Diocese of Portsmouth

ST EDMUND’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL Radley Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3PP Tel: 01235 521558 Fax: 01235 532778 e-mail: [email protected] www.st-edmunds-rc.oxon.sch.uk Headteacher: Mrs M Delany-White

January 2016. Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school for the start of the Spring term and 2016. On behalf of all staff I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the generosity shown to us all at the end of term. It leaves us all with a sense of humility and gratitude to know how much we are appreciated. Thank you so very much!

Reception places for September 2016 Parents/carers who have a child born between 1st September 2011 and 31st August 2012 need to make an application for their child to start a Reception class in September 2016 by no later than Friday 15th January 2016. This is done via the Oxfordshire County Council Website: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public-site/starting-school Please remember, you must still apply for a primary school place even if your child already attends our nursery class. There is no automatic transfer between the two. Key dates 15th January 2016 - Closing date for on-time applications 18th April 2016 - Offer of school places sent by first-class post and email 9th May 2016 - Deadline for accepting or declining places Reception children start school: Wednesday, 7th September 2016 (Reception Class only)* *(part-time from 7th–9th September, full-time from 12th September)

Governor Vacancies We are still keen to recruit two new Foundation Governors as soon as possible and we will also need a new Parent Governor from September 2016. Please do consider if you could fill one of these important roles. Helping support our school in this way is an immensely rewarding experience. Further details from Theresa McGarrick or our Chair of Governors John Matthews at: [email protected]

Communication You will by now have received this term’s class newsletter and an overview of the topic your child’s class will be studying for terms 3 & 4. All of this information is now on our website as well. If there is anything you are not sure about or if you would like to know more do please speak to the class teacher who will be happy to help. Alternatively, I am constantly adding useful information to our website so do take another look if you haven’t looked at it in a while. Hopefully you are still finding our new Target Cards useful in informing you on a weekly basis about what your child is currently learning and showing you how well they are progressing as the dates are now starting to fill up.

School Clubs All of the clubs for this term are now up and running and a full list can be found on the website. Do ask Mrs Dingwall in the office if there are any spaces left if your child hasn’t yet signed up but would like to start a particular club. I was pleased to see that our new Russian Club for Year 5 & 6 children was so enthusiastically received. Mrs Szot-Vickers tells me the first session went very well this week and the children are all very keen to learn the rather tricky language.

Diocese of Portsmouth

Staffing Change We are delighted to announce that we will be welcoming Mrs Maria Foukaridou as the new teaching assistant for Year 3 to work alongside Mrs Harris each morning for the rest of this academic year. I am sure the year 3 children will make Mrs Foukaridou feel very welcome when she starts next Monday.

Google Internet Assembly I have been contacted by a representative from Parent Zone to ask if we would like to host a special internet safety assembly for Key Stage 2 children on 29th January as part of the Google Internet Legends tour. As you know online safety and ways of protecting our children online is an important part of our computing curriculum here at St Edmund’s so I readily said yes to what promises to be an exciting and informative assembly for our children. It is sponsored by Google and will be interactive with free resources for the children and our school and we will also have our local MP Nicola Blackwood here for the event as well. Further details are on our school website or via the Google Internet Legends website.

I am including in this newsletter a letter from Melanie Paris-Dollar to all your young people from 10 years upwards who may want to join the new Youth Groups in St Edmund’s parish:

Dear young people, I hope you all enjoyed a joyful, peaceful, Christmas and I wish you and your family a New Year that's full of rich blessings! We have a year full of exciting activities ahead of us. Last Sunday, we began our first Youth Group (YG) session for 10-14year olds at the parish centre with bowling skittles, crab football, charades and taboo! It was incredible, very noisy fun!

Coming up in January:  Saturday 16th Jan. If you're 16 or over join us at the Crown and Thistle from 6-8pm. Come and bring a friend!  Sunday 24th Jan. 3-5pm at the Kassam Stadium Bowlplex, everyone is invited! Under 16 - £5.50 Over - 16 £6.50 (Please confirm your place for this event by Monday 18th January at the latest. Thanks!)  Saturday 30th Jan. 5-8pm Youth Mass & Quiz Night (St Edmund's and Parish Centre) - £5 contribution for dinner and prizes please. Thanks!

Coming up in February:  Sunday 7th February - Youth Group  Saturday 13th February - Takeaway evening and 'Talking shop' for 16+ (Suggested donation £7)  Sunday 21st February 4-6pm - Ice skating at the Oxford Ice Rink (Under 16s) £6 (Please confirm your place for this event by Friday 12th February at the latest. Thanks!)  Saturday 27th February - Youth Mass and Cinema Trip - (Suggested donation £8 per child, £12 per adult. Thanks.)

Coming up in March:  Sunday 6th March - Youth Group

Diocese of Portsmouth

 12th/13th March - Paintballing in Oxford - £10 p/p over 16s (Please confirm your preference with Mel ASAP! Early booking will give us a wider range of options which means...you guessed it MORE OPTIONS and MORE ENJOYMENT!)  20th March - Youth Group - Oxford Spy Mission Treasure Trail - 3-6pm - under 16s (Free!)

Holy Week - 21-27th March

Holy Week is the most sacred time in the liturgical calendar of the Church apart from Christmastide because we celebrate the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The liturgy of the Sacred Triduum or Three Days (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday which begins with the Mass of the Easter Vigil) is in fact one, and not, three separate liturgies. Please try your very best to be present to the Lord throughout the liturgy of Easter.

First, this means being well prepared, by spending some time during Lent, listening and getting our heart (the part of our self that desires, and recognises longing) ready for what God has to say to us, about our eternal (the things or parts of us that do not die or fade away when our body does) importance or significance. It also means going to Confession to talk honestly to God about the ways and times we haven't returned his love.

Some people try to show God how sorry they are, not only for the naughty things they've done but for the love they've managed to give imperfectly, by practical acts like making a pilgrimage (going on a journey while praying for people we love like our family or someone we know who is in need). During Holy Week there's a diocesan pilgrimage to St John's Cathedral in Portsmouth. At a special Mass call the Chrism Mass, Bishop Philip will bless all the oil that will be used throughout our diocese this year to anoint priests, the sick, and all those who want to be Confirmed. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to make a pilgrimage, just like Jesus did with Mary and Joseph when he went to Jerusalem every year to pray.

Finally, to take hold of the full joy of Easter we have to accept the free gift that Jesus gives to each one of us - the gift of himself! He is perfect in every way, but he chose to take on our imperfection so that we who are imperfect because of our failure to love, could be perfect, just like him. What he has won for us is amazing! On our own we could never have earned or bought it! Through Jesus Christ, you and I are, what he has been from the beginning - heirs to all that God has to offer - love, joy, peace, faith, hope, eternal life... the list is endless! Just like God's love!

If you're new to St Edmund's Youth Group and you'd like to come along, please email me or call on 07470 094818 for more information and forms.

Hope to see you all soon! God bless

Melanie Thames Isis Pastoral Area Youth Worker [email protected] 07470 094818

Diocese of Portsmouth

Melanie comes into school regularly and is working enthusiastically with our Year 6 children to start our new Mini Vinnie’s group (a junior version of the St Vincent de Paul Society) which will enable the children to help and support those in need in the local community. If you haven’t met Melanie yet and would like me to introduce you to her do ask me. Alternatively you can contact her directly via phone or email if you would like to discuss involving any of your older children (aged 10 upwards) in any of the exciting activities listed above.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Delany-White

St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School DIARY DATES 2015/16 Date Event Thursday 14th January pm Snow Queen- whole school Pantomime Friday, 15th January 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 18th January Wednesday, 20th January 2 pm Mass in School Friday, 22nd January 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 25th January Wednesday, 27th January pm Year 4 Dance Festival at Thomas Reade School Friday, 29th January PA Coffee Morning after drop off 2.00pm KS2 Google/Parent Zone Internet Safety Assembly Monday, 1st February pm Year 5 & 6 Abingdon School ‘Anything Goes’ pm Edwards & Ward taster session for parents in the hall Tuesday 2nd February Year 3 Pizza Express Friday, 5th February pm Year 3-6 Badminton Competition 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 8th February Tuesday, 9th February 3 – 5.30 pm PA Film Club Wednesday, 10th February 1pm Year 5 Science Show at OLA 2 pm Mass in School Friday, 12th February 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Term 3 ends 15th – 19th February Term Break Monday, 22nd February Term 4 starts Magic Maths Week Quantum Maths Show Thursday 25th February 2-3 pm Dyslexia Parent Session run by Unicorn School Outreach Friday, 26th February 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 29th February Monday 1st March Year 3 Pizza Express pm PA Cake Sale

Diocese of Portsmouth

Wednesday 2nd March am Choir- Passion Play rehearsal at Trinity Church Thursday 3rd March World Book Day 2-3 pm Dyslexia Parent Session run by Unicorn School Outreach Friday, 4th March 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 7th March Tuesday, 8th March 3.30 – 5 pm Town Netball Tournament – Fitzharrys School Thursday 10thMarch 2-3 pm Dyslexia Parent Session run by Unicorn School Outreach Friday 11th March 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Sunday 13th March Abingdon Passion Play Monday, 14th March 3.30 – 6.30 pm Parents’ Evening Tuesday, 15th March 4-6 pm Netball Tournament Year 5/6 John Mason 4.30 – 7.30 pm Parents’ Evening Wednesday, 16th March 2 pm Mass in School Friday, 18th March 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Saturday 19th May pm PA Spring Bingo Monday, 21stMarch Tuesday, 22nd March am Class Photographs Thursday, 24th March am Easter Egg Hunt pm Stations of the Cross Term 4 ends 25th March – 8th April Term Break Monday, 11th April Term 5 starts Friday, 15th April 2.20pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 18th April Tuesday, 19th April pm PA Cake Sale Wednesday, 20th April pm Year 5 & 6 Tennis Competition 2 pm Mass in School Friday, 22nd April 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 25th April Friday, 29th April 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 2nd May BANK HOLIDAY Monday, 9th May KS2 SATs week Wednesday 11th May pm Year 3 & 4 Tennis Competition Friday, 13th May 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Saturday 14th May 11am First Holy Communion Sunday 15th May 2pm First Holy Communion Monday, 16th May Tuesday 17th May am Sun dome Science Year 5 Wednesday, 18th May 2 pm Mass in School Friday, 20th May 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Sunday 22nd May 2pm First Holy Communion Monday, 23rd May Thursday, 26th May Term 5 ends

Diocese of Portsmouth

Friday, 27th May INSET DAY 30th May – 3rd June Term Break Monday, 6th June Term 6 starts Friday, 10th June 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 13th June Wednesday, 15th June am Quad Kids Athletics (Years 5 & 6) at Tilsley Park Thursday, 16th June am Quad Kids Athletics (Years 3 & 4) at Radley College Friday, 17th June 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 20th June pm Year 6 Boys Cricket at Thomas Reade School Tuesday, 21st June pm Year 6 Girls Cricket at Thomas Reade School Wednesday 22nd June pm Quad Kids (Year 5 & 6) Friday, 24th June 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 27th June Tuesday, 28th June pm Year 5 Boys Cricket at Thomas Reade School Friday, 1st July 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 4th July Friday, 8th July 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 11th July Friday, 15th July 2.20 pm Gold Book Assembly Monday, 18th July Tuesday 19th July 2 pm Leavers’ Mass in the hall Wednesday, 20th July Term 6 ends