Friday 25th November 2022

The Season of Advent Begins

See the source image

This weekend marks the beginning of the season of Advent.  This is a time of preparation and joyful expectation. As we prepare for the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, these weeks provide a wonderful opportunity to slow down and reflect. We look forward to the coming of Christ: celebrating His birth, His renewed coming into our lives this Christmas, especially through the Eucharist, and His second coming at the end of time.

Purple is the colour used during the season of Advent. An Advent Wreath symbolises our waiting and expectation for Christ to come again. The candles mark the four weeks of Advent. Three of the candles are purple whilst the candle used for the third week of Advent is pink. This is used to mark Gaudate Sunday which means rejoice Sunday. The ring of evergreen is symbolic of God’s everlasting love which, like a ring, has no beginning and no end. The holly leaves are a reminder of the crown of thorns Jesus wore at his crucifixion and the berries symbolise his blood.

Reverse Advent Calendar - Living in Solidarity

See the source image

During Advent, please bring in donations of the following items to help those people who are less fortunate than us. Your donations will be shared between Project Gambia and the Stourbridge Food Bank. Thank you so much for supporting this wonderful opportunity to show solidarity to our brothers and sisters within our local community and globally.

Reception Class - Chocolates

Year 1 - Shower gel

Year 2 - Shampoo

Year 3 - Tinned food

Year 4 - Hats and scarves

Year 5 - Gloves

Year 6 - Soap

Maths Week England - Congratulations!

See the source image

Thank you to all pupils and staff who took part in Maths Week England! Lots of fun was had along the way last week and hopefully you got to see some of the photos on our school Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/stjosephscatholicprimary/
 
Well done to Frankie in Year 1 and Eliza in Year 3 who won the Estimation Station prizes for EYFS/KS1 and KS2. 
We will have another maths theme day in Spring Term 2023. Until then, remember, EVERYONE can do maths! 

See the source image

Dates for your diary - Advent 2022

Sunday 27th November - First Sunday of Advent 

Tuesday 29th November - Dudley Tag Rugby Finals - Good luck to our Years 5 and 6 mixed team

Wednesday 30th November - St. Andrew's Day

Wednesday 30th November - Year 1 Advent Assembly - parents of Year 1 are welcome to attend Cancelled

Saturday 3rd December - Our Lady and All Saints Christmas Fayre

Wednesday 7th December - Music & Mince Pies 9.30am

Thursday 8th December - Christmas Jumper Day for Crisis and Christmas Dinner Day

Monday 12th December - Reception Nativity (2.30pm) - Reception parents welcome to attend

Wednesday 14th December - Key Stage 1 Nativity Performance - 1.45pm and 6.30pm

Thursday 15th December - Years 5 and 6 Educational Visit to The Rep

Friday 16th December - End of term Mass - 9.15am - parents and parishioners welcome to attend

Friday 16th December - End of Autumn term 

 

 

 

 

Parish News

See the source image

Our Lady's & All Saints Christmas Fayre - Saturday 3rd December 2022

Please join us at the Parish Centre on Saturday 3rd December for Our Lady's & All Saints Christmas Fayre 11am-2pm.

Father Christmas - 12 noon

Christmas Carols (St Joseph's) - 12.30pm

Irish Dancers - 1.00pm

Raffle Draw - 1.45pm

Parish Youth Group

The next meeting of the Parish Youth Group will take place on Tuesday 6th December at 6.30pm 

Donations for The Parish Christmas Fayre- The donation boxes are now at the back of the church.

we are looking for donations of good quality unwanted gifts, toiletries, candles, toys, games, bottles for the tombola (anything from squash to whisky!) We have a good number of books donated.  Thank you in advance for anything you feel you able to donate.  Nearer the day we welcome lots and lots of home-made cakes for the cake stall.

The raffle tickets are also available and it would be wonderful if each person could take 2 books of tickets to sell to family, friends and colleagues.  A book costs £5.00 - tickets are 50p each.  Please post stubs and money through the presbytery door.  If you can make a donation towards one of the cash prizes, please do sign the sheet in the porch.  If you wish to remain anonymous, please post your donation through the presbytery door in an envelope marked Christmas Fayre raffle prize.

Request for help at Saturday evening Mass

Starting Advent Sunday this will be a Mass with hymns to encourage the participants of our younger parishioners.  if you would be willing to help with the music please speak to Father Philip.

 

Living with Covid Guidance

On Tuesday 29th March, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, set out the next steps for living with COVID-19 in England from Friday 1st April.

Free COVID-19 tests will continue to be available for specific groups, including eligible patients and NHS staff, once the universal testing offer ends on Friday 1st April.

Updated guidance will advise:

·         adults with the symptoms of a respiratory infection, and who have a high temperature or feel unwell, should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature

·         children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend

·         adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, the advice will be 3 days.

For education and childcare settings from Friday 1st April:

·         regular asymptomatic testing is no longer recommended in any education or childcare setting, including in SEND, alternative provision and children's social care settings. Therefore, settings will no longer be able to order test kits

·         residential SEND settings may be advised by their local health protection team to re-introduce some time-limited asymptomatic testing. This would be an exceptional measure, for targeted groups of staff and pupils or students (secondary age or above) in the event of a possible COVID-19 outbreak. These settings are scheduled to receive an automatic delivery of contingency supply test kits during the week commencing Monday 28 March

·         the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will publish new guidance. Most of the specific COVID-19 guidance for education and childcare settings will be withdrawn from GOV.​UK on Friday 1 April. The operational guidance on the testing in education settings document sharing platform will also be removed on the same day.

Link to The Wednesday Word

See the source image

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.

Prayer of the Week - Advent

See the source image

Virtues Focus - Faith-filled and Hopeful

See the source image

Children at St. Joseph's are growing to be Faith-filled in their beliefs and
hopeful for the future.

Pope's Francis' Monthly Intention

See the source image

NOVEMBER

For children who suffer

We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.

 

 

Emmaus CMAC
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Ofsted

A School Life Website
School Life iOS Mobile Application
School Life Android Mobile Application