The end of summer was celebrated this week at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs with the school’s annual Harvest Festival. Pupils marked the end of the growing season and give thanks for a fruitful summer. Contributions of food were brought in and will be sent to food banks organised by St. Austin’s and St. Gregory’s in Margate.

The school were also able to re-affirm fruitful links with their parish church, Our Lady Star of the Sea, by hosting a Harvest Tea for the elderly of the parish.  An afternoon tea of scones, cakes and sandwiches was provided for twenty senior parishioners, grandparents and friends of the school, all prepared and donated by St Joseph’s caterer Chartwell.  Entertainment was provided by each year group who had prepared special songs, poems and dances.

The coming together of parish and school underlines the true generosity of spirit that is the hallmark of this joyous festival.  St Joseph’s Harvest Festival is always an opportunity within school to reflect on what we have, but also the need for generosity and compassion for those who are unable to share in this fruitful season.

The festival also embodies the school’s values of ‘Belonging’: where we all share together and are part of something bigger; ‘Respect’: for those who do not have; ‘Caring’:  understanding abundance and lack; ‘Teamwork’: working together to achieve something bigger than we could have separately, and ‘enjoyment’: acknowledging how lucky and grateful we are for the harvest.