St Mary's Catholic Primary Schools Trust

Headteacher

Newsletter no. 29

1^st May 2026

Dear Parents / Carers,

We have had a relatively calm but a very productive week across the school. During my visits to classrooms, it has been a pleasure to see the children enthusiastically sharing their work. In Year 2 I saw some beautiful story writing inspired by Look Up! While in Year 1, I enjoyed hearing imaginative retellings of Little Red Riding Hood. In Reception, the children impressed me with their understanding of different habitats and in nursery I could hear how their speech and the conversations they are now having have moved on a long way since they started. The children enjoyed coming and telling me about what they were doing and who they were playing with.

It is wonderful to witness the progress the children have made throughout the year. Their growing confidence and maturity are evident, and our teachers are continuing to support and prepare them for the next stage of their education. I am confident they will continue to thrive and achieve great things

St Therese Class Assembly

St Therese class were delighted to welcome their parents on Wednesday for their class assembly. It was a lovely way to begin the day and a joy to see the children so enthusiastic and confident.

They shared their favourite book, Naughty Bus, and the learning they have taken from it. Through the story, the children reflected on how it’s okay to make mistakes, we all make wrong choices at times, but what matters is that we learn from them, say sorry, and try again.

The assembly concluded with a powerful song that carried a strong message about having the courage and confidence within ourselves to speak out and make a difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qhXA6nPTa4&list=RD1qhXA6nPTa4&start_radio=1

Wellbeing

'We have been very lucky to have Elli working in our school every Wednesday. Elli is an Educational Wellbeing Practitioner and is available to offer support to you, our families. She can support with strategies for encouraging positive behaviour and managing negative behaviours; managing anxiety and promoting wellbeing in parents and children plus other areas too.

Some of our families have just completed a short course about managing common behaviour difficulties and Year 2 have completed sessions on caring friendship.

Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with them sharing that they had felt supported, learnt new strategies to try at home and felt more confident in their ability to deal with challenging behaviours.

NEXT EVENT - We will be looking at 'Emotional Regulation'.

Does your child struggle to manage their emotions? Would you benefit from strategies to support this?

We will be holding a Coffee Morning in school with Elli, on Wednesday 20th May at 9.10am to explore this topic further and give some practical strategies to support you and your children.

If you would like any more information about support that Elli could offer, please email the school office or speak with Mrs Charlesworth or Miss Mitchell. Please see the attached flier for information. We look forward to hearing from you and supporting you on your parenting journey.'

Internet Safety

Thank you to everyone who attended the Internet Safety meetings on Tuesday, delivered by the Croydon Wellbeing Hub. We appreciate your time and engagement.

We recognise that some of the information shared can be difficult to hear. However, as children are spending increasing amounts of time online, it is vital that we remain informed and vigilant.

As adults, it is our responsibility to equip ourselves with the knowledge needed to keep children safe and to guide them in making safe choices online.

If you have any further questions or would like additional support, please do not hesitate to speak with me, Mr François Williams, or your child’s class teacher. If we are unable to answer your question immediately, we will ensure we find the information and get back to you as soon as possible.

Keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility, and we value your ongoing support.

Volunteering to help with cleaning up and gardening

We are asking any volunteers who can spare the time to come and help tidy up our garden in preparation for our Feast Day at the end of term. Help would be greatly appreciated. If you are available please come on Friday 8^th May once you have dropped your child at school.

Thank you very much.

Raising Money for the Library

As part of our continued efforts to redevelop the school library our donating page on the Love Reading 4 kids website https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/fundraisers/a-library-for-every-learner-1759920972

is still active and any donations are greatly appreciated. This year is the National Year of Reading and we would like to celebrate this by updating and modernising our school library to ensure our children have the best resources available surrounded by a calming and inviting space that encourages a love of reading. During the Summer Term we will be continuing to raise money for the library to buy books and other story telling resources to enhance the library area so watch this space for any updates!

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to give your children the best school experience possible.

SPORTS DAY

A reminder that it is our annual Sports Day on Tuesday 12^th May.

Please come along and support your child in this school event. It will last approximately an hour. Just to remind you the winning team last year was the team whose parents cheered them on the loudest! So, have your voices warmed up.

Year 1 and 2 sports day is at 9.15am in the main KS1 playground.

Morning Nursery sports day is at 11.30am

Reception and Afternoon Nursery is at 2pm

Golden Table

Today I had the absolute pleasure of sitting on the Golden Table with six of our children at lunchtime. It was such an enjoyable experience. The children demonstrated impeccable manners throughout – saying “please” and “thank you,” using their cutlery beautifully and engaging in such polite, thoughtful conversation.

The children who joined me this week were:

Dhabhatheyan – in St Andrew

Angel – in St George

Noah - in St Bernadette

Justin – in St Therese

Amariah – in St Martin

Kristiano – in St Francis

They were a credit to themselves and to our school. It was lovely to spend time with them and see first-hand the kindness, respect and consideration they show every day. Well done to each of them for setting such a wonderful example.

Wednesday Word

Trust

A word from the Saints

Those who trust in God can do all things.

St Alphonsus Liguori

Dear Lord Jesus

Thank you for teaching us the truth and showing us the way to everlasting life. Please help us always to place our trust in you.

Amen