I am writing to commend the remarkable resilience our pupils have shown during the recent heatwave. Learning in very warm conditions can be especially challenging; when the body works harder to stay cool, the brain can struggle to concentrate, process information, and retain new knowledge. Fatigue and stress can further affect memory and focus, making even simple tasks feel demanding. Despite this, our students have shown maturity and determination.
In particular, I would like to praise our Year 10 pupils, who approached their mock examinations with great commitment. Sitting formal assessments in such conditions is no small achievement, and we are extremely proud of their effort and conduct. We wish them every success as they move into their work experience placements next week—an exciting opportunity to apply their learning in real-world contexts.
Next week is a vibrant time for our school community. We look forward to welcoming primary pupils for our Year 5 Taster Day and Year 6 Transition Day, where they will experience first-hand the energy and progress at St Joseph’s. Our school continues to go from strength to strength, with momentum in all aspects of school life.
Finally, we anticipate a wonderful Year 11 Prom on Friday, a fitting celebration of their journey with us.
Dear Parents, Carers and Staff,
I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying this wonderful spell of summer weather.
As always, our School Chaplaincy Team met together on Tuesday at lunchtime, and it was a real joy to see the plans we had discussed the previous week come to life. Our chaplains organised a fantastic cake and ice cream sale, and I am incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, teamwork and commitment they showed throughout the event.
The students worked hard to design colourful posters, advertise the sale to tutor groups, prepare everything on the day and warmly welcome everyone who came to support us. Thanks to the generosity of our school community, we made a small profit, which was enough for us to purchase food to fill our Foodbank donation baskets. Seeing those baskets filled with essential items was a wonderful reminder that even small acts of kindness can make a real difference to families in our local community.
The chaplains thoroughly enjoyed organising the event, and with this glorious hot weather continuing, they are already looking forward to holding more ice cream sales over the coming weeks. Not only will they help us all stay cool during these warm summer days before the end of term, but every purchase will continue to support our local Foodbank.
The Foodbank baskets filled using the proceeds from our cake and ice cream sale.
We had also been very much looking forward to visiting the Foodbank this Friday to volunteer in the warehouse, packing food parcels and delivering our donations in person. Unfortunately, as the school is closed today, we have had to postpone our visit. However, I am already in discussion with the Foodbank to rearrange our trip, and we hope to visit very soon so that our chaplains can enjoy this valuable experience of serving our local community firsthand.
Thank you to everyone who supported our cake and ice cream sale. Your generosity, encouragement and kindness have helped our young people put their faith into action, showing compassion and care for others.
I will, of course, keep you updated on our next Foodbank visit and all of our chaplaincy activities in the coming weeks.
Wishing you all a wonderful, restful and truly blessed weekend.
With every blessing,
School Chaplain
St Joseph’s Catholic School
Parent Notices – New Format
Please check ClassCharts or your email to ensure that you have the weekly letters and key information. We are committed to streamlining our communication to make it more effective for parents and carers. Parent Notices will be sent out every Thursday afternoon.
