Gift Day

10th October 2014

Newcastle Year 5 Children ‘Grow in Faith’

The year 5 children from across the Newcastle Catholic Primary School Partnership were privileged recently, to join in a day of song and prayer, led by the Diocesan Youth Mission Team and hosted this year by St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School. This is an annual event, organised by the Newcastle Catholic Schools Partnership and the Youth Mission Team and is part of a planned programme of spiritual events and activities, through which the children from the individual schools come together, to celebrate and share their faith.  During what is known as ‘The Gift Day’, the children had the opportunity to reflect upon the gifts and talents that they have been given and how they should use these in the best way they can to help others and in that way show their love for God. Children from each school participated in dance, drama and prayer workshops and through these prepared for an end of day liturgy of celebration and thanksgiving.  This year, the event took place on Family Fast Day and due to the inspiration of Mr Anthony Knox – the lead teacher for the event from St Cuthbert’s, an additional lunchtime activity took place. This was the opportunity for the children to take part in a sponsored walk around the grounds of St Cuthbert’s, with each child participating, promising to raise at least £1 for CAFOD.  Our Y5 children really got into the fundraising spirit and developed their fundraising ideas further back in school including selling loom band bracelets. As a result £27.52 was raised by the children for this very good cause.

Throughout the day, ambassadors from St Cuthbert’s sixth form helped to ensure that the day ran smoothly, enabling each school to participate fully and gain much from the experience. All the children thoroughly enjoyed the event as well as gaining much from it. The children said they’d had a ‘fab’ day and were looking forward to sharing their reflections with everyone when they returned to school. The Headteachers from all the Newcastle Catholic primary schools are very grateful to the High Schools who provide such good support for their feeder primary schools and who always jointly finance the day and take it in turn to host the event.