St Pius X Catholic Primary School

This week, the children took on an exciting challenge – planning and budgeting for a birthday party using Google Sheets! Working in pairs and within a fixed budget, they got to flex their creativity while learning valuable computing skills. By collaborating on Google Sheets, the children practiced data entry, learned to use formulas for calculations, and explored different ways to organise and present information. They compared prices, calculated totals, and made decisions on where to save or splurge to stay within budget! It was fantastic to see them engage in such a practical and fun learning experience!

This week, as part of their Being Human topic, the children took on an incredibly important and practical lesson – learning about CPR and the use of defibrillators. Guided by BHF interactive lessons, they discovered how these vital skills can make a difference in emergency situations. The session began with an introduction to CPR, where the children learned how to check for responsiveness, call for help, and perform chest compressions effectively. They practiced the correct hand placement, rhythm, and pressure needed to keep blood flowing to the brain and vital organs until medical help arrives. The children were also introduced to defibrillators – life-saving devices designed to restore a normal heartbeat in cases of cardiac arrest. They were taught how to recognise and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), including how to follow the voice prompts and place the pads safely. Well done Year 6. For more information visit the British Heart Foundation . 

 We are coming to the end of our 6-week unit of gymnastics! This year vaulting is introduced, where children learn to approach the vaulting horse or springboard with controlled runs and perform safe landings. Jumping in Year 3 gymnastics isn’t just about getting air—it's about learning control and precision. The children are guided through various types of jumps, such as tuck jumps, star jumps, and straddle jumps. These movements help them develop the strength in their legs and core to perform controlled, explosive movements. No Year 3 gymnastics lesson would be complete without cartwheels! This iconic move is a wonderful introduction to the more complex skills that come later in a gymnast's training. Here are Ivan and Jamie, about to perform some tuck jumps!   PE is my favourite subject, I've really enjoyed the vaulting Harley

This week, students participated in a carousel of activities to review their understanding of number bonds to 20, doubles and near doubles! Students enjoyed working together with partners and verbalizing their answers. We then discussed our favourite manipulatives to use when making number bonds to 20! Here were some responses; "I like using part-whole models. I know I have 20 as my whole number, and I just need to find the parts!" - David "I like using a number line" - Aibel "I like using the rekenrek to show my number bonds. I helped explain this to someone else today!" - Logan "I know to get a near double, I just double a number, and add one more!" - Qmari

 For Safer Internet Day in Year One, students began by listening to the story 'Digiduck and the Magic Castle' . The story can be found here . In the story, Digiduck goes on an exciting adventure to a magical castle in a mobile game. While exploring, he learns important lessons about staying safe online and making good choices with technology. After the story, students discussed the mistakes Digiduck made and what he could do differently next time. "Digiduck should not try and guess his parents' password. He should ask for permission from his parents if he is allowed to use it." - Qmari "Digiduck should not have shared his password with his friends. Only you and your trusted adults should know your passwords" - Eva "Digiduck should not click on pop-ups. They can be scams." - Gianni After this, we had a short lesson on keeping safe on the internet. We discussed games we play on devices.  Popular games included;  Roblux Minecraft Amoung Us Someti...

Safer Internet Day 2025 Year 2 watched a virtual assembly which highlighted the potential dangers of using the internet.  As a class we then discussed the pros and cons of using the internet. The internet has lots of information! You can play games and learn things. You can talk to your friends and family. Sometimes adverts pop up that you have to close. Tell an adult if you don't like something you see on the screen. Don't tell anyone your private information like your name or where you live. Ask your parents if you don't know what to do. The main things to remember were: keep your private information safe only spread kindness We made posters to remind everybody about these important rules, and then played a kindness game which is linked here:  Kind Kingdom game

  Year 6 Safer Internet Day Today, we joined the global celebration of Safer Internet Day 2025, an annual event promoting responsible and safe use of technology. This year’s theme, “Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online” , encourages children to become informed and responsible digital citizens. Our Year 6 students took part in the BBC Live Lesson , where they explored important online safety topics through interactive discussions and activities. After that, they dived into Google Interland , an engaging and educational game that helps young learners navigate the online world safely. Let’s continue working together to create a safer internet for everyone.

Today marks Safer Internet Day 2025, an annual event dedicated to promoting safer and more responsible use of online technology, especially among children and young people. This year's theme is "Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online." This week, each year group has been learning about a different aspect of internet safety.  saferinternet.org.uk In our increasingly digital world, online scams have become more sophisticated, targeting users across various platforms. Young people are not exempt; they often encounter scams in the form of fake giveaways, fraudulent ads, and deceptive messages on social media and gaming platforms. Recognising and responding appropriately to these threats is crucial for maintaining online safety. Common Online Scams to Watch Out For: Phishing Emails and Messages: These appear to be from legitimate sources, such as banks or online services, asking for personal information or prompting you to click on malicious lin...

To mark Safer Internet Day Year 5 had a session on SCAMs and Phishing.  We enjoyed playing a game where the children had to identify the sign of a scam in different scenarios. The children joined up in groups to play and all had to agree on the sign of the scam.  The children learned the signs to look out for in a scam using the helpful acronym: SCAM We then worked on creating tips or helpful hints for others looking out for scams while they are online. The children created their tips through a messaging screen. They all came up with some great ideas for staying safe online!  For some further useful support with staying safe online, please visit this  link . 

We have been discussing what we are grateful for, why and how we show our appreciation. Faith In Action - we have started to fill our 'Gratitude Jar' in class. Whenever we are thankful for someone or something we can add a cube to the jar! Ajooni - I'm thankful for being alive! Sable - I'm grateful for my family! Analysing - we thought about the consequences of saying (or not saying) thank you!  Olivia - S omeone might feel sad or upset if you don't say thank you. Norah - Saying thank you is polite and good manners. They are the magic words.  International - we learnt different ways to say Thank You in different languages. Mrs Armstrong helped us to pronounce 'Thank You' in Irish - Go raibh maith agat! Cassius - I know that Danke means thank you in German. Faith In Action/ Creating - we made thank you cards for someone either at school or home.  This reflective time leads to our learning about the Eucharist and Jesus showing thanks at the Last Supper.

  Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope Year of Jubilee 2025  The Holy Father has decided that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. The theme is “Pilgrims of Hope”. In a world that is growing more unjust and unequal, we invite people, schools and communities to experience the joy and strength in coming together as we respond to God’s call for a reset, a renewal of faith and a recommitment to a just world. The children at St Pius X, have all made a Jubilee pledge in their classes, to work towards making a difference to something in our local or global communities.  There is a variety of projects across the school and each year group will be presenting their work at our Exhibition afternoon in the summer term in which parents/carers and families will be invited to celebrate the children's work and achievements. Lily from The Chaplaincy Team:               Let us Pray           ...

 The Essex Local Offer Roadshows are back for the spring term!   There will be four roadshows held across the county in March.    This is a chance for parents and carers to come along and ask any questions about special educational needs and disabilities. There will also be workshops for parents and carers to attend.  During the afternoon there will be a specific focus on support in the early years.    For more information about the roadshows including where they are, who will be there and what to expect visit  Essex Local Offer Roadshows   What's on to support Autism in Essex?   Are you confused about what is available to support autistic children, young people, and their families across Essex?      The Autism Strategy Team at Essex County Council have put together a new  Essex Autism Support Offer document.  It outlines the different services, resources and projects that are available with detail...

  Please find attached a list of free  Wellbeing  sessions and courses for families.   Our email address is  aclfamilylearning@essex.gov.uk

  Click on the link for An introduction to us : SEND and You (SAY), Hot Topic : Mediation for Young People and  Introducing: Have your say! Events and useful information  https://mcusercontent.com/ab192c1886a9a16c9f84bfbea/files/42ff24d0-4dde-169f-f19f-945fde870007/Youth_Matters_Eight_JANUARY_2025.pdf?mc_cid=4d084f95e6&mc_eid=10893a846b

Last week, Year One students completed the Toymaker’s Challenge! We received a peculiar letter and item through the mail! Jorel read us the letter which said;      What’s inside the box, you ask Why, this is your special task! A toy, a toy for you to find But remember, you’ll have to use your mind! We then had to use the magic key to unlock our classroom! Inside, we found boxes full of junk materials! The students decided that the Toymaker must want us to make toys using the materials inside the boxes. We discussed what toys are and compared answers! "Toys are things you can play with" - Benjamin "Toys are anything you can use to have fun" - Nancy "I made a rocket ship using a bottle and some felt!" - Logan "I made a princess using some felt, glitter, and popsicle sticks" - Gershlene "I made a magic wand using a popsicle stick, string and a feather. It can turn you into a princess!" - Ivy "I made Noah's Ark using a cereal box. ...