It seems that there have been quite a few historic moments in recent years - things have happened that we have never seen before and may never see again. Today has been all about the Coronation; the legacy which Queen Elizabeth left and the position that King Charles will be taking up. As a school we have looked at the role of the monarchy and how important our new King’s role will be; not just in our country but in the wider world. These occasions are ones which bring great joy and celebration - we really love a good party in school!
As well as looking at our new monarch, we have been thinking about role models of faith. People who lead by example and are a beacon of light to others. We have been honoured to welcome Miss Hornby back into school today to present her with something so very rare, but so very well-deserved. When Miss Hornby made her decision to retire, Mrs Hotchkiss looked at how we could recognise her tremendous commitment to our Catholic faith, and to our community. As a group, we applied for her to receive The Benemerenti Medal - a papal medal awarded for service to the Catholic Church. This medal is awarded by the Pope. We crossed our fingers (and toes), waiting for a response. When the response came, she had not been awarded this medal, instead her award had been elevated to that of Dame of St Gregory. This rare and special honour is bestowed upon Catholics, by the Pope, in recognition of exceptional personal service to the Holy See and to the Catholic Church, through examples which have been set in their communities. There are only 13 Dames in our Country - we are so incredibly proud that Miss Hornby is now one of them and we could not think of a more deserving recipient. I am sure you will want to join us in congratulating Miss Hornby. For someone who does not like awards or fuss, and has always seen her role as one of service, we felt that she needed a little bit of ceremony today. It was a great joy to see her receive her insignia and certificate, signed by His Holiness Pope Francis, with the whole school family all around her.
Our Coronation Celebrations
Here is a small selection of our celebration today. I will collate photos from all classes next week and post a big tribute next week. We send special thanks to Jacqui, Sharon and Heather in our catering team as they made around 215 picnics today which were greatly enjoyed by everyone outside and the delicious food in red, white and blue boxes, made it all seem such a treat as we tucked in and enjoyed being outside in the fresh air.
Over the past few years, the local primary and high schools have been working together to create a vision where we can support families further. Last week, I took two ambassadors to the launch of this vision - The Coastal Collective. Lytham Foundation have provided funding for us all to be able to source further support for the pupils in our care. Whether this is behavioural support, family link workers or speech and language, we want to be in the position where we can access support when we need it. I have attached a letter below that explains the programme in a little more detail and the job opportunities that we are aiming to create for it initially.
Role Models of the Week
Role Models who have demonstrated virtues this week.
Our Whole School learning Role Models for this week.
Attendance
Have a wonderful weekend with your families and friends. It is a moment in British history which does not happen very often - enjoy celebrating, however you choose to do so.
God Bless
Mrs Gregan