Newsletters

Newsletter 21.11.25

A Prayer from our children

Dear God,

Thank you because we have teachers to teach us.

Amen

Fola (Owls Class)

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Weekly Message from Mrs Clayton

Today was our Jubilee Celebration Day.  We gathered together to celebrate and give thanks for all we have achieved as a Catholic school community.  Pope Francis asked us to celebrate with 'deep faith, lively hope and active charity'.  So far this year, we have been a sign of hope by firstly creating doors of hope on our classroom doors to show our commitment to build a better world, we have shared hope by giving food at Harvest, we have walked together during Lent and joined with other schools on a Pilgrim's Walk. However, our journey has not ended, and we still want to build a better world for peace and justice. Today our children shared our hopes for our future with their teachers and in assembly. 

Also, this week has seen a huge soft play bus (Little Legs Play Bus) drive onto the playground to visit the nursery classes.   The children had a fantastic time exploring and developing their physical skills while having lots of fun. 

Have a wonderful weekend with your families.

Blessings

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, our inspiration in this Jubilee year, you remind us of our call to faith and love.  Help us to hear you in scripture, to see Jesus in others and to be united as God's global family. Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope. Amen.

 

Staffing update:

We warmly welcome Mrs Suffield, our new teaching assistant in Herons on Monday. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome to the team – we’re excited for the experience and skills she brings to support our children’s learning and growth. 

Reminder

Reception and Year 3 school admission places for September 2026

A reminder that Reception and Year 3 school admission places for September 2026 opened on Monday 10th November 2025 and will close on Thursday 15 January 2026 (https://www.essex.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/primary-school-places).  This applies to Nursery parents whose child will be turning age 5 in the academic year 1st September 2026 until 31st August 2027 and all Year 2 parents.  

The following date has been arranged for the Priest to come into school to sign a Practising Catholic Certificate if you are a practising Catholic family:

Tuesday 9 December at 2.45pm

This session is only for parents applying for a Reception place for their child for September 2026.

Your child does not need to attend with you.  Please remember to bring your child’s Baptism Certificate with you. 

If you are planning to come along to the above session, could you kindly confirm your attendance to admissions@salinf.org 

Full guidance is available on the school website under Admissions.  If you have any questions, please contact admissions@salinf.org 

Bookings for Nativity/Christmas Performances - December 2025

Please click on the link below to book for your child's Nativity/Christmas performance.

https://forms.gle/jJaaUKbJUZCFsWer9

Gold Leaf Award

Anastasia (Owls) - Love

Alana (Doves) - Learn

Aaron (Kingfishers) - Love

Maple (Herons) - Learn

Jimtonna (Sparrows) - Learn

Giulia (Robins) - Learn

Headteacher's Award

Nilma (Owls) won the Headteacher’s Award this week for joining in and taking part enthusiastically.  Nilma is always excited about her learning.  Well done!

Children in Need Day 2025

Thank you so much for supporting Children in Need last Friday.  With your kindness and support, we raised £240.   If you would still like to donate, please kindly do so on ParentPay.

Mrs Davis's Weekly Sports Challenge

  • How many jumps can you do in a minute?

School Attendance

The whole school's weekly attendance is 97.9%. 

Class Highest: Doves class 99.2%  

Good attendance helps your child make the most of their learning and keeps them on track with their progress. Every day in school counts towards their success and confidence.

Please report illness/absence on Studybugs using the button below:

Studybugs

NHS Guidance to know when a child is too ill for school/nursery

Please see the NHS guidance to know when your child is too ill for school/nursery.  Pupils can normally attend with a mild cough or cold, unless they have a fever, diarrhoea or vomiting.


House Points

House points are given to children for excellent effort, achievements, and for living out the Gospel values in their daily actions.

Pope John Paul II waves as he arrives at Miami International Airport at the start of his 1987 trip to the United States.  (CNS photo/Joe Rimkus Jr.)
St John Paul II

497
St Alphonsa

508
St Martin de Porres

486
St Bernadette

472

 RE Newsletter   

Prophecy and Promise - Branch 2

This half-term, the theme for our Religious Education Curriculum Branch is Prophecy and Promise. 

In this branch, pupils will explore the Christian understanding of the teaching of the prophets as they point to the fulfilment of God’s promise in a messiah, Jesus Christ. They will explore the expectant waiting for the Messiah through the Advent season and how this speaks to Christians today as they wait for Christ. Pupils will encounter the story of the nativity of Jesus and the mystery of the incarnation.

Suggested Home Learning Ideas to support 

Religious Education

Week 3

Nursery

Read ‘Room for a little one’ by Martin Waddell (available on youtube)

Reception

Read ‘Room for a little one’ by Martin Waddell (available on youtube)

Year 1

Make your own star or an angel for the top of your Christmas tree.

Year 2

Draw what you think Bethlehem would have looked like or draw a map of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

Wednesday Word

The Wednesday Word is a special resource that helps families share the Sunday Gospel together.  We encourage you to spend a little time together each week reading and talking about the Wednesday Word as a family. 

Wednesday Word

Christmas Fayre – Holy Trinity Hall

Saturday 6th December

11am-3pm

Come and join other families at our Parish Christmas Fayre. 

Fun and entertainment for all the family. Lots of Stalls, Refreshments, Tombola, Raffle with many prizes. 

You can also visit Santa in his Grotto. 

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Year 2 Maths Fun! Last week we played The Exchange Game as part of our work on addition with exchange. The children learnt that ten ones is equal to one ten, and had great fun practising this through our class "shop"! Mrs Marchant was our wonderful shopkeeper, and the children loved exchanging their ten ones for one ten. Such a hands-on way to build confidence with place value! #Year2 #MathsInAction #PlaceValue #HandsOnLearning #PrimaryMaths #LearningIsFun
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Big adventures on little legs! The Little Legs soft-play bus rolled in this week and the children had the BEST time! Smiles, giggles, and lots of climbing! Thank you Little Legs Bus for the magical morning #LittleLegsBus #NurseryLife #SoftPlayFun #HappyChildren #EarlyYearsMagic #OnTheGoPlay
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Tech time with our Year 2 superstars! This week we used Google Slides on our Chromebooks to create our very own presentations. Children explored adding images, changing backgrounds, and building confidence as digital creators. #Year2 #Chromebooks #GoogleSlides #EdTech #PrimarySchool #DigitalLearning
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Jubilee Assembly – Pilgrims of Hope Today our school community gathered to celebrate the Jubilee, inspired by Pope Francis' call for us to be Pilgrims of Hope. Our children shared their heartfelt hopes for a brighter futureprayers for peace, kindness, and a world guided by God's love. Their words reminded us that hope begins in the hearts of the young. May we continue walking together in faith, joy, and hope. #PilgrimsOfHope #Jubilee2025 #CatholicSchool #FaithInAction #HopeForTheFuture #PopeFrancis
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Year 1 & Year 2 Dance Off! Our little superstars danced their hearts out today to raise money for Children in Need! So much energy, joy and kindness all in one place Proud is an understatement! #ChildrenInNeed #DanceOff #SchoolCommunity
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Today we celebrated Children in Need, spreading kindness, support, and smiles across our nursery featuring our Pudsey friend, based on spotty artwork by Yayoi Kusama, reminding us of kindness in every corner. And as we reflect on Remembrance Day last Tuesday, we honour those who served and sacrificed with our children who created poppies and decorated biscuits. Little hearts learning big values
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Online Safety Zone

As Black Friday and Christmas approach, many children will be hoping for new tech gifts like phones, tablets, or consoles. It's important for families to plan ahead to ensure children enjoy these devices safely. 

Start by researching the device, reading reviews, and checking for safety features or parental controls. 

Setting up the device before your child opens it allows you to enable controls and privacy settings. If you're giving a second-hand device, reset it to factory settings first. 

Use tools like Google Play restrictions or Apple’s Screen Time to manage content access. 

Alongside safety settings, create a Family Agreement to set clear expectations about device use. This helps define when and where devices can be used, and if permission is needed for downloads or purchases.  

https://www.childnet.com/resources/family-agreement/

Regular conversations with your child about online safety are essential. Encourage them to speak up if something online makes them feel uncomfortable, and let them know they can always come to you for support.    

https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/have-a-conversation/

 Further online safety advice can be found on www.childnet.com


 


Notice Board

Christmas Timetable

Please refer to the website calendar for our Christmas events in school and nursery. 

A Christmas timetable listing our events will be sent home with your child next week.

                                               Next Week's Lunch Menu

School Behaviour & Relationships Policy Meeting for Parents/Carers (Reception/Year 1/Year 2)
8:45am – 9:30am
24
November
PTA Festive Coffee Morning/PTA Meeting
8:45am – 9:45am
25
November
Year 2 Visit to Braintree Museum
All Day
26
November
Nursery & Reception Visit to Santa's Grotto Eastgate Centre
10:00am – 12:00pm
28
November
Sleeping Beauty Pantomime Towngate Theatre (Reception/Year 1/Year 2)
1:30pm – 3:50pm
01
December
Family First Aid Course
9:00am – 11:00am
03
December
Christmas Nativity EYFS (Nursery & Reception)
2:00pm – 3:00pm
03
December
Christmas Nativity EYFS (Nursery & Reception)
9:00am – 10:00am
04
December
Road Safety Session - Reception (Sparrows class)
9:00am – 9:45am
08
December
New Parents School Tour
1:30pm – 2:15pm
08
December
PTA Meeting
8:45am – 9:45am
09
December
Priest Visiting School to Sign Practising Catholic Certificates (Reception Admission Applications September 2026)
2:45pm – 3:15pm
09
December
Christmas Nativity KS1 (Year 1 & Year 2)
9:00am – 10:00am
10
December
Christmas Nativity KS1 (Year 1 & Year 2)
1:45pm – 2:45pm
10
December
Family First Aid Course
1:00pm – 3:00pm
11
December
Used Uniform Sale
2:45pm – 3:15pm
11
December
International Christmas Fayre
2:00pm – 5:00pm
12
December
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