Friday 22nd May 2020

It has been a very challenging few week's since the Government's announcement about its roadmap to recovery on 10th May including the wider opening of schools. I do hope that all our parents feel reassured in response to the letter sent out earlier today. A great deal of consideration and deliberation has taken place in order to come to the decision about the steps to reintroduce a greater number of children back to school while ensuring the safety of both children and staff. A copy of this letter is available within the Covid 19 page of the school website. Thank you to our Year 6 parents who responded so promptly with our request to confirm whether their child will return to school. This will now allow senior leaders to plan for the reintegration of these children from Tuesday 2nd June.  The School will continue to be open for our Key Worker children everday and we ask parents to keep the school informed of the support required. Key Worker children are able to return to school after the Whitsun break on Monday 1st June.  In the meantime, senior leaders will plan the logistics for the children to return and a further letter outlining these details will be published next week.  The pilot in place for the first two weeks will only be for our Year 6 children only along with the children of Key Workers. Provision will be reviewed and the logistics for other key year groups returning (Reception and Year 1) will be discussed with the Board of Directors and the Catholic Senior Executive Lead.  For the children not returning to school, home learning opportunities will still be provided and resources uploaded onto the school website in preparation for Monday 1st June. Thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time for us all. 

Linked with the theme for this Sunday (World Communication Day) is the importance of communicating about our own mental health.  The message about the importance of talking to someone has been publicised throughout the media especially during TV adverts. Mental health is an apsect which has been highlighted during the Coronavirus pandemic which many people incluidng children have had great difficutly with due to isolation and for some the inability to sociliase with others etc. In terms of a school community context, I am sure that many of our children will have found it difficult in being unable to see and meet their friends but may also be feeling anxious returning after such a long period of absence. The focus for our children as part of the wider opening programme will primarily be on re-establishng relationships with their peers and staff, however, under the more restricted circumstances due to social distancing. The children's social, emotional mental health are key to a successful reintegration back into school life.  The organisation 'Kooth' is a free, safe and anonymous helpline to provide online support children and young people between the age of 11 and 24.  The school has used this organisation to support our children with the important steps for the transition from primary to secondary school.  Further information can be found in the 'Children's Area' within the 'Year 6 folder' and/or you can find our more information at the Kooth website https://www.kooth.com/

The weekly edition of the Wednesday Word can be accessed through a link on the school website.  This can be found within the 'Children's Area' under the 'Our Community' tab from the school landing page. The link will be refreshed on a weekly basis.  Please share with your child the Gospel reading on Sunday and the key discussion points that accompany the newsletter.  

At the Birmingham Diocesan Education webiste there is a webpage containing links to Prayer and Learning Resources for both home and school. This includes the CAFOD Virtual Sunday Children's Liturgy and a child's prayer for Spiritual Communion. More resources will be added as they become available. https://www.bdes.org.uk/des-support-for-schools-through-the-coronavirus-outbreak.html

On my knees I before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body
to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of
Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I
live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with
all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought
and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your
gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion
to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five
Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I
implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may
never sin against You. Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to
You always and everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth." Amen.

Pupils at St. Joseph's are growing to be: eloquent and truthful in what they say of themselves, the relations between people, and the world.

For Deacons: We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the porr, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.