Mission Week
Celebrating Joy, Excellence and Service
As we reach the end of each school year, our whole school family comes together for Mission Week, a celebration of our school’s mission: Joy, Excellence and Service. Each day focuses on one element of our mission, explored through Scripture, prayer, creativity and action. The week provides an opportunity to reflect, give thanks and celebrate all that makes Our Lady of the Rosary such a special place to grow and learn in faith.
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11
We begin with the theme of Joy, taking time to reflect on the many things that bring happiness and joy into our lives. Throughout the day, pupils are encouraged to recognise and celebrate the joy found in family, friendship, faith, learning and being part of our school community.
Through a variety of activities, opportunities for reflection, creativity, celebration and prayer, we explore what it means to live with joy and to share that joy with others. The day also provides opportunities for our school and parish communities to come together in faith, reminding us of the importance of gratitude, togetherness and the joy that comes from knowing God.
Colossians 3:23
Our second theme is Excellence, giving us an opportunity to reflect on the gifts and talents that God has given each of us and the importance of using them to the best of our ability. Throughout the day, pupils are encouraged to recognise their own strengths, celebrate the achievements of others and consider how we can strive for excellence in all that we do.
A highlight of our celebration of Excellence is our annual Talent Showcase, which gives pupils the opportunity to share their individual gifts and talents with the school community. From music and dance to sport, performance and other creative talents, the showcase is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the unique abilities of our pupils and encourage them to have the confidence to share their gifts with others. The event is also an opportunity for our staff to join in and share their own talents!
Our end of year awards ceremony honours pupils who truly live out our values and virtues every day.
Each award celebrates a different strength of character:
- Saint Oscar Romero Award – For standing up for what is right with courage and compassion.
- Pope Francis Award – For leading with kindness, humility and joy, welcoming all.
- Saint Cecilia Award – For musical excellence and enriching the life of our school through song.
- Saint Catherine of Bologna Award – For creativity, imagination and artistic expression inspired by faith.
- Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati Award – For sportsmanship, teamwork and joyful energy in physical activity.
- Saint Carlo Acutis Award – For growth, determination and a love of learning, especially in the face of challenge.
- Saint Thomas Aquinas Award – For deep thinking, academic achievement and a genuine thirst for knowledge.
Pupils in Reception to Year 5 are also recognised with two special class awards:
- Mission Award – For living out our mission of joy, excellence and service every day.
- Values Award – For consistently showing our core virtues: humility, compassion, honesty, resilience, patience, eloquence, generosity and faith.
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." Mark 10:45
The theme of Service gives us an opportunity to put our faith and our school mission into action. Throughout the day, pupils are encouraged to think about what it means to serve others and how, through their words and actions, they can make a positive difference to those around them.
Through a range of activities, pupils look for practical ways to help others, care for our environment and reach out to our local and parish communities. There are also opportunities for pupils of different ages to work together, with older children supporting and encouraging younger members of our school family.
The day reminds us that service can take many forms and that even small acts of kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness can make a difference. Through serving others, our pupils are encouraged to follow the example of Jesus and recognise that Service is an important part of how we live out our mission each day.
"Just as each of us has one body with many members... so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:4–5
Another important part of Mission Week is celebrating our school community and the many people, cultures and traditions that make it so special. Pupils are encouraged to celebrate their own heritage, learn more about one another and recognise that, while we are all unique, together we form one school family.
Throughout the day, there are opportunities to celebrate the rich diversity of our community through language, stories, food, culture and shared experiences. Parents, grandparents and other members of our wider community are invited to play a part, sharing their own traditions and helping our pupils learn more about the different backgrounds represented within our school.
Through these experiences, we celebrate both what makes us different and all that unites us. Rooted in our faith, the day reminds us that everyone belongs, everyone has something to contribute and each of us has an important place within our community.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
We bring Mission Week to a close with our whole-school Mass , coming together in prayer to give thanks for all that we have shared, celebrated and experienced throughout the week. It is an opportunity to reflect on our mission of Joy, Excellence and Service and to give thanks to God for our school community and all that the year has brought.
As we prepare for the end of the school year, pupils are also encouraged to look forward with hope, thinking about the part they will each play in our school community in the year ahead. Through reflection, prayer and acts of kindness, we consider how we can carry our mission with us beyond Mission Week and continue to live it out in the new school year.
