Prayer and Liturgy
INTENT
As a Catholic community, prayer and liturgy is fundamental to living out our Christian ethos. We aim to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to grow in spiritual awareness and to develop their relationship with God.
IMPLEMENTATION
As well as daily class prayers, we participate in the following collective worship each week:
Monday – Celebration of the Word- Gospel
Tuesday – Class Liturgy on Catholic virtues/ Extended prayer including Rosary, Christian Meditation or Lectio Divina
Wednesday - Worship through Hymns
Thursday - Key Stage Liturgy on Catholic Social Teaching.
Friday - Gifts of God Liturgy and Mass
We also come together with our parish community to celebrate Masses on Holy Days of Obligation.
IMPACT
Our Faith binds us, inspires us and guides us.
SCHOOL PRAYER
This is our school prayer, written by an ex-pupil, Chantelle Bassey
Prayer to St Anne
O glorious St Anne, mother of Mary, filled with love and compassion, protect us and guide us and give us your blessing.
O wonderful St Anne, who conceived the Mother of Jesus, pray for us and help us always to live by faith and to be known by love.
PRAYER LIFE
This year, we are focussing on progression in prayer and making sure that our prayer life develops year on year. We learn different traditional prayers every half term and children in KS2 learn to lead class liturgy. We also love to write our own prayers and offer them at our class prayer table.
.jpg)
VIRTUES AND VALUES
Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Birmingham ensure that as part of their Catholic teachings from Learning and Growing as the People of God, Virtues are a key focus.These virtues show how pupils are growing in their faith, as well as how schools help children to grow. Every half term there is a different focus.
These virtues are taken from the Jesuit Institute which is rooted in the teachings of St Ignatius. They have created a Pupil Profile in which 8 pairs of complementary words have been placed together. The Archdiocese of Birmingham have been allowed to use the Jesuit material and have renamed it the Catholic Schools Profile.
Each half term the whole school will focus on one pair of words; we will spend time reflecting on the meaning of the words; how we see these virtues in action in our lives and in the lives of others and how we can work to encapsulate these virtues in our lives.
Work on the meaning of the words is carried out in class and in assemblies. The work of the children is celebrated on our Virtues Display in our school.
|
2024-25 |
|
|
Autumn 1 |
Curious and Active |
|
Autumn 2 |
Intentional and Prophetic |
|
Spring 1 |
Grateful and Generous |
|
Spring 2 |
Attentive and Discerning |
|
Summer 1 |
Compassionate & Loving |
|
Summer 2 |
Faith filled and Hope |
|
|
|
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
The 7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
- Dignity of the human person
- We are called to live as Family and Community
- Rights and Responsibilities
- We are called to Stewardship
- An option for the Poor and Vulnerable
- The Dignity and Rights of Workers
- Solidarity
- Promotion of Peace
The curriculum at St Anne's provides many opportunities for children and staff to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, and to action that commitment through good works and words that show we live our faith in our community as a force for good. Pupils from St Anne's should be aware of what is happening in the world, their community and their school and be minded towards effecting positive change. Pupil Voice at St Anne's is evident in all aspects of our curriculum and religious life.
BIG QUESTIONS
We also like to think about the Big Questions in life.
Year 4 Class Liturgy
OUR PRAYER BOARD
Please email Mrs Bernto on head@st-annes.reading.sch.uk if you would like us to add a name to the prayer board.
At this time, we ask you to hold in your prayers:
Amen
Year 4 have been practicing the Rosary
Our Prayer Group!
We have started a Prayer Group that takes place every Monday at 12.45pm in the Music Room. The children wrote two Gospel assembly prayers last Monday and this Monday the children talked about What the Prayer group is for? Some children said that it was 'for praying' and for 'talking to God' but one of the children said that it was also a time for 'asking God questions?' Mrs Orife (who has started running the club was very impressed and is looking forward to next week! Thank you to all the children who came and please remember that everyone is welcome!
Maisie and Louie (both in Year 2) wrote prayers that they will say in the Gospel Liturgy on Monday morning. Well done for your thoughtful writing!
_20240123182438336.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&scale=LIMIT_MAXSIZE "Prayer Club_22.01.24(a)")
Penitential Service
Key Stage 2 led a beautiful and reflective penitential service with Father Joe, in which we listened to the Gospel to remind us of the story of Jesus in the desert and thought about times when we may not have shown love.
Thank you to Father Joe for guiding the children in this service. The children have promised as they continue their journey of love throughout Lent, they will try very hard to make the right choices just like Jesus did.
Stations of the Cross
We held the Stations of the Cross in school, where our children, staff and parents participated in this meaningful journey.
It was really amazing to see how our children got so involved and showed such respect and understanding during the session. They not only showed how much they know about the Easter story but also how much they feel its message of love and hope deep in their hearts.
As Easter draws near, let's keep the lessons we learned from the Stations of the Cross close to our hearts. Let's welcome the hope and renewal it represents with open arms.
Palm Crosses
Father Joe, blessed palm crosses for our children. With reverence and care, Father Joe invoked blessings upon each cross, imparting words of encouragement and reminders of the significance of the symbol of faith.
The palm crosses now hold a special place in our homes, serving as constant reminders of the blessings bestowed upon our children by Father Joe and our community.
Easter Play
The Year 3 production depicting the Easter Story was truly impressive. The children told the story wonderfully through their singing and narration, which made the performance even more meaningful and impactful. They showed great dedication and talent, and it was a joy to see them bring the story to life on stage. The experience was a beautiful reminder of the Easter message of hope and love.
