Friday 1st May 2020

Feast of St Joseph the Worker and Vocations Sunday

Today is the Feast Day of St Joseph the Worker. As the patron saint of workers, we look to him as a the perfect example of being totally available to God's will.  He is a role model for every Christian in listening to and acting upon God's call to look after Mary and raise Jesus as his earthly son. This Sunday is also Vocations Sunday (always the Fourth Sunday after Easter).  Pope Francis wants everyone to reflect on the Gospel passage of the stormy night on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14: 22-33).  This took place after Jesus had astonished the crowds by multiplying loaves and fish to feed the 5,000. He told his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side of the shore.  The image of the disciples is like our own life's journey.  We trust that the boat of life is being steered on the right course.  However, sometimes it drifts off course, heads in the wrong direction, or the waters can be choppy and we get fearful.  This is true of our own vocation in life - the call to follow Jesus.  We have ups and downs and can be scared that we're not up to it.  When being a disciple gets challenging, the Gospel tells us that Jesus is there for us: he walks on the troubled waters to join the disciples; he invites Peter to come to him on the waves, saves him when he starts to sink and, once in the boat, makes the wind die down.  Pope Francis asks us to continue to promote vocations.  This means encouraging people to be like our Mother Mary: to gratefully discover God's call in their lives, to find courage to say "yes" to God, to overcome all fatigue through faith in Christ, and to make of their lives a song of praise for God - for their brothers and sisters, and for the whole world.  May or Mother Mary accompnay us and pray for us.

School Website - Photographs of Children's Work

Thank you all for sending in the fantastic photographs of all the wonderful work you are doing at home, please keep sending them in.  We are now posting all of the photo's in the Children's Area, please click on Gallery in your child/ren's year group to view.

The Big Brummie Campout

A message from SIFA Fireside (Homeless charity)-  'The Big Brummie Campout is happening next week and we are very excited for everyone to get involved. On Friday the 8th May we are asking friends and families to set up camp in their back gardens, build make-shift dens on balconies or cushion castles in their front rooms to raise money for SIFA Fireside.
To sign up as a ‘camper’ we are asking supporters to donate a minimum £5 to the appeal, in return for access to an exclusive Activity pack filled with fun activities including stargazing and leaf printing. The pack will have everything needed for an evening under the stars, including family-friendly recipes and craft activities. The evening will also help bring people together, with a hosted live stream, music performances, and the chance to share camping experiences on social media.
 https://www.sifafireside.co.uk/pages/181-big-brummie-camp-out-2020. The campaign is being launched as part of our emergency #SIFASurvives appeal, launched in response to a reduction in support due to the Coronavirus epidemic. We're looking to raise £50,000 over the coming months so that we can continue providing homeless and vulnerable adults access to key services such as showers and health clinics, whilst also helping them to work towards a brighter future. Thank you so much for your support to SIFA Fireside and the work that we do. There is a flyer with further details about this event and the work of Fireside within the Covid 19 tab on the school website.

Access to the Wednesday Word

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.  

Black Country Health Care 24-7 Support Line for adults and young people

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have just launched a 24-7 support line for adults, older adults, children and young people who require urgent mental health support during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Please don't suffer in silence.  If you are experiencing increased distress or anxiety during these uncertain times, then pick up the phone and speak to one of the specialist mental health professionals who will be able to support you.  Further details and contact information can be found on the flyer within the Covid 19 tab on the school website.  

The Book of Hopes

Completely free for all children and families, the extraordinary collection of short stories, poems, essays and pictures has contributions from more than 110 children’s writers and illustrators, including Lauren Child, Anthony Horowitz, Greg James and Chris Smith, Michael Morpurgo, Liz Pichon, Axel Scheffler, Francesca Simon and Jacqueline Wilson. The collection, published by Bloomsbury, is dedicated to the doctors, nurses, carers, porters, cleaners and everyone currently working in hospitals. To access this book please click on the follwoing link: https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/9-12/book-hopes/

Resources to Support Children's Liturgy and Prayer from the Birmingham Diocesan Education Service

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

Prayer of the Week - St Joseph

Joseph, son of David and husband of Mary. We honour you, guardian of the Redeemer, and we adore the Child you named Jesus.  Amen.

Virtues Focus - Eloquent and Truthful

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.

Pope's Intention for May

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.

Emmaus CMAC
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Ofsted

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