Dear Parents and Carers,

The Easter holiday is here and the children and staff now have a well-deserved break for the next two weeks. The Summer Term begins on Monday 17th April.

We have had a fantastic Spring term. The children have worked hard and made progress across the curriculum and there have been many activities, events, and visits which have given the children fun, excitement and memorable experiences.

We have also had many beautiful liturgies this term as we have moved through Lent towards Easter.

Lent Mass

Yesterday we celebrated our Mass anticipating Easter. The children from Y6A led the prayers and readings. They also acted out the Gospel story of the Last Supper with Fr Peter washing their feet in the same way as Jesus at Passover. Fr Peter explained to the children that they should follow this example and treat everyone they meet as if they were Jesus himself. The children also learnt that this is where Jesus gave us his new commandment which is our school motto: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Y5 Assembly

Y5 led us in assembly on Wednesday. Their focus was how to resist temptation like Jesus did when he was tempted in the desert, especially at this time of Lent. They spoke and sang beautifully and we would like to thank the children and Y5 staff for preparing this liturgy for us.

Spring Term Attendance

Thank you for ensuring that your child attends school every day and for your efforts in ensuring your child comes to school in good time. We have seen an improvement in both attendance and punctuality this term, both of which give the children the best possible chance for success in school. Our overall attendance figure is returning to our pre-pandemic average which is fantastic to see. With better weather in the summer term, hopefully the winter bugs will be behind us and we will see a continuation of this upwards trend.

School Uniform for Summer Term

After Easter we hope that it will be warm enough for the children to come to school wearing their summer uniform. Full details of our uniform policy can be found on the school website https://www.st-elizabeths.richmond.sch.uk/page/?title=School+Uniform&pid=71

Please note that the summer dress should be striped, not checked, and should be worn with white socks (not trainer socks).

Grey shorts or trousers can be worn and there are options for the white shirts. Shirts can have long sleeves or short sleeves. If they have a top button, a tie should be worn. If they have a flat open neck, a tie does not need to be worn.

If the weather is still cold when we return on 17th April children may continue to wear their winter uniform until the warmer weather arrives.

Sports Update from Mr Sagar

Lenten Running Challenge

The children have completed their Lenten 5-minute running challenge. It was great to see children enjoying running and improving their fitness to raise money for the people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Despite the wind and rain showers this week, most children were able to run further than they had been able to at the start of Lent. Particularly impressive were the runners in Y2, some of whom doubled their totals! The children have written their totals in their reading records for you to see. If your child has not yet brought in their sponsorship money they can bring this in after the Easter holiday.

League Games

The boys’ and girls’ football teams played their final group games of the season this week at St Richard’s School. It was a high stakes match for the boys’ team as the winner would go on to win the locality group. After a tense nil-nil first half, athletic saves from Albert and solid defending from Ciaran and Ben, took the team to a 4-nil victory. The girls’ performed equally impressively resulting in a well-deserved 3-1 victory.

Reading Cup

Congratulations to Y1 and Miss Bolger who are the winners of the Reading Cup for this last half term. Well done!

Values Awards

Congratulations to the following children who have gained Values Awards this week:

Y1: Mason

Y2: Georgia

Y3: Millie

Y4: Emily

Y5: Sofie

Y6A: Natasha

Y6T: Riva

Wishing you and your families a happy and holy Easter,

Jane Hines and the staff of St Elizabeth’s