School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 14/02/2025Weekly News - Friday 14th February 2025
Robins Class Assembly
On Thursday Robins celebrated love, kindness and friendship in their class assembly to mark St. Valentine's Day. The children sang a heart warming collection of songs on this theme and recited a special poem which you can hear here. The assembly was the perfect time to reflect on how we can all spread love and kindness with friends, family and the world around us. Thank you Robins for a lovely assembly.
5R Class Assembly
On Friday 5R whisked us off to Hogwarts for their hugely entertaining class assembly. The children explored one of the school's key values, friendliness, taking inspiration from the Harry Potter books and characters. The children displayed fantastic acting and vocal skills whilst inviting us to consider some of the vital elements which contribute to successful friendships; kindness, empathy and thoughtfulness. The children brought their characters to life and each projected their lines with immense confidence. Overall the assembly shared an important message; good friends encourage and support one another to reach the greatest heights of success. Well done 5R for your terrific performance!
Lower School Drama Workshop
On Friday the Lower School children thoroughly enjoyed getting active in a dedicated drama workshop with Perform. The children loved these energetic sessions which involved fun role play and practising voice projection. These classes are designed to help develop coordination, performance and oratory skills.
Sports News
On Thursday the Year 6 netball team played a competitive match against St. Andrew's School in Uxbridge. Despite their best efforts, the team faced a 5-3 loss. The match was fast paced and both teams worked hard to find space and gain possession of the ball. The girls managed to score three well deserved goals with some excellent teamwork and quick passes. Well done to the team!
2S have enjoyed their swimming programme at the pool this week and have certainly enhanced their water skills and confidence.
On Friday eight girls from Year 5 and 6 participated in the St. Helen's Spring Biathlon event at St. Helen's School in Northwood. The girls completed a timed 50 metre swim and an 800 metre run, competing against four other independent schools. The combined times will be amalgamated for an overall score, we look forward to hearing their position in due course!
Well done to the following for taking part:
Year 5 - Ella K, Dhani C, Alana F, Shayla R
Year 6 - Evie J, Shanaiya K, Roshni J, Simrina N
TCS Mini Marathon
There are still some places available for the TCS Mini Marathon which takes place on Saturday 26 April 2025, the day before the 2025 TCS London Marathon. This year, due to popular demand, places for the 1 mile and 2.6 km races are open only to children in Year 4, 5 and 6. Tickets will be allotted by ballot, so please enter by completing this form by Friday 14th February when the runners will be drawn. Please note that children may be offered a place in either distance and may required to run on their own dependent on the number of adult places available.
World Book Day & Author Visit
We will be marking World Book Day here at St. Helen's College on Friday 7th March. To reflect the non-fiction theme this year we are asking children to dress up as any aspect of their favourite non-fiction book, and to bring the book along if possible. Please be as creative and sustainable as possible; let your imagination run riot! Suggestions include: famous scientists, explorers; an iconic building; an animal; a historical figure; planets, mountains and ocean creatures! We can't wait to see what you choose.
As part of our World Book Day celebrations we will be welcoming the author and astrophysicist Professor Raman Prinja, author of Our Cosmos and Wonders of the Night Sky to school on Wednesday 5th March. Professor Prinja will be taking Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils on a spectacular journey through the Universe and many of the children have already enjoyed browsing his astronomy books in the library! There will be a book signing after the event, please order copies via Chiltern Bookshops in advance here.
Library News
Please return any overdue school library books after the half term break. Book loans may be renewed as many times as needed and start at two weeks. Please note, any books deemed lost may need to be replaced by school. Please do visit the local libary at Oak Farm where there are various special events running for children over the half term holiday.
Water Aid Charity
Year 5 are planning an exciting fundraiser for the charity Water Aid after half term and are requesting that pupils and parents save coins in preparation. On Friday 28th February each class at Upper and Lower School will be creating a coin trail as part of a fun competition to see which class can make the longest trail. All the coins will be collected together at the end and donated to this important charity. Please start collecting coins now to make this fundraiser a big success!
Bicycle Workshop
The school JTAs (Junior Travel Ambassadors) are organising a Bicycle Workshop at Upper School on Wednesday 26th February to promote safe and active travel to school. The children are invited to travel by bicycle into school on the day where they can enjoy a free 'Biker's Breakfast' whilst their bike is safety checked by experts from Bikewise in Ickenham. Please sign up here by Sunday 23rd February. Every bike checked will receive a free raffle ticket with a chance to win travel accessories!
Staff News
We will be bidding farewell to several long-standing members of staff at the end of the current academic year. We are very sad to do so, but there are exciting times ahead for our leavers.
We are delighted to share the news that Mr McLaughlin has been appointed as the new Headteacher of Kew Green Prep School from September 2025. Mr McLaughlin has dedicated himself to the school for the past nine years and his leadership skills have gone from strength to strength as Deputy Headteacher. He will bring expertise and energy to his new role and we congratulate him on his exciting new post.
After 25 years of service to the school, our Head of Lower School, Mrs. Hunt, will be stepping away this summer to relocate with her family to the West Country. Mrs. Hunt has been an integral part of our Lower School for many years and has made an invaluable contribution. We are pleased to announce that Miss Matthews, who is currently Head of EYFS, will take on the additional responsibilities from Mrs. Hunt from September and become our new Head of Pre-Prep.
Mr. Lewis, our Director of Studies, will be retiring at the end of the academic year after 19 years with St. Helen's College. Mr. Lewis has been reducing his working hours over the last few years and has now decided that the time is right to enjoy his retirement.
Having begun her PhD studies in October, Mrs. Smith, our Director of Administration, will also be leaving us to focus full time on her academic and writing career. Mrs. Smith has been at the heart of St. Helen's College for 15 years.
Mrs. Bool, our Finance Manager, will also be leaving us in May. Mrs. Bool has been with us for seven years and has transformed the financial operations of the school during this time. She will now have time to focus on her other interests outside of school and utilise her incredible financial skills and strategic vision in other arenas.
These valued colleagues, and members of the Senior Leadership Team, have all made huge contributions to the strategic direction of the school over many years. They have lived and breathed the St. Helen's College values and have brought commitment, enthusiasm and creativity to their roles. They will be sorely missed by colleagues, pupils and parents. We know that you will join us in wishing each of them well in their future adventures.
The recruitment process is underway and we will share details of new staff joiners, and announce our new leadership team, in due course.
St. Helen's College Nursery Expands Provision!
We are excited to announce that, in response to demand, from September 2025 the St. Helen's College Nursery will be open for 50 weeks of the year, providing continuity of educational care for those attending throughout their pre-Reception year. The Nursery will continue to be staffed by our St. Helen's College Early Years specialists and will continue to offer core pre-school education, specialist teaching sessions and plenty of extra opportunities.
Easter Mini-Me Camp
There are still a few places available at Mr. Harrington's Mini-Me Camp at PACCAR Scout Camp over the Easter holidays. These weeks are very popular and include lots of exciting activities such as zip wires, laser tag, giant swing, archery, climbing, abseiling and caving which help to build and enhance friendships, improve fitness and foster a love of activity and outdoor fun! There are many St. Helen's College children already signed up and it is also a great opportunity for your children to make new friends from outside of school. Full details and bookings are available here.
PA Uniform Sale
The PA will be holding a uniform sale in the Evans Hall at Upper School on the afternoon of Sunday 23rd February from 3.00 - 4.30 p.m. There will be plenty of uniform items available in various sizes, additional donations are not required at this time.
After Half Term
Tuesday 25th February - PA Coffee Morning in Evans Hall
Tuesday 25th February - Year 4 Netball v. Orley Farm
Wednesday 26th February - School At Work Open Morning
Thursday 27th February - Wrens Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Friday 28th February - Year 1 Indoor Pedestrian Training
Friday 28th February - Month End Music Recital
Saturday 29th February - ABRSM Exams
Posted on: 7/02/2025Weekly News - Friday 7th February 2025
1O Class Assembly
On Thursday 1O presented a thoughtful and inspiring class assembly about life skills and personal growth. The children shared the importance of the personal values we embed every day here at St. Helen's College; patience, self discipline, perseverance and determination. They used a clever analogy of a tree to explain how planting the seeds of these values inside ourselves helps us to grow strong and resilient. Well done 1O for sharing a vital lesson and singing so brilliantly about striving to be the very best version of ourselves. You can hear more from some of the children here.
5G Class Assembly
Year 5 presented a fascinating class assembly today about the concept of spatial reasoning and how we can develop our awareness of the world around us by building this vital skill into daily life. Tasks such tying shoe laces, reading maps, playing games and puzzles, and fitting objects into the correct sized containers are all problem solving activities based on spatial reasoning skills.
In the classroom 5G have been working with angles and 3D shapes in maths (they are pictured here with their colourful tangrams), created complex origami models and have been exploring spatial vocabulary in English.
Developing strong spatial reasoning can open the door to many diverse and interesting career paths; architecture, medicine, visual art and engineering are just a few avenues where these skills are utilised. Well done 5G for a very informative insight into all of your hard work and a very polished assembly.
UKMT Maths Challenge Success
Last week nineteen pupils from Year 5 and 6 participated in the UK Maths Trust Intermediate Mathematical Challenge. Today we were delighted to award all the children certificates of achievement in assembly and celebrate their success in this demanding test. Huge congratulations to the following pupils who achived bronze and silver certificates in recognition of their excellent results:
Bronze certificates - Rayan S (Y6), Shanaya P (Y6), Rohan F (Y6)
Silver certificates - Aaryav K (Y6), Mark DR (Y6), Saayan S (Y6), Ashvika A (Y6), William B (Y5), Mustafa F (Y6), Avar D (Y6), Rohaym U (Y6), Amelia L (Y6)
General Knowledge Quiz
On Tuesday twelve children from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 represented St. Helen's College in the first heat of the annual inter-school General Knowledge Quiz. This hotly contested 60 minute online event is organised by the Quiz Club and is an brilliant opportunity for members of the school Quiz Club to put their knowledge to the test, competing against 72 other schools.
Congratulations to Team 3: Melissa D R (Y3), Rian S (Y4), William B (Y5) and Amelia L (Y6) who finished in 18th place with 1385 points, and are through to the semi-final in March!
Well done to Team 1: Mia S (Y3), Alicia Z (Y4), Armaan V (Y5) and Rohan F (Y6) who finished 25th with 1310 points and still have a chance to make it through to the next stage, watch this space! Team 2 finished in a very respectable 32nd place with 1240 points, good teamwork from Aayan B (Y3), Anjali S (Y4), Reyan C (Y5) and Rohin M (Y5).
AI Summit
On Tuesday, four Year 6 children, Ashvika A, Mustafa F, Alexander A and Avar D, attended the world's first Children’s AI Summit at Queen Mary University of London, which brought together children from across the UK to share their messages for global leaders, policymakers, and AI developers on their vision for the future of AI. The children participated in interactive sessions and even had the opportunity to present on stage! They very confidently shared their own views on how AI can positively impact their lives and voiced their concerns about the emerging technology. The children's thoughts and messages will be carried to the Paris AI Action Summit next week.
Dinosaurs Visit Robins and Wrens!
On Friday Robins and Wrens travelled back in time for a fun interactive workshop with 'Dino Girl' from the Travelling Natural History Museum. The children had a roaring time discovering fascinating facts about the different types of dinosaurs, learning how they protected themselves and how they used their senses to hunt. They especially enjoyed examining giant dinosaur teeth and claws! There were lots of laughs and happy faces as they explored the dinosaur models. The session culminated with a thrilling meteorite explosion to demonstrate one of the theories about why dinosaurs became extinct.
Y5 Pedestrian Training
On Thursday Year 5 enjoyed an informative pedestrian training workshop led by the Hillingdon Borough Council STARS Team (School Travel and Road Safety Education team) to equip the children with pedestrian skills to aid safe independent travel. Thank you to the STARS team for this vitally important workshop.
Year 6 Riot Act Workshop (Road Safety)
On Friday it was the turn of Year 6 to participate in a road safety workshop. The children took part in an interactive workshop with The Riot Act to educate them on potential dangers whilst using the roads and how to actively stay safe. The performance prompted some lively and engaging discussion considering the perspectives of many different road users; cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.
World Book Day & Author Visit
We are excited to announce that the theme for this year’s World Book Day at St. Helen’s College on Friday 7th March will be non-fiction! To celebrate, we encourage children to dress up as any aspect of their favourite non-fiction book (no football kits, please) and, if possible, bring the book along to share with classmates. Costume ideas could include dressing up as a famous inventor from a book about scientists or as a globe from a book about our planet. Throughout the day, students will enjoy a variety of fun, non-fiction-themed activities designed to spark curiosity and learning. We look forward to seeing their creative costumes and the wonderful books they bring!
To support our focus on non-fiction we are looking forward to welcoming the award-winning astrophysicist Raman Prinja, author of Our Cosmo and Wonders of the Night Sky, to Upper School on Wednesday 5th March for a special talk and book signing. From planets and moons to black holes and asteroids, Professor Raman Prinja will be taking Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils on a spectacular journey through the Universe to discover the seven wonders of our cosmos. This promises to be a fascinating talk and will include an interactive question and answer session at the end. There will be a book signing after the event, please order copies via Chiltern Bookshops in advance here.
TCS Mini Marathon
The TCS Mini London Marathon is back! This exciting event which offers school children the opportunity to run part of the official marathon route takes place on Saturday 26 April 2025, the day before the 2025 TCS London Marathon. This year due to popular demand we have been allocated only 25 tickets in the 1 mile race and 15 tickets in the 2.6km race, therefore the event will be open only to children in Year 4, 5 and 6. To enter the ballot for tickets please complete this form by Friday 14th February when the runners will be drawn at random. Please note that children may be offered a place in either distance and may required to run on their own as we are awaiting feedback on the number of adult places available.
Mindfulness Activity Cards
At St. Helen's College we support the children's emotional regulation with a range of mindfulness techniques and see the huge benefits it can bring to their overall wellbeing. With this in mind parents may be interested in Mindfulness Activity Cards, produced by The Children's Yoga Co, which can be used as a fun and engaging tool to practise mindfulness at home. The cards are suitable for children aged three and above and encourage calmness, focus, and emotional awareness through simple activities that require little or no props, for example crafting, breathwork, visualisation and movement. The cards can be purchased here.
Parents' Evening
Thank you to all the parents from Ducklings, Nursery and Reception who attended Parents' Evening this week. We hope it was useful and thank you for your continued support.
Healthy Snacks
Please may we remind parents to adhere to our Healthy Eating Policy and send a small snack for morning breaktime consisting of only fruit, vegetables or plain crackers. Please avoid plastic packaging where possible to support our sustainability goals and kindly be reminded we are a nut free school.
Next Week
2S swimming all week
Wednesday 12th February - Football v. Ryefield
Thursday 13th February - Robins Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Thursday 13th February - Y6 Netball v. St. Andrews (A)
Friday 14th February - 5R Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Friday 14th February - Perform Visit To Lower School
Category / All Articles
Categories
Archive
