St. Augustine's School News
This week our Reception children attended school full time and it's been a joy to see them settle into school life so beautifully.
On Monday, to celebrate The Season of Creation, our children joined over 30 other CAST Schools for a joint liturgy via zoom. It was lovely to worship together and to pray for our beautiful world with our friends from across the diocese.
Our gospel value focus this week has been Compassion and on Friday we awarded certificates to children who have lived out this value in their everyday lives. We're so proud of their achievements and the way that they are role models for us all.
Virtues in Action - Mini Vinnies Commissioning Service
On Thursday 4th May, we will be holding a Commissioning Service in school where Father Anthony will be awarding our 35 Mini Vinnie members with their certificates and badges. We are pleased that Deacon Geoffrey will be here to join in with this important ceremony.
The Mini Vinnies have worked so hard this year and have given up time to become involved in our weekly meetings, in helping coordinate our Harvest Mass, lead our Poppy Appeal, create posters for the Parish 'Warm Welcome.'
This term they have exciting plans and aim to have a Rosary Club running during the month of May.
We thank them for their commitment and for the way they model our Catholic Virtues of faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude at every opportunity.
Virtues in Action - Holy Week 2023
Palm Sunday Liturgy
The children in reception listened to the events of Palm Sunday after Jesus had been in the wilderness with His Father for 40 days and 40 nights. The Reception children role played the story and thought in particular about the joy of the people in the city. The Reception Class planned and led a liturgy for the whole school to enjoy about this very special day.
When the liturgy started the Reception children enacted the gospel reading story of Palm Sunday beautifully, playing some very important roles such as Jesus, the disciples, the donkey, the donkey keeper and the people of Jerusalem.
The Reception children learnt a song about Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey which we shared with the school.
Holy Thursday Service
During Holy Thursday Service the children learned about Jesus’ love and service. This really helped us see first-hand how compassion and care are the cornerstones of our faith. As the gospel reading was enacted, Father Anthony showed the love of Jesus as he bent down and washed the feet. The parts of the disciples were played by our Mini Vinnies who also helped Father lead the service and read beautifully.
Good Friday Service
To end our week, the Mini Vinnies led a very prayerful Good Friday Service. We brought Faith and Hope to the forefront as we remembered the events of the day. It was a poignant service and we thank our Mini Vinnies for their continued service in planning and leading us so well and being role models for living out our catholic virtues.
Virtues in Action - The Big Lent Walk for CAFOD 2023
Having been planned by our Mini Vinnies, we launched this year’s special campaign with a special assembly and once our parents were informed and our special fundraising page was set up, we started our walk with a motivational presentation. It was a very exciting time.
Each class came to school dressed in brightly coloured clothes and wore hats they had made in school in the colours of the rainbow. Each class walked around the school grounds to help raise awareness of global poverty.
Bea Taylor from CAFOD came in to support our campaign and walked with the Reception children.
Well done everyone for living out the catholic virtues in such a worthwhile way!
Virtues in Action - A Special Celebration
In Reception as part of our work in RE on how the parish family celebrate in church, we had a reception 'wedding!'
It was a great way to help teach our children about this special celebration and the role of the priest.
We thank all the children for role playing so well and bringing their learning come to life.
We had a bride, groom, best man, father of the bride, 4 bridesmaids, a priest and lots of very happy guests. It was a real treat.
Virtues in Action - Operation Christmas Child December 2022
Throughout December, we have focused on the virtue of Charity. We have celebrated the way that children in our school show charity in their words and actions as we thanked you all for your cooperation and support with Operation Christmas Child. The beautifully wrapped boxes, individual items, roles of paper and empty wrapped boxes together with the parish. Thank you for sending your love to a child by way of a shoebox at such a difficult time. A huge thank you to Mrs Evans for organising the Shoebox appeal both at school and for the parish.
Virtues in Action - School Advent and Christmas Events
This December the children at school have provided us with some really special celebrations.
There has been a wonderful buzz around the school with so many special activities.
Our Year 5 children celebrated a lovely Advent Mass in the chapel with Father Anthony. It was so spiritual and we thank the children for the way they prayed and read with such reverence.
Our youngest children in Reception treated us to their very first nativity play.
It was a joy to watch and the children told the story of Christmas so beautifully.
Our children in Years 1 and 2 joined together for their lively Christmas show. It was so entertaining and we thank the children for their hard work, beautiful singing and really energetic dancing.
Our children in Year 3 held a special Carol Service for their families. It was so poignant and the children read and sang so beautifully. It was such a joy!
Our choir and drama group treated the school to their performance of Scrooge. We were overwhelmed at their confidence and ability to sing, dance and act with such professionalism!
We joined together with Our Catholic Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea on Sunday 11th December at St. Joseph's Church in Weymouth for a joint Parish/School Advent Carol Service. It was a very special celebration and it was lovely to worship and sing with our families and with our parish family.
We thank all the staff that worked so hard in preparing the children for these special celebrations and we thank Father Anthony, Deacon Geoffrey, parents and members of the parish for their commitment and support of our work in school.
On Sunday 12th December, the parish and school held the Annual Carol Service.
Parishioners led the readings and the school choir together with Mrs Ayles led the singing.
It was a marvelous joint school and parish celebration and we thank the children, for their lovely singing and their families for their ongoing support. We also thank the Parish and Father Anthony for working with us to make it a wonderful celebration.
We give a huge thank to Mrs Ayles, for her hard work, passion and amazing musical skills.
We truly appreciate all the time and effort she gives to make these gatherings so professional and a treat for those that attend. We appreciate the way that she enables our children to sparkle and show their very best!
It was such a special time and those that attended were given a true taste of Christmas.
Virtues in Action - Harvest Mass October 2022
Thank you to Father Anthony and Year 4 for leading a lively Harvest Mass and thank you to all for bringing in so much food produce in hardened financial times. The local Weymouth Food Bank at St. Albany Road were very appreciative of our efforts.
Virtues in Action - Catholic Life May 2022
In line with the traditions of the Catholic Church, during the month of May, we as a faith community, take time to think about and venerate Mary, the Mother of Jesus. On Thursday 26th May, just before our Ascension Day Mass, we held a special service called the ‘Crowning of Our Lady’, during which we prayed, sang hymns, and had a procession around the school field behind a statue of Mary and presented flowers to Our Lady. It was really a beautiful, reverent event. Thank you to Mrs Evans, Mrs Ayles, Mrs Wilkins, Father Anthony, Deacon Geoffrey, the Mini Vinnies and everybody who supported such a wonderful event. After the Mass, Mrs Wilkins kindly took the flowers received and donated them to Anning House Care Home. The residents were extremely appreciative.