St Julian's Primary School in Newport hosts SJPS Fest
Luke Mansfield, headteacher at St Julian's Primary School, said: "Today was absolutely incredible.
"I loved every minute of it.
"I'm so proud of every single child who took part – their enthusiasm and the confidence they each performed with blew me away.
"It was such a lovely atmosphere throughout the day.
"I'm so thankful to our dedicated team of staff and fantastic PTA members, who go above and beyond to create such memorable experiences for our pupils.
"SJPS Fest just gets bigger and better each year."
Under clear skies, pupils took to the outdoor stage to sing and dance to songs from popular West End productions, cheered on by friends, family and the wider school community.
Staff arrived as early as 6.30am to transform the grounds into a festival site, complete with colourful bunting, tents and an array of activities and food stalls.
The festival featured a pizza oven, BBQ, ice cream machine and an inflatable play area, with third-party vendors adding to the day's offerings.
A 20-square-metre outdoor LED screen streamed the performances live, ensuring every attendee had a clear view of the action.
Mr Mansfield said: "A huge thank you must go to our amazing staff and dedicated PTA who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the festival to life.
"From the crack of dawn, the team was on site transforming the school field to give a true festival experience – complete with inflatables, a catering village, a pizza oven, BBQ, and a host of external stall holders.
"One of the standout features this year was our giant 20-square-metre LED screen, which live-streamed every performance.
"It gave the day a real Glastonbury vibe and made sure every act had their moment to shine – even for those watching from the back.
"I was genuinely blown away by the enthusiasm, creativity and confidence shown by our children.
"It's clear just how much effort went into preparing their acts – and the support from teachers and teaching assistants was second to none.
"It was also fantastic to see so many parents joining us – thank you for taking time out of your day to come and support the children – your presence made the day even more special."
Families were invited to share in the experience, adding to the sense of community that defines the event.
Mr Mansfield added: "SJPS Fest is all about creating lasting memories, celebrating creativity, and giving children the opportunity to perform and express themselves on a big stage.
"Today, we achieved all that and more."
The school now looks ahead to next year's event, with preparations already underway.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Denise Van Outen 'wary' of trusting new boyfriend despite being 'smitten'
EXCLUSIVE: Denise Van Outen has been unlucky in love in recent years, but after being spotted with new boyfriend Adam Butler at Glastonbury, a source has said Denise is smitten Her love life has been anything but smooth sailing over the past few years, but after Denise Van Outen went public with her new boyfriend Adam Butler at Glastonbury Festival, a source claims the former Big Breakfast presenter is 'taking it slow – but she's very happy'. Loved-up Denise was spotted holding hands with the businessman in the VIP area at the festival, where she surprised fans with a secret DJ gig. According to our source, Denise feels she's finally hit the mark with her new man. 'She's taking her time, but she's never felt happier and she feels this time she's got it right. Her friends and family can see she's in a really great place and are delighted for her. It's been really hard for Denise to trust again after her relationship with Eddie [Boxshall] – it was a big deal for her. 'She wanted to keep this new relationship quiet and not put it all out there, but people who know her can see how happy she is with Adam.' Denise, 51, told new last year that she felt 'liberated' as a single woman, but things have clearly changed as she couldn't have looked more delighted to be with her new love. Her blossoming romance comes after Denise's confession that she only took up golf in order to meet men, ditching dating apps and turning to the sport in 2014 after lots of her male friends had started playing. The TV presenter and DJ shares a daughter Betsy, 15, with theatre star Lee Mead, with the two divorcing in 2013. Denise told host Russell Kane on TUI's podcast Pack Your Bags, 'I got into it after my divorce, and I wanted to go somewhere where there are just loads of men. 'When you're young, you just go to a nightclub. And I was like, 'I just don't want to spend all night in the nightclub. Where have all the nightclubbers gone now?' 'And I looked, and most of my male friends have grown up and got into golf. I thought, 'Perfect.'' Rumours of a new romance began circulating in April after Adam joined Denise for a Maldives break. The pair were then spotted last month in the Akira Back restaurant at London's Mandarin Oriental hotel, following a series of dates. Prior to meeting Adam, Denise had dated property developer Jimmy Barba for 18 months, but she confirmed their break-up in November 2023. Last year, she admitted she had joined celebrity dating app Raya in the hopes of finding The One. So her new romance must be welcome after a tricky few years. Denise's relationship with fiancé Eddie Boxshall broke down in January 2022 after seven years, following revelations that he had been sexting other women. Denise confirmed the split on Instagram, stating she would 'always treasure the good times' but that it 'saddened' her to confirm the separation. She said later that she was prioritising her self-worth and self-respect. Our source continues, 'Denise was very hurt after the break-up with Eddie and it took her a long time to find her confidence in a relationship again. 'She's a tough cookie, but wears her heart on her sleeve, so when she's hurt by someone, it hits her hard and she puts her walls up, which most people can relate to. 'She's had a lot of support from good friends like Vanessa Feltz and Myleene Klass, and everyone has been rooting for her. 'Thankfully, she's feeling really happy and strong again, and she won't let her past experiences ruin things for her.' Last May, Denise told OK! magazine that she was entering her fifties feeling 'blessed' and that, after seven months of being single, she was 'really loving it'. She added that she'd never allowed herself 'breathing space' between relationships. She said, 'My parents have been married for 55 years and they've always been the benchmark for me when it comes to relationships. 'I hoped my love life would be like that, but obviously things have turned out differently. I'm OK with that. We live in a different age.' Admitting that she had always 'put everything' into romantic relationships, Denise said that she had changed. 'I'm older and wiser, and because I've had my fingers burnt a few times, I now know what I don't want.' Adding that she was enjoying going on dates, she said, 'I don't feel pressured to rush into anything. 'When the time's right, then I'll be ready to meet Mr Right. Until that happens, I'm just going to sit back and go with the flow.' Thanks to her new man, it seems Denise may just have found exactly what she wants, at exactly the right time.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Nicole Scherzinger to perform solo show at Royal Albert Hall
The American singer and actress, who rose to fame as a member of girl group The Pussycat Dolls, will perform on October 6 at the London venue for the concert titled An Evening With Nicole Scherzinger. This comes after the 47-year old won an Olivier award for best actress in a musical for her role as Norma in a West End production of Sunset Boulevard. She said: 'I am truly humbled to be performing at Royal Albert Hall. 'So many of my heroes have stood on that stage, and to join their legacy means the world to me.' The setlist will feature hits from both the West End and pop tracks accompanied by a live band to capture the full range of her career across musical theatre and as a popstar. Days later, the singer will make her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City followed by a performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA – which she promised fans would be 'nothing short of powerful and magical'. The singer has had a series of top five hits in the UK singles charts as part of The Pussycat Dolls including Don't Cha, Stickwitu and Buttons. Aside from her music and acting career, she is also known as a TV personality including being a judge on The X Factor – where she helped to form the boyband One Direction. She will soon appear as a judge in the upcoming Netflix series Building The Band, where she is joined by the late One Direction singer Liam Payne and former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland as the trio judge attempts by contestants to create a band. Scherzinger was among the stars who performed at the Coronation Concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2023. Tickets for An Evening With Nicole Scherzinger go on sale on July 11 at 10am.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Gracie Abrams SLAMMED for smoking cigarette after reaching new milestone in Paul Mescal relationship
Gracie Abrams recently went Instagram official with her long-rumored boyfriend Paul Mescal after they attended England's Glastonbury Festival, but fans seemed far more concerned about her posing with a cigarette in her mouth. Several X users including @Nataliasliife quoted lyrics from the 25-year-old singer's 2021 single Camden while reacting: 'At least I'll never turn to cigarettes / my brother shielded me from all of that / He said that smoking was a killer.' X user @eth3rchouchou shared a grisly, anti-smoking PSA captioned: 'Let's think about our choices, Gracie.' X user @j41r3z3n was concerned over Abrams' two-and-a-half-octave mezzo-soprano pipes, tweeting: 'Can't afford to smoke with that voice.' 'Smoking? This explains her out of breath performances,' X user @alohavera1 scoffed. 'She takes her career as seriously as we would imagine nepo babies to.' X user @xpremiumgroup tweeted his 'hot take' writing: 'Stop promoting smoking cigarettes as something cool and trendy.' Meawnhile, X user @Marsspace17_ defended the two-time Grammy nominee: 'The people dragging Gracie Abrams for simply smoking a cigarette at a festival should know most of their pretentious male actor or artist faves are legit hardcore drug addicts behind the scenes, who will end up broke while Gracie stays pretty and her career continues to thrive.' Gracie - who boasts 10.8M social media followers - appeared to finally confirm her romance with the 29-year-old Irishman in an Instagram slideshow she shared last Wednesday. Abrams and Mescal reportedly celebrated their first anniversary of dating in June. Since last month, the Pacific Palisades native has been photographed numerous times wearing a curious band on her left-ring finger. 'The speculation has been kind of mad for the last x amount of years,' Paul lamented to GQ last October. 'I'm not comfortable inviting any access into that part of my life. How I am in my private life is so precious to me because I get very little of it, and it might be public interest, but it's not public-obligated information.' Gracie wasn't just a Glastonbury patron as she made her official debut June 27 on the Other Stage during the annual music festival, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Pilton. As Abrams performed her new single Out of Nowhere, her famous filmmaking father J.J. Abrams proudly watched from the wings, and she was also supported there by her brothers Auggie and Henry as well as Mescal's younger sister Nell. Last Friday, the Secret of Us songstress performed her new single Crazy Girl at BST Hyde Park in London while sporting the same exact Boston Red Sox cap that the Oscar-nominated actor had worn at Glastonbury. 'Smoking? This explains her out of breath performances,' X user @alohavera1 scoffed. 'She takes her career as seriously as we would imagine nepo babies to' X user @xpremiumgroup tweeted his 'hot take' writing: 'Stop promoting smoking cigarettes as something cool and trendy' Meawnhile, X user @Marsspace17_ defended the two-time Grammy nominee: 'The people dragging Gracie Abrams for simply smoking a cigarette at a festival should know most of their pretentious male actor or artist faves are legit hardcore drug addicts behind the scenes' Gracie previously dated Grammy-winning hitmaker Blake Slatkin from 2017-2022, while Paul ended his two-year relationship with three-time Grammy winner Phoebe Bridgers in 2022. Abrams - who gets 40.4M monthly listeners on Spotify - is next scheduled to bring her 81-date The Secret of Us Tour to Spain's Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona this Wednesday. The Kamala Harris campaigner - who signed with Interscope Records in 2019 at age 20 - got a big career boost in 2022 opening for Olivia Rodrigo's Sour Tour followed by Taylor Swift's Eras Tour between 2023–2024. Mescal will next executive produce and portray Lionel in Oliver Hermanus' post-WWI gay romance The History of Sound - hitting US theaters September 12 - alongside Josh O'Connor and Chris Cooper. The History of Sound currently has a 65% critic approval rating (out of 37 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes after earning a six-minute standing ovation during the world premiere at at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21. The Streetcar Named Desire thespian will then portray William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao's 1596-set grieving drama Hamnet hitting limited US theaters November 27 before a wider release on December 12. The big-screen adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel also features Jessie Buckley, Joe Alwyn, and Emily Watson. Paul's other upcoming films include Sam Mendes' biopics The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event due out in 2028 and Richard Linklater's big-screen adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along.
