This week in our school community: 7 March 2025

Students have gathered well over 150,000 House points, showing the incredible endeavour and achievement in all aspects of life at St Gregory’s.

 

  

House Points Update

Our House competition is very competitive this year, with Romero holding onto the lead but closely pursued by Bakhita and Francis. Students have gathered well over 150,000 House points, showing the incredible endeavour and achievement in all aspects of life at St Gregory’s.

There are so many individual successes to celebrate, but we would like to share the following with you. Each of these students and their family should be incredibly proud

Highest pts scorers per House (entire school)

Bakhita – Florence R (7O)

Francis – Charlie L (7E)

Romero – Josh B (8O) & Amarantine I (7Y)

Stein – Eden R (8O)

Highest pts scorers per Year Group

Year 7 – Florence R

Year 8 – Joanna J

Year 9 – Isabella A

Year 10 – Daisy S

Year 11 – Gabriel H

Sixth Form – Amy H

Start of Lent

Earlier this week we began the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday services in our school hall for the entire school. Exploring the richness of scripture in our liturgies, we heard from the experience of the prophet, Joel, with God directing the faithful to focus on the intentions of our hearts, and Jesus’ guidance about fasting, prayer and almsgiving in Matthew 6.

Customs and traditions are such an integral part of the Church and it was lovely to see how our young people made the commitment of accepting the need for repentance in their lives with the ashes upon their foreheads.

On the subject of repentance, one of the points I made to everyone in our liturgies was that the ashes are an outward sign to others not of ‘Look how great I am’ but ‘Ask me how great, loving and forgiving God is’. Repentance is not negative! Repentance doesn’t mean going through life with your head down, feeling remorseful for being so bad. It means start doing something good. Start practicing what you believe in. If you are alienated from somebody, be reconciled. If you are self-righteous in relation to others, humble yourself. If you have been uncaring toward the poor, now is the time to get some moral imagination and put yourself in the plight of another human being. If you have been callous about prospects for peace in the world, now is the time for you to start praying and spreading a message of peace. If you have put your trust in always getting the best of everything to prove yourself to others, now is the time for you to unload some of the stuff and to put your trust in God and you being the proof of who you are.

Whilst many of us have made up our minds about where to focus our endeavours this Lent, each day we will give our students and staff a small Lenten challenge linked to Catholic Social Teaching and following one of the three pillars of Lenten observance. Let us pray for one another in this holy season, may the Lord direct our hearts back towards him and we continue to pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis as he struggles with serious illness.

Students return from Kintbury full of joy and purpose!

Last week we took groups of both Year 8 and Year 10 students to St Cassian’s, Kintbury. Our Year 10s joined a secondary school from Milton Keynes and an all girls convent school from Croydon for the four days, and it was so touching to see the bonds blossom and develop between all of the students. Much of the retreat is spent in mixed groups, with all of the Year 10s embracing this and benefitting from shared experiences

For the Year 8s it was the first taster experience at St Cassian’s, and it was clear that they all thoroughly love their time away. They enjoyed time on the low ropes course, climbing, team challenges, a quiz night, walking in the countryside and much more.  We were particularly impressed by how mature and open they were in times of prayer, sharing with one another at every opportunity. In Year 9 they will have the chance to go for a full four day retreat mixed with other schools from across the country.

When we asked the students at the end of the week “If someone asked you “Should I go to Kintbury?”, what would your advice be to them?” they responded with the following:

“Yes!! Kintbury has and continues to help me be more positive to myself and to others!”  “I would say, go to Kintbury, it is an experience you’ll never forget.” “Go to Kintbury, it is one of the most beneficial experiences you will have.”

Year 9 Kintbury Retreat (24-27th April) – we still have a few spaces left

Contact Mr Robinson at robinsonm@st-gregorys.org.uk if you would like a space .  Kintbury is a huge Lasallian manor house in the middle of the Berkshire countryside, giving young people the opportunity to spend a few days led by international gap year volunteers away from the pressures of life.  Several schools come together for four days of fun, friendship and faith – a packed timetable of activities, reflection, outdoor sport and making lifelong friendships.

www.thekintburyexperience.com @thekintburyexperience on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Mr Robinson

Lay Chaplain