Friday 6th September 2019

This coming Sunday is Education Sunday. Celebrated by the Catholic Church in England and Wales, it is a time to reflect upon the past year, as well as looking forward with anticipation to the year ahead. The theme for this year's Education Sunday is 'Form and Flourish'.  The formation and education of a young person into adulthood enables them to reach their potential, to live a fulfilling life and ultimately flourish.  Catholic schools place the Lord Jesus Christ at the centre of their educational enterprise; his life and teaching provides them with the model and pattern for life in all its fullness.  Catholic education aims to inspire a lifelong love of learning and form pupils who will know the good, love the beautiful, and seek the truth.  Catholic schools are distinctive, and this is a cause for celebration. It is an opportunity for us as a school community to celebrate and give thanks.  It is a time to be grateful for the hard work of all those, past and present, who work tirelessly to make Catholic schools places of transformation and hope.  Please join us at the 10.30am Mass on Sunday - children are asked to wear their school uniform to Mass too as a reminder to the Catholic community of the importance of education in the Catholic mission.

St. Nicholas Owen Catholic Multi Academy Company has published a draft Curriculum Intent which is now available for you to read on the school website within the folder 'Key Information' and then 'Curriculum Plans.'  You will also notice when you visit the school website home page that St. Joseph's Curriculum Intent is also on view for you to read.  Further developments to the curriculum and how this is implemented in the school and across the MAC will be completed during the year.

A reminder that the School is unable to authorise any form of holiday during term time.  Authorisation for any child's absence will be granted for limited exceptional circumstances which include: the bereavement of a close family member, a funeral of a family member or if the child's parent/s are in the Armed Forces where leave is specfifically determined.  A referral will be made to Dudley's Education Investigation Service, the Local Authority's investigation and enforcement team responsible for policing parental responsibility measures with regards to school attendance and behaviour. For periods of unauthorised absence for 10 sessions or more (5 school days) a penalty notice may be issued, where a parent will be fined £60 to be paid within 21 days.  After this period this would increase to £120.  If a fine is not paid, this will be an offence for the Magistrates Court to pursue under s444 of the Education Act 1996.  For poor absence over a period of time i.e. 12 sessions of unauthorised absence (6 days) over a 6 week period, a warning notice will be issued. Please also ensure that your child is school on time each day.  Registration in each class is from 8.55am until 9am but chidren may come into school from 8.45am.  If your child comes into school after this time, then your child will be marked as late which is an unauthorised absence.  A referral will be made to the EIS if the trigger is reached. Please support the school with this matter as your child's education is paramount to us.  Time out of school during the term will impact upon your child's learning and progress they make during the year.  Please support the school to ensure that your child is able to reach their potential and not miss out on important learning opportunities.

From September 2019, the price of school dinners will increase to £2.40 per day to include a drink of squash or water. As part of an initiative to reduce plastic waste, the children will no longer have the option to buy bottles/cartons of water/juice at lunchtime. Children in Years 1 up to Year 6 will be able to purchase toast or fruit at tuck times for 20p.

The children in Reception class, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to Universal Free School Meals. The children in Year 3 up to Year 6 can purchase a school dinner for £2.40 per day. Please make cheques for dinner payable to DMBC.

This September, to help support Get Set to Eat Fresh and its aims, Aldi's Kit for Schools promotion is giving twenty primary schools the chance to win £20,000 to kick-start a health legacy for their school.  Every school who enters by completing their Aldi's Kit for Schools poster (300 stickers) will also receive an exclusive school sports kit! From today until 3rd November, we will be collecting the Team GB stickers which are received when you shop in store at Aldi. Please send them to the school office from this coming Monday onwards.  Thank you for your continued support.

Thank you to the PTA members, parents and Academy Committee members who came into school on Saturday 3rd and Wednesday 7th August to help decorate the classrooms. The new coat of paint has certainly refreshed the classrooms in readiness for our new school year.  Thank you also to Mr Dulson for also supporting Mr Dixon in creating a new fascia above the exterior kitchen door too.  There is one more classroom which needs to be painted.  We will be organising a date this half term on one of the weekends

The Book Fair is coming ! Friday 20th September till Wednesday 25th September 3.15-3.45pm in the school hall. Please support this event as every book bought earns free books for our school.

Please join us on Friday 27th September for our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning 9.40-10.40am in the school hall. Every penny we raise means Macmillan can help more people with cancer live life as fully as they can.

Archbishop Bernard Longley has addressed a letter to all children across the Diocese of Birmingham to let them know about the Catholic Church's official children's charity, Mission Together.  This can be found on the school website within the 'Catholic Life' section. 

Children in St. Joseph's School are growing to be: grateful for their own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day; and generous with their gifts, becoming men and women for others.

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love.  O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favours I now place with confidence in your hands... (mention in silence).  St. Therese, help me to always believe as you did in God's great love for me, so that I might immitate your "Little Way" each day. Amen.

That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world's seas and oceans.