The Summer Reading Challenge 2019 theme is Space Chase, an out-of-this-world adventure inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
Children taking part in the Challenge will join our super space family, The Rockets, for a thrilling mission to track down books nabbed by mischievous aliens!
Space Chase will feature bespoke artwork from top children’s illustrator, Adam Stower, and will celebrate adventure, exploration, reading and fun!
The Summer Reading Challenge is aimed at children aged four to eleven and it is run in almost all libraries in the UK.
Visit your local library during the summer holidays to sign up – the sooner you go, the longer your child will have to read six books!
Staff will register your child for the Challenge and give them some fun materials to get them started.
Many libraries will also offer pre-school activities suitable for under-fours, including specially designed Summer Reading Challenge materials. Visit your local branch to find out more.
The Summer Reading Challenge is the UK’s biggest free reading for pleasure event for children. It is run by the national charity The Reading Agency in partnership with the UK public library network.
The aim of the Challenge is to encourage children to read any six books of their choice from their library during the summer holidays.
Children receive special rewards each time they finish a book and there’s a certificate for everyone who completes the Challenge.
When you return to school on Tuesday you may notice a new addition by the gate in the playground … it is our new recycling bin!
As you can see, it clearly states which materials are accepted and we would love for you to get involved by donating some clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, curtains or even shoes. The bank holiday weekend is the perfect time for a spring clean and all donations are greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance, Miss Costello and the Eco Council
We’ve been celebrating World Book Day this week with special assemblies where teachers have taken it in turns to share favourite stories or poems with the children in their key stage.
We hope that the stories we share will inspire the children to read on and read the books for themselves or find other stories by those authors.
We will list the books we have share on this page.
Monday
Mr Hayes (whole school):
Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, from Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Mrs Hayes (key stage one):
Mrs Wobble the Waitress by Allan Ahlberg
All Join In by Quentin Blake
Mr Hayes (key stage two):
The Rise of Wolves by Kerr Thomson
Tuesday
Mrs Teixeira (key stage one)
Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen
Please Mrs Butler by Allan Ahlberg
Miss Costello (key stage two)
Little House in the Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Wednesday
Mrs Ruffell (key stage one)
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Mr Sallis (key stage two)
‘Infinity and Me’ written by Kate Hosford and illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, St Adrian’s 60th Anniversary took place. We felt that this occasion should be marked and so to begin our school year, we would normally hold a Mercy Mass. The Sisters of Mercy founded the school and it opened in September 1960. The Maryland Associates, the lay people in St Albans, still advocate their work and very kindly donated a tree and a plaque in commemoration of this special anniversary.
Previous Headteachers, Sr. Margaret, Mrs Yvonne Hawkes and Mr Dominic Bedford joined us for the celebrations. As well as some original pupils whose names were in the first register.
Previous Headteachers join the celebrationsPast pupils who attended in 1960, the year of the school opening
Report of the day written by Lily- Year 6
On Wednesday 5th October , we celebrated the Mercy Mass for our school (it had been postponed because of Covid) and I am very happy that I got my Chaplaincy team tie and I am part of our new Chaplaincy Team. I also got to see my old Headteachers like, Mrs Hawkes and Mr Bedford.
There was also another Headteacher, which was the Headteacher when my mum went to this school. Her name was Sister Margaret. I knew this mass was a very joyous occasion because Brother Nelson Dionne, Father Michael O’boy as well as Bishop Paul Mc Aleenan were all there. We got gifted from Mrs Cath White the secretary of the Maryland associates who carry on the work of the sisters of Mercy, a tree which we have planted at the main entrance where the parents and staff members came to watch. Then, all of the classes planted little flowers around this tree. There are also ribbons around this tree which the old Head teachers put on there . They put the word ‘TRUTH’ and the colour of the ribbon was red for the martyrs who spoke the truth of God’s word. They tied the word PEACE – blue is the colour of tranquility. We work for peace and tranquillity in our school and the world. Finally , they tied the word JUSTICE with a yellow ribbon witch is the colour for true happiness. The Chaplaincy team, parents and teachers and the priests attended the ceremony. I was worried about it because I had a reading. The reason why I was worried was because of the amount of people that were there but it was all OK. It was a very good day. It made me think more about our school motto ‘To learn, to love ,to live as a community of God with Christ as our teacher.’ It was a good day. It made me feel like I was important because of the new tie and that I could be part of our Chaplaincy Team.
Bishop Paul Mc Aleenan, Br Nelson Dionne and Fr Michael O’Boy celebrated Mass and helped plant a tree donated by the Maryland Associates. Previous Headteachers tie ribbons to symbolise the Mercy Mission of TRUTH, PEACE & JUSTICE.Some members of our newly blessed Chaplaincy Team help lead the Mass.
Prayer and Liturgy
Children participate in worship every day. This may be part of a whole school assembly, an assembly in their own key stage or through class liturgy and prayer. These assemblies relate to the liturgical year, class RE topics and can be linked to the Wednesday Word, a publication which each family takes home every week. Pupils love preparing and leading their own class worship.
These children are planning a class worship session together.
These children are trying out their ideas ready for when they lead their next class worship.
The Chaplaincy Team takes an active role in the whole school liturgies by reading out bible passages, leading the prayer or joining in with role play.
Each week, we learn lots of wonderful hymns in our whole school Hymn Practice. The children enthusiastically sing these hymns as part of our school masses and assemblies.
We work very closely with St Bartholomew’s Parish. Children attend mass at least twice a term in school or in Church and parents are warmly invited to attend. As well as a mass at the start of each term, a second mass each term reflects the church liturgical year, including All Saints, Ash Wednesday and Ss. Peter and Paul.
Father Francis invites responses from the children.Father Francis leads our worship.
Additional whole school celebrations or liturgies include liturgies relating to Harvest, Advent, Mothering Sunday, Lent and Easter as well as a very colourful May Procession.
Once a year, classes prepare and deliver their own mass or liturgy, presided over by our Parish Priest, with Year 3 preparing their mass after they have made their first Holy Communion in the summer term.
The children enjoyed preparing the prayer focus.Father Francis shakes everyone’s hand at the end of the liturgy.Good Samaritan liturgy in Year One
At different points during the year, pupils are able to visit Westminster Cathedral for special services with other schools across the diocese. The School Council and Chaplaincy Team especially love attending the Advent Carol Service at Westminster Cathedral.
Recent liturgies at St Adrian’s
During our May Day liturgy, the Chaplaincy Team led us as we gave thanks for Mary, the mother of Jesus. All the children created a poster that celebrated Mary’s role as Queen and these were used as a prayer focus for all the classes. Our service ended with a tremendous May Pole dance by Year 4.
