Category Archives: Events 2017-18

Caritas Christi Schools Science Fayre

We descended on St Paul’s on Tuesday for an amazing day of science and investigation.

The Mad Scientist started by making dragon’s breadth. Then he showed us how to see air …. with a lot of fire and smoke and vortex generators.

Later on we took it in turns to present our own work. We taught lots of schools what have leaned about making our model volcanoes erupt. St Teresa’s showed us how to make shadow puppets. St Gerard’s showed us how to make electrical switches. St Paul’s taught us about acids and alkalies and St Clare’s showed us how to make slime – yeugh!

 

 

We Love to Dance !

Thank you to Bostin Brass and Symphony Hall for a glorious musical lunchtime today. The children danced non-stop!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diversity Day

Today, it has been a real privilege to meet April Barrett MBE who came to talk to us about her work with the Dwarf Sports Association.

April and Hassan told us what like is like when you have dwarfism – all the things that can be tricky, but more importantly, all the things you can do really well if you try hard and don’t give up. In fact April became an Olympic Champion at Boccia and Hassan is an amazing football player.

Then we met Josh who told us what it is like for him having autism and ADHD. He had to overcome some real problems but it didn’t stop him becoming a champion archer.

Thank you so much to all our visitors for the day, from Birmingham Disability Sports; Aston Villa and some  students from Wilson Stewart and Bishop Walsh schools. And a huge thank you to Andy Steed from Birmingham City Council who planned the day for us. We had an amazing time trying out lots of inclusive sports from Boccia and Archery to inclusive football and tennis ……and we even had a go at indoor fishing!

 

 

St Vincent’s Babies!

We had some surprise visitors last week

It was lovely to see Mrs Brookes, Mrs Caffrey,  Mrs Holt and all their babies.

We are looking forward to Mrs Brookes returning to work later on this year. We hope Mrs Caffrey and Mrs Holt enjoy their time at home and we will see them next year back at St Vincent’s.

Whilst we are updating you on staff news, Miss Friel, pictured here holding baby Holt and baby Caffrey, will be getting married very shortly and her new name, when she returns to school, will be Mrs Halloran. We’ll have to make her a badge to remind us all!

Seaside Trip to Weston

We had a glorious day on Friday with our families, building sandcastles, playing beach football, eating ice cream and fish&chips. The children (and a few parents)  spent hours in the sea and were beginning to look a bit wrinkled by home time.

Thank you all for your company – it was such a pleasure to share the day with you.

Refugee Week

The theme for Refugee Week is Simple Acts to help people know they are welcome and loved in their new homes and schools and communities. We are going to try and and do 20 simple acts during the week.

1. Share 20 second message of welcome

This was the message we tweeted this morning:

2.  Put up a ‘This School welcomes refugees’ poster.

We put these all around school. We found out that lots and lots of our families – children and staff – are refugees or have refugee ancestors. Everyone is welcome.

3. Consider becoming a School of Sanctuary

We are proud to have been awarded School of Sanctuary status and we will keep planning new ways to be a place of safety and welcome.

4. Share one of 20 refugee stories

We heard the story of Julianne and her mother from Zimbabwe. Julianne’s mother had to leave her because she was in danger . She lived in an orphanage where she didn’t have enough to eat and people were cruel to her. Finally she escaped and she and her mother came to England. Julianne was new and frightened and anxious but things are getting better and people are trying to help her. She is a fighter and a survivor.She says no matter how much she had  suffered she knew one day she would be accepted and she would be a shining star.

5. Share a walk

Year 3 shared a walking journey with Sister Eleanor from CAFOD .

6. Follow a refugee journey

Year 5 and 6 worked with Sister Eleanor to try and understand what it is like to have to leave your home. Here is their story:

  • We can only take 6 items with us!
  • We have now packed! We will take one final look at our home because the driver is in a hurry to take us to safety!
  • The load is too heavy to carry! We have to decide to take the heaviest item out.
  • 3 family members can no longer carry their bags. How do we decide what we will still manage?
  • Now we have to give our money to the fisherman so we can travel.
  • We have thankfully come to the end of our journey but we felt: anxious, degraded, depressed and traumatised.
  • Finally the children prayed thoughtfully for all refugees.

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7. A Poem in 20 Words

Year 3 wrote poems about being a refugee. They had to stick to 20 words – tricky!

8. Cake Sale

A group of children decided to organise their own cake sale to raise money for refugees.

9. Sing a song

Year 1 learned a song called ‘Home’ and thought about what it would be like to have to leave their home  behind.

 

Caritas Games and Catholic Sports

Well done to all our Key Stage 2 children for a fantastic team spirit at the Games at the Alexander Stadium. Your teachers were very proud of you.

And a  big thank you to St Paul’s and St John Wall schools for providing sports leaders to help run the day. Vocational work at its best. They helped to make a lot of smiles.

Brilliant effort from our relays teams with boys winning and girls coming second.

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This was all good practice for the Catholic Sports against all the Birmingham Catholic Schools. It was much tougher but we had a great time and cheered for everybody!

 

First Holy Communion

Congratulations to our children from Years 3,4 and 5 who received Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion today. May God bless you and your families always.

….and now party time!

Cultural Evening

A great evening celebrating the many different cultures of our parish and school. Delicious food  and great dancing!

Cycle Ride at Tissington

Year 5 had a brilliant day riding the Tissington Trail near Ashbourne. Not everyone fell off!