We are delighted to announce that St Peter’s has been recognised for its work with children for whom English is an additional language.  The school has achieved a Bronze level EAL Excellence Award from EMTAS – the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service. We have proven that we meet best practice standards across a range of areas and that the provision for pupils learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) is supportive and enables good progress.  Congratulations especially to Miss Atkins who coordinated our EAL work with pupils and worked with EMTAS to achieve this recognition, and who is already well underway in her work to achieve the Silver level award.

As usual now, here are the weekly links to a Sunday Liturgy and daily prayers from the team at Ten:Ten.

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/daily-prayers-for-home/

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher

At last, with great excitement and a huge amount of preparation, St Peter’s was able to open its doors more widely to pupils on Monday 1^st June.

During the first week after the half-term break, pupils in Year R (aged 4-5), Year 1 (aged 5-6) and Year 6 (aged 10-11) were able to come into school, along with continued provision for the children of key workers and vulnerable children.  It was no mean feat to get the school ready, with classrooms rearranged, one way walking systems in place, staggered timings and locations for arrival, pick-up, break times and lunch times, and all this in a setting that was thoroughly deep cleaned from top to bottom in time for the first arrivals.

Meeting the government guidance for a return to school on Monday 1^st June has meant that we have used every classroom in the school and member of staff available in order to accommodate just 3 of our 7 year groups along with key worker and vulnerable children.  At the same time, we are maintaining a deep cleaning schedule of all rooms in the school over the course of the week so that parents, pupils and staff can have confidence that we are doing all we can to maintain a safe and hygienic setting for them.  The staff at St Peter’s are continuing to set learning on-line for children to do at home, and those children who are able to come into school complete those tasks in classrooms of no more than 15 pupils.  Plenty of time is also spent outside (what luck this wonderful recent weather) for PE and games lessons, as well as other outdoor learning opportunities covering science, maths and creative subjects.

Whilst it was wonderful to see the children return with smiles (but not hugs!) this week, we are keeping in contact with the pupils in those year groups not yet nominated by the government to return to school even on a partial basis.  Phone calls home from their class teachers continue, and we know that through a range of technology (mostly their parents’ devices) the children are keeping in regular contact with their friends from school.  In the coming week we will also put into action discussions that have been going on in the Leadership Team about how we can refresh home learning physical resources for children who have completed exercise books over April and May.

So school life enters a new dimension at St Peter’s, once again, and the only thing of which we are sure is that more changes will be on the way for us to handle before we approach anything like a school routine that could be considered normal!  We continue to put the children and their welfare at the heart of everything we do, be they in school or at home, and ask for your prayers for the whole school community, pupils, staff and families, at St Peter’s.

As ever, please find links to the Ten:Ten worship resources for this Sunday and the coming 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-2020-06-08/

Please don’t forget to keep sending in a picture of your child’s work each week to the class e-mail address (listed below) and colleagues will reply with a praise phrase for your child, as well as the art blog.

With every best wish to you all, and your extended families wherever they may be.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

The class e-mail addresses are as follows:

Seahorseclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Deacon – Year R)

Starfishclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Conlon – Year R)

Turtleclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk     (Mrs Jonas & Mrs Knight – Year 1)

Pufferfishclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Layton – Year 1)

Giraffeclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk  (Mrs Osborne & Mrs Sumba – Year 2)

Elephantclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Foote – Year 2)

Hippoclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk    (Miss Shaw – Year 3)

Lionclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Pike & Mrs Atkins – Year 3)

Koalaclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Jackson-Nash – Year 4)

Kangarooclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Honeywell – Year 4)

Cassowaryclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Edge – Year 5)

Kookaburraclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Stapley & Mr Crozier – Year 5)

Penguinclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mr Land – Year 6)

Sealclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mr Pratley – Year 6)

If your child has art work to show and share that can be done by sending it directly to Mrs Pearson for inclusion on the amazing art blog.

n.pearson@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk

https://blog.stpeterswaterlooville.co.uk/art/

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

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 75^th 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 75^th 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/

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/homeprayer-2020-05-11/#1584966288460-3caf27c7-6f32

Below are pictures of some of the VE Day activities that pupils enjoyed on Friday 8 May 2020

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

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

The first week of the new summer term has gone by in a flash.  It seems that whether we are learning in school or at home, the first five days of a term always whizz by, just as the final five days always seem to drag!

Please find links to this weekend, next week’s home worship resources, and 15 prayers to use at home:

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-2020-04-27/

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/15-prayers/

Knowing that the children are doing wonderful things at home, I have set up new e-mail addresses for each class to allow families to send in one piece of home learning a week to their teachers.  Each week, we’d like you to take a picture of the one piece of home learning that your child is most pleased with and send it to the relevant e-mail address.  To make this manageable for my colleagues who are still working fully five days a week both in school on a rota and at home, please limit this to just one picture per child per week.  Hopefully this will be possible for all families using adults’ mobile devices, so no need for laptops, scanners or printers if you don’t have them at home.  The teachers will then make time to reply via e-mail to your child with a ‘praise phrase’ about the work.  Please remember that this will not be a route to ask staff questions about the home learning set, seek intervention or bespoke support, or to request feedback on work.  Rather it is a chance for your child to do a bit of ‘show and tell’ directly to their teacher and add to the home-school communication that has been established with the phone calls.

The class e-mail addresses are as follows:

Seahorseclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Deacon – Year R)

Starfishclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Conlon – Year R)

Turtleclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk     (Mrs Jonas & Mrs Knight – Year 1)

Pufferfishclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Layton – Year 1)

Giraffeclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk  (Mrs Osborne & Mrs Sumba – Year 2)

Elephantclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Foote – Year 2)

Hippoclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk    (Miss Shaw – Year 3)

Lionclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Pike & Mrs Atkins – Year 3)

Koalaclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Jackson-Nash – Year 4)

Kangarooclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Honeywell – Year 4)

Cassowaryclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mrs Edge – Year 5)

Kookaburraclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Miss Stapley & Mr Crozier – Year 5)

Penguinclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mr Land – Year 6)

Sealclass@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk   (Mr Pratley – Year 6)

Don’t forget that if your child has art work to show and share that can be done by sending it directly to Mrs Pearson for inclusion on the amazing art blog.

n.pearson@stpeterswaterlooville.hants.sch.uk

https://blog.stpeterswaterlooville.co.uk/art/

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers

Please find attached links for a family Sunday Liturgy from Ten:Ten, and daily home prayers for the coming 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-2020-04-20/

With best wishes to all of you at home and working out in the community for the common good.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Hello Everyone

I am writing this on Maundy Thursday, as Holy Week progresses remotely for our worship and reflection.

I do hope that everyone has had a chance to switch to ‘holiday mode’ at home after 2 weeks of home schooling, and that the bright and sunny weather is bringing some optimism despite the fact that we may not be able to enjoy the outdoors as much as we normally would in springtime.

Below is a resources link to a Ten:Ten Sunday Liturgy, plus a prayer from a new Mass setting and the reassuring words of the 91st Psalm.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/

Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger,
to whom we turn in our distress;
in faith we pray, look with compassion on the afflicted,
grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners,
healing to the sick, peace to the dying, strength to healthcare workers,
wisdom to our leaders and the courage to reach out to all in love,
so that together we may give glory to your holy name.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 91

Good afternoon.  Well, we’ve reached the last day of term, in odd circumstances.

Thank you all so much for the home learning that has gone on this week.  Through staff calls to families we have had some great tales of creative learning and family fun.  Well done to everyone who as contributed to the Art Blog on the school website – go over there next to have a look at the wonderful gallery.

Colleagues are working through class lists to make phone calls home and keep in touch with the chidlren, so if you have not yet heard from your child’s teacher you will do soon.  Don’t forget, though, that this is ‘Phone Call Friday’, so especially for the younger pupils who do not have their own phones, please try to help them have a conversation with a friend using your devices.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and we enter Holy Week thereafter.  From Ten:Ten again this week are Sunday Liturgy and weekday prayer resources linked below.

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-2020-04-06/

Equally, resources from the Catholic Academies and Schools Office of the Diocese of Portsmouth for Holy Week are available via this link:

http://www.casoportsmouth.org.uk/2-april-3/

Keep checking the blogs over the Easter holidays for updates and posts, and don’t forget that even during holidays some daily reading is a great way to keep the mind alert and ready for the learning that will begin next term, starting on Monday 20th April.

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher