St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School

G.I.F.T. Team

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

(Philippians 2:4)

Welcome to our GIFT team's page, dedicated to all of the fantastic work they are doing in school. So far this year, this has included organising charity events, welcoming our new Priests, organising and planning Whole School Worship and Class Worship, planning 'Lenterprise', attending lots of GIFT team and Church events and lots, lots more...Please see the Worship page for lots of interactive Worship videos that the GIFT team have created...

GIFT Team Workshop 23/4/2024 - A Message to our Partner Schools...

GIFT Team Lead a Workshop at St. Mary's for 8 Partner Schools

Attending a Chaplaincy Day at Mount Carmel Secondary School

GIFT Team prepare school for Advent

GIFT Team Advent Worship

GIFT Team presents...(June 2023)

GIFT Team Lead Worship in June 2023 With a Focus on the Bible

Our very own GIFT Team rap!

The GIFT Team plan and lead a Lenten Workshop for ten schools and 50 children from the District 11 cluster - March 2023

Coins for CAFOD Whole School Worship - March 2023

CARITAS award presented each week by the GIFT Team to children who have lived our Catholic values in school during the week. They are selected by other children in school.

Leading Advent Worship during Lunchtimes in December

Go Purple Day

Preparing school for Advent

Leading Worship in Class 2

The GIFT Team now have a new base where they will meet and lead prayer with other children using the Nurture Room. They are already making plans...

Leading Remembrance Day Worship and activities in school

GIFT Team presentation and lunch during October for our new Parish Priests, Father Ethelbert Arua, Father Stephen Adedeji and Father Peter Ezekpeazu.

The GIFT Team lead weekly Worship in Class 1

The GIFT Team planned and led a beautiful Worship to both mourn the death and celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth ll.

First Meeting of the school year for the GIFT Team

The GIFT team lead a special Worship in Church to celebrate Father Tansey's 60th year in Priesthood.

The GIFT Team have been leading Worship around school during May to celebrate the month of Mary

A beautiful Worship led by the GIFT Team this morning

The GIFT Team visit Mount Carmel for a special theme day

St. Joseph the Worker Worship - written and performed by the GIFT team.

The GIFT Team were in action earlier in the week as they delivered the Shrine of the Pilgrim Mother to Class 2.

Go Purple Day - 'The start of Advent' - December 2021

November 2021- Making 'Angel Cards' for the vulnerable members of our society.

November 2021 - The G.I.F.T. Team used their meetings to deliver plans to classes for how we will honour Remembrance Day in school. They also decorated the Worship tables around school for this very important time.

October 2021 - Month of Mary Worship by the GIFT team.

October 2021 - Father Farrell led a Service and gave a special blessing for new Reception children and the GIFT Team. The GIFT team prepared and helped to lead this Worship.

Preparing for a special Service in school

Advertising for new members!

Harvest arrangements by the G.I.F.T. team

GIFT Team prepare prayers for our Blessing of the Reception Children' Service

First Meeting of the Year - Sept 2021

St. Mary's GIFT Team 2021-22

Year 6 Leaver's Liturgy

Pentecost Worship

The GIFT Team were adamant that we should do something for the elderly residents of Clayton-le-Moors over lockdown and leading up to Christmas. They worked with Miss Schofield to create 50 boxes of presents and goods for these people to brighten up their Christmas!

December 2020 - Getting ready for Advent! Our G.I.F.T. Team have played a major part in preparing the colours for Advent for each classroom. They officially handed them over to teachers and designed many of the areas in school themselves, such as various Worship areas. A big thank you to Mrs Sheridan and Mrs Begum too for their brilliant work making school look fitting for this important season of preparation.

December 2020 - Our Nativity this year will be filmed and sent out to parents to watch in the last week of the term. It is such a shame that our parents will not get to see their children live but the special plans we have for the film will hopefully make up for this...

The GIFT Team met last week to plan their next whole school venture - a focus on the Saints that was started with Mr Mashiter's Whole School Worship at the start of November...

October 2020 - Our new G.I.F.T. team for 2019. Welcome to our new members.

March 2020 - Stations of the Cross Service led by our G.I.F.T. team - During Lent, our four churches held a series of Stations of the Cross Services. On Tuesday 10^th March 2020 at 7pm, we led the service here at St. Mary's.

February 2020 - The GIFT Team made sure that all of the colours in school and all Worship areas were changed from Green (Ordinary time) to Purple to represent the period of Lent.

Just some of the important events in school that will be happening in the Autumn and Spring Terms of the 2019-20 school year.

December 2019 - The GIFT team have helped put together a 'Travelling Nativity' set which children have taken home to prepare and deliver an Advent Worship with their families.

November 2019 - The G.I.F.T. Team chose their favorite Bible stories to read to Class 1 in a few weeks time and answer questions about them.

November 2019 - Remembrance Day. The G.I.F.T. team gave Class 4 and Class 5 the task of researching a local soldier who died in either the First or Second World War. They then planted crosses in the ground to honor them which the parishioners were able to see on their way to Church this weekend.

November 2019 - Father Farrell visited school to demonstrate the Sacrament of Baptism to our children.

November 2019 - The G.I.F.T. team visited the Parish Friendship Group for an afternoon of fun and games...and some delicious cake! This will now become a regular fixture as we continue to make stronger links with our community.

November 2019 - The G.I.F.T. team met to create a book of school values awards that have been won over the past year - a fitting tribute to the Christian values always on display at our school.

October 2019 - School and Parish came together to make 'Our Parish' photo display, unveiled at the MacMillan Coffee Morning.

Sept 2019 - Outdoor Worship - Class 2 enjoyed using the Chaplain's Hut for their Worship this morning.

Sept 2019 - Special Mass for the 60th Anniversary of the Church.

October 2019 - Thank you to the Rotary Club for supplying our Year 6 children with dictionaries at last week's Worship.

Thank you to the G.I.F.T. Team for arranging our fruit and vegetable picking session with Class 1. All of the food picked will go straight to the local food bank!

September 2019 - Mrs Hinds has been busy preparing evidence of all of the sacraments that have happened at St. Mary's Church over the last 60 years.

September 2019 - Our G.I.F.T. team met last Friday to advertise for new members!

July 2019 - It was wonderful to get together with another local school, All Saints in Clayton-le-Moors, for a series of activities. We hope this will be the start of a successful partnership!

July 2019 - The G.I.F.T. Team traveled over to St. Charles' in Rishton to take place in a Worship Workshop for all of the partnership schools.

June 2019 - Our Parish Picnic was a great success and it was lovely to invite the local community and parishioners into school to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our Church. This followed a very successful Quiz Night the previous month.

May 2019 - This May, the Chaplains have organised a Rosary walk around school. Children have volunteered to take part in the walk which involves saying Decades of the Rosary at spiritual locations of their choice around school.

2nd May 2019 - This morning we welcomed Bishop John Arnold to our school to open up our outdoor eco-classroom. It was a wonderful morning and the weather only just held out. Well done to the children and the whole community for getting us to this stage with the outdoor classroom - all part of our plans to push outdoor learning even further in the future...

April 2019 - The G.I.F.T. team have been busy getting the Reading/Worship hut ready for the visit of Bishop John on Thursday, after which we will be able to use it on a daily basis!

Photos from our recent 'Lenten Workshop' which was organised by Mrs Hinds and the G.I.F.T. team and attended by 10 local schools!

Photos from our recent Easter Service.

April 2019 - Our children have been busy preparing the outdoor eco-classroom ready for the visit of Bishop John on Thursday 2nd May. Part of this clean-up has been to develop the 'G.I.F.T. team/Reading hut' which has been created as a Worship area and as a meeting place for the team on Friday afternoon.

April 2019 - 'Lenterprise' - Class 4 - Class 4 chose to sell creme eggs around school!

March 2019 - 'Lenterprise' - Each class has chosen a way they think will raise lots of money for those people who are less fortunate in society. So far the ideas have been great! We have had a pyjama non-uniform day, a toast sale and fruit kebabs sale!

Our Chaplains organised a 'Big Family Lunch' at the beginning of March where all of the teachers had the opportunity to eat and socialise with the children from each class.

March 2019 - Well done to our Pupil Chaplains for planning and leading Whole School Worship this week.

During February, we remembered our former Headteacher and friend Ms.Nolan who sadly passed away 2 years ago this month. The children and staff still remember her on a daily basis and we decorated her memorial area with lots of pictures and memories. We will never forget her.

March 2019 - Our Ash Wednesday Mass was well attended and involved our children reading out their Lenten promises.

March 2019 - Class 4 have been looking after our Eco-Classroom and preparing it for the visit of Bishop John on 2nd May 2019. We can then use it to support our learning throughout the curriculum.

March 2019 - Well done to members of the GIFT team who attended the 'Stations of the Cross' service at St. Wulstan's Church last week.

January 2019 - It was lovely to welcome Father Farrell to our school. He was welcomed by our Pupil Chaplains, who put on a fantastic presentation for him, before having lunch and then meeting the classes in the afternoon.