Headteacher's Newsletter

Friday 1^st May 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

What a wonderful week it has been here at St Mary’s Junior School. We have been blessed with beautiful sunshine and, just as importantly, our children have enjoyed a week full of purposeful learning, positive experiences and great achievement. The school has been buzzing with energy, enthusiasm and the joy of children thriving.

Our Year 6 pupils have had a week filled with exciting new learning experiences during their residential visit. They were an outstanding example of everything St Mary’s stands for: respect, kindness, resilience and encouragement of one another. This was reflected in the feedback shared by members of the PGL team, who commented on the excellent behaviour and conduct of our children throughout the visit. We are incredibly proud of them. They were superb ambassadors for our school and wonderful role models.

I would also like to offer sincere thanks to the staff who gave their time and care to make this experience possible: Miss Attwell, Miss Goodman, Mr O’Kane, Miss O’Hara and Mrs Davie, (who accompanied the children on the coach). Residential visits require dedication, patience and a great deal of energy, and we are very grateful to them all for providing such a memorable opportunity for our pupils.

A special thank you also goes to 3E for leading such a thoughtful and prayerful class liturgy this week. It was a lovely opportunity for our community to come together in worship and we were delighted to welcome those parents who were able to attend.

This Sunday’s Gospel reminds us of Jesus’ words: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Throughout this week, our children have shown what it means to follow the way of Jesus: showing kindness, speaking truthfully, supporting one another and living life with joy and purpose. In the classroom, in prayer and beyond the school gates, they continue to be a credit to our community.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I wish you all a peaceful and sunny weekend.

Dates for your Diary:

Monday 4^th May – BANK HOLIDAY – SCHOOL CLOSED

WB Monday 11^th May – SATs Week (Year 6)

Tuesday 12th May at 3:00pm – for parents of Year 3 and Year 4 (please note change of time)

Tuesday 19th May at 9:15am – for parents of Year 5 and Year 6

Friday 22nd May – End of half term, St Mary’s Feast Day

The Month of Mary

In the Catholic tradition, the month of May is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is a special time when we honour Mary for her faith, humility and love, and reflect on the example she gives to us all in saying “yes” to God. Throughout this month, we are invited to ask for Mary’s prayers and to follow her example by showing kindness, compassion and trust in God in our daily lives.

During May, our school community will come together each Friday to celebrate this special month by praying the Rosary. These prayerful gatherings will be led by our wonderful Rosary Club, who have shown great commitment and enthusiasm in preparing for this important role. We thank them for helping to lead us in prayer and for setting such a positive example to others.

We look forward to sharing these moments of reflection together as a school family throughout the month of May.

A Reminder About Personal Belongings

We would like to remind parents and carers that children should not bring personal items into school, including toys, collectibles or other valuables. Unfortunately, such items can easily become lost or damaged during the school day.

We kindly ask that personal belongings are kept at home for safekeeping, as the school is unable to accept responsibility for items brought in from home. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Achievement Certificates

The achievement certificates this week are awarded to:

Callum in 3A
Noah in 3E
Oluchi in 4D
Raphael in 4T
Ohana in 5B
Aaron in 5C
Olivier in 6G
Chizoba in 6P

The Headteacher’s award goes to Carol in 5B

The Kindness Award goes to Julianna in 5B

The Swimming Award goes to Chikezie in 4D

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Fizul