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Posted on: 4/07/2025

Weekly News - Friday 4th July 2025

Summer Arts Evening Thank you to all of the families who joined us for the St. Helen's College Summer Arts Evening at the Winston Churchill Theatre on Tuesday evening. It was a magical evening of creative expression and a glimpse of just some of the stunning work the children achieve here at SHC.  The art exhibition featured pieces from every single prep school child in Years 2 - 6, and displayed the enormous variety of techniques and materials the children are lucky to explore in their lessons. Following the exhibition we were treated to an evening concert where the children took centre stage to perform solo, choral and instrumental musical pieces, poetry recitations, LAMDA pieces, group ensembles and more. The children gave outstanding performances, and should feel extremely proud for working so hard at their artistic endeavours.  House TED Talk Competition This term the children in Years 2 - 6 have participated in a TED Talk Competition to win precious points for their Houses. The children were tasked with entering an approximately two minute long TED-style talk about an area of interest to them, in order to inspire their audience.  There was a wide variety of entries and it has been extremely interesting to hear the pupils present their TED talks in House assemblies over the past few weeks. One finalist was chosen from each House in the categories of Middle School (Years 2/3) and Upper School (Years 4/5/6), and the finals were held on Thursday this week. Every pupil listening then took part in a blind vote to choose the winner! The Upper School finalists were: Gurdaya J (5R) - Hibernia Mahi B (5R) - Caledonia Rayhan R (5G) - Windsor Rania Q (5R) - Cambria  The Middle School finalists were: Hadi Q (2C) - Windsor Shivansh P (2S) - Hibernia Nikita M (3B) - Caledonia Pavleen J (2C) - Cambria The overall winner for Years 4-6 was Rayhan, with an exceptionally well-prepared and well-delivered talk about Egypt, and the overall winner for Years 2-3 was Pavleen, who delivered an interesting and inspiring talk about 'The Word Why' with style and confidence. Very well done to everyone who entered this super competition and especially to the finalists and winners. Ducklings Sports Day On Thursday afternoon our very youngest pupils at Ducklings participated in their first St. Helen's College Sports Day which took place in the grounds on site. The children participated in a variety of fun sporting activities including sprints on the lawn and an obstacle course to challenge their agility and coordination. The children were delighted to win rosettes and medals for their efforts! Thank you to all of the parents for joining us, it was a lovely afternoon.        Y1 Visit to Mad Bess Woods Year 1 enjoyed a marvellous visit to Mad Bess Woods in Ruislip on Wednesday, where they were hosted by Mrs. Hunt and had a chance to visit the gardens of her house! They had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful surroundings there and were excited to find all sorts of minibeasts in the woodlands, including spiders with egg sacks. They were also treated to an ice cream from a visiting ice cream van and Mrs. Hunt even got to ride in the ice cream van!       Reception Trip to Whipsnade On Thursday, our Kingfishers and Owls Reception classes enjoyed a fun outing to Whipsnade Zoo. The day began with a fascinating workshop all about African and Asian animals, where the children were especially impressed to see the skull of a lion! They had a terrific time exploring the zoo and were lucky enough to see several very young animals, including a ten day old baby giraffe, a baby elephant, baby rhino and meerkats. The day was rounded off with a fun train ride around the park. The children thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was a fantastic learning opportunity to support their classroom topic work. Year 6 Bikeability  Well done to Year 6 who have this week completed their Bikeability training. Bikeability is the government’s national cycle training programme which helps children to learn practical skills and understand how to cycle safely on today’s busy roads. Throughout the week they have mastered the basics of bike control and safety at Level 1 and have gained further competence at Level 2, riding out on the roads surrounding school. The children have gained the skills and confidence to negotiate parked cars, other road users, roundabouts, junctions and crossroads. We hope to see Year 6 putting their new skills into action from now on!    Basketball Success In their very first basketball match, St. Helen's College delivered a stunning performance, overpowering Ryefield Primary School with a commanding 36–8 victory. The team played with confidence and cohesion, setting the pace with sharp ball movement and relentless defence. Their ability to control the game at both ends of the court left Ryefield struggling to find rhythm or scoring opportunities. By half time, the lead was already substantial, and St. Helen’s College continued to dominate in the second half, showcasing impressive depth and discipline for a debut outing. Huge congratulations to the team!      Wimbledon Tennis Visit (selected Year 5/6 pupils) On Tuesday a group of children visited the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and enjoyed a super day discovering the club and watching exciting games on Court 2 and the outer courts. This was a lovely opportunity for some of our sporting pupils to visit an iconic sports venue and watch inspiring sports players in action!         London Fire Brigade Visit Reception Today the Reception children had a thrilling visit from the London Fire Brigade to support their topic work all about people who help us. They listened intently to a short talk from firefighters who explained the important work that they do. Afterwards the children had the opportunity to explore the fire engine outdoors! They had a fascinating tour of the vehicle and asked lots of interesting questions.        Music Lessons Individual music lessons are offered at school taught by our team of specialist music teachers, many of whom work professionally in the music industry. From Reception, children can learn the violin or the cello, and from Year 2 children can learn a wider variety of instruments including flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, piano, singing and guitar (NB: guitar can be learnt from Year 3).  There are currently spaces available to begin next term for the following instruments: trumpet, trombone, flute and cello. The waiting list is open for all other instruments and allocations for September will be made shortly. To request lessons or to be added to a waiting list please complete this Google form and Mrs. Fawbert will be in contact if a space becomes available. For any queries please email: cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com. Parents' Evening Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Ducklings and Nursery Parents' Evening on Tuesday. We very much value an open dialogue with families to review your child's progress and we hope you found the meetings useful.  Library Summer Reading Challenge A magical Story Garden was unveiled as the theme of the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge! Rebecca Knight from Oak Farm Library visited SHC for a special assembly to invite all pupils to take part in the challenge to collect magical stickers and earn a medal and certificate. Children will need to visit the library four times over the summer, you can find out more information about the challenge here. To discover libraries in the Hillingdon area (all of which local residents are able to use) click here. Enjoy and good luck everyone!   Next Week Monday 7th July - Y1-5 Move Up Morning Monday 7th July - New Y1 and New Y2 Parent Meetings  Tuesday 8th July - N/R Move Up Morning  Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Coffee Morning & Project Exhibition  Tuesday 8th July - Tennis Competition Y3/4 Final  Tuesday 8th July - Parents' Evening Ducklings and Nursery Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Prizegiving Thursday 10th July - Y6 Final Assembly Thursday 10th July - End of Term 11.50 (Ducklings & N); 12.00 (R); 12.10 (Y1,2); 12.20 (Y3, 4); 12.30 (Y5, 6)
Posted on: 27/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 27th June 2025

PA Summer Fete We are very much looking forward to welcoming pupils, families, alumni and the local community to the Parents' Association annual Summer Fete, which is taking place at Upper School tomorrow from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. As usual it promises to be a fun packed affair with lots of enticing stalls, games, refreshments, a BBQ, face painting and much more. Entertainment will be provided courtesy of our talented choir and musicians so don't miss it! Please do come along to support the terrific work of the PA who have worked so hard to bring the event together to raise funds for the children of SHC. Everyone is welcome so do spread the word and invite along friends and family.  Year 6 Production - Moana Huge congratulations to Year 6 who set the stage alight with their highly anticipated production of Moana at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham last night. The Year 6 production is always a highlight of the children's time at St. Helen's College and this year it certainly did not disappoint!  All of the children displayed enormous confidence and stage presence, learning and delivering their lines accurately, and participating enthusiastically in all of the group ensemble numbers. Behind the scenes the children worked collaboratively together to bring the show to life in what was an extremely polished production. Well done Year 6 for a fantastic show and good luck for the final performance this evening! Year 2 Trip to Iver Environment Centre On Thursday Year 2 visited Iver Environment Centre for a full day of outdoor activities. Despite the rain, the children relished a day in nature, taking part in a mini beast hunt, pond dipping and building their very own bug house as part of work on wildlife habitats. The day was rounded off in the fun adventure play area which proved to be the best part of the day!          Staff News After nearly 24 years, Miss Carmichael a valued member of staff at Lower School will be leaving at the end of term.  Miss Carmichael established our second nursery many years ago and has been hugely influential to the ongoing success of early years at St. Helen's College. We will all miss her and wish her all the best on her future adventures.  Summer Arts Evening (Exhibition And Concert) The Summer Arts Evening (Art Exhibition and Concert), a celebration of the artistic achievements of the children in Upper School, is taking place at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip next Tuesday 1st July. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of artwork at the art exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. There will also be poetry and drama recitations. Our Middle School string group will be performing in the foyer before the concert. Please book your tickets if you haven't done so already!   Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork. Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. You are welcome to take your child's artwork home with you directly from the exhibition. Uncollected work from the exhibition will be transported back to school and sent home with children after the event. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert from 7 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert and include access to the art exhibition. (Doors open at 6 p.m. in the evening for welcome drinks/visits to the art exhibition). Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy.  Chess Club Success The St. Helen's College chess club have triumphed again! The tactical team played two rounds against St Bernadette Primary School this week, scoring 1 point for each win and 0.5 for each draw. Overall SHC secured a very comfortable win, achieving a score of 13.5 to St Bernadette's 2.5. Well done to all of the following players who took part in the competition: Aakash B (5G) Parth K (5R) Rayhan R (5G) Leonard S (4C) Andrew B (6H) Rohan F (6R) Edwin L (6R) Ishani A (3B) Library Books Please be reminded that all school library books must be returned next week. Books which have been outstanding for a long time and any books not returned by Friday 4th July will incur a fee via Schools Buddy so that replacements will be ready on the shelves for September. Please direct any book related queries to Mrs Emanuel: semanuel@sthelenscollege.com         Baby Mindfulness Classes Mrs. McLaughlin's next set of FREE Baby Mindfulness classes will begin after the summer break on Wednesday 10th September. These weekly classes are for mothers and babies (aged from six weeks until crawling) and are held in the Evans Hall at Upper School. Classes provide a safe space for mums and babies to bond, take part in breathing, gentle yoga and other mindfulness exercises. This is a great opportunity to meet other local mums and babies. To find out about joining these classes, please email Mrs. McLaughlin on pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com. The classes are open to everyone, whether they have a child at St. Helen's College or not, so please do spread the word! Coming Up Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July - Y6 Bikeability  Tuesday 1st July - Wimbledon Tennis Visit (selected Year 5/6 pupils) Tuesday 1st July - Upper School Summer Arts Evening Wednesday 2nd July - Y1 Visit to Mad Bess Woods Wednesday 2nd July - Parents' Evening for Ducklings and Nursery Thursday 3rd July - Reception Trip to Whipsnade Thursday 3rd July - Ducklings Sports Day Monday 7th July - Y1-5 Move Up Morning Monday 7th July - New Y1 and New Y2 Parent Meetings  Tuesday 8th July - N/R Move Up Morning  Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Project Exhibition  Tuesday 8th July - Tennis Competition Y3/4 Final  Tuesday 8th July - Parents' Evening Ducklings and Nursery Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Prizegiving Thursday 10th July - End of Term 11.50 (Ducklings & N); 12.00 (R); 12.10 (Y1,2); 12.20 (Y3, 4); 12.30 (Y5, 6)      
Posted on: 20/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 20th June 2025

Year 1 Musical Production Wow, what a performance! Year 1 took to the stage at the Compass Theatre this week and delivered an outstanding performance of 'Sir David Hattenscarf and the Wonders of the World'. This fun musical whisked the audience away on a whistlestop tour around the world, following the adventures of a group of children on a magic carpet as they discover the ecological impact that humans have on the planet.  The children put on an energetic and very polished show, it was wonderful to see them shine in such an accomplished performance. They displayed fantastic stage presence and confidence, with every child taking a speaking part and making it their own. You can see more photographs here.  Prep Sports Day  There was glorious sunshine and high spirits at Prep Sports Day which took place today at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. The anticipation was high as the children participated in a variety of track and field events including the high jump, long jump, sprints, hurdles, javelin and shot put, competing to win all important points for the coveted House Cup.   After lunch came the sprint finals, including a ‘through the Years 4 x 100m relay’ and a whole school House relay. It was super to see all of the children make such a terrific effort and fully embrace their role as a House team member. Thank you to our Year 9 alumni sport leaders who coordinated the events and were fantastic role models for the children. You can view a selection of photographs here.  Congratulations to Windsor House who beat off stiff competition to win the House Cup and well done to the following pupils who were awarded the Victor Ludorum and Victrix Ludorum: Year 3/4 Victor Ludorum - Isaac A Year 3/4 Victrix Ludorum - Kashi P Year 5/6 Victor Ludorum - Maicen M Year 5/6 Victrix Ludorum - Ella K Ducklings Farm Visit  Today, as part of their topic work on the farm, the Ducklings had some very exciting visitors! The children were delighted to receive a special visit from Ark Farm who brought along a selection of farmyard animals for the children to feed and pet. They had great fun meeting rabbits, guinea pigs, a dog, a tortoise and even a hedghog! The children had a wonderful time and it was a valuable opportunity for them to find out more about the animals and have a chance to touch them up close.      Chess Tournament Win! The St. Helen's College chess team fought off stiff competition to successfully retain the winning shield at the Hillingdon and Ealing School Chess Tournament last weekend.  Congratulations to Aakash B (5G), Rohan F (6L), Leonard S (4C) and Ishani A (3B) who each received a gold medal for being part of the winning team. Additional congratulations to Aakash who won a gold medal for joint first place in the U12 section and Leonard who won a silver medal for second place in the U10 section. Excellent work!      PA Summer Fete - Saturday 28th June The Parents' Association Summer Fete is almost upon us and promises to be lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games, a BBQ, entertainment and more. The PA are calling for volunteers to help run the stalls, please do sign up! For more information contact your class representative. Pets As Therapy Fundraising It has been a pleasure to welcome Buddy from Pets As Therapy to St. Helen's College this year where he has done a fantastic job meeting the children and listening to them read in the library. Pets As Therapy is a very special charity which provides support to many vulnerable people in many different settings and therefore we are excited to be fundraising for them next week.  For a donation of £1 the children will have the chance to guess the number of sweets in a jar. The correct, or nearest, guess will win the jar of sweets and a Buddy cuddly toy. It is £1 per entry and children may enter as many times as they wish, all the money raised will go to the charity. The children will have the opportunity to guess from Monday to Thursday next week and the winner will be announced in assembly on Friday. Good luck everyone!  Holiday Club Holiday club will run from Friday 11th July - Friday 29th August (excluding Bank holiday Monday 25th August). Bookings will open on Thursday 26th June at 4.00 p.m. Please log into Schoolsbuddy to make your booking, places must be booked in advance to arrange appropriate staffing ratios. Please note that bookings will close on Monday 7th July at 4.00 p.m.  Next Week Monday 23rd - Year 6 Rehearsal at Compass Theatre Wednesday 25th - Friday 27th June - Year 6 Rehearsals at Compass Theatre  Wednesday 25th June - Meet The Teacher Meetings for Ducklings, Nursery and Reception Thursday 26th June - Year 2 Trip to Iver Environmental Centre Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June - Year 6 Production at Compass Theatre Saturday 28th June - PA Summer Fete
Posted on: 13/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 13th June 2025

Pre-Prep Sports Day On Thursday the Pre Prep children put their best foot forward at Court Park for our highly anticipated Sports Day. The children participated in a range of different sporting activities rotating around 'stations' designed to challenge their agility, speed and technical skills.  The atmosphere was buoyant as the parents and children cheered one another on to win valuable points for the all important House shield. However, in the end there can be only one overall winner. Congratulations to Cambria House! Well done to all of the children for taking part. Thanks also to the enthusiastic Year 6 team leaders for supporting and inspiring their younger peers and to the Parents' Association for providing refreshments for parents. We look forward to the forthcoming Prep School Sports Day next Friday.  Singing Competition Today marked the hotly contested final of the St. Helen's College Singing Competition. As ever, the finalists performed brilliantly and to an extremely high standard. This year there were an amazing 67 entries, so selecting the 25 finalists was not an easy task for Mrs. Fawbert, Mrs. Garnes and Mr. James! To judge the final we were very lucky to welcome Gillian Dibden MBE to Upper School. Gillian set up the prestigious Taplow Choirs, a centre to bring together children and adults to develop their singing skills, and was awarded her MBE for youth choral services. Gillian had the unenviable task of judging our finalists based on the following criteria; breathing, phrasing and projection; musicality, intonation, diction and timing; overall performance and interpretation. The children also enjoyed an inspiring performance from professional singer, actor and St. Helen's College alumna Lily Wood. Lily, from the SHC class of 2012, studied musical theatre at drama school and counts work with the Horrible Histories team among many of her professional achievements. It was a pleasure to welcome Lily to the Singing Competition as a terrific role model for pupils with singing talent. Huge congratulations to all of the finalists. The categories and winners were as follows:  Middle School Y2 solo - Pavleen J (2C) and Amelia AK (2S) was highly commended Y3 solo - Mia S (3B) Middle School groups - Raya R (3M), Avni J (3M) and Kiran S (3B) Overall MS winner - Pavleen J Upper School Y4 solo - Eleanor G (4T) and Alicia Z (4T) highly commended Y5 solo - Gurdaya J (5R) Y6 solo - Rohan F (6R) Upper School groups - Alex A (6H) and Leo A (5R) Overall US winner - Gurdaya J (5R) Boys Win Cricket Tournament! Huge congratulations to the team of eight St. Helen's College cricketers who won the Boys Best cricket tournament on Wednesday. Twenty teams from independent schools took part in the event, held at Uxbridge Cricket Club on Wednesday, and the stakes were high. The boys delivered a spectacular team performance throughout, winning all seven matches across the day. Every one of the boys contributed by scoring runs and taking wickets for the team. We are incredibly proud of them for their thoroughly well deserved win.      National Quiz Club Final at Oxford Congratulations to a team of Year 6 girls who have won a place in the Quiz Club National Mathematics Final at the University of Oxford next month.  Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H) and Evie J (6H) will be competing against teams from leading independent schools from across the country in this prestigious event. The finals take place on Friday 4th July and we wish them every success! Forfar Debating Competition Year 6 are competing in a Forfar cross school debating competition and today successfully reached the semi-finals. Six pupils competed against Springmead School in Somerset via video link and won the debate whilst opposing the motion 'AI is a threat to our jobs'. The children presented many salient points and answered probing questions with confidence and reassurance. Well done to the team members who took part; Ashvika A (6R), Mustafa F (6R), Roshni J (6R), Alex A (6H), Avar D (6H) and Shanaya P (6H). New team members from Y6 will take part in the semi-finals coming soon!   Summer Arts Evening (Exhibition And Concert) We are delighted to invite parents to join us for our Summer Arts Evening (Art Exhibition and Concert) at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Tuesday 1st July. This very special event celebrates the arts at St. Helen's College Upper School. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of artwork at the art exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. There will also be poetry and drama recitations. Our Middle School string group will be performing in the foyer before the concert, and parents of children who are performing only in the foyer will not necessarily need to book tickets for the concert (although are welcome to do so).  Please read the following information carefully and book your tickets soon! Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork. Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family (not per person) and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. You are welcome to take your child's artwork home with you directly from the exhibition. Uncollected work from the exhibition will be transported back to school and sent home with children after the event. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert from 7 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Parents will need to buy tickets for this event, and these will be made available first to parents of performers. If any remain unsold after a fortnight, these will then be made available to other families.  Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert and include access to the art exhibition. (Doors open at 6 p.m. in the evening for welcome drinks/visits to the art exhibition). Concert tickets are limited to three per family and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy. Bookings are open now. Year 6 Musical - Moana! Our Year 6 musical production of Moana will be performed at The Compass Theatre in Ickenham on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are now available via the Compass Box Office and can be bought online here. The Year 6 show is always an absolutely highlight of the academic year and tickets usually sell out very quickly so please do book early! Year 4 and 5 children will have the opportunity to watch the dress rehearsal during a school day. PA Father's Day Stalls  Many thanks to our dedicated St. Helen's College Parents' Association team for running the Father's Day gift stalls at Lower and Upper School on Tuesday. As ever, the stalls were very popular and the children enjoyed selecting and purchasing their special gift. Please be reminded that the PA Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 28th June from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. at Upper School. It promises to be lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games, BBQ, entertainment and more.     Next Week Tuesday 17th June - Year 1 rehearsing at Compass Theatre Tuesday 17th June - Year 3/4 Sports Day practice at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex - p.m. Tuesday 17th June - Year 4 Transfer Meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday 18th June - Year 1 dress rehearsal (Nursery/Reception going to watch) Wednesday 18th June - Year 5/6 Sports Day practice at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex - p.m. Thursday 19th June - Year 1 performance at Compass Theatre 1.30 p.m. Friday 20th June - Ark Farm visiting Ducklings Friday 20th June - Prep Sports Day at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex
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