May Procession

Beech class gathered this week with our school community for our  Marian procession in honour of Mary Our Mother.  We processed around the playground and then laid beautiful flowers at Our Lady's feet. Year 5 led us in a decade of the Rosary and Mrs Antony led us in some hymns. We continue to pray to Mary throughout the month of May and ask her to protect and guide us. 

Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. 
Amen.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction

This week, we gathered with the rest of the school for a Benediction service. Deacon Tim led us in the service. Benediction involves  a short liturgy where we praise Jesus present with us, we all kneel while special prayers such as the divine praises are said. Candles our lit and insence is used in the thurible these are used to show our love and devotion. Before the Blessed Sacrament is put away in the tabernacle, we are blessed with the sign of the cross using the Most Holy Sacrament, we bow our heads to show our respect at this special moment.

Lenten Sacramental Workshop

This half term we have been able to welcome our parents into school for a Lenten Workshop. Our theme for our workshop referred to The Prodigal Son. This is an extremely important parable as this will be read by Father Sean at our First Confession.

With our parents, we discussed times we have done wrong before thinking about how we can make right choices in our life. 

We ask God to guide and protect us this weekend as we make our First Confession.

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

This week we have celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In our R.E lessons, we learnt about the life of St Bernadette and the apparitions she had of Our Lady. We visited the Lourdes pilgrimage website and took a virtual tour of the grotto and learnt that above the grotto a church was built.

On Thursday, we were fortunate enough to lead our school community in mass to celebrate our feast day. It was a lovely mass where all our readers read beautifully. Friday morning, we continued our celebrations by eating croissants!

Ever Immaculate Virgin Mother of Mercy, Health of the sick, refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; look with mercy on me. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favours; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure for their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.

I come, therefore, with complete confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. Through gratitude for your favours, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory. Amen.

Blessed Carlo Acutis

This week in school, we have been learning about the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Carlo Actuis was born in London in 1991 before moving to Italy to live with his family. Carlo sadly died at the young age of 15 however his short lived life impacted the lives of many people.

Carlo devoted his life to God and Jesus. He is recorded saying "To be close to Jesus, that's my life plan". Carlo lived out this saying by going to mass daily, receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist daily as well as being reconciled weekly. Carlo was also known as a computer wizard, and at the age of 11 he created his own website (https://carloacutis-en.org/) which spreads the word of God.

During his school holidays, Carlo would visit places of Pilgrimage and is buried in Assisi, the birthplace of his favourite saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. As we continue to prepare for our sacraments in Year 3, we pray to Carlo Acutis and ask his to give us guidance on our journey. 

O God, our Father, Thank you for giving us Carlo, model of life for young people, and a message of love for all. You made him fall in love with your Son, Jesus, making of the Eucharist his “highway to Heaven”. You gave him Mary, as beloved Mother, and with the Rosary you made him sing the praises of her tenderness.

Solemnity of the Epiphany

Happy New Year!

We thank God for a joyful Christmas with our friends and family. This week in class we have been preparing for the celebration of the Solemnity of the Epiphany. In our R.E work, we have thought about the importance of the crib, The Shepherds and the Three Wise Men. 

As part of Mrs David's R.E homework challenge, N created his own spectacular crib at home that reminds us of the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, A took our prayer bag home this week and drew a beautiful picture that represented the Epiphany which he showed to the rest of the class on Friday.

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception

This week in school we celebrated the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception. Year 4 led us in Mass on Thursday morning. On Thursday afternoon, as a class  we visited the side chapel in church to look at religious art of Mary appearing to Bernadette in Lourdes. Our liturgy leads then led us in a Hail Mary. 

"You free us of all stain of sin; You remind us that what comes first is the grace of God, The love of Jesus Christ who gave his life for us, The strength of the Holy Spirit which renews all things". - Pope Francis

Advent

This week, the Liturgical Season of Advent began. Advent is a time of preparation for the arrival of Jesus. We gathered with our school community to learn about the importance of Advent.  We listened to Matthews Gospel about staying awake. We discussed how we can stay awake and get ready for the coming of Jesus.

God of hope, we cling to you, for your renew the face of the earth. 

Through the gift of your Son, our Lord Jesus, we follow you on the path of dawn.

Enlightened by your love and wisdom, help us to lead each other and all creatures
back to your open arms.
Amen.

Red Wednesday

This week we celebrated Red Wednesday. Red Wednesday is when we think about those Christians who have been persecuted for their beliefs. We learnt about the life of Maximilian Kolbe who devoted his life to God and set up monasteries in Japan and India.

For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more.

Maximillian Koble

Remembrance Day

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day in the 11th month we remember those who have died in service. As a school, we gathered together to pay our respects. We remember how service men and women  fought gallantly to allow us to live in freedom. In OLOL, we are servants of God and aim to please him in our work and actions.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead.

Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, Though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

All Souls Day

On Wednesday, the church celebrated the feast day of All Souls. This is a very special feast day as we remember those people in our lives who have sadly died and have gone to God into the Kingdom of heaven. As a class, we held a prayer service where we wrote a prayer to those we wish to remember. Our prayers will be present on the altar, in next weeks mass for the Faithfully Departed.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light

shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

Amen

Relic of St Bernadette

This week we joined schools around the Archdiocese of Birmingham for a live stream of a rosary to celebrate the relics of St Bernadette being in our Archdiocese. Some children in the class visited St Chads over the weekend to visit relic in person. 

Holy Rosary

On Thursday morning, our Liturgy Leads led us through a decade of the Rosary. We remember Mary the mother of Jesus during the month of October. Whenever Our Lady appeared, she always held a pair of rosary beads and encouraged those she visited such as St Bernadette, St Dominic, St Francisco and St Jacinta to pray the rosary. Throughout the month of October, we will continue to remember Mary by saying decades of the Rosary. 

I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

(Our Lady to St Dominic)

Prayer Service

This week we have concluded our week with a prayer service led by one of our students. Each week, a child in the class takes home the prayer bag and is encouraged to participate in activities outside of school that involves the teachings of God and Jesus.

Our prayer service focus this week was about Reconciliation. We listened to the parable of The Prodigal Son and explained how the father was able to forgive his son although he had done wrong. In Year 3 we make the sacrament of Reconciliation, so this was a very poignant topic for us to focus on. It is important that we always find the opportunity to forgive others as this is something God would want us to do.

Deacon Tim Blesses Our Classroom

On Friday afternoon, we were visited by Deacon Tim who blessed our classroom and us. He reminded us that during Baptism we were blessed with Holy Water and joined God's family. Belonging to God's family is our current topic in R.E We were reminded about the importance of year 3 as we prepare for our First Holy Communion. 

Thank you Deacon Tim.

CAFOD National Assembly 

This week we have been fortunate enough to watch an assembly by CAFOD. The topic of the assembly focused on how we an fix the food system. As a class we have discussed about how we will limit our food waste. We remind ourselves of the words Jesus said

"For I was hungry you gave me something" Matthew 25.

Prayer Service for Queen Elizabeth II

On Thursday afternoon, we learnt the sad news that Queen Elizabeth II had sadly passed away. As a class, we held a prayer service for Queen Elizabeth and the family members she has left behind. We will keep the royal family in our prayers during this sad time.

Eternal rest grant unto her,

O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine

upon her.

May she rest in peace.  Amen.

Welcome back 

Welcome back to a new school year. Tuesday morning we gathered together as our school family for the first time of the academic year. It was beautiful to be able to reconnect with our peers, and school community and prayer together through hymns. We are looking forward to a successful Year 3.