st mary s r primary school newsletter - issue 14
TRANSCRIPT
St Mary’s RC Primary School
Newsletter - Issue 14 - December 2020
Headteacher: Mr D Miller
Deputy Headteacher: Mrs M Ross
Chair of Governors: Dr J Marshall
Telephone: 01207 502657 First Day Response No: 07845788957
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.blackhill-st-marys-rc.durham.sch.uk
Advent Angels
Thank you to everyone who joined in with our “Advent Angels” 2020 Advent Project. It was lovely to
see the children delivering their messages of Hope to such a variety of folks. Seen here are just a few of
the posts we have had this week. Please keep sharing your photos and messages, and more important-
ly spreading hope throughout the community.
Harry has given his angel of
hope to his Gran & Grandad.
Noah passed on
his Angel to his Grand-
ma after she’d received
some upsetting news at
the weekend.
Year Attendance this week:
R 99.6%
1 99.2%
2 99.1%
3 93.3%
4 96.7%
5 100%
6 97.5%
Weekly Overall Attendance: 97.9%
Primrose C Year R For retelling a story beautifully and for great phonics work. Well done!
Isabelle C Year R For fabulous phonics work this week - great sounding and blending. Well done!
Harry Mc Year 1 For working exceptionally hard all week and solving hard Maths problems!
Mac T Year 1 For writing an amazing poem about where the wind blows. Well done!
Theo S Year 2 For fantastic phonics and reading. A great week - well done!
Jacob S Year 2 For super problem solving in Maths. A little human calculator!
Emily R Year 3 For fantastic effort in Maths, especially with your reasoning work!
Eliza M Year 3 For brilliant comprehension skills during early birds - a superstar!
William D Year 4 For using exciting and adventurous language within your writing. Great stuff!
Taylor L Year 4 For showing maturity and dedication to your work - you’re working very hard!
The whole
class
For amazing professionalism in recording our Christmas production in 2020, in
what are very unusual circumstances. Every one is an Oscar winner! Year 5
Charlie C Year 6 For completing a brilliant fact file on your chosen country - it was amazing!
Nathan K Year 6 For writing a great argument about how too much TV is bad for children.
Attendance
Special Mentions in the Newsletter
We would love to see all your birthday pho-
tos, achievements, sports awards and acts of
kindness
Name all e-mails BLOG
We couldn’t have a newsletter with-
out so please get involved and share
what is happening outside of school.
Happy 6th Birthday Harry
Happy 8th Birthday Alfie
Last weekend, Sofie donated 15.5
inches of her hair to the Little Prin-
cess Trust. The trust make wigs for
children suffering from hair loss for a
variety of reasons. Sofie also raised
an amazing £170 for the charity from
sponsors. She’s so happy that an-
other child will be able to use her
hair. We’re all so proud of her kind-
ness and caring attitude - what a
wonderful ambassador for St Mary’s! Happy 10th Birthday Josh!
Reception
Year 2
Year 1
Year 4
Year 3
Year 6
Year 5
We are Internet Legends, powered by Google
The below website is a great way for children to play games and learn about how to stay
safe online. Click to access the website and log on with your child and have fun playing
together. There are some great games to get involved in. Enjoy! Interland
(beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com)
The Pope’s Advent message
The time of Advent is of particular importance this year, the Pope said in his address on the 29th Novem-
ber, the first Sunday of Advent…
“Advent reminds people that God came down to dwell in our midst and
that they must always call for his assistance. The first step of faith is to tell
God that we need him and to ask that he come close to us once more. God
wants to draw close to us, but he will not impose himself; it is up to us to
keep saying to him, 'Come!' People must be watchful and focused on what
is essential in life, because one great mistake in life is to get absorbed in a
thousand things and not to notice God. People must not let themselves be overcome by discourage-
ment, but live in hope. If we are awaited in heaven, why should we be caught up with earthly concerns?
Why should we be anxious about money, fame, success, all of which will fade away? Waiting and being
watchful are difficult, though, he said, and everyone is vulnerable to dangerous kinds of "drowsiness.
There is the slumber of mediocrity, when we forget our first love and grow satisfied with indifference,
concerned only for an untroubled existence, this "lukewarm, worldly life slowly eats away at faith,
which must not be lukewarm, but a fire that burns, a desire for God, a bold effort to change, the cour-
age to love, constant progress. Faith is not a tranquilizer for people under stress, it is a love story for
people in love!
Pope Francis
New Science Challenge: Bone Bridge
Design and build a bridge that will be able to hold 500g of flour using only the materi-
als below:
20 cotton buds, 4 clothes pegs, 6 lolly sticks and 6 pipe cleaners
You do not have to use all of these materials, select the ones that you need.
EYFS and KS1: Photographs of your bridge before and after holding the flour
Year 3 & 4: The design for your bridge; photographs of your bridge before and after holding the flour
Year 5 & 6: The design for your bridge; photographs of your bridge before and after holding the flour; a
second attempt that makes your bridge better this could be a design or a second build.
Please email your photographs to [email protected] for Mrs Ross to judge by Thurs-
day, 7th January. The winner will be announced in the newsletter and will receive a special science certifi-
cate. Good Luck!
The Gospel in Church - Sunday 13th December
A man came who was sent by God. His name was John, John the Baptist. He came as a
witness – as a witness to Jesus Christ. Priests were sent from Jerusalem to ask John,
“Who are you?” John replied, “I am not the Christ.” “Are you the prophet Elijah then – or
the Prophet?” they asked. He answered, “No.” “So, who are you?” they asked. “What
have you to say about yourself?” John replied, “I am the voice of the one who cries in the
wilderness: ‘Make the Lord’s way straight.’” Finally they asked him, “Why are you baptis-
ing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John said, “I baptise with wa-
ter. But someone is coming soon who is more powerful than I am.” This happened at Bethany, on the far
side of the River Jordan, where John was baptising. John 1:6-8. 19-28
Mental Health and Wellbeing
The Anna Freud Centre have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to support children’s mental health.
They have produced a series of expert podcasts to help parents understand and manage child and family
mental health problems. The series, Child in Mind, is presented by BBC Radio 4 presenter Claudia Ham-
mond. In each 20-minute episode, she discusses an important issue in child and family mental health
with an expert and a young person or parent.
Podcasts include:
• What do we know about childhood anxiety and what can parents do about it?
• What is ADHD and what help is available for chil-
dren with ADHD?
• Who do some people self-harm?
• What is trauma and how does it affect the brain?
• What are eating disorders?
• Is medication for mental health problems safe?
• Bonding with your baby
• The Adolescent Brain
Please click here for more information.
Travelling Cribs
Due to social distancing restrictions this year, a ‘Travelling Crib’ in the traditional
sense has not been possible. ‘Ten Ten’ have created a Covid-proof experience called
The Christmas Crib! By following: http://www.tentenresources.co.uk/christmas Par-
ents will find an online video which can be played as part of a special household Ad-
vent liturgy. It takes the children through the Christmas story. We hope you enjoy
using this resource as a family. This will compliment the Travelling Crib and Advent
Reflection materials we have shared already.
Acts of Kindness
COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance and power of kindness. During the first lockdown we heard
many stories of people who had gone out of their way to help others. Studies have shown that being
kind to others, also makes us feel good. Being kind is easy. Small gestures, such as checking on a neigh-
bour who lives alone, or ringing someone for a chat, can have a big impact. As the pandemic continues it’s
important for us to be kind, both to ourselves and to each other. The Mental Health Foundation also has a
page on acts of kindness during the coronavirus outbreak, with suggestions for improving wellbeing
through kindness. #DoGoodDecember Action for Happiness has a Kindness Calendar for December
which is free to download. The focus is on doing good for others. For each day in December the calendar
suggests a simple kind act, which you could try.
Thank You Messages
Fiction: Fiction
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Aimed at Years 4, 5 and 6
Could the monstrous Malamander be lurking midst the rocks and wrecks of Eerie-on-Sea?
The briny world of Malamander may be inhabited by mechanical mermonkeys and diabolical
villains but Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma are on a mission to find Violet’s missing parents
and nothing is going to stand in their way.
The Storm Keepers Island by Catherine Doyle
Aimed at Years 5 and 6
When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet ... Once in
a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its
magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn's grandfather, a secretive and eccen-
tric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise. But, deep underground, someone
has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island's next champion rages, a more
sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.
The Tale of a toothbrush by M G Leonard
Aimed at Reception, Year 1 and 2
A brilliantly topical and delightfully funny picture book from bestselling author M.G. Leonard,
that shows what happens to our plastic toothbrushes after they're thrown away. We use our
toothbrush each morning and evening, and get new ones every few months, that's billions of
toothbrushes! What happens to them all when they're no longer needed? And if toothbrush-
es never break down, what does that mean for our planet? With a fun cast of characters, The
Tale of a Toothbrush is a positive and heart-warming story to help children explore the im-
pact their choices have on our planet.
We Won an Island by Charlotte Lo
Aimed at Year 2, 3 and 4
When Luna’s family win an island, Luna thinks it will solve everything AND she can finally get
a donkey! But things don’t go entirely to plan – no one expects Luna’s younger brother to win
a Sheep Pageant, for example – and the secret festival they hold soon spirals out of control.
But the island is beautiful, and the family are happy, and maybe Luna will get her donkey
after all…
Read it or watch it?
Long before there was Hogwarts there was Miss Cackles Academy for Witches! The Worst Witch was written
and illustrated by Jill Murphy over 45 years ago. Mildred Hubble is the worst witch in the school. She is always
getting her spells wrong, she crashes her broomstick, dents her hat, and accidentally turns her arch-enemy Eth-
el Hallow into a pig. Fearsome form mistress Miss Hardbroom is not impressed. But with her friends Maud and
Enid beside her Mildred learns to never give up, and that friendship is its own kind of magic! Bella Ramsey, the
actress who plays Mildred in the CBBC/Netflix tv series had this message for us: “I love reading! Its important
because it lets you explore other words and understand people better!”
Reflection
Ask the children to close their eyes and think carefully about something
they hope for. Encourage them not to think about what gifts they are hop-
ing for at Christmas but rather to consider a very special hope they have.
Advent is a time of great hope as we wait to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
For thousands of years many poor, sick and lonely people shared this hope
as they waited for God to send a saviour who would bring healing, and fairness, and friendship into the
world. When Jesus was born that first Christmas, a bright sign in the sky became a sign of hope that this
saviour would soon be here! This sign was so full of light that it shone a path through the darkness and
led all the way to Jesus. Can anyone say what this sign was? It was the star that led the wise men!
The Bible tells us that we too ‘will shine in the world like bright stars’ when we offer hope to others by
sharing God’s love with them. Sadly there are some children in this world who struggle to find hope.
Some can’t go to school because their families are too poor. Some must leave their homes and friends
because there is fighting in their country. Some don’t have families and have little hope of finding some-
one to look after them. Jesus wants us to offer love and hope to all God’s children, especially those who
struggle. We can do this by praying for children all around the world and by raising money for Mission To-
gether. In these ways we can help children go to school, have somewhere safe to live, have a meal to eat
each day, stay healthy, make friends and very importantly, know how much God loves them.
Today we are going to make ‘Stars of Hope’ to remind us of the light and hope we can bring to the world
through our prayers and through our sharing. In this way, like the star that led the wise men, we will lead
people to Jesus.
How to make Gift for the World Boxes
1. Provide each child with a copy of Appendix One. Ask them to cut around the thick black outline.
They should be left with two star shapes.
2. On the blank side of star ‘HO’, ask the children to write down one special hope they would like to
pray for. This could be for a sick relative, or a prayer for children who have no family to care for
them.
3. On the blank side of star ’PE’ ask the children to write down one way they can bring hope to some-
one this Advent/Christmas e.g. be encouraging a classmate or relative.
4. After they have written their ‘prayer’ and ‘action’, children can decorate their stars.
5. When stars are decorated (and dry if felt pens were used), ask children to cut along
the dotted line in the centre of their stars. Invite them to then carefully slot the stars
together, this will spell out ‘hope’. They’ll need a little sticky tape to secure the star.
6. Once complete, children could present their ’Stars of Hope’ at home on your Christ-
mas Tree, as a sign of their intention to lead others to Jesus by sharing God’s love
and bringing hope to the world.
