Catholic Life at STGCS
“Jesus took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them: ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.”
Luke 9:47, 48.
Every pupil who enters our school is a member of God’s family.
We come together to pray each and every day. The children use recognised prayers of the Church, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the morning offering, for example. We also invite the children to create personal prayer and provide opportunities for reflection and meditation. The liturgical year provides a framework for our worship and we reflect each week on the message of Sunday’s Gospel reading.
We participate in the ritual and tradition of the Catholic faith and follow the 'Come & See' RE Curriculum.
We are fortunate to have a priest from the Cathedral Parish, as our school chaplain. He celebrates regular school and class Masses with us each year, as well as the sacrament of reconciliation for those who have made their first confession. He also joins us on a weekly basis for whole school assembly, where school, parents and church come together. Further, each May we have a May procession in honour of Our Lady. We also have Rosary on a weekly basis in October and May. Parents and Carers are always welcome to attend these events, alongside staff and children.
The children celebrate their achievements in Whole School Assembly each Friday morning. EYFS and Key Stage 1 celebrate Christmas through annual Nativity Plays and we carry out the Stations of the Cross at Easter.
As a Catholic school we are part of a wider network of Catholic Schools, across our Deanery, our Diocese and the Catholic Education Service as a whole. We work closely with the other Primary Schools in the diocese of Southwark.
Wednesday Word
Every Thursday the KS1 and KS2 teachers lead the children in a discussion, reflection and prayer linked to the Wednesday Word. Children also get to take a copy of the Wednesday Word home so they can continue that discussion and prayer with their families.
The Months of Mary
In October and May the Spiritual Life Committee lead a daily praying of the rosary alongside the teachers, we also invite the parents in before school to join us in a decade of the rosary. In May there is a procession where the whole school process around the school and then sit together in the playground to prayer a decade of the rosary and reflect on the life of Mary our Mother.
What is Catholic Social Teaching?
Catholic Social Teaching
As part of our termly whole school RE projects, the children learnt about what Catholic Social Teaching is and how it links to their own lives. Each class focused on a specific area, and the children wore their own clothes to school to raise money for charity.
The Liturgical Year at St George's 2022-2023
Stations of the Cross - Our Year's 3,4,5 & 6 classes along with the Choirs of St. George's Cathedral, put on a very moving re-enactment of the journey of Jesus to Calvery Hill.
Lenten Reflection: Thank you to our parents and pupils for attending our weekly Lenten reflections. If you were not able to attend, please see the PowerPoints below to share and discuss as a family.
Ash Wednesday - On Wednesday 22nd February we came together as a school to reflect and receive the ashes from Fr. Michael and begin our Lenten journey. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. We mark Ash Wednesday by having the sign of the cross made on our foreheads. The ashes symbolize sadness and death, and the cross reminds us that we belong to Jesus who died for us.
Advent Carol Service - Our children attended and participated in the annual Advent Carol service at St George's Cathedral
All Saints Day - Thank you to Fr. Francis for coming in and leading our whole school assembly based on All Saints day.
Month of Mary - Thank you to the children and their families for joining us in saying a decade of the rosary.
Harvest Festival - Thank you to our children and their families for their generous donations to our Harvest collection. The collection was donated to St George's Cathedral food bank, which is for the vulnerable and homeless people in our local community.
CAFOD National Assembly September 2022
Beginning of Year Mass - Thank you to Fr. Michael for leading our beginning of school year mass.
