‘Joy to the World’ – A Celebration of Christmas

Experience the Magic of Christmas at St. Mary’s Annual Carol Service!

🎄 When: Tuesday, 17th December 🎶 Time: 7:00 PM 📍 Where: St. Mary the Virgin Church EN8 9NH

Join us for a heartwarming evening filled with readings, carols, songs, and prayer, all in the enchanting setting of a medieval church.

This year, we’re thrilled to welcome the Welwyn Garden City Brass Band as our special guests, adding an extra touch of festive charm to the celebration.

✨ Admission is free! Come along, soak up the Christmas spirit, and enjoy a mince pie (or two!). We’d love to share this memorable evening with you.

/by

Antarctica Flag House Competition Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Antarctica Flag House Competition – Shaun and Nia, and to the very worthy runners up Alex, Alex, Daisy and Xhemil. Students had to design a flag suitable for the continent and the flags created by the 2 winning students are now on the way to Antarctica where they will be flown by a scientist working in the region.

Well done to all the students who entered the competition – they made judging the winners very tough.

/by

St. Mary’s Celebrates International Stress Awareness Week with Lunchtime Wellbeing Activities

To mark International Stress Awareness Week, which ran from November 4th to 8th, St. Mary’s held a series of lunchtime activities aimed at supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing. The event was the brainchild of Lily, a Year 9 Wellbeing Ambassador, who wanted to bring stress-relieving activities to her peers in an accessible, enjoyable way.

Each day featured a different activity, reflecting the “5 Ways to Wellbeing,” a set of evidence-based actions that promote mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts. The activities encouraged students to engage with these five principles: Take Notice, Keep Learning, Connect, Be Active, and Give.

  • Take Notice (Monday): Students participated in a mindful word search, encouraging them to pause and focus on the present moment.
  • Keep Learning (Tuesday): The activity for the day was learning origami, giving students a chance to develop a new skill in a fun, hands-on way.
  • Connect (Wednesday): Classic board and card games were available, allowing students to bond with each other over shared experiences.
  • Be Active (Thursday): Students joined in on a lively “Just Dance” session, boosting both their energy and mood.
  • Give (Friday): Students created thank-you cards to give to others, spreading positivity and fostering a sense of gratitude within the school community.

Participation was enthusiastic, with each student receiving a sticker for completing a daily activity. Those who collected all five stickers were awarded a token and a small prize as recognition for their commitment to wellbeing.

Reflecting on the experience, Amy, a Year 9 student, shared, “I enjoyed the activities because it was nice to do something different, and I had a lot of fun with my friends.” Oskar, also in Year 9, noted, “I liked playing the board games as it kept me calm.”

The initiative was a success, providing students with tools to manage stress in a supportive and engaging environment, while also encouraging the development of lifelong wellbeing practices.

/by

Remembrance Service, Monday 11 November 2024

On Monday the whole school community came together in our Amphitheatre for a service of Remembrance, in memory of all those servicemen and women who gave their lives so that we have freedom today.  The service was led by Mr Crosby, with the Headteacher Mr Vaughan reading two war poems, and the Last Post played ahead of a 2 minute silence.

/by

Harvest Donation

Thank you for your support of the Broxbourne foodbank during our Harvest Appeal. We appreciate the generosity of everyone involved.

Best wishes Elaine Batten and Jeremy Pearce.

/by

Year 7 House Competition

On Thursday 17th October Year 7 took part in their first House Competition. Over 3 mini competitions, students worked in their houses to overcome a variety of challenges against their peers. They started in English where they worked together to create gods, before trying to persuade ‘Zeus’ to take them on to Mount Olympus. Next, the students had to work together to build a paper tower and suspend a chocolate bar above the ground. After lunch, students took part in a mass ‘Nuk’em tournament down in PE. Points were awarded for each mini competition and winners were announced in assembly this week. The students had a fantastic time, making new friends and working together in their houses in a friendly competitive environment.

Next half term, Year 8 will be taking part in a similar event, details to follow…

Well Done Year 7!

/by

Harvest 2024

Thank you to all members of the St. Mary’s community who have contributed to the harvest collection. The vital food has gone off to the Broxbourne Food Bank where it will be used to support families within the local community. The Food Bank team were extremely grateful for our contributions.

/by

World Mental Health Day

To raise awareness of World Mental Health Day on 10th October, St Mary’s encouraged students to visit ‘The Sandbox’, which is a free interactive digital service for children and young people. The Sandbox offers a wealth of support for emotional mental health and wellbeing especially directed towards children and young people. This includes information, local services, resources, livestreaming and therapy, both group and 1-1. On World Mental Health Day, they held a livestream event, where young people could directly ask a therapist any question about mental health, while playing the game ‘Animal Crossing’. These are popular events and to find out more about any future events, go to https://thesandbox.mindler.co.uk/

Also, during this day another celebrated visit by Godfrey, the Therapy Dog, was arranged.  These visits too, are always successful and well attended. Therapy Dogs Nationwide, are a national charity where volunteers bring their own dogs to various establishments to provide comfort, distraction, and stimulation. These volunteers have the unique privilege of working with their temperament-tested therapy dogs. Studies have extensively documented the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapies, which include improvements in general health and wellbeing, increased confidence levels, and enhanced communication skills. Therapy Dogs Nationwide is becoming increasingly involved in stress-relief and general wellbeing initiatives within large corporations through one-off visits.

/by

Choir Leads Harvest Festival at St Albans Cathedral

On Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th October, our school choir, together with students from Holy Trinity CE Primary and Dewhurst St Mary CE Primary, had the incredible opportunity to lead the Harvest Festival worship services at St Albans Cathedral for the Diocese of St Albans.  Accompanied by Miss King and Mr Crosby, the students were thrilled to perform alongside a live band of professional musicians, making the experience even more special.

Throughout the three services, the choirs led the congregation in singing a variety of hymns, including the powerful “How Great Thou Art” and the lively “You Shall Go Out With Joy.” The latter was such a hit that the students kept the energy going by singing it on repeat all the way home on the coach!

Performing in such a magnificent venue was truly unforgettable, and we are incredibly proud of everyone involved.

/by

Geography students review their learning

Geography students have reviewed their learning for the first few weeks of term and produced some amazing pieces in a variety of formats. We are very proud of the way students have embraced their learning and are focusing on moving their learning to their long term memory.

/by