Little Steps, Big Hearts: Sporting Triumphs, a Million Prayers with CAFOD supporting all!

Compassion in Action: A term of Faith, Sport and Generosity at St. Mary’s

Dear Families,

This week has been a shining example of how our children live out our school values — through faith, kindness, and action.

We were thrilled to see our Year 4 pupils take part in a local mini skills athletics sporting event, competing against ten other schools. Their teamwork and determination led them to an incredible third place finish — a proud moment for all of us!

In a beautiful act of global solidarity, our school joined over 1 million children worldwide in praying the Rosary for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). This prayerful initiative reminds us of the power of unity and the importance of standing together in faith.

Our CAFOD Club led a wonderful fundraising initiative through an own clothes day, raising £56. What made this even more special was that every child in school had a voice in deciding how the money should be spent. After learning about CAFOD’s World Gifts, each class voted on the gifts they felt would make the biggest difference. The final choices were:

Happy Queen Bee – This gift provides a queen bee for a hive, helping families start honey-making businesses. Honey is nutritious and can be sold for income, supporting families in remote areas. [worldgifts…fod.org.uk]
Vegetable Garden – Families receive seeds and training to grow their own food. This supports nutrition and can generate income through selling surplus produce. [worldgifts…fod.org.uk]
Super Soup Chicken – This gift helps provide warm meals and shelter to refugees fleeing conflict, offering hope and nourishment during their journey. [worldgifts…fod.org.uk]
Water Supply for a Family – A life-saving gift that provides clean, safe water for drinking, cooking, and washing, protecting families from waterborne diseases. [worldgifts…fod.org.uk]

The CAFOD Club showed great empathy and understanding in their choices, and their posters promoting Lancaster Homeless Action Group and the Garstang Food Bank were both thoughtful and impactful. We’re delighted to share that:

The Food Bank has invited us to visit and learn how they support local families.
The Homeless Shelter visited our school, sharing their work and inviting us to meet their team of volunteers.

As part of our Season of Creation, we welcomed Michael from Garstang Fairtrade, who helped us explore how Fairtrade supports farmers and promotes ethical choices. Two of our Year 6 children took part in the Anti-Bullying, Diana Award training alongside children from our federated school, St. Francis. They had a day at Archbishop High School, along with other children from schools in the area. The training makes them young leaders in understanding anti-bullying and supporting all the other children in school. The first badge to work towards is the Wellness badge. They both took part with immense enthusiasm, we received wonderful feedback from the Diana Award staff, commenting on their mature approach and wonderful manners.

Our After School Club continues to be a joyful hub of activity. It’s so loved that one of our youngest children was genuinely upset when it was time to go home — a testament to the warmth and fun our staff create every day.

A big thank you to the PTFA for arranging a film night for all the children across school. They were supported by staff volunteers to support the PTFA and children. A huge thank you for the kindness of all the adults who support our school, without them such wonderful events would not happen!

Lastly, the Pre-School and Reception children enjoyed a trip to St. Thomas’ Church. The found about all the different areas of the church thanks to our local parishioner and friend of the school – Mrs. Tuson. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, Mrs. Tuson or the children!