School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 18/10/2024Weekly News - Friday 18th October 2024
It has been a typically busy half term at St. Helen's College and the children have worked very hard, adapting to their new year groups and environments, learning new routines, establishing new relationships and having a go at new activities and learning both inside and outside the classroom. We have been very impressed with their commitment and determination to get involved and to do their best. We hope that they will have an enjoyable half term break and will make the most of time with family and friends, staying active and curious about the world around them.
Please note that all pupils should return in full, smart winter uniform after the half term break.
Lower School Harvest Assemblies
This week Lower School celebrated Harvest Festival, inviting parents into school for two special class assemblies.
On Tuesday Year 1 presented an accomplished assembly explaining where our food comes from and giving thanks for the abundance of food we are lucky to enjoy. It was wonderful to hear the children speak their remembered lines to parents so confidently and sing Harvest songs with gusto. They finished the assembly with a recital of a Harvest poem which you can listen to here.
On Wednesday it was the turn of Reception who delivered a very upbeat assembly, reciting their lines from memory and singing popular Harvest songs. They celebrated the array of colourful food we receive at Harvest time and sang in appreciation for the vibrant autumn season.
Thank you to the Revd. Ken Kingston from the North Hillingdon Methodist Church for sharing an important message of gratitude with the children at both assemblies. Many thanks also to everyone who sent in donations of food for our Harvest appeal. These will be distributed by the Salvation Army to those in need in Hillingdon.
Year 6 Visit The Houses of Parliament
On Tuesday, Year 6 travelled to Westminster on the tube to visit the Houses of Parliament and learn about our country's systems of democracy. They were guided on a tour of the historic buildings, which included sitting in the House of Lords and observing a fierce debate around health care in the House of Commons.
The group were warmly greeted by Conservative MP and former PM Rishi Sunak in the famous Westminster Hall. He answered questions about his career, his life and his time at Downing Street with great humour. After this, the children went back to the education centre for a workshop exploring how laws are made and the parliamentary process of bills.
At the end of the tour, the children also met local Labour MP Danny Beales. He took questions from the children about his journey to becoming MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and gave the children some insight into the day-to-day working life of an MP.
Year 3 Visit To St. Albans
Year 3 visited St. Albans Cathedral on Thursday for a busy day of workshops to support their work on the Romans. The children toured the impressive Cathedral discovering all about its history, and enjoyed taking part in an exciting drama workshop where they dressed up in Roman clothes and even encountered a Roman soldier!
They also had the opportunity to express themselves creatively by delving into mosaic design and creating beautiful pieces of mosaic art of their own.
Sports News
On Wednesday the Upper School football team played a confident match against St. Matthew's Primary School drawing 1-1 at home. They boys played well as a team and are steadily building on their skills. Congratulations to Maicen M who scored from a free kick in the boys' best game so far this season.
Well done to Year 5 for completing their intensive swimming programme this week at Hillingdon Sport & Leisure Complex.
Upper School Parents' Evening
Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evenings will be held on Thursday 7th and Tuesday 12th November. Booking is now open; parents can book a time slot here.
PA Christmas Card Project
Once again the Parents' Association are organising the school Christmas card project, whereby parents can order personalised cards featuring their child's individual artwork. The Upper School children have been sent forms and artwork sheets which must be completed at home. Please ensure the name of the child and class are clearly written on the sheet. All completed artwork must be returned to the class teacher or the Upper School office by Tuesday 5 November 2024 at the very latest.
The Lower School children will be completing their artwork in school. Once submitted the artwork will be uploaded to an online portal. When login details for the portal are available these will be shared with parents who will be able to view their child's artwork and place an order directly.
PA Quiz Night
On Tuesday the Parents' Association hosted a lively Quiz Night at the White Bear in Ruislip. Eight teams were put through their paces during rounds of trivia covering everything from history to pop culture. The evening was not just about testing knowledge - laughter and the spirit of fun and friendly competition filled the room and kept everyone on their toes!
Congratulations to the winning team, "Brainy Bustards", who won a £10 White Bear voucher each! The event raised vital funds for the PA, thank you to all the parents who supported this event. And a big thank you to the PA for organising such an enjoyable evening, the next Quiz Night is already eagerly anticipated!
Dr. Zob's Monster Academy Show
Popular children's entertainer 'Captain Fantastic' will be presenting his Halloween Show 'Dr Zob's Monster Academy' in the Lower School Hall on Thursday 31st October at 3.00 - 4.00 p.m. The show, which is suitable for children aged 5 - 11, promises to be great fun including magically flying objects, mysterious potions, eerie science experiments and a friendly Frankenstein! More information and booking details can be found here.
Boys' & Girls' Brigade
The 1st Hillingdon Boys' Brigade and Girls' Association run weekly groups at North Hillingdon Methodist Church on Long Lane and welcome new members. The organisation is a Christian youth group which offers boys and girls aged 5 - 18 the opportunity to learn, grow and discover in a safe and fun environment. Boys meet every Tuesday during term time at various times depending on age group, and the girls meet on Friday evenings. More information can be found here.
After Half Term
Monday 4th November - Y5/6 Football and Netball at Highgate School
Tuesday 5th November - Y1 Visit to Roald Dahl Museum
Wednesday 6th November - Football v's St. Catherine's School
Thursday 7th November - Nursery Trip to Playtrain
Thursday 7th November - Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening
Friday 8th November - 2C Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Saturday 9th November - Packham Cup Football Tournament
Posted on: 11/10/2024Weekly News - Friday 11th October 2024
Upper School Harvest Festival Service
Thank you to those Upper School parents who joined us for a special Harvest Festival service at All Saints' Church this morning. We thoroughly enjoyed performances from the school orchestra and the choirs. Well done to 5R, 5G and to our Head Girl and Head Boy for their thoughtful and well delivered readings.
The Harvest service is always an important event in the school calendar, providing an opportunity to reflect on and show gratitude for our blessings. Many thanks to all those who sent in donations of food. These will be distributed by the Salvation Army to those in need in Hillingdon.
We are looking forward to the Lower School Harvest Assemblies which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
Sports News
This week both the girls' and boys' football teams had the opportunity to participate in the BPSFA Football Tournament. This was a great experience for both teams to play competitive matches against other schools in the area and put into practise their training. Both teams were up against stiff competition but managed some fantastic goals, including one from the halfway line!
On Thursday afternoon the Year 6 netball team took to the court. The highly anticipated first netball match of the year saw the Year 6 team play Cowley St. Lawrence in an exciting display of skill and teamwork. With a fantastic winning score of 8-2, the team was full of enthusiasm and energy, showing how much they have developed in their training sessions during the lead up to this match. Well done to all involved!
Year 4 Swimming
Well done to Year 4 for completing a very successful week of intensive swimming lessons at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. It will be the turn of Year 5 next week and we are looking forward to seeing them enjoy this opportunity to develop their skills and make strong progress across the week.
Open Morning
It was wonderful to welcome so many new families to the St. Helen's College Open Morning on Wednesday. A huge thank you to our Year 6 ambassadors who toured visiting families around Upper School, showing off our school at work. We received very positive feedback from visiting parents who found the children to be confident, friendly and informative guides. Well done Year 6!
Lower School Parents' Evening
Thank you to all of the parents who attended Lower School Parents' Evening on Thursday. It was delightful to meet parents and share more about how the children have settled into their new classes. We heartily encourage open communication channels between home and school so please don't hesitate to contact your child's class teacher if you have any queries, comments or concerns.
Chess Camp and Tournament
Uxbridge Chess Club is running a half term Chess Camp on Tuesday 29th - Thursday 31st October from 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. The camp will include fun games, puzzles and lessons providing the perfect opportunity for chess players to perfect their skills and participate in competitive matches. The camp will be held at Lady of Lourdes & St. Michael Catholic Church hall. Hillingdon Chess Club are also hosting a Junior Chess Competition on Sunday 27th October; more details on how to enter can be found here, and the terms and conditions here.
Lebanon Donations
Many, many thanks to everyone who has donated clothes, blankets, hygiene products, pyjamas, toys and more for the Red Cross Lebanon. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the school community for this vital cause. All items will be distributed by the Lebanese Red Cross in Beirut to those most in need.
Next Week
Monday 14th - Friday 18th October - Year 5 Swimming
Tuesday 15th October - Year 6 Visit to Houses of Parliament
Tuesday 15th October - Year 1 Coffee Morning and Harvest Festival Assembly
Tuesday 15th October - PA Quiz Night
Wednesday 16th October - Reception Coffee Morning and Harvest Festival Assembly
Wednesday 16th October - Football St. Helen's College v. St. Matthews
Thursday 17th October - Year 3 Visit to St. Albans
Posted on: 11/10/2024Volunteering at GOSH by Miss Raja-Ross
I have been a volunteer at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) since 2014. Ten years! I chose to volunteer because I was treated there as a child for a rare blood cancer. My time at GOSH as a child was memorable and happy despite undergoing treatment for my condition. I loved all the kind nurses and doctors as they were so welcoming and the care they showed me was second to none. But my favourite part was the Activity Centre because they had a rabbit called Flopsy who I absolutely adored! Also, my mother became good friends with the lady who ran the centre as well as some of the nurses.
Now, I am part of the Weekend Club Team where we volunteer either on a Saturday or a Sunday (or both!) and we operate from The Cove, which is the new activity centre. We can also go up to the wards in pairs and visit those patients who cannot come down due to surgery or treatment. We have the most amazing therapy dogs of all breeds and sizes and I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic it is to have the dogs and their owners with us for our Weekend Club. They do a wonderful job, especially for those children who are missing their own pets at home. Whilst the Weekend Club is a happy, joyful place, there are, albeit few and far between, some sad moments particularly if we know a child is going through palliative care. Still, we try hard to maintain a positive outlook for the children and their families.
The other thing I love about being a volunteer is being able to participate in the quarterly parties which have themes based on various Roald Dahl books, and seasonal celebrations such as Halloween and Easter. I love to dress up for this, my alter ego is always Wonder Woman! There are lots and lots of fantastic things at the party; candy floss, TV entertainers, painting, face painting, various animals such as giant rabbits, lizards, tarantulas and so much more! Unfortunately, parties have been put on hold since Covid but will hopefully return soon.
On Saturday 12th October 2024, I will be doing a 5K run in Hyde Park (well, a stroll for me!) for GOSH along with several of my Weekend Club colleagues. So if you are free, please come along and support us! You can also sponsor me here, all funds raised will be donated towards a new Children’s Cancer Centre at GOSH.
Posted on: 4/10/2024Weekly News - Friday 4th October 2024
Battle of Britain Bunker Visit
On Tuesday Year 6 visited the Battle of Britain Bunker to immerse themselves in some very important local history. The children investigated different aspects of the secret work that was completed at the site during World War II, exploring precious artefacts from the time in a series of activities looking at communications. They also had the opportunity to go down the 76 steps into the Bunker itself to discover first hand how the plotting room operated. The children enjoyed putting themselves into the position of the Controller and Plotters who worked there and walk in the footsteps of Churchill himself.
The Plotting Room is frozen in time at 11.30am on 15th September 1940, a historic day for the RAF ('Battle of Britain Day') and the turning point in the battle, when the RAF managed to repel attacks from Luftwaffe planes and forced Hitler to reconsider his decision to attempt an invasion of the United Kingdom. As Churchill famously said, 'Never was so much owed by so many to so few,' and the Year 6 children certainly seemed to appreciate and understand this sentiment after their visit.
Money Day
Children across Lower and Upper School participated in an exciting and informative Money Day today. Financial literacy is essential and forms one of the threads of our life skills programme here at St. Helen's College. The children took part in a range of interactive activities, games and workshops to educate them about shopping, budgeting, spending, saving, currency, work and careers.
A huge thank you to the parents and staff members who contributed to talks and workshops at Upper School and in doing so shared a valuable insight into careers in the financial sector. We would encourage parents to take this opportunity to review your child's life skills progress in their green Information and Reading Record book where you can sign off their achievements together.
4T Class Assembly
To coincide with Money Day 4T presented a very polished class assembly to parents and their peers showcasing work on the topic. The children explained why money is needed, how it drives the economy and how it is sourced primarily from work and wages. The children demonstrated great global knowledge of different currencies used internationally. Then they treated the audience to a fun retelling of fairy tales 'Rapunzel', 'The Sleeping Beauty' and 'Cinderella' complete with very entrepreneurial leading characters! The children rounded off the assembly performing the poem 'The Money Tree'.
Lower School Parents' Evening
Thank you to all the parents at Lower School who attended parents' evening this week. The children have settled very quickly into their new classes and are already making wonderful progress. We look forward to meeting those parents who will be attending Parents' Evening next week.
Harvest Festival
Parents of Upper School children are warmly invited to join the Upper School Harvest Festival Service which will take place next Friday 11th October at All Saints' Church, Long Lane at 9.15 a.m.
We would be most grateful for Harvest donations ahead of the service. These should be dropped into the Upper School office on Wednesday or Thursday next week. We would really appreciate made up boxes/hampers filled with long-life food such as canned goods, rice, pasta, etc. If anyone has a few fruits, vegetables or flowers from their garden that could enhance the display in the church, that would be lovely (but please note that only a few would be needed and these are NOT suitable items for donations so should not be purchased!). All donations will be distributed by the Salvation Army to those in need in Hillingdon.
Lower School Harvest Assemblies will take place slightly later in the term and we will send the arrangements for these in due course.
Holiday Club - October Half Term
Holiday Club bookings will open to parents on Friday 4th October at 4 p.m. and close on Wednesday 16th October at 4 p.m. Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings.
Mr. Lynch Performs With The Hillingdon Philharmonic Orchestra
Our brass teacher, Mr. Lynch, will be performing the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with the Hillingdon Philharmonic Orchestra at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Saturday 12th October. Details are here. Children's tickets are free and the orchestra will also be performing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Mozart's Magic Flute Overture. We do hope that many of you will want to go and support Mr. Lynch and enjoy a super evening of music!
Parking Reminder
Sadly we are receiving an increasing number of complaints from our neighbours regarding inconsiderate parking at both drop off and pick up - particularly on Grosvenor Crescent and Long Lane. Please adhere to our parking regulations, which can be found here, and be aware of our school reputation in the local community. Thank you to the majority of parents who are incredibly thoughtful and mindful of their parking.
Next Week
Monday 7th - Friday 11th October - 4T swimming
Tuesday 8th October - BPSFA Girls Football Tournament Radlett Prep (Under 11)
Wednesday 9th October - BPSFA Boys Football Tournament Manor Lodge (Under 11)
Wednesday 9th October - School At Work Open Morning
Thursday 10th October - Y6 Netball v's Cowley St. Lawrence (H)
Thursday 10th October - Ducklings, Nursery and Y1 Parents' Evening
Friday 11th October - Upper School Harvest Festival Service at All Saints' Church
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