“Joy” – Whole School Prayer Resources
The Becket Way Focus
Notices
See
Hear
Think
Do
Last Day
The Becket Way Focus
Notices
We are in the 3rd week of Advent and the Word of the week is “Joy”!
This week we are praying for…
- All of the schools in the Our Lady of Lourdes Trust who are breaking up for the Christmas holidays on Friday – may the break be filled with peace, safety and joy for all.
Collective Worship and Catholic Life Rota
Monday
- Year 7 and 8 Achievement Assemblies
- Monday Becket Reads – 6th form Lourdes Meeting in the Chapel
Tuesday
- Year 9 and 10 Achievement Assemblies
- Tuesday Form time – News and Comms team + Good News newsletter helpers – please come to B11.
- Tuesday Becket Reads – Please send your Emmanuel House donations to the chapel with some sensible students – please count them before you bring them down and give your totals to one of our helpers!
- Top of the Pyramid (TOTP) Celebration Period 2- Awards for selected students in hall (See GB email)
- Year 7,8 and 9 – 10:55am
- Year 10,11,12 and 13 – 11:15am
- Year 9 & 10 rewards – Period 4 and 5
Wednesday
- Year 12 and 13 Achievement Assemblies
- Wednesday Form time – News and Comms team + Good News newsletter helpers – please come to B11.
- Christmas Lunch for all years. This will be the earlier time of 12.15 for everyone
- Wednesday Lunchtime – The Chapel is open for Christmas card making and colouring for hospitals, prisons and care homes.
Thursday
- Year 11 achievement assembly
- Year 11 Rewards in A8 – Form time into period 1
- Year 7 and 8 Rewards – Period 4 and 5
Friday – Final Day – Festive non-uniform for all year groups!
This week we are continuing with our crafted loo roll nativity scene, hopefully you have already made Mary and Joseph and now it’s time to complete the set with Jesus! There will be extended form time on Friday to complete your Nativity scene but if your craft team wish to continue making your scene whilst watching the video resources this week, you can do this. We will ask a couple of students from each form to bring your Nativity scenes down on Friday at 11:15am for a group photo and show case.
First Week Back after Christmas
Please remind students that our first day back in school after Christmas is MONDAY 5TH JANUARY.
On Tuesday 6th January, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. On that Tuesday, year 7 and year 8 and their teaching staff will have a Mass for the Epiphany during period 1 and into Becket Reads. Anyone who isn’t teaching is welcome to join Mass on this Holy Day of Obligation.
If anyone in year 7 and 8 would like to help with a job in the Mass e.g. altar serving or reading, please ask them to come down to the chapel and tell Ruth/Joe during a break or lunchtime.
Advent Appeal for Emmanuel House
Tuesday Becket Reads – Please send your Emmanuel House donations to the chapel with some sensible students – please count them before you bring them down and give your totals to one of our helpers!
See
Thank you to 11E for creating this week’s resources!
This week we are continuing with our crafted loo roll nativity scene, hopefully you have already made Mary and Joseph and now it’s time to complete the set with Jesus! There will be extended form time on Friday to complete your Nativity scene but if your craft team wish to continue making your scene whilst watching the video resources this week, you can do this. We will ask a couple of students from each form to bring your Nativity scenes down on Friday at 11:15am for a group photo and show case.
Good morning! We invite you to begin by making the Sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Word of the Week is Joy! Let’s head over to 11E who are going to tell us some more about the significance of Joy week in Advent!
Thank you 11E! We heard what Mr Marlow had to say about joy, now it’s your turn to discuss in your form rooms…
What brings you joy?
What will bring you joy over the Christmas break?
Does anyone have any Christmas jokes to share??
Music and dance bring a whole lot of joy! Inspired by 11E’s fantastic routine, have a listen and a little boogie to Mary’s Boy Child this morning to get us in the spirit for Joy Week, as we mark the halfway point in Advent:
Closing Prayer – A Prayer for Joy
Let us pray:
Loving God,
You call us to rejoice always, even in times of waiting and uncertainty.
Fill our hearts with the joy that comes from knowing Your love and presence.
Help us to share that joy with others—through kindness, laughter, and hope—
so that our world may reflect the light of Christ this Advent.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We finish this time of prayer together, by making the Sign of the Cross…
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Hear
This week we are continuing with our crafted loo roll nativity scene, hopefully you have already made Mary and Joseph and now it’s time to complete the set with Jesus! There will be extended form time on Friday to complete your Nativity scene but if your craft team wish to continue making your scene whilst watching the video resources this week, you can do this. We will ask a couple of students from each form to bring your Nativity scenes down on Friday at 11:15am for a group photo and show case.
Good morning! We invite you to begin by making the Sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Last academic year, during the Pentecost term, we were fundraising for our friends at Our Lady of Hope School in Benin. The school was started by the uncle of some our students here at The Becket School -Louis (in Y13 last year) and Martin (in Y12 now) – who generously used his own pension to pay for resources and teachers’ wages.
Here at The Becket, we are privileged to have a projector in every classroom. When we first launched the project, Louis and Martin told us that the children in Benin had recently received one projector for the entire school, and this resource brought so much joy to the children and staff! It was a humbling reminder of how fortunate we are and we felt called to do something to support this school.
We were thrilled to raise over £2,200 for Our Lady of Hope in Benin, which will go a long way in funding resources such as books, classroom equipment, stationery, test tubes, chairs, desks, and even another projector!
At the start of this academic year, we sent Our Lady of Hope School a video message, and now, in this week of Joy, we are excited to share that we have received a video from them!
The video is spoken in French with subtitles, so you may want a staff member of student to read the subtitles…
Closing Prayer
Loving Father,
We thank You for the joy that fills our hearts today.
We are grateful for the blessings we have here at The Becket School,
and for the chance to share those blessings with our friends at Our Lady of Hope in Benin.
May our partnership continue to grow in love and solidarity,
and may the resources we have shared bring hope and opportunity to their community.
Fill us with joy that comes from giving, and help us to always remember that in serving others, we serve You. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us finish this time of prayer together, by making the Sign of the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Think
Close of the Jubilee Year for Schools in the Diocese
As the Year of Jubilee draws to a close, we move from being Pilgrims of Hope to Ambassadors of Hope.
School communities across our diocese will gather on Tuesday morning with Bishop Patrick to attend the closing Celebration of the Word for the Jubilee Year.
At The Becket School, we will be watching and taking part in this closing celebration on Wednesday morning (or Thursday if you are in Sixth Form).
Before joining the Celebration of the Word stream, please create a calm and respectful atmosphere in the classroom as we get ready to enter into a time of prayer.
Do
This week we are continuing with our crafted loo roll nativity scene, hopefully you have already made Mary and Joseph and now it’s time to complete the set with Jesus! There will be extended form time on Friday to complete your Nativity scene but if your craft team wish to continue making your scene whilst watching the video resources this week, you can do this. We will ask a couple of students from each form to bring your Nativity scenes down on Friday at 11:15am for a group photo and show case.
Good morning! We invite you to begin by making the Sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
On Sunday, we celebrated Gaudete Sunday which translates to “Rejoice!”
Joy is more than just happiness; it’s a deep and lasting feeling that comes from knowing God and living in His love. It helps us to see the good in everything, even when life feels tough.
Joy is found in prayer, in serving others, and in our journey through Advent. It’s a choice—a decision to trust in God’s plan for our lives and to find hope in His promises.
As we celebrate this week of Joy, let’s take time to reflect on the joy we experience in our lives…
Gratitude Journal Activity
Please lift out your prayer journals and follow these steps:
- Write the word “JOY” in decorative letters in the centre of your page. Use pink if you have any pink colours!
- Decorate around it with doodles, colours, and patterns that make you feel joyful.
- Around the word joy, write down all of the things you are grateful for—people, experiences, moments, or blessings that bring you joy.
As you do this, listen to a favourite Christmas carol to help get us in the joy feels! Take a moment to thank God for these gifts and ask Him to help you share joy with others this Advent.
Closing prayer
Loving God,
We thank You for the gift of joy and for all the blessings that fill our hearts with gratitude.
Help us to see Your goodness in every moment, even when life feels challenging.
May the joy we have found today inspire us to share kindness, hope, and love with others.
As we continue our Advent journey, keep us close to You and guide us to be messengers of joy in our world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us finish this time of prayer together, by making the Sign of the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
Last Day
Happy Friday!
Good morning, happy last day everyone – we made it! Today is all about sharing joy with one another and giving thanks to God for the gift of Christmas that we will soon receive.
On our final morning together, we might be feeling weary or we might be feeling super excited (or a bit of both!). Let us remember to be kind to each other, follow the Becket Way and of course have fun and get involved with as much as possible!
We invite you to join us in making the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for the Last Day Before Christmas Holidays
Loving God,
As we end this term, we thank You for the friendships, lessons, and kindness shared in our school.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, fill our hearts with joy, peace, and hope.
Bless our families and those in need this Christmas, and help us to bring Your light to everyone we meet.
Guide us safely into the new year, ready to grow in faith and love.
We ask this prayer through Jesus, the Light of the World. Amen.
We remember that God is with us throughout our day as we make the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Nativity Loo Roll Craft Scene
This week we are continuing with our crafted loo roll nativity scenes. Hopefully you have already made Mary and Joseph, and now it’s time to complete the set with Jesus!
There will be extended form time on Friday to complete your Nativity scene. We ask that you please send a couple of students from each form to bring your Nativity scenes down on Friday at 11:15am for a group photo and showcase.
Thank you so much to all of our crafty kings and queens who have been working hard to create these masterpieces – they are looking amazing! We hope that they are a visual reminder in your form room that Jesus’ birthday draws very near.
Christmas Cards
Every form group is to collect a pack of Christmas postcards from the staff room on Friday morning in staff briefing.
Your task, to help spread some joy on this last day, is to decorate and write a Christmas card to either a staff member or a family member back at home.
- Take time with your cards and make them beautiful with your neatest colouring and decoration.
- Inside your Christmas cards, think about kind words that will bring joy to your recipient.
- If you are sending a card to someone in school, try to choose someone who really deserves some Christmas love – perhaps someone who doesn’t always get the thanks they deserve.
At 11:15am, when you bring down your crafted Nativity scenes, please also bring down any Christmas cards for staff so that we can deliver them. If you wish to deliver a card yourself, you are very welcome to do that!
Nativity Puppet Show Quiz by The Becket Creative Arts Film Group
It’s time to watch this year’s Christmas offering from The Becket Creative Arts Film Group!
The video is 16 minutes long and can be watched from the beginning to the end without interruption or tutor group participation. (purely for entertainment purposes)
However – if you fancy joining in then the creative arts film group have prepared an A3 Quiz sheet that will be delivered to your room on Thursday morning during tutor time. A couple of pupils can fill it in as they watch the film.
If you’d like to really get into the quiz side of it then you could pause after each question and the students could try to answer before you reveal the answer.
The link for the film is : https://tinyurl.com/2rvudpk3
Back up is: TBS-Shared Drive – Documents\03 Event (Hall) Presentations\T Brown Videos
Christmas Quiz
Get your paper and pens at the ready for our annual Christmas quiz! Make sure to share your score with Mr Udoh at the end. Download the link below or find the quiz on the T drive.
The Becket School\TBS-Shared Drive – Documents\The Becket Christmas Quiz 2025
Christmas Carol Competition
On the last day, it is tradition that we set form groups the task of the Christmas Carol/Song Lyric Competition.
This year we want you to re-write the lyrics to the famous carol Silent Night. Make it house/Becket-specific and put the collective form entry in the comments box to enter (or send a paper copy down to the chapel) for house points!
Lyrics for Silent Night are provided below for inspiration.
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born
Party Games – Form Party
Every great party has some party games! Here are some suggestions you might like to try in your form rooms:
Heads Down, Thumbs Up A few students stand at the front while the rest put their heads down and thumbs up. The chosen students quietly tap one person each. When everyone looks up, those tapped must guess who picked them.
Charades Students act out a word, phrase, or Christmas-themed item without speaking, while their team guesses what it is.
Articulate One student describes a word or phrase without saying the actual word, while their team guesses. For example, if the word is “Olaf,” they might say “…this is a character in Frozen, they are made of snow, they have a carrot nose.” Staff may give the words or phrases to students or two opposing teams create the words or phrases for each other.
The Paper Game A fun three-round guessing game using the same set of words written on slips of scrap paper.
How to Play:
- Teams Split the group into 2–4 teams, depending on the size of the class.
- Prepare the Words Each person writes one or more words or phrases on a piece of scrap paper.
- Examples: a celebrity, a place, a film, a Christmas item, etc.
- Make sure the words are appropriate and familiar to most of the group.
- Collect the Papers Fold each slip of paper and place them all into a bowl or pile.
- Take Turns
- Each team has a set time (e.g., 30 seconds).
- One player picks out a slip and tries to get their team to guess the word/phrase.
- The team scores a point for each correct guess.
- You can’t skip (or perhaps your staff member will allow a one skip rule if they are tricky)
- When time runs out, it’s the next team’s turn.
Rounds – you cannot say any of the words on the piece of paper
- Round 1: Articulate – describe the word without saying it.
- Round 2: Charades – act it out silently.
- Round 3: One-word clue – give just one word as a hint.
The rounds get easier as players become more familiar with the words in the mix!
Scoring – At the end of each round, count your points and then return the papers to the bowl for the next round.
Keep a tally of points throughout the game.
When your team guesses correctly, keep the slip to one side. You will add all the paper slips together at the end of each round after points have been counted.
After all three rounds, the winning team is the team with the most points from all three rounds!
Christmas Pictionary Students draw festive items or scenes (e.g., Christmas tree, reindeer, presents) on the board or paper while their team guesses.
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7P Christmas Carol Entry:
Sacred day, holy saints,
We all need to slant, we all need to write.
Round a corner, a teacher is watching,
With a pen to scare you,
Work in heavenly peace,
Work in heavenly peace.
Students slant at the sight
Teachers walk into a classroom
We are top of the pyramid
Patrick house is the best
Patrick house is the best