Treating others with respect – a whole school focus:
We are currently having a whole school focus on teaching children the importance of treating others with respect, both adults and their peers. Respect is the foundation upon which positive relationships are built and helps children to develop empathy and understanding towards each other. Please reinforce this in your child’s home environment.
Birthday Treats
We love celebrating the children's special days with them, but we kindly ask that sweets are not sent into school for distribution any more. Instead, we encourage alternatives such as donating a book to the class library or bringing in stickers should children wish to do so.
Confirmation 2025
The Bishop of Edmonton will be at St Paul's Church on Sunday 15 June to baptise, confirm and receive candidates into the communion of the Church of England. Classes for children in Year 5 and above will be on Thursdays, at 6.30pm, starting on Thursday 27 March. There are more details at St Paul's Church Confirmation Information. Please email office@spwh.org if your child would like to take this step in their journey of faith. Confirmations also take place at our other partner churches; get in touch with the relevant parish priest for details.
Years 5 and 6 Eucharist service at Holy Trinity – 3 February
The above service has been postponed to 24th February. Please note this is the first day back after half term. The service will start at 2pm and we ask that you collect your child/ren from Holy Trinity Church at 3pm on that day.
Wednesday, 22nd January was the second of our two annual RE days. On this day we celebrated our school Vision which is based on the conversion of Saint Paul. We started the day with a whole school Church service led by Father Daniel with prayers and readings by the Collective Worship Committee. The rest of the day was spent on a variety of RE activities including discussion of the Vision itself and how we can live out its message as a school community through our actions. Classes also spent time familiarising themselves with the Bible’s Big Story and its core concepts – God, Creation, Fall, People of God, Incarnation, Gospel, Salvation and Kingdom of God. Each year group has been given one of these to explore in depth and create artwork around. These pieces will be developed into a display for use in school when exploring these concepts.
Our theologically rooted Christian vision statement on display in the school hall.
The Year 2 Creation display
During our Autumn term RE day, Year 2 explored God’s Creation story. They learned about how artists have portrayed the story over time and created their own inspiring artwork celebrating the beauty of creation which is now on display for all the school to enjoy.
Get Creative For Climate Justice
During our Autumn term RE day, KS2 children took part in Get Creative For Climate Justice, a national campaign run jointly by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, The Royal Society of Literature and Send My Friend To School to raise awareness of climate issues. All the children engaged thoughtfully with the project and created some excellent pieces of art which we are hoping to display in school later this year. We are thrilled that some children from Saint Paul’s had their work (pictured below) selected for inclusion in the final exhibition which will be held in the Houses of Parliament.
Climate Justice Poster designed by Alex and Kevin, Year 6
Climate Justice Poster designed by Lila, Teddy and Cora, Year 6
Climate Justice Poster designed by Katie, Year 5
Climate Justice Poster designed by Hamish. Year 5
Collective Worship
The Collective Worship Board
This half term, the themes for collective worship are taken from the London Diocesan Board of Schools cycle of Collective worship based around the Bible readings in Church each week. Here are some suggested questions and prayers which you may wish to also use with your children at home.
This week
Themes drawn from Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10, and Psalm 19
God speaks through creation and Scripture
Awe and wonder at the creation Faith – this term’s value
Questions: What gives you strength when you are feeling life is sad or really tough?
Go for a walk outside – what do you notice in nature that brings you joy?
Challenge:
Look out of the window, can you see patterns in the clouds? Look at the stars and moon in the night sky, can you see the craters on the moon?
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for the beauty in your creation. Amen
Next Week
Themes drawn from Malachi 3:1-2 and Luke 2:22-40
Explore why our understanding of God is limited (God as beyond our understanding, humans as imperfect beings)
Trusting God for the future/ a certain hope (as opposed to wishful thinking)
Seeing clearly
Questions: What things in the world do you find tricky to understand?
What hopes do you have for the future?
Challenge:
Talk about your hopes and fears about the future with an adult that you trust.
Prayer:
Father God, thank you that you have a good plan for my life and I can trust you with my future, whatever it may bring. Amen
Some upcoming religious festivals and holy days
February 1 - The Presentation of Christ – Eastern Orthodox Christians commemorate the presentation of the infant Jesus at the Temple, symbolizing his dedication to God. It’s a time for to reflect on faith, family, and renewal.
February 13 - Tu Bishvat - also spelled Tu B'Shevat and Tu BiShevat, is a Jewish celebration dedicated to fruits and trees.
February 15 – Parinirvana - Parinirvana, or Nirvana Day, commemorates the Buddha’s passing into final Nirvana after his physical death. It’s observed through meditation and teachings, reflecting on impermanence and compassion.
Year 1 - Exploring materials
In our science unit, exploring materials, we investigated how our clothes can stretch. We measured how long a sock was, then stretched it to see how much longer it would be.
Our bar chart showing how much a sock would stretch
