In this final week of term, St Peter’s pupils gathered twice to look ahead to the events of Holy Week.  On Tuesday, using montage, narrative and prayer, the pupils participated in the Stations of the Cross during a service of Penance.  On the final afternoon of term, Friday 31 March, the school then gathered for a Liturgy centred on Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary.  These services helped the children to reflect on the events of Christ’s final days in Jerusalem, and we will return on Monday 17 April to celebrate with joy the resurrection of the Lord.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Our librarian Mrs Porter has done a lovely display to remind children of our Easter Egg charity collection for Stella Maris.

Thank you Mrs Porter, and thank you families for all of the Easter Eggs that have been donated so far.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

This week at St Peter’s we launched our Lenten Appeal for acts of charity during this season of preparation for Easter.  For Lent 2023 we are supporting Stella Maris in collecting Easter Eggs to give to visiting seafarers from around the globe when their ships dock in Portsmouth over Holy Week and Easter Week this year.  The appeal will be open for 3 weeks until Monday 27 March, and if any families would like to donate one Easter Egg to our collection to pass to Stella Maris before the end of the spring term, we would be incredibly grateful to receive them at school.

Stella Maris Chaplains and Volunteer Ship Visitors will be visiting ships in our Southern ports during Holy Week and after Easter, and expect to bring this great celebration to many hundreds of seafarers who remain confined to their ships at this time, without the prospect of taking shore leave or visiting a church.
Together with faith materials, Stella Maris would like to offer Easter Eggs and chocolates, the international symbol of celebration of this Solemnity of Solemnities, and would greatly appreciate the support of St Pewter’s in their Stella Maris Easter Egg appeal.
We need to prepare now. Can you help us by donating Easter eggs and chocolates?  Your gift may be the only gift a seafarer receives this Easter.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

In marking the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, St Peter’s pupils were keen for the school to again collect essential items to go to those people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.  Below is a picture of just some of the stock of various toiletries that were donated to St Peter’s and given to Stella’s Voice charity in Havant for transportation from the UK.

We are grateful for all that we received in this act of Lenten charity.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

After pancakes for pudding with school lunch on Shrove Tuesday 21 February, pupils from St Peter’s gathered the following day for Liturgies to mark Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.

To make the Liturgies more involved and age-appropriate, pupils from 2 year groups at a time joined in worship both in the school hall with Mr Cunningham and in Oaklands’ chapel with Miss Heath.

Pictured here are the youngest pupils in the school, children in Reception Year and Year 1 aged 4 to 6, gathering to hear the Gospel, join in penitential prayer and receive ashes.

St Peter’s has been able to keep up its commitment to charitable acts as 2022 has progressed into 2023.  Before Christmas, our school Carol Service collected £306 which was donated to the Waterlooville Food Bank in supplement to the festive food treats the pupils brought into school.  The school staff also made use of one of the autumn training days to hold a MacMillan coffee morning which raised £84 for cancer support.  At the moment, in marking the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the school is again collecting essential items to go to those people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.  If any family wanted to add to the stock before it is given to Stella’s Voice for transportation from the UK, we would gratefully receive donations of any of the following items (when we return to school on Monday 20 February after the half-term holiday!):

Toothpaste and toothbrushes 

Bars of soap, shampoo and shower gel 

Nappies, pull-ups and baby wipes 

Sanitary pads, face cloths, disinfectant sprays or wipes 

Disposable masks, combs and hairbrushes

With great thanks for any donations you may be able to provide, and wishing you all a restful and enjoyable half-term holiday

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Much as many of us enjoy the Christmas season and the New Year celebrations, there is a common sense of relief when they all come to an end and we can return to our normal routines. January, however, does make the return to a routine challenging given that it somehow manages to cram a feeling of at least five and a half weeks into its 31 days!  After the Feast of the Epiphany brings the Church’s Christmas season to a close, we return to what is known as Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. But this word ‘ordinary’ does not mean normal or plain as we commonly use it today, but rather it gives a sense of order to what is done – a structure, a pattern, a certainty. Without order there would be chaos; without order there would be little special when things, such as Christmas, celebrate the ‘out of the ordinary’. It is useful to reflect, therefore, that order has its place and its benefit in our lives as it does in the Church, and we should treasure it as much as we treasure the seasons of Christmas and Easter.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Well done to the pupils in Year 5 who have put together a care blanket as part of their Romero stewardship project this term.

Each pupil wrote a prayer or commitment to help those less fortunate in a variety of ways.  These dedications were then stitched together, as you can see, to form a colourful patchwork of care.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Whole School Worship this week was led by Miss Honeywell, our RE subject leader, and helped the pupils to understand how the presence of God can appear in all aspects of our lives.

Willing(-ish) volunteers Mrs Pratley and Mr Land, our Year 6 teacher, subjected themselves to a series of questions to see how well they know each other, showing the children how to recognise friendship in small actions.

This was followed by a role play about a scruffy royal visitor to a school who was not recognised until he donned a crown, helping the children to understand that appearances can deceptive but the important message is to look deeper to find the presence of God in all who we meet.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher