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

Hello Everyone!

After a busy couple of weeks where I am sorry to say that I did not find time to write my weekly blog, I am now back into the routine and raring to go with a couple of big announcements.

Firstly, may I launch the very first (of many!) St Peter’s Phone Call Fridays.  Unlike teenagers in secondary schools, the vast majority of our pupils do not own mobile phones, and nowadays most children and teens who do own them don’t actually use them for making calls.  But this needs to change, and we can make that difference for our children.  I would ask that at least every Friday, you take the time to allow your child to call up, or if you have the facility Face Time, one of their friends for a proper conversation and catch up.  This is not messaging on Roblox or Fortnite (which primary aged children should not be playing anyway), but a chance for a natter and a giggle with friends.  If parents are willing, perhaps some more numbers can be swapped between adults so that more and more children have the means to have conversations each Friday.  Obviously, sharing numbers is entirely at a parent’s discretion and should only be done between adults using adult and not pupil phones, with the usual sensible safeguarding measures in place.  However, the gradual building up of some trusted communication networks could be a great way to help the children feel a part of St Peter’s even when we are forced apart.

Secondly, the show must go on!  Friday 3^rd April 2020 is in the calendar as the Friends of St Peter’s UV Disco.  The Year R and Key Stage 1 disco was scheduled for 4:30pm to 6:00pm, and the Key Stage 2 disco from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.  Just because we are not in school doesn’t mean that we can’t all have our own discos and celebrate the end of term at home.  So, next Friday afternoon, the tickets are free but the location is your place, wear something super bright to glow in the dark, shut the curtains, turn the volume up to 11 and get your groove on!  The more people we can have partying at the same time the better – you could even combine it with Phone Call Friday to contact friends and party together at a distance.  Now we all know that the best part of a school disco is the sweet stall and the snack bar, so during your one essential shop next week see if you can sneak into the trolley some hot dogs or pizza, some fizzy jelly sweets as a treat, and a bottle of soft drink in any un-natural looking colour that takes your fancy.

Finally, a big thank you to all families who have offered words of encouragement to the staff at school during these testing times.  We have worked our hardest to maintain a sense of normality for the pupils before and after the enforced school closure, and we will be stepping up our home-school contact and on-line presence in the coming weeks as we settle into new ways of working.  To an individual the pupils have been brilliant during these past few weeks since returning from the half-term break, serving as a real credit to you their families in how they have behaved and responded to some unprecedented upheavals.

I hope that everyone is able to enjoy a restful and fulfilling weekend.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Well done to all the children who dressed up to get involved in World Book Day.

Don’t forget the bedtime stories are still avaiable on the school website.

And well done to the staff for joining in so well…

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher

This week pupils and staff at St Peter’s school received ashes to mark the start of Lent.

On Ash Wednesday, Miss Keogh (Lay Chaplain at Oaklands) and I visited the Year 1 and Reception classes to explain the reason for the distribution of ashes, and administer ashes to each child and colleague in the class.

Next, pupils from Years 2 to 6 gathered in the hall to hear the Gospel reading on Christ’s temptation in the desert before the beginning of his ministry here on earth.  The pupils were then asked to commit to actions or behaviours that would, during Lent, go the extra mile to reach out to those in need or those lacking friendship, love or happiness.  Finally, Miss Keogh and I distributed ashes to the 300 plus pupils and staff in the service, pictured below.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Well done to the pupils who have recently represented St Peter’s in inter-school competitions.  Pupils from Years 4 and 5 took part in a Maths Challenge at Crookhorn College, showing the range, depth and adaptability of the mathematical skills they have learnt over time at St Peter’s.  Equally, 26 pupils from Year 6 took part in a Sports Hall Athletics competition at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth in the week before half term.  Each competitor gave up lunch times to practice, and competed extremely well against other children in the area.  We are grateful to Oaklands for lending us a vital selection of indoor athletics equipment to help with training.  Thanks go especially to the staff who made the pupils’ participation in these events possible – just two small examples of why the pupils and staff at St Peter’s now deserve a well-earned half-term break.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher