St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Working Together for the Good of Each Other
Gethsemane Class
Welcome to Gethsemane Class.
Mrs Stuchfield & Mrs Hendley
Our Classroom
Come and take a look at our amazing classroom. We can't wait to welcome the children back to school.
Feathers and Flames Festival
Today we celebrated our second Feathers and Flames Festival, to mark the feast of Ascension and Pentecost. The children were invited to come into school in party clothes, as Pentecost is the Church's birthday!
We blew bubbles up to the sky to represent Jesus returning to His Father to mark the Ascension, and we partied in the afternoon with donuts and ice-cream to celebrate Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the courage to start spreading the good news about Jesus, and in doing so, created the first 'church'.
Liturgy with Father Stephen
Today Father Stephen came in to deliver a liturgy to all of the Key Stage 1 children. We talked about who we can ask for help if we are worried about something, and he reminded us as well as the grown us who care for us, we can always ask God for help too.
Numeracy Day
We have a fabulous day celebrating everything maths and number this week! We were invited to come dressed up as something to do with maths or number and all the children (and staff!) made a great effort!
We spent the day doing practical maths activities, exploring time, shape, symmetry, mass, tessellation, multiplication, measure and so much more!
Lifecycles
This half term in English the children have been writing an explanation text to describe the life cycle of a frog. We also talked about life cycles of other creatures, and had some caterpillars in class so we could observe their metamorphosis into butterflies. The children watched as the caterpillars grew and changed, made a cocoon, and emerged as Painted Lady butterflies. We released them into the wild so they can continue their life cycle.
WOW Assembly
Today we had a wonderful assembly celebrating the progress we have all made tracking our journey to school since September. We have decreased the number of car journeys we have made and increased the amount of active journeys, walking or wheeling!
We learnt about the positive effect this will have on our bodies and our leaning, as well as the environment.
The WOW mascot 'Strider' came to visit us too!
Library Visit
Another lovely visit to the library, luckily for us the weather held and we didn't get too wet! The children are thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to visit the library, and choose a book to bring back to school to read.
The Boy at the Back of the Classroom
All of Key Stage 2 had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Grand Theatre to watch the touring production of The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf.
The story follows the journey of a young boy who joins a Year 5 class in England as a refugee after being separated from his family. Unable to speak English and carrying the trauma of his experiences, the play explores the challenges refugees can face, including prejudice, loneliness and the struggle to feel safe and accepted in a new country.
The production was both moving and thought-provoking, encouraging the children to reflect on compassion, kindness and the importance of welcoming others. This visit closely links to our school mission and our work towards being recognised as a School of Sanctuary, helping our pupils to deepen their understanding of inclusion, empathy and respect for all.
Science - Living Things and their Habitats
In this unit, Gethsemane Class explored a variety of habitats from around the world, including local habitats, polar regions, deserts, oceans, and woodlands. They investigated how plants and animals are adapted to the environments in which they live and discovered the importance of microhabitats for living things. Children learned about diets, food chains, and the relationships between organisms before considering the differences between things that are living, dead, and those that have never been alive. Through observation, discussion, and practical enquiry, pupils developed their understanding of how living things depend on their habitats to survive.
Making Clay House Tiles
We started by exploring the clay first, getting used to the texture, and experimenting with different techniques such as rolling, making impressions and scoring and using slip to attach pieces together. We put all these skills together to make our clay houses by rolling out a flat shape of our choice, and either imprinting patterns or adding shapes to make the finished piece. It was very messy, but we enjoyed the process! The children were very proud of their creations!
Reading for Pleasure
The weather has been so beautiful this week, we just had to make the most of it! Here we are enjoying our new library books in the sunshine!
P.E.
We enjoyed a fabulous P.E. lesson in the sunshine, practising our batting skills. After a quick warm up game of 'craters and volcanoes', we had a go at batting off a tee. We learnt how to hold the bat correctly and safely, and practised fielding too. After this we had a team game of 'caterpillar cricket', using the batting and fielding skills we had been practising earlier.
Maths
In maths this week we have been using rulers to measure in centimetres. We practised measuring things we found in the classroom, measuring lines in our books and drawing our own lines.
Our 'OUTSTANDING' Celebration
Today the children were invited to come into school in non uniform to celebrate our Outstanding results in the recent R.E. inspection, and to thank the children for all their hard work. The children enjoyed playground games and toys, ice pops and a bouncy castle! We had a wonderful time together in the sunshine!
Library Visit
This half term Gethsemane Class will be visiting Fleetwood Library every Thursday afternoon. The children had their first visit and chose some lovely books to bring back to school and enjoy in the reading area.
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross was a deeply meaningful experience for our whole school. Each class created their own station, putting thought and care into how they represented each moment of Jesus’ journey. When we gathered together in the hall, everything came together beautifully. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, allowing everyone to reflect quietly and respectfully. It was a special time of prayer and reflection, where we could truly appreciate the effort that everyone had put in and think deeply about the meaning behind each station.
Core motor skills
Practising core motor skills at playtime. The children love to practise these skills as the core muscles are so important for childhood development.
World Book Day Parade
This year, for World Book Day, we are celebrating the inspiring book series Little People, BIG DREAMS, which shares the true stories of extraordinary individuals who all began life as ordinary children with big dreams. Through these books, pupils explore biographies and non-fiction, learning how real people overcame challenges and worked hard to make a difference in the world. The series introduces children to inspiring figures such as Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., and Albert Einstein. Their stories show how determination, courage, and kindness can help people overcome barriers and achieve great things. This theme also links to our journey towards becoming a School of Sanctuary, where we celebrate that everyone belongs. No matter where we come from, our background, or the challenges we face, we all have the potential to dream big and make a positive impact on the world. By reading these inspiring biographies, we hope to encourage our pupils to enjoy non-fiction, raise their aspirations, and remember that every great achievement begins with a dream. 🌟
Science
Do different materials effect friction?
Lenten Liturgy and parent craft afternoon
The parents joined us for our Lent Liturgy Workshop today. We started with a liturgy about Lent which the children led. Then the parents helped the children make Lent crafts together.
PE
Learning to kick with accuracy near and far.
Lenten Promises
We have also written our Lenten promises on a pebble. These promises show how we will help others, choose kindness, pray more often, or give something up as a sacrifice during this holy season. Once completed, we placed our pebbles in the Prayer and Peace Garden as a visible sign of our commitment and reflection throughout Lent. We look forward to supporting one another as we journey together through this special season.
To celebrate the beginning of Lent, we gathered together for our own Ashes Liturgy, as Ash Wednesday took place during the half-term holidays. Our liturgy was thoughtfully led by the Mini Vinnies, who helped us to reflect on the meaning of this special and important day in the Christian calendar. During the liturgy, we learned that Ash Wednesday marks the start of the season of Lent — a time for prayer, reflection, and growing closer to God. Each of us received the sign of the cross on our foreheads with ash. This reminds us to be kind, to say sorry for our mistakes, and to try our best to follow Jesus more closely during Lent.
Art
Mixing primary and secondary colours, making textured paper and creating a collage.
Class Liturgy
This week in Liturgy we thought about the conflict around the world and prayed that it would finish soon and that not many people would be hurt.
Look where we have spotted Fred our Phonics Frog reading!
School of Sanctuary Mass
This week our school community gathered for a very special Mass to celebrate our commitment as a School of Sanctuary. We were honoured to welcome representatives from local Christian churches, neighbouring schools and parishioners as we came together in faith, unity and shared purpose. The celebration was a powerful reminder of our call to love our neighbour and to stand in solidarity with refugees and families who have come to live in our town. Through prayer, scripture and reflection, we reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that our school is a place of welcome, safety and belonging for all. As part of our celebration, our staff and families generously contributed to a food bank collection in support of those in need within our local community. The donations were presented at the back of Church for all to see during Mass before being delivered to the food bank afterwards. We are incredibly proud of the compassion and generosity shown by our school community, living out the Gospel values in such a practical and meaningful way. Together, we continue to build a community rooted in dignity, compassion and hope, where everyone is welcomed and valued.
Joy of Movement Festival
Liturgy with a school governor
One of our school governors Mrs Todman came today to share our class liturgy with us. We reflected upon kindness and thought about how we could share kindness around school.
Religious Education
In RE the children listened to the story of Jesus healing the paralysed man. The children then acted out the story and thought about why Jesus forgave the man’s sins before healing him.
PE intervention
Gethsemane Class took part in their PE core motor skills intervention to strengthen their core to support all aspects of school life.
KS1 liturgy with Father Stephens
Today's KS1 liturgy with Father Stephens was about following Jesus, we started the liturgy by singing 'Shine Jesus Shine' then the children heard a story about how Jesus asked some people to follow him. The children led with prayers and then they thought about how they can follow Jesus every day. The children answered: being kind, telling the truth and forgiving others. The children then sang Here I am Lord.
Library Visit
Gethsemane Class visited the library today. They looked at fiction and non-fictions books and chose one each to take back to school.
The Feast of St Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas was a very clever and kind man who lived about 800 years ago in Italy and became a priest and teacher. He loved learning and asking big questions about God, faith, and how to live a good life, and he wrote many books to help people understand God better. St. Thomas believed that God made the world and loves everyone, and that people can learn about God by using both faith (believing) and reason (thinking). He taught that being wise means choosing what is good and right, loving God, and caring for others, especially those in need. Because of his wisdom and gentle nature, he is remembered as one of the Church’s greatest teachers and a saint who showed that using our minds well is one way to serve God and others. Thank you to the whole school for such a beautiful Mass today.
PE
To demonstrate throwing and bouncing a ball at a target with some accuracy.
Mathematics
English
Class Liturgy
We had a visit from year 5 and 6 today to share their liturgy with us. The children demonstrated respectful listening and reflection during the liturgy.
HRSE
In HRSE we have been learning about being special people in the image of God and how we are all unique.
Mathematics
The children have been practising their multiplication and division of 3, 4 & 8 times tables.
Drawing arrays in maths
PE
In PE we have been learning how to bounce a ball while moving.
Class Liturgy
Class liturgy today was about the Epiphany and the children reflected upon the Wise Men visiting Jesus.
Geography
The children have been researching the physical and human features of the Capital Cities in the UK.
Design Technology
English
To start our instructions unit the unit, the class listened to the story Sam’s Sandwich then followed instructions on the Mighty Writer board to make a sandwich as.
Epiphany Mass
Today our school marked the Epiphany by chalking the door, a traditional Catholic blessing. The inscription (eg 20+C+M+B+25) reminds us of the Magi and asks for God’s blessing on all who enter.
Christmas Party
Christmas party fun and we had a special visitor too.
Santa Dash
The class took part in a Santa Dash to raise money for school.
Donkey fun this Christmas
Fleetwood Town Football Club
We had a visit from Fleetwood Town Football club today.
Advent Liturgy Parent Workshop
Today Gethsemane Class welcomed parents to our special Advent Liturgy Workshop, which reflected upon sharing hope at Advent. Some of our class read out prayers to remind us that although we are lucky to spend time with family and friends at Christmas time, others may not be as fortunate and may be alone. Following the liturgy, families took part in activities making Advent wreaths, which the children were please to help their parents with the order and meaning of the candles. The children also made cards to spread hope at Christmas. It was a lovely time for our St Mary's family to join together to reflect and think about others.
Christmas Dinner
The children had the most amazing Christmas dinner today thanks to the kitchen staff, they then enjoyed a dance to festive music.
KS1 Advent Liturgy
In KS1 the children joined Father Stephens for an Advent liturgy today, Father Stephens read a reading from the Gospel of Luke. (Luke 3:4–6) We reflected upon, Advent a very special time when we get ready for Jesus’ birthday at Christmas. Advent is a time of waiting, hoping, and preparing our hearts for Jesus. The liturgy linked to the children's learning in class, the children have learnt about the Annunciation of Mary, the Christmas story, how Christians prepare for the birth of Christ and how to put this into action.
Religious Education
Our RE learning this half term. The children learnt about the Annunciation of Mary, listened to Mary’s Magnificat and then learnt how to put scripture into practice.
Advent Promises
The children wrote their Advent promises and then decorated the tree.
KS1 Liturgy
Ks1 liturgy with Father Stephens. The children san hymns and then reflected upon Advent.
PE
In PE the children have been making sequences using their bodies by rolling, balancing and stretching.
Blackpool Christian Youth Group-The Nativity Story Workshop
The children took part in a Nativity workshop which took them through the Christmas story.
Anti-bullying Week
For Anti-bullying Week we wore odd socks and made friendship bands to show how to be a good friend.
Red Wednesday
The children wore red for Red Wednesday to remember Christians who were persecuted for their faith.
Calm & Relaxation
Gymnastics-balancing on different parts of our bodies.
Music Fest Assembly
We had a music assembly this week as part of Music Fest, Carl from Stomp came and showed us some moves and an Arabic musician shared his music with us.
Music
In music we have listened to Eric Coates-‘The three little bears phantasy’ and recognised how the dynamics and tempo changed by moving our bodies to the music.
Feast of All Saint's Mass
The Feast of all Saint’s Mass. The children were a credit to the school and received a blessing from Father Stephens. Our class Saint is Saint Theresa, the children have been learning about her life and how she showed compassion to poor people and refugees.
Class Liturgy
During Liturgy we have been practising to pray with the rosary for ‘One Million Praying the Rosary’. This special initiative unities children across the world in praying for peace.
Computing
In computing we have been learning that technology follows instructions and creating our own robot to follow instructions.
Geography
In geography’ Hot & cold places’, the children reflected upon the similarities and differences between Kenya and the UK, they then wrote whether they would like to live in a hot or cold place and gave reasons why.
HRSE
In our HRSE lessons this half term we have listened to the story of let the children come and reflected why Jesus wanted to see the children. We then learnt about being unique and celebrating our bodies.
PE
In PE we have been following the Max Whitlock scheme for gymnastics, the children enjoyed it so much and made amazing progress. They have been using apparatus for control and balance, travelling on their hands and feet and controlling their bodies whilst rolling.
Pumpkin Parade
What amazing creations the children made for the ‘Pumpkin Parade’ based upon their favourite book characters.
English
In English this week, the children have listened to the poem ‘The Magic Box’, they then practised writing sentences with noun phrases ready to create their own poem next week.
Child lead worship
The ‘Mini Vinnies’ came to visit our class to share with the children, the five finger prayer.
PE
In PE we have been using our bodies to balance in different positions.
English
We have been using the Mighty Writer board and Talking Tins to help us remember our sentences while we write them.
Active English
Religious Education
Creepy Crawly Roadshow
Vet visit
Active Maths
Mathematics
Music
In music the children have been practising call and response using instruments.
Religious Education
In RE the children have been celebrating the creation by creating art with nature.
Harvest Festival Mass
The children attended the ‘Harvest Festival Mass’.
PE
In PE we have been practising jumping with control.
Mathematics
British Values
Religious Education
In RE, the children have been learning that the Bible is split into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Special Keepsakes
This week to get to know each other, the children have brought into school, three things that are special to them to show the class.
PSHE
This week we have been getting to know each other, talking about our feelings, drawing maps in art and using teamwork.
