St Philomena’s School
April 2023
Newsletter
Headteacher's Half Term Round Up…
This edition of the newsletter will be published exactly four years to the day since I joined St Philomena's School on 23rd April 2019. Who would have thought that two terms into my leadership a pandemic would strike and alter the day-to-day running of the school for over 18 months!
With a focus on learning combined with an abundance of fun, this half term has literally flown by. The Easter Egg Hunts on the last day of term were a huge success. It was lovely to hear and see the excitement of each class as they searched for clues and worked as a team to complete the challenges.
My thanks to all the parents who continue to support the school community by joining us for assemblies, accompanying school trips, helping with the hot lunches, organising events such as the Easter Egg Hunt and Quiz Night; the school simply wouldn’t be the same without you. We have plenty planned for the Summer Term and much to look forward to. Please make sure you keep your eye on the ‘Diary of Events’ section at the end of the newsletter, and remember you can also access the school calendar via the school website http://stphilomenas.com/calendar/.
I look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 24 April. With all pupils returning to school in their summer uniform I very much hope warm weather is on the way!
HALF TERM HIGHLIGHTS
What a whirlwind this half term has been! Four exceptional class assemblies showcasing learning about the Anglo Saxons, Space, World War II and The Tower of London, with parents staying on afterwards to look at their child's work.
Reception class had a wonderful day at Colchester Zoo and Forms IV and V visited the historic Tower of London.
HALF TERM HIGHLIGHTS
Reception Class were fortunate enough to visit Frinton Fire Station as part of their topic 'People who Help Us'. Each child were given the opportunity to use the fire hose, try on the uniform and sit in the fire engine. Later on that week PSCO Willis staged a crime scene at the school and taught the children how to look for evidence and fill out reports.
Form III participated in a street dance work shop hosted by the Christina Marks School of Dance. The dance teacher was impressed with the children's skills and how quickly they learnt the routine.
On 3rd March we held a Quiz Night in school to raise funds for the outside play trail. The evening was a fantastic success, with an abundance of food, drink and laughter. Congratulations to 'The Simple Minds' who were the overall winners of the evening. Thank you to our Quiz Master Mr Battersby and his family who organised and ran the event. A tremendous £500 was raised on the night which the school has doubled as part of the play trail initiative.
WORLD BOOK DAY 2023
Thank you to everyone who made so much effort to dress up on World Book Day this year. Form I and II visited Caxton Book Shop to redeem their vouchers and looked a wonderful sight as they walked down Connaught Avenue.
END OF TERM EASTER FUN
Although we had to change our plans due to the poor weather, we ended the half term with a whole school Easter Egg Hunt organised by the Parent Reps and an Easter raffle which raised an amazing £429.
PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS
In assembly each week we celebrate the achievements of our pupils both in and out of school. We are always proud to celebrate their hard work, whether it be for sport, music, reading or volunteering.
Congratulations to Wren W for achieving a Distinction in both Primary Tap and Modern Theatre Dance.
Congratulations to Emily H who passed her Royal Academy of Dance Primary Ballet with distinction.
Congratulations to Yeabu G for achieving a distinction in Dance for her Grade 2 Tap exam.
Great success at a recent gymnastics competition:
Willamina W was awarded 4 medals: 1st place in the floor, 2nd in the beam and bar and 3rd on the vault.
Rose B was awarded a bronze medal for coming 3rd in the beam.
Bobbie S was awarded 2 silver medals for coming 2nd in both the bar and floor.
Macie S was awarded 2 bronze medals for coming 3rd in the floor and beam.
PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS
Hayley M and Hollie M participated in a recent gymnastics competition in Kent. Congratulations to Hollie for achieving a bronze medal in the beam..
Kit MdB, Wilf K, Ziggy T and Finn M all played for Colchester Rugby Club at a recent rugby festival. Kit and Wilf were both awarded Man of the Match for their respective teams.
Congratulations to Eliot T who has successfully gained the grade of 2nd MON in Judo.
Zach R represented Clacton Sharks in a swimming competition and came 1st in the 50m backstroke
Kit MdB was selected as Player of the Week for the U7 rugby team at Colchester Rugby Club
Well done to Nyra P for achieving her 10m front crawl certificate and badge in swimming.
PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS
Well done to Aarya P for swimming 120m front crawl and achieving her 100m swimming certificate and badge.
Congratulations to Darcie B for achieving 1st place in a floor a vault team competition at a regional gymnastics competition.
We are very proud of Anni J who attends our after school ballet class on a Friday. She took her first Royal Academy of Dance Primary Ballet exam this term under the expert guidance of Vanessa Rendell from Dance Foundation and was awarded distinction gold for her efforts. What a fantastic achievement!
We are also very proud of Zachary R who performed in Aladdin at the Princes Theatre in Clacton over the Easter break. He was on the only junior who was chosen to perform in both teams which shows his commitment and professionalism.
St Philomena's Enrichment Programme
A special mention has to made of the wonderful after school programme that a number of pupils from Forms III to VI have taken part in Team Thoughtfulness Thursday have been on an incredible journey over the past 12 weeks; learning about kindness, empathy, emotions and feelings.
As part of the programme the children delivered a whole school assembly to share their learning as part of Children's Mental Health Week in February. They were also honoured to meet 'Baloo', a retired Police service dog who was injured in the line of duty and has shown great resilience in re-training as a therapy dog. Supported by Frinton Rotary Club, the pupils were involved in an Act of Kindness project, aimed at supporting their learning about the importance of being kind to themselves and to others. They created Easter cards and delivered them to the elder members of the local community.
Thank you to Frinton Rotary Club for their continued support of St Philomena's. We really do appreciate it.
THOUGHTFULNESS THURSDAY
SCHOOL MESSAGES
Summer Activity Days Luxury Lunches OPEN DAY
Due to the success of the Easter activity days, more sessions will be run over the summer holiday. Please look out for the online form that will be sent via ClassDojo. The days will run from 9am to 4pm with a hot lunch and snacks included. £40 per child.
Our next school Open Morning is on Tuesday 25th April from 9am to 11am. Please share this information with any prospective parents who may be interested in joining St Philomena's.
Summer Uniform Family Mass
The next family mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Francis in Frinton will be at 6pm on Saturday 29th April (Good Shepherd Sunday). Please message Mrs Mathews via ClassDojo if you will be attending so your child can be included in the mass.
As we return to school after the Easter break please remember all children will need to be wearing summer uniform.
The pre-loved store will be open on Friday 28th April from 3pm to 4pm for any last minute uniform needs.
A huge thank you to Mrs Dawson for opening the store.
Please complete the online form on ClassDojo to order a freshly made cold lunch by Bird & Bean for the summer term. One less lunch to think about organising during the week. Each lunch is £5 and is nonrefundable.
Hot Lunches and Tuck
Please remember to sign up for hot lunches, fish and chips and Friday tuck if you wish to. The deadlines for ordering are:
Monday 24th April at midday – hot lunches.
Wednesday 26th April at midday – tuck at break.
Friday 28th April at midday – fish and chips.
U11 Football League: CHAMPIONS
The last game of the season against Engaines Primary School proved to be the team's toughest challenge to date. After a tricky first half with St Philomena's trailing behind 2:1, the team quickly re-grouped for the second half and were able to secure a 4:2 victory at the final whistle. The win ensured a 100% winning record for the whole league fixtures.
What an incredible season the St Philomena's boys U11 football team have had. Under the expert coaching of Mr Dellow, they have been unbeaten all season and have shown great sportsmanship in all of their matches.
Thank you Mr Dellow!
Annual Primary Schools Cross Country
.On Wednesday 22nd March selected pupils from Forms III to VI competed against other primary schools in the Tendring area at Birch Hall. There were over 400 children participating in the races throughout the day. Congratulations all those who took part.
Individual placings: Toby K (1st), Darcie B (1st), Wilf K (2nd), William L (3rd)
Team placings: Year 4 Girls, Year 5 Boys, Year 6 Boys – all three year groups came 1st overall Year 3 Girls, Year 6 Boys – both came 2nd overall
SPORTS NEWS AT ST PHILOMENA’S
U11 Netball Basketball
The penultimate match of the season on Wednesday 15th March was against Frobisher Primary School. Quick passing and fantastic shooting from St Philomena's resulted in an 18:2 win.
Wednesday 29th March, the last match of the season was against Great Bentley Primary School. Wonderful sportsmanship from both teams and a comfortable win for St Philomena's of 18:3.
The netball team have been unbeaten all season which is a wonderful achievement.
Thank you to Mrs Westlake for her excellent coaching all season.
On Thursday 23rd March the St Philomena's Basketball team participated in their 4th tournament hosted by Cannons. The coaches have been proud of the high standard set by all the players. St Philomena's have gone from strength to strength this term and have grown in confidence and have improved their skills immensely.
SPORTS NEWS AT ST PHILOMENA’S
What’s On… St Philomena’s Diary of Events
April Event
Monday 24th First day of term
Tuesday 25th Open Morning, 9am to 11am
Friday 28th Dentist visit to Reception Class
Pre-loved store open, 3pm to 4pm
Saturday 29th Family mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Francis, 6pm
May Event
Monday 1st May Bank Holiday
Friday 5th May Coronation Celebration in the afternoon including the postponed 'Easter Fair' (weather dependent)
Pimms@Pick Up, 3pm (weather dependent)
ALL PARENTS INVITED
Monday 8th May Bank Holiday
Tuesday 9th May Bikebability Day 1 (Group 1)
Thursday 11th May Coronation Concert at Great Holland Church, 2pm, Forms V and VI
Friday 12th May Bikeability Day 2 (Group 1)
Monday 15th May LAMDA Exams, Form IV, V and VI
Thursday 18th May Fish and Chips
Monday 22nd May LAMDA Exams, Form IV, V and VI
Tuesday 23rd May Quiz Club Maths Competition, 10am, selected pupils
Thursday 25th May Bikeability Day 1 (Group 2)
Friday 26th May Bikeability Day 2 (Group 2)
Last day of the half term
What’s On… St Philomena’s Diary of Events
June Event
Monday 5th June First day of term
Monday 5th to Friday 9th June Form VI residential to Yorkshire
Tuesday 6th June Form II educational visit to Harwich
Thursday 15th June Fish and Chips
Friday 16th June Whole school trip to the beach (weather dependent)
Thursday 22nd June Sports Day (weather dependent)
ALL PARENTS INVITED NO AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Friday 23rd June Form VI Leavers Event at Frinton Tennis Club, 2pm to 4.30pm
Monday 26th June Times Tables Championship
Tuesday 27th June
Sports Day back up (if necessary; weather dependent)
ALL PARENTS INVITED
Wednesday 28th June Reception, Form I and Form II enrichment afternoon at Frinton Tennis Club, 1.45pm to 3.45pm
Thursday 29th June Form III and Form IV enrichment afternoon at Frinton Tennis Club, 1.45pm to 3.45pm
Friday 30th June
Forms V and Form VI enrichment afternoon at Frinton Tennis Club, 1.45pm to 3.45pm
July Event
Wednesday 5th July Whole School Speech Day at St Mary's Church, 2pm
ALL PARENTS INVITED NO AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Thursday 6th July Form VI Leavers Assembly, 2pm
FORM VI PARENTS INVITED
Last day of term NO AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Please remember to check the school calendar for updates and future events that have been calendared for the rest of the academic year.