On our personalised Catholic Life page you will see pictures of our different sessions during Collective Worship, Mission Weeks, R.E lessons and way in which we embrace Catholic Life during school. You will also see our delightful Religious Education work, prayer focus and the first sacrament we make, First Holy Communion.

School Virtues

Our virtues for this academic year are;

• Compassionate and Loving
• Faith-Filled and Hopeful
• Eloquent and Truthful
• Learned and Wise
• Curious and Active
• Intentional and Prophetic

At St John’s, we use the Diocesan virtues to share and reflect upon every half term. These virtues are a vital part of our school life and we acknowledge them in many different areas such as; Collective Worship, R.E lessons, Key Stage Assemblies and Whole School Assemblies We work hard to demonstrate and celebrate them. Each week, linked to our specific half term virtue, a certificate is presented to a child during Celebration Assembly, who has been identified as representing the virtue.

R.E Units/Our Work

During the school year, we learn plenty about the life of God and the teachings of Jesus. Our units include;

• We Gather as Gods Family
• Reconciliation
• Advent
• Christmas
• We listen to Gods word at Mass
• Lent
• Holy Week
• Easter
• Prayer
• Pentecost
• Eucharist

We produce a significant amount of insightful work during these units, examples of this work are below.

Collective Worship

Collective worship is a vital way to start each day in our class. We come together, pray and reflect on the world we live in with all children participating. Each week children are invited to lead one of our collective worship. The children are all very eager to lead a collective worship and show great respect and admiration when leading the worship. During these sessions, children have the opportunity to share in prayer, offer prayer intentions, hear Bible stories, meditate and reflect on how they can use the word of God in their own lives. These are offered as a whole school, Key Stage and class throughout the week.

Prayer Focus

Our prayer focus is at the front of the classroom and is a pivotal point during class prayer services or for the children’s own private intentions when they might want to take a moment and reflect. We use the Prayer

Focus to pray numerous times a day and we pride ourselves on this visual focus. We adhere to the Liturgical year and this is reflected. The children are involved in changing and adding necessary symbols to our focus, based on the Liturgical Year.

First Holy Communion

Members of our year 3 children will receive their First Holy Communion in June. The children are busily preparing in school for their big day when they will become members of the church. It is an important Sacrament that the whole class learn about and participate in numerous activities. Preparations include a talk from Father Michael and the children receiving and working on their own exercise book. These exercises help the children understand the journey they are on and it also allows them to reflect on previous journeys such as their Baptism. We look forward to the celebration of Holy Communion.