News
Reception and Year 1 make bubble wands - 25.4.25
To launch their new topic of flight, the children made their very own bubble wands!
Using simply two plastic straws and some string, the children worked together to make a structure that would then be used to hold soapy liquid. The children loved this activity and challenged their fine motor skills!
Year 3 and 4 spread kindness in the community - 24.4.25
As part of the 2025 Jubilee Year themed ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, children in Years 3 and 4 took part in a ‘Kindness Tour’ to connect with their local community.
This special day included a visit to residents at Lindfield Court, where they shared poetry about happiness and sang songs, a trip to St Richard’s Church to make a donation to the foodbank, and a visit to the local park to help care for the environment.
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS / 1 / 2 - Elrad Year 3 / 4 - Skye Year 5 - John Year 6 - Tate
Congratulations to the BLUE team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Here are this week's totals:
1. BLUE - 104 2. YELLOW - 100 3. GREEN - 98 4. RED - 95
The BLUE team are this terms winners for the most Dojo points! All children today received a special blue pin to wear on their school uniform with pride!
French Culture Week - 3.4.25
This week, the children have been learning about French Food. They sampled a taster of Quiche Lorraine, madeleines, pain au chocolat, baguette, Brie cheese and crepes.
They also played a game where they had to practise key phrases saying whether they liked, disliked, loved or hated each food item they landed on.....in French!
We were delighted to celebrate 100% attendance in our final Celebration Assembly of the Spring Term.
We had 19 children who have been in school every day this term since January 6th. These children received a celebratory sticker and a small treat to acknowledge this fantastic achievement.
Some of these children have in fact been in school every day since September - a whole two terms with out a day off!
Thank you parents and carers for your ongoing support with improving attendance and punctuality here at St Joseph's.
Together, we are making a difference.
Key Stage 2 Football Tournament - 2.4.25
Our wonderful PE coach Miss Pippa held her annual football tournament with our Key Stage 2 pupils today. It was a wonderful time for our older children to come together in the sunshine for some friendly competitive play!
The even had some cheerleaders and some cheering spectators!
Year 2, 3 and 4 take a flight on the i360 - 2.4.25
This week some of our children had a wonderful opportunity to experience the i360 down by the sea.
The children loved taking public transport towards this impressive monument and then enjoyed taking in the sights of the city!
Design and Technology Week
Fruit smoothies
For our Spring term Design Technology week, the children in Reception and Key Stage 1 learnt all about fruit and where it comes from. They then learnt about the different textures of fruit and the many ways that it is prepared - by peeling, cutting or juicing.
The children were then given the opportunity to sample some fruit smoothies already on the market as inspiration to design their own one. After choosing their base liquid and their 3 fruits the children then made their smoothie before finally evaluating them!
It was a very fun-filled and busy afternoon with lots of wonderful real world skills taking place!
Photos from other year groups coming soon...!
Headteacher Design and Easter Egg Challenge!
The past week has seen some very egg-citing and creative eggs appear in the school! Many children embraced the latest Headteacher challenge and designed their own eggs ready for Easter. These eggs are now proudly on display in the school foyer.
The mediums used the decorate the eggs ranged from felt tips through to paint and even one amazing hand-knitted outfit!
Thank you to everyone who has participated - winners will be announced shortly!
Year 3 and 4 visit the Booth Museum
Our Key Stage 2 children had a very fun day our at the Brighton Museum. The children loved exploring old artefacts, performing their very own magic show and much more!
At St Joseph's we love to learn about the world around us through scientific enquiries. This week is science week and children throughout the school have been busy experimenting and asking questions to solve.
Our youngest classes explored light and shadow and wondered what would happen if a light source is blocked by an object. The children loved seeing how the blocked light made a shadow by making shadow puppets.
More photos of other classes coming soon!
Children across the school are producing such amazing work that the list of Headteacher awards continue to grow!
Many congratulations to Betty in Year 5 for sharing her work with Mrs Foan 3 times.
Double congratulations to these children who have shared their work with Mrs Foan 6 times: Eira in Year 4, Nirvana and John in Year 5 and John, Wiktor, Luca and Zayden in Year 6.
And an even bigger congratulations to these children for sharing their work an unbelievable 9 times: Floyd in Year 5 and Freddie, Maisie and Amelia N in Year 6.
We are so proud of you!
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS / Year 1 /2 - Ivy Year 5 - Yousef Year 6 - Amelia N
Congratulations to the RED team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Here are this week's totals:
1. RED - 97 2. YELLOW - 95 3. BLUE - 90 4. GREEN - 88
Wear a Hat Day - Friday 28th March 2025
Today, both adults and children across the school showed their support for people suffering with brain tumors by wearing a hat to school.
The money raised today goes towards both raising awareness and in helping to fund life-saving treatments.
Many congratulations to Zachary in Year 6 for visiting Mrs Foan an amazing 9 times this year earning himself a Head teacher badge!
We are so proud of you!
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS / Year 1 - Sully Year 3/4 - Emma Year 5 - Shanice Year 6 - Freddie
Congratulations to the GREEN team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Here are this week's totals:
1. GREEN - 95 2. BLUE - 92 3. RED - 90 4. YELLOW - 88
This week the children across the school had a very special and surprise visitor - Izzy the dog!
The wonderful charity 'Pets as Therapy' kindly brought Izzy in to meet the children (and adults!) and provided some well needed nourishment, calm and comfort!
St Joseph's Day : 19.3.25
Today, we celebrated the feast day of St Joseph with a range of creative activities across the school. Father Kieron came into school and joined us this morning to celebrate and honour St Joseph with a Mass.
Joseph was a carpenter so several of our activities were based around woodcrafts. Some were based around the flower associated with St Joseph - the lily. We even had some special St Joseph's biscuits!
Here are a few photos showing how we celebrated St Joseph's Day.
An EGG-citing Easter Challenge!
Time to get creative with Mrs Foan's latest Headteacher challenge!
Click HERE for more details on our creative challenge - decorating an egg / creating an egg character!
All eggs to be in school by Wednesday 2nd April.
Let's get cracking!
Wear a Hat Day - Friday 28th March 2025
On Wear A Hat Day, please choose your favourite hat or get creative and make your own.
Wear it proudly at school next Friday to show your support for brain tumour research.
Many congratulations to Rio in Year 1 for sharing his work with Mrs Foan 3 times, and a double congratulations to Leighton and Donovan, also in Year 1 for sharing their work an amazing 6 times!
We are so proud of you all!
Leighton, Donovan and Rio with their Headteacher certificates and prizes!
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Isabella Year 1/2- Blake Year 3/4 - Ruby W Year 5 - Sihas Year 6 - Brandon
Congratulations to the YELLOW team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Here are this week's totals:
1. YELLOW - 103 2. GREEN - 100 3. RED - 98 4. BLUE - 95
...
Year 6 take their learning outside - 10.3.25
Year 6 had their 4th outdoor learning of the school year and a great day was had by all!
The children loved finding out all about triangles and angles. They also learnt about volcanoes around the world and how to drag forces!
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Reggie Year 1/2- Donovan Year 3/4 - Malchaiyah Year 5 - Anirudh Year 6 - Rhianna
Wow - So many Headteacher stickers this week.....!!!!
Many congratulations to Levy, Sully and Reggie in Reception, Adom, Luke, Elrad and Anara in Year 1, Teddy in Year 2, Emma, Ruby W and Ray in Year 3, Shanice, Floyd and Yousef in Year 5 and Tate, Evie-Rae and Zach in Year 6 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to the BLUE team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Here are this week's totals:
1. BLUE - 104 2. YELLOW - 101 3. GREEN - 98 4. RED - 95
Children throughout the school today celebrated World Book Day in true style!
The day started with a whole school assembly with a costume parade to see each others amazing costumes! It was such a joy to see so many children dressed up as their favourite book characters.
As Mrs Foan had mysteriously disappeared(!), Gangster Granny held the assembly in her place and even awarded head teacher medals to the best dressed from her swag bag!
Each class then participated in book themed activities, including a relaxing book nook, paired reading between children in Year 6 and Year 1, and Year 5 heard how to write an 'edge of your seat thriller' novel via a live webinar session with author Benjamin Dean.
Here are some photos of the day - please see individual class pages for more information.
Many congratulations to Leighton in Year 2, Eliana in Year 4, and Mega, Henry and Theo in Year 6 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
Congratulations also to Sisawo in Year 4 for sharing his work with Mrs Foan 6 times and an extra special congratulations to Skye in Year 3 for sharing her work with Mrs Foan an astonishing 12 times!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Ivy Year 1/2- Joseph Year 3 - Ray Year 4 - Isla T Year 5 - Mr Brown Year 6 - Amelia.V
Congratulations to the RED team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Teams were also awarded bonus points this week for every team member wearing their coloured house badge!
Here are this week's totals:
1. RED - 255 2. GREEN - 249 3. YELLOW - 203 4. BLUE - 198
Wellbeing Club - 25.2.25
Every week at St Joseph's children have the chance to participate in a wellbeing activity at lunchtimes. Each activity is designed to promote children's self awareness and provide them an opportunity to connect with others and express themselves in a safe space.
Activities have ranged from Lego, to drawing through to games and cards. This week the children loved getting messy and using their fingers to paint butterflies!
Many congratulations to Dolce in Reception, Lottie in Year 1 and Eira in Year 4 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Success Year 1- Lottie Year 2 - Coby Year 3 - David Year 4 - Mila Year 5 - Lilly May Year 6 - Zachary
Congratulations to the YELLOW team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week and secured their second win of the half term!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
And congratulations again to the YELLOW team for earning the most Dojo points for the last 6 weeks - all of you were given a very special sticker this morning for your collective achievement!
Here are this week's totals:
1. YELLOW - 104 2. BLUE - 100 3. GREEN - 98 4. RED - 95
Year 6 go back in time and visit an underground air raid shelter - 13.2.25
In keeping with their history topic of World War 2, our Year 6 class visited a reconstructed air raid shelter for an immersive, hands on experience.
They had the chance to look at rare local photos, take a tour of the 1940's style Anderson shelter, bedroom, kitchen and original toilet.
They also took part in a bombing simulation and some very fun dressing up clothes &against a Spitfire backdrop.
‘Who’s Your Rock’ - Community Art Installation workshops - 11.2.25
This week our year 5 and 6 children were lucky enough to participate in a workshop to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone at St Peter's Church.
Led by a visiting artist, children were given the chance to create their own unique tubular piece of artwork by placing a personal ribbon in the centre and then decorating the outside.
The artworks will then come together into one installation piece in St Peter’s Church in the main church space throughout the Easter holidays in 2025.
Calling all singers in Years 4, 5 & 6!
We are delighted to share news of an exciting new choir for young singers - The Brighton Catholic Youth Choir, led by the Diocesan Schools singing programme.
The choir will rehearse each Friday in term-time at St John the Baptist Church, in Kemptown where the children will learn how to sing choral music together to a high standard in preparation for regular liturgical singing in local parishes.
This is a fantastic opportunity for children who love singing to further their musical education and learn skills for life.
It would be wonderful to see some rising stars at St Joseph's represented in the choir.
Please click HERE to download a flyer with more information.
Many congratulations to Bonnie in Reception, Sisawo in Year 4 and Emanuel in Year 5 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
And a double congratulations to Isabella in Reception and Chidera in Year 6 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 6 times!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Axel Year 1- Anara Year 2 - Teddy Year 3 - Olivia Year 4 - Shania Year 5 - Elliot Year 6 - Wiktor
Congratulations to the GREEN team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week and secured their second win of the half term!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. GREEN - 107 2. RED - 104 3. YELLOW - 100 4. BLUE - 98
This week, Years 1, 2 and 3 joined forces for a mega outdoor learning session together - 7.2.25
The focus for this half term is art and so the children loved embracing nature and using it to make lots of different projects. To start the day the children greeted nature and then collected different sized sticks to make rhythms.
They learnt how to make a paintbrush out of leaves and sticks to make some really cool paintings! They then learnt about the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky and used chalk to create their own concentric circle art work. When these were all put together they made a wonderful collage.
Finally, the children used leaves to make their very own crowns!
It was a wonderful day all round, even despite the rain and the hail!
Many congratulations to Teddy in Year 2, Yousef and Jeremiah in Year 5, and Harry and Amelia N in Year 6 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Axel Year 1- Adom Year 3 - King Year 4 - Crina Year 5 - Antonia Year 6 - Harry
Congratulations to the BLUE team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. BLUE - 103 2. GREEN - 100 3. RED - 97 4. YELLOW - 95
Celebrating the Chinese New Year - 29.1.25
Today children across the school took part in various activities to acknowledge the Chinese New Year. The children learnt about Chinese culture and how this special occasion in celebrated.
Our Reception class had a fun go at trying to write their name with special Chinese calligraphy.
In recognition of this year's animal, Year 1 took their hands to making a very cool snake by folding two strips of paper together in a special way.
Year 2 made these amazing lanterns
Year 3 celebrated the Chinese New Year by creating paper snakes. They also celebrated the Lunar New Year by making their very own folding cards to gift to friends and family.
Year 4 also embraced The Year of the Snake and made these phenomenal hanging crafts.
Many congratulations to Blake in Year 2, Sihas in Year 4, and Maisie and Zachery in Year 6 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's STARS of the week!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Darcie Year 1- Elrad Year 2 - Halle Year 3 - Anna Year 4 - Sisawo Year 5 - George
Congratulations to the YELLOW team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. YELLOW - 107 2. BLUE - 100 3. GREEN - 98 4. RED - 95
Children across the school have a 'scale' of a time - 21.1.25
This week, children had a wonderful opportunity to meet and touch some exotic creatures through visiting local company Reptylers.
The children were able to learn more about the habitats, characteristics, diet and adaptations of many reptiles, and even had the chance to touch and hold some!
It was a very exciting day and a wonderful complement to each class's science curriculum.
(Some of the staff couldn't resist joining in too!)
For more pictures please visit each class page.
Many congratulations to Malchaiyah and Skye in Year 3 and Evie- Rae, Alpha, Zayden and Wiktor in Year 6 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's first STARS!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Levy Year 1- Ronnie Year 2 - Blake Year 3 - Arlo Year 4 - Eira Year 5 - Jeremiah Year 6 - Theo
Congratulations to the RED team who accumulated the most Dojo points this week!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. RED - 117 2. YELLOW - 110 3. BLUE - 108 4. GREEN - 105
Year 4 take their learning outside the classroom - 13.1.25
Our Year 4 class were the first to brave the winter weather with their first outdoor learning of the year.
The children began the day by testing their multiplication facts during a times tables scavenger hunt, finding the answers to multiplication and division questions hidden in the outside space. They then competed in teams in races, multiplying together numbers rolled on dice to determine how many steps they could take.
After break, a wonderful discussion took place about the changes of nature and how it looks different in other seasons; the children decided the the 'icy, dark, dull' surroundings could be brightened up.
The Year 4's then searched the space for crunchy leaves that could be compared to feathers and then cut and painted them to look as if tropical birds had flown around the school.
Finally, to end the day, they went on a nature walk to observe the features of birds and pupils then sketched and painted their own, adding the leaf feathers they had made earlier.
Many congratulations to Ivy in Reception and Coby in Year 2 for sharing their work with Mrs Foan 3 times already!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's first STARS of 2025!
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Isabella Year 1- Rio Year 2 - Coby Year 3 - Arlo Year 4 - Isla Year 5 - George Year 6 - Henry
Congratulations to the GREEN team who are the first winners of 2025!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. GREEN - 110 2. RED - 108 3. YELLOW - 107 4. BLUE - 80
A Stunning Start to a brand new term
To launch our History and Geography themes each term, the teachers plan a "Stunning Start" to ignite the children's interest in the current learning theme through a rich and creative experience!
Here are some of the exciting lessons that took place in school this week...
Children in Year 1 found a mysterious block of ice that had come all the way from the North Pole in preparation for their new topic Poles Apart. They discovered a note inside the ice from an Inuit asking for their help in making an igloo!
Year 2 had a wonderful afternoon sampling different types of Indian cuisine for their new topic Indian Spice.
Mrs Foan and Mrs Skinner simply couldn't resist joining in tasting the delicious food!
Year 4 had an "around the world tasting session" as an introduction to their theme, The World's Kitchen sampling different foods such as feta cheese, guacamole, pineapple and falafel and trying to work out which country they came from.
For more photos of other Spring Stunning Starts please visit class pages.
All the staff here at St Joseph's would like to wish everyone in our whole school community a very happy new year.
We hope that this year brings you and your families good health, happiness and prosperity.
May your year be filled with the blessings of the Lord, and may He guide you every step of the way.
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Bella Year 1- Albie Year 2 - Kiedis and George Year 3 - Leon Year 4 - Tealaa Year 5 - Scarlett Year 6 - Emelia
Congratulations to the BLUE team who are this weeks winners!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. BLUE- 160 2. RED - 150 3. YELLOW - 132 4. GREEN - 130
And a very special congratulations to the RED team who were this terms overall winners with 1,128 Dojos!!
Carols at Linfield Court - 19.12.24
Today our Year 3 students visited a retirement home in our local community to share some festive spirit and sing them some carols.
The residents enjoyed the joy and love shared through the children's singing and treated them all a cake, some hot chocolate and a goodie bag!
Key Stage 2 Advent Carol Concert Preparation
Our older children have been busy learning songs for the annual Advent carol service that takes place at St Joseph's Church this evening.
This morning, children visited for a dress rehearsal for their final preparations before tonight's service!
We are all so excited to watch you perform- we are so proud of you already!
Brighton Bingo Reward Day - 18.12.24
Children across the school have been encouraged to think about the world around them and and the different ways that they can reduce their carbon footprint.
They have been challenged through our Brighton Bingo to embrace nature and complete different tasks such as: drawing a seagull, find different types of trees, go bird spotting and being mindful of the different sounds they hear in nature.
Today, the children who had participated were treated to an fun activity where they up-cycled some old fizzy drinks bottles and made them into Christmas lanterns.
Carols in the Community: 16.12.24
On Monday, our Year 4 class went across the road to Grove Park to sing some Christmas carols to the residents there.
It was a lovely opportunity for the different generations to come together and for our pupils to share some festive joy locally.
The children were delighted to receive a drink and a cup cake at the end of their visit.
Nativity - The Bethlehem Bake-Off
Our EYFS class and KS1 classes had a final dress rehearsal today with the whole school as their audience! This is in preparation for their performances to parents and carers on Tuesday and Thursday.
The children have been rehearsing over the last few weeks and it is lovely to finally see the finished performance of:
"Bethlehem Bake Off."
The singing, dancing, acting and speaking were all amazing.
If you have a child performing in this year's Nativity and would like to come and watch please call the school office to reserve your space!
Christmas Fair: 14.12.24
This years fair brought together our whole school community for fun, games, foods and laugher!
In the build up towards the fair, children have been busy getting creative preparing for this year's Christmas Fair. The FOSJ's lent each class £20 to invest wisely on prizes or craft materials for their stall. All profits go to the class and they decide how or where to spend it.
This has provided an excellent opportunity for a mini enterprising project and it was interesting to see each class's ideas.
Stalls included: face painting, lucky dips, a hanging challenge, a teddy tombola, baked goods, frozen treats, hot beverages and lots more!
Many congratulations to Anara in Year 1 for sharing her wonderful work with Mrs Foan 3 times this year.
Double congratulations to RJ and Freddie who have shared their work with Mrs Foan 6 times this year!
We are so proud of you all
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Bonnie Year 1- Elza Year 3 - Harry Year 4 - CJ Year 5 - Mykie Year 6 - Mega Lok Yin
Congratulations to the GREEN team who are this weeks winners!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. GREEN - 151 2. YELLOW - 145 3. BLUE - 140 4. RED - 137
Christmas Lunch Day - 11.12.24
Today was our school Christmas lunch day! Everyone came into school wearing a Christmas jumper and other festive attire. We had a delicious roast dinner followed by ice-cream and a special festive cookie. We had party hats and sang along to Christmas songs.
Thank you to Colette and Lauren for preparing such a lovely lunch for us.
Year 1 Bikeability Training
This week it's Year 1' turn to have balance bike training provided by Brighton and Hove city council. The children learn to engage their stomach muscles in order to maintain balance on these bikes in order to prepare them to use pedals.
The children were fitted with helmets and given safety advice before being challenged to maneuver the bike around a variety of obstacles!
Santa Dash - 6.12.24
The School Games National Santa Dash returns for another fun-filled day of festive fun today!
It is great to be part of this event, which over 80, 000 youngsters took part in last year!
Mrs Azor-Day set up a simple obstacle course around the playground to make the St Joseph's Santa Dash even more fun!
It was lovely to see the enthusiasm with which the children (and staff) took part!
Wishing Tree - 5.12.24
In preparation for yesterday's Consultation Evening, children added a ribbon to a tree at the front of the school, to show support in our well wishes for the longevity of our wonderful school.
Never before has there been an outpouring of love for our school and our strap line 'Hope, Faith and Love' echoes strong throughout our community.
Wow! There are so many Headteacher certificates this week with 20 children earning a special award for sharing their wonderful work with Mrs Foan 3 times!
Congratulations to:
Aariah and Isabella in Reception, Donovan, Bryn, Zenita and Kaelan in Year 1, Halle, Coby, George and Lyla in Year 2, Olivia in Year 3, Kira and Harvey in Year 4, Favour, Anirudh, Nirvana, Yousef, Jeremiah and John in Year 5 and Chidera in Year 6.
What an achievement - we are so proud of you all!
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Sianna Year 1- Lucus Year 2 - RJ Year 3 - Delilah Year 4 - Lily-May Year 5 - Sonny Year 6 - Ameera
Congratulations to the BLUE team who are this weeks winners!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. BLUE - 152 2. GREEN - 148 3. RED - 130 4. YELLOW - 122
Christmas Kindness - 4.12.24
A very kind member of our community generously donated some Christmas trees to us to boost festive spirit. These now proudly stand outside our main entrance and in the hall.
Children were asked to bring in some decorations to add some sparkle to the trees!
It's now definitely beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!
Headteacher Christmas Challenge - The Entries
Thank you to all of the children who entered Mrs Foan's special design a star challenge!
So many children got creative and designed a star that depicted the nativity story.
!
Headteacher Christmas Challenge - The Winners!
Many congratulations to our winners: Isabella, Lea, Olivia, Leon, Crina ,Lily-Mae, Yousef and Tiana - your stars are now on proud display in the school's main office.
Save our School March - 30.11.24
Around 100 members of our school community came together on Saturday to march through the streets of Brighton. The march started at 10am at school and finished around noon at the Old Stein.
It was a joyous moment to see staff, parents, children and governors unite in a bid to make their voices heard and to let all of Brighton know the current situation here at St Joseph's.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone that took the time to march with us on Saturday - it will be a moment that we will never forget.
For Year 1's second outdoor learning of the year, they embraced the natural world and focused on their senses.
They started the day by greeting nature and then had a textures guessing game in pairs; one person had to close their eyes whilst their partner gave them an object from nature. They then had to use their senses of touch and smell to guess what the item was.
After playtime, the children loved using natural materials to make their own musical instruments, which they then used to practice some of the songs from our upcoming nativity production. After that, the children had some free time to use the mud kitchen, and make some chalk drawings.
After lunch, it was all about the wind! The children made kites simply using a paper plate and a wooden doweling - they had a great time exploring the wind and the different directions that it travelled!
Finally, they enjoyed a delicious cup of hot chocolate donned with marshmallows!
More pictures on the Year 1 page
Many congratulations to Lea, Zara, Ronnie-Rose, Elrad, and Luke in Year 1, Teddy, RJ, George and Enzo in Year 2, Arlo and Leon in Year 3 and Amelia and Tiana in Year 6 who have shared their amazing work with Mrs Foan three times during the this school year.
And a double congratulations to Skye and Malchaiyah in Year 3 who have visited Mrs Foan 6 times this year!
What an achievement - we are so proud of you all!
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Aariyah Year 1- Zenita Year 2 - Olivia Year 3 - Skye Year 4 - Isla B Year 5 - Thomas Year 6 - Evie-Rose
This week is a double week with Dojos rolled over - so many congratulations to the YELLOW team who are this weeks winners who pipped the blue team to the post by only 4 points!
Here are this week's totals:
1. YELLOW - 304 2. BLUE - 300 3. GREEN - 290 4. RED - 285
Save Our School Posters
Some of our children have channeled their emotions of the sad news of our possible school closure in designing and making these wonderful posters.
Thank you so much - it means the world to us all!
Year 5 make clay pots - 26.11.24
As part of their history topic on ancient Greece, this week Year 5 embraced their creative flair and made some Greek inspired pinch pots.
They then enjoyed painting them with traditional Greek designs.
Our Choir's Church Performance - 24.11.24
On Sunday, our choir sang at St Joseph's church during the 'Christ the King' feast. They beautifully sang Christus Vincit during the Holy communion.
At the end of the Mass, they were given a rapturous round of applause.
As a treat, the next day in assembly the children were given the special task of helping Mrs Foan make a Christmas Pudding following the Victorian traditions Stir-up Sunday is associated with Christ the King. They all agreed that it was delicious!
Year 4 visit the Brighton Museum - 20.11.24
As part of their History theme, "Roman Rule," Year 4 visited Brighton Museum to uncover the story of Brighton during the Roman period.
The children had the opportunities to investigate life in Roman Brighton , investigate the death of a local woman, uncover what life was like before the Romans and get to see some Roman artefacts up close.
Inspired by current school events, a group of our talented Year 6 students came together and wrote this wonderful acrostic poem:
Year 2 visit to Stanmer Park - 15.11.24
Our Year 2 class took their learning not only outside the classroom, but outside of the school on an adventurous trip to Stanmer Park.
The children loved looking for signs of autumn, most notably in the bountiful leaves that had dropped off the trees.
They also enjoyed taking part in some craft activities before working off their lunch in the adventure playground.
For more pictures please visit the Year 2 page
At St Joseph’s, we are proud to support Children in Need again this year. This Friday, the children came into school wearing spots or Pudsey attire.
By working together, we know we CAN make a huge difference at a time when it’s needed the most. As a school, we are pledging to support this charity and, in a small way, help make a difference to young lives.
Thank you for showing your support by wearing spots and for your generous donations to this cause.
Year 3 Farm Trip to Ovingdean - 14.11.24
To complement their learning of the Stone Age, this week our Year 3 class visited the farm. The children have been learning about the cultural importance of farming as a primary source of food during the stone age. They also had the chance to learn more about the animals, in particular how to raise a chicken!
The children loved being in nature and surrounded by lots of wonderful animals!
Congratulations to Adam, RJ and Enzo in Year 2, Scarlett in Year 5 and Luca in Year 6 who have shared their amazing work with Mrs Foan three times during the this school year.
What an achievement - we are so proud of you all!
Congratulations to the RED team who are this weeks winners!
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. RED - 154 2. YELLOW - 143 3. BLUE - 140 4. GREEN - 135
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Aariyah Year 1- Khamari Year 3 - Ethan Year 4 - Eliana Year 5 - Sylvia Year 6 - Frazer
Cross Country: 14.11.24
This afternoon, we took a brave squad of Cross-Country runners from Years 5 and 6 to a sunny, but very windy Waterhall!
We were very proud of all of our competitors - there were over 350 children in each race! Every one of our children completed the course - a great achievement by each and every one of you.
The children demonstrated great determination, perseverance, team spirit and resilience.
Many congratulations to Sylvia for placing in the top 100 of her race - We were so proud of you all!
Remembrance Day: 11.11.24
On Monday, we came together as a school family for a special Remembrance Day Assembly. We stood together for a 2 minute silence and also had time during the assembly for reflection.
All children were given a very special sticker that says 'at St Joseph's Catholic Primary we will remember 2024.
Children then enjoyed some other activities in their classroom including making their own poppies.
Anti-Bullying Week 2024 takes place this week. This week's theme is "Choose Respect"
To launch Anti-Bullying Week at St Joseph's, we are taking part in "Odd Socks Day"- celebrating that we are all different and unique- and sharing the core values that Anti-Bullying Week promotes.
Year 4 Outdoor Learning: 8.11.24
Year 4 enjoyed some glorious sunshine for their second outdoor learning of the term.
They began their day by collecting different types of leaves to make their very own 'leaf kebab.' They then learnt how to enhance their listening skills by wearing a blindfold and guided a partner around the outside area.
After lunch they embraced their artistic side by using different materials to create an image of nature.
Reception Bonfire Night - 7.11.24
To complement the children's learning about day and night, our reception class had a cozy bonfire to experience what it feels like to be outside in the nighttime.
The children heard lots of interesting new sounds and kept themselves warm with a cup of hot chocolate and a toasted marshmallow!
Congratulations to Danny, Olivia and Kiedis in Year 2, and Anna and Malchaiyah in Year 3, who have shared their amazing work with Mrs Foan three times during the this school year.
What an achievement - we are so proud of you all!
Congratulations to the GREEN team who are our first winners of this second part of the Autumn term.
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. GREEN - 272 2. RED - 267 3. YELLOW - 249 4. BLUE - 227
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Reggie Year 1- Zara Year 2 - Teddy Year 3 - Arlo Year 4 - Honey Year 5 - Frankie Year 6 - Zayden
Headteacher Challenge - Christmas 2024
This term's Headteacher challenge is to decorate a Christmas star
Children have been provided with a template of a star for them to decorate with images of the Nativity for this Christmas.
Ideas could include: carol singers, stars, candles, angels, nativity scene or characters
You may print off a template by clicking HERE
Designs to be handed to Mrs Foan by Friday 29th November 2024
Power Projects from the Half Term
It has been lovely to see the activities the children have been taking part in at home, linked to their History and Geography learning in school.
Year 1 got creative making sock puppets for their topic of Toys; Year 3 created this fantastic survival kit showing different types of shelters whilst Year 4 wrote some letters about what it might feel like to live during the Roman Reign.
Please keep sending them in via the myhomework email address
Reception Class work on their balance - 8.11.24
This week, our Reception class took part in balance bike training run by Brighton and Hove city council.
The program trains children to develop balance and control skills in preparation for learning to cycle. The children enjoyed being 'fitted' for their crash helmet before learning how to keep their balance.
Congratulations to Coby in Year 2 and Anna in Year 3 who have shared their amazing work with Mrs Foan three times during the last seven weeks! What an achievement - we are so proud of you both!
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Ivy Year 1- Kaelan Year 2 - Penelope Year 3 - Prince Year 4 - Ivy Year 5 - Darcey Year 6 - Chidera
A very well done to all children for their hard work in showing that they are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE
Here are this week's totals:
1. RED - 183 2. YELLOW - 174 3. BLUE - 170 4. GREEN - 165
Year 5 and 6 take their learning outside the classroom
To bring the first part of the Autumn term to a close, Years 5 and 5 had their turn for outdoor learning.
The children participated in a variety of activities including team building games.
Year 6 also learnt how to create a perfect circle with chalk and how to use angles to make turns on a compass. After lunch, they had time to create natural art in the style of Andy Goldsworthy and how to be safe around outdoor fires with Miss Cross.
French Culture Week: WB 21.10.24
This week is French Culture Week. Children in Key Stage 2 have been learning about French artists and their works.
Children in Year 6 chose a piece of art work from Claude Monet or Paul Cezanne or Henri Matisse and created their own piece based on or inspired by the artwork.
Here are a few pictures:
Celebrating Black History Month : 23.10.24
This morning, our whole school community came together to celebrate Black History Month.
Each class had been busy learning about a famous black person from both the past and present and shared their learning with the rest of the school. It was a glorious opportunity where we shared, honoured, and understood the impact of black heritage and culture.
Children shared artwork, stories, poems and songs.
People celebrated in this morning's assembly included: Lewis Hamilton, Rosa Parks, Walter Tull, Nelson Mandella, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Usain Bolt, Harriet Taubman, Marcus Rashford and Lewis Hamilton.
Harvest Deanery Mass : 22.10.24
To celebrate Harvest season, some of our pupils from Year 6 were fortunate enough to attend a Deanery Harvest Mass at Cardinal Newman school.
In preparation for this children were asked to produce a piece of artwork for a collaborative harvest display in addition to helping with reading.
It was a wonderful opportunity for our family of schools to come together and celebrate the fruits of the Lord.
David Fuller Author Visit : 21.10.24
This week, the children in Key Stage 2 had the opportunity to meet children's author and publisher David Fuller.
After an assembly where he spoke about the writing process and how to edit, the children got to partake in a class based workshop and ask more specific questions.
The children loved hearing more about his journey and definitely inspired some of our budding authors.
Year 1 Trip : 18.10.24
As part of their History learning, Year 1 have been out to visit Hove Toy Museum , putting some of their classroom learning about toys from the past into context.
The children took part in a workshop and got to see a range of toys from the past including Victorian dolls and old teddy bears. They learnt about toys children would have made themselves and played with in the street.
They also had a hands-on session playing with toys that were used by the Vallance family who used to live on the property where the museum now stands. Finally, the children visited The Wizard's Attic and the brand new Mechanical Circus exhibition.
After their visit, they had a picnic lunch in the glorious October sunshine before returning to school.
More pictures and information are on the Year 1 page.
Congratulations to Jaachi, Skye and Floyd who have shared their amazing work with Mrs Foan three times during the last seven weeks! What an achievement - we are so proud of you all!
Congratulations to this week's STARS. We are very proud of each and every one of you.
EYFS: Dara Year 1: Ronnie -Rose Year 2: Halle Year 3: Anna Year 4: Kira Year 5: Nirvana Year 6: Alpha
The DOJO totals are extremely close this week..... with only 16 DOJOS difference between all four teams! Well done to the BLUE team who just pipped the other teams to the post and were this week's top DOJO collectors.
1. BLUE - 201 2. GREEN - 198 3. RED - 187 4. YELLOW - 185
Harvest Festival - 15.10.24
This week, the whole school gathered together for a special harvest season assembly.
In keeping with the school's ethos of generosity and reaching out to our local community, both students and staff kindly brought in items to be donated to local food banks. These foodbanks provide essential support to families and individuals facing challenging times and we are so thankful that we can help them at this time of year.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this years harvest collection.
Congratulations to this week's STARS.
It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
Well done to:
EYFS - Willow Year 1- Lea Year 2 - Leighton Year 3 - Dylan Year 4 - Shania Year 5 - Favour Year 6 - Luca
DOJO POINTS - Week ending 11.10.24
The children receive DOJOS when they demonstrate our three key behaviours, "BE Ready. Be Respectful. Be Safe."
Well done to the GREEN team - this week's top DOJO collectors!
2. GREEN - 324 2. BLUE- 320 3. YELLOW - 317 4. RED- 302
Year 2's go back in time on their school trip - 9.10.24
To complement their history topic about 'Pioneers' the children in Year 2 had the chance to go back in history and experience what life was like in the Victorian era by taking part in a workshop run by Preston Manor.
After that, they took a visit to Preston Park to discover how parks changed people’s lifestyles back then and compared life in the Victorian times to nowadays.
Check out the Year 2 page for more photos
This week, the children in Reception were lucky to meet author Sophie Bresnahan.
The children loved hearing her read out loud her book : The Mouse and The Mushroom Blooms. They then immersed themselves in the story through learning how to draw creative illustrations and some colouring sheets.
We were keen to buy our own copies of her book!
Today the children in Year 1 had their first outdoor learning day of the school year and what a fun and busy day it was! The sun was out in full force today and made for some wonderful outdoor activities.
The children enjoyed exploring the nature area and looked for objects that were of different textures, including rough, shiny, smooth and sticky. They then had fun creating some transient art, inspired by the artwork of Andy Goldsworthy, and getting messy in the mud kitchen.
After lunch they learnt more about their topic of toys and were challenged to make an old fashioned pully toy. To finish the day they played some team building games before enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
Here are a few photos. Have a look on the Year 1 page to see more!
We have two weeks of DOJO points in this week's totals. The children receive DOJOS when they demonstrate our three key behaviours, "BE Ready. Be Respectful. Be Safe."
Well done to the YELLOW team - this week's top DOJO collectors!
1. YELLOW - 312 2. GREEN - 308 3. RED - 301 4. BLUE - 299
Congratulations to this week's STARS. It is always lovely to celebrate with you and your family and friends and to hear what your teachers have to say about you.
It was lovely to welcome our EYFS Class in to their first Celebration Assembly today and to have our very first EYFS star!
Well done to:
EYFS - Dolce Year 1- Luke Year 2 - Enzo Year 3 - Jaachi Year 4 - Hannah Year 5 - Archie Year 6 - Tiana
Celebrating the Jewish New Year : 2-3rd October 2024
This week, children throughout the school heard all about the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanna in an assembly led by Mr Fishman. They learnt about some of the rituals of how Jewish people commemorate the coming of a new year, including it being a time for prayer and reflection and throwing their 'sins' away into flowing water.
They learnt about special foods that are eaten around this holiday, most significantly apple and honey - to symbolize having a 'sweet' and healthy new year whilst acknowledging the coming of harvest season.
Wishing all of our Jewish families and friends a 'Shana Tova'
Grandparents Day : 27.9.24
Today, we celebrated Grandparents' Day in school. Grandparents (and honorary Grandparents) were invited into classes to spend some time on an activity with their grandchildren - these included Art, Drama, Bingo and lots more!
It is always lovely to see the wonderful connections between the generations. Today, provided an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic contribution our Grandparents make to our lives.
What an amazing turnout! Thank you to all the Grandparents who were able to join us today. Those Grandparents who were not able to join us were very much in our thoughts.
Welcome Mass: 27.9.24
This morning we celebrated Mass with Father Kieron. It was wonderful to come together as a whole school for such a special occasion - to welcome our new Reception children and their families into our St Joseph's family.
Thank you children for your contributions in reading and singing. Our new Reception Class received a special keepsake each and were formally and spiritually welcomed into our school community.
Welcome to all of our new families too. We look forward to working together over the next few years.
Thank you to all of the parents and carers who came along to join us this morning for the Welcome Mass and for coffee and biscuits afterwards.
We are proud to be supporting MacMillan's "World's Biggest Coffee Morning," today, raising funds to support those affected by cancer.
Tying in our grandparents visit with an invitation to join us for a "cuppa and a cake" at 2.30 p.m. we were delighted by the response!
Thank you for your generous cake contributions and for supporting today's event. All donations will go to MacMillan and our support will help those living with cancer.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised an amazing £250!
Governors' Day : 27.9.24
Friday was a very busy day in school! We were delighted to welcome some of our Governors into school. We are very fortunate for our School Governors' support and the time they invest into our school.
The Governors spent the day taking part in the lessons and seeing our wonderful school in action as well as being part of the Welcome Mass, MacMillan Fundraiser and Grandparents activities!
Outdoor Learning : 24.9.24
Year 2 had their first outdoor learning session today and the dismal, grey conditions did not dampen their enthusiasm!
Here are a few photos. Have a look on the Year 2 page to find out more about what they did.
BikeAbility Fix : 23.9.24
This week, some of our Year 5 and 6 pupils have been learning how to maintain their bikes through some BikeAbility Fix sessions.
Bikeability Fix sessions teach trainees how to perform basic maintenance to their bikes such as changing a flat tyre. The children were able to work on their own bikes or school bikes, providing them with lots of practical hands-on experience.
The DOJO totals were very close this week with the RED team being this week's top DOJO collectors!
Well done to the RED team for collecting many DOJOS for demonstrating our key principles of "Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe.".
1. RED - 216 2. YELLOW - 212 3. BLUE - 209 4. GREEN - 203
Congratulations to this week's STARS. As always, it is lovely to hear what your teachers have to say about you in Celebration Assembly.
Year 1: Bryn Year 2 : Adam Year 3 : Ruby D Year 4 : Isla Year 5: Emanuel Year 6: John
Outdoor Learning: 19.9.25
Year 3 were again fortunate with the weather today for their first outdoor leaning day of this academic year.
Again, the theme was based around team work using the natural environment. Have a look on the Year 3 page for more photos.
Back in May last year, each child planted their own tomato seeds and took home a tiny pot of tomato seedlings. It is lovely to see how you have looked after your seedlings and nurtured them until they have produced tomatoes.
These pictures show Bryn's tomato plants, some of which are now over 6 foot tall! Well done Bryn!
Outdoor Learning: 13.9.24
Year 4 were our first class to take part in an outdoor learning day this year, and they were lucky with the weather.
This term's whole school theme is team work and the children took part in several activities that required team work skills and cooperation including the egg drop challenge!
Have a look on the Year 4 page for more pictures.
It has been lovely walking around the school and seeing the children so engaged in their new classes, demonstrating positive learning behaviours during this first two weeks back and collecting lots of DOJOS!
Here are the results for the first two weeks back:
1. BLUE - 194 2. RED - 189 3. GREEN - 186 4. YELLOW - 183
Congratulations to our first STARS of this academic year. It was lovely to celebrate with you and hear the wonderful things your teachers had to say about you after just two weeks back at school!
Year 1 - Aris Year 2 - Lyla-Mae Year 3 - Emma Year 4 - Mila Year 5 - Sindy Year 6 - Maisie
Stunning Starts!
It has been lovely to see the excitement as each class's theme has been revealed through a "Stunning Start" this week.
As an introduction to their new topic on "Toys," Year 1 had a teddy bears picnic, bringing in their favourite teddy bear to join in with the party and teddy themed games.
As an introduction to their History learning based around Victorian Schooling, Year 2 had a go at writing using ink and a quill!
Dressed in Roman attire, the children in Year 4 worked in groups to create "Roman Roads" by following a series of instructions. The tasks required good teamwork skills and the final solution revealed the topic title for Year 4 - "ROMAN RULE."
Dressed as stone-age people, Year 3 used their hands and natural objects in our outdoor area to make stone-age dwellings and tools.
Year 6 came into school in Mexican attire or wearing clothes in the colour of the Mexican Flag and were introduced to their theme "Mexico and the Mayans" with some activities including food tasting and a Pinata!
Have a look on each class page for more photos.
Language of the half term
At St Joseph's School, we are proud of our diversity and the vast number of languages spoken by our families.
At St Joseph's, every half term, we celebrate the languages besides English which are spoken at home by some of our pupils.
Each half term, we try to learn a few useful phrases and words, to answer the register and say "please" and "thank you" and "hello" and "goodbye" in our chosen language. The child/children who speak the chosen language will help their classmates learn the correct pronunciation and will share picture books written in their home language as well as in English.
These are the languages for this half term:
Year 1 - Polish Year 2 - French Year 3 - Portuguese Year 4 - Cantonese Year 5 - Greek Year 6 - Cantonese
Education Sunday : 8.9.24
Today is Education Sunday and it was lovely to see our pupils (looking very smart in their school uniform) and their families, in church as part of our local community.
The children read the bidding prayers clearly and sang our St Joseph's School song beautifully. Their behaviour and contributions to the service were commented on by several parishioners.
Coming together today on Education Sunday was a reminder to all members of the Catholic community of the importance of education to the Catholic mission. Holy Mass on Education Sunday is a wonderful opportunity for churches and parishes to
celebrate Catholic schools.
Thank you to those children and their families who joined us and to the school staff who came too.
Just before the Summer Break, Miss Cross gave every child a poster to help them identify the diverse array of butterfly species that we have in the UK and the children were encouraged to take part in the "Big Butterfly Count"
Skye has sent in lots of photos showing the different butterflies she had spotted locally.
Well done Skye for contributing to the Big Butterfly Count- the information you provided will help our experts understand how some of our butterflies and day-flying moths are doing, and how we can help protect them for the future.
Back in May, each child planted some tomato seeds and took their little plants home to nurture and harvest during the summer.
It was lovely to see how much the plants had grown and the fruits of Lea and Ronnie's efforts!
How rewarding to grow and then enjoy your own produce!
Stunning Starts!
As we head towards the end of the first week of term, it is lovely to see the children so settled and engaged in their learning.
Some classes have been introduced to their History or Geography based topic through a theme launch and topic tables have been set up with books and artefacts for the children to explore. The other classes have this to look forward to next week.
As part of their History and Geography learning "Greece Lightning" Year 5 came to school dressed as Ancient Greeks, took part in some Greek related activities and sampled some Greek food such as feta, olives and pitta bread with tzatziki.
Welcome back to another exciting new school year at St Joseph's. The children have settled back in exceptionally well and are looking smart in their uniforms.
Thank you for making sure the children were in school, ready to learn for our new start time of 8.40 a.m.
A warm welcome to all of our children and their families, but especially to those children who have just joined the St Joseph's family - the children in the Reception Class and a few other children across the school. We are delighted you have chosen to join us here and we look forward to getting to know you and your families over the coming weeks.
Thank you generally to all of our wonderful parents and carers for your kind messages, cards and gifts. We have really appreciated your support this year. Have a wonderful summer break and we look forward to working with you again in September.
We look forward to welcoming the children back on Tuesday 3rd September 2024
We were delighted to be informed today that St Joseph's has achieved the Gold School Games Mark award for our commitment, engagement in the School Games for 2023/24.
In the afternoon, they had the traditional shirt signing and they finished the day with our traditional St Joseph's "Farewell Tunnel" send off in the playground.
Year 6 - We will never forget you! Keep in touch and let us know how you get on in the future. Good Luck!
Top Team Treat : 19.7.24
It is lovely to see how excited the children get in Celebration Assembly when the team who have been awarded the most DOJOS is announced.
The half termly totals have been pretty evenly spread this year with RED and BLUE winning one half term each and GREEN and YELLOW winning two.
The overall points for the year were added together and the YELLOW team with the most, are this year's top DOJO collectors!
They enjoyed a refreshing ice lolly treat today. Well done to everyone in the YELLOW team for contributing to your winning total!
Goodbye Year 6 : 19.7.24
Our Year 6 pupils had a lovely final day at St Joseph's. They started off the day with the Leavers' Achievers' assembly and an opportunity to take a walk together down memory lane, recounting their many shared memories and reflections.
The end of year awards were then given out - congratulations to each and every one of the Year 6 pupils - you are ALL winners in our eyes.
Here are a few of this year's awards and their recipients:
Finn - Sports Award, Julian - Outstanding role-model and Personality (voted by class), Lily-Jo - Head Teacher's Award, Alicia - Outstanding Effort and Ibiye - R.E. and Living Out The Ethos Award.
Attendance Treat: 18.7.24
We are delighted to have had 10 children in school EVERY SINGLE DAY since 4th September. What an amazing achievement!
To celebrate, we took these ten children to Preston Park this afternoon where they enjoyed some time in the play area and an ice lolly.
We understand that from time to time children do become ill and this can't be helped but we had to acknowledge the 190 days these ten children have managed this year!
Leavers' Mass: 18.7.24
Today, was the beginning of our week of goodbyes to our Year 6 pupils and we were joined by Father Kieron to celebrate our Year 6 thanksgiving Leavers' Mass.
Our school year is drawing to its conclusion and so this morning we gathered together as a school community to celebrate and give thanks for all the blessings we have received.
Today's Leavers' Mass was a time for reflection by our Year 6 pupils, both to remember and to look forward to new schools, new friends and new beginnings.
Year 6 Prom : 17.7.24
This evening was our Year 6 Leaver's Prom. Thank you to the FOSJ's for organising this event. The school hall looked amazing as did the children in Year 6!
The children enjoyed party food, karaoke, dancing and had a wonderful evening together: another lasting memory of their time at St Joseph's.
Summer Offer
Please click HERE for information from the School's Mental Health Service detailing Summer Holiday Support available.
100% Attendance
As we start the final week of this school year, we are delighted to announce that 10 children have 100% attendance for this academic year - being in school every single day since September 4th 2023!
This is such a great achievement that these children will be having a treat on Thursday afternoon. They will also receive a special medal and a certificate.
We also have 23 children who have 100% attendance for the entire Summer Term. These children will receive a sticker and a treat in Wednesday's assembly.
Attendance remains a key priority at St Joseph's - thank you for your ongoing support with this.
First Holy Communions: 15.7.24
Congratulations to the children who have made their first Holy Communions recently. Thank you for sharing these pictures of your special and momentous occasion with us.
On Monday, in school, the children wore their special outfits and we celebrated their First Holy Communions in assembly as a school family. The children invited a couple of friends and family members to share in the Communion Breakfast celebrations afterwards.
A Taste of Spain!
As you know, our KS2 pupils study French. Each half term, they study an aspect of French culture as well as learning key phrases and simple conversational French.
In the final two weeks of term, our KS2 pupils have had a taste of Spain - learning about the location of Spain, its currency, its well-known landmarks and exploring Spanish art alongside learning some key words and phrases in Spanish.
They also sampled some Spanish food including tortilla (Spanish omelette), chorizo, Manchego cheese, olives and churros.
Summer Party: 12.7.24
Today, we held our annual Summer Party, organised by the FOSJ's. The dark clouds did not deter us!
We are very grateful to Sheree and the FOSJ's team for their hard work and dedication in helping raise funds to support and enhance our pupils' school experience. Without their help and enthusiasm, these events would not be able to take place and we would not be able to raise vital funds for the school.
Thank you also to the staff for helping run the stalls and to the parents, carers, pupils, families and friends for coming along to support our Summer Party. It was another fantastic community event.
Congratulations to these children who have received a Head Teacher certificate or pencil or badge in today's Celebration Assembly:
Well done: Lottie (EYFS) Emma, Mark, Ella, Ray, Mal, King and Skye (Year 2)
This is the last week of collecting DOJOS for the academic year - children , you having been amazing this year and it has been lovely to see you receiving DOJOS for demonstrating positive learning behaviours.
These are the final results for this week and the winners for the half-term and the overall winners for the year!
1. YELLOW - 252 2. BLUE - 248 3. GREEN - 244 4. RED - 239
Summer 2 Champions: YELLOW
Top DOJO collectors for the year: GREEN and YELLOW. There will be a tie break to decide the overall winners.
Children in the winning house will receive a treat next week.
Congratulations to our final STARS of this academic year - there will be no Celebration Assembly next week as we have our Leavers' Achievers' Assembly.
We are very proud of all of this week's STARS and look forward to celebrating your individual successes again in September.
EYFS: Kaelen Year 1: Mina Year 2: Rosie Year 3: Shing Him Year 4: Sihas Year 5: Zayden Year 6: Scarlett
Year 5 Trip: 10.7.24
Year 5 were invited to Patcham High School today to see their annual production of "We Will Rock You"- a musical extravaganza. The children thoroughly enjoyed the show.
We really appreciate Patcham High School inviting us and other local primary schools to see their productions.
Celebrating Learning: 11.7.24
It has been lovely to invite parents and carers in to school during these last two weeks of term, so that each class can share and celebrate different aspects of their learning with friends and family.
The fashion show celebrating "The World's Kitchen" theme was fantastic! The dishes were SO creative - with pizza and pasta from Italy, sushi from Japan and croissants, baguettes from France and even Turkish Delight from Turkey!
Thank you parents and carers for coming in this week and for your on-going support.
Have a look on each class page for photos of their performance to parents.
KS2 Sports: 10.7.24
This afternoon, our KS2 pupils had their Sports Day. It was lovely to see so many of our positive learning behavious demonstrated such as determination, resilience and good sportsmanship, as well as skill and competitiveness.
Congratulations to the BLUE team - this afternoon's winners.
Thank you to Miss Pippa for organising today's track and field events and to those parents and carers who were able to come along and support their children this afternoon.
KS1 Sports: 10.7.24
This morning was our KS1 Sport's Day. Despite the grey weather, nothing could dampen the spirits of our youngest children!
The children demonstrated skill and it was lovely to see their enthusiasm and energy while taking part in a variety of activities.
Congratulations to the GREEN team - this morning's winners!
Thank you parents and carers for coming along this morning to support your children and your enthusiasm in the adults race!
Thank you to Miss Pippa for organising today's event and also to the Cardinal Newman Sports Leaders for their help.
Year 6 Production: 9.7.24
This week, our Year 6 class put on their end of year production of Alice in Wonderland, firstly to the rest of the school and then to their family members.
The heart warming adaptation of the well loved story was performed with passion, talent and energy and was another wonderful celebration of the end of St Joseph's journey for our Year 6 pupils.
From the Mock Turtle to the Mad Hatter, the King to the Cheshire Cat, the Duchess to the dormouse...and of course, Alice - you were ALL amazing!
Thank you to the pupils and the Year 6 staff team for their combined efforts in putting the show together and to parents and carers for coming along to support this evening.
Year 5 Trip: 9.7.25
Year 5 enjoyed an end-of-term treat to Pizza Express, catching the bus into Brighton.
The children were shown by the pizzaiolo (pizza chef) how to make a famous, Italian classic: the Margherita. They kneaded the dough to create the perfect base. They then topped their base with Pizza Express's famous passata sauce and mozzarella.
What a fantastic end-of-term treat!
Biodiversity Pledges: 8.7.24
It has been lovely to see how you have been doing to promote biodiversity through your agreed pledges.
Sihas in Year 4 pledged to buy strawberries form a local producer, make a bee hotel, allow weeds to grow and to not use pesticides.
Keep those pledges active...and don't forget to send in photos too!
DT Week : 8.7.24
This week is DT Week and the children across the school have been busy preparing food, using simple electrical circuits (including more complex switches and circuits ) and exploring joining techniques using textiles to make puppets.
All of the activities follow the same process: investigate, design, make and evaluate.
Pictures to follow on the class pages.
Bronze Award: 5.7.24
We were delighted to receive an award this week for achieving the Our City, Our World Bronze Award through committing to integrate sustainability and climate change into all aspects of school life.
We are very proud to be acknowledged for the work we are doing here at St Joseph's.
Thank you to Miss Cross for leading this initiative and to our pupils and families for their support with their pledges.
Together, we are making a difference!
Mrs Foan and a few of our Year 6 pupils will be running a Lucky Dip stall at this afternoon Cardinal Newman School Festival along with other Catholic Primary Feeder Schools.
See the information above. Please come along and support the event if you can.
EYFS Picnic: 5.7.24
It was lovely to meet our new Reception Class (EYFS) starters and their families this afternoon for a picnic. They were able to meet the EYFS staff team and see the classroom environment.
We are looking forward to welcoming them and their families again in September.
Congratulations to this week's STARS. We are very proud of each and every one of you.
EYFS: Lukus Year 1: Ethan Year 2: Mark Year 3: Harvey Year 4: Anirudh Year 5: Evie-Rae
Another close week with the DOJO totals! There is all still to play for over the last two weeks! Well done to the GREEN team - this week's winners.
1. GREEN - 216 2. RED - 210 3. YELLOW - 207 4. BLUE - 201
Well done to these children who are today receiving a Head Teacher Certificate or a Head Teacher badge or pencil. Mrs Foan and Mrs Skinner have had lots of visitors to the office this week to share and celebrate their learning!
Well done: Lottie (Year 2) Lily-May and Yasmin (Year 3) Jeremiah (Year 4) and Tate (Year 5)
Year 3 Outdoor Learning : 4.7.24
Today, Year 3 did their final outdoor learning session for this year. They went off-site to the local woods and dew pond in Hollingdean for their outdoor learning activities.
Have a look on the Year 3 class page to see what activities they did.
Year 5 Outdoor Learning : 2.7.24
Here are this week's DOJO totals. Again, the weekly totals are very close!
Congratulations to this week's top DOJO collectors - the YELLOW team.
1. YELLOW - 196 2. GREEN - 190 3. BLUE - 184 4. RED - 181
Well done to our class STARS this week. As always, it is lovely to read what your teachers have said about you on your certificate and to celebrate with your family members and friends in Friday's Celebration Assembly.
Congratulations to:
EYFS: Donovan Year 1: George Year 2: Skye Year 3: Zara Year 4: Leona Year 5: Lok Tin Year 6: Julian
Well done to these children who were awarded a Head Teacher certificate in Celebration Assembly today.
We were very proud of: Olivia-Rose (Year 2) Nirvana and Floyd (Year 4) and Emellia (Year 6)
Good Shepherd : 27.6.24
Today, Mrs Foan and Mrs Cox and some Year 4 children attended the annual Diocesan Good Shepherd Celebration. Every year, the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton invites all of its schools to a special celebration of the Good Shepherd at Worth Abbey.
The theme of this year's celebration was The Year of Prayer with a particular focus on the prayer that Jesus gave us - The Lord's Prayer.
Each school participating was invited to create a representation of The Our Father prayer in one of the languages spoken by their school community. The prayers were presented during the liturgy by representatives from each school.
Drusilla's Trip : 25.6.24
To support and enhance their Science learning this half term around animals, their offspring, their habitats, their diets and their adaptations, Year 2 visited Drusilla's Park for the day.
They had a fantastic day with lots of Science learning and opportunities to get up close to different animals. They also had the opportunity to have a ride on the Safari Express, play in the play area and cool down in the Splash Zone.
More pictures to follow on the Year 2 class page.
Ukulele Performance : 25.6.24
Over the last 10 weeks, our Year 5 pupils have been learning how to play the ukulele supported by Brighton and Hove's Sound-Makers programme.
Today, they showcased their instrumental techniques and ensemble skills with a whole class performance to parents and carers.
Thank you parents and carers for coming in today - it was lovely to see so many of you.
Year 2 Outdoor Learning: 24.6.24
Year 1 Outdoor Learning: 21.6.24
What a busy week Year 1 have had - they have certainly been lucky with the beautiful weather!
Today, they had their final outdoor learning day of the year which included making dream catchers, exploring the mud kitchen and taking part in a recycling relay before cooling down with a refreshing ice cream!
More pictures to follow on the Year 1 class page.
EYFS Trip: 21.6.24
What a busy week at St Joseph's - we have had four class trips since last Friday!
Today, it was the turn of our youngest children - in the EYFS class who went for a flight on the i360! They had a bird's eye view of Brighton, finding out about different landmarks and places.
They had a chance to play in the play park, had a picnic on the beach and finished the day off with a much needed ice-cream!
Pictures to follow on the EYFS page.
Congratulations to these children who today received a Head Teacher's certificate for 3 pieces of fantastic work.
For some of the children, it was their sixth Head Teacher sticker, which meant they received a special Head Teacher badge or pencil.
Well done to :
Elrad and Kaelan (EYFS) Emma and Maryam (Year 2) Oscar (Year 3) Theo and Maisie (Year 5)
Here are this week's DOJO totals. Again, it has been very close this week!
Congratulations to this week's top DOJO collectors- the BLUE team
1. BLUE - 221 2. GREEN - 217 3. RED - 209 4. YELLOW - 204
Congratulations to this week's STARS. We are very proud of you all and love to share your achievements in Celebration Assembly.
EYFS: Luke- John Year 1: Blake Year 2: Maryam Year 3: Isla T Year 4: Sindy Year 5: Maisie Year 6: Emellia
Year 1 Trip: 20.6.24
To conclude their learning around "Flight" Year 1 visited Brighton City Airport in Shoreham. Brighton City Airport is is the oldest airfield still operating in the country – with the first recorded flight taking place in 1910.
Year 1 enjoyed a guided tour of the wonderful historic buildings and the hangars from one of the expert volunteers and then visited the on-site museum and watched some light aircraft taking off and landing.
The children were delighted to be joined by Miss Watkinson and enjoyed the final part of their trip by playing together in the play park.
More pictures to follow on the Year 1 class page.
Year 4 Trip: 19.6.24
Today, our Year 4 children caught the bus up to Stanmer Park where they took part in an outdoor learning day provided by "Schools Without Walls."
Schools Without Walls specialise in high quality learning outside of the classroom for all, offering a wide range of creative learning opportunities to connect with nature, be more active, be creative and have fun.
The Year 4 children took part in a range of activities including fire lighting, Hapa Zome and shelter building using the beautiful walled garden and surrounding woodland.
It was a lovely day being outdoors and at one with nature. Pictures to follow on the Year 4 class page.
Withdean Athletics: 19.6.24
This Wednesday, we took a squad of 21 athletes from Year 5 and 6 to Withdean Stadium for the Small Schools Athletics Competition. The children took part in a variety of track and field events.
We were so proud of ALL of our competitors who showed perseverance, determination, resilience and good sportsmanship.
Here are a few photos of our fabulous competitors, medal winners and supporters:
Thank you to Miss Pippa for organising our competitors today.
PGL 14.6.24
Our Year 6 class have had a wonderful residential experience this weekend. They were a pleasure to take away showing determination, resilience, perseverance, good sportsmanship and respect at all times.
The weather was MIXED, the activities were CHALLENGING and the children were AMAZING!
Mrs Skinner, Miss Redmond, Miss Pippa and Mrs Jones were very proud of each and every one of you. Here are a few photos:
Saturday morning: Zipwire (in the rain) and Rifle Shooting
Saturday Afternoon - Canoeing and Problem Solving
Sunday Morning: Trapeze and Sensory Trail
Sunday Afternoon: Archery and Giant Swing.
Click HERE to see more pictures on the Year 6 class page.
Well done to this week's STARS. As always, it is lovely to read what your teachers have to say about you all and to share this with your family and school friends during Celebration Assembly.
EYFS: Elza Year 1: Enzo Year 2: Ruby D Year 3: Crina Year 4: Sonny Year 5: Henry Year 6: Lily-Jo
Wow! What a lot of visitors Mrs Foan has had this week, sharing their learning with her. It is lovely to celebrate your achievements of receiving a Head Teacher certificate, pencil or badge together as a school family in Celebration Assembly.
Congratulations to:
Zara (EYFS) Adam (Year 1) Isla B (Year 3) Sihas, John, Audrey (Year 4) Zayden, Alpha, Henry (Year 5) Finn, Eddy and Julian (Year 6)
Congratulations to this week's top DOJO collectors - the RED team. The scores were incredibly close again with just 13 DOJOS between the highest and lowest collectors this week!
1. RED - 212 2. BLUE - 209 3. YELLOW - 201 4. GREEN - 199
Poetry Competition: 13.6.24
This afternoon, we hosted a Poetry Competition here at St Joseph's.
Two pupils from six local primary schools were selected to participate in today's event. The competition started in classrooms and today the winners performed in front of the Mayor - Councillor Mohammad Asaduzzaman in our school hall.
The competition consisted of a recital of a well-known poem and also a pupil written poem performed by the poet.
It was lovely to come together with local schools from our APPL Cluster and celebrate the beauty of poetry.
Congratulations to the two winners from St John the Baptist and Coldean School.
EYFS Outdoor Learning : 11.6.24
Our EYFS children enjoyed their last outdoor learning session of this year today and the sun shone for them!
They made their own shelters and chose items to take in a survival kit bag. They explored the mud kitchen and applied their knowledge of compass directions in a game.
Have a look on the EYFS page to find out more.
Tasting Session : 11.6.24
Our school council were invited for a tasting session with Colette and two cooks from Caterlink - our school catering specialists.
The children (and Mr Fishman) had the opportunity to sample and give their opinions on different meals which Caterlink may potentially include on their future school menus including lemon and herb chicken, chicken pasta bake, vegan chilli and berry mousse.
The children each filled out a feedback form which were very honest and informative.
The food was delicious! We really hope to see these dishes on the school menu next year.
Bluebell Railway: 7.6.24
As part of their History learning around transport through the ages, Year 3 visited the Bluebell Railway - one of the first preserved heritage lines in the country and one of the finest collections of vintage steam locomotives and carriages.
Their visit included a ride on a steam train including going up on the plate, having a look around the museum, and seeing how the signal box worked.
More pictures to follow on the Year 3 class page. Click HERE to see a video clip of the steam train.
Police Youth Team Visit: 7.6.24
Year 6 had a visit today from the local police youth liaison officer who came to talk to the class about keeping safe. The children learnt many interesting facts and asked lots of questions.
The children were surprised to hear that at the age of 10, they are now at an age of criminal responsibility and action can be taken if they commit a crime. They also learnt that a "threat" is a criminal act.
It was a very informative and useful session for our Year 6 pupils.
Congratulations to this week's STARS. We are very proud of you all.
Thank you parents and carers for coming in to assembly today to celebrate with us.
EYFS: Khamari Year 1: Teddy Year 2: Olivia Year 3: Hannah Year 4: Sylvia Year 5: Tiana Year 6: Freya
Well done to the following children who received a Head Teacher Certificate in this week's Celebration Assembly after sharing a third piece of work with Mrs Foan.
Congratulations to Mina (Year 1) Ethan, Anna and Jaachi (Year 2) Lilly-Mae (Year 4) and Kowen (Year 6)
The DOJO totals for the first week back have been collected and counted! It was very close again this week. Here are the results:
1. YELLOW - 194 2. RED -189 3. GREEN - 181 4. BLUE - 174
Congratulations to this week's top DOJO collectors - the YELLOW team.
Racket Festival : 6.6.24
We took 12 children from Years 3 and 4 to a Racket Festival at Withdean this week.
The festival was all about participation, trying something new and having fun!
The afternoon involved the children going around a circuit of tennis, badminton, squash, table tennis and multi skills activities, learning the fundamental skills and experiencing new sporting opportunities.
Miss Azor and Miss Johnson were very proud of your commitment, determination and the new skills you learned and demonstrated today.
Well done all of you.
D Day 80 Year Anniversary: 6.6.24
Today in assembly to commemorate D Day, the children learnt about the events, story and the history of the Normandy landings which took place 80 years ago today.
The assembly explained and commemorated the pivotal invasion that changed the course of World War II in favour of the Allies.
It has been lovely to see the children across the school tending to their tomato plants which they have grown from seeds.
This week, the children are re-potting them and a tomato plant will be coming home today with your child, which will need to be cared for at home.
We look forward to seeing photos when the tomatoes are ready to be harvested at the end of the Summer!
Click HERE for information about how to best look after the tomato plants.
Year 6 Trip: 24.5.24
Year 6 finished the half-term with another treat - a trip to the cinema and then a picnic in the park!
They walked down to the Duke of York's Cinema and watched the film "Robot Dreams." They then walked along to Preston Park where they had a picnic lunch and enjoyed a game of rounders and some time in the play-park.
The weather was beautiful and today gave the children the opportunity to relax together following a very busy half-term.
Well done to the following children who will be presented with a Head Teacher certificate in Friday's Celebration Assembly.
Olivia (Year 1) Jasper and Honey (Year 3) Sylvia (Year 4) and Chidera (Year 5)
Congratulations to the GREEN team - this week's and the overall top DOJO collectors for this half-term. Well done everyone in the GREEN team.
1. GREEN - 287 2. YELLOW - 264 3. RED and BLUE - 255
Congratulations to the final STARS of this half term.
EYFS: Elrad Year 1: Penelope Year 2: Dylan Year 3: Honey Year 4: Elliot Year 6: Alicia
DT Week : 24.5.24
This week is DT Week and the children across the school have been busy creating free-standing structures, preparing food, using simple electrical circuits as part of an RE task or creating mechanical systems such as pulleys or gears.
All of the activities follow the same process: investigate, design, make and evaluate.
Here are a few pictures. More to follow on the class pages.
French Culture Week: 23.5.24
This week is French Culture Week in KS2 and the children have been learning all about Bastille Day.
They found out about what happened at the storming of the Bastille - a significant moment during the French Revolution and also about how the French celebrate this today on July 14th.
Year 5 used straws to create Bastille Celebration fireworks.
Year 4 dressed in the colours of the French flag and found out all about Bastille Day.
Year 6 Outdoor Learning : 23.5.24
What a lovely week our Year 6 pupils have had this week following their SATs - two trips and an outdoor learning day!
Their outdoor activities were based around their History learning and they worked together to build their own Viking Longships!
More pictures to follow on the Year 6 page shortly.
Magnificent Maypolers!
Over the last few weeks, our classes have been enjoying learning the traditional Maypole dances associated with this time of year.
To share and celebrate their learning, Year 2 parents were invited in to watch our Year 2 pupils showing off their dancing and ribbon weaving skills!
Thank you parent and carers for coming along to see the children perform this afternoon.
Year 6 Trip: 21.5.24
Year 6 had a post SAT's treat, taking the bus into town and then visiting Pizza Express!
The children were shown by the pizzaiolo (pizza chef) how to make a famous, Italian classic: the Margherita. They kneaded the dough to create the perfect base. They then topped their base with Pizza Express's famous passata sauce and mozzarella.
Whilst their pizzas were cooking in the giant pizza oven, the children took part in an ingredients quiz - tasting and learning about different ingredients and toppings such as artichoke, goat's cheese and capers.
More pictures to follow on the Year 6 page.
Crowning of Mary: 20.5.24
There is a long-standing tradition, the May Crowning of Mary, honouring Mary, the mother of Jesus in the month of May.
Today, the children were led class-by-class to the statue of Our Lady where she was crowned. The children came together to sing as they processed towards one of our Mary statues.
In a "May Crowning" Mary is presented with a floral crown and other handmade items. Each child and adult was invited to honour Mary with the gift of a flower which adorned her statue.
Thank you parents and carers for sending in flowers today.
Year 5 Outdoor Learning: 20.5.24
Year 5 had a beautiful day for their outdoor learning which was a very busy, active and cross-curricular day!
They combined their French Culture Week learning with their outdoor learning and came in to school dressed in the colours of the French flag - red, white and blue.
They also linked their Power of Reading text "The Savage" to their learning in the outdoor environment.
Pictures to follow on the Year 5 class page.
Year 4 Visit: 20.5.24
To support and enhance their History learning around this term's theme, "Crime and Punishment," Year 4 were visited by PCSO's Rob and Tori.
The children had a great interactive session trying on police uniforms, learning about the police vehicle, finding out about fingerprinting and answering a whole range of questions!
It was a really informative visit - thank you to Rob and Tori for coming in to support Year 4's learning.
Home Learning: 20.5.24
It is fantastic to see the activities you are doing at home inspired by your learning in school. It is especially lovely to see your passion for taking part in our Biodiversity Pledge.
Lily-May makes a bird house and a bee hotel, Penelope plants some seeds and Skye makes a bird feeder ball.
As always, thank you parents and carers for your support with this - we do appreciate it.
SAT's Celebration: 17.5.24
We are so proud of our Year 6 pupils and the way they have handled themselves this week while taking their SAT's tests.
To mark the end of SAT's Week and the hard work that the children have put in to prepare for it, parents and carers were invited to join us for a celebration breakfast.
Thank you to those parents and carers who were able to join us this morning and to all parents and carers for your support in the build up to the SAT's.
The Year 6 children will be continuing their learning as usual, but they do have two "treats" next week too!
Lots of DOJOS have been collected this week for demonstrating positive learning behaviours and for home learning related to the POWer Projects and our Biodiversity Pledge.
It is getting very close as we get nearer to half term! Keep those DOJOS coming!
1. BLUE - 245 2. RED - 239 3. GREEN - 227 4. YELLOW-224
Congratulations to this week's SUPERSTARS. Well done to :
EYFS: Ronnie-Rose Year 1: Leighton Year 2: Prince Year 3: Sisa Year 4: Favour Year 5: John Year 6: Tia
Mrs Foan and Mrs Skinner have had lots of visitors this week sharing their amazing work and talking enthusiastically about their learning.
Well done to these children, all from Year 2 : Olivia, Ray, Ruby W and Skye (HT medal)
Year 4 Outdoor Learning: 15.5.24
Year 4 were SO lucky on Wednesday with their outdoor learning weather!
It was glorious and the children enjoyed a range of cross-curricular and creative activities.
Have a look on the Year 4 page to see what they did and what they learned about.
Tri-Golf : 15.5.24
This afternoon, we took ten children from Years 3 and 4 to Blatchington Mill School for a tri-golf competition.
The children started off by working their way around a circuit of golf skills challenges. The children earnt points for their team by applying their skills to the challenges.
Miss Azor and Miss Evans were very impressed by our young golfers' skills and putting and chipping techniques.
Mykie was picked out for a special award for demonstrating determination throughout the afternoon.
Home Learning: 14.5.24
It is lovely to see the activities you are doing at home inspired by your learning in school.
Thank you parents and carers for your support with this. You are so creative.
Kiedis in Year 1 made her own 3D models related to Year 1's "Flight" theme.
Skye has planted seeds and made a bee house and Shing-Him has built a Lego bird feeder as part of our Biodiversity Pledge.
Inspired by Year 4's theme," Crime and Punishment," Sihas designed a new patrol car and created a recruitment poster to try to encourage more people to consider a role in the Police Force.
Olivia is doing her bit for the local area by picking up rubbish on her way home and then disposing of it properly or recycling it.
SAT's Week: 13.5.24
This week is end of KS2 SAT's week. The children will be coming in to school bright and early for a class breakfast each day and for a quick revision session before sitting the tests.
Good luck to all of our Year 6's this week -we are very proud of how you have worked in preparation for these standard assessment tests.
SAT's Prayers
We had some beautiful prayers written by our Year 6 pupils which were read out before each SAT's test this week.
Thank you to the children who took the time to write a prayer and for your well-thought out and meaningful words.
Here is one of them:
Dear God As SAT's finally come and disappear Our hearts fill with excitement as well as fear. As our tests start Guide us to reach into our hearts Help us to remember the things we learnt And to remember that this isn't the worst. Support us as we try Comfort us as we cry Thank you for giving us strength, knowing you are always with us Amen.
Emellia
Mental Health Awareness Week 2024:
Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 13th-19th May, on the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health”.
Movement is important for our mental health. But so many of us struggle to move enough. We know there are many different reasons for this, so during Mental Health Awareness Week, we are aiming to find moments for movement in our children's daily routines.
Have a look on each class page to see how they have been "moving" this week. Year 4 have been doing Yoga at the beginning of each day.
Visit from MISSION FIT: 10.5.24
Our KS 2 classes were fortunate to experience team based fitness, fun and challenging military style activities, involving camouflage nets, tug of war, games and bodyweight exercises.
The sessions reinforced positivity and encouraged a "can do" attitude. They helped the children to challenge themselves physically and mentally, both individually and as part of a team whilst also reinforcing confidence and self worth.
Thank you to Miss Pippa for organising this event.
Year 3 Outdoor Learning: 10.5.24
Year 3 had glorious weather for their outdoor learning day today. The children had a great day and took part in several cross-curricular activities. Pictures to follow on the Year 3 page.
Tri- Golf Masterclass : 10.5.24
Next week, some of our Year 3 and 4 children will be taking part in a Tri-Golf Festival and Competition.
In preparation for this, Mr Azor kindly came in to help the children in Year 3 and 4 to practice their golf skills and techniques.
We look forward to seeing them applying these skills next week at the local schools' tournament.
Maypole Dancing: 9.5.24
With the beautiful Spring weather this week, Miss Pippa has been able to deliver her Maypole dancing lessons outside.
It is lovely to see how adept the children are becoming weaving the ribbons into complex patterns through traditional dance.
"Open The Book" : 9.5.24
We were joined this morning for an "Open The Book" assembly led by Year 9 pupils from Cardinal Newman School.
Open The Book is an exciting story-telling project where Bible stories are shared with children in a way that is fun, interactive and memorable.
The CNS pupils used the power of story-telling, drama and song to share Matthew 13: 44-46 and its message from the Bible, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field."
Mary Makeover: 9.5.24
Leon (Year 2) and his dad have given our Mary statue at the front of the school a much-needed makeover.
They have weeded the area and replanted it with Spring flowers. The area has been finished off with some subtle lighting.
This heartfelt gesture ensures our annual procession for the crowing of Mary will be a special and meaningful tribute to Mary.
Congratulations to Harry (Year 2) who was the only child this week to receive a Head Teacher's certificate this week. Well done Harry!
Congratulations to this week's STARS. We are very proud of you all.
EYFS: Bryn Year 1: Kiedis Year 2: Ella Year 3: Eliana Year 4: Antonia Year 5: Wiktor Year 6: Frankie
It has been a shorter week than usual but the adults in school have noticed lots of children demonstrating positive learning behaviours across the school.
Well done - it is lovely to see how focused and engaged the children are in their learning when walking around the school.
1. GREEN - 166 2. BLUE - 162 3. YELLOW - 159 4. RED - 146
8.5.24
Our Year 5 class started their swimming lessons today at Surrenden Pool. They will be swimming every Wednesday until the end of term.
The swimming instructor Rachel and the staff who accompanied Year 5 were very impressed with the children's positive attitude, skill, resilience and determination.
We look forward to seeing how they progress over the next 10 weeks.
PE across the school
It is lovely to see the children across the school participating in a wide range of PE and sporting activities as part of their PE curriculum provision, demonstrating skill and sporting values such as resilience, teamwork and determination.
Here are a few pictures of Year 3 tennis and Year 5 football:
Children's Parade: 4.5.24
What a wonderful morning we had this morning as part of the Brighton Festival Children's Parade. The city was transformed into a sea of colour and creativity as 65 schools and 4000 children took part in the annual parade - this year based around the theme of dreams.
Thank you to all the children, parents and carers and staff who took part in or supported this celebration today. It was an amazing event to be part of.
Congratulations to the following children who are receiving a Head Teacher certificate in this week's Celebration Assembly.
Luke-John (EYFS), Ruby D, Maryam and Tyler(Year 2) and Harlie (Year 6)
Congratulations to this week's STARS. As always, it is lovely to hear what your class teachers have to say about you.
EYFS: Luke Year 1: Olivia Year 2: David Year 3: Yasmin Year 4: Shanice Year 5: Brandon Year 6: Legend
The DOJOS are in and have been counted! Here are this week's totals:
1. YELLOW- 268 2. BLUE - 257 3. RED - 249 4. GREEN - 244
Maypole Dancing: 1.5.24
Today, we celebrated the arrival of Spring and the month of May with some Maypole Dancing during Year 2's, 5's and 6's PE lessons.
The lessons across the year groups over the next few weeks will provide an introduction to traditional Maypole dances and music and will combine physical exercise and teamwork.
More pictures to follow on the class pages.
Outdoor Learning: 29.4.24
Year 2 were lucky for their fifth outdoor learning session today as the weather was beautiful!
Each class in the school has received a growing kit and will be "Growing to love ....tomatoes." Each child will be growing their own tomatoes from seeds to fruit which they will bring home at the end of the school year to continue to grow... and then eat!
Year 2 also enjoyed the mud kitchen, exploring shadows and created their own natural sculptures.
More pictures to follow on the Year 2 page.
Home Learning: 29.4.24
It is always lovely to see the children's home learning supporting and extending our curriculum.
This may be through the POWer Projects linked to each class's History/Geography theme or the Brighton Bingo experiences linked to our Our City, Our World sustainability focus or extension research or creative activities linked to any aspects of current curriculum learning.
Thank you parents and carers for your support with this. We really do appreciate it.
Sihas created a habitat for a frog, Ray finds a badger's sett, Coby made a hot-air balloon as part of Year 1's "Flight" theme, Harvey (Year 3) builds a house for bees and Freddie tries curry and rice as part of Year 2's theme, "Indian Spice."
Parade Preparations: 25.4.24
The annual Children's Parade is getting closer and preparations for the big build in school have begun!
The theme this year is "Dream Again" and our sculpture, accessories and costumes will be created around the book, "The Tin Forest."
Groups of children have been helping Miss Cross and Miss Rance today.
Congratulations to these children who have shared a third piece of amazing work recently with Mrs Foan.
Some of them are actually on their 6th or even 9th Head Teacher sticker and therefore received a special pencil or a Head Teacher badge.
We are very proud of: Elza (EYFS) Halle (Year 1) Jacchi and Freddie (Year 2) and Blessing and Emellia (Year 6)
Well done to this week's STARS. It is lovely to share your successes and celebrate with you in our Friday assembly.
Congratulations to:
EYFS: Ronnie Year 1: Eli Year 2: Emma Year 3: Isla B Year 4: George V Year 5: Freddie Year 6: Lily-Jo
The DOJOS are in and have been counted! And once again, the totals are close!
Well done to the RED team - this week's top DOJO collectors!
1. RED - 229 2. YELLOW - 220 3. GREEN - 217 4. BLUE - 204
Outdoor Learning: 23.4.24
It is the turn of our EYFS and Year 1 classes to take part in outdoor learning sessions this week.
To tie in with their "Down In The Garden" topic, the EYFS children continued to explore their "Wonderful Worms" theme!
They shared books about worms and other bugs and creatures, made woven worms and worked together to make a wormery, collecting their own worms to rehome there.
The sun came out for Year 1 despite a drizzly start. The children had a busy day with lots of their outdoor learning activities based around their Power of Reading book, "
Stunning Starts: 24.4.24
The remainder of our classes have launched their new History or Geography topics this week with a "Stunning Start!"
Year 5 have been finding out about staple Saxon ingredients and today they put some of their soup and porridge recipes into practice!
Have a look on the Year 5 page for more pictures.
At St Joseph's School, we are proud of our diversity and the vast number of languages spoken by our families.
At St Joseph's, every half term, we celebrate the languages besides English which are spoken at home by some of our pupils.
Each half term, we try to learn a few useful phrases and words, to answer the register and say "please" and "thank you" and "hello" and "goodbye" in our chosen language. The child/children who speak the chosen language will help their classmates learn the correct pronunciation and will share picture books written in their home language as well as in English.
These are the languages for this half term:
EYFS: French Year 1: Spanish Year 2: Hindi Year 3: Wolof Year 4: Arabic Year 5: Mandarin Year 6: Greek
Well done to these children who have been to share a third piece of amazing work or to talk through their learning with Mrs Foan and Mrs Skinner. We love seeing how proud you are of your work and hearing you talk about your learning so enthusiastically.
Congratulations to Yasmin and Ronnie-Rose (EYFS) CJ (Year 3) and Frankie (Year 6)
Well done everyone! You have settled back into school so well this week and have been demonstrating positive learning behaviours and have been recognised for your good choices, resilience, determination, teamwork and for being active, focused and engaged!
The DOJO totals are again very close! Well done to the GREEN team - this week's top collectors.
1. GREEN - 186 2. BLUE - 181 3. YELLOW - 174 4. RED - 168
Congratulations to the first STARS of the Summer Term.
EYFS: Yasmin Year 1: Logan Year 2: King Year 3: Jasper Year 4: Betty Year 5: Theo Year 6: Eddy
Stunning Starts!
As a launch for their new Humanities topics this term, each class has had a "stunning start" as an introduction to their History/Geography learning.
As a hands-on introduction to their theme "Crime and Punishment," Year 4 came into their classroom to discover a crime scene and had to use different techniques to discover who had stolen their class IPAD.
As an introduction to their theme " Indian Spice," Year 2 had a tasting session sampling some traditional Indian foods and learning about Indian food and eating traditions.
Year 1 made their own bubble wands as an introduction to their theme "Flight."
Islam Week: 15.4.24
This week is ISLAM week in school. Each class has been learning about a different aspect of the Islam faith and the children have had the opportunity to explore and handle artefacts and take part in learning experiences to deepen their understanding of the Muslim faith Islam.
Year 1 learnt about Muhammad, Year 2 about Muslim prayer, Year 3 found out about the Mosque, Year 4 learnt about the Qur'an, Year 5 learnt about Ramadan and pilgrimage and Year 6 found out about the Pillars of Islam.
Making Music!
We were delighted to begin our Sound Makers sessions in Year 5 this week which provides a whole-class instrumental learning opportunity over a ten week period. The Year 5 pupils were introduced to their instrument - the ukulele.
Follow their progress on the Year 5 page over the next ten weeks.
Sound Makers is a Brighton and Hove model of whole class ensemble tuition and is linked to The National Plan for Music Education.
Led by a Create Music specialist instrumental teacher and supported by the class teacher, pupils experience the excitement of practical music making and learn: instrumental technique, ensemble skills, links to composing and improvising, performance skills and working as part of a team.
Each Sound Makers programme leads to a celebration performance to which families and members of the school community are invited.
At a recent attendance review, we were delighted to see that 29 children had 100% attendance for the whole of the Spring Term (3.1.24 - 28.3.24) These children will receive a celebratory sticker and a small treat during Friday's Celebration Assembly.
Thank you parents and carers for your support in raising attendance and improving punctuality at St Joseph's.
Together, we ARE making a difference.
Attendance Support:
There will be an Attendance Drop-in Session for parents and carers on Monday 22nd April at Roundabout Children's Centre (Whitehawk Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 5FL) from 10am – 2pm.
These sessions are designed to offer a space for you to share any concerns you may have about your child’s attendance.
In these sessions, you will be able to meet with an Attendance Officer from Brighton & Hove City Council and a Family Support Worker from the Schools Mental Health Service to explore what support can be offered and to support conversations with your child’s school.
We wish all of our families a happy, safe and restful Easter break. Thank you for your ongoing support.
The children return to school on Monday 15th April.
BON APPETIT!
As part of our French provision, the last week of each half term is dedicated to learning more about a different aspect of French culture.
This week, the children in KS2 have been learning about traditional French food.
They tasted some basic French food such as crêpes, Madeleines, baguette, Brie cheese, pain au chocolat and Quiche Lorraine.
