At St. Jude's we are working towards achieving the Live Simply Award from CAFOD.
The LiveSimply award is an opportunity for our school community
to respond to the Church’s call to live simply, sustainably and in
solidarity with the world’s poorest. It is an invitation to follow in the
footsteps of Jesus who lived and preached a simple life, and to take
meaningful action on the ecological crisis we face today.
To live simply is to set an intentional path towards slowing down, finding
time to be with God, consuming less, connecting with the natural world,
finding happiness and joy in the things that really matter, discovering a more
meaningful life and opening our hearts to the needs of others.
This work takes time, this is why the LiveSimply award is designed as a journey
for our school to take throughout the year, to help our students to find ways
of living more simply, helping them to grow and flourish as individuals.
Have a look at the actions we have started in school.
Collecting for local food bank at Harvest Thanksgiving.
Focus on Solidarity.
We held a mass in school and members of our parish attended also. Each class collected a hamper of food for Community Grocery and a visitor from Community Grocery spoke to us about giving to those in need in our local community. Children understand how this will help those in need and the impact their fundraising will have.
Planting fruit and vegetables in our new allotment to help those in need in our local community and to raise money for local and global charities.
Focus on Sustainability and Solidarity
A group of children are working hard to set up an allotment which will be developed to provide fresh food for local people in need. Any excess food will be sold and funds will go to a local charity closely linked with our school called 'Daffodil Dream' and to the global charity, CAFOD.
Litter Pick
Focus on Sustainability
Each week a group of children will litter pick around the school grounds and in the local community to keep the area clean and tidy and to protect any wildlife, looking after our common home. All litter picked will be put into the appropriate recycling. Children will spread the word with the local community about their good work through the weekly newsletter and about Laudato Si.
Community Christmas Card
Focus on Living in Solidarity
instead of sending Christmas cards children, parents and staff were invited to write their Christmas wishes and greetings on a school poster and donate the money saved from buying Christmas cards to teach children to read through the CAFOD World Gift scheme.
'The Big Lent Walk'.
Focus on Solidarity.
We raised money for CAFOD by taking part in the CAFOD Big Lent Walk raising a grand total of £318.10. At the end of Lent children participated in mass and reflected on fasting and giving to others during Lent. We then invited CAFOD into school to tell us their charity and where our fundraised money would go.
Live Simply Pledge Wall
Focus on Living Simply
Inspired by Laudato Si we have thought about how we can reduce, reuse and recycle. and so we have created a pledge wall to show what we can do. Each key stage celebrated in prayer and liturgy with their parents, our governors and the wider community to share appreciation for our common home. Each week children choose a tip to be shared with parents and the local parish. We also created a pledge wall in Church so our wider community can contribute also.
Year 6 Leavers Mass
Focus on Living Simply
Our Year 6 children helped to plan their levers service and participated throughout. They each received an Oscar Romero cross to take with them as they complete their primary school journey. The children were inspired by Oscar Romero's words, 'Aspire not to have more but to be more' and after studying the life and works of Oscar Romero they each wrote a prayer asking for God's help to support them to each 'be more', now and in the future. Some of these prayers were read aloud by Year 6 pupils and the rest were displayed on the prayer tree by the altar.
