The Ursuline Post

As we come to the close of this term and prepare to celebrate the joyful season of Christmas, I want to take this opportunity to reflect with gratitude on all that we have shared together this year.

Christmas invites us to pause and remember the miracle at the heart of our faith: the birth of Jesus Christ, born in humility and love, bringing hope, peace, and light to our world. In our school community, we see these values lived out each day in the kindness shown to one another, in the commitment to learning, and in the strength of faith that guides our girls to grow not only in knowledge, but in wisdom and compassion.

I am immensely proud of our students, who continue to live our Gospel values with courage and confidence. Whether in the classroom, through service to others, in prayer, or in leadership, you embody the spirit of our Catholic mission. I thank our dedicated staff for their unwavering care, professionalism, and generosity, and our parents and carers for your continued support and partnership.

As we enter this holy season, I encourage you to take time to rest, to be with loved ones, and to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

May your homes be filled with peace, joy, and the warmth of God’s love.

On behalf of the entire school community, I wish you a blessed and joyful Christmas, and every good wish for the New Year.

In the true spirit of our school motto, Serviam (“I will serve”), the Junior Leadership Team (JLT) proudly delivered 22 Christmas hampers to the Greenwich Foodbank in the lead-up to the festive season. Each hamper was thoughtfully put together and filled with a variety of Christmas treats, essential toiletries, and small Christmas gifts to help bring comfort and joy to families in need.

The hampers were generously donated by every form across the school, demonstrating a wonderful collective effort and a strong sense of compassion among students, staff, and families. This initiative reflects the school’s commitment to service and supporting the local community.

The donations will go on to support families across the Greenwich borough, helping to ensure that more households can enjoy some festive cheer during Christmas. The JLT would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to this initiative. Your generosity truly lives out the value of Serviam, making a meaningful difference to families this Christmas.

- Report by Ms Murphy, Chaplain

On Friday 5th December, St Ursula’s proudly hosted its first ever Christmas Fayre, bringing

festive cheer to the whole school community. The event was organised by the Junior

Leadership Team (JLT), whose hard work and dedication helped make the fayre a huge

success.

Each form ran its own stall, offering a wide range of exciting activities and delicious treats.

There was a popcorn machine, slime, cakes, hot food, and warming hot chocolate. Visitors

also enjoyed fun games, festive photo booths, and special appearances from Santa and the

Grinch, which were a highlight for many students.

Alongside the fayre, a Christmas concert took place, adding to the festive atmosphere. The

concert featured a variety of performances, including solo performances, singing in French,

and Christmas poems, showcasing the talents and confidence of the students.

The fayre and concert created a joyful and lively evening for everyone involved. Thanks to

the enthusiasm and support of students, staff, and families, the event was extremely

successful. In total, the first ever Christmas Fayre raised over £1,300, making it a fantastic

achievement and a memorable start to what will hopefully become a new school tradition.

- Report by Ms Murphy, Chaplain

St Ursula’s School held a beautiful and reflective Carol Service at Our Ladye Star of the Sea

Church, bringing together students, staff, and members of the school community to

celebrate the joy and meaning of Christmas.

The service was filled with uplifting music, led by our talented school choir and Year 7

students, who sang a selection of traditional Christmas carols. The choir’s singing created a

wonderful atmosphere, with a mix of full carols, solos, and performances by small groups.

These moments allowed many students to showcase their musical talents and contributed

to a truly special celebration.

Readings were thoughtfully read by members of the Chaplaincy Team. Each reading was

introduced to help the congregation understand how the Christmas story unfolds and

comes together. As each reading was proclaimed, a candle was brought to the front of the

church, symbolising the growing light of Christ entering the world.

This powerful symbol continued during the final and most joyful carol, Joy to the World. At

this point, everyone in the church lit their own candle, filling the space with warm light and

representing the light of Christ shining within the community.

The service concluded with the bidding prayers, which were led by members of the JLT.

These prayers offered a moment of reflection and intention, bringing the congregation

together in faith and hope.

A retiring collection was taken in support of the British Red Cross Disaster Fund to help with rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Melissa. We are pleased to share that £89.25 was raised. Anyone who would still like to donate can do so using the following link:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/stursulascoventschool

A FOSTUR Christmas Raffle was also held after the service, where many parents won some fantastic prizes, as donated by the local community.

The Carol Service was a meaningful and memorable occasion, reminding everyone of the

true message of Christmas through music, prayer, generosity, and the shared light of Christ.

- Report by Ms Murphy, Chaplain

Every year we have a competition among our form tutors to create and decorate the best Christmas Door. All staff and students have been demonstrating excellent teamwork, gathering their best tinsel and channelling their Christmas spirit. The Main Office had some helpers!

- Report by Ms Groves

St Ursula’s was filled with festive cheer as the Ursuline Link Group hosted a delightful

Christmas tea party for retired members of the community. The event, held in St Angela’s,

brought together students, staff, and local seniors for a morning of laughter, treats, and

holiday spirit.

Members of the Ursuline Link Group went above and beyond to make the occasion special.

They baked a cake, prepared Christmas treats, and adorned the hall with homemade

decorations that created a warm, festive atmosphere. Guests were treated to a quiz and an

exciting game of Christmas bingo, keeping everyone entertained and engaged.

Adding to the festive spirit, students performed a Christmas poem and sang seasonal songs,

filling the room with music and joy. The combination of food, games, and performances

made the morning a truly memorable experience for all who attended.

One guest shared their delight, saying, “It was such a lovely morning. The students were so

talented, and the effort the Ursuline Link Group put into making us feel special really

warmed my heart. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun at a Christmas party!”

The Christmas tea party was a wonderful celebration of community, bringing together

generations to share laughter, music, and holiday cheer. The Ursuline Link Group’s

dedication ensured that everyone left with a smile and a festive spirit.

- Report by Ms Murphy, Chaplain

St Ursula's has been awarded the Music Mark of Recognition award for their ambition and quality in music education. Our provisions for class teaching, peri-instrumental lessons and extra-curricular clubs could not have happened without the dedication, organisation and professionalism of Miss Emmanuel and Mr Muzio. Congratulations on a great team effort.

- Report by Mr Quinn, Music Department.

On the 17th December, we celebrated our Cultural Capital Day. The amazing team of Kinetika Bloco, a youth music charity, came to perform for all of our students. Their mission is 'to get South London young people engaged in long-term creative activity in music, dance, design and leadership, advancing their education, skills and capacity.' Our main hall came alive with their steel drums and participation from everyone involved.Iroko Theatre Company also performed, who use arts and African arts to 'advance the education, health and wellbeing of people from all backgrounds and nationalities.' Lastly, CowFoot Prince storytelling academy paid us a visit, who help us understand 'not just the mere aesthetics of Africans stories, but a deeper appreciation of how the oral literature profoundly affects and shapes the African society.

- Report by Ms Groves

Congratulations to our three students who made it through to the final round of our school heat for the nationwide Springboard FutureChef competition!

Their challenge was to cook and present two portions of a main course dish in just one hour — and they rose to the occasion brilliantly.

Two students will now go forward to represent the school at the local finals held at Lewisham College. A fantastic achievement — well done to all involved! 👏🏾🔥

- Report by Ms Ball, Food Technology Department.

Please take a minute to read and reflect on this incredible poem, written by Chizitara in Year 11. The piece encapsulates what it means to give compassion, aid and generosity during this festive period, where others may be experiencing suffering. It represents our core value - Serviam - while also encouraging hope, and the importance of community. Well done Chizitara, you are very talented.

- Report by Ms Groves

A stunning sequence of observational drawings exploring facial features and portraiture. From detailed studies of the eye and ear to a beautifully resolved final portrait, Sinead has demonstrated exceptional control of tone, proportion and pencil technique.

Her progression shows a real understanding of form, light and structure – with confident blending, refined line work and thoughtful self-reflection throughout the process. An inspiring example of dedication and artistic growth this year 👏🏽

So proud of this level of focus and craftsmanship in Year 8! Sinead is also the artist of our amazing St Ursula Convent School Christmas cards this year (see top of post).

#StudentArt #Year8Art #PortraitDrawing #ObservationalDrawing #YoungArtist #ArtEducation #CreativeProgress #PencilDrawing #ArtClassExcellence

- Report by Mr Williams, Art Department.

Some of our Year 7 and Year 8 students have been busy learning basic stitches in crochet club, with our very talented student teachers! 🧵

Some of our keen crochet-ers also made some amazing decorations in preparation for our Christmas Fayre on the 5th December. We hope that they have ended up on some of your trees at home!

- Report by Ms Howard, Head of Year 7.

Our Year 10 and 11 students enjoyed motivational speeches from our guest speakers for Careers Day.

Our KS4 students attended a Post-16 Careers Fair here at the school, exploring the wide range of pathways available to them beyond GCSE. Colleges, training providers and sixth forms were on hand to support students in planning their next steps with confidence.

Last week saw the launch of ‘The Cook Up’ Club — and the kitchen has been buzzing ever since!
Our Year 10 & 11 students have been exploring quick, healthy meals they can confidently recreate at home, from colourful stir fries to their own homemade pizzas.

The club is all about building real-life cooking skills:
preparing affordable meals, becoming more independent, and making healthier choices long after they leave school.

It’s been inspiring to watch their confidence grow with every session. 🍽️🔥

- Report by Ms Ball, Food Technology Department.

Our Year 8 students have been learning the fundamentals of bread making - from kneading and providng to shaping their own dough; and understanding the science behind baking 🥖🥯✨

We are delighted to announce that once again, St Ursula's has been announced as the winner of the Royal Borough of Greenwich's annual poetry competition. Schools from all across the borough enter this prestigious competition, and some of our talented students have been chosen as winners out of thousands of entries. The winners are as follows:

Key Stage 3

Winner – Eden-Leigh M, Year 9

Runner Up – Juliana O, Year 8

Key Stage 4

Special Mention – Maria V, Year 10

Here is Eden-Leigh M's winning poem for you all to enjoy:

Remember To Play

Play is laughing when you should be serious,

Doing dumb things that make life mysterious.

It’s dancing in socks on the kitchen floor,

It’s saying “just five more minutes” and staying out an hour more.

It’s inside jokes that no one gets,

It’s skipping stones and those small regrets.

It’s turning stress to something light,

And talking nonsense late at night.

It’s playlists shared, it’s memes that land,

It’s making plans you never planned.

It’s losing time to something small,

But somehow, that’s the best of all.

Play’s is not just fun—it’s feeling free

It’s believing in the dreams of who you want to be

It’s life’s reminder, of what may come that day

But don’t just exist—remember to play.

A huge well done to Eden-Leigh, Juliana, Maria, and all those students who entered a poem.

- Report by Ms Owen, English

Please click on the link below to see the December clinic dates for Greenwich Children and Young People's Community Immunisations Service