Dear Parents and Carers,
We hope that you all had a good rest and break over half term. The children have settled back into school really well this week and made a positive start to the second half of the spring term! Didn’t it make a difference to see the sun on Wednesday afternoon (although I was a little premature in thinking I could pack away some of my winter wardrobe!).
Mr Ellson is walking the entire Camino Frances in April of this year. He is raising money for the nine schools that he runs the Singing Programme in – for our music budgets! Here is the link to his Go Fund Me page: https://gofund.me/00549fe33 if you would like to sponsor him.
Thank you again for the support you gave to the Book Fair. We have made just over £700 in commission from the sales and will be using this money for Master Readers texts, books to support the curriculum and for our library.
Fr Alistair was in school on Thursday to give the children the opportunity for Reconciliation. Children in the school who have not made their First Reconciliation were able to go to see Fr Alistair for more of an informal chat if they chose to. Reconciliation is such an important part of our Lenten journey.
We look forward to seeing the children dressed up for World Book Day next Thursday. I have been hearing lots about children’s costume ideas and am now feeling the pressure to work out my costume!!!
A child in Year 3 will be selling bracelets she has made next week for a donation of £1 to the Alzheimer's Society. They will be on sale at break and lunch times if your child would like to purchase one. We would suggest your child brings the money into school in an envelope so that it does not get lost or dropped.
Follow us on Instagram if you haven’t already!
https://www.instagram.com/saint_cuthbert_mayne/
God Bless,
Mrs. Amy O’Donovan
Headteacher
Collective Worship
Mrs. Armstrong launched our Lenten focus in Collective Worship on Tuesday morning. We have been challenged to act more sheep! We explored the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats to find out what this meant. Sheep are far better at following the shepherd than a goat. We explored how Jesus is our shepherd and as his sheep, we need to follow him. As part of the challenge to be more like sheep, if a member of staff spots a child carrying out an act of kindness, they are given a sheep to put in a container on our school prayer table. Will we fill it before the end of Lent? Some acts of kindness that Mrs. O’Donovan spotted this week have been - looking out for a friend when they were upset and voluntarily cleaning up spilt guacamole (and doing a fantastic job).
Swimming
Year 2 are swimming every Thursday this term. We are still looking for volunteers to help with this up until Easter. If you are able to help, please contact the school office. Thank you in advance!
Attendance
Our attendance on Thursday reached an impressive 97.3% — a fantastic step in the right direction! Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.
So far, this academic year, our overall attendance sits at 95.5%, and with brighter days and warmer weather on the horizon (along with, hopefully, the end of those winter bugs!), we know we can push this even higher.
We’re already above the national average of 94.86%, which is something to celebrate — but at St. Cuthbert Mayne we always aim high. Let’s work together to stay healthy, stay motivated, and keep striving for attendance that’s not just above average, but truly outstanding. Every day in school counts — let’s keep going!
Calling all teachers!
We are eager to keep the expertise within the teaching profession within our school so that all the children can benefit. If you are considering returning to education either full or part-time, a learning support assistant role might be the ideal next step! This transition enables teachers to familiarise with current best practice and allows all our children to benefit from your expertise! If you are interested or want to chat further about potential opportunities (without any commitment), do contact me!
Online Safety
Adult animated content is increasingly visible on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and streaming services. While the bright visuals and cartoon style may seem harmless at first glance, many of these shows and clips are created specifically for mature audiences, featuring strong language, sexual references, graphic violence and unsettling themes.
This #WakeUpWednesday guide helps parents and educators understand the risks, from misleading visuals and algorithm-driven recommendations to desensitisation and edgy humour. It also offers practical advice on platform settings, open conversations, and building children’s critical thinking, so young people can navigate online animation safely and confidently.
