Message from Mrs Brocklesby

I am excited to write to you following news that the Cardinals have elected a new pope. 

This election, which saw Cardinals from every corner of the world voting, reflected the global Church, one which walks alongside vulnerable communities everywhere. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as Pope Leo XIV. He is the first pope from the USA but he has spent many years working in Peru.

 

 

Pope Leo XIV will be a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world, as he continues the important work of leading the Church and providing spiritual and moral guidance to the global community. In our work we understand the need for this voice more than ever.

We’ve been blessed in recent times with Pope St John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Francis steering our community through the challenges of climate change, the debt crisis and difficult country situations such as Gaza, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. In the Jubilee year we continue to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

We will keep Pope Leo XIV in our prayers for his work with the Church and in the world encouraging leaders to come together for the common good, so that people everywhere are able to flourish.

Prayer for Pope Leo XIV

Faithful God,
You guide us on the path of life
and your goodness is our constant companion.

Be with our new Shepherd, Pope Leo XIV,
in his service of the Church.
Fill him with the power of your Spirit,
the peace of your presence
and the compassion of Christ.

May he walk with you,
in wisdom and humility,
and lead us, together with all God’s people,
to embody your love for the world.
Amen.

Prayers and Best Wishes for our Year 6 pupils

As our Year 6 children prepare to sit their SATs next week, we ask our school community to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. The tests are just one part of their learning journey, and we are so proud of how hard they have worked throughout the year.

In celebration of their effort, resilience, and growth, we will be holding a special celebration to recognise their dedication in the week beg 19th May. This will be a time to come together and celebrate all their hard work.

We believe in you, Year 6 — you’ve got this!

VE Day Celebrations - Friday 16 May 2025

To celebrate the anniversary of VE Day, we will be having a special day next Friday.  A special menu has been added on School Food United.  This replaces the normal menu.  If you order in advance, please re-order for next Friday.   The children and staff will eat their lunch outside in a street party atmosphere on the playground.  Children can come in their own clothes with the theme of red, white and blue.  Lessons and activities during the day will be themed around VE Day.

Message from Mrs Warnett

 

Reception and Year 1

Reception and Year 1 have enjoyed another action-packed week of learning and creativity. They began with a science lesson exploring the seasons and the weather associated with each one. To support their learning, they made wind socks and rain gauges to help observe and record the weather. In RE, the children learned about the Paschal candle and even created their own versions. During PE, they had fun playing invasion games, while in Art, they took inspiration from Jasper Johns, experimenting with primary colours to mix and create secondary colours. The children also marked VE Day with themed crafts to commemorate the occasion. The week concluded with a special class Mass, celebrated with the whole school, to honour our new Pope.

Well done to all the children for such a fantastic week!

Year 2 and 3

This week, the class have been enjoying their science lessons. They have finished a unit of work on magnets and loved making their own magnetic mazes and games! They have now moved on to a new unit on light and had great fun exploring light by creating tents in the classroom! How exciting! In English, the class have started a new text, 'The Paper Bag Princess' and have been able to compare the wonderful story to traditional fairy tales. The class have been developing their understanding of morals and messages in stories and shared thoughtful ideas about what the message of the story is and why they prefer it to some of the messages in fairy tales. The class have also been developing their understanding of past and present and starting to learn what the past and present progressive tenses are and how to identify them. Some children have started working on the present perfect tense and found that it wasn't as hard as it sounds! Well done!

Year 4

This week, the children have continued to use Charlotte's Web to support their reading and writing in English. The children used rhetorical questions for persuasion to emphasise Fern's emotions towards a theme and have planned their writing for next week. In maths. the children have developed their understanding of tenths and hundredths as decimals and will use this understanding to divide 1-digit and 2-digit numbers by 10 and 100 next week. In PE, the children looked at throwing and using the 'long barrier' technique to stop a ball in cricket. The children also took part in some running, throwing and jumping activities to help select a team for the CTA Athletics Competition that is coming up in a few weeks time. In computing, the children continued to develop their understanding of computer codes such as 'logic' and 'infinite loops' to create night lights using sensors. Finally, the children have started their new science unit looking at the digestive system and its functions. They had many questions about the journey of food in the human body and are looking forward to learning more about this and their teeth over the next few lessons. 

Year 5

This week Year 5 have been continuing with their exploration of the story of Hamlet, by thinking about the actions and consequences of some of the main characters and the impact this might have moving forward in the story. Year 5 have shown an excellent and very mature understanding of the characters and are producing some absolutely wonderful writing – Mrs Tasker will be pleased! In art, the children are continuing to be inspired by mixed media artist, Teis Albers and this week were exploring what they thought the world around us might look like in 50 years’ time. There were some very interesting ideas! Next week, the children will begin working towards their final designs by layering their line drawings, collagraph prints and finally collage. In maths, the children have really impressed Miss McGowan with their growing knowledge of angles. This week they have been using protractors for the first time to measure angles and were absolute superstars at doing this! Not only that, the children have been applying their knowledge of angles to find missing angles – very impressive. In History, Year 5 have started to explore the Tudors, starting with the first Tudor king, Henry VII and the Wars of the Roses. In the coming weeks, the children will explore more about the Tudors, begin to explore the Geography of North America and will also be taking part in Bikeability – make sure that all letters have been returned ASAP.

Year 6

It's been another busy and productive week in Year 6. Much of the time has been dedicated to revision as the children prepare for the upcoming statutory assessments next week. The children have been working hard, revisiting key concepts across readings, mathematics and grammar and showing real determination and focus.  In preparation for their Confirmation, the children also took time to explore and analyse Archbishop Bernard Longley’s coat of arms. They discussed the symbolism within the design, reflecting on how each element represents aspects of faith, service, and the Archbishop’s mission. This thoughtful activity helped deepen their understanding of the meaning and significance of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The children are encouraged to take time this weekend to rest and recharge after all their hard work. A good night’s sleep, some fresh air and moments of calm will help them feel refreshed and ready to do their best when the assessments begin on Monday. They’ve prepared well, and now it’s time to approach the week ahead with confidence and a positive mindset.

If your child is due to start school in September 2025 (and was born between 1 September 2020-31 August 2021) the closing date for applying for a place was 15 January.  However, you can still apply for a late application by visiting www.worcestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions.

If you require assistance, please contact Mrs Brown in the school office.

 

ASDA Cashpot for Schools

St Wulstan's has signed up to the Asda Cashpot - a scheme where Asda will donate a percentage of your shop to your chosen school. If you would like to choose St Wulstan's as your school to donate to, click on the link below to find out more.

Cashpot for schools (asda.com)

Free School Meals Application

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive universal free school meals.  However, based on your income, you may be eligible to a different free school meal type. This can be applied for even when your child is still in Reception, Years 1 & 2.  This entitles you to a free school meal voucher during the holidays and also continued free school meals until the end of Year 6. If you think you may qualify for these, please contact Mrs Brown in the school office for a form or visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk or contact the team on 01905 845280.  They will require your date of birth and national insurance number to check whether you are eligible.

Dates for your Diary

Monday 12 May Kidderminster Harriers Football Club commences
Monday 12 - Thursday 15 May SATs Week for Year 6
Friday 16 May VE Day - children can come in home clothes with a theme of red, white and blue. Special themed menu - please check your order, if you do so in advance, as the menu has changed
Friday 16 May Year 6 Mass 9.15am in school
Thursday 22 May School Disco - more details to follow!
Friday 23 May Mass for Grandparents 9.15am in school
Friday 23 May Half Term starts at 3:30pm
Monday 2 June Children return to school
Tuesday 3 June Confirmation for Y6 pupils at church 7:00pm
Monday 9 June - Friday 13 June Year 1 Phonics Check Week
Sunday 22 June First Holy Communion at church 10am
TBC - June Sports Day/Summer Fair
Friday 18 July Term ends at 3:30pm
Emmaus CMAC
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