^{“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.

 

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