Thursday 25th November

Dear Parents and Carers,

PTFA Christmas Mini-Market

Our Christmas mini-market will be taking place on Friday 3rd December from 3 - 4.30pm, so you can browse in peace before you pick up the children. There will be a range of products on sale, from bags, scarves & hats to make up and toys. There will also be a number of craft activities to keep the children busy, and refreshments. Come along and see if you can get some

Christmas presents

We also need people to help out for an hour or so. If you're available to help, please leave your details with the office.

Author Visit – Next Wednesday

Next Wednesday, Peter J Davidson, fossil hunter, dinosaur enthusiast, inventor and author of the Professor P series of books, will be visiting the school to talk to the children about his new book ‘Professor P and the Jurassic Island’.
Peter will be talking to children about fossils, dinosaurs, his new book and his job as an author. You can also meet him and buy signed copies of his book in the school library after school. ‘Professor P and the Jurassic Coast’ will cost £7.99 and ‘Professor P and the Jurassic Island’ will cost £6.99. Payment can be made by either cash or cheques made payable to Positive Books Limited.

ICT Club

Mr Sherwin is unable to run the after school ICT Club for the next 2 weeks due to other commitments. The dates being the 29th November and the 6th December.

Advent Mass

You are all welcome to join us next Wednesday, 9.30am in the school hall.

Denominational Transport

Bristol City Council has opened consultation on the removal of free transport to denominational schools. This will significantly affect all families whose children attend Catholic secondary schools in other parts of the city.
St Bonaventure’s will be having a meeting next Wednesday 1st December, at 7.00pm, to discuss the transport situation. All parents welcome.

‘Tinsel 4 Tots Day’ – by Aaron Tarr Y6
On Friday, 10th December, we are having a Tinsel 4 Tots day. We would like all the children and staff to wear tinsel for the day with non-uniform. It could be as little as wearing a piece on your clothes to dressing up as a tree – use your imagination for a small donation i.e. £1. All money raised will go to St Michael ’s Hospital Special Care Unit.
£22.00 buys a ‘nest’ to help babies sleep securely in their cots. £100.00 buys a mattress for an intensive care cot, and £200.00 provides a family with accommodation next to the hospital for two months, so they can be close to their family.

School Uniform
As you may have heard on the news, the price of cotton have spiralled and the company that supplies the uniform can no longer absorb the increase, so as of the 1st January prices will increase on average of 25%. If you would like to take advantage of this year’s prices, please make sure that you place your order as soon as possible either by post or on the website www.schoolwearforless.com/schools/s tjosephsrcprimarybs163qr/

Gift Ideas
If you are looking for an unusual gift to give this year, we have some great ideas.
St Joseph's Recipe Book, packed with over 70 recipes for you to try. The cost is £3 each or 2 for £5.
St Joseph's Bag for Life - 100% Organic Cotton shopping bag, brilliant for keeping in your car, pushchair or bag. The cost is £3.50 each
If you are interested in either of these great products, either send in a cheque (made payable to St Joseph's School Fund) with order details on the back or send payment in an envelope with order details on it. Both can be viewed in Mrs Gossan's office

E-mail Communication
This week a letter went to all families detailing the way in which we would like to improve communication. If you are interested in receiving e-mails from the school with information such as the newsletter, after school activities then please return the slip by Friday 3rd December.

Spare Clothing!!!!!
If you have any spare underwear, socks, tights, trousers, we would be most grateful. These will be used as spare clothing in school.

Community Carols Around the Tree

On Wednesday 8th December from 3.45-4.45pm there will be an opportunity to join the school choir to sing Christmas Carols around the Christmas tree, followed by minced pies. We want this to be a special community event and we hope you can all come.

Cabot Circus Concert

The choir will be singing in Cabot Circus on Thursday 9th December, raising money for the Ronald Macdonald House which is an independent charity which provides Home from Home accommodation, for critically ill children. We will also be collecting money for this charity when we sing around the Christmas Tree the previous day.

School Attendance

Well done to Miss Wright and Mrs Joseph’s class with 96% attendance and Mrs Ford with 98%!
Punctuality
Punctuality much improved in Mrs Ford’s class and Mrs Mantle’s Class. Well done to those two classes.

FILMCLUB –
Next week’s film will be the Nativity which is rated a PG.

Celebration Assembly

There will be a celebration assembly on Monday 29th November, at 9.10am. The following children will receive a headteachers award:-
Ollie Louch, Hamze Ibrahim-Mahamoud, Ewan Harries, Joseph Nurse, Marie Bellavia, Meigan Westlake, Ceris Lee and Bethany Prasad.

Dates for Diaries

Tuesday 30 th November - Lifeskills visit – Y6
Tuesday 30th November - Class 4C and 4/5J Mass in Church
Wednesday 1st December - Advent Mass in Hall – 9.30am
Wednesday 1st December - Author visit and book signing
Wednesday 1st December - Meeting at St Bonaventures re. transport
Friday 3rd December - PTFA Christmas Market
Wednesday 8th December - Community Carols around the tree
Friday 10th December - Tinsel 4 Tots Day (non uniform)
Monday 13th December - Foundation & KS1 Performance – 9.30am
Tuesday 14th December - End of consultation on denominational transport
Tuesday 14th December - Foundation & KS1 Performance – 2.00pm
Wednesday 15th December - Infant Party
Thursday 16th November - Carol Concert – 2.00pm in Church
Friday 17th December - Christmas Mass – 9.30am in Church
Friday December 17th - Christmas Disco
Friday 17th December - End of Term 2
Tuesday 4th January - Start of Term 3

Best wishes

Matt Condon,
Headteacher