Thank you teachers, one and all.
Marvellous May
We’re half way through May, with beautiful blue skies and clear yet crisp sunny days. It seems odd that we are just one week away from the summer half-term break having been on term-time closure now for 6 school weeks. Well done to all the Year 6 pupils for working so hard this year, as on Thursday they would have finished their SATs in school.
Please see below links to this week’s Sunday Liturgy and home prayers, plus a letter sent in response to St Peter’s contribution to the Royal Navy Dockyard’s VE Day commemorations. Well done to all the pupils who contributed, and thank you to Mrs Pearson, Mrs Edge and Mr Crozier who coordinated our submission.
https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/
https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/homeprayer-2020-05-18/
Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher
HMS NELSON
Room 251, Victory Building
HMNB Portsmouth
PO1 3LS
Our Ref: COB_13_05_2020/VE75
13 May 20
St Peter’s Catholic Primary School
Stakes Hill Road
Waterlooville
PO7 7BP
Dear Mr Cunningham,
Please let me take the opportunity to pass on my heartfelt thanks for your wonderful contribution to our VE Day 75 celebrations. Frustratingly limited in both scope and ability, I suspect just like you, our grand plans for honouring the memory and the sacrifice was significantly curtailed. We sounded our horns and flew some additional flags, but what really caught the eye were the fabulous drawings and paintings submitted by the kids from your school. Having canvassed the local schools, the response was outstanding, but St Peter’s eclipsed them all with upwards of 80 plus contributions! Mrs Joyce did a wonderful job of distributing them across our estate, but all displayed prominently in the areas with the highest footfall. All visitors to the Base were greeted by the artwork in the reception centre and, without exception, of our sailors dining in the main dining hall were lifted by the colourful extravaganza. We chose the dining room to highlight your contribution specifically because the photographs from you WW2 and evacuee project generated a genuine feeling of pathos, but also a connection with the past. For that I am truly grateful.
My role on the Bank Holiday was ringing the bell in the dockyard church (St Ann’s), but before I undertook this slightly unusual task I managed to ride around the Base on my bike, taking videos of the artwork, some of which I uploaded to Twitter (@CaptDavidGeorge). Have a look, you will spot some of your work!
Again, on behalf of all in Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth and HMS NELSON, my sincere thanks.
God bless and stay safe!
David M George
Captain Royal Navy
Captain of the Base
VE Day
In recent weeks I have seen the following quote of Lenin’s used in a variety of places; “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”. Were he alive today, Lenin may add to that in commenting that there are weeks that simply feel like decades even when nothing happens! This week saw the convergence of two major national efforts in the marking of the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day during a time of national coronavirus lockdown – I think the repercussions of the latter will last for decades even if it is not marked by a 75th Anniversary. Even during enforced school closure, St Peter’s have managed to contribute to commemoration events at the naval Base in Portsmouth. Responding to a request from the Naval Base Visits Officer, the pupils rallied round at home and in school to produce artwork for display inspired by the events of May 1945. A selection of these can be seen on our art blog via https://blog.stpeterswaterlooville.co.uk/art/ After being displayed at the naval Base, the art work and photos taken from our Year 5 annual World War 2 day will be shared out to local care homes to brighten up the commemorations of our older community neighbours.
Please see also the links to a Sunday Liturgy and weekly prayers from our friends at Ten:Ten
https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/
Below are pictures of some of the VE Day activities that pupils enjoyed on Friday 8 May 2020
Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher
Hooray Hooray, the 1st May!
Hello everyone – and a Happy May Day to you all!
Well, sadly no dancing around the maypole for us this morning, but just in case you have not seen it yet, this should put a smile on your face:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVsyQ1LiUY
Since school closure, colleagues at St Peter’s have been busy writing ‘end of year’ reports. I decided to bring this process forward several weeks in order to capture at the point of school closure exactly what the pupils had achieved, and have a good record of their successes in school between September and March. Over the first 2 weeks of May, these will be e-mailed out to families. This will be a slower process than just sending out a blanket parent mail, as each child will need an individual e-mail sent to their parents or carers, so please do not be concerned if there is a gap of several days between you receiving reports of two of your children who may be in different year groups. A cover letter will be sent in one go to all families which gives more detail on the report writing process and how these will be use when we resume regular school life. If English is not your mother tongue and you need any support with the cover letter or the report itself, please contact the school office who will put you in touch with Miss Atkins, our school lead for English as an Additional Language.
As is now usual, please see below links for a Sunday Liturgy and Daily Prayers throughout the week:
https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/
https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/homeprayer-2020-05-04/
With every best wish to you and all of your families. And as it says in the You Tube video (and as us Liverpool fans have been saying for quite a few years of glory now), “You’ll never walk alone”.
Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher