^{“Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” - St Francis of Assisi} 

At St. Teresa's School, we embrace Catholic life and mission by following in the footsteps of St. Therese of Lisieux. Like her, we emphasise simplicity, love, and service in all that we do. By working in our wider community and raising money for charity, we instil in our children the values of Catholic social teaching, teaching them to care for others and make a positive impact.

St. Francis of Assisi's timeless quote, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words," resonates deeply with us. It reminds us that our actions speak volumes about our faith, and we strive to embody this principle every day.

Pastoral care is a top priority at our school. We nurture the well-being of each student, providing them with support, guidance, and a nurturing environment where they can flourish spiritually, emotionally, and academically.

At St. Teresa's, we are proud to live out our Catholic mission, inspired by the example of St. Therese and guided by the principles of love, service, and compassion.

Scroll down to see some of what has been achieved at St Teresa's and how we live out our Catholic life and mission.

 

Summer 2024-25

Jorja is raising money for Great Ormand Street.

One of our own pupils, Jorja, is undertaking an extraordinary challenge – a 60-mile walk to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. This cause is deeply personal to Jorja, who was supported by Great Ormand Street hospital from birth, including a major surgery at  just two and a half years old. Today, I am delighted to say that Jorja is a thriving member of our school community, and her determination to give back to the hospital that cared for her is nothing short of remarkable.

While raising money may seem like a small gesture compared to the incredible work that Great Ormond Street's staff perform every day, Jorja's commitment reflects the very heart of our Catholic mission – to serve others with love and gratitude. Her fundraising page can be found at the link provided, and I encourage our community to support this wonderful cause if they are able. This act of service beautifully demonstrates how we are called to use our gifts and experiences to help others, turning personal challenges into opportunities for compassion.

 

St Teresa’s Staff "Catholic Library" established

The staff at St Teresa's have established a library resource for teachers and TAs to develop their subject knowledge and get inspiration for lessons and collective worships. There are areas dedicated to learning more about St Therese of Liseux as well as the Mass and literature about best practice in teaching RE. We hope that this resource will continue to be use by staff and organically grow!

St Teresa’s restores its “Prayer Garden” to its former glory

We are thrilled to announce the revitalisation of St. Teresa's Prayer Garden, a cherished space within our school that first opened in 2017 to commemorate 60 years of St. Teresa's Catholic Primary School. This tranquil garden has always served as a special place for prayer and reflection, and thanks to the dedicated efforts of our staff, community members, and pupils, it has now been restored to its former glory.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to help with this project. Together, volunteer staff and children planted beautiful flowers, jet washed the paving stones, cleaned the icons, and restored the benches, creating a serene environment that embodies the spirit of our school community.

The revitalised Prayer Garden is once again, a welcoming haven for all, providing an ideal setting for quiet contemplation and spiritual growth. We encourage everyone to take a moment to visit this lovely space, reflect, and appreciate the hard work that has gone into making it a beautiful part of our school. It stands as a testament to our commitment to nurturing a caring and supportive environment rooted in our Catholic values.

Thank you once again to all who contributed to this meaningful project. Your dedication and love for our school community shine brightly in the revitalised Prayer Garden.

 

George is cutting his hair for a good cause!

I am excited to share that George (one of our members of the faith council) is taking part in a wonderful fundraising initiative for the Little Princess Trust by cutting his hair on Saturday, 31st May. The Little Princess Trust is a charity that provides real hair wigs to children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment or other medical conditions. By supporting George’s fundraising efforts, you are helping to provide comfort and confidence to young children during a challenging time in their lives.

How can you help? We invite you to sponsor George or help spread the word about this great cause. Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in the lives of children who have lost their hair due to illness.

You can also donate directly through George’s JustGiving page: George’s JustGiving Page. JustGiving is a secure platform, and UK taxpayers can reclaim Gift Aid, which means your donation can be worth even more!

This initiative, by one of our faith council, beautifully aligns with our Catholic Life and Mission at St. Teresa’s. By supporting George, we are embodying our core values of love and service, reflecting the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and demonstrate our commitment to compassion and support for those in need.

 

Spring 2024-25

New Sensory Space Opens

We are proud to announce that work has been completed on a brand new sensory space. The space boasts many state-of-the-art installations designed to support emotional regulation in students who are suffering with social and emotional struggles or any student having a tough day and may need to get themselves regulated before returning to class. Social and emotional wellbeing is an important issue in education right now and at St Teresa’s we have always prided ourselves as seeing it as a part of our Christian duty to meet the emotional and social needs of our students by providing the very best care above and beyond statutory requirements. This space was formally blessed by Father Sabu (pictured above) and visited by our governing body before being announced open last week. For a school of our size, we are truly blessed to able to have something like this. This sensory space is a once in a generation gift to our students and we believe it will support the hard work of our teachers and pastoral team in ensuring that all students are given space, time to reflect and the support they need to achieve success in their lessons and mental wellbeing in later life.

 

Lenten Promises at St Teresa's

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" Isaiah 58:6

The children of St Teresa's have all made Lenten promises which are now in display in the school hall. These promises show our commitment to working to be closer to God during Lent and be living  examples of Christian values. 

 

 

 

Autumn 2024-25

Reconciliation st St Teresa's

"...And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us."

- Taken from the Lord's Prayer

At St Teresa's one of our core values is to "Reflect".  Confession gives our students the opportunity to reflect upon their actions, consider what they have done well and when they may have made errors of judgement and mistakes.

This process is important in helping our students to grow into responsible and conscientious adults who are reflective about their thoughts and actions. During Advent, Mrs Harris took a group of key stage two children to St Basil's reconciliation service where they were able to take part in confession with Fr Sabu and Fr Albert. 

Children came back discussing the experience in open and honest terms. Some spoke of how it was hard but important to talk about their mistakes to a priest and others reflected upon how the process was cathartic and had them coming away feeling lighter and better prepared for Christmas.

We were very proud of how mature our students were at this service and engaging with this sacrament. Well done all who took part.

 

Support for our community this Christmas

Mark 12:30-31: "Love your neighbour as yourself"

Through partnership with "Kids Inspire", "The Brentwood Catholic Children's Society" and by using resources from our own food bank donations (including donations from school families, parishioners and staff) the school has once again organised Christmas hampers and selections of children's presents to be given to members of our community who need it the most this year.

Through this work, we make sure that everyone has something to open Christmas day and elevate some of the pressure on some of our families in this often financially demanding season.

The Faith Council Launch Harvest Food Drive

Proverbs 22:9 "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor."

This week, the faith council brought the school together to launch our Harvest Food drive. Food collected will make its way to the needy in our local area.  Remember families, please bring in food with long sell by dates that does not require refrigeration. 

St Teresa's Uniform Bank

Acts 4:32-35 : "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had…”

 

St Teresa’s is proud to run a uniform bank for families to use if they need uniform for their children.. We have been absolutely inundated with many pre-loved but good as new items that will find their way to families that need or want new uniform.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to this fantastic cause! We will be in touch once again, when we are in need of further donations.

 

 

New Faith Council Appointed

Matthew 20:26 "...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant”

Congratulations to George, Gloria, Chika, Christopher, Nyla-Rae and Isobel. These students will, amongst other responsibilities, help to organise our charity events throughout the year and contribute towards our Catholic Life and Mission. Our faith council operates on a model of "Servant Leadership" that defines us as a Catholic community, with children giving up their free time to help lead our school.

 

 

St Teresa's Food Bank Restocked.

Matthew 10:8: "… Freely you have received; freely give."

The generous gifts given by parishioners, families and staff will continue to help supporting members of our community this academic year. We are so blessed to have a community such as this that cares for one another.

 

 

Summer 2023-24

St Teresa's Kindess Award 2024 Awarded

Each year we present two students with our highest honour: The Malaika Adams Kindness Award. This award is given to students who embody our school values and live the little way of St Therese, showing kindness in all they do. Somto and E'Larnie were voted as the winners of this award by the students of the school.

A message from the Faith Council

Holy Communion Celebration at St. Basil's Church

On Saturday, June 15th, the students of St. Teresa's Catholic Primary School celebrated an important milestone in their faith journey by receiving the Holy Communion at St. Basil's Church. It was a beautiful and joyous ceremony attended by proud families and school staff.

The church was filled to capacity as our students processed down the aisle, their faces beaming with excitement. Fr. Sabu, our parish priest, presided over the Mass along with a visiting priest from his order in India.

We congratulate all our First Communicants on this sacred occasion! Through preparation classes, they learned about the significance of the Eucharist and its real presence. Now they can fully participate in this pillar of the Catholic faith.

A special thank you to Fr. Sabu, the catechists who prepared the children, and all the families and parishioners who made this day so special. 

May this Holy Communion be the first step in a lifelong journey of faith and devotion for our students. We pray they will continue to be shining examples of Christ's love, acceptance, and respect in the world.

We are immensely proud of you.

 

BISHOP'S VISIT JUNE 2024

Spring 2023-24

St Teresa's supports St Basil's  Holy Communion Classes

St Teresa's staff have helped the catechist's running St Basil's Holy Communion course by creating a display for them within the church. 

The chair of the Parish Council wrote: "The First Holy Communion board looks fantastic - it hasn't looked that special in years. Thank you to the teachers who did this."

Christus Catholic Trust Schools and De La Salle Secondary School come together for the "Hot Cross Bun Fun Run"

In the spirit of a shared Catholic community, children from St Teresa's joined Holy Cross, St Peter's, St Anne Line Infants, St Thomas' and St Mary's at De La Salle where older students from the secondary school helped to lead the "Hot Cross Bun Fun Run". This was a competitive sporting event designed not only to showcase the talents of key stage one students in the local Catholic schools but also to strengthen our bonds with one another and come together for Easter with joint celebrations and of course, hot cross buns! It was a fantastic morning and our Year 2 team represented the school beautifully!

Families rally around in a show of Christian solidarity for the school.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this letter finds you and your families well.

I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support and generosity that you have shown our school community, particularly on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. In a moment of unexpected challenge, your response truly exemplified the spirit of compassion and unity that defines our school and faith.

As many of you may be aware, we found ourselves suddenly without a kitchen team due to unexpected sickness. This left us facing a massive hurdle in ensuring that our students continued to receive food at lunch time.

However, what happened next truly moved us all…

Without hesitation, families rallied around the school, offering their time, resources, and expertise to help us overcome this obstacle. We received offers of support from parents who work in local businesses to donate food, parents offering to buy and supply meals for the school, as well as parents calling all morning, willing to give up their valuable time to assist in any way they could. We had more offers than we could physically respond to. The outpouring of support was nothing short of overwhelming, and it is a testament to the strength and kindness of our community.

In reflecting on this remarkable display of solidarity, I am reminded of the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, who famously urged us to "preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words." Your actions this week embodied this mantra, demonstrating that living out the values of compassion, generosity, and service is far more powerful than simply preaching them.

I feel truly blessed and privileged to serve such an extraordinary Christian community. Your unwavering support not only sustains our school but also inspires us to continue striving for excellence in all that we do.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible support and generosity. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of our students and ensuring that through Jesus and his example, we live, love and learn.

With warm regards,

Mr Bottjer (Headteacher)

 

Lenten Promises

Lent at St Teresas. Have you seen the new crosses around the school? They contain our Lenten promises. In Lent we are challenged to be like "Gus" (Give something up) or "Tom" (Take on more). Here is a small sample of the types of Lenten promises our children are making.

St Teresa's Food Bank

St Teresa's Food Bank: Thanks to the donations from parishioners, parents and staff, the St Teresa's food bank has continued to be well stocked and well used throughout Autumn and Spring term, helping members of our community who truly need it.

Celebrating Neuro-Diversity At St Teresa's

This spring term we have spoken in collective worship sessions about how God made each of us to be unique and special. We have spoken about how our minds all work differently and we see the world in different ways. To mark this, Mrs Gillings has created a Neurodiversity display in the hall that celebrates the achievements of lots of people who experienced and saw the world in unique and interesting ways.

 

Autumn 2023-24

Celebrating Diversity at St Teresa's Library

Reflecting the diverse student body we are blessed to serve, this year we have launched a special section of our school library dedicated to showcasing literature from other cultures and the heritage of the families in our community. 

One of our school values is to "Accept" and St Paul taught us  "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:7 7)

A new Faith Council is appointed!

The Faith Council for 2023-24 will be helping to lead Catholic Life and Mission at St Teresa's