With Christ at our side to guide us,
we shine in all that we do.

Laudato Si’ 10th Anniversary

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Laudato Si’ is Pope Francis’ special letter to everyone on our planet, reminding us that God created our wonderful common home and we all share the responsibility to care for it. He encouraged us to notice the beauty of creation, to protect the environment, and to treat each other with kindness, fairness and respect.
Ten years on, his message continues to inspire children and adults across the world to make choices that look after the world and our global neighbours.

We watched CAFOD’s Laudato Si’ animation to remind ourselves of Pope Francis’ message and shared our thoughts on how the letter has made a difference over the last 10 years.

We wrote postcards to Pope Francis to thank him for his guidance. We explained how his teachings have inspired our actions at school and at home.

Turning Action into Concern (Do)

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This week, the Mini Vinnies learnt all about the good work of the St Vincent de Paul Society in England and Wales.

Inspired by the life of St Vincent de Paul, the SVP help the poor and vulnerable by:
• Providing help with money
• Helping with transport
• Providing food
• Offering friendship and support
• Raising money for those in need
• Supporting migrants, refugees or people seeking asylum
• Supporting ex-offenders or people in prison
• Helping the sick and their families

We shared our ideas about what we could do to help our local adult SVP group.

Following in Jesus’ Footsteps (Think)

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We revisited the map of our community that we made in our last meeting. It was now time to think about who might need help in each of the places we identified, and talk about what Jesus would do if he were here today in person.

Some of the children read the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet as today’s reflection – John 13: 1-20.

We are showing Jesus to others in the acts of kindness we do. We are walking in the footsteps of Christ.

Starting the Mission (See)

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As Mini Vinnies, we might never know what impact our small actions have on those we are helping. We read Roberta’s story to hear just one example of how our small actions can make a big difference to someone else’s life.

In groups, we created large maps of our local area and then identified five places where people might need our help. We discussed what their need might be and drew a mind map that we will use to plan our activities for the year.

Year 4 Celebration of the Word with parents

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In RE, Year 4 have been learning about Reconciliation.  Some of the children have been preparing for their First Reconciliation.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation celebrates the fact that we are loved and forgiven by God and that when we say sorry to one another and experience forgiveness we are experiencing God’s forgiveness.

Parents were invited into school to share in our Celebration of the Word as we celebrated God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.  At the end of our Celebration of the Word, the families were given a mission to show love and care for others, letting their light shine.  The children gave their parents a leaf on which to write (with their child) how they would follow our mission.  At the end of the COTW, parents were given a Good Shepherd’ prayer card to take home.

Flowers for Spring

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This week, we have been planting some seeds and bulbs in our planters that will bloom in springtime. We hope that these new flowers will create more habitats and sources of food for our local insects. We can’t wait to watch them grow!

Leadership Team 2025/2026

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We are proud to announce our Mini Vinnies Leadership Team for the academic year 2025/2026. After discussing the responsibilities of each role, the Mini Vinnies voted for their leaders for the year. We have a President, a Vice-President, 2 Treasurers, 2 Secretaries and 2 Communication Officers.  Congratulations to our new Leadership Team!

Leadership Team Voting

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In our first session of the academic year, the children spent some time getting to know each other. We then learnt about the leadership roles within the Mini Vinnies. The children reflected on their own qualities, skills and talents, and we discussed those required by each leadership role.

They voted to elect the children who will take on the leadership roles within the group, linking to our British value, democracy, and our Catholic Social Teaching principle, subsidiarity. We chose a president, a vice-president, secretaries, treasurers and communications officers.

 

The Eco Brigade (Lima, Peru)

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This week, our Eco Club children learnt all about the positive changes that groups of children their age are making in communities around the world.

In Lima, there is an area called Lomas de Carabayllo. It is one of the most polluted areas of the city, and there is also a lack of space for children to play.

In the district there is an area called the Lomas de Primavera, part of a chain of hills and mountains which are known as Lima’s green lung. But this area is under threat from land traffickers, people who illegally sell the land to others, and mining companies who are trying to invade the area.

In several local schools there are eco-brigades, whose job is to be environmental leaders and protectors. They do a range of activities to protect the environment.
By planting and protecting trees they are helping the planet breathe.

Inspired by the story of The Eco Brigade, we painted leaves of inspiration for the upcoming academic year. We paid close attention to the intricate design of each leaf, God’s design. We hope that they will inspire us on our mission to care for God’s creation this year.

 

Mini Vinnies 2025/2026

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We are proud to announce our Mini Vinnies for the academic year 2025/2026. We pray that each child will continue to grow in faith and be inspired to help those less fortunate in our local community and around the world. We hope that, by working together as a team, they will unite in their mission to spread kindness and be a light in our school and community.

© 2026 Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.