Today is St Blaise Day, the patron saint of sore throats! Mass-goers today will have the option of having the priest bless their throat with two candles held in a cross shape. Given the number of croaky throats around St Bart’s at the moment, the first week of February seems the perfect time for St Blaise Day to fall!

The painters made a great start to the Music Room and Oratory yesterday and both these rooms will be more or less finished today. There will obviously be some degree of disruption as the painters move into the corridors, foyer and offices. However, I will provide daily updates via the blog on the progress of the painters, including any rooms affected on that day.

Please remember that next Monday and Tuesday (9th and 10th) are holidays and that the school will also be closed to pupils on the inservice day on Wednesday 11th February. The Valentine’s disco is on the first day back after the break (Thursday 12th), so please make sure you grab a ticket from the office this week (£1.50).

A group of our nursery parents will begin basic first aid training this morning in the ‘Get Together Room’. This is a fantastic opportunity which I’m sure all who take part will find extremely worthwhile.

Last, but by no means least, we welcome the parish ‘Pray for our School’ group to St Bartholomew’s at 11.00am this morning. Unfortunately, the oratory is being painted today and our P7 pupils who would normally join them for tea will be in the middle of a ‘Divided City’ rehearsal. However, we’ll manage to find a peaceful room for the meeting and will send some of our P6 pupils for tea (I don’t think the boys and girls will mind!).