“Vocations” – Whole School Prayer Resources
The Becket Way Focus
Notices
Fundraising!
See
Hear
Think
Do
Thomas Becket Celebrations
The Becket Way Focus
The Becket way word of the week – Deindividualisation
When in a group you are more likely to loose your sense of self, your identify and morals. This is called deindividuation. You feel just part of a group, and less like yourself. You feel less likely to be identified and therefore make poor choices e.g. for example running towards a fight, walking around the school building when you should not be there, being disruptive during a cover lesson. If a group you are in is doing something that goes against your morals (caring, honesty, justice, peaceful) move away from that group, have the self-discipline and strength to do the right thing. Remember even when you are in a group you are responsible for your own behaviour.
· Share with your tutor group – Why is this important in developing strong character?
Notices
The Word of the week is “Vocations” and we are in the fourth week of Eastertide – Alleluia!
This week we are praying for…
- Pope Leo XIV who begins his ministry as the Holy Father of the Catholic Church!
- Everyone living out religious vocations – priests, sisters, brothers, married life, single life
- Michael and Lukas who are two young seminarians in the Nottingham Diocese who are preparing for priesthood – Michael visited our school a couple of times back in February!
- All who are searching for their vocation
Please keep them in your prayers this week and don’t forget to add any suggestions for prayer intentions to the comments box below!
Collective Worship and Catholic Life Rota:
This week is Mental Health awareness week and our well-being walk is back! And what great weather for it! See which day your year group are taking part in the walk below. When it is your walk day, click on the “do” tab for instructions:
Mon – Year 12 Walk
Tues – Year 7 Walk
Wed – Year 8 Walk
Thurs – Year 9 Walk
Fri – Year 10 Walk
On Monday, there will be a News and Communications Chaplaincy Team meeting in the Chapel at 12:30pm, students can have their lunch after the meeting.
YEAR 10 BRIARS TO COME DOWN TO THE DINNING ROOM DURING FORM TIME ON MONDAY 12/05/2025
The Year 10 Briars Retreat is taking place from Wednesday 14th – Friday 16th May this week. A list of students will be shared by Joe. Students will be in their normal lessons all day on Wednesday and will leave after school on Wednesday. The group will be absent from Thursday and Friday lessons, returning by the end of the school day on Friday.
On Wednesday the Justice and Peace mission team meeting is cancelled on Wednesday and moved to Friday as Ruth is on a course on Wednesday.
The chapel will be open during Monday and Friday lunchtime this week.
Please see the “fundraising” tab to see what form fundraisers are coming up and how you can get involved!!
We continue our journey in the season of Eastertide – Alleluia! Please make sure to change your Liturgical colour flipcharts in your form rooms, take down any Lenten posters (calendars) and put your Easter bunting up (from Alleluia week) when it is finished!
Year 10 Briars Retreat – 14th – 16th May
Please make sure to return your parental consent health forms and behaviour contracts to the office or the chapel as soon as possible. You will not be allowed to attend the retreat unless these forms are returned correctly.
Year 9 Briars Retreat – 2nd – 6th June
Please make sure to return your parental consent health forms and behaviour contracts to the office or the chapel as soon as possible. You will not be allowed to attend the retreat unless these forms are returned correctly.
Fundraising!
Our brilliant fundraising projects continue for the Our Lady of Hope school in Benin. Alleluia! We have had some incredible fundraisers already take place and there are some more exciting projects coming up!
Please complete the following quick google form to share what you are fundraising for and how you are planning to do it. If you need help advertising an upcoming fundraiser, please email Ruth, Joe and Mrs Conlon with the details or include them on the form!
THANK YOU! Keep up the amazing work!
Well done to 10P for organising a ‘sponge the teacher’ fundraiser which took place during Friday lunchtime! Thank you so much to all the staff who took part for a great cause!
Well done to 7E and 10B who are keeping our lunchtimes sweet with their treat sales for Benin!
Well done to 10T who did a bake sale at lunch a week ago and raised a brilliant £56.29. We have a couple IOUs from staff which will take the total to £60.79. Please could any IOUs be passed to Ms Soderberg or left in the language office.
See
Let us begin this time of prayer with the sign of our faith, the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Let’s see what the wonderful 7B have got to tell us about our Word of the Week this week…
As shared by 7B, a vocation is God’s call to each of us. It is the unique way that God has designed us to serve Him and others. Finding our vocation can take time and prayer and that’s completely normal! Don’t worry if your friends or the people around you look like they’ve got things figured out, each of us are on a unique vocational journey.
To understand our vocation, we must discern his plan for us and listen to him. To “Discern” means to carefully and prayerfully consider and choose the path that God is calling you to.
As we think about the importance of listening to God’s voice in our busy lives, let’s play a game of whispers!
The teacher will begin by thinking of a sentence about vocation or God, this might be ‘God loves you and every single member of the human race’ or ‘God calls to you to listen to his message’… Or anything you like!
This message then needs to be passed around all the students, with the final student sharing what the message is to the class. Have a go!
Does it match the original message?
How can you listen more carefully to God’s voice in your own life?
What makes it challenging to listen to God’s voice in our busy lives?
Let us pray the Diocesan prayer for Vocations…
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
Let us begin this time of prayer with the sign of our faith, the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
“Habemus papam!” – Latin for “We have a pope!”
On Thursday evening, we heard the joyful news that the the College of Cardinals had elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as the 267th Pope!
Robert Francis Prevost, aged 69, is the first North American to be elected to the role. He has taken the name Pope Leo XIV (14th) in succession to Pope Leo XIII who was known for his social teaching and keen interest in social issues.
On Sunday, Pope Leo delivered his first Sunday prayer address. Pope Leo XIV appealed to the world’s major powers for an end to war. “No more war!” the pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, which killed some 60 million people. The new pope called for an “authentic and lasting peace” in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages. He also welcomed the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the “miracle of peace”.
Let us spend some time hearing this message from Pope Leo…
Mr Kemple has created this guide to help us get to know a little more about Pope Leo!
On Sunday, Pope Leo also recited the Regina Caeli prayer, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to the crowd in St Peter’s Square. The Regina caeli is said in place of the Angelus during Eastertide.
In this month of Mary, let us gather our intentions to the Lord as we pray the Regina Caeli prayer together…
(Choose someone to lead and everyone else can respond where it says all!:…)
Leader: Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
All: For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
Leader: Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
All: Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Leader: Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
All: For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Leader: Let us pray…
God of life, you have given joy to the world
by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through the prayers of his mother, the Virgin Mary,
bring us to the happiness of eternal life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Think
Let us begin this time of prayer with the sign of our faith, the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Today we’re going to devote some time for personal and quiet reflection. This is an opportunity for you to search deeply and reflect on what God calls you to do, what plans he has for your future. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God has ‘good plans’ for us to help us and give is a wonderful future.
“I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.“ – Jeremiah 29:11
Listen to this worship song ‘whatever your plan is’ as you complete your prayer journal activity…
You don’t have to answer all of the questions, but consider them and think about your answers. You can write, draw, create symbols, a list, however you want to put down your ideas about your calling from God for your future.
1. Faith & Witness
- What do you think it means to live a holy life in today’s world?
- Do you ever feel called to do something special for God?
- Can you imagine yourself as a priest, nun, deacon, or religious brother or sister?
- If not, are there ways you feel drawn to serve in the Church — for example, as a chaplain, altar server, youth leader, or through helping in your parish?
- How could you be a witness of faith at school, at home, or in your community?
✏️ Draw a cross and write within it how you might serve the Church in the future.
2. Relationships & Family Life
- Do you feel called to married life, single life, or are you still exploring?
- What values do you hope to show in your future relationships? (e.g. love, patience, honesty, faith)
- Can you imagine becoming a parent one day? How would you share faith in your home?
- Are there ways you can support people in your life right now — like siblings, grandparents, friends — through acts of love and mercy?
✏️ Draw a heart or house and fill it with words or images that show what you value most in relationships.
3. Work & Service
- Think about the gifts God has given you. What kind of work could you do to help others?
- Are you drawn to caring roles like nurse, paramedic, doctor, carer, or teacher?
- Could you see yourself in a role that fights for justice — like a lawyer, social worker, charity leader, or activist?
- Do you want to use your talents to give a voice to the voiceless or help the marginalised?
- How do you think your future career could become a vocation — something you do with love and to serve God and others, not just for money?
✏️ Draw a symbol of the job or work you might feel called to do — and write how it could help others.
Now reflect on these final words from the scriptures:
“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:10
- What do you think God might be saying to you today?
✏️ Write a short prayer asking God to help you listen to His call in your life.
Let us pray…
Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have given me, especially for life, love, family and friends. Help me to know myself better and to know my talents, as I pray, study and decide on my life’s work. Help me to see and understand the path You open for me. Help me choose a life’s work which will be in response to my potential and your love for me. If I am being invited to follow You as a priest, brother, sister, give me a generous heart to respond to your challenging call and the strength to follow You wherever You lead me.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Do
This week is Mental Health awareness week and our well-being walk is back!
Walk Rota:
Mon – Year 12 Walk
Tues – Year 7 Walk
Wed – Year 8 Walk
Thurs – Year 9 Walk
Fri – Year 10 Walk
Timings for your walk:
8:40- Registration
8:45 – Expectations
Download the PowerPoint below to find out the theme of this year’s mental health awareness week is, as well as details for the walk:
8:50 – Leave your bags and exit sensibly to the astro
9:00 – back to form room to collect bags and settle
Thomas Becket Celebrations
Last week was a busy time! We eagerly waited for white smoke and a new Pope as conclave took place, we were celebrating our faith community and our patron St Thomas Becket on the anniversary of the Blessing of the new Becket building, and then we found out we have a new pope, Pope Leo the fourteenth – alleluia!
If you ran out of time to complete some of the resources last week, here are some highlights:
Becket Quiz
St Thomas Becket stood up for what he believed in, he worked hard, loved deeply, and stayed true to his faith, even when it was hard. At The Becket School, we try to live out these same values every day through our mission: Work Hard, Be Loving, Do the Right Thing.
Now it’s time to take part in a quiz to see how well you know you know the Becket School and our history! 📝 Get a piece of scrap paper ready to write down your answers — and get ready to discover more about the amazing community you’re a part of!
Download the quiz to take part in the quiz!
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Becket Blessing Cards
Being a student at The Becket School is much more than just turning up to school in a uniform and preparing for GCSE’s or A Levels — it’s about being part of a faith-filled, hardworking, and loving community that stays with you even after you leave.
Today we’re going to reflect on what it means to be a Becket student and celebrate the special identity we share through faith and community.
🎥 We’ll begin by watching a video from some of our Becket alumni – past students who are now in the wider world. Let’s listen to what they have to say about how The Becket School shaped them and what the Becket community still means to them today. You might see some familiar faces!
At the heart of our mission statement at The Becket School is a call to be loving — to celebrate one another, and to show dignity and respect to everyone.
Each of us contributes something special to our school community. Whether you’re a student, teacher, support staff member, parish priest, or governor – you bring something to our community which makes it even more beautiful and unique!
Living The Becket Way means being loving: noticing others, encouraging them, and showing kindness — even in small ways. Today’s “do” activity is all about celebrating those around us and reminding one another of the unique and important role we each play in our community.
Becket Blessing Cards
Each one of us has the power to bless someone with our words — to encourage them, thank them, or remind them they are seen and loved.
Today, each of you will receive a Becket Blessing Postcard. Your task is simple:
✍️ Write a short, affirming blessing message to someone in our Becket community.
This could be to a friend, a fellow student we encounter but might be in a different friendship group, or a a member of staff – a teacher, PL or APL, someone in Damascus, a librarian, our site team, one of our administration team, our chaplains, our parish priests, the kitchen staff, our cleaners or our governors
📮 If it’s someone in school that you encounter, make sure to deliver the postcard to them in person.
📬 If it’s someone you don’t always see (like our site team, priests, governor, or staff member in another part of school), give your card to your form staff member, and Joe or Ruth will deliver it for you.
Let’s celebrate one another and how blessed we are to be a part of the Becket School community!
Let us pray our school prayer together…
