Newsletters

Friday 27th September 

 What is the European Day of Languages?

The European Day of Languages is a celebration of the amazing number and variety of languages spoken across Europe. Schools and organisations mark the event every year with a European language day to promote language learning and to celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe.

When is the European Day of Languages?

The European Day of Languages is held on the 26th of September every year. At St Joseph's we celebrated this special day on Wednesday, with an assembly led by our Language Ambassadors and our language specialist, Mrs Cosgrove.  

How did the European Day of Languages start?

The Council of Europe and the European Union jointly organised the European Year of Languages in 2001. Millions of people from 45 countries participated in activities to promote language learning and the preservation of cultural diversity.

The European Year of Languages was so successful that the Council of Europe declared that the European Day of Languages should be celebrated every year from then on.

Fun Facts about European Languages

  • There are more than 225 languages spoken in Europe, representing around 3% of the world’s total languages.
  • If you only count native speakers, Russian is the most spoken language in Europe. However, English comes out on top if you include second-language speakers.
  • Languages are sometimes related to each other if they come from similar roots. These are known as ‘language families’. The three main language families in Europe are Germanic, Romance and Slavic.
  • Most European languages use the Latin alphabet, and some Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. Armenian, Georgian, Greek and Yiddish have their own alphabets.
  • London is the most linguistically diverse city in the world, as over 250 languages are spoken there.

 

This term we have started our new and improved programme of after-school clubs.  At St Joseph's, we are incredibly lucky to have a very talented team of teaching staff, who are using their expertise to provide enrichment opportunities to our children.

These clubs will remain in place all term and other exciting opportunities will then be available in the spring term.

 

Whole school attendance - 96%

Reception - 96.7%

Year 1– 97.5&

Year 2 - 98%

Year 3–97.5%

Year 4 -93.5%

Year 5–97.5%

Year 6–95%

Congratulations to this week's joint champions, Year 2 with 98 % !

10 Ways You Can Share Kindness Online 

Three years ago, it was reported that one in five young people in England and Wales had experienced some form of online bullying. They may have received hurtful messages or had hurtful things posted about them. These top tips were shared following this report and they are still extremely important today.

All classes will take part in Forest School at some point in the school year, making great use of our beautiful grounds.

Forest School is a child-centred learning process, providing learner-inspired, hands-on experiences in the natural environment. It's creative and can increase a child's confidence as they problem-solve and learn to manage risks. Forest School encourages children to explore the natural environment and learn in it.

Here you can see some of our Y6 pupils enjoying Forest School. They used many of our MAKER Spirits and had lots of fun at the same time.

Congratulations to all of the children who demonstrated super MAKER Spirit this week.

They were excellent "Curious Learners." They have asked lots of questions in class and have looked for problems and solutions, not always accepting what they have been told. 

 

 

On Tuesday 8th October we shall be celebrating our Harvest Festival.

This will take place in church at 2pm. Each year group from Reception to Year 6 will share a song, poem or drama. It will be a great opportunity to celebrate
together.

We will also be taking donations of food, to the local food bank at Grace
Church, in Handsworth. We would really appreciate any donations of dried
food (tins or packets) that you can make. Please see the shopping list of items
that are in need below. All items should be unopened, in date and in good
condition. If you would like to contribute, please send any donations into
school with your child before half term.

 

Parentkind - the charity that supports school PTA's - have teamed up with Asda, who are making millions of pounds available to donate to primary schools across the UK through their 'Cashpot for Schools' initiative.  All you have to do is opt in through the Asda Rewards app, chose our primary school and scan everytime you shop instore or online, between 2nd September and 30th November 2024.

Asda will donate 0.5% of the value of your shop to our school.  Also, every time somebody opts in, Asda will give an additional £1 to the school cashpot.  Plus, it doesn't stop there - Asda are also giving £50 to every school to get them started.

Asda does the the rest, all money raised will be donated to schools to spend on whatever things they need most.

Thank you for your support!

 

  • 2nd October - Whole School Photo Day
  • 3rd October - Reception and KS1 Phonics Workshop for parents
  • 4th October - Lego Robotics Competition - Sheffield Girls 
  • 8th October - Harvest Festival
  • 15th October Y6 Talk on Internet Safety - South Yorkshire Police
  • 17th October Y1/Y2 Trip to the Crucible Theatre - Music In The Round
  • 17th October Parents' Evening
  • 21st October - Y6 Height and Weight Screening 
  • 22nd October - Parents Evening
  • 24th October - Y5 Victorians Day 
  • 25th October Last Day of Half Term - Wear Own Clothes Day - Bring £1
  •  
  • 4th November - new term 
  • 7th November - Y3 Trip to the Moorlands Centre
  • 9th November - Open Morning for new families 
  • 5th / 6th December - Y6 Residential 
  • 19th December - Term Ends at 1:30pm 

 

 

The month of October is a powerful time to draw close to Our Lady by praying the Rosary.  She loves it when we draw near to her in trust.  Praying the Rosary is similar to small children reaching up to hold the hand of their mother in complete trust.

During her lifetime, Mother Teresa always carried a rosary in her hand.  In this way, she said, she was holding Mary’s hand.

Saint Louis de Montfort said, “Mary is the safest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect way of approaching Jesus.”  May she draw us ever nearer to her Immaculate Heart and to that of her beloved Son.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Victory – Pray for us!

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