St. Michael-at-Bowes C. of E. School
Religious Services and Events 2023-2024
June 2024
SMAB Celebrations – Two Weddings!
During the half term break, while the rest of us were catching up on sleep, Miss Kamara and Mr Hunt got married to their respective partners. Mr Hunt’s involved a beautiful, vintage, red London bus and Miss Kamara (now to be known by her married name, Mrs Monico) married first in London and then in Italy! I’m sure you will join me in wishing them all the very best in their new married lives.
May 2024
A Prayer for our Community
At the end of each community breakfast, a prayer that was written by Aldo in 6B was read out. It is such a beautiful prayer and it fits our school community so well that it is hear for you to read:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We gather today as a community, united Your love and Grace. We thank you for the gift of fellowship and the bond that ties us together. Help us to cherish and uplift one another, recognising that each person reflects your divine image.
Grant us the strength to support each other through life trials, and to celebrate together in times of joy. Let our hearts be open, our ears attentive, and our words kind, fostering and spirit of compassion and understanding. May we be a beacon of your love, showing kindness to those In and offering a helping hand to those who struggle.
Lord, fill our community with Your peace. Guide our leaders with wisdom, our families, with love, and our interactions, with patience and respect. Teach us to forgive as You forgive, to serve as You serve, and to love as You loved.
May our community be a place of sanctuary and growth, where Your presence is felt in every act of kindness, and every shared moment. Unite us in Your spirit, that we may walk together in faith, hope, and love.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Community Breakfast
We had the pleasure of hosting a community breakfast for all the families in the school. With the theme being ‘inclusivity’, a number of activities were provided exploring a range of religious stories across Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. In addition, there was an opportunity for children and parents to think spiritually about peace and love within our school community and around the world.
With tea, coffee and pastries, everybody was able to share a special time and socialise with one another. We also had a special performance from our school choir, which was incredibly moving – thank you very much to Miss Kamara, who works exceptionally hard with these children weekly. To conclude our breakfast, Aldo (6B) wrote an inspiring prayer for us all to share together, reflecting on our time together and everyone in our school community.
I would like to say a massive thank you to all who attended and made this morning so special for us all. We were overwhelmed with the support we received from the parents and staff who made this possible.
April 2024
Poetry Day
Onjali Q Rauf Author Visit
SMAB were lucky enough to enjoy a visit from the author of two of our Big Read books, Night Bus Hero and Boy at the Back of the Class, Onjali Rauf. Onjali spoke about her writing journey, her inspiration for writing Boy at the Back of the Class, and about the experiences of refugees across the world. Children (and staff) were also lucky enough to get their new books signed by Onjali.
March 2024
New Art Work at SMAB
For Easter, Ms Lopez, Miss Pascarella and the community of SMAB have been creating this beautiful piece of art to celebrate.
This stained-glass window is a representation of our community here at SMAB.
Guided by the cross, we can be reminded of the salvation of Jesus and the love God has for his people.
Following in the light of God, we can be sure that He will always be close to us and helping us through our lives.
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life.” – John 8:12
Each segment has been painted by children and staff in the school. As we reflect on each member of our community, allow us to use our school values to support us in being inclusive members of the community both in and outside school.
Easter Raffle
Thanks to the generosity of the staff, we had a myriad of eggs to give away at our raffle yesterday afternoon. We were also treated to a live performance of the Millfield dances – just as great the second time round! We raised a wonderful £249 for the school.
Year 3 Easter Production
We are incredibly proud of our Year 3 students who have been hard at work preparing for their spectacular Easter production! Over the past few weeks, they’ve been busy rehearsing their lines, learning songs, and perfecting their dance moves to bring the story of Easter to life on stage. Year 3 showcased their acting skills and spread the joy of the season. Year 3 stars shone brightly in this heart-warming production, delivering an unforgettable performance filled with laughter, joy, and the true spirit of Easter!
International Women’s Day
Last week it was International Women’s Day and in celebration 8 lucky girls had the opportunity to visit the Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground for a training session by Tottenham coaches. The afternoon comprised of mini skill based activities followed by a tournament. All of the girls had an amazing time and were lucky enough to be given tickets to watch Tottenham Hotspur Women play at the weekend. Romina even won a mascot experience which enables her to walk out onto the pitch with the Tottenham Hotspur Women’s team. The girls also got to meet ex Spurs women’s captain Jenna Schillaci as well as driving past Son, one of the men’s first team players. An excellent day and experience for the girls.
Comic Relief Day
We had a wonderful time dressing in red today and raising money for Comic Relief and OPAL. Everyone looked fabulous and we managed to raise a brilliant £177.80.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Mr Hamilton and his wife Jo, who celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary this week. A real throwback to when Mr Hamilton had hair!
January 2024
St. Paul’s Cathedral Visit
Yesterday Mrs Butcher and I were fortunate enough to attend the annual LDBS service at St. Paul’s Cathedral with some children from our school. Throughout our travels to and from the venue, and inside the cathedral, the children represented our school amazingly well.
Once we arrived at the cathedral, every single one of us were mesmerised by the vast, intricately detailed and designed building. The children were inquisitive and blown away by the detail of the Cathedral. As the service began, we were given candles to help us reflect during the prayers and bible readings. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly calm and peaceful. We listened to the story of the Good Samaritan and we also reflected on how this relates to our school vision statement.
Overall, we had a fantastic time and would recommend to everybody that they take the opportunity to visit this historic landmark in our city!
December 2023
Christmas Raffle
Thank you to families and staff who donated prizes for our annual Christmas raffle we managed to raise a magnificent £273.00 for the school. Congratulations to those children who won a prize this year. To those who didn’t, your next chance to win will be at Easter!
Year 4 Nativity Performance
Yesterday and today Year 4 performed their nativity play for the school and Year 4 families. It was exceptional. All the children put so much effort into their performances and everyone agreed that it was one of the best ever! A big thank you to the families who came to watch and to Mr Quinn, Miss Pascarella, Miss Morus and Miss Gardener for their hard work supporting the children to put on such a wonderful show.
SMAB Christmas Day
We had a wonderful time at our annual SMAB Christmas Day celebration. Reverend Jones-Parry led a lovely service in the hall, and not only did Father Christmas visit to give presents, he also returned at lunchtime to help out in the kitchen and have his photo taken with the children! Everyone looked great in their pjs and party clothes.
25 Years’ Service
oday we celebrated three members of staff who have worked for Enfield Council for 25 years. In actual fact, Mrs Parsons and Mrs Abujuma have worked at SMAB for 26 years and Mrs Sparwell has worked for the council, first at Highfield Primary and then at SMAB for over 27! We are incredibly proud of them all and so thankful for their hard work and commitment to SMAB.
In January Mrs Parsons will be working for two days a week in the school office. We have already been joined by Miss Alexia Panayides, who will be working the other two days. She is a wonderful addition to our fantastic office team.
September 2023
Harvest Festival
On Thursday 5th October, we will be visiting St Cuthbert’s church for the first of two whole school services. This time we will be celebrating harvest, taking the time to be thankful for the food we eat and those who provide this food for us.
As part of this celebration, we are asking that every child bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the church. This food will be distributed, via our local food banks, to those families who do not have enough food to eat and are needing to rely on food banks to support them.
PSQM – Primary Science Quality Mark
Over the last year, Mr Hunt and the science team have worked tirelessly to improve and develop the quality of science teaching and learning across the school. They have also created new opportunities for enrichment in science, including visits and visitors, and networking with other school. As a result, we were awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) this week. I am incredibly proud of Mr Hunt and the staff for their efforts and we won’t stop there! We are currently creating an action plan to take us to the next level of award in a couple of years’ time. Well done everyone!
