Goodbye Year 3

Our journey in Year 3 has been a success. We have celebrated the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. As a class, we would like to thank God, Jesus, our teachers, family and friends who have helped us throughout the year. 

Going forth, we ask God to protect us and guide us over summer months.

All our love, Year 3.

Feast of St Peter and St Paul

This week we have celebrated the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. In our R.E lesson, we were tasked with sorting key information out about each person and how their life had changed. 

First Holy Communion

This half-term we have been preparing for the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Over 3 weekends, members of the class have made their First Holy Communion. On the feast day of St Peter and St Paul, we gathered as a class and school community for a Thanksgiving Mass to thank our family, teachers, peers and Father Sean in helping us prepare so reverently for our special occasion!

Celebration of Easter

Despite having already celebrated the rising of Jesus on Easter Sunday, during our R.E lessons we are continuing the celebration of Easter. In class, our prayer table is dressed in gold to represent Easter.

The celebration of Easter lasts for 50 days, therefore each week our Liturgy Leads will lead us in the Regina Caeli rather than the Angelus. 

Preparing for Holy Week

During our final week of term, we have been preparing for Holy Week. On Monday we watched Year 4 led Stations of the Cross. This service reminded us of the struggles Jesus went through as he sacrificed his life for us.

On Thursday, we went to Mass and were awarded our First Confession certificates after making the Sacrament of Reconciliation this term.

Year 3 wishes everyone a safe and holy Easter.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Congratulations to everybody who made their First Confession this weekend. It was a beautiful service where all children sat reverently. A special thank you to Mrs Anthony for preparing the class so superbly as well as Father Sean, Father Dennis and Father David. 

As a class now, we will continue to work hard to make the right choices in our learning, play and actions. 

Preparation for First Confession

Mrs Anthony led us in a beautiful retreat on Thursday afternoon in church preparing ourselves for our upcoming First Confession. As a group we recorded how sometimes our hands can be used in negative ways before placing the hand in a bowl of water. We proceeded to list ways we can positively use our hands before placing them in a basket to showcase at our First Confession. Upon removing the hand in the bowl of water, we noticed how the hand was now clean and all the negatives had been washed away. We discussed how during our First Confession, God listens to our wrongs and forgives us.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our First Confession this weekend.

Intentional and Prophetic 

This half term our Jesuit Virtues are Intentional and Prophetic. Our assembly focused on how we can showcase these virtues throughout this half term in our learning, play and within our local community.

In class, our prayer table has changed to represent the beginning of Lent. On Wednesday we gathered with our school community to receive Ashes to signify Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. Father Sean explained how these ashes came from psalms from Psalm Sunday last year. During Lent we are asked to fast, give and pray.

Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes

This week, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes has been at the centre of a lot of our studying. 

Our liturgy leads began our week by leading us in a decade of the rosary. During R.E we learnt about the life of St Bernadette and here apparitions. We then proceeded to have a virtual tour of Lourdes Sanctuary which was very exciting! We were able to see the grotto where Bernadette had her apparitions as well as where she dug for the spring water to flow after being instructed to do so by Mary. As a class we were very interested to find out that a Chapel was built on the grotto. Some members of the class have expressed how they would love to visit Lourdes in the future. We sent a class prayer to Lourdes asking for Mary to look after our school and parish community and to support the poor.

Blessed Carlo Acutis

This week we have been learning about our Historical Catholic Figure; Blessed Carlo Acutis. Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 in London before moving back to Italy with his family. Growing up, Carlo always placed God at the centre of life. Sadly at the age of 15 Carlo died from illness however he left behind a great legacy and impact on people. He asked to be buried in Assisi due to his love for St Francis of Assisi. Carlo was beatified in the Basillica of San Francesco in 2020. 

As a class we discussed how he has inspired us all to follow in his footsteps, make time to go to mass as well as placing God at the centre of what we do. We asked Blessed Carlo Acutis to pray over us as we prepare for the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Christian Unity

This week we are celebrating a week of prayer for Christian Unity. As a class we discussed how their are lots of different Christian Churches that all stem from Judaism. We agreed that these different churches are also part of God's family however learnt that they worship God in different ways.

How can we be Curious and Active?

This week our thoughts have focused on how we can be Curious and Active at OLOL and at home. We considered our house saints and how in their lives they showcase these Jesuit Virtues. Collectively we came up with our own promises to God as to how we can replicate the work of our house saints and be Curious and Active.

Our new Jesuit Virtues - Curious and Active

This week we gathered to learn about our new Jesuit Virtues; Curious and Active. We read the parable about the The Good Samaritan and discussed how the Samaritan illustrates our virtues with his actions. Throughout this term, we will work hard to showcase these virtues towards our school life and strengthen our faith with God.

Christmas Unit

Since our return to school, we have been focusing on our Christmas Unit in R.E. Our prayer table reflects the current period in the Liturgical year. On Thursday, we gathered as a class to celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. We discussed the significance of each present that the Three Kings gave to Jesus in the manger.

Learned and Wise

At the beginning of half term, we learnt our new Jesuit Virtues; Learned and Wise. We discussed how we can display our Jesuit Virtues in our work and play. At the end of the term, some children have highlighted how they have displayed these Virtues. Well done to both children who have displayed their Jesuit Virtues this half term.

Second Week of Advent

On Monday we gathered as a class for our second Sunday of Advent assembly. We lit the second candle on our Advent wreath and furthered our discussion about how we are in a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus.

In our Advent unit in R.E we wrote Advent promises that are on display in front of our prayer area.

Light of the World: CAFOD National Assembly

We gathered as class to watch CAFOD National Assembly about the Light of the World. In pairs, we discussed about what we could do this Advent to help others and share the light of Jesus. We agreed that important to help others as that is what God would like us to do.

Beginning of Advent

This week we gathered for the beginning of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation. As a class we discussed how we are going to prepare for the birth of Christ. We sang Christ Be our Light before discussing the importance of the lyrics. We remembered to light the first candle on our Advent wreath as we are on a journey together awaiting the birth of Christ.

Red Wednesday

Alongside Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) we remembered Christians who have been persecuted for their faith. We discussed how this made us feel before we visited church where our liturgy lead led us in prayer in church where we lit a candle to show that we were going to pray for those who are unable to practice their faith. 

A Prayer for Refugees

This week we gathered in our house teams to write a prayer for refugees. This year marks 70 years since the UK signed the UN Refugee Convention. We presented our prayer on an orange heart to show solidarity with refugees. Year 3 are remembering and praying for refugees past and present. We ask our house saints and God to guide them and keep them safe.

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

Monday morning we began our week by writing prayers for people in our lives who have faithfully departed. Mrs Anthony then brought them over to church to place onto the alter.

On Tuesday morning, we celebrated Mass online. We gathered in our class and offered our prayers for those who have departed God's earth and to join him in heaven. 

Laudato Si: Our Common Home

We gathered this week to think about our common home, the world. Pope Francis has asked us to look after the world because we are damaging it which will impact future generations. We agreed in Beech class that we will help the world by walking to school, recycling our rubbish and using less electricity.

Father Sean and the OLOL parish are working towards earning a CAFOD Live Award and we want to help! 

Class Rosary

Thank you to our Liturgy Leads who this week have led us in a class Rosary. October is the dedicated to the Holy Rosary. The 7th October is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. Did you know Pope John Paul II favourite prayer was the Rosary?

Little Way Week

We began our week by having an assembly about Little Way Week. Little Way Week is ran by charity MISSIO in honour of St. Therese of Lisieux. As a class we discussed about the little things that we can do that can help others in our school and community.

House Teams

This week we had the opportunity to meet in House Teams for the first time this year. We listened to stories about our house saints and spoke about how we can follow in their footsteps throughout the school year.

As a class we then decided we will care for others, be kind to one another and make sure that we say thank you to God every day.

Preparation for Mass

In Year 3, we have been given new prayers to learn and different responses we need to know when in mass. Collectively, we spoke about why Year 3 is such an important year for our faith and how we can prepare ourselves throughout the year for the sacraments we will make.

Tuesday morning we were very excited to go to mass with the whole school. It was a special mass celebrating exaltation of the cross.

The Angelus

Our newly elected Liturgy Leads led us in saying The Angelus at midday on Friday. We will say The Angelus every Friday before our lunch in Year 3 to remind ourselves of the Incarnation and pay homage to Mary; and how she helps us live our lives like God would want us too.

COP26

Beech class have been learning about how the eyes of the world will be on the UK in November due to the COP26 conference. We learnt about what we can do to help with Climate Change and remembered how Pope Francis has asked us to look after our common home; the world.

Class charter

We devised our Class Charter. We spoke about our rights and responsibilities in Year 3 and how by following our class charter we can keep ourselves and others safe at school. If you are ever in Beech class, please have a look at what we have promised to do.

Saint John Vianney

We learnt this week about our class saint, Saint John Vianney. Saint John Vianney was born in France in 1786 and is the patron saint of Priests. Our liturgy leads led a prayer service outside where we asked Saint John Vianney to protect, guide and encourage us throughout the school year.

Did you know Saint John Vianney made his first holy communion in secret?