk.org/adoration.

Today your child will be bringing home today a copy of our revised version of our Home-School-Parish agreement. A real strength of this school from feedback by all stakeholders is the strong community feel and partnership that exists. This agreement affirms all our commitment at the beginning of a new school year to support every child through their education and faith journey here at St. Joseph's. Please read through, sign and return the agreement on Monday 17th September. One way that you can help all members of our school community would be through supporting the PTA and the events organised throughout the year. Mr Carry and the PTA will be meeting together here at St. Joseph's on Thursday 20th September starting at 7.30pm. You are very welcome to come along.

Please ensure that your child is able to take out any earrings before taking part in PE and School Sport. For younger children it is advisable to not allow them to wear earrings on the days when they have PE in school. For further information please read our PE policy which is available on the school website.

Our School Nurse, Mrs Julie Price, will be holding the first of our parent drop-in sessions here at St. Joseph's on Wednesday 19th September from 8.30am. If you have any concerns about your child's health then please come along. No appointments are necessary. A further date will be arranged later on this term.

On Friday 28th September we will be holding a coffee morning for Macmillan Cancer from 9.15am until 10.30am. Please bring any donations of cakes/biscuits during the latter part of this week. The children will be able to purchase a cake at break time on this day too. Also on this day we will be holding a 'Dahlicious Dress Up Day' in support of Macmillan. Children wearing a costume of their favourite Roald Dahl character are asked to bring in £1. A letter with further details was sent out earlier this week. For ideas on costumes please go to the following link: http://www.roalddahl.com/charity/fundraising-and-events/dahlicious-dress-up-day.

On Tuesday 16th October we will be holding an Open Morning for parents of Reception children for September 2019. This will take place in the school hall from 9.30am until 10.30am. Please encourage any friends and family members with children who are due to start Reception in September to come along. Thank you.

A reminder that due to ongoing building work at OLAS, there are limited spaces available for parking. Please be mindful of this when we hold our Reception Welcome and Commitment Mass on Sunday 28th September. The parish are currently liaising with other local businesses to assess whether further parking is available nearby. There is a two hour limit at the Tesco car park as an alternative.

On Saturday 29th September, a craft and gift fair is being held at St. James' CE Primary School (DY8 4RU) between 10am and 3pm. There will be a wide range of handmade craft and gift stalls - perfect for early Christmas shopping! There will be cakes and refreshments served all day too. This event is being held to help support local Scouts who have been selected to represent West Mercia at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree in America.

Next week a letter will be sent to parents with instructions on how to upload an App to access the School website via the platform School Life. This will allow parents to read notifications and newsletters via a smart phone in addition to a PC or tablet.

Pupils at St. Joseph's are compassionate towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate; and loving by their just actions and forgiving words.

Dear Lord Jesus, please help us to understand and to know you - to listen to your words and to follow your way. Amen.

Universal: Young People in Africa. That young people in Africa may have access to education and work in their own countries.