Year 1

Year 1 get sorting

This week, the children have been exploring their hair colour and sorting themselves into groups. This can be quite tricky when you can’t see your hair unless you are looking in a mirror!

Our hair is light brown. Some of us have blonde in our hair too.

We look forward to seeing you at tomorrow’s Mercy Mass (11am) which will be followed by a picnic.

Next Friday 29th September is Fitness Day at St. Adrian’s. The children will bring home their PE clothes on Monday, so that they can come into school wearing them on the Friday for all the fitness focussed learning. It would be great if you could ensure that these PE clothes are returned on the following Monday (2nd October) ready for your child’s PE lesson.

Year One plant bulbs

Now that autumn is here, this week we started our year long science topic all about Plants and Seasons. The children were all given a tulip bulb and described it carefully, coming up with some wonderful observations. In between the rain showers, we planted the bulbs and then imagined what the flowers would look like in spring once the bulb has grown. We will look for shoots as the bulb grows over the winter, into spring.

Our hall display shows everyone our learning.

I need to make sure that the hold is deep enough for the bulb.

Thank you very much for coming to the welcome meeting on Monday. You will find notes from the meeting here: Information for parents

Dates for your diary (timings tbc):

22nd September – Mercy Mass and picnic

12th October – Harvest Assembly

1st/2nd November – Consultations (5 – 7.30pm)

14th December – KS1 Christmas Play (7pm)

Year One Welcome Meeting 11.09.17

The Year One children are settling into their new classroom very well and have responded enthusiastically to the learning. This week, we have focussed on counting and measuring accurately, creating patterns and writing independently.

The Year One meeting with parents is scheduled for this Monday morning at 9am – I look forward to meeting with you all in the Year One classroom.

Welcome back Year One!

Image result for welcome back to school image

I hope that you have all had a wonderful summer break and are looking forward to Year One. Thank you very much for all of the postcards that were sent to me over the holiday. They have been wonderful to read and don’t worry, it’s not too late to send them if they haven’t reached the post box yet!

Please ensure that your child returns to school with all their belongings clearly named, including a book bag, full drinks bottle, coat and St. Adrian’s PE bag. If you have any messages, I will be available for you to talk to once all the children have come into school in the morning or after school once all the children have been handed over to their adults. Alternatively, feel free to write your message down in the form of a note.

There will be a meeting for Year One parents/carers soon so that you can find out a little bit more about Year 1 life. I look forward to meeting you all once again.

Celebrating 60 Years of St Adrian’s Catholic Primary School

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 celebrations

Past 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.

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.

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.