Dear Families,

A very warm welcome back to the summer term! I hope you all enjoyed a peaceful and joyful Easter break with your loved ones. It has been a delight to see the children return to school so smartly dressed and full of enthusiasm – thank you for ensuring they were so well prepared for the term ahead. Their pride in their appearance reflects their readiness to learn and be part of our wonderful school community.

As we return to school, we do so with heavy hearts following the sad passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Each class has taken part in a special time of reflection and prayer, and we have come together as a school to honour his life, his leadership, and his deep commitment to love, peace and compassion. The children are inspired to become Pope Francis’s pilgrims of hope. We invite all members of our school community to join us for a Mass this evening at 6pm in St John the Baptist Catholic Church, where we will continue to pray for his soul and give thanks for his wonderful service to the Catholic Church and Catholic education.

As part of our commitment to continued professional development, our staff team took part in a Training and Development Day on Tuesday 22^nd April focused on deepening our faith and teaching of Religious Education during this Jubilee year. During the day we were fortunate to hear an inspirational talk from James Shone, founder of the I Can & I Am charity. James shared powerful insights about self-belief and resilience, and we are excited to welcome him back in June, when he will be working directly with our Year 5 and 6 pupils.

I would also like to express heartfelt thanks for your generous support of our Easter Raffle and Penny Challenge organised by the Friends of St John’s. Together, we raised over £700 with some of the money   supporting Dorothy House, a local charity close to our heart that provides compassionate care and support for people with life-limiting illnesses. Your contributions will help make a real difference – thank you.

Before the break, we were blessed to share some very special moments as a school community. Thank you to all the mothers and motherly figures who joined us for the EYFS Mother’s Day service – your presence made the occasion truly memorable for the children, and it was a beautiful celebration of the love and care you give every day.

We also want to commend our Year 5 and 6 pupils who led the Stations of the Cross reflection with such  reverence, maturity, and thoughtfulness. Their leadership and reflection during this important part of our Lenten journey helped the whole school community prepare our hearts for Easter in a truly meaningful way.

As we look ahead to the summer term, we are excited to continue our weekly Book Club Fridays supported by the Friends of St John’s Catholic Primary School. These sessions provide a wonderful opportunity for  children to explore a love of reading, select a book alongside their friends, and build confidence in their literacy skills. We encourage all pupils to bring in a few pennies to save towards a book of their choice and enjoy the joy of reading!

As ever, we step into this new term with hope, joy, and a shared commitment to growing together in faith, learning, and love.

With every blessing,

Mrs O’Rourke