It’s Nativity play time again, and here at St Peter’s we are back in full flow after cancellations, recordings, live link-up and audience limits over 2020 and 2022.  Pictured here is a very excited Year 1 cast in their dress rehearsal for ‘Everyone loves a baby!’, and Year R, after just 12 weeks of full-time school, put on a lovely Nativity play for their proud parents, carers and families.

Pupils in Year 2 celebrated an Advent liturgy with their families, which drew upon Bible readings and saw children and adults making pledges to celebrate Christmas in the true fashion.  In the coming week, at 6:30pm on Tuesday 13 December, St Peter’s will celebrate its Carol Service in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Peter the Apostle.  All parishioners are warmly invited to join this celebratory event with the school community.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

On Tuesday this week 350 pupils from Years 1 to 6 trooped to Sacred Heart and St Peter the Apostle church in the crisp November air to celebrate St Peter’s annual Advent Service.  Beautiful singing, wonderful reading and emotive acting brought the service, and the season of Advent, to life for the school community.

Fr Jeremy and Fr James provided a wonderful dialogue which took the pupils from car repair manuals to the Bible message of Christmas.

Thanks go especially to the many family adults who volunteered to walk with the pupils to and from the church, and to the school staff who bring so much to the children at St Peter’s to nurture their faith.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Mrs Pearson, Art Lead at St Peter’s, led a group of pupils in a specialist workshop focused on print designs with the help of a specialist local company.

The pupils were able to take the whole process through from initial ideas to draft designs to finished products, shown here on display in school.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

My Wow Work Wall is filling up with brilliant pieces of learning from children in all year groups throughout the school from this first term.

There is still space for more to come from the children … which I expect will have an Advent and Christmas theme from here on in!

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Thank you to our librarian Mrs Porter who has produced our remembrance display for this year.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Pupils in Years 3 to 6 gathered on 1^st November for a liturgy in celebration of the Feast of All Saints.  The Sermon on the Mount was read out by pupils who then went on to explain how these saintly virtues may look in our everyday lives.  We have worked hard this year to bring the lives and examples of the Saints into a real-world context for our pupils.

A key feature of this has been the introduction of a House System at St Peter’s, with each House named after a Saint; St Teresa of Calcutta, St John Paul II, St Oscar Romero and St Elizabeth Hesselblad.  Each of these Saints from the twentieth century lived lives of service and devotion from which we at school can draw teaching and examples as we work with the saints of tomorrow – our pupil learners.

This week has been quieter in school, but noisier in the Botley area, as Year 6 have been away on their annual week-long residential at Fairthorne Manor.

In what has been glorious autumnal sunshine for the most part, the pupils have enjoyed a great range of outdoor activities, here for example using pioneering skills to build a swing that was so strong even Mr Land and myself got to have a go (after the pupils, of course!).  Hop over to the Year 6 blog for more detailed updates on their adventures this week – all that I need to add is my thanks to the colleagues who have led both the Year 6 trip, and the recent Year 5 residential trips to the Sustainability Centre, which are reported on the Year 5 blog.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Ten pupils were lucky enough to be involved in a visit to the Port of Portsmouth as part of Maritime UK Week.

The event was a showcase of careers and opportunities in the maritime world, both on shore and afloat.  The day started with a series of 5-minute job reports from a range of people including staff from the Royal Navy, Brittany Ferries and Viking cruise ships to name just 3.

After that, we were lucky enough to have a detailed guided tour of the Viking cruise ship from Third Officer Lars, with an incredible chance to see luxury afloat on a vessel that is usually only for adult passengers.

On the quayside                                 The atrium staircase

Third Officer bridge tour                    Norwegian chocolate from the Captain

Following the cruise ship tour, we went to the quayside to watch cargo vessels unloading bananas (lots of bananas!) before having a minibus tour of the Naval Dockyard by Sub-Lieutenant Bryan (who was taking a break from his helicopter training).  The day finished with a visit to Boathouse No. 4 at the Historic Dockyard, giving a chance to see traditional boat making crafts and skills.

Enormous thanks go to Mike Sellers, Port Director at Portsmouth International Port, and to Miss Chapman and Mrs Chapman for organising and leading the trip.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Sunday 2nd October saw pupils from the schools in the local area don their uniforms to attend 10:30 Mass at Sacred Heart and St Peter the Apostle in Waterlooville.

St Peter’s was very well represented, not just in numbers attending, but also in readers and singers.

As ever, thanks go to Fr Jeremy and Fr James for con-celebrating Mass, and to Miss Heath our lay chaplain for coordinating much of the proceedings.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher