DATE: Friday 22nd October 2021

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

SCHOOL AMBASSADORS

Exciting news for all pupils!

Calling all children at St Ambrose Catholic Primary School. We need you!

Miss Crumpler is launching the "St Ambrose School Ambassadors".

What are the "St Ambrose School Ambassadors"?

This is a new exciting take on the school council. School Ambassadors will play an important role in our school. They will be representatives of St Ambrose Catholic Primary School and share ideas, thoughts and opinions about our school. You will develop life skills by taking on challenges and bringing about positive change to our school. Your thoughts and feelings matter to us. 

What does the role of the School Ambassador involve?

  • Represent St Ambrose Catholic Primary School and do things the "St Ambrose Way".
  • Regular meetings with Miss Crumpler or a member of SLT.
  • Be actively involved in the running of our school and help make decisions and improvements to our school.
  • Solve problems.
  • Listen carefully to the views of everyone and working together as a team.
  • Be respectful always.
  • The School Ambassadors will take inspiration from 3 people that encourage us to be the best version of ourselves and make a difference to the world we live in (1 inspirational person a term).

How do I become a School Ambassador?

Everyone can apply to be a School Ambassador. However, there will be 1 boy and 1 girl from each class.

You will need to tell us:

  1. Why you want to be an St Ambrose School Ambassador and why you would be good.
  2. Things you would like to change/improve about our school.
  3. People who inspire you and why. For example, David Attenborough, Marcus Rashford, Greta Thunberg, Stephen Hawking, Sir Captain Tom Moore, Queen Elizabeth II, Mo Farah, Joe Wicks and many more! The three most inspirational people listed on the applications will be chosen.

If you are in Reception Class and KS1 please ask a grown up to scribe for you, if you are in KS2 please fill in the form your self.

Once the applications have been received, Miss Crumpler and I will choose the winning School Ambassadors. Don't worry if you are not picked to be the School Ambassador for your class because we will find another role for you in our school community such as eco warrior, line monitor, librarian etc.

Your application must be handed in by Wednesday 3rd November.

DATE CHANGE

This year there is an additional Bank Holiday for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. As the additional Bank Holiday will take place in half-term on 3rd June the last day of the summer term has moved forward by one day to Thursday 21st July 2022.

WATER BOTTLES

From Monday 8th November we will be requesting that all children use their Saint Ambrose water bottle in the classroom and use any insulated chill bottles at lunchtime. All children over the next few weeks will be provided with a Saint Ambrose bottle. Thank you

STARS OF THE WEEK

Year Group Curriculum Award Discipleship Award
Reception Lexie-Rae Chester
Year 1 Oliver T Abel, Oliver T, Eva, Joshua
Year 2 Leo Cody
Year 3 Lydia Franky
Year 4 Jason James
Year 5 Darius Karolina
Year 6 Ted Matisse

VIRTUES: ELOQUENT & TRUTHFUL

This half term, the virtues we have been focussing on are eloquent and truthful.

Eloquent: the ability to speak or write fluently, persuasively and appropriately. We are eloquent when we use language to express our ideas or opinions clearly and with conviction. When we choose our words, we should do so carefully so they are kind and compassionate, and don’t hurt others. Eloquence isn’t limited to speaking and writing. We can express ourselves in other ways like music, drama, painting or dance. We should use our creative gifts to say things in a way that is interesting, truthful, memorable and faithful.

Truthful: God wants us to be truthful in all we do. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’, so being honest and truthful means we are following in his footsteps and living life the way God wants us to. Being truthful is being faithful to ourselves and to Jesus. We should stand up for the truth.

The following children have been nominated by their class teacher or their class friends to receive a certificate for demonstrating these virtues this half term.

Year Group Teacher Nomination Pupil Nomination
Reception Harry Chester
Year 1 Daria Oliver D
Year 2 Joseph Jack
Year 3 Allegra Leighton
Year 4 James Charlie
Year 5 Nicola Woody
Year 6 Ted Oscar C

MULTI-FAITH WEEK

 As a school, we have been learning all about different faiths this week and the importance of acceptance.

Reception

In Reception this week, we explored weddings and loving relationships. We had lots of fun using props to role-play a wedding. We talked about being kind to others and that in Reception we are a family/community where we look after each other. 
 
We also enjoyed our first visit to church on Wednesday for Mass. Reception were intrigued by the stainless glass windows and this inspired us to design and create our own windows. We talked about the pictures on the glass being stories from the Bible and then drew pictures of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. 

Year 1

Year One have really enjoyed learning about Christianity. We played spot the difference between a Catholic church and a Church of England church. We then sorted pictures using the questions 'what is the same?' and 'what is different?'.

Year 3

This week, we have been learning about Hinduism. We looked at maps to show where Hinduism is practised and watched a video about the three festivals they celebrate. Then we wrote the story of Rama & Sita and made paper chains with Rangoli patterns for Diwali.

Year 4

Year 4 have really enjoyed learning all about Judaism.  We learnt all about Jewish symbols and made our own kippahs!  We learnt how to write in Hebrew, found out all about synagogues and finished the week with a lesson delivered by Mr Miastowski from Hagley who told us all about his pilgramage to Israel!

Year 6

Year 6 have been learning all about Islam. We started off the week with a former pupil coming to talk to us about her life as a Muslim. We were also really fortunate to be able to invite Umar from Y5 into our class on Wednesday afternoon. He talked to us about his favourite festivals and about his experiences going to the mosque and to Mecca. Towards the end of the week, we then compared our faiths and found out how similar they are.

PLAYLEADER TRAINING

Some Year 4 and Year 5 children learnt how to become playleaders today!  They had training with Mrs Goddard from the WFSSP, and after half-term, they will be delivering sessions to KS1 children in lunchtimes.  Well done to everyone who has become a play leader!

CHOIR CLUB

After half term, Mrs Holder will be starting choir club which will take place after school on a Friday. Children will get a letter on Tuesday, the week they return after half term, with more details. It will be open to Year 2 and upwards. We look forward to our pupils singing again in school.

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

If you have a child that was born between 1st September 2017 and 31st August 2018 you need to now make an application for a reception school place for September 2022.

The deadline for the application process is 15th January 2022 and you are encouraged to do this online.

If you require any assistance with your application then please speak to the school office in the first instance.

SPOOKY BAKE OFF

Thank you to everyone who made our Spooky Bake Off such a success. All the entries were fantastic and they tasted delicious too!

KS1
First Place Violet Year 2
Second Place Carmen Year 1
Third Place Abel Year 1
KS2
First Place Katie Year 4
Second Place Isla Year 4
Third Place Ben Year 5

TAPP PUMPKIN PICTURE COMPETITION 1

KS1
1st Place Matthew Year 1
2nd Place Aurelia Year 2
KS2
1st Place Matilda Year 3
2nd Place Allegra Year 3

TAPP PUMPKIN COMPETITION 2

KS1
First Place Freya Year 2
Second Place Eva Year 1
KS2
First Place Solly Year 3
Second Place Gracey Year 4

PUMPKIN GROWING

Please see the photograph above showing the children with their home grown pumpkins. Miss Crumpler and I would like to thank Joy Farmer for her inspiration and kind donation to school. The children have been learning about the environmental benefits of home grown produce. The original plan was to use the pumpkins and make pumpkin soup to sell at a culture cafe but due to COVID restrictions we are unable to cook, prepare and serve home made hot food. For this reason we have sold hot dogs but we will sell pumpkin soup next year.

 

UNIFORM SWAP SHOP

Can we please ask that you donate any unwanted, pre-used, clean school uniform for a swap shop by November 5th. All items will be sold for £1 an item on 6th November 9 am-10 am.

We would like to thank the Teapot Time Group for helping to organise and co-ordinate this event.

 

MASSES

You are most welcome to join us in church now that Covid restrictions have been lifted. Alternatively you can join using the live-streaming facility. Please note if cases rise in the area we may make the decision to not attend Church and access Mass via the livestream-parents will be informed ASAP.

Date Year Group
3rd November Year 6
10th November Year 5
17th November Year 4
24th November Year 2 and Year 3
7th December Whole School: St Ambrose Feast Day
17th December Whole School: End of Term

ASSEMBLIES

We are delighted to inform you that we are planning to hold an assembly for every class in the Spring and Summer term. Please see the assembly dates below:

Date Year Group
4th February 2022 Year 1
11th February 2022 Year 3
25th March 2022 Year 4
20th May 2022 Year 5
23rd May 2022 Reception
Friday 15th July Year 2
WC 18th July - Date TBC Year 6 Leavers Play
WC 18th JUlyTBC Year 6 Graduation

HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATION 2022

Can we please remind you that applications for Secondary school places closes on 31st October

PODS: PEOPLE OUT DOING STUFF

Please see the poster below about this wonderful incentive that is being run by people within our school community.

READING AT ST AMBROSE

At St Ambrose, we are passionate about teaching our pupils to become fluent and confident readers who love reading. This year, we will be focussing on reading and will continue to provide lots of opportunities for our children to develop their reading skills.

READING FOR PLEASURE

This year, we are delighted to be working with Sooper Books, who have kindly donated award-winning fairy tables, bedtime stories, fables and poems for kids for you to read and share at home. Please see our reading for pleasure resource under our school tab on our website. More stories will be added throughout the year so please keep checking what's new!

GO READ APP

This week we are launched 'Go Read' at St Ambrose, a digital reading diary to record pupils' reading journeys. Thank you to everyone who trialled the app last term, the feedback from parents, pupils and staff were very positive and we have taken onboard all the feedback provided. This will now replace the paper reading diaries we have used in previous years.

If you already have 'Go Read' then all you need to do is carry on using it. If you are new, then you will find all the details as to how you can download the app on the letter below. Your child should have come home with your log in details and their personal code for you to use, please see a member of staff if you did not receive this. Once accessed, you can then log what pages your child has read and pupils also have the option to log what they have read by themselves (particularly KS2 pupils).

In addition to any books your child is reading from school, Go Read' has the option to add on their own personal books they are reading from home. We would love to see what books your child is interested in reading. Please note that when your child has finished a book, do not click the tab where it says complete book as this is just for teaching staff.

READING EXPECTATIONS

'Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things.'

As a reminder, our reading expectations are for all children to read at least 5 times a week at home. How regularly and how much pupils are reading will continued to be monitored by staff each week on the 'Go Read' app. It is recommended that: children read for at least twenty minutes a day; that they are listened to by an adult and that time is dedicated to discussing what has been read and any new vocabulary discovered. Pupils will also continue to be listened to read each week by members of staff and this will be logged on the app as well.

P.E. DAYS

The Emmaus Directors have agreed that for the Autumn Term that children can wear P.E. Kit on their P.E. days. 

Year Group P.E. Days - Wear P.E. Kit
Reception Wednesday
Year 1 Monday
Year 2 Tuesday and Friday
Year 3 Tuesday and Wednesday
Year 4 Monday and Tuesday
Year 5 Tuesday and Thursday
Year 6 Tuesday

Please ensure that your child comes to school in their correct P.E. kit. The P.E. uniform is as follows:

  • Black shorts, black leggings, black track suit bottoms (unbranded if possible)
  • Maroon round neck T-shirt with embroidered badge
  • P.E pumps or black trainer

PLEASE NOTE: P.E. HOODIES CAN ONLY BE WORN ON P.E. DAYS.

ST AMBROSE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Father Lamb extends a warm welcome to all families to continue to attend Mass over the summer. Please click on the link below which will take you to the Parish website where you can view newsletters and get information on Mass times.

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow the link below to access this week's Wednesday Word.

GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONA VIRUS

Kind Regards,

Mrs Brocklesby

Emmaus CMAC
St Ambrose Catholic Primary School Ofsted
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