ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY Weekly Newsletter

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher

Grassyards RdKilmarnock KA3 7SL

01563 526144

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.ukTwitter: @StJoAcad

ISSUE 21.3

MAY 15TH2015

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM:

NURTURING FAITH-FILLED WORLD CLASS LEARNING

Race For Life May 10th

This weekend over 70 runners from St. Joseph’s and Auchinleck Academies assembled on the start of the Glasgow Race for Life. They were there to run 5K and raise money for cancer charities. Their participation was organised by Mr. Shepherd, who ran under the pseudonym Briege, and they comprised staff, parents and pupils. First back across the line was Chloe Beveridge, pictured above left, who completed the race in just over 23 minutes.

Miss Woodward and S6 pupils

raising money with a bake sale

this week.

S1 Parents’ Consultation Evening Feedback (May 12th) Attendance : 60%

• The evening flowed well with no long waiting times • Flowed well • It was great • Well organised • Good layout • Great night • Went well • Set out well, good day! • Great night, teachers l met were all lovely • Every teacher knew my child well • Nice feedback from staff • All teachers gave excellent feedback • Teachers knew details about pupils • All appointments running on time (as always), every

teacher l spoke to knew my child well without consulting paperwork

• Temperature in hall much improved – not nearly as warm as usual

• Poor signage (x2) – signs need to be where parents can see

them School response: We have created and ordered new signage for all parents’ evenings • Parents’ night should be earlier in the school year • Felt 1st year parents’ night could be earlier in the year • Would have been good if parents’ night was earlier than

May, feel l didn’t know how daughter was progressing • Earlier feedback in 1st year, no need for detailed reports for

B.G.E School response: The current calendar of parents’ evenings is being revised and we are exploring the use of an e-portfolio or online profile that will allow parents to have access to progress information and examples of their children’s work at any time of the year. Unfortunately there will always be one year group whose parents’ evening is later in the year.

Thanks to all parents and carers for their comments. Thanks too to the Parent Council for providing refreshments and gathering feedback.

Primary 7 Transition Activities

Over the past few weeks pupils from learning community

primary schools have been visiting St. Joseph’s Academy to

work in various departments. Recently pupils from St.

Patrick’s Primary School in Auchinleck visited the Technical

Department and the PE & Health and Wellbeing department

where they worked on design activities and home economics.

As you can see from the comments below the pupils were very

positive about their experience.

Both Activities Were Absolutely Amazing! (Shonagh)

Making Crispy Cakes Was Fabulous! (Caillen)

I Loved Both Enjoyable Activities! (A.J.)

I Liked Meeting More Teachers! (Carla)

More Relaxed, Excited To Go! (Kirsten)

Enjoyed My Day, Getting Excited! (Ryan)

I Thought Tech Was Awesome! (Cristina)

The Transition Day Was Creative! (Tristan)

I Liked The Friendly Atmosphere! (Elio)

Home Economics Was Totally Awesome! (Michael)

More Relaxed Tech Was Marvellous! (Erin)

Tech And Baking Both Amazing! (Fraser)

Looking Forward To Our Next Visit! (Keelan)

The Teachers Are Very Kind! (Andrew)

The Teachers Are Very Helpful! (Kyle)

British Council Partner School Visit

This week we were thrilled to welcome to the school Sarika

Passi, a teacher from our new British Council Connecting

Classrooms partner school, Bal Bharati Public School in Delhi,

India.

So far, Mrs. Passi has taken an assembly, visited classes, been

to Mass in St. Matthew’s and at St. John’s, visited St. Andrew’s

and St. Patrick’s primary schools and enjoyed a number of

special activities. Miss Woodward, who has co-ordinated the

visit, will be flying out to India in August. Mrs. Passi is pictured

above with Mrs. Shearer, Father McGrattan and members of St.

John’s parish in Cumnock.

WEEKLY HOME ROOM REFLECTION: Forgiveness

On May 13th in 1981 Pope John Paul II was being driven round in his open- topped ‘Popemobile’, in St Peter’s Square in Rome, where about 10,000 people were gathered to see him. He was blessing the crowd when a gunman opened fire and hit the Pope with four bullets, also wounding two other people. Cardinal Hume spoke in London: “He is now at one with the countless victims of violence of our day. He, like them, has now followed in the footsteps of a Master who was himself so cruelly and callously tor- tured and killed. He, like his Master, refuses to condemn, and is ready to forgive.” Two years later the Pope had a private meeting in prison with his would-be murderer, Mehmet Ali Agca. Pope John Paul later said: “I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned.” Mindful of the experience of this pope we offer up our prayers for the intentions of Pope Francis for the month of May that ‘rejecting the culture of indifference, we may care for our neighbours who suffer, especially the sick and the poor.’

Let us pray: Lord, we pray for justice and peace in our world. We pray, too, that those who use violence as a weapon may be touched by the reaction of people who have been hurt by violence. Influence each of us, Lord, to bring justice and peace to our own part of the world this day.

Amen.

PARISH MASS TIMES St. Matthew’s: 9.30 am, Fr. Chambers St. Joseph’s: 6.00 pm (vigil), 11.00 am Fr. Latham St. Francis Xavier, Patna: 5.00 pm (vigil)St. John the Evangelist: 10.45 am, Fr. McGrattan Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 9.30 am, Fr. McGhee St. Michael’s: 4.30 pm (vigil)St. Paul’s: 11.30 am, Fr. Chambers Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick: 6.00 pm (vigil), Fr. McGrattanSt. Sophia’s: 6.00 pm (vigil) Fr. Chambers St. Thomas the Apostle: 9.00 am, Fr. McGrattan

IMPORTANT DATES…………………………………………………

May 26th Planned change of timetable

June 3rd & 4th P7 Induction

June 3rd Caritas Awards Ceremony

June 4th P7 Parents’ Mass and Induction

Evening

June 5th Senior School Induction

June 8th S6 Leavers’ Day event & Mass

SQA Exam Timetable 2015

Friday May 15th English Higher & AH

Monday May 18th Travel & Tourism

Tuesday May 19th Maths National 5

Wednesday May 20th Maths Higher & AH

Thursday May 21st Geography National 5

Geography Higher

Friday May 22nd French National 5

French Higher

Monday May 25th Product Design H & AH

Design & Manufacture

N5

Wednesday May 27th Modern Studies N5

Modern Studies H

Thursday May 28th Chemistry N5

Chemistry Higher

Friday May 29th Spanish N5/ H

Art & Design N5/H

Monday June 1st Physical Education H

Tuesday June 2nd Psychology N5/H