School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 13/09/2024Weekly News - Friday 13th September 2024
Eco Team Litter Picking
Two eco conscious St. Helen's College pupils have been putting their green passion into action cleaning up their local area over the summer holidays. Siara and Shayla, Upper School members of the Eco Team, spent many days over the holidays picking up litter in Ickenham Village. Their hard work has not gone unnoticed as many local residents have taken the time to chat to the girls and thank them for their community spirit. Well done to the girls for being wonderful ambassadors for the school.
Celebrating British Farming Day
Pupils and staff celebrated the best of British produce yesterday for 'Back British Farming Day' on Wednesday, an initiative from the National Farmers Union. The national event aims to highlight the importance of agriculture to communities and the economy. It is also a wonderful opportunity to educate children about the 'farm to fork' process and how important it is to support sustainable farming for the future.
The Accent Catering team put together a terrific display of home grown goods and the children had fun colouring in posters to celebrate our farming heroes. Well done to Simar in 2C who won the colouring competition and to everyone who took part!
Co-Curriculum Clubs
The co-curricular clubs programme begins on Monday, so please double check your allocations and ensure you send children with any equipment required on the correct days! As a reminder, any query regarding the co-curricular programme should be addressed to Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com.
Parent Survey Feedback
Many thanks to all of you who completed the end of year Parent Survey earlier in the summer. We were grateful for the very many positive comments and thanks from parents for all that school staff do to keep the children safe, happy and making good progress in all areas of school life. Many of you commented on the supportive environment, strong sense of community, excellent leadership and expertise of staff.
We always want to make improvements and in response to points raised, we will be trialling some tweaks to routines and events this term, as follows.
Funtasia After School Care for Nursery children will be based in the Nursery classrooms from Monday 16th September. Breakfast Club will also be based at Lower School. We hope that these two changes will provide a more enjoyable and appropriate environment for our youngest children.
To ease with the transition to Upper School, Year 2 children are now having a 'soft start' to their day, as they did in Year 1.
We are exploring options for a regular second hand uniform sale to be run at school by the PA. This will be a huge benefit for parents so if you are interested in helping with this, please contact the PA at pa@sthelenscollege.com to offer your support.
We would also like to remind parents that if you have any questions or concerns regarding any aspect of your child’s schooling, it is important that you contact your child’s class teacher immediately so that we may take prompt action to ensure the best outcome for your child.
Once again, thank you for all of the feedback and kind words. We were particularly proud to hear the following from a parent with an older child at senior school, and wanted to share this anonymous comment with the whole community:
'With an older child in secondary school I can appreciate even more what SHC offers. SHC should be extremely proud of the range of performances, assemblies, concerts and competitions. This is a real selling point for the school as all children take part in some way and learn from this in terms of managing anxiety, teamwork and presentation/performance skills. SHC produces shows which other schools with older children are not capable of staging. Staff turnover is also low with everyone making a huge effort as part of the community which suggests a happy working environment. Diversity and sustainability is discussed with the children regularly and children seem very aware of different cultures and respecting each other. Subjects like science, geography, RE and history are also very well taught with techniques directly useful for secondary education which place the children far ahead on starting.'
Cycle To School Week
We hope that many families will bring fun to the school run by taking part in Bikeability's 'Cycle to School' campaign from Monday 23rd - Friday 27th September. Championed by our Junior Travel Ambassadors, a pedal powered commute is good for health, the school and the planet. And, of course, we have a lovely new bike shed to keep all of the bikes safe and dry! Please take this opportunity to check the safety of bikes and ensure pupils' helmets are well fitting. We look forward to seeing as many children as possible take part.
Money Day - 4th October
Financial literacy forms one of the threads in our Life Skills programme here at St. Helen's College. To support this we will be holding a 'Money Day' on Friday 4th October for pupils across the school. The day will include a range of interactive workshops, exciting events and fun activities to educate pupils on spending and saving, bills and budgeting, online and electronic payments, career choices and much more. Supporting our ethos of sustainability, the overarching theme for the day will be: Saving Money and Protecting our Planet. We would welcome parent input so if you work in finance and would like to get involved in running a session or contributing to an assembly please look out for an email from SchoolsBuddy with more information.
The Parent Practice Webinar - 25th September
Parents are warmly invited to join a special free webinar 'Bringing out the best in your child', by Elaine Halligan from The Parent Practice on Wednesday 25th September. Elaine is a trusted parenting coach, author and speaker well known to St. Helen's College. Her coaching sessions have proved to be invaluable, providing supportive, insightful and practical advice and guidance for parents and staff alike. Many, many parents have found her ‘Harmony at Home’ training course transformative. At St. Helen's College we truly value our parents and want to offer support in negotiating the joyful, yet often tricky, pathway that is parenting. Please do save the date and join the online webinar. Full details about how to join will be sent nearer the time.
Dining Room Etiquette
Lunchtime is always a highlight of the school day and we place a firm emphasis on encouraging the children to take pride in their table manners and dining room etiquette. Please support your child at home by teaching them how to use cutlery correctly and by modelling family meals eaten at a table without any distractions. This is a valuable time to converse and connect with your child and is a life skill that will stand them in good stead for years to come. We will be looking out for and rewarding children who make a big effort to demonstrate these skills.
St. Helen's College Open Morning
Our next 'School At Work' Open Morning for prospective new families is on Wednesday 9th October. If you know of anyone with a child aged three or below who might be interested in visiting the school, please do let them know. They can book their appointments via the school website here.
PA Welcome Event
The Parents' Association very much hope that all new families will come along to their Welcome Event on Saturday 14th September from 2 - 4 p.m. The event will take place in the Evans Hall at Upper School and is a lovely opportunity to meet the PA and other new families. The PA relies on parental support to run a busy programme of fundraising events for the children so please do get involved, everyone is welcome.
Legacy Football School
Places are available for boys and girls aged 5 -14 at Legacy Football School a local club that trains at Court Park on Saturdays. Sessions are run by FA qualified coaches and include fun games and drills based on developing skills in passing, dribbling, defending and shooting. There is also the opportunity for children to join a team squad to play league and cup matches. More information and booking details can be found here.
Home-Start Hillingdon Coffee Morning
Home-Start Hillingdon, 306 Lane Lane (next door to Ducklings) are hosting coffee mornings to meet their volunteers on Tueday 24th September and Wednesday 2nd October. Find out more about the vital work the charity do and how you could help change the lives of local families by joining their volunteer training programme. Coffee and drop in runs from 10.00 a.m. - 12 noon and the volunteer talks begin at 11.00 a.m. The next volunteer training course starts on 8th October and runs every Tuesday for eight weeks, during school hours in Hillingdon.
Next Week
Monday 16th September - Co-curriculum clubs begin
Wednesday 18th September - Year 1 Phonics Evening 6 - 7 p.m.
Posted on: 6/09/2024Weekly News - Friday 6th September 2024
It has been wonderful to welcome the children back to school this week, and to get to know our new joiners too. There is such a happy, purposeful feeling all across the school and we are all very much looking forward to the year ahead! It has also been super to see so many parents in school this week at individual Early Years parent meetings, the Meet the Teacher evening at Upper School and the Year 2 coffee morning.
As we begin a new year, we would like to remind all parents of the importance of regular communication and of the best routes for this. Your class teacher is always your first port of call for any queries concerning your child, and we encourage you to keep in touch with them. Prompt, clear communication between school and home is crucial to enable the best care for your child and to support their progress most effectively. Email is usually a good way to contact your class teacher; they are also available at the end of the school day if you need a quick chat, and they will be happy to arrange a longer appointment should that be needed. If your class teacher is unable to assist for some reason, please feel free to contact a member of the Senior Leadership Team directly on the email addresses below:
Ducklings and Lower School queries - Mrs. Hunt at lhunt@sthelenscollege.com.
Upper School pastoral queries - Mr. McLaughlin at amclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com.
Upper School teaching and learning queries - Mr. Lewis at mlewis@sthelenscollege.com.
Co-Curriculum/sports queries - Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com.
Administration/admissions/communications/any other query - Mrs. Smith at susmith@sthelenscollege.com.
PA Welcome Event
The Parents' Association very much hope that all new families will come along to their Welcome Event on Saturday 14th September from 2 - 4 p.m. The event will take place in the Evans Hall at Upper School and is a lovely opportunity to meet the PA and other new families.
Eco News
SHC Achieves Eco-Schools Green Flag Award - With Distinction!
We were delighted to learn, over the summer, that St. Helen's College has again achieved our Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. Not only have we retained our award, but this time we have been awarded a Distinction for our eco work!
SHC Achieves Plastic Free School Status!
We have also now completed Objective 5 of the Plastic Free Schools Campaign and have been awarded Plastic Free Schools Status!
Plastic Free Schools is a pupil-led, ground-breaking programme that equips young people with the tools to understand the problems of single-use plastic, speak to politicians and eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic from their schools, for good. The children focused on eliminating plastic food packaging in school for this final step; sandwiches for trips will now be packaged using cardboard not cling film or other plastic snack wrapping.
We are so delighted to have achieved these goals, and would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work, especially the diligent and passionate Eco Team.
New Upper School Bike Shed
Our hard working maintenance team have been very busy over the summer break, updating facilities and equipment across the school sites. At Upper School the children have been excited to see a beautiful new bike shed, an terrific addition to the school grounds.
The new shed has plenty of space to keep bikes, helmets and scooters tidy and dry. It also features eco 'living walls', areas dedicated to growing lavendar, strawberry plants and herbs for the school kitchen. Bikeability's Cycle To School week takes place from 23rd -27th September and is the perfect opportunity for pupils to get involved. Not only will the children benefit from fresh air and exercise before school, it also supports our important environmental work as an eco school.
Fundraising Success
Naiya (Year 5) has raised over £5000 for cancer support charity The Little Princess Trust! Through a sponsored haircut, Naiya donated over 14 inches of her long locks, which will be made into wigs for children who have lost hair through cancer treatment or other conditions. Her efforts for this valuable cause have placed her in the charity's top 5% of fundraisers for July, an amazing achievement. Well done, Naiya!
Autumn Co-curricular Clubs
Booking for autumn term co-curricular clubs will go live on SchoolsBuddy today at 4 p.m. There are plenty of fun and exciting clubs for the children to get involved with, from sports and games to art, music and languages. The timetable can be found here. Please log into SchoolsBuddy for more information and to make your selection by Sunday night, when bookings will close.
Music Lessons
A range of one-to-one 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 this term for the following instruments: Flute, Trumpet, Trombone, 'Cello and Singing. The waiting list is open for all other instruments. Please complete this Google Form for further information and to register your child. For any further queries please contact Mrs Fawbert on cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com.
Upper School Swimming
As usual, each class in Years 2 to 6 will enjoy an intensive week of swimming lessons this year at Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex. Here are the dates for your diary:
w/c Monday 30th September 4C
w/c Monday 7th October 4T
w/c Monday 14th October 5R and 5G
w/c Monday 11th November 3B
w/c Monday 18th November 3M
w/c Monday Jan 27th 2C
w/c Monday February 3rd 6H and 6L
w/c Monday Feb 10th 2S
Baby Mindfulness Classes
Mrs. McLaughlin's next set of FREE Mother/Baby Mindfulness classes will begin on Wednesday 11th September. These classes are for mothers and babies aged from six weeks until crawling. They run on Wednesday mornings (9 a.m.) at St. Helen's College Upper School and provide a safe space for mums and babies to bond, taking part in breathing, gentle yoga and other mindfulness exercises. There is also the opportunity to meet other local mums and babies and to socialise with them.
If you have a baby of the right age and are interested in joining these classes, please email Mrs. McLaughlin on pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com to reserve your spot. The classes are free of charge and are open to everyone, whether they have a child at St. Helen's College or not, so please do spread the word!
Ducklings, Nursery and Reception Entry - September 2025
If you have a child who will be eligible by age for entry into Ducklings, Nursery or Reception in September 2025, and have not yet registered him/her with St. Helen's College, please do so as soon as possible by completing the online registration form. Our entry processes now take place earlier than in the past; places for next year's Ducklings and Nursery entry points will be allocated during this term.
Siblings of children currently at the school receive priority when places are allocated, but must be registered now in order to be sure of a place.
St. Helen's College Open Morning
Our next 'School At Work' Open Morning for prospective new families is on Wednesday 9th October. If you know of anyone with a child aged three or below who might be interested in visiting the school, please do let them know. They can book their appointments via the school website here.
Methodist Church Service
St. Helen's College pupils and families are warmly invited to a community service at North Hillingdon Methodist Church on Long Lane on Sunday 8th September at 9.30 a.m. The service will include special prayers for the new academic year ahead and children are invited to bring along school book bags for blessing.
Chiswick Book Festival 13th - 15th September
The Chiswick Book Festival, which boasts its own Children's Book Festival, is running next weekend, 13th - 15th September. This is a fantastic opportunity for children to join events with a fun and diverse line-up of authors and illustrators. The exciting programme includes Rob Biddulph, Zanib Mian (a favourite visitor at St. Helen's College last year), Ken Wilson-Max and Zoe Antoniades. Fans of CBeebies Swashbuckle will be thrilled to see Joseph Elliott (Pirate ‘Cook’) with his new younger chapter book about a very exciting grandmother! Mariesa Dulak will be introducing her debut, 'There’s a Tiger on the Train', and fans of graphic novels and comics will love Kev F Sutherland’s workshop. You can book here for all children’s events, which take place in family friendly venues near public transport.
Mini Me Easter Camps
Mini-Me Camps are running a half term holiday camp at PACCAR Scout Camp from 28th - 31st October. Booking is now available and all friends and family are welcome! Full details, including booking details, are available here.
Next Week
Monday 9th September - Nursery individual new parent meetings (3.15 p.m. - 5.15 p.m.)
Saturday 14th September - PA Welcome Event in Evans Hall (2 - 4 p.m.)
Posted on: 6/09/2024Giving Blood
This week we have a guest blog from Mrs. Mann, one of our Nursery teachers. Reading this blog brought back memories for me from when I started to give blood as a student at university back in the day as an 18 year old when I really did not appreciate the full impact of what it meant to give blood. Unfortunately, I am now no longer able to give blood and am proud to hear of the efforts of so many members of our community. Thank you, Mrs. Mann, for your reflection and inspiration.
Giving Blood
During the summer break I attended a blood donation session. This is something I try to do every three months, although it is not always possible for a variety of reasons. From a very early age I remember my parents going into a room with lots of people and nurses (at this time children could wait in the waiting room quietly). After a while they would come out with a white plaster on their arm, a sticker and a chocolate bar. As I got older I began to ask more questions about what was happening. I remember being told that the nurses were taking some blood out to give to people who needed it.
Our bodies are incredible things - we can give our healthy blood (which is thoroughly tested) to others and our own bodies efficiently recover. This blew my mind as a child and was something I was keen to do when I was old enough. Having joined the St. John’s Ambulance from the age of 6 until 20, I had seen first hand how a simple accident could result in an emergency trip to the hospital and the potential need for that patient to require ‘someone else's blood’.
My attendance to give blood this summer was not just any, it was my 50th. I feel incredibly proud that by giving blood on 50 separate occasions I have potentially helped to save and improve the lives of 100 patients. Life is precious and we never know when we may need someone's donation.
The process has changed greatly over the years: now, you have to book your session in advance (which reduces your wait time) and no children are allowed. The sugary treats at the end are still very much available and appreciated!
Giving blood is not completely pain free but honestly it really does not hurt that much. The nurses are wonderful and they take good care of you from testing your iron levels (which I am generally more anxious about), making you comfortable during the donation and making sure you are ready to go on your way.
If you can, please, please ‘do something amazing and give blood’. Every single donation is a great achievement. We never know when family, friends or even ourselves may need it.
You can check if you are able to here: https://www.blood.co.uk/.
‘Let’s save lives together’.
Mrs. Mann
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