St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School Parent Portal - St Bart's News

Dear Families and Friends,

As the sun continues to shine and temperatures rise, I hope you’ve all managed to enjoy some time outdoors - while also remembering to stay hydrated. Being in the sunshine is a joy, but having access to clean, fresh water is something we can too easily take for granted.

In fact, around 2.2 billion people worldwide - many of them children - do not have access to safe drinking water. Over half of the global population don’t have water available inside their homes. That should stop us in our tracks and make us reflect on what a privilege it is to turn on a tap without a second thought.

In the Bible, water plays a powerful role - physically and spiritually. In John 4:1–42, we read about a moment when Jesus, tired and thirsty from a journey, sat by a well and began talking to a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water.

At the time, many were shocked that Jesus would speak to her—because she was a woman, and a Samaritan. But Jesus broke through social and cultural boundaries. He saw her, valued her, and engaged her with kindness and truth. What started as a simple request - “Will you give me a drink?” - led to a much deeper conversation. Jesus offered her something more than water from a well:

“Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

Jesus was talking about “living water” - the new life, purpose, and refreshment that comes from knowing God through Him. It’s an offer still available to every one of us today.

Whether you’re cooling down with a glass of water or splashing about in the paddling pool this weekend, take a moment to think about the "living water" that Jesus offers. If life sometimes feels dry, demanding or confusing, He invites us to come to Him and be refreshed (see Matthew 11:28).

This Saturday is our PTA Summer Fayre - thank you for your generous donations and kind offers of help! If you need more raffle tickets, please collect them from the school office. Don’t forget to return your stubs and money so you're in with a chance to win one of our amazing prizes.

Please note: While we set up and pack away the fayre, Activities Club will be held in Class 4 for the next two weeks. Pupils should be collected from there instead of the Community Room. All staff-led clubs will continue to run as normal during this time.

Here are the main dates for the next four weeks: