Our GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) Team plays a vital role in nurturing the prayer life of our school community. This group of Y5 and Y6 pupils serve as spiritual leaders and role models to the other children.

At the beginning of the Autumn term, the Y6 chaplains interview all Y5 applicants, before selecting new members of the team. Each child serves for two years. The GIFT Team meets on a fortnightly basis, supported by Mrs Messham, planning activities which will deepen the prayer lives of their peers.

Here are some of the projects and activities which the GIFT Team leads:

• leading whole school assemblies at different times of the year (e.g. Remembrance; Ash Wednesday)
•  Supervising in the chapel each lunchtime, providing opportunities for KS2 pupils to have time for quiet prayer and personal reflection
• Participation in the termly GIFT Team retreat day at Mount St. Joseph; here, they work with chaplains from other school to learn about creative ways to pray and give glory to God
• reading Bible stories to the KS1 pupils at lunchtime
• organising the Rosary Prayer Group during October & May, for both pupils and parents
• making ‘Acts of Kindness’ calendars for use during Advent & Lent
• making prayer cards for Christmas and Easter – these are distributed to our parishioners

Our Caritas Ambassadors work together to support the most vulnerable in our local area; our Diocese and at a global level. At the end of the Summer term, the team receives training from Caritas Salford, on aspects of Catholic Social Teaching, before they take up their role at the beginning of Y5. The Ambassadors serve for two years and meet fortnightly to discuss and organise projects for the coming year. Their work embodies the spirit of St. Teresa of Calcutta, who said: “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Our Caritas Ambassadors organise and plan a range of activities, including:

• ‘Brighten Up’ own clothes day in aid of CAFOD
• ‘Wear Blue Day’ in aid of Mary’s Meals
• serving refreshments for our MacMillan Tea Party
• collecting toiletries as part of the ‘Bee There’ Caritas Salford Advent Appeal
• Foodbank Friday
• Big Lent Walk
• supporting classes with their Lenten fundraising
• sorting ‘Good as New’ uniform for our own school community
• One World Tea Party to raise awareness of the injustice of food poverty throughout the world
• St. Joseph’s Penny

The Laudato Si’ team focuses on environmental stewardship and caring for our common home, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical. The group meets each week after school to plan activities which promote sustainability; waster reduction and the education of their peers about the importance of looking after God’s wonderful world.

Activities include:

• litter-picking to improve our local area
• planting seeds to improve our school environment
• making bird feeders to help the birds during the winter months
• encouraging children and staff to save energy in school