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The Good Shepherd
Catholic Primary School
“I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own and my own know me”. John 10:14"
Branch 4 Desert to Garden
In Branch 4, we’ll explore the concepts of sin, salvation, and the “last things”—death, judgment, heaven, and hell—within God’s plan. While God’s plan is for everyone to reach heaven, the Church teaches that people can sometimes turn away, making choices that lead them away from this path. We’ll look at how Jesus, though fully God, experienced human temptations, like in the wilderness, yet remained faithful to God’s plan. Through this, we’ll understand how sin and redemption are central to our journey toward God.
We’ll also focus on Ash Wednesday and Lent, a time when Christians reflect on their choices and renew their connection with God. We’ll learn what happens during the Ash Wednesday Mass, the symbols involved, and how Christians respond to God’s call during Lent through prayer and reflection. We’ll discuss the meaning of “conscience,” how Catholics view sin, and connect these ideas to the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ teachings. Additionally, we’ll study Catholic beliefs about the last things and reflect on how St. Paul’s words and the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary help Christians understand the promise of resurrection and eternal life. By the end, we’ll gain a deeper understanding of God’s plan for salvation and how our actions and choices connect to it.
GS Mardi Gras Hosted by Year 5: A Celebration of Faith, Learning, and Fun
Today, Year 5 proudly hosted the Good Shepherd Mardi Gras celebration, filled with creativity, faith, and excitement. The event was split into two parts: first, a vibrant morning parade, followed by engaging stations and booths where all the children in the school were invited to learn and have fun. Now, let's take a look at the photos from today’s celebration!
Part 1: A Parade of Christian Themes and Creativity
Year 5 children created cam parade floats based on Christian themes, a unique twist on the traditional Mardi Gras floats. Using Spheros, which we programmed ourselves, the floats were pulled through the parade as we danced and sang to a special Mardi Gras song we created. As the floats paraded, we introduced each one and explained the themes behind them, connecting everything to our faith and values.
Alongside the parade, we had a Mardi Gras booth where we showcased our work: writings, metacognition frames, posters, and pictures related to our Mardi Gras projects. While we celebrated this fun tradition, we made sure to remember the true significance of Shrove Tuesday—thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice and preparing for Lent. We kept in mind that our celebration was not just about the festivities, but about reflecting on our faith.
Part 2: Stations of Faith and Learning
After the parade, Year 5 returned to the classroom and completely transformed it into a Mardi Gras exhibition! We rearranged the tables and chairs and set up six engaging stations:
- Station 1: Mardi Gras Colours
- Station 2: The History of Mardi Gras
- Station 3: Symbols of Mardi Gras
- Station 4: Lent and Sacrifice
- Station 5: Ash Wednesday and Repentance
- Station 6: Pancake Station
Each station featured fun activities such as games, quizzes, photo booths, drawing booths, fact files, and more. It was a perfect mix of fun and learning! Before we officially opened the exhibition, we took a moment to pray as a class, asking God to guide us and give us strength and wisdom as we organized and shared our exhibition with others.
The excitement didn’t stop there! Children from Reception to Year 6, along with teachers and adults, came to visit our exhibition. We explained what we had learned, and everyone left with new knowledge and, of course, a piece of pancake!
We Are Ready!
Reception Has Arrived!
Meet the Amazing Teachers & Staff!
Nursery and Year 2 Joins the Fun!
Year 6 is Here - Say Cheese!
Year 3 and Year 4 Stepping Up!
It was a fantastic morning, and Miss Poon is incredibly proud of Year 5 for their independence, dedication, and passion in making this event happen. Their hard work, creativity, and faith truly shone through!
As we reflect on all we’ve done today, we are reminded of these words from 1 John 4:9-10
"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Well done, Year 5! You’ve truly made this Mardi Gras celebration meaningful and memorable.
Sharing with Sister Judith and Teachers from Other Schools
A few weeks after the GS Mardi Gras, we welcomed head teachers, teachers from other schools, and Sister Judith to explore our whole-school presentation. Each class, from Nursery to Year 6, set up their own booth to showcase their amazing work and share their learning experiences. The visitors were impressed, and our students felt proud to present all they had accomplished!
Heart-warming Visit to the Elgin Centre (with TimeGivers)
Year 5 had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Elgin Centre, where we spent quality time with the elderly in the neighborhood. We had a lovely time together, painting flower pots, chatting, coloring, laughing, and simply enjoying each other’s company.
This visit beautifully reflected the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, particularly the value of solidarity and dignity of the human person. By showing care, kindness, and respect to the elderly, you helped to foster a sense of community and ensured that everyone felt valued.
Miss Poon is incredibly proud of how kind and genuine each of you were. It was truly heartwarming to see how your kindness really brightened their day!
Programming Sphero for our GS Mardi Gras (Building the Kingdom Session 5)
Mardi Gras Cam Parade Float (Building the Kingdom Session 4)
After weeks of research, planning, sharing ideas, and refining our designs, today was finally the big day—we brought our Good Shepherd Mardi Gras parade float to life! We worked together to build and decorate our float, using all the creative ideas we had developed. It was amazing to see our plans take shape and turn into something real. We can’t wait to showcase our float and celebrate Mardi Gras in style!
Our Finished Mardi Gras Parade Floats!
Father Mark’s Visit: Ash Wednesday and the Sorrowful Mysteries
In our first week of Spring 2, Father Mark visited our Year 5 classroom to teach us about Ash Wednesday and the Sorrowful Mysteries.
We discussed the practices of praying, fasting, and giving during Lent, and worked together to plan how we can prepare for Easter throughout this season.
To end the session, we prayed a decade of the rosary, reflecting on the Sorrowful Mysteries, and deepened our understanding of this important part of Lent.
Sin and Seeking Forgiveness
Today, we had a class debate about whether it’s ever okay to be cruel or unkind to others.
We were split into groups and discussed different scenarios, such as:
- What if your family is starving?
- Is it okay to steal to survive?
- Is it ever acceptable to steal something?
- Is it okay to hurt someone in self-defence?
During the debate, we linked our thoughts to Jesus' teachings on love, reconciliation, and forgiveness.