St Pius X Catholic Primary School

What are the Mini Vinnies involved with at the moment? The Mini Vinnies are very busy. We have weekly meetings and right now we are beginning St. Vincent De Paul's Lenten Campaign. This year’s  SVP Heart to Heart Lent campaign   focuses on   loneliness , a hidden issue that affects people of all ages, even in busy schools and communities. The message is simple and powerful:   reach out and have a conversation . Inspired by  St Pier Giorgio Frassati , an SVP member who believed in friendship and lifting others  verso l’alto  (“to the heights”), the campaign shows how caring for others helps us grow too. The Heart to Heart campaign will be a 5 week Lenten journey.  Each week we will explore stories of Jesus listening to and caring for those who felt lonely or forgotten.  We will be doing activities that build towards a final challenge where we have a 'heart to heart' conversation with someone in our community.  We have started with Week 1 ...

We kicked off the morning by joining the BBC Live Lesson , which was broadcast straight from a safari park. The lesson tackled some big questions: Is AI a person? Can it be my friend? Should I trust everything it says? The children were quick to spot the difference. While a chatbot might use friendly language or even tell a joke, the students learned that it doesn't have feelings, a heartbeat, or a conscience. 'AI can tell 'lies' you can't always trust it and you can never trust it with your emotions.' - Yana  'Not all things you see online are true - it's important to double check information.' - Elodie  'It can replicate anything and it is only as good as the coder.' - Isabella  To see how AI "thinks," we turned our classroom into a science lab using Google’s Teachable Machine . The children learned that AI is essentially a "teachable machine"—it only knows what we tell it through data inputs . The challenge was simple: ...

 Today was Safer Internet Day and had the focus on using AI and technologies around us.  We started by thinking about what the internet is.  ‘It makes our TV’s and electronics work’ Ethan ‘We have the internet at home’ Elijah ‘No internet means your telly doesn’t work ‘ Idrees Then we discussed why we use technology and which apps we know.  'Snapchat is yellow'- Macie  'I watch YouTube at home'- Logan Finally, we discussed Roo's new friend. She was described as being very smart, magical and powerful! But we didn't expect the friend to be Alexa!  We shared how using these devices can be useful- they can help us to answer questions or play our favourite music. Then we also thought about what they can't do- give us a hug, make dinner and be our friend.  ‘I have an Alexa’-  Logan  'An Alexa doesn’t have any hands' -Quinn ‘I ask my Alexa to play music'- Henry  ‘Alexa is actually not real people’ - Idrees  ‘It’s just a robot’ - Lydia

Safer Internet Day: Smart Tech, Safe Choices Today is Safer Internet Day and the theme is ‘Smart Tech, Safe Choices - Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI.’  As technology becomes an everyday part of children’s lives, it is important that we help them use it safely, responsibly and with confidence. Many primary-age children already interact with technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI), such as voice assistants, games, learning apps and online content recommendations. These tools can support learning, creativity and curiosity when used appropriately and with adult guidance. However, while AI can be helpful and engaging, it also presents risks that young children may not recognise. AI tools can sometimes provide inaccurate information, expose children to unsuitable content, or encourage them to trust what they see and hear too easily. Some platforms collect personal data, blur the line between what is real and computer-generated or present content in ways that feel ...

Our next computing lesson has incorporated using musical instruments to demonstrate how music is created to a rhythm. We learnt about 'pulse' and clapped to a beat. Then we used coloured counters to create a rhythm patterm with our partner. This was then mimicked when using the Chrome Music Lab rhythm tool. We enjoyed making music and experiemnting with different rhythms and instruments - both real and digital! 

Year 2 were wondeful at recalling prior learning about staying safe online! We had already discussed AI so we watched this informative video by Minecraft Education which explains how AI works in a simple way. To consolidate this further, we looked at a few short videos about AI, sharing photos and digital footprints. Mrs Griffiths explained that the internet has a memory that can remember what you search for and that this can be helpful but can also have its disadvantages too! For example, it can remember what you bought when online grocery shopping, so that you don't forget that all important chocolate bar next time! However, you can get pop-up adverts that can get annoying! We also considered how seding a photo to one person can sometimes mean that photo ends up with a complete stranger.  Sharing photos video Digital footprint video Then Year 2 made their own digital footprint by drawing around their own feet and writing the things they use the internet for, including: netflix r...

To mark Safer Internet Day, our Year 6 pupils took part in an exciting live lesson alongside schools from across the country. This year’s theme, “Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI,” gave children the opportunity to learn more about how technology is shaping their lives and how they can use it safely and responsibly. Throughout the session, the children explored how artificial intelligence works and discussed the many ways it is used in everyday life. They learned about the importance of thinking carefully when using smart technology, understanding that while AI can be helpful and powerful, it is important to make sensible and informed choices. The lesson encouraged the children to become confident, responsible digital citizens who know how to stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Well done to Year 6! For more information about Safer Internet Day visit: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2026 BBC Online Safety...

  Catholics believe we are called to take care of each other, especially those most in need. 🌟The Story of Zacchaeus We began with a warm‑up called “Who Needs Help?” . The children looked at pictures of people who were sad, lonely, hungry or unwell. They shared thoughtful ideas about who might need help and how we can show kindness. This prepared them beautifully for our Gospel story. We listened to the retelling of Luke 19:1–9 , the story of Zacchaeus. Together we explored new words like Jericho , tax collector , greedy and sinner , and the children quickly understood that Zacchaeus had made some unkind choices. They were fascinated that Jesus chose to spend time with him anyway. The children learned that: Zacchaeus cheated people He was rich but not liked Jesus called him by name Meeting Jesus changed him completely We talked about how Christians believe Jesus can help us change too. Using thumbs up and thumbs down, the children sorted words like greedy , kind , selfish and he...

 This week we have been very lucky to have been able to see chicks hatch in school. We had a special delivery of eggs on Monday, which at first we thought might be for some baking but then we learnt all about incubators and discovered that we thought these eggs might hatch into chicks. We have been very excited during the week as we've watched the eggs start to hatch. On Wednesday morning we came into school to find there were 6 chicks so far. During the day another 2 hatched, which we were very lucky to catch on camera and on Wednesday evening 1 more hatched, meaning by only Thursday we already had 9 chicks! The chicks have started to be moved into their brooder box, where they will live for the following 2 weeks. Now in the brooder box, they will start to eat and drink, although some of them prefer to sleep in their food! They are still very young at the moment so we can't hold them just yet but hopefully by Friday or Monday we should be able to give them lots of cuddles.  W...

⚘🐛 ' Live and Let Live' is the IPC topic for Year 2 this Spring half term. It's been the perfect opportunity to see things in action, developing their understanding of life cycles, food chains and how animals adapt to different habitats. This week Year 2 have planted poppy and pansy seeds and will make regular observations in order to track the changes from seed to flower in real-time. Last week the children were enthusiastic and excited to design their own bug hotels ! They used their knowledge of materials and thought about what bugs would want - a safe shelter! This week, using as many natural or recycled materials as possible, they used (and adapted) their plans to make their hotel. It has been brilliant to watch their curiosity and creativity whilst putting many skills into action: decision making - choosing appropriate and available materials resilience and problem-solvin g - finding ways to overcome challenges when things don't go to plan. collaboration - he...

 Today, Year 4 took part in the Superstars event. They competed against six other schools in a range of sport skill activities. The scooter race was very popular, but so was the throwing and cup stacking. The class worked realy hard and even when tasks were tricky non of the gave up. We all had a brilliant time and enjoyed the chance to go up against other schools.  We did aaxingly well. Alexis came third out of all the girls in the competetion and St Pius took first place out of all the schools.  Well done, Year 4!

Today, Year 6 have been using our new Chromebooks as part of their IPC topic, WW2: The Home Front . The children have been working with Google Sites to create their own websites, sharing information about the vital role women played during the Second World War. This exciting work has allowed pupils to develop their research, digital, and presentation skills while deepening their understanding of an important period in history. The Chromebooks have been generously funded by the PTA, and we would like to say a huge thank you to the PTA and our whole school community. Your continued support helps ensure we can provide the very best resources for our children’s learning.

Year 5 have been immersed in Louis Sachar’s There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom , and as we approached the end of the novel, the big question remained: What happens next? The children were tasked with writing the "missing" Chapter 48, exploring Bradley’s journey as he continues to navigate his new friendships and newfound self-confidence. Instead of reaching straight for the pens, we took a detour into drama . Planning through drama allowed the students to: Test Dialogue: They could hear how Bradley or Carla might actually sound, making their written dialogue much more authentic. Feel the Emotion: By physically acting out a scene, the children tapped into the "butterflies" Bradley feels, or the frustration of a misunderstanding.  We can’t wait to see these dramatic performances translated into what promise to be some of the wonderful pieces of writing. 

Our new Computing topic is all about making music! We listened to some of Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' and discussed how the music made us feel, and what instruments we could hear. Listen here Watch here Find out more here It was amazing to hear the opinions of the children; music is so personal, subjective and emotive. Responses included - calm, relaxed, victorious, energetic, peaceful, loud, sleepy and joyful. The children noticed that each 'chapter' of music was different: Mars - loud, strong, energetic Venus - peaceful, quiet, chilled This also got the children thinking about how the music was made and being played - a conductor directs the orchestra and there are different instruments being used to create different sounds and moods. Year 2 then had a chance to explore 'Chrome Music Lab.'  We will be working towards creating a piece of digital music after half term.