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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
Posted on: 31/01/2025Weekly News - Friday 31st January 2025
1C Class Assembly
1C took us on a whistle stop tour of Brazil in their class assembly on Thursday. The children shared their knowledge of this vibrant country, including the carnival culture and famous landmarks such as Sugarloaf Mountain, and the diverse plant and animal life in the Amazon Rainforest. They retold the story The Great Kapok Tree, sharing an important message about preserving the rainforest and they sang beautifully on this theme. Well done to all of the children for each reading their lines clearly and confidently in a very accomplished and enjoyable performance.
UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge
On Wednesday, nineteen children from Years 5 and 6 completed the online UK Maths Trust Intermediate Mathematical Challenge. This demanding sixty minute test aims to stretch the children's knowledge and application of mathematical reasoning and provides a great opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving abilities. Well done to all of the children who took part; we were very impressed by their positive approach. Certificates will be awarded in due course once the results have been processed.
Junior Travel Ambassadors Meet The Mayor of Hillingdon
On Wednesday four of our Year 5 Junior Travel Ambassadors attended a special STARS (School Travel and Road Safety) workshop at Hillingdon Civic Centre in preparation for their Dragon's Den funding pitch in March. Alongside children from a small number of other local schools, our St. Helen's College pupils were trained in valuable sales and pitching skills. They participated in activities to analyse postcode data and the results of a recent parent survey which highlighted the travel issues facing local families. The children also had the opportunity to visit the council chamber where important meetings take place and to meet the Mayor, Cllr. Colleen Sullivan, in her parlour! We wish the children all the best for their Dragon's Den pitch to councillors in March to secure funding to put their travel solution ideas into practice.
Police Visit Reception
Our Reception classes were lucky to have a visit from the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday. The children sat attentively and listened to the police officers speak about safety and stranger danger. They also very much enjoyed exploring the police van with its sirens and flashing lights!
Pets As Therapy Sessions
This week, Buddy the dog and his owners (Harpal and Harpreet, former SHC parents and local residents) completed their first Pets as Therapy sessions with St. Helen's College children. The sessions involve reading to and playing with Buddy. Year 3 were chosen as the pilot year group, and other year groups will also be able to take part in sessions in the coming weeks.The Pets As Therapy sessions aim to build confidence around dogs, enhance self-confidence and also provide reading practice in a different way.
Month End Music Recital
We were delighted to welcome some visitors from Ryefield Court Care Home to our Month End Music Recital today. As usual we were treated to a wonderful variety of musical talent from children in Year 1 right through to Year 6 including performances on the piano, violin, cello and a selection of accomplished vocal pieces. This event is a fantastic opportunity for the children to gain performance experience in an informal and nurturing space. Well done to all the musicians for working so hard on their pieces, it was a privilege to share such a high quality performance with our special guests.
House Quiz
Last week the children at Upper School took part in the eagerly anticipated first round of the House General Knowledge Quiz. Each child completed twenty questions and the winner from each year group in each House will now go through to the hotly contested final. Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to the finalists, who are as follows:
Caledonia
Y2 Mulenga M
Y3 Ali A-R
Y4 Eleanor G
Y5 Armaan V
Y6 Avar D
Cambria
Y2 Amelia A K
Y3 Shriyan P
Y4 Zora B
Y5 Yuvraj R
Y6 Amelia L
Hibernia
Y2 Shivansh P
Y3 Sophie B
Y4 Abir G
Y5 Reyan C
Y6 Ayush A
Windsor
Y2 Hadi Q
Y3 Advik A
Y4 Ivaan M
Y5 Rayhan R
Y6 Mustafa F
Speed Awareness Poster Winner
Towards the end of last term, St. Helen’s College ran a 'Design a Sign' competition in collaboration with Hillingdon Council to create a speed awareness poster for Parkway. We received lots of excellent entries and our Junior Travel Ambassadors took their judging responsibilities seriously, scrutinising all of the entries very carefully. The team picked their top ten finalists which were then submitted to the School Travel and Road Safety team at the London Borough of Hillingdon who decided on a final winner. Huge congratulations to Ivaan in 4C for his fantastic and informative poster design which you can see here. Well done to the top ten entrants who all received a special certificate. The Borough's designers are now working on Ivaan's design to produce an actual sign which will be installed along Parkway in the near future. We look forward to seeing the sign in situ very soon!
Sports News
The Year 6 netball team played a tough and intense match on Thursday against St. Catherine's School. Our opponents had a very fast paced attack and sharp shooting however, despite the pressure, our defenders remained composed and resilient throughout the game. In the end St. Helen's College conceded the game but there were plenty of positives to take away and areas to focus on to improve our game going forward. Well done to all involved!
On Tuesday the Year 5 and 6 boys football team played against Ryefield Primary School and achieved a 3-1 win. It was an very good performance in challenging conditions with a goal from Mark DS and two goals from Daynan C. Congratulations to the team.
Well done to 2C who have completed a week of swimming lessons at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex and are making great progress.
Parents' Evenings
Thank you to all of the parents from Ducklings, Nursery and Reception who attended parents' evening appointments this week. We hope that you found your conversations helpful.
Holiday Club - February Half Term
Holiday Club bookings will open today at 4 p.m. and close on Wednesday 12th February at 4 p.m. Please ensure that you make your bookings promptly by logging into your SchoolsBuddy account.
Next Week
6H and 6L swimming all week
Tuesday 4th February - General Knowledge Quiz
Wednesday 5th February - Ducklings/Nursery/Reception parents' evening (4 p.m. to 7 p.m)
Thursday 6th February - 1O Coffee morning/class assembly (from 8.15 a.m.)
Thursday 6th February - Year 5 Pedestrian training
Friday 7th February - Year 6 Road Safety Workshop - Riot Act
Friday 7th February - 5G Coffee morning/class assembly (from 8.15 a.m.)
Posted on: 24/01/2025Weekly News - Friday 24th January 2025
Year 4 Visit Amersham Field Centre
The Year 4 children had a fantastic trip this week to the Amersham Field Centre, where they explored electricity and energy. Every minute of the day was used as an opportunity for learning which educated, inspired and allowed the children to have fun. The day started by meeting ‘Michael Faraday’ and the children learnt about electricity, its uses and dangers and about how the substation in the vicinity works to provide power to our homes. The pupils took a walk around the perimeter of the substation, understanding why we can touch pylons and not get thousands of volts of electricity through us, then continued their work in the classroom by making solar powered circuits.
The afternoon was spent learning about the way animals conserve energy by creating well-insulated homes such as a nest for a dormouse, and how squirrels try to survive winters by hiding their food. The day ended with a short walk looking for evidence of animal activities on the grounds, the wooded areas, identifying excrement from different animals and their footprints. Every child certainly made progress in their knowledge of a curriculum topic as well as having the chance to enjoy the opportunity to learn outside.
Year 2 Bring Great Fire Of London Learning To Life!
To enhance their learning about The Great Fire Of London, our Year 2 children enjoyed a special visit from Trunk Theatre this week, who presented a fun and interactive production all about this important historical event.
The day built upon the children's previous classroom work on The Great Fire and has provided information and inspiration for further tasks to challenge and extend the children in their understanding and written work. Beginning in Tom Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane, and including recollections from the famous diarist Samuel Pepys, it was a dramatised account of the story interspersed with songs, dances and games. The children loved joining in with the interactive experience and have certainly cemented and extended their understanding about this topic.
6H Coffee Morning/Class Assembly
Many thanks to the children of 6H, who presented an extremely informative and entertaining assembly all about Guinness World Records on Friday morning. The children explained how they had researched the history of the Guinness World Records phenomenon, before sharing some frankly outstanding world records with their captivated audience. They then introduced an exciting live show in which volunteers from the audience and some of the 6H children themselves attempted to break some world records. It made for a fun and memorable assembly and we have certainly all learnt a lot about the world records that exist and how much commitment must go in to becoming a world record holder. Well done, 6H!
House News
The first House assembly of the spring term took place on Thursday and it was a rather exciting affair, as all of the children took part in the first round of the House General Knowledge Quiz! One child from each year group will go through as finalists for each of the four Houses, and the competition will continue with more house points up for grabs.
The current house point totals in the hotly contested House Competition are:
Caledonia - 2068
Cambria - 2282
Hibernia - 2312
Windsor - 2108
Chess Success
Four St. Helen's College children competed in the Uxbridge Junior Chess Club Tournament last Saturday: Andrew B, Ishani A, Akaash B and Leonard S. Three of the children won individual medals, including a gold medal for Ishani A, who was top in her age group and won all of her games. In addition, St. Helen's College was crowned the overall school winner since our four pupils had, cumulatively, the highest score of the top four pupils of any school taking part. All four pupils were awarded a medal as the representatives of the winning school and St. Helen's College is now also the proud holder of a lovely shield which we will have engraved and will hold for at least a year. With our school chess clubs going from strength to strength, hopefully we will also defend our title with pride next time!
St. Helen's College TfL Explorers Prepare For Dragon's Den Pitch
The St. Helen's College TfL Explorers (formerly JTAs) have successfully secured a place on this year's Dragon's Den Event at The Battle of Britain Bunker on Thursday 27th March 2025. At the event, they will have the opportunity to pitch for funding to help contribute to a road safety/active travel campaign or initiative to run in the school.
The TfL Explorers will also be participating in a Dragon's Den Planning Workshop at Hillingdon Council Civic Centre to begin preparing for the pitch at the Dragons’ Den event in March. During this workshop, the pupils will engage in data analysis specific to school travel, will identify and address school-specific travel issues, will learn pitching strategies tailored to appropriate audiences and will focus on budget proposals and management. They will also have the chance to meet the Mayor of Hillingdon in the Mayor’s Parlour, followed by a tour of both the Parlour and Council Chambers.
To help our pupils to prepare for this event, please would parents answer the three very quick questions on the LBH school travel survey here.
Sports News
On Wednesday, the football team took on Heathrow Primary School at home in what turned out to be their best game of the season so far. The team played some super football and, ultimately, came from one nil down to draw the game 1-1. Jack K was the goal scorer and the Man of the Match was Giuseppe D for his fantastic saves in goal. Well done to all of those who played.
Also on Wednesday, the Year 6 netball teams played Orley Farm School in a great display of teamwork and skill. The two teams coped brilliantly well with playing 7-a-side netball using full sized netball posts, executing accurate shooting and giving a solid all round performance. The finishing scores were a 4-0 win and a 1-1 draw. Well done to all involved!
TCS Mini Marathon
Entries for the 2025 TCS Mini London Marathon are now open and, as a valued previous participant, St. Helen's College has once again been allocated some places. In order to widen participation across as many schools as possible, however, the organisers have reduced the number of places available per school. This year, St. Helen's College has been allocated a total of forty places across the two distances.
These places will be offered first to the children in Year 5 and Year 6. Sign up will be on a first come, first served basis and a Google form will be sent out in due course.
Year 3 Pedestrian Training
Today our Year 3 children took part in their biannual pedestrian training, learning how to keep safe when out and about on foot in the local area. They learnt about and practised walking safely on pavements and checking driveways for moving cars; crossing roads safely and sensibly and the importance of being visible to drivers of vehicles.
Year 5 Transfer Meetings
Thank you to the Year 5 parents who have attended individual senior school transfer meetings with Ms Drummond so far. The final meetings will take place tomorrow.
Next Week
Monday to Friday - 2C swimming all week
Wednesday 29th January - UKMT Mathematical Challenge (Year 6)
Wednesday 29th January - Football v. Laurel Lane (A)
Thursday 30th January - 1C coffee morning & class assembly
Thursday 30th January - Ducklings, Nursery & Reception parents' evenings
Friday 31st January - Month End Music Recital in the Evans Hall
Posted on: 17/01/2025Weekly News - Friday 17th January 2025
Co-Curricular Clubs
The busy spring term programme of co-curricular clubs began this week and it has been super to see the children enjoying all of the activities on offer. These include our language clubs, gardening and nature clubs, arts/crafts clubs, sports clubs, music clubs and more. Education is about much more than classroom learning; developing wider talents and interests can often provide the key to a happy and fulfilling life, so thank you for encouraging your children to try new activities and find the joy in them.
Year 5 Transfer Meetings
It was good to see the Year 5 parents who came for individual senior school transfer meetings with Ms Drummond this week. We hope you found these helpful. There will be a further round of individual meetings next Tuesday and next Saturday.
Salvation Army Collection
In December the St. Helen's College community generously donated gifts for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal and we have received a message of thanks from the organisation;
'Please accept our sincere gratitude for the amazing amount of gifts donated by St. Helen’s College this year. The quantity and quality of gifts received never ceases to amaze us, and that people are so willing to help others less fortunate than themselves is both humbling and heart-warming.'
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the collection and to the Charity Team for co-ordinating this initiative.
Speech Competition
One of the highlights of the spring term each year is our annual Speech Competition (for Years 1 - 6) and our Poetry Recital (Nursery and Reception). Your children will receive their poems from their teachers during the course of the term; please do help them to learn their pieces and allow them plenty of opportunity to practise when they bring their poems home. The children's oracy and communication skills were highlighted as a 'significant strength' of St. Helen's College in our recent ISI inspection, and the Speech Competition, a long-standing tradition at the school, is one of many contributing factors to this. Not every child will win their year group or be presented with the overall winner's shield, of course - but each and every pupil who participates will experience the joy of learning a poem by heart, the pleasure of putting expression into their words and the benefit of developing clear, well-projected speech.
Library Reading Challenges
Super library habits abound in Year 2, with the children learning how to use the library independently and how to enjoy exploring books and reading with each other, and by themselves. Last term saw books issued over 900 times to Year 2 alone! The children are learning how to keep their books safely, to take them home and to return them, all valuable library skills which need to be learnt and practised at this young age. Thank you very much for your support with fostering these independent skills.
January sees the start of Reading Challenges in Year Two. These optional activities are a lovely way to guide the children to read and talk about different kinds of stories, and they delight in ticking off their progress and achieving their certificates and House Points! The children have been really excited to start. All children are welcome to take part if they would like, with small groups of children taking part at a time so that each child has enough time to discuss their stories, and often share recommendations with their classmates. We predict a great deal of reading ahead!
Emotional Support
Everyone experiences worries from time to time and for children in particular they can become scary and overwhelming. With this in mind 'How My Worry Works' by Big Life Journal is a useful selection of strategies which parents can help implement to support children to identify and manage worries before they reach this stage.
School Open Events
St. Helen's College will be welcoming prospective parents to a 'School At Work' Open Morning across all sites on Wednesday 26th February from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. to showcase our busy and hard working school. On this day, pupil guides will show prospective parents around the school and there will be an opportunity for visiting families to meet with the Head, the Director of Admissions and the Head of Lower School. All visitors must register to attend in advance here.
We are also looking forward to hosting a free Year 3 Taster Day, on Tuesday 4th March from 8.30 to 11.30 a.m. for children eligible for entry into this year group in September 2025. At this event parents will have a chance to meet the Head before leaving children with our teaching staff for an exciting and fun morning of learning, playing and making new friends. The children will have an opportunity to explore the school site, including the Science Lab, Art Studio, Year 3 classrooms and playground equipment, and will enjoy age-appropriate specialist teaching sessions in English, art and science, a Spanish taster session with our specialist Spanish teacher, and play time with their new friends. Please do share this with any parents with appropriately aged children who might wish to attend, spaces must be booked in advance here.
Next Week
Wednesday 22nd January - Year 4 Trip to Amersham Field Centre
Wednesday 22nd January - Year 2 Great Fire of London Theatre Company Visit
Wednesday 22nd January - Netball v. Orley Farm School (H)
Wednesday 22nd January - Football v. Heathrow Primary School (H)
Thursday 23rd January - Netball v. St. Catherine's Primary School (H)
Friday 24th January - 6H Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Friday 24th January - Year 3 Pedestrian Training
Posted on: 10/01/2025Weekly News - Friday 10th January 2025
It has been wonderful to welcome all of our families back to St. Helen's College this week for a cold and snowy start of term! We hope that you are all well-rested and ready for the busy times ahead. Please be sure to mark your diaries now for Exhibition Day on Saturday 22nd March, which is always a highlight of the school year and a super celebration of your children and all of their hard work.
Communications
We are moving to a new database and communications system here at school. Every parent should have received a 'Test' email sent through the new system this week. If you did not receive a 'Test' email to your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder and, if the message was received there, please mark it as 'not junk/spam' and/or add the sender address to your trusted sender list. If you have not received a 'Test' message to your inbox or junk/spam folder, please contact Mrs. Smith at susmith@sthelenscollege.com so that we can ensure that we have the correct contact details on file for you.
As always, your class teacher is your primary point of contact for all matters concerning your child. Teachers can be reached by email and are usually available for a quick chat at the beginning and end of each school day. If you require a longer conversation, please do make an appointment to meet with your class teacher.
Code Club
Oak Farm Library are running a Code Club (For Beginners) event for children aged 7 to 11 which may be of interest to Upper School children. Held every Monday (term-time only) at 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m., this is a six week introduction course to coding using exciting, fun & immersive Lego Spike kits.
Code Club is totally FREE and booking is essential which can be made at the following link: https://discover.hillingdon.gov.uk/code-club-oak-farm.
Christmas Tree Donated to Hillingdon Ambulance Service
The Upper School Christmas tree took on a new lease of life at the end of last term when it found a worthy home for the remainder of December at the Hillingdon Ambulance Service. We were delighted to donate the tree to the hard working team to provide a little festive joy at a busy time of year.
Absence And Late Arrivals
We would like to remind you of the procedures for pupil absence and late arrival at Upper School and Lower School.
If you need to request absence for any reason, or to inform us of absence due to illness on a particular day, you should email absence@sthelenscollege.com and cc their class teacher. This is also the address to use, cc'ing the class teacher, if you know that your child will be arriving late to school on a particular day; in this instance, please also include your child's lunch order for that day. Please do NOT call the school office to report absence, or rely on children to pass on absence messages.
Please allow plenty of time for your journey to school, especially during inclement weather, so that your child arrives by 8.25 a.m. and can enjoy a calm, ordered registration period with their class. Registration begins at 8.30 a.m. and is completed by 8.40 a.m. and lunch orders are taken during this time. Late arrivals are difficult for your child and can also disrupt the rest of the class. If you are unexpectedly delayed in the morning and do arrive late to school, you must accompany your child to the entrance at Lower School or to the Cambria front door at Upper School, sign them in as directed and ensure that you/they have noted their lunch selection on the late sign in book. Your child's arrival will be recorded as late and their lunch order will be sent to the kitchen to ensure that we are catering appropriately.
Please also note that, if your child is well enough to attend school then we expect them to be well enough to participate in all lessons, including PE/Games. If they have a serious injury or doctor's note requiring them to miss their PE/Games lessons, please email Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com. We will then organise a non-physical activity for them during the lesson.
Welfare
Miss Gilbey is now no longer working as the Upper School Welfare Assistant but remains in role as our Upper School Funtasia Supervisor. Please ensure any medical information or queries are emailed directly to welfare at welfare@sthelenscollege.com. Mrs Gayle Oatshott based at Lower School is our overall Welfare and Attendance Officer and we will be welcoming our new Welfare Assistant, who will be based at Upper School, in the coming weeks.
Easter Mini-Me Camp
Mr. Harrington will once again be running a Mini-Me Camp at PACCAR Scout Camp over the Easter holidays. These 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! Full details and bookings are available here.
Next Week
Monday 13th January - Co-curricular Clubs Begin
Wednesday 15th January - Reception 2025 Entry Meetings
Wednesday 15th January - Football v. Ryefield
Thursday 16th January - Reception Storytime Taster Session (External Applicants Only)
Posted on: 13/12/2024Weekly News - Friday 13th December 2024
We would like to thank you for your support this term and wish you all a peaceful, joyous Christmas break. Your children have been enormously busy at school this term and have achieved so much; please help them to relax and enjoy some 'down time' before the next jam-packed term begins.
Christmas Carol Service
Thank you to everyone who joined us at All Saints' Church this morning to share in our very special Christmas Carol Service. It was, as ever, a magical occasion, with traditional bible readings and prayers delivered by our Year 6 children and musical performances from our orchestra, string quartet, Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Chamber Choir. Particular thanks and congratulations to Zinnia M, who performed the solo verse of Once In Royal David's City with grace, precision and wonderful timing.
Year 1 Christmas Assemblies
On Monday and Tuesday our Year 1 classes presented their Christmas-themed assemblies to their parents (and to an eager audience of Nursery children!) in the Methodist Church. The children re-told the story of Christmas, looked at Christmas traditions and reflected on the meaning of this very special time. They also donned Santa hats and sang some upbeat numbers to reflect the joy of this time of year! Very well done to all of the children involved; they spoke with great clarity, expression and projection and sang with tunefulness and gusto.
Year 4, 5 and 6 Theatre Visit
On Tuesday Years 4, 5 and 6 visited the Rose Theatre in Kingston to watch a fun musical production of Robin Hood & The Christmas Heist. The children had a terrific time getting into the spirit of things by clapping and singing along to some rewritten, familiar Christmas tunes. It was a hugely entertaining show but it also carried an important moral message about sharing and generosity at Christmas time.
ABRSM Music Achievments
Congratulations to all of the children who took ABRSM examinations this term. We are pleased to share another set of terrific results:
Name
Class
Instrument
Grade
Results
Anika S
3B
Piano
Grade 1
Pass
Melissa D R
3B
Piano
Initial
Distinction
Shayla R
5G
Piano
Initial
Merit
Zoe F
4T
Flute
Grade 3
Merit
Liberty Y
4T
Piano
Grade 2
Merit
Mark D R
6H
Piano
Grade 3
Pass
Avaani H
4C
Flute
Grade 1
Merit
Aaria M
4C
Piano
Grade 1
Pass
Emily K
4C
Piano
Grade 1
Pass
Mona C
5R
Piano
Grade 2
Pass
Santa Dash in Court Park
Wednesday saw Upper School children enjoy what has now become our annual 'Santa Dash' in Court Park. Around 130 pupils took part, donning Christmas-themed hats or jackets and running a course through the park at lunchtime. It was great fun even in the cold!
Christmas Jumper Day, Christmas Lunch And Father Christmas!
On Thursday it was Christmas party day for Ducklings and the children at Lower School. The children wore Christmas jumpers and enjoyed an exciting day of Christmas games and activities, a delicious festive lunch and even had a special visit from Father Christmas! He paid a visit to Ducklings first and then dropped into the Lower School library which was transformed into a sparkly grotto. The children had the opportunity to share their wishes with Father Christmas and sing a Christmas song, and each child received a gift to take home.
Meanwhile at Upper School, the children were also dressed in Christmas jumpers on Thursday and tucking into the special festive lunch prepared by Soula and her team for everyone from Nursery to Year 6. It was a very joyous lunchtime service, accompanied by seasonal music and plenty of good cheer! For more photographs of the children please visit the Galleries page of the school website.
JTA Festive Footsteps
On Thursday it was Festive Footsteps, a popular annual event organised by the JTA (Junior Travel Ambassador) team to promote the fitness and eco benefits of walking, scooting or cycling to school. It was marvellous to see so many festive hats and decorated scooters and bikes! Well done to the JTAs who were out and about rewarding pupils with special stickers for taking part.
Christmas Tree Decorations
Well done to all of the children who put their creativity into practice by designing beautiful Christmas tree decorations for our Upper School competition. The theme took as eco twist this year and the children rose to the challenge using a variety of recycled and upcycled materials. Congratulations to all the winners who each won a special Christmas prize:
Year 2 - Tanavya B (2C) and Anika K (2S)
Year 3 - Ari P (3B) and Nihal B (3M)
Year 4 - Amber L (4C)
Year 5 - Yuvraj R (5G) and Jana A (5R)
Year 6 - Shanaiya K (6H) and Sofia S (6L)
IAPS iArt 2025 Competition
St. Helen's College has a strong record of achievement in the national IAPS iArt Competition, and we are hoping to build upon this in 2025 as we invite children to prepare their entries. The theme for the 2025 iArt competition is “Reflect” or “Reflection”.
Children are encouraged to consider this theme broadly; examples include, but are not limited to:
A reflection in a mirror or shiny surface.
A reflection on water.
Reflecting on the past year or a significant event.
Reflecting on a current global issue.
Categories are:
1. Years 1 & 2
2. Years 3 & 4
3. Years 5 & 6
Theâ¯deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday 21st February 2025 and submissions must be sent to Mrs. Pruce via email only, at npruce@sthelenscollege.com. Each entry must include the pupil's name and surname initial, age and year group, what the piece is called and what the pupil used.
A Budding Author Among Us!
Aaria M (Year 4) has a passion for reading and writing, and this summer she crafted a short story which has now been made into a proper book! With some help, Aaria transformed hand-drawn illustrations into digital artwork to bring her story to life and A Tale Of Two Kingdoms is now published and available for purchase! Aaria has kindly donated a few copies to the Upper School and Lower School libraries at St. Helen's College. If you would like to buy a copy as a stocking filler you can find it on Amazon here.
Charity Team Achievements
Many thanks to everyone who donated a new toy for the Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal this year. We received a huge number of donations which were very gratefully collected from our charity representatives on Wednesday. The gifts will be distributed to local families and children in the Hillingdon area who may not otherwise receive a Christmas present.
The Charity Team have been working very hard this term leading a programme of charitable events to raise funds for important organisations. These have included collections of clothing and essential items for the Red Cross, Harvest donations for local food banks, selling poppies for the Royal British Legion, and raising £935 at a non-uniform day for BBC Children in Need. Our dedicated team rounded off a busy term with a collection for Great Ormond Street Hospital at the Carol Service on Friday. Fantastic work, well done to the whole team!
Spring Term Reminders
The spring term will begin on Wednesday 8th January and co-curricular clubs will begin from Monday 13th January.
Please take the opportunity to check and refresh your child's uniform and equipment over the holidays, to ensure that they have everything that they need and that it is all in good order.
The spring term lunch menu has now been published to the school website and is available here.
Posted on: 6/12/2024Weekly News - Friday 6th December 2024
Christmas Assemblies
It has been feeling very festive at school this week! The Nursery and Reception children presented charming Christmas nativity performances for parents and their Lower School peers at the North Hillingdon Methodist Church on Long Lane.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the Nursery Robins and Wrens took to the stage and delighted parents by singing a collection of fun Christmas songs in fabulous nativity costumes. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the children perform so confidently and truly shine! You can see more photographs of the children on our Christmas gallery page on the school website.
On Thursday and Friday it was the turn of Reception Owls and Kingfishers to perform. The children delivered a fantastic retelling of the nativity story in full costume, including solo speaking parts and beautiful singing. Well done to all of the children for learning their lines so brilliantly and delivering such polished performances.
Thank you to the Revd. Ken Kingston for joining the assemblies and sharing important lessons and reflections with the children about gratitude and selflessness at this festive time of year.
Pets As Therapy Charity Visit
On Monday we welcomed two very special furry visitors to Upper School assemblies; therapy dogs Buddy and Bobby! Following suggestions from our school council, we have made an exciting new link with national charity Pets as Therapy who will be making weekly visits to school next term to run reading and play sessions with the children.
The charity volunteers explained how the therapy dogs are specially selected for their calm temperament and are carefully trained to work with children and vulnerable people in different locations including schools, care homes and hospices. We look forward to welcoming Buddy, a gorgeous cavapoochon, to St. Helen's College in the spring term!
Year 2 and 3 Snow White Theatre Trip
On Friday morning Year 2 and 3 enjoyed an exciting trip to the Compass Theatre in Ickenham to watch Snow White a Christmas pantomime. The children had a wonderful time participating with the songs, laughing along with the jokes and soaking up the fun atmosphere.
Carols Around The Christmas Tree
Thank you to all of the families who joined us for festive Carols Around The Christmas Tree this afternoon. It was wonderful to gather together at this joyous seasonal event, led by our brilliant school choirs.
End of Term Church Service
We look forward to welcoming all parents to the Upper School end of term Christmas Service at All Saints' Church, Long Lane on Friday 13th December at 11.00 a.m. This will be a lovely opportunity for the St. Helen's College community to give thanks at the end of a busy term and to enjoy readings from the pupils, music from the school orchestra and carols from our accomplished school choirs.
Co-curricular Clubs Next Week
Please note only the following co-curricular clubs will be taking place next week; string quartet; recorder club, junior choir, senior choir, percussion and punjabi speaking for beginners. Allocations for spring term co-curricular clubs will be sent out to parents next week.
Parents' Association Christmas Plate
Many thanks to the PA for funding and organising personalised Santa plates for every child as a special Christmas gift. We hope the children will enjoy using the plates to leave out a customary mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph on Christmas Eve for many years to come as a reminder of St. Helen's College.
Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal
St. Helen’s College are supporting the Hillingdon Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal this year and invite families to donate a gift for a local child who may not receive a Christmas present. If you would like to contribute please donate a brand new toy/game for ages 3-11 with a value of approximately £12. Gift suggestions include teddy bears, puzzles, colouring sets, dolls, cars, books and Amazon vouchers. The item should not be gift wrapped and should fit inside a shopping plastic bag. Please can all donations be sent into school on Wednesday 11th December only, when they will be collected by the Salvation Army to be distributed.
Uxbridge Junior Chess Championship
Entries are open for the Hillingdon & Ealing Schools Junior Chess Championship which takes place on Saturday 18th January 2025 at St. Catherine's School, West Drayton. This is a great opportunity for members of the Middle and Upper School chess clubs to play competively against other local children of a similar age. Registration forms have been handed to the children and can also be found here with more information. Places are limited so please register as soon as possible.
Oak Farm Library Events
Oak Farm Library will be running free family activities over the Christmas break, including craft events, festive story times, board game sessions, computer coding and more. If you would like to make a light up Christmas card, a New Year wreath or join a 'Book Bunch' you can book via the Discover Hillingdon website. Details of the activites can be found here and all events are free.
Methodist Church Christingle Service
The Methodist Church will be holding two special services for families in the lead up to Christmas. There will be a Christingle celebration on Sunday 15th December at 6.00 p.m. and a Great Carol Countdown on Sunday 22nd December at 4.00 p.m. where attendees are invited to nominate three favourite carols. Both events are suitable for all ages and everyone is welcome.
Next Week
Monday 9th December - 1C Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Tuesday 10th December - 1O Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Tuesday 10th December - Y4/5/6 Robin Hood At Rose Theatre, Kingston
Wednesday 11th December - US Santa Dash in Court Park
Thursday 12th December - JTA Festive Footsteps
Thursday 12th December - Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day
Friday 13th December - US Carol Service at All Saints' Church
Friday 13th December - Term Ends (11.50 a.m. Ducklings; 12.00 Reception; 12.10 p.m. Y1/2; 12.20 p.m. Y3/4 and 12.30 p.m. Y5/6)
Posted on: 29/11/2024Weekly News - Friday 29th November 2024
2S Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
On Friday 2S took us on a happy journey around the world to see how Christmas is celebrated in different countries. The children shared traditional Christmas customs from far flung places such as China, India and the Philippines. Well done to all of the children for speaking their lines with attention to expression and projection and for singing so beautifully. The assembly ended with important messages about gratitude at this festive time of year and about sharing kindness and respect for others. You can listen to the children singing here.
Month End Music Recital
Today we enjoyed a super Month End Music Recital with performances from children in Years 1-6 on a range of different instruments. The audience enjoyed some wonderful vocal performances and accomplished solos on the violin, flute, piano, clarinet and even a guitar ensemble piece.
Thank you to our team of top specialist music teachers who run a busy timetable of music lessons to promote and develop the children's musical abilities. Many thanks also to the parents and other family members who facilitate the children's musical development by encouraging daily practice. You can see some of the performers rehearsing here.
Sports News
Last Friday our Year 5 netball players took part in a series of friendly but competitive matches against Highgate School at home. All of the pupils played extremely well and showed great versatility when changing positions throughout the games. St. Helen's College won overall with a final score of 4-2. The pupils displayed how much they have progressed this term with their movement and understanding of the game.
This week the Year 6 netball team faced two tough matches. On Tuesday they played against Hermitage Primary School at home. They fought hard throughout the game and created lots of good chances to score but unfortunately in the end lost the match to Hermitage 4-1. On Thursday they faced St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. Again the girls had some great chances to score in the first half, but only managed one goal. They demonstrated fantastic play in the second half bringing the ball down the court to the shooters. The final score was 5-4 to St Mary’s. Well done to all the girls involved.
Free Story Time Taster Sessions For Reception Applicants
We will be running some free Story Time Taster Sessions in the spring term for children who are eligible by age for entry to the St. Helen's College Reception class in September 2025, and who do not currently attend the St. Helen's College Nursery.
Reception Entry - Story Time Taster Sessions
Thursday 16th January @ 3.30 p.m.
Thursday 27th February @ 3.30 p.m.
At these sessions, our Reception teachers will entertain children with some stories and rhymes and there will be refreshments on offer too. The sessions will take place in the classrooms at the St. Helen's College Lower School site (260a Long Lane, Hillingdon, UB10 9PB) and each session will last around an hour. Families are welcome to attend one or both sessions, and should book in by completing the very short form below or via the St. Helen's College website. If you know of any families with eligible children, please do let them know. Their child does not have to be registered with St. Helen's College and the sessions are completely free.
Reception Taster Sessions - Booking Form
Chamber Choir Barnardo's Competition
This week the Chamber Choir recorded the two songs which they have entered for this year's Barnado's National Choral Competition. St. Helen's College has a strong track record in this competition and we wish our elite singers the best of luck this year!
Christmas Post Box
The Christmas post boxes will be open from Monday at both Upper and Lower School. If your child would like to post cards for others in their class or other classes across the school, they may pop them into the post boxes and our Year 6 pupils will sort and deliver them. Please do not put chocolate or other edible treats or gifts into the cards.
Carols Around The Christmas Tree
We warmly invite families to join us for our seasonal Carols Around The Christmas Tree at Upper School on Friday 6th December from 3.30 - 4.00 p.m. Our talented choir will be leading the singing, including lots of festive favourites, and refreshments will be served.
Christmas Lunch Menu
The annual St. Helen's College Christmas lunch will be on Thursday 12th December which is also Christmas Jumper Day. The catering team will be preparing a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings and creating a special vegan offering. The full menu is available to view here.
To celebrate the humble yet seasonal brussels sprout, the catering team have been getting creative in the kitchen! To encourage children to give them a try, they have each been given a special card and receive a stamp each time they choose sprouts. All the children who receive eight stamps by the end of term will be entered into a draw to win a festive prize! If you would like some recipe inspiration to try at home you will find some ideas here.
Christmas Tree Decoration Competition
This year the Christmas Tree Decoration Competition is taking an eco-friendly twist! Upper School children are invited to create decorations for the school Christmas tree using recycled or upcycled materials. Pupils may be as creative and inventive as they please to make their designs stand out from the crowd.
Please bring the completed decorations into school from Monday 2nd December to be displayed and then judged on Thursday 12th December. All entries will receive a small gift and the winners from each class will receive a special prize.
Festive Footsteps
Festive Footsteps is popular annual event organised by the JTA (Junior Travel Ambassador) team and will be held on Thursday 12th December. Parents and children are encouraged to walk, scoot or cycle for either part or all of the journey to school using our park and stride map. Our JTA team will be out and about marshalling on the route through Court Park. We look forward to seeing lots of Santa hats and tinsel adorned bikes and scooters!
Spring Term Co-curricular Clubs
Booking for the spring 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 midnight on Monday 2nd December, when bookings will close.
Holiday Club
Christmas Holiday Club will run from Monday 16th - Friday 20th December, and bookings will open today at 4 p.m. Please log into SchoolsBuddy to make your booking. Places must be booked in advance in order to arrange staffing rotas. Please note that bookings will close on Wednesday 11th December at 4.00 p.m., and any bookings made after this date cannot be cancelled or amended for any reason.
Next Week
Tuesday 3rd December - Robins Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Wednesday 4th December - Wrens Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Thursday 5th December - Owls Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Friday 6th December - Kingfishers Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Friday 6th December - Y2/3 Snow White At Compass Theatre, Ickenham
Friday 6th December - Carols Around The Christmas Tree
Monday 9th December - 1C Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Tuesday 10th December - 1O Coffee Morning And Class Assembly
Tuesday 10th December - Y4/5/6 Robin Hood At Rose Theatre, Kingston
Wednesday 11th December - US Santa Dash in Court Park
Thursday 12th December - Festive Footsteps
Thursday 12th December - Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day
Friday 13th December - US Carol Service at All Saints' Church
Friday 13th December - Term Ends (11.50 a.m. Ducklings; 12.00 Reception; 12.10 p.m. Y1/2; 12.20 p.m. Y3/4 and 12.30 p.m. Y5/6)
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