The children planning and leading the Celebration of the Word this week chose the theme of Unity. Here are some images of them planning and celebrating with their friends in Year 4.
Planning
Celebrating the Word
Y1 Celebration of the Word – Friendship with Jesus Is Joyful
During our class Celebration of the Word, we listened to the Gospel reading “Friendship with Jesus is joyful” (John 15:9–11). We reflected on how Jesus asks us to love one another just as He loves us. The children shared ways they can show friendship through kindness, helping others, and including everyone. We ended our celebration by thanking Jesus for being our friend and bringing joy into our lives.
Yr 1’s Celebration of the Word – Meals
Year 1 led a beautiful Celebration of the Word on the theme of Meals, reflecting on the special meals we share and the most important meal of all – the Mass.
Through prayers, songs, and scripture, the children thought about how Jesus shared meals with his friends and gave us the gift of the Eucharist. They shared their own memories of special meals with family and friends, reminding us of the joy of coming together.
Y3- Our Journeys!
The Y3 children shared a thoughtful and reflective Celebration of the Word today with their families. They described their own personal journeys with their favourite interests; while acknowledging the supportive family members who guide them and share the joy of their experiences.
Year 2 Celebration of the Word
Year 2 has had an exciting and meaningful exploration of the different books used in church and in everyday life as part of our current RE topic, Books. The children discovered the significance of these books in our faith and how they help us grow in our understanding of God’s word.
The highlight of their learning was their excellent retelling of the story of Jesus’ Baptism. With great enthusiasm and confidence, the children shared this important moment in the life of Jesus, projecting their voices excellently and bringing the story to life for everyone to enjoy.
Mrs. McHugh is incredibly proud of the children for their hard work, dedication, and effort. Their ability to recall and share the story with such clarity and passion is a testament to their deep engagement with the topic.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support the children and make this event even more special. Your presence meant a lot to the children and added to the joy of the celebration.
As a well-deserved treat for their hard work, the children enjoyed some biscuits back in class, sharing their excitement and reflecting on the celebration together.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Some of the Year 4 children made their First Reconciliation yesterday evening – they were a little nervous initially but came away from their chat with Fr Bill full of smiles. We were all so proud of them!
Y1’s Christingle Celebration
Year 1 explored the story of the Christingle and created their own as part of our Advent preparations. We began by learning about Bishop John de Watteville, who shared the first Christingle with children in his village to teach them about God’s promises.
Through the story, we discovered that:
- The orange represents the world, created by God and full of goodness.
- The red ribbon wrapped around the orange symbolises God’s love encircling the world.
- The four sticks symbolise the four seasons, and the treats on them remind us of the gifts God provides.
- The candle signifies Jesus, the Light of the World, shining in dark places.
The children thoroughly enjoyed making their own Christingles, carefully assembling each part and reflecting on its meaning. We concluded our lesson with a special Christingle Celebration of the Word, where we shared the story of the Christingle and talked about how we can share God’s love with others.
The flickering light of the candles reminded us all of the importance of kindness and hope, especially during this season of Advent.
Year 5 Celebration of the Word
Well done to all the children in Year 5 for leading our Celebration of the Word this week. It was wonderful to have time to reflect on this special time of year – a time of waiting in joyful hope. You all spoke clearly and sang so beautifully. Well done! 
Whole School Celebration of the Word
Year 4 enjoyed sharing their class Celebration of the Word with parents so they decided to share it with their peers in school as well.
Y4 Youth Village Retreat
We arrived safely at the Youth Village with everyone in high spirits. The Youth Ministry team welcomed us, then we met the other schools and got to know them with some ice breakers. The children were put into teams with their friends plus some children from other schools. The evening meal was lovely then we got settled into our lodge (Bishop Ambrose). There was a fun filled night with lots of high jinx and eventually we all settled down to sleep.
After a breakfast of fruit, yoghurt and toast we headed to base camp to complete a carousel of activities.
The theme of the retreat for the Jubilee year is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
Pope Francis asked people to make 2024 a year of prayer and preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year, with the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. The opening of the Jubilee Door marks the beginning of the Jubilee Year. The children will consider how God opens doors in our lives, encouraging us to ‘Ask, Seek, Knock’.
In the carousel of activities, the children enjoyed a selection of craft, social justice, chapel, outdoor, and team building challenges. They explored what ‘hope’ means for us, each other, our communities, and the world as they completed their Pilgrim Passport!
The lunch was amazing. Here are the children tucking in. Spot our surprise visitor!
The children enjoyed some free time before our nature walk.
We had a bracing walk through the woods then played football and rounders.
Our next activity was an Escape Room.
After the activities, the children watched a movie then went to bed. No high jinx tonight just 27 tired children and 2 tired teachers. Silence!! Everyone was super organised this morning – bags packed, beds stripped, breakfast eaten.
There was a final activity where the children shared their ideas about what a planet they designed might look like.
Our last photograph before leaving the Youth Village! A great few days was had by all!
