Autumn Term Issue 08: 24th October 2025
Flourishing in the love of God, love of life, love of learning
Dear Families,
It has been such a fantastic first half term of the year.
From all of us at SJSC thank you for your support and we hope you have a lovely break. See you on Monday 3rd November!
Best wishes
Alli
Upcoming Diary Dates
Reception
This week in Reception, we were delighted to welcome lots of our families for their parents evening appointments and show you all the lovely things your children have been working on this half term. We look forward to seeing the rest of you on 5th November.
In Literacy we have been orally retelling “Where the Wild things Are” so that we can sequence it- and predict what comes next. We built the land where the Wild Things Are with all our loose parts so we could play and act out the story with puppets. We have made our own zig zag books and been writing cvc (consonant vowel consonant) words to describe the pictures. (Max mad bed sad stop hot).
In maths we have been looking at repeating patterns and finding all sorts of ways to represent our own patterns; conker leaf conker leaf conker…. Or clap stamp clap stamp clap…
Next half term we will be off to Forest School for the first time. Look out for a letter about that in your email. We will need lots of parent volunteers to help us:
Himid Class: Thurs 13th November 9-11.30
Stik class: Friday 14th November 9-11.30
Year 1
As we reach the end of this half term, we wanted to share some of the wonderful learning that’s been happening in class. In Science, we explored our five senses and used them to record data. The children loved testing different smells and tastes – cinnamon and lemon were particular favourites! In Maths, we’ve been learning to compare one- and two-digit numbers, using practical activities and games to help us understand greater than, less than and equal to. The children have shown fantastic focus and enthusiasm throughout. It’s been a busy and exciting few weeks, and we’re very proud of everything the children have achieved. We hope you all have a lovely, restful half term – see you after the break!
Year 2
Year 2 had a fantastic time taking part in a Black History Month workshop this week. The children explored important themes such as equality, racism, and how everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. They were especially inspired learning about the Black Lives Matter movement and created their own powerful protest posters to express what they had learned. It was a meaningful and creative way to deepen their understanding of fairness and justice.
Year 3
Our Year 3 trip this week explored the local environment and helped us think about the question, “Is positive wellbeing the same for everyone?” We visited several local places, including the nearby Goose Green, Lordship Lane, and M&S. In each location, we looked carefully at what makes people feel happy, safe, and comfortable — and what might make it harder for some people to enjoy the area. In the park, we noticed lots of green space, fresh air, and room to play, which made many of us feel calm and relaxed. However, we also saw some litter and heard traffic noise from nearby roads, which could make it less peaceful for others. On Lordship Lane, there were many shops and jobs, which are positive for the community, but it was also busy and noisy, which might not suit everyone. At M&S, we discussed how having access to shops and work can help people’s wellbeing but also that not everyone can afford to shop there.
By the end of our trip, we learned that positive wellbeing means different things to different people, depending on where they live, what they value, and how they experience their environment.
Year 4
Last Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our local MP, Ellie Reeves, to our school. She kindly took time out of her busy schedule to share her experiences and insights into life as a Member of Parliament. The children were fully engaged and had the opportunity to ask a wide range of thoughtful and relevant questions — not just the usual “What’s your favourite food?” or “How old are you?”!
It was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to learn more about how Parliament works and what it means to represent a community. We’re incredibly grateful to Ellie Reeves for inspiring the next generation of active citizens.
Year 5
As part of our learning for Black History Month, Year 5 have been introduced to Paul Stephenson OBE who successfully fought for equal rights during his lifetime. We have focused on his efforts leading the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963 which, among other parts of his activism, led to the Race Relations Act being created. The children have created radio speeches that they are excited to show you for the BHM exhibition in November. We hope you have a great half term and look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Year 6
Year 6 have spent the week at PGL. They have had such a fantastic time and we are incredibly proud of how they have had a go at all the activities, collaborated and been such a wonderful group.
Hearing Resource Base
We are thrilled to share that the Hearing Resource Base has been awarded additional funding through Tesco’s Stronger Starts initiative. Our BSL for Parents of Deaf Children project was selected by a member of the public to receive a Golden Grant - a fantastic boost for our growing programme.
We are already supporting nine local parents who are learning British Sign Language (BSL) with us, helping to strengthen communication and connection within their families. This generous award means we can continue the project and offer BSL lessons to even more families in the future.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our application—and to Tesco for recognising the importance of inclusive communication in the home.
Music this week…
Over the last few weeks, Reception children have been learning about a Magic Toy Box in their music lessons. When they say the magic spell, things in the toy box come to life and move to music from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
Children in Year 1 were listening to different genres of music and making decisions about who and how someone might dance to it. Did the music suggest someone who was happy and lively or was it more fitting for someone a bit slow and sleepy. The children in the picture were listening to Country Music.
Children in Year 2 were listening to the movement, Autumn from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. They thought about how the music could represent leaves falling from a tree or a country walk through the changing colours.
Children in Year 3 took part in the National Orchestra of Wales, Sea Stories School Concert. This concert tied in nicely with the Sea Shanties we had looked at during our topic, I’ve Been To Harlem.
Please also watch an extract of Lisa and Veronica’s Choir singing one of the songs from Demon Hunters. Fantastic energy!
Sports Update
Last week, a group of Key Stage 2 children had the exciting opportunity to take part in a Sports Day hosted at Bacon’s College. Throughout the day, the children enthusiastically took part in a wide range of sporting activities, including football, cricket, multi-skills, trampolining, volleyball, and even capoeira!
The event was not only a fantastic chance for pupils to try new sports and develop their physical skills, but also an excellent opportunity to build confidence, resilience, perseverance, and teamwork.
We were fortunate to be joined by two wonderful parent volunteers whose support helped ensure the day ran smoothly. A huge thank you to them for giving their time and energy—we couldn’t have done it without you!
Stars of the Week
Community Awards
& Reading Champions
See you next week!