St. Joseph's Academy Newsletter March 5th 2015

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher Grassyards Rd Kilmarnock KA3 7SL

ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY Weekly Newsletter

01563 526144

ISSUE 17.3

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk Twitter: @StJoAcad

MARCH 5TH 2015

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM: NURTURING FAITH-FILLED WORLD CLASS LEARNING

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

S3 pupils make the most of the FireReach project at S3 pupils Justin Murphy, Kieran Orr, Andrew Gaughan, Shaun Brady and Paul Mears all

Kilmarnock Fire Station

spent a week with local fire crews learning the ropes and the hoses and picking up a whole range of skills and confidence in the process. According to the boys they even performed well in the traditional ‘breakfast roll eating competition.’ The boys graduated from the programme on Friday.

May’s Medal Talented S1 pupil May Stirling proved just what an amazing competitor she is last weekend when she secured the Silver Medal (pictured left) at the British Weightlifting Championships in Birmingham. This was a phenomenal effort from May in a national competition that saw her undertaking lifts of over forty kilos. Well done May!

Charity Talent Show S6 Personal Development pupils Alan Sneddon and Andrew Barr pulled of a very successful and entertaining charity talent show this week. For the past few months they have been organising, planning and auditioning for the event as part of their certificated Personal Development qualification. The event, which raised

OUR CHARITY

TALENT SHOW

hundreds of pounds for good causes, saw over 200 pupils pack into the Assembly Hall on Friday afternoon to watch seven acts battle it out for the big prize. Alan and Andrew compered the show and had arranged for staff to be guest judges, chaired by Mrs. Nutt from the School Office. The eventual winner was S3 pupil Sarah Stewart who, against stiff competition, impressed the panel with her confidence, poise and clear voice. Well done to all who took part and to Alan and Andrew for arranging it.

Donald Jessop and Conor McNamara perform

Ross Szumlakowski on drums

Engaged Learners Shannon McPartland

WINNER: Sarah Stewart

Katie Cameron

Morven Campbell

Gemma McIvor

The whole team of performers, stage crew and the leaders, Alan and Andrew in the middle.

Gabrielle Maberley

Abby McClelland

Kezia Dugdale Visit We were delighted to host a visit by the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Kezia Dugdale and local MP and Shadow Treasury Spokesperson Cathy Jamieson last week. They came after school on Friday and, after a quick tour of the school, settled down to debate and discuss with senior pupils. S6 pupil Ramsey Heron Cunningham chaired the discussion which covered a very wide range of topics including women in politics, American politics, and the views of young people on a number of issues.

SCOTHOT!!

A group of Senior Phase Home Economics pupils travelled to Glasgow this week to participate in the SCOTHOT food, hospitality and tourism trade show. As well as learning more about the art and skills of cooking the pupils considered in more detail the career opportunities on offer to them in this industry and managed to enjoy all the hospitality on offer at the venue.

WEEKLY HOME ROOM REFLECTION: A DEEPER MEANING TO LENT From the time we were children, our first question for Lent was often, “What are you giving up for Lent?” Giving something up for these 40 days is a custom that, when we were younger, helped us enter into the season with a sense of purpose and a greater awareness. As we get older we might want to consider looking at Lent in a deeper way. We become settled into our behaviours and patterns of life and sometimes giving up something is where we begin -- and end -- our reflections on Lent. It can be tempting to say “I am giving up chocolate”, but without more reflection, it can become simply a way of showing willpower rather than a deeper reflection on faith. It is more about me than any conversation with God. Asking what we would like to change about ourselves this Lent requires a little reflection. What pattern of behaviour in my life needs changing? What do I need more of in my life? Patience? Unselfishness? More loving behaviour toward my family? Each of us can think of something that gets in the way of our being loving and self-sacrificing. Too often the ordinary conflicts, divisions and difficulties in our family life result from simple selfishness on our part. We choose to fight. We choose to defend our opinion. We choose to use things we know about our friends and family against them. We choose to hurt them. So perhaps one the best things we could do this Lent is not give something up, but start something: start saying,’ Sorry.’ This would bring more unity and peace to our lives. Doing this requires courage, it asks for forgiveness from others and it means that we need to think about the kind of people we are and facing up to that.

We can ask: ‘what would it cost me to change my behaviour? What would it mean if I didn’t walk around my acting crabbit all the time?

What if I decided to be much more loving and patient with my friends? What if I did decide to “give up” something really destructive in my life? That way Lent can mean much more than giving up chocolate.

PARISH MASS TIMES St. Matthew’s: 9.30 am, Fr. Chambers St. Joseph’s: 6.00 pm (vigil), 11.00 am Fr. Latham St. Francis Xavier, Patna: 5.00 pm (vigil) St. John the Evangelist: 10.45 am, Fr. McGrattan Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 9.30 am, Fr. McGhee St. Michael’s: 4.30 pm (vigil) St. Paul’s: 11.30 am, Fr. Chambers Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick: 6.00 pm (vigil), Fr. McGrattan St. Sophia’s: 6.00 pm (vigil) Fr. Chambers St. Thomas the Apostle: 9.00 am, Fr. McGrattan