Dear Parents
First of all, a big thank you to all those who supported the Summer Fair last Saturday! We were blessed with fine weather and the many “new families” who are joining us in September were very impressed with the community atmosphere. The school are very grateful to all the volunteers who gave up their time to prepare, set up, run and pack away all the class stalls. The fair raised an amazing £3,300 which will support exciting opportunities for the children over the coming year! We have already booked the annual Christmas pantomime and the PA have agreed to fund some new playground markings for EYFS and Key Stage 1, which we hope to complete over the summer break. A huge thank you to all those currently involved in supporting our Parent Association!
This week has been World Faiths Week in school and our children have had the opportunity to learn a little bit about what different people in our world believe. In a school which is almost entirely comprised of Catholic families, it is important that our children have an opportunity to explore what others believe and how that relates to their own faith. In assembly on Monday, we thought (at the children’s level!) about the Vatican document on inter-faith dialogue (Nostra Aetate) and considered the lines:
“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. ……Whatever is good, beautiful or true is ultimately rooted in the goodness, beauty and truth of God, who is the source of all beauty and truth. This rootedness in God provides the foundation for a Christian dialogue with peoples of all beliefs. Such dialogue, the Declaration reminds us, must be rooted in love. But it also demands thoughtful, faith-based discernment, and aims to support and build upon what is most praiseworthy in the religious tradition of the other.”
This week, Y3 have visited the Hindu mandir, while Y4 visited the Jewish synagogue and Y6 went to both local Christian churches (St Peter’s church and the Baptist church). Their aim in visiting was to meet people who, though worshipping in different ways to us, nonetheless hold many of the same values and beliefs: peace in God’s world; care of God’s creation; value of God-given human life; love. Cardinal Newman (soon to be St John Newman) devoted his life and teaching to inter-faith dialogue – a dialogue which led him first to the Catholic church and later to sainthood. In his memory, we encourage our children to do two things: to respect and recognise the faith of all they meet AND to seek to understand their own faith ever more, to enable them to engage confidently in inter-faith dialogue throughout their lives.
Today we have welcomed back the charity “Children of the Eucharist” who led “Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament” for our Year 3 children this morning. This is the children’s second experience of adoration in school and we have been so impressed by how they have engaged with the mediation and reflected on their own lives in the calm and quiet presence of the Lord. This is something we will certainly seek to continue in the new academic year.
This afternoon, Year 3 have celebrated together with the school community the completion of their preparation for First Holy Communion and their “Going Forth” in full communion with the Church (as represented today by their parents and the school community!) As the children have made the First Holy Communion in at least four different parishes, we are delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate this special occasion in school. Our thanks to Father Bill for celebrating the Going Forth Mass with us today!
All best wishes for the weekend
Catherine Burnham
