ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMYWeekly Newsletter

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher

Grassyards RdKilmarnock KA3 7SL

01563 526144

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.ukTwitter: @StJoAcad

ISSUE 9.3

NOVEMBER 21ST 2014

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM:

NURTURING FAITH-FILLED WORLD CLASS LEARNING

Basketball success: St. Joseph’s

U-15 march on with a 37 - 17

victory over Ardrossan. That’s

three wins out of three matches.

S1 Citizenship Events

An online safety and cyberbullying event takes place on November 26th. S1 pupils will attend during period 2 and S2 during period 3.

Race for Life, May 2015

We’re running the race again next May. All those who have signed up should pay their £10 by Friday, November 21st.

S3 Parents’ Evening

This takes place on Tuesday, November 25th at 4.00 pm - 6.30 pm

Christmas Fayre

Our second annual Christmas Fayre takes place on December 2nd from 7pm - 9 pm. There will a range of stallholders selling their wares and all manner of opportunities to win goodies and generally get into the Christmas spirit. The Fayre is run by the S6 Personal Development class.

Christmas Parcel Campaign

The legendary parcel campaign is now underway so please send in your donations of tins, cans and any dry goods that can be shared with the elderly, infirm and needy. Last year we gather nearly half a ton of stock - let’s see if we can exceed that this year.

Christmas Concert

The annual concert will be the first event led by our new Principal Teacher of Art and Music, Mr. Cowan. It promises

to be an excellent evening of entertainment and, we are delighted to report, features not only our very own talented pupils but P6 and 7 pupils from St. Andrew’s as well as a surprise turn from the staff.

New Staff

This week we were delighted to welcome to the school our new Teacher of Art & Design, Miss Woodward. Please make her feel welcome when you meet her.

Christmas Fun Evening

Our SCIAF Talented Fundraisers are laying on a evening of Christmas fun on December 9th from 7 - 10 pm.

Trips

There are a number of planned and forthcoming trips and visits. These include the Edinburgh Dungeons (March 4th), a trip to see Manchester United play Spurs on March 14th and one to Alton Towers on April 2nd.

Advent Prayers

Morning prayers will, as usual, be said every morning until the end of term in the Oratory, starting on Monday, December 1st.

Euroscola

We were delighted to learn this week that our Head Boy, Daniel Johnston, has been selected to represent Ayrshire at the European Parliament in March 2015 through Euroscola programme. We wish him all the very best.

TwitterYou can now follow @StJoAcadArts for Art and Music news

Great examples of portriature

from S1 and research posters

in Art from S3

THE BIG PICTURE:

THIS WEEK AROUND THE SCHOOL

Clockwise: S1 water cycle poster in Science;

S2 learning tableau in Drama; group challenge

posters produced in English.THE BIG PICTURE:

THIS WEEK AROUND THE SCHOOL

P5 pupils from St. Andrew’s working with

St. Joseph’s staff on a STEM/ IDL project on

Leonardo da Vinci: ‘That sandpaper’s very

scratchy.”

THE BIG PICTURE:

THIS WEEK AROUND THE SCHOOL

THE BIG PICTURE:

THIS WEEK AROUND THE SCHOOL

We were delighted to host P7 pupils for a

Numeracy transition event: the Maths

Challenge led by S3 pupils, followed by a

ceilidh led by our S5/6 Sports Leaders

ANTI-BULLYING WEEK

This week in Home Room pupils have been focussing on the issue of bullying as it is national Anti-bullying Week.

The activities have included discussions on the definition of bullying, how to deal with it and why people bully. In addition pupils have been asked to consider what they can do to prevent bullying and encourage positive relationships.

They have also viewed a number of nationally recognised short films about bullying including one that focuses on the bullying of people with learning disabilities. This film has been created by the charity Enable and can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF8ClwCYFaQ

General Advice on dealing with Bullying for Parents and Carers

No parent likes to think of their child being bullied; but it happens in all schools and St. Joseph’s Academy is no exception. When it does occur our staff want to work with you and your child to address the issue and try to resolve it. The following advice for parents and carers may be useful:

When your child tells you they are being bullied, listen and try not to get upset. Your feelings are not what is important - what matters is how they feel.

Try to reassure them and talk through how they might deal with the bullying. Encourage them to se themselves as confident and in charge of the situation - being bullied is not a sign of weakness. Discuss how they can show confidence and resilience in their body language. It can help if they give the impression that the bullying does not bother them.

Don’t become aggressive, threaten to storm into the school or sort out the problem yourself. many pupils

who feel that they are being bullied fear their parents or carers reacting in this way as they feel that it simply makes things worse. Be calm and react in a reasonable way.

Do not encourage your son or daughter to hit back - it always makes things worse.

Once you have gathered the facts of the alleged bullying approach the school through your child’s Pupil Support teacher. Also, encourage your child to report to any adult any instance of alleged bullying in school as soon as it occurs. The sooner we know about it the sooner we can do something about it.

Try not to label people as bullies or victims, instead describe and discuss their behaviour. As adults in this situation the role of teachers and parents or carers must be calm things down and resolve matters.

Talk to your child about bullying, but don’t allow it to dominate their lives or your conversations. Doing this can simply encourage the young person to see themselves as a victim to whom bullying is almost guaranteed to happen.

With your child talk about what a satisfactory resolution to the problem might be. We do take very firm action against bullying, but we also know from experience that punishment does not make it go away. Instead we have to work with young people to change their behaviour and develop their understanding. That can only happen if everyone involved is listened to and treated with respect.

Useful web links

www.bullying.co.uk/advice-for-parents

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Bullying/Pages/Bullyingadviceforparents.aspx

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/bullying/

www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing...and.../bullying-and-cyberbullying

WEEKLY HOME ROOM REFLECTION: ANTI-BULLYING WEEKThis Sundayʼs Gospel told the parable of the talents, describing a businessman who gives ʻtalentsʼ (i.e. gold) to three workers.  To the first he gives 5, and the man makes five more.  The second receives two, with the same outcome.  The last receives one and, instead of investing, he hides the talent and adds no value because he fears his master and mistrusts him.  For this he faces severe punishment.  It is one of those parables that seems at odds with the idea of a loving and patient God, but it also makes a powerful point about how we use our God-given skills and abilities.  Firstly, it reminds us that we have a duty to use them to create more of the same.  Secondly, it shows us how damaging and selfish it is to hide away our talents or use them only for ourselves and not others.  Finally, it demonstrates that our achievements alone are not enough; how we go about them is just as important.  We might, through hard work build a fortune, create a business, develop great skill, but unless we do so with generosity, honesty, justice and care for others, such things mean very little.  In other words, Christʼs parable reminds us of the importance of our character and values.  We should consider this during this week especially as we focus on anti-bullying.  We know that it occurs in this school and we agree that it is unacceptable.  But do we all use the resources we have either to prevent it or deal with it properly when it happens?  Indeed some of us probably misuse what we have to make others feel worse.  Bullying happens because people choose not to act with generosity, honesty and care, often out of fear or mistrust, like the man who did nothing with his talent.  We allow bullying to happen when, like that man, we keep our special gifts to ourselves and use them only for selfish ends. We can change this by using our skills to help others, to build relationships and by valuing and caring for others. Let us pray: Lord, bless this school and all who are part of it.  Give us the courage to enjoy caring and supportive relationships, to use our gifts and value the talents of others and to challenge bullying wherever it occurs so that our school is free from it.  Amen.

PARISH MASS TIMES St. Matthewʼs: 9.30 am, Fr. Chambers $ $ $ St. Josephʼs: 6.00 pm (vigil), 11.00 am Fr. LathamSt. Michaelʼs: 4.30 pm (vigil) $ $ $ $ Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 9.30 am, Fr. McGheeSt. Paulʼs: 11.30 am, Fr. Chambers$ $ $ Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick: 6.00 pm (vigil), Fr. McGrattanSt. Sophiaʼs: 6.00 pm (vigil) Fr. Chambers $$ $ St. Thomas the Apostle: 9.00 am, Fr. McGrattanSt. Francis Xavier, Patna: 5.00 pm (vigil)$ $ $ St. John the Evangelist: 10.45 am, Fr. McGrattan