School News and Head's Blog

421 Blog Posts found - Showing 46-54

  1. First
  2. ..
  3. 5
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. ..
  8. Last
Posted on: 19/05/2023

Weekly News - Friday 19th May 2023

What a week of music, talent, learning, discovery and enrichment we have had here at St. Helen's College. Here is a snapshot of what has gone on at school over the last five days. Musicians' Concert Our Musicians' Concert on Tuesday evening was very well attended and really delivered what it had promised: an evening of super musicality! It was clear to see how hard our instrumentalists have been practising and what high standards they are reaching. There were many solo performances and we were also treated to music from our guitar ensemble, our string ensemble and, of course, our school orchestra. Well done to all of those pupils who performed and many thanks to all of the parents, staff and siblings who came along to support our musicians. Singing Competition On Friday our Middle and Upper School finalists took part in the final of our annual Singing Competition. There were solo and group performances and as ever the standard was quite astonishing for such young children. The confidence and musical talent of St. Helen's College pupils really is inspiring and our guest judge, Gracie Peters, found it hard to pick the winners. In the end, those chosen as winners were: Year 2 solo - runner up: Eleanor G, winner: Anoushka B. Year 3 solo - runner up: Shayna C, winner: Gurdaya J. Middle School group - runner up: Mahi B & Caitlin P, winner: Alana F & Shayla R. Overall Middle School winner: Gurdaya J.             Year 4 solo - runner up: Inaaya S, winner: Diya B. Year 5 solo - runner up: Samara P, winner: Senna G. Year 6 solo - runner up: Eshanvi A, winner: Oliver K. Upper School group - runner up: Xavier B & Aman B, winner: Zarifa D, Hana H & Grace O'H. Overall Upper School winner: Diya B.   House Talent Show Results On Monday morning staff and pupils at Upper School came together to watch the final of our House Talent Show, in which pupils from Middle School (Years 2/3) and Upper School (Years 4/5/6) performed their talents to us all. We were treated to piano playing, gymnastics, stand-up comedy, ventriloquism and singing and the standard was very high. Ms Drummond (the only member of staff not assigned to one of our four Houses) found her job as judge very difficult indeed, but the worthy winners were: Middle School: Parisa S (Ventriloquism) Upper School: Poppy H (Gymnastics) This means that it was a clean sweep for Cambria House!  Very well done to everyone who took part and especially to our finalists. We hope to make this an annual event so do encourage your children to think about any talents they may have or may wish to develop, however unusual. Robins Coffee Morning/Class Assembly The Robins Nursery class performed their summer class assembly to their families on Wednesday morning at Lower School, after their families had gathered together for coffee and croissants of course! The assembly told us all about mini-beasts and there was some super singing with actions - especially about the lifecycle of a caterpillar! Well done Robins. Reception Discovery Days On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, parents of our Reception classes (Owls and Kingfishers) came into school for Discovery Days, when they were able to experience a day in the life of a Reception child. All agreed that the children are extremely busy and that they are clearly having a lot of fun in their learning! Year 6 Road Safety Also on Wednesday our Year 6 classes took part in a workshop called 'The Incident at Station Road' which was a re-enactment of a road traffic accident, led by a theatre group called The Riot Act. There was an accident scene in which a 12 year old boy had been hit by a car while crossing the road. We heard from the police, the driver of the car and a cyclist who had swerved to avoid the child and whose bike had gone under a lorry. Luckily, he had been saved by his helmet. It was an informative and engaging performance. The Year 6 pupils were detectives and had to try to work out what had happened and who was at fault. It made everyone think about keeping safe and ensuring we focus when crossing the road and are not distracted by chat, screens or anything else as this can be so dangerous.  Nursery Trip to Hobbledown Heath Thursday saw our Nursery classes take a trip to Hobbledown Heath, where they had the opportunity to meet many of the animals including Muffin the alpaca, Willis the rabbit and Spice the guinea pig. The meerkats were having so much fun running between their enclosures and the reindeers were sleeping (saving their energy for their next adventures perhaps!). The children also explored the climbing equipment, water pillows (a firm favourite with both pupils and staff) and the sand areas. This was a wonderful trip and the staff were so proud of how well behaved the children all were throughout the day too. Author Visit On Thursday 15th June, author Nazneen Ahmed Pathak will be visiting us to speak to the children in Years 3-6 about her book City of Stolen Magic and to answer their questions about being an author and the writing process. We are sure this will be very inspiring for our children. There will also be an opportunity for the children to buy a signed copy of City of Stolen Magic. If you would like to pre-order a copy of the book ready to be signed and dedicated at school on the day, please click the link below and place your order through Chiltern Bookshops by 5 p.m. on Wednesday 14th June. Please note that only books purchased through this link will be signed and dedicated on the day. All orders will be delivered free to St. Helen's College. https://schools.chilternbookshops.co.uk/events/nazneen-ahmed-pathak-15th-june/  Staff Updates We will soon be saying goodbye to some members of staff who are leaving St. Helen's College to take the next steps on their journeys.  Ros Allery (5A class teacher) will be retiring at the end of this academic year. Mrs. Allery has been at St. Helen's College for twenty four years and has had a huge impact on so many children both as a class teacher and, for a long time, as our Head of Music. Mrs. Allery joined St. Helen's College as a part time teacher, then becoming full time and eventually taking on the Director of Music post. She has supported the school throughout her career and been instrumental in the children's academic and music successes. She is looking forward to a well-deserved rest, playing more tennis and spending more time with her family. We are sure you will join us in wishing her well and celebrating her career at St. Helen's College during her last half term. Natalie Wilcock (Welfare/Attendance Officer) will be leaving us in mid-June after three years to take up a new position with the London Borough of Hillingdon as their Attendance Support Officer. As part of the Multi Agency Support Hub, Mrs. Wilcock will be helping to ensure that all children in the borough, including those with medical and other special needs, get as much education as possible. We will miss her and wish her well in her new role. Parents will be delighted to know that Miss Gilbey, who is the Funtasia Supervisor and TALA at Upper School, will be extending her working hours to become the Upper School Welfare/Attendance Officer from September while continuing in her Funtasia role. Miss Gilbey knows the children and school systems well and is looking forward to working more closely with all of the children and families. Sarah Flemming (Holiday Club Manager and Robins TALA) is leaving us at the end of the summer term to go travelling again. Miss Flemming has always had the travel bug and we wish her well on her adventures to South America. We thank her for her commitment to St. Helen's College. Holly Hawkes (Peripatetic Vocal Coach and Choir Leader) will also be leaving at the end of term as she and her lovely young family are relocating to Cornwall. Holly was a pupil at St. Helen's College and has worked in Funtasia and Holiday Club before joining us as part of the music department. She was also a student at The Royal Masonic School in Rickmansworth, where Ms Drummond watched her musicality develop as a pupil.  Helen Collier (Peripatetic Violin Teacher) will also be leaving us in the summer to take up a more permanent post at another school. We thank her for her contributions to the musicality of our string musicians and wish her all the best for the future. We will be welcoming Peter Graddon, our new Premises Manager, to St. Helen's College on Monday 5th June. Mr. Graddon is joining us from South Africa and brings a wealth of experience to the school. We are sure that the St. Helen's College community will enjoy getting to know Mr. Graddon, who will be joining Mr. Smith and Mr. Fitzgerald on the Premises team. Next Week Here is a reminder of events/activities next week. All week - Year 6 residential trip to Chateau de la Baudonniere, Normandy, France. Wednesday 24th to Friday 26th May - Year 4 residential trip to Flatford Mill, Suffolk. Thursday 25th May - Wrens Nursery coffee morning and class assembly from 8.15 a.m. at Lower School. Parents Invited To Write More Blogs Parents have indicated that it would be lovely to have some more guest blogs from St. Helen's College parents as well as staff and we agree! If you feel moved to write about an aspect of school life/education or being a parent at St. Helen's College, please send your ideas/suggestions to susmith@sthelenscollege.com and we will be glad to work with you on content and arrange a date for your blog to be published on the school website. Hillingdon Leisure Complex Fun Weeks Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Centre will be hosting 'fun week' camps during May half term and over the summer holidays which might be of interest to children in Years 1 - 6.  Details are here.
Posted on: 19/05/2023

Perilous Perfectionism

Many of you are aware that we are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Brooker on our staff at St. Helen’s College who is a trained counsellor. She is based at the Upper School but is available to all pupils and staff as another element of our pupil wellbeing support. Pupils can self refer or parents and staff can request a ‘Time to Talk’ session for a pupil in addition to the pastoral support we already provide.  Mrs. Brooker supports the staff with wellbeing ideas too and she often shares superb blogs, podcasts and activities for us all to keep upskilling staff and supporting us in our roles with the children. I have frequently asked Mrs. Brooker to write a guest blog for us and thus far she has declined - believe it or not - with her own fear around failing and something being ‘published’ and it not being good enough - oh, the irony! However, it is so important that adults are self-aware and recognise our fears - such as fear of failure - so that we know how they may affect how we work with the children and prepare them for the next steps in their learning journey.  I am delighted that Mrs. Brooker has taken on the challenge of writing for us and has overcome that fear of failure or her blog not being good enough! I am sure that her blog will resonate with us all and give some helpful tips. Thank you Mrs. Brooker.  Ms Drummond   I heard this week how a child had become so distraught after getting one of their spelling words wrong in a test that they became angry and refused to engage in play at break. This intense distress continued all day and by home time, they insisted that their parent write to the class teacher to assure them that they had definitely learned their spelling words that week and that it was just a slight mistake in their handwriting, not that they hadn’t learnt their spellings properly. Imagine how the child had felt as the correct spellings were read aloud that day. Can you picture the enormity of their fear of that one mistake? Perhaps the child immediately felt sick or their heart started to pound in their chest. Their legs may have felt tingly and they may have started to sweat. Rage and fear may have started to rumble in their stomach and this could have triggered angry, self-critical thoughts about themselves like, ‘You’re such a failure!’ ‘You’re always getting things wrong!’ ‘Everyone will laugh at you now!’. Automatic negative thoughts like these would have sent off messages back to the body that it is in danger and the child’s fight or flight response may have been triggered. Perfectionism can become a problem when it fuels our anxiety and depression about who we are or who we are not. It can lead someone to feel like they are never good enough or they can’t enjoy any present accomplishments because they are worried about a future mistake or failure. Some symptoms of perfectionism are: Difficulty completing work because it is ‘never good enough’ High anxiety surrounding failure or mistakes High sensitivity to criticism or constructive feedback Low frustration tolerance to mistakes Procrastinating around difficult tasks Self-critical, self-conscious and easily embarrassed Very critical of other people Here are some tips to manage symptoms of perfectionism: Self-esteem: Encourage your child to engage in activities that support them feeling good about themselves. Control: Explore with your child what they can control and what is outside of their control. Self-talk: Encourage your child to offer themselves some kindness and compassion for the effort that went into a task rather than self-criticism. Expectations: Check in occasionally to see whose expectations your child is looking to meet. Effort: Remember to praise the effort your child has made and remind them it is not about the grade, it is about how much they tried. Goals: Keep goals realistic and challenging, but most of all fun! Share: Share stories of how you have failed, how you coped and what you may have learned from the experience. Coping skills: Understand that failure can feel uncomfortable, but help your children to manage their disappointment, rejection and mistakes in a healthy way. Suggest offering themselves some compassion or they could do a couple of star jumps, splash some cold water on their face, talk to a friend, write a journal or draw a picture to support themselves through their difficult emotions. Mrs. Brooker
Posted on: 12/05/2023

Weekly News - Friday 12th May 2023

Wellbeing Day At St. Helen's College we make pupil and staff wellbeing our top priority. Wednesday was the school's annual Wellbeing Day and children on all three sites took part in activities and workshops to enhance physical and mental health and encourage them to think about how to care for ourselves and each other. There was a harmonious buzz as staff and children moved across the school sites having fun and engaging fully in the programme on offer. This included a disco, mini-beast hunt, sports, meditation, clay play, music immersion, mindful movement, nature poetry, Bollywood dancing, a dentist visit, HIIT classes, spiritual prayer activities and much more. We hope your child came home and spoke to you about their day and all the wonderful experiences they had. We would like to extend our gratitude to all of the parent helpers and staff for making Wellbeing Day a memorable event for the children. We have put together some useful information, tips and web links for parents to help you in supporting your children's - and your own - wellbeing. You can access this here. Nursery Discovery Days On Thursday and Friday our Nursery was open to parents for 'Discovery Days', during which parents could come into school and partake in a normal Nursery day to gain further understanding of how the children spend their time, their routines, wellbeing and learning. Owls Coffee Morning/Class Assembly The parents of our Owls Reception class were delighted to come into school on Thursday morning for coffee and a chat followed by their children's class assembly. The assembly was themed around traditional tales and included the children performing a mini-musical of Little Red Riding Hood. There was some super drama with Granny being locked in the wardrobe by the big bad wolf before Little Red Riding Hood and a woodcutter managed to free her, and some really wonderful singing with hip-swinging dancing too! The children performed confidently and showed some great talent in public speaking, singing, dancing and acting. The St. Helen's College values of courage and kindness were also clearly on display as one or two children were a little less confident on the day and were kindly and sensitively supported by their friends and by St. Helen's College staff. To see four and five year olds perform so well, enjoy themselves so much and show such respect for each other was truly  remarkable. Well done Owls! 4L Coffee Morning/Class Assembly At Upper School, class 4L presented an assembly on Friday morning in which they taught us all about sound. They demonstrated how sound travels through vibrations in the air and how it can be stopped by hard surfaces as well as explaining how echoes come about. They also enacted the story of King Midas who was cursed with donkey's ears after choosing whose of the Gods' music he preferred. According to legend, his barber whispered the secret about his ears to the rushes and the rushes continue to whisper it to this day. The children also showed us how different musical instruments can be made to make different sounds by altering their pitch and explained how important rhythm is in music. We were also treated to two musical performances on the violin and piano. Well done 4L on an informative, fun, energetic assembly and your confident, accomplished performances. Orchestra Day at John Lyon School On Tuesday members of the St. Helen's College Orchestra visited John Lyon School for a day of musicality. They joined together with children from other prep schools to rehearse and perform a piece to an excited audience of parents and staff. What a super experience to enjoy being part of a massed orchestra with some superb direction!       A Royal Pair! On the weekend before the coronation, Eva J and Senna G (Year 5) decided to spend the afternoon making posters for the coronation. Luckily, Eva’s grandparents had been invited to the King's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace the following week and her Grandad took the pictures with him and handed their creations to Queen Camilla herself! These pictures were then passed onto to the King and both girls have received official thank you letters from Buckingham Palace!           Chess Success Leonard S (Year 2) also recently entered the Delancey UK Chess Megafinals and has qualified for the Gigafinals. Well done Leonard and good luck as you continue your chess journey! Parents' Evening (Years 1 - 6) We held the second of this term's parents' evenings for families of children in Years 1 to 6 on Thursday evening. Thank you to all of the parents who attended; we hope that you found the conversations useful. Parents' Association News The PA will be holding a virtual meeting on Wednesday next week to run through outstanding actions for the Fete and Sports Days and to appoint a new secretary. All parents are most welcome to attend. Don't forget you can contact the PA at pa@sthelenscollege.com. The PA Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 24th June from 1 - 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed to set up and run stalls so please contact your class rep about this. The flyer is here. Next Week It will be another busy week next week. Here is a reminder of some key dates/events. Monday 15th May - Middle/Upper School House Talent Show Final in assembly. Tuesday 16th/Wednesday 17th May - Reception Discovery Days Tuesday 16th May - 7 p.m. Musicians' Concert at All Saints Church (with rehearsal during the school day). Pupils taking part in the concert must bring their instrument and music into school on Tuesday morning for the rehearsal at 9.00 a.m. For the evening concert, children must wear full summer uniform and arrive at All Saints Church promptly at 6.40 p.m. Wednesday 17th May - 8.15 a.m. Robins Nursery Coffee Morning/Class Assembly Thursday 18th May - Nursery trip to Hobble Down Heath Friday 19th May - Middle and Upper School Singing Competition Finals during afternoon lessons Half Term Holiday Club Bookings for our Half Term Holiday Club will open on Monday 15th May at 12 p.m. Please login to your SchoolsBuddy account to book your places.  Communications Survey Thank you to the many parents who have already responded to our request for feedback about how well the school is communicating with parents. We will be reviewing parental feedback so that we may consolidate and build upon what is working well and identify any areas for improvement. If you have not yet completed the survey and would like to give feedback, you can do so here: Parent Communications Survey. Football Development Programme Parents of children in Reception to Year 4 might be interested in a new football development programme on Monday evenings which will be run by Primary Sporting Development. The programme will begin on 15th May and run until 17th July at Hillingdon Leisure Centre. Sessions are high quality and fun and are delivered by FA and UEFA accredited coaches. You can find full information and booking details here:https://academy.thepsdgroup.org.uk/list
Posted on: 5/05/2023

Weekly News - Friday 5th May 2023

We have all enjoyed celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III today at school. Pupils and staff wore red, white and blue and the pupils took part in parades to showcase the beautiful crowns they had made. There was a picnic-style celebration lunch and a super class assembly too.    Upper School children came together to sing a special Coronation song. You can see the video of this here. The Hillingdon Music Service is organising a day of music and dance in Uxbridge on Sunday 7 May to celebrate the King’s Coronation. You can find details here.       4T Class Assembly The children of 4T presented a confident, informative and very enjoyable assembly at Upper School this morning, themed around the coronation of King Charles III. They gave us the history of some other kings and queens and then proceeded to act out a coronation, giving us a foretaste of what we will all see on Saturday. We all sang The National Anthem and the children also performed a King Charles Poem which they had written as a class. Well done 4T. Year 3 Residential Trip - PACCAR Scout Camp Our Year 3 pupils return happy and tired today after their first school residential to PACCAR Scout Camp. The children were a credit to their families and to St. Helen's College throughout the trip and have certainly gained in independence, enjoying many challenging and interesting activities while there.         Year 2 Visit Iver Nature Study Centre On Tuesday the Year 2 classes took a trip to the Iver Nature Study Centre, where they enriched their science learning about animal habitats. The children enjoyed taking part in several activities including pond dipping, a mini-beast hunt and making bug hotels, which they were able to take home with them. They thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the centre and this was reflected in their very detailed recounts of the day. More Chess Success! Further to the report last week, we are delighted to announce that Jacob N also took part in the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge Megafinal competition and has qualified for the Gigafinal. Well done Jacob! Year 5 Reading Club Proves Popular A new club for Year 5 children who love reading is proving popular. The club is voluntary and there are two groups, meeting alternate Thursdays from 8.00 - 8.30 a.m. The group pictured here are reading The Wolf Wilder, a challenging adventure story set in Russia. The children read the book in between the meetings and then, facilitated by Mrs. Briggs, discuss the text and share ideas and predictions.      General Knowledge Quiz Club Semi-Final Our General Knowledge Quiz Club took part in their semi-final on Thursday morning, competing against teams from prep schools across the UK. Two St. Helen's College teams had qualified for the semi-final; the team members were: Parisa S, Armaan V, Eva J, Yousra M Aadhya M, Rohan F, Roha K, Arshvir S. There were a lot of tricky questions on the day and the teams certainly learnt some new facts along they way! The teams finished 40th and 48th overall. Well done to the children who took part. Maths Quiz Club Heat On Wednesday two St. Helen's College teams took part in the annual Maths Quiz Club competition. The children really enjoyed the experience and learnt a lot about working together as a team.  Parents' Evenings (Years 1 - 6) Thank you to all of the parents who attended the first parents' evening on Tuesday this week. It was lovely to see you all and we hope that you found the conversations useful. The next parents' evening for Years 1 to 6 will take place on Thursday 11th May from 5.00 to 8.00 p.m. School At Work Open Morning On Thursday morning we held a School At Work Open Morning for prospective parents. As usual, we were fully booked and the families who attended were very impressed by their tours. Our Year 6 pupils were eager guides and were highly commended by our visitors for their enthusiasm, knowledge and confidence. Singing Competition Reminder Today is the deadline for submitting video entries for this year's Singing Competition. The final will take place on 19th May; full details and a form to register your child's entry are here.  Next Week Tuesday 9th May will see our orchestra visiting John Lyon School to take part in a special day of music.  On Wednesday 10th May we will enjoy our annual Wellbeing Day. On Thursday 11th May and Friday 12th May we will be holding Nursery Discovery Days. There is an Owls Class coffee morning/class assembly on Thursday 11th May and a 4L coffee morning/class assembly on Friday 12th May. Details of these events have been sent directly to parents. Summer School Thank you to those parents who have booked places at our Summer School at PACCAR in August. There is now just one place left for Year 5 and a few spaces still available for Year 3 children. All other places have been filled.
Posted on: 5/05/2023

Music Education

This week I attended a ‘Breakfast Chat’ which I attend monthly with fellow educators to discuss topical educational issues surrounding partnerships with other schools and external providers. This ‘Breakfast Chat’ network has been invaluable in hearing about what other schools around the UK are doing to enhance educational opportunities for children in both independent and maintained schools. On this occasion we had over fifty participants online all from a musical background to discuss ‘Music education and how partnerships are essential to develop music.’ The first question which was raised was how we define music education. I am delighted that we have such a strong focus on music education here at St. Helen’s College, both in the curriculum and in our co-curricular provision, and that we recognise that music education is part of pupil wellbeing. It was quite pertinent that we used music as the key driver behind our ‘One World Day’ last term.   Your children are exposed to music on a daily basis whether that is in their curriculum lessons, in peripatetic lessons, or through our various choirs, musical groups, assemblies and performances in school. We are lucky to have an incredibly talented group of music teachers. However, it is every teacher’s responsibility to ensure that we are appreciating music as part of pupil wellbeing throughout the day and this is also most definitely the case at St. Helen’s College.   Partnerships with other schools and external agencies are also important and we would love to continue building these relationships. This month our orchestra is joining together with several other schools for a day of musicality at John Lyon School. Our pupils visit local care homes to entertain them with their musicality and this is mutually beneficial for wellbeing.  Our peripatetic teachers share information about what else they are involved in and many of us have booked our tickets to see Cinderella at the Royal Albert Hall where Mrs. Nash (one of our peripatetic teachers and a parent of three Old Helenians) is playing as a violinist in the orchestra. I was presenting ABRSM certificates to our students earlier this week and many of them had just passed their ‘cello exams.  I introduced the children to the music of Sheku Kanneh-Mason. We listened to him play and I read the children an extract from this book ‘Rise Up - Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories.’ I was delighted that many of our pupils knew of him already. Through his hard work and dedication as a young school boy from Northampton he is now a world class musician.  One of my ex students from Japan, Eva Kestner, has just shared the news with me that Harper Collins UK is publishing a book about her and her music and they are developing an online platform where children and parents can download her music and educational videos. Eva is a professional taiko drummer and she was delighted when I showed her photographs of our pupils at Upper School taking part in the taiko drumming workshops during One World Day. I hope that we can welcome Eva to St. Helen’s College if she has the opportunity to visit London in the near future.  Our own pupils are incredibly inspiring and I am very much looking forward to our Singing Competition later this month which will be closely followed by the Singers’ Concert in All Saints and our Musicians’ Concert, which are always two of my school calendar highlights.   Keep enjoying music at home too - we are so fortunate to have such a diverse community and that our pupils are exposed to so many genres and styles of music and song.  I will leave you with these words from Plato:  “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” Ms Drummond
Posted on: 28/04/2023

Weekly News - Friday 28th April 2023

TCS London Mini Marathon What a wonderful occasion it was last Saturday when over ninety St. Helen's College children, parents and staff came together to run the TCS London Mini Marathon. Very well done indeed to all of those who took part. We hope that you have all been inspired to keep running! Huge congratulations are due to Mrs. Rumney from the Upper School office who completed the London Marathon on Sunday with a time of just under five hours. What an achievement! We are sure that pupils will be inspired by her efforts too.           Year 5 Residential Trip: Isle of Wight It has been a fun-packed, educational and enriching week for our Year 5 children, who have spent Monday to Friday on their residential trip on the Isle of Wight. They have taken part in all sorts of thrilling activities and taken the opportunity to enhance their geography and history studies too. They return today tired and happy and, no doubt, with increased independence and pride in themselves for all they have achieved and experienced during the week. Satips Art Exhibition Thank you to all of the parents and children who attended the Satips Art Exhibition at The Royal Masonic School in Rickmansworth last Saturday. It was super to see the work of forty St. Helen's College children displayed alongside artwork from other prep schools. The work produced was of a wonderfully high standard and we are sure that you all took great pride in seeing your children's work exhibited in this way. Chess Success! Well done to Rohaym U (Year 4) who took part in the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge competition on Sunday and has successfully qualified for the Gigafinal! We wish him luck! London Young Musician Award Minaya W has won a silver prize at London Young Musician for her viola performance. London Young Musician (LYM) is an international online classical music performance competition for musicians under the age of 28 from all countries. The competition looks for talented musicians who have excellent musical skills, a strong personality and fantastic creativity. Very well done, Minaya! Month End Music Recital Congratulations to all of the children who performed at our Month End Music Recital this afternoon. We were very proud of you all for sharing your talents and hard work! Year 2 Swimming Our Year 2 classes have had a great time swimming at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex this week and have certainly developed their water skills! Now that all classes have completed their intensive swimming programmes for this year, we would like to urge parents to keep taking your children swimming regularly. Development of skills takes frequent practice and swimming is fantastic exercise and great fun, so please continue to take them to the pool often! Coronation Celebration Day - Friday 5th May On Friday 5th May we will celebrate the upcoming coronation of King Charles III here at St. Helen's College. Children should wear red, white and blue clothes to school and we will enjoy a special coronation-themed picnic lunch. 4T will present their class assembly on the theme and children are invited to take part in our crown competition. Next Week Following Monday's bank holiday, we are looking forward to another busy week. On Tuesday, our Year 2 children will visit Iver Nature Study Centre and the first of this term's parents' evenings will take place for Years 1 - 6 (from 4.00 - 7.00 p.m.). On Wednesday, our Maths Quiz team will take part in their Quiz Club heat online and on Thursday our General Knowledge Quiz Team will compete in their semi-final, pitting their wits against teams from other schools from across the country. Also on Thursday, our Year 3 children will set off for their first St. Helen's College residential trip to PACCAR scout camp and we will be holding our 'School at Work' Open Morning here at school. There will also be the information evening for the Year 6 residential trip to France at 6.30 p.m. in the Evans Hall. On Friday we will celebrate the coronation with a themed day of activities and learning across the school (details above). Summer School We will be running Summer School this year at PACCAR Scout Camp for children in Years 3-6. Information has been sent out to parents today and bookings open at 12.00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday 29th April). Please login to your SchoolsBuddy account to book your place(s).
Posted on: 21/04/2023

Weekly News - Friday 21st April 2023

We wish those celebrating Eid a happy time with family and friends. Last Friday many Sikh and Hindu families celebrated Vaisakhi and it has been lovely to hear the children sharing their experiences. We have had a busy first few days back at school and there is much to come over the weekend and next week! Tomorrow (Saturday 22nd) is the TCS Mini Marathon. We are looking forward to seeing all those who have signed up to take part on the day. The best place for everyone to meet is at Horse Guard Parade and all St. Helen's College children should wear school PE kits so that we can easily find each other. Parents running in the one mile run do not have to look after anyone else's children. If you have other questions about the event, please check the event guide here. We all wish Mrs. Rumney the very best of luck on Sunday when she will be running the full London Marathon! The SATIPS Art Exhibition is also taking place this Saturday at The Royal Masonic School for Girls, Rickmansworth. Forty St. Helen's College children are exhibiting and we look forward to seeing many parents there. Bikeability begins this Saturday for those Year 6 children who signed up for this.  Next Week Lunchtime and after school co-curricular clubs will begin on Monday (24th April). Next week will see our Year 5 children enjoy their week-long residential trip to the Isle of Wight and our Year 2 children will embark on their swimming programme. The following events will also be taking place: Wednesday 26th April - Information evening for Year 4 parents ahead of the Year 4 residential trip to Flatford Mill (6.30 p.m.) Thursday 27th April - Parents' Association Meeting in the Evans Hall (7.30 p.m.) Friday 28th April - Month End Music Recital in the Evans Hall (from 3.45 p.m.) Summer Term Reminders Please check the school calendar to make note of dates relevant to your child for the summer term. There are plays, concerts, assemblies, Sports Days and more. The final of our House Talent Show will take place in assembly on Tuesday 9th May. The final of our annual Singing Competition will take place on 19th May. You can find full details and a form to register your child's entry here. Please note that video entries must be submitted no later than 5th May. Year 1 - 6 Parents' Evenings Bookings open at 4 p.m. today for our Year 1 - 6 parents' evenings which will take place in school on the following dates: Tuesday 2nd May 4 -7 p.m. Thursday 11th May 5 - 8 p.m.  Parents should book appointments by following this link: https://sthelens.schoolcloud.co.uk/  Children's Bollywood Dance Classes From next Wednesday, Lopa Dance will be running children's Bollywood dance classes in the Evans Hall at Upper School for children in the local community. These will take place from 4.30 - 5.30 p.m. on Wednesdays and will be available for children aged 6-11. Interested parents should book directly with Lopa Dance. You can find full details here.
Posted on: 21/04/2023

Artificial Intelligence - What Is It And Will It Replace Teachers?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a disruptive technology with the potential to revolutionize education. It has the ability to process vast amounts of data, learn from patterns and make predictions, and perform tasks that would require significant human effort. While there are several benefits to integrating AI in education, there are also concerns about the negative impact it may have on students and teachers. This report will explore both the positive and negative aspects of AI and its impact on education. Positive Aspects of AI in Education 1. Personalized Learning AI has the ability to personalize learning for each student based on their individual needs and learning styles. It can analyze data on students' progress, strengths, and weaknesses to create a customized learning plan that suits their individual needs. This can help students learn more effectively and efficiently, leading to improved academic performance. 2. Enhanced Teaching and Learning Experience AI can provide a more interactive and engaging teaching and learning experience for students. It can be used to create virtual simulations, educational games, and chatbots that can answer students' questions and provide instant feedback. This can make learning more fun and engaging, leading to better retention of knowledge. 3. Improved Accessibility AI can help make education more accessible to students with disabilities. It can be used to create assistive technologies that can help students with visual or hearing impairments, or those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. This can help ensure that every student has access to quality education. 4. Time-Saving AI can automate administrative tasks such as grading, lesson planning, and student record keeping. This can save teachers a significant amount of time, allowing them to focus more on teaching and providing individualized attention to students. Negative Aspects of AI in Education 1. Overreliance on Technology One of the main concerns about AI in education is the potential for overreliance on technology. Students may become too dependent on technology to learn and may lose important social and critical thinking skills. 2. Ethical Concerns AI may raise ethical concerns in education, such as privacy issues related to student data collection. There is also a risk that AI algorithms may perpetuate biases and discrimination, which could negatively impact students from marginalized communities. 3. Cost Implementing AI technology in education can be expensive, and some schools and students may not have access to these resources. This could create a digital divide between students who have access to AI and those who do not, which could further exacerbate existing inequalities in education. 4. Job Displacement There is a risk that AI may displace teachers and other education professionals, leading to job losses in the education sector. This could have a negative impact on the quality of education and the development of soft skills that can only be learned through human interaction. Impact of AI on Education Overall, AI has the potential to have a significant impact on education, both positive and negative. While there are concerns about overreliance on technology and ethical issues related to data privacy and biases, the benefits of personalized learning, enhanced teaching and learning experiences, improved accessibility, and time-saving outweigh the negative aspects. It is important to carefully consider the potential impacts of AI in education and to develop policies and strategies to ensure that its implementation benefits all students and does not exacerbate existing inequalities. While AI technology has advanced significantly in recent years, it is unlikely that AI will completely replace human teachers in the foreseeable future. AI can assist teachers in various ways, such as automating administrative tasks, providing personalized learning experiences, and grading multiple-choice exams. However, teaching is a complex and multi-faceted profession that requires empathy, creativity, and critical thinking, which are currently beyond the capabilities of AI. Human teachers are also adept at adapting to individual student needs and providing emotional support, which are crucial aspects of the learning process that AI is currently unable to replicate. Furthermore, education is not just about transmitting information but also involves helping students develop social skills, collaboration, and creativity. These skills are best learned in a social environment with other students and human teachers. In conclusion, AI can enhance and support the work of teachers, but it is unlikely to completely replace them. The human touch remains an essential aspect of education, and AI can serve as a tool to assist teachers in delivering personalized and effective learning experiences. I trust that many of you found this blog informative and interesting. I wish that I could take credit for the content of it. However, the above report/blog was all produced by the ‘ChatGPT’ from a prompt which I gave it. I wonder if you noticed the American spellings and a different ‘tone’ from my other blogs?  Over the holidays I have experimented with the ChatGPT and I am eager to learn more about the use of AI in education. Your children are growing up in a new age where technology is moving at such a rapid pace. Many of us use AI in our daily lives without perhaps being aware of it. My working day commences with my use of facial recognition then Waze as I navigate my way to work the most efficient way using the apps on my mobile phone. Children are much more receptive to change and adapt to new ways of learning thus it is important that we as adults explore and investigate this new world of AI in education then share it appropriately with our pupils. I would be most interested to hear your thoughts and experiences of AI in your workplace. Ms Drummond
Posted on: 24/03/2023

End of Term News - Friday 24th March 2023

Our Easter service at All Saints Church this morning was a fitting and meaningful way to end what has been a busy and mindful spring term. Thank you to all of the parents who came, to the choirs who performed so beautifully and to our Year 6 readers who read the lessons to us all with mature understanding and great clarity. Happy Easter to you all. Speech Recitations and Competitions On Monday our Nursery and Reception children recited the poems they had learnt to a willing audience of their parents. It is always quite astonishing to see children so young prepared to stand up individually (or in some cases with a friend) to speak in public. The pupils did well and we are very proud of them all. Thursday saw the grand finals of our annual Speech Competition at Upper School. In the morning, the finalists for Years 1 to 3 performed for parents and their peers and in the afternoon it was the turn of the finalists in Years 4 to 6. Our visiting judge, actress Genevieve Allenbury, was extremely impressed at the standard of the competition and chose the following children as winners: 1C: Phoebe A-C, 1R: Sikhya R Year 1 Winner: Sikhya R 2H: Eleanor G, 2R: Ivaan M Year 2 Winner: Eleanor G 3B: Armaan V, 3M: Gurdaya J Year 3 Winner: Gurdaya J Overall Junior Speech Competition Champion: Eleanor G 4L: Avar D, 4T: Aarav C Year 4 Winner: Aarav C 5A: Verity S, 5G Sienna D Year 5 Winner: Sienna D 6B: Lavanya B, 6R: Ayla A Year 6 Winner: Lavanya B Overall Senior Speech Competition Champion: Aarav C Many, many congratulations to our finalists and our winners. This is the culmination of a competition in which every child from Year 1 to Year 6 has taken part and, as ever, it has been a most valuable experience for all. Thank you to the parents who came to watch the finals and a big thank you to Genevieve Allenbury for visiting us to take on the extremely tricky job of judging the competition. Singing Competition The final of our annual Singing Competition will take place on 19th May. You can find full details and a form to register your child's entry here. Reception Planetarium Visit The children in Reception were treated to a visit from a travelling Planetarium on Thursday to enhance their learning for their Space topic. They were able to enter a world of planets and fully immerse themselves in what it would be like to travel through space!         Year 5 Bletchley Park Trip Year 5 visited Bletchley Park this week, where they learnt about the development of electronic computers and the importance of code breaking in bringing World War 2 to an end. They learnt that the work carried out was kept secret for many years after the war and saw where now famous people such as Alan Turing worked, helped by still unknown code breakers. The children saw Enigma machines from the war and were able to engage with simulations of them and the Bombe code breaking machine. This was a valuable, enriching educational experience for the pupils and much enjoyed by all.   Sports News Our cross country team took part in the UDPSSA inter schools cross country event on Monday. The children performed excellently in the wet and windy conditions. Thank you to all of the parents who came to support the teams and a particular well done to Anna K who came 4th out of the girls, just missing out on the bronze medal.       On Tuesday the Year 5/6 netball team played Laurel Lane School in their last league netball match of the season. The team had a bit of a slow start scoring goals but finished up with a 10-1 win. The girls demonstrated all of the skills they have been working on during training: marking their players, changing direction, accurate passing and some fantastic shooting!     A significant number of children from St. Helen’s College attended the UK Shito Ryu karate tournament with KML Karate Club over the weekend and did exceptionally well. These competitions provide an excellent platform for the children to get selected for the national team and ultimately represent GB at the future Olympics.  The following children competed and placed. Myla K - Gold kickmaster Inaya S- Bronze Poppy H - Bronze Kata Myla K, Inaya S, Nya O-A - Gold team fighting Aleya S, Freya K - Gold team fighting  Freya K - Gold Kickmaster Aleya S - Silver fighting  Naiya L - Bronze fighting  Nya O-A - Gold fighting  Several others attended and did exceptionally well. Overall the club won 20 titles and came 4th out of 25 teams overall. Myla, Inaya, Freya and Aleya are also attending the British national karate championships  next week in Glasgow. We wish them well! PA Easter Egg Raffles Thank you to the Parents' Association for the donation of eggs and 'Duckling' which were excitedly raffled in assemblies today. We hope the winners enjoy their prizes! Comic Relief Fundraising We would like to thank all of the parents, pupils and staff who pulled together to support Comic Relief both inside and outside of school. St. Helen's College raised £676.00 in total for Comic Relief this year. Residential Trip Meetings As we look ahead to a busy summer term, we have held information evenings this week for our Year 3 and Year 5 parents ahead of the residential trips to PACCAR Scout Camp (Year 3) and The Isle of Wight (Year 5). Information evenings for the Year 4 and Year 6 residential trips will take place early in the summer term. Summer Term Reminders Please check the school calendar to make note of dates relevant to your child for next term. There are plays, assemblies, Sports Days and more! The menu for the summer term is now available on the website here. Children should return to school for the summer term in their summer uniform: girls should wear their summer dress with white socks (never with tights). Please take the opportunity over the holidays to check that your child has all the correct uniform and equipment and that it is all in good condition and named. The PA will be holding a second hand uniform sale outside the school entrance on Parkway on 31st March. Co-curricular allocations for the summer term were sent to parents this week. If you have not already done so, please make any payments due promptly. Free Basketball Tickets The Thames Valley Cavaliers basketball team will play host to Loughborough Riders this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Uxbridge College and then Reading Rockets next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Once again, St. Helen's College pupils are invited to attend these games for free. You can find information about both games here.  

421 Blog Posts found - Showing 46-54

  1. First
  2. ..
  3. 5
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. ..
  8. Last