25th April 2025

We returned to school with the news of the death of Pope Francis but rejoice in the life he has led and his example of Christian Discipleship. We are invited to pray for the repose of his soul, for his family and friends and that the Holy Spirit will fill the hearts of the faithful during this period of change for the Church.
 

Amongst the many tributes written about our Holy Father, I was particularly touched by the words of Barack Obama who wrote; “Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people. In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound – embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners – he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another. Today, we mourn with everyone around the world – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example. May we continue to heed his call to ‘never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope’.”
 

Pope Francis speaking to young people said “Do not bury the gifts and talents that God has given you. Do not be afraid to dream of great things…….is Christ at the centre of your plans and dreams?” As we reflect on the life of Pope Francis, we  pray that we will be given the strength to be the very best version of the person God wants us to be.
 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

Miss Clark

“By our actions, our words, our patient efforts to sow seeds of beauty and kindness wherever we find ourselves. We want to sing of hope and reawaken in every heart the joy and the courage to embrace life, to the Full.”

Pope Francis

On our return to school, each class journeyed with Christ through the events that make up  the Easter Triduum. Through prayer stations we have reflected on how Jesus gathered with his disciples and shared his body and blood, how he suffered, was crucified and died and how he rose again in glory through prayer and celebration. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, shows us that he is divine and the Son of God and that through our faith in him we find salvation.     We have seen some amazing Easter bonnets and Easter crafts this week. Thank you for all of who have marked Easter with such creativity and hard work. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Ms Martinez who has been nominated for the Teach Portsmouth People’s Choice Award.  We are delighted her hard work, love and support have been recognised.

BUMBLEBEES  — LYDIA LADYBIRDS  —  DENZEL OWLS  —  GWEN HEDGEHOGS  —  JOANNA BADGERS  —  NIHA DOLPHINS  —  SHEKINAH ORCAS  —  AALIYAH STARFISH  —  PHILIP KINGFISHERS  — HOPE KESTRELS  —  MABEL STARLINGS  —  YASMIN   BUMBLEBEES  —  EVELYN LADYBIRDS  —  CHINCHEREM OWLS  —  DANIEL HEDGEHOGS  —  SHINDARA BADGERS  —  JONNELLE DOLPHINS  —  NELA ORCAS  —  SAMUEL.H STARFISH  —  CARTER THE ARK  —  ALEX KINGFISHERS  —  BETTY KESTRELS  —  EBEHI STARLINGS  —  TUPPENCE   BRONZE: Eason, Kylah, Daniel & Alice (Hedgehogs) Ella (Dolphins) SILVER: Evelin (Hedgehogs)   Alex (The Ark) Working hard with his RE work Lewis (Owls) Fantastic handwriting progress

Dates for your Diary   Thursday 1st May                                                      Yr R Staunton Farm Trip Tuesday 6th May                                                       Dolphins Class Swimming begins Monday 5th May                                                        BANK HOLIDAY - school closed for all children Friday 23rd May                                                         INSET Day - school closed for all children Monday 26th May - Friday 30th May                         HALF TERM - school closed for all children Tuesday 3rd June                                                      Owls & Yr1 Hedgehogs HMS Victory Trip Wednesday 4th June                                                 Badgers & Yr2 Hedgehogs HMS Victory Trip Monday 30th June                                                     Year 5 Gilbert White House Trip Wednesday 2nd July                                                  Sport's Day Friday 4th July                                                           INSET Day - school closed for all children Wednesday 23rd July - Tuesday 2nd September     SUMMER HOLIDAYS - school closed for all children

Attendance Well done to The Ark for 100% attendance for the last week of term, followed closely my Kestrels class with 99% attendance and then Dolphins class with 98.5% attendance.  Amazing! All classes were over 96% which is absolutely brilliant!

Year 3/4 Healthy Schools week!

We had such a fun time during our healthy schools week. We took on the challenge of creating our own Top Trump cards based on the top places in Portsmouth that can boost our mental health. We used different devices and sources to explore the best places in Portsmouth and sorted them into the type of activity it was. We narrowed this down to 3 categories: Calmness, activeness and fun!

Feel free to play the game at home and maybe even pay a visit to these amazing places!