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Posted on: 6/09/2024

Weekly 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 October Half Term 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: 12/07/2024

End of Term News

Centenary Concert and Art Exhibition What an astonishing day of celebration it was yesterday, as we hosted the Upper School Centenary Art Exhibition and Centenary Concert. Both events took place at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip, a super venue for celebrating the arts. We transformed the theatre lounge into our own Art Exhibition space for the day, complete with tropical plants, soft music and refreshments. Parents, pupils and staff had plenty of time to peruse artwork created by every child in Years 2 to 6. The variety of techniques and artistic talents on display was truly wonderful; we clearly have many budding artists, designers and sculptors in our midst.   In the evening, the Centenary Concert showcased the extraordinary standards reached by our many, many vocalists, instrumentalists and public speakers. With around one hundred pupils involved, we were treated to performances from the Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir, Orchestra and Massed Choirs, as well as accomplished solo performances from vocalists and instrumentalists. In addition, four children performed individual spoken recitations of poetry or dramatic extracts. The guitar and string ensembles performed in the lobby as guests arrived too! This really was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the arts at St. Helen's College. Thank you to all of the families and staff who supported the event, and congratulations to the children who created such incredible artwork and/or performed on the stage. It was an event we will never forget. Centenary Fun Day The rainy weather didn't dampen the children's spirits this week or deter them from enjoying a special Centenary Fun Day on Tuesday.  Lower School celebrated the 100th birthday of St. Helen's College by taking part in a range of House activities throughout the day. These included creating birthday posters, making delicious fruit kebabs, writing House acrostic poems, completing puzzles, playing games and throwing themselves into lots of singing and dancing! Children across the school enjoyed a special picnic style lunch menu and at Upper School there was both a movie afternoon and fun and games in the park! Year 6 Project Exhibition It was an absolute pleasure to host the Year 6 Project Exhibition on Tuesday when our talented pupils showcased their individual project work. The pupils presented a research project of their choice to parents, peers and staff in a terrific display of hard work and creativity. It was so inspiring to hear the children's passion and excitement for their chosen subject and the flair with which they produced their work. Everything from science and technology to history, geography, art, textiles, music and sport was represented. The quality of work was truly outstanding and offered, perhaps, a glimpse at where their future careers may take them!    Ducklings Sports Day On Thursday Ducklings took part in their first St. Helen's College Sports Day. Parents were invited to cheer the children on as they participated in a variety of fun games and activities in the Ducklings grounds. This was a wonderful way for the Ducklings to round off their first year of development at St. Helen's College. We know that they have all laid super foundations for the future and look forward to seeing them at increasingly sophisticated Sports Days as the years progress!       Year 1 Trip to Mad Bess Wood On Wednesday Year 1 enjoyed a trip to Mad Bess Wood in Ruislip. Despite a heavy downfall during lunch, rain did not stop play for the children! They had lots of fun playing on the lawn with a variety of toys before going on a mini trek in the woods. They used magnifying glasses to explore the minibeasts and had the opportunity to identify and name the different plants and trees they discovered.  After lunch they had a visit from Pino and his ice cream van which was a real hit with children and staff alike! Then, the children had a sneaky peek in Mrs. Hunt's garden and found some of the sunflowers they had planted in the spring. All agreed it was a wonderful way to celebrate a fantastic year.   Year 6 Teacher For A Day Year 6 stepped into the shoes of teachers and staff across the school for 'Teacher For A Day' this week. The children began by leading a very organised and professional Upper School assembly and then took to the classrooms where they led and assisted in lessons across the year groups. At Lower School the children led football training sessions, creative arts activities and joined in with fun phonics lessons. At Upper School the children shadowed staff in the classroom and beyond, experiencing a day in the life of a school chef, librarian, PE teacher and school secretary!  They all did a terrific job and enjoyed the experience immensely.    Year 3 and 4 Tennis Finals Our talented Year 3 and 4 tennis finalists hit the court this week in the hotly contested SHC Tennis Competition. The standard of play was outstanding. All the finalists played with terrific flair in thrilling, competitive matches. The atmosphere court side was electric as the final points were decided. In the end the winners were:   Isaac A and Emerald S in Year 3 Aadhya M and Rayhan R in Year 4  Well done to everyone who took part in the competition; it was fantastic to watch tennis of such a high standard.    ABRSM Examination Results We are very proud of all of our musicians and vocalists who have achieved great results in their ABRSM exams this term.  Penelope A-C 6L Piano Initial Merit Viren C 6L Cello Grade 1 Distinction Arjun S 6L Piano Initial Distinction Emily S 6L Piano Grade 3 Merit Arjun C 6H Guitar Grade 3 Pass Marco K 6H Guitar Grade 2 Pass Grace O'H 6H Cello Grade 3 Pass Aiden T 6H Guitar Grade 3 Merit           Alexander A 5G Singing Grade 2 Distinction Alexander A 5G Cello Grade 1 Merit Zinnia M 5G Trumpet Grade 2 Pass Simrina N 5G Singing MT Grade 3 Merit Simrina N 5G Flute Grade 2 Pass Mikail O 5G Piano Initial Distinction Sayaan S 5G Cello Grade 2 Merit           Ashvika A 5R Piano Grade 5 Pending Aaryav K 5R Guitar Grade 2 Merit           Dhani C 4B Singing MT Grade 1 Merit Shayna C 4B Cello Grade 1 Merit Shayna C 4B Singing MT Grade 2 Merit Shayna C 4B Piano Grade 2 Pending Ella K 4B Piano Grade 2 Pass Naiya L 4T Piano Initial Merit Naiya L 4B Singing MT Grade 1 Distinction Aaran T 4B Piano Grade 1 Pass Leo A 4T Piano Grade 1 Pass Leo A 4T Singing Grade 2 Distinction Amara B 4T Piano Grade 2 Pass Avleen P 4T Singing Grade 1 Distinction Avleen P 4T Piano Grade 1 Merit Aran P 4T Cello Grade 4 Pass Parisa S 4T Singing MT Grade 2 Distinction                     Anika C 3B Piano Grade 1 Merit Zoe F 3B Piano Grade 3 Pass Eleanor G 3B Singing Grade 1 Distinction Eleanor G 3B Piano Grade 1 Distinction Liberty Y 3B Piano Grade 1 Distinction Alicia Z 3B Singing MT Grade 2 Distinction Ajooni G 3M Singing MT Grade 1 Merit           Emily K 3M Piano Grade 1 Pass Alba M 3M Piano Grade 1 Merit           Aayan B 2R Singing Prep Pass Siara R 2R Piano Prep Pass   LAMDA Examination Results What a wonderful set of examination results we have received for the pupils who recently took examinations here at SHC. Very well done to all of the children. Riya S - Acting Grade 2 Distinction Eva J - Acting Grade 2 Distinction Anika C - Acting Grade 2 Distinction Anna K - Acting Grade 1 Distinction Zoe F - Acting Grade 2 Distinction Mustafa F - Acting Grade 1 Distinction Elisa K - Acting Entry Level Distinction Hana H - Acting Grade 1 Distinction Senna G - Acting Grade 1 Distinction Amaya L - Acting Grade 1 Merit Aryan S - Acting Entry Level Merit Shanaiya K - Acting Grade 2 Distinction Sienna K - Acting Entry Level Merit  Naiya L - Speaking in Public Grade 3 Merit Music Lessons We are proud to offer a range of music lessons here at St. Helen's College from Reception through to Year 6. Music lessons are taught on a one-to-one basis by our talented 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).  Allocations are currently being placed to children already on the waiting list for music lessons. If you would like to add you child to the waiting list for music lessons please complete the following Google Form: (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejd_XZ8SXTClIyL4p4O8020hMoUVPbTVeu6vKzY4Z9crNZDA/viewform) Please note: the waiting list for piano lessons is already quite long, however there are spaces for most other instruments to begin in September. The Google Form includes further information, however please contact Mrs. Fawbert on cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com if you have any further queries. Final Assembly At our final assembly this morning, we celebrated many of the children's achievements this year. Congratulations to our Year 3 to 5 form prize winners who received trophies and book tokens recognising their academic excellence, exceptional effort and application of school values. Our outgoing Head Boy and Head Girl gave a super speech as they handed on the positions of responsibility to Year 5 children (see below), and the children listened with enjoyment and emotion to Ms Drummond's farewell speech to the Year 6 leavers, themed around Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There was much anticipation over the award of the House Cup, of course. Once the House point totals had been tallied for the entire year, the winning House was Hibernia. The House Cup is now decked out in green ribbons and the Hibernia House Captains were extremely proud to accept it on behalf of all of the pupils in their House. The final counts and positions for the year were: Hibernia - 6334 Windsor - 6307 Cambria - 5277 Caledonia - 4946 It is always emotional saying goodbye to the pupils and families leaving us. We would like to wish them all huge happiness and success in the future, and remind them once again to keep in touch with us here at St. Helen's College. Pupil Leadership Team We are delighted to announce our new Pupil Leadership Team for the academic year 2024 - 2025. Head Girl: Ashvika A Head Boy: Maicen M Deputy Head Girl: Diya B Deputy Head Boy: Alexander A Caledonia House Captains: Arya A and Avar D Cambria House Captains: Amelia L and Samuel H Hibernia House Captains: Shanaiya K and Veer K Windsor House Captains: Evie J and Aaryav K We would like to thank our outgoing Pupil Leadership Team for all that they have done over the last year, and wish our new team luck as they take on these positions of responsibility. Next Term Please ensure, over the summer, that your child has all of the correct uniform and equipment for their new year group and that this is all clean, in good repair and named. The uniform and equipment list can be found on the School Documents page of the website. Co-curricular clubs will begin in the third week of the autumn term; the programme will be published to parents at the start of term for your child to make their selections. We would like to remind parents, ahead of the new year, that children must arrive at school punctually each morning. Late arrivals are disruptive. Please allow plenty of time for your journey to school to ensure punctuality.  PA Welcome Event Please make a note in your diaries for the PA welcome event on Saturday 14th September 2.00 - 4.00 p.m. in the Evans Hall. This is an opportunity to meet the friendly PA team, share fundraising ideas and find out how you can be involved. Everyone is welcome.  Flu Vaccinations  Vaccination UK will be visiting the school on Tuesday 19th November to administer the seasonal flu vaccine for Reception through to Year 6. More information and a consent form will follow in the autumn term.       
Posted on: 5/07/2024

Weekly News - Friday 5th July 2024

Year 6 Prizegiving  On Thursday it was an evening of achievement and celebration at the St. Helen's College annual Prizegiving reception and ceremony. This special evening for Year 6, held in the Evans Garden, recognises the children's remarkable talents, hard work and personal development during their time at St. Helen's College. Our Principals, Mr. and Mrs. Crehan, delivered an inspiring speech and lovely song and offered words of encouragement for the children as they embark on new beginnings and many exciting adventures ahead. Thank you to Samara P for her wonderful solo performance and to the Chamber Choir for their beautiful renditions of 'Rhythm Of Life' and 'You'll Never Walk Alone', a fitting sentiment as we prepare to bid Year 6 a final farewell next week.  Lower School Art Exhibition Lower School celebrated the many talents of our gifted pupils today at their Centenary Art Exhibition. Every child had a piece of art beautifully mounted, framed and displayed and enjoyed showing them off to their parents! The mini masterpieces were available for parents to buy, with extra copies and postcards also available to order. We hope that all of the families who visited enjoyed the exhibition as much as we did! Ducklings parents were also able to view and buy framed artwork created by our youngest Helenians. What an artistic bunch they are! We are looking forward to the Upper School Art Exhibition next Thursday too. As a reminder, the exhibition will be open at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip from 3 - 5 p.m. and from 6 - 8 p.m. on Thursday 11th July. Year 2 Trip To Iver Environment Centre On Tuesday Year 2 visited Iver Environment Centre for a full day of outdoor activities. The children relished a day in nature, taking part in a mini beast hunt, pond dipping and building bug houses as part of work on wildlife habitats. The day was rounded off in the fun adventure play area which proved to be very popular. The school were kindly gifted two bird boxes which will be decorated by the children and installed in the school grounds. We hope the boxes will make a cosy home for nesting birds and we look forward to monitoring them for life in the coming months!      Wimbledon Visit A lucky group of pupils from Year 5 and 6 had an exciting day out at Wimbledon Tennis Championships on Tuesday.  Arjun S, Tiya T, Amaya L, Rian M, Marco K, Simar C, Avar D and Shanaya P watched two thrilling matches on Court 1 featuring the world number 4 women's player (Elena Rybakina), followed by the world number 4 men's player (Alexander Zverev). Both players won convincingly and demonstrated incredible skill. The children also had the opportunity to tour the whole Wimbledon complex and watch world class tennis action on the smaller courts. It was a fantastic day and we hope the children will be inspired to excel in their own sporting endeavours.  Election Day The children had the chance to experience democracy in action here at St. Helen's College on Thursday when the School Council ran its own ballot to tie in with the General Election. Year 6 representatives shared the key manifesto promises from four leading political parties; Conservative, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, in rousing speeches during morning assembly. The Upper School children then took to the ballot box at breaktime to cast their vote. All the candidates were very convincing. We may have one or two budding politicians in our midst!  In total, 173 votes were cast and counted overnight. The results were announced in assembly this morning, as follows:  Conservative Party - 79 Liberal Democrats - 41 Labour Party - 35 SNP - 18 Move Up Mornings On Monday children from Years 1 - 5 participated in 'Move Up Morning'. This is always an eagerly anticipated event, offering children a glimpse into next year's classroom and some of the activities they will be doing. It is also a chance for them to meet and get to know their new teacher for the academic year ahead. On Tuesday it was the Nursery and Reception children's chance to do the same. We hope all the children feel reassured by the visit and excited for the new academic year in September! NSPCC Workshop On Thursday, representatives from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) visited Years 2 - 6 for a workshop on staying safe. The session educated pupils on recognising the signs of bullying and abuse and the importance of always speaking to a trusted adult about any concerns they may have. This was illustrated by the fun NSPCC mascot 'Buddy', a bright green inflatable in the shape of a speech bubble! All the children participated in the group discussions and found the workshop a valuable addition to their personal development education.      Maths Success We strive for excellence in maths here at St. Helen's College and it is wonderful to see pupils go above and beyond to achieve success. Huge congratulations to Aryan (6L), Aaryav (5R) and Raiden (6L) who took part in the demanding UK Maths Trust Junior Challenge Kangaroo and Olympiad follow-on challenges. A special mention to Aryan who came in the top scoring 25% of participants in the Kangaroo, achieving a Certificate of Merit!  Well done to all the children from Reception - Y3 who took part in the First Maths Challenge over the past couple of weeks. The results are now in and certificates are being prepared for all participants. These will be handed out next week.   Library Summer Reading Challenge On Friday the children were treated to a visit from Esha Chaman of Hillingdon Libraries who introduced the exciting Summer Reading Challenge. The theme this year is 'Marvellous Makers!' and it's all about celebrating children's creativity. Children aged 4 to 11-years-old are invited to fire up their imagination and unleash storytelling and creativity through the power of reading.  The Summer Reading Challenge is a free initiative whereby children are encouraged to read six books across the summer holidays and in return receive free gifts. You can watch a short video explaining more about the challenge here. So, why not camp out at your local library this summer to make the most of all the wonderful books on offer!  Our local library at Oak Farm, on Long Lane, is just a hop and a skip from the lovely Court Park where you could picnic and read the books you have borrowed. Also well worth a visit is the library in Hayes. This is found within Botwell Sports and Leisure Centre so families can spend the morning swimming and splashing and the afternoon relaxing in the library. We would love to hear in September how you have used your library! Summer School 2024 There are now just a handful of spaces left for Summer School which will be running at PACCAR Scout camp from 5th - 9th August for Years 3 - 6. This will be a fun-packed week of thrilling outdoor activities including climbing, archery and a day of water sports at nearby Taplow lake. Full details have been sent directly to parents, if you would like to book a space for your child, you can do so through your SchoolsBuddy account. Please note the deadline to book is next Thursday 11th July. The St. Helen’s College Holiday Club will run at school for children in Nursery - Year 2 as usual during this week. There are also a few spaces left at the Mini Me Camps at PACCAR from 29th July - 2nd August for children in Years 2- 6.  Centenary Fun Day Menu The team at Accent Catering have devised a special 'street party' lunch for our Centenary Fun Day next week. You can see the menu here.  Next Week Tuesday 9th July - Centenary Fun Day (children to wear House colours) Tuesday 9th July - Year 6 Coffee Morning and Project Exhibition Wednesday 10th July - Year 1 Trip to Mad Bess Woods Wednesday 10th July - Year 6 Teacher For A Day Wednesday 10th July - New Year 1 (6 p.m.) and Year 2 (7 p.m.) Parent Meetings Thursday 11th July - Ducklings Sports Day  Thursday 11th July - Centenary Concert & Art Exhibition  Friday 12th July - End of Term  (Half Day) Pick up times: 11.50 (Ducklings & Nursery); 12.00 p.m. (Reception); 12.10 p.m. (Y1 and Y2); 12.20 p.m. (Y3 and Y4); 12.30 p.m. (Y5 and Y6) 
Posted on: 5/07/2024

Leaving St. Helen's College by Mrs. Briggs

  I have ‘only’ been here for four years. For me, as someone whose husband is in the Army, this is a long time in one job as we have moved frequently during our married life. But by St. Helen’s College standards I am still quite new! I started as a maternity cover teacher for Mrs. McLaughlin, baby Remi having arrived in June. It was  September 2020, between covid lockdowns. I arrived into a world of social distancing, of not meeting families properly for the first year I was here, of remote parents’ evenings and assemblies and lots of time on Google Meets. I struggled with the technology and am forever grateful to Mr. Bustard for always being on hand, socially distanced and wearing a face mask, to help.  Despite all of this, I loved it immediately. On my second day of teaching Year 3, I asked if the children could give me a better descriptive word than nice. Jeena’s hand went up immediately; ‘phenomenal’ was her suggestion. She then spelt it accurately and I knew I had come to the right place! That class, now leaving as 6H, was the best class I had had in my many years of teaching. They were so pleased to be back at school following remote learning, so bright and engaged, so much fun and so hard working and empathetic towards each other. I now know that this is how things are throughout the school here; a sharp contrast to some of my experiences in other schools. The pupils are mindful and polite, they are considerate and chat easily to adults and to each other. Due to the nature of my husband’s job, I have worked in fifteen different schools, including in Germany, Kenya and in the USA. St. Helen’s College is my favourite. It is a very special community of children, families and staff. Everyone really does work together for the good of the children and it is such a happy, committed and aspirational place.  I feel so lucky to have worked here and that my daughter got to experience being a pupil here for two years. I am very, very reluctant to leave. If you see me next week please don’t be too nice to me as I may well cry!  Mrs. Briggs
Posted on: 28/06/2024

Weekly News - Friday 28th June 2024

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Wow, wow, wow! Anyone who has seen a performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at The Compass Theatre so far this week will have been blown away by the talent, confidence and commitment of our Year 6 pupils. Every single one of them has a part in the play and the performances on Thursday evening and Friday morning showcased their extraordinary vocal and dramatic skills. There were amazing whole cast ensemble pieces, small group numbers and astonishingly accomplished solo singing. The scenery and staging was superb and the choreography and dramatic performances of the children were truly awesome. Once the final performance is over, we will be adding lots of photographs of the children in their Chitty Chitty Bang Bang costumes onto our Galleries page here, so do keep a look out. Well done, Year 6, and best of luck for your sold-out final performance tonight!  PA Summer Fete A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in organising the Centenary Summer Fete last Saturday, and to all those who attended. It was wonderful to see the whole community come together for fun and sunshine, and to welcome so many Old Helenians back to visit too. What a super day! We were also thrilled to reveal a specially commissioned sculpture by Jessica Wetherly to mark the Centenary. This beautiful statue, representing two St. Helen's College children holding the globe, is the perfect symbol of our pupils' vital role in shaping the future of the world.  You can see more photographs of the Fete on the Galleries page here. There is also a gallery showing the creative process of the statue's development. Farm Visit to Ducklings Ducklings enjoyed a very exciting morning on Wednesday when Ark Farm paid them a visit. Animal pens were set up in the garden where the children had the opportunity to come into close contact with sheep, a donkey, goats, rabbits, chickens and ducks. The children had great fun petting the animals and learning some interesting facts about them too. The visit was a valuable experience, bringing to life their current topic work all about the farm.        Reception Visit Whipsnade Zoo On Thursday, our Kingfishers and Owls Reception classes had a magnificent outing to Whipsnade Zoo. The day began with a fascinating workshop all about African and Asian animals, where the children were especially impressed to see the skull of a lion! They had a terrific time exploring the zoo and were lucky enough to see several very young animals, including a ten day old baby giraffe, a baby elephant, baby rhino and meerkats. The day was rounded off with a fun train ride in the sunshine. The children thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was a fantastic learning opportunity to support their classroom topic work. You can hear from some of the children here.    Nursery Visit To Campbell Dentist Today it was the turn of our Robins and Wrens Nursery classes to enjoy a summer outing. They visited Campbell Dentist where they learnt how important it is to look after our teeth by brushing them thoroughly twice a day. The children had a chance to explore the dental surgery and find out all about the instruments, such as mirrors and special glasses, used in the clinic room. They left with an important message: don't eat too many sweets and brush your teeth carefully to keep them healthy.    Reminder - Centenary Concert/Art Exhibition If you have not already done so, please don't forget to buy your tickets for the Centenary Concert and Art Exhibition at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Thursday 11th July. This should be a super end to our centenary year, and is an opportunity for you to see the amazing standards the Year 2 - 6 children have reached in their art, music and public speaking this year. The art exhibition will be open and we will be serving refreshments from 3 - 5 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets should be booked through your SchoolsBuddy account. Sports News Our Year 2 classes have enjoyed their intensive week of swimming this week at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. Library Books As we near the end of term please note that all library books on loan should be returned on or by Monday 8th July. Please take this opportunity to search your shelves over the weekend for any overdue books. Any overdue books outstanding past Monday 1st July will be presumed lost and, as per our policy, may require a replacement at the parents' expense.  Holiday Club Bookings for our summer Holiday Club open today at 4 p.m. Holiday Club will run from Monday 15th July - Friday 30th August (excluding Bank Holiday Monday 26th August). Parents must provide a packed lunch, water bottle, two snacks and a change of clothes for Nursery and Reception children. Places for Holiday Club must be booked in advance as we need to arrange staffing rotas. Bookings will close on Wednesday 10th July at 4 p.m.  (Please note that, once booked, sessions cannot be cancelled or refunded for any reason, including illness. By booking and paying for sessions you confirm that you understand and will abide by these terms and conditions.)  Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings. Upcoming Events Monday 1st July - Year 1 - 5 'Move Up Morning' Tuesday 2nd July - Nursery and Reception 'Move Up Morning' Tuesday 2nd July - Year 2 trip to Iver Environment Centre Wednesday 3rd July - Ducklings parents' evening Thursday 4th July - Year 6 Prizegiving (6.15 p.m.) Friday 5th July - Lower School Art Exhibition (3.00 to 5.00 p.m.) Saturday 6th July - ABRSM examinations at Upper School
Posted on: 21/06/2024

Weekly News - Friday 21st June 2024

Year 1 and 2 Performances at Compass Theatre  On Thursday afternoon, Year 1 and Year 2 took to the stage at the Compass Theatre for their respective dramatic productions. What an afternoon we had in store!  Year 1 performed 'Project Planet', a charming tale about a rewilding project which is sabotaged by unruly scarecrows! All the children played their parts brilliantly. They treated the audience to whole-cast songs and demonstrated outstanding stage presence and confidence. Well done Year 1, you are all stars!   Year 2's production, 'Plastic Pirates', was a hugely entertaining play which also delivered a serious message: how to save the oceans from plastic pollution. The audience were enthralled by all of the characters, from Captain Clingfilm and Polly Styrene to the turtles, starfish and seabirds. It was wonderful to see all of the children give it their all in such a vibrant production. Congratulations to Year 2!  A huge thank you to all of the staff involved in both productions who have worked tirelessly to pull together these wonderful theatrical experiences for the children, and to all of the families who came along to watch.    Prep Sports Day Today Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 put their best foot forward at Prep Sports Day held at Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex. The children participated in a range of track and field events, competing to win House points for their respective teams. Pupils had the opportunity to take part in the long jump, high jump, sprint races, hurdles, javelin, shot put, relay and more. It was wonderful to see everyone get into the team spirit and achieve great results. You can see some photographs of the day on our Galleries page.     Centenary Concert And Art Exhibition Tickets for the Centenary Concert and Art Exhibition are now available to all families in the school. We hope that you will join us for this special occasion on Thursday 11th July, which will round off our centenary year in style. Many of our talented Upper School pupils will be performing at the concert, including our Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir, Orchestra and several solo vocal and instrumental performances. There will also be some spoken word performances. If you have younger children, why not come along to see what the future holds in store at St. Helen's College! You may book tickets by logging in to your SchoolsBuddy account, with the options as follows. All tickets include refreshments. £5 - family ticket to the art exhibition (3 - 5 p.m.) £15 - ticket to the evening concert including art exhibition (exhibition from 6 p.m., concert begins at 7 p.m.) Chess Match On Thursday, St. Helen's College chess players from Years 2 - 6 played a series of exciting matches against St. Bernadette's Primary School. The competition consisted of two rounds, both very closely contested, however in the end St. Bernadette's just had the edge, winning overall.  The competition was a great opportunity for the children to gain vital experience and put their knowledge and game skills to the test. Well done to all of the members of the team and a special mention to both the captains, Parth K (A team) and Ali B (B team) and to Aakash B, the only pupil to win both of his games, well done! Finally, congratulations to Ishani A (2R) and Leonard S (3M), the youngest players in the team who played extremely well against Year 5 and 6 in the opposing team, demonstrating that age is no barrier to success! A big thank you to St. Bernadette's for hosting a thrilling match and providing refreshments. Tennis Finals  Year 5 and 6 tennis players hit the court this week in the annual SHC Tennis Competition. The finalists, who successfully completed the earlier knock out rounds, played a series of first to 11 point matches. The children all played with flair and a lively sense of competition. It is terrific to see their skills and technique progressing. In the end the winners were: Year 5: Avar D and Simar C  Year 6: Tiya T and Zakariya M     Centenary Teddy Bear Is Named! The St. Helen's College Centenary Bear is now officially named Coco! The overall winner was drawn on Monday from the winning class entries drawn last week. Well done Sanaya M! A huge thank you to all who donated to the naming raffle, a grand total of £205.80 has been raised for the Four Paws animal preservation charity to support their important work.        'Recycle to Read' Books  In March, children across all school sites donated old and used batteries for the 'Recycle To Read' initiative, part of a National Waste Week. Overall the school managed to collect sixteen kilograms of used batteries to be recycled. Thank you to everyone for your support. In exchange, we received this week a collection of lovely new books. Well done to our Eco Warriors for leading this project!  We heartily encourage all families to continue to recycle unwanted 'tech', you can find out more information on local electrical and battery drop off points here. Please remove batteries from electricals and recycle them separately. You can find out more information on the these links: Material Focus hello@materialfocus.org.uk www.recycleyourelectrical.org.uk facebook.com/recycleyourelectricals @recycleelectric @recycleyourelectricals_ linkedin.com/company/materialfocus Centenary PA Summer Fete We are looking forward to welcoming pupils and their families, alumni and the local community to a fun-packed family afternoon at tomorrow's PA Centenary Summer Fete. There will be all the usual exciting games, fun stalls, a raffle, face painting, a BBQ and more, plus plenty of entertainment as choirs and soloists take to the stage to perform. The Summer Fete is always a highlight in the school calendar so please come along to show your support for the terrific fundraising work of the PA.  Next Week Monday 24th - Friday 28th June Year 2 Swimming Monday 24th - Friday 28th June Year 6 at The Compass Theatre Tuesday 25th June - Ducklings Parents' Evening  Thursday 27th June - Reception Trip to Whipsnade Zoo Friday 28th June a.m. - Years 4 and 5 Visit to The Compass Theatre Thursday 27th and Friday 28th June  - Year 6 Evening Performance at The Compass Theatre  Friday 28th June - Nursery Visit to Campbell Dentist  
Posted on: 14/06/2024

Weekly News - Friday 14th June 2024

Singing Competition Final  Over the past few weeks the sound of children singing has been ringing out from the classrooms, corridors and playground at Upper School as anticipation has built for the annual Singing Competition. Pupils have entered into the competition with enthusiasm and have taken every opportunity to squeeze in extra practise! Today we welcomed parents of our talented finalists into school for the hotly contested final. All the children sang beautifully with backing accompaniment in solo and group numbers and certainly made the job for our guest judge, soprana and music teacher Jessica Bergman, extremely difficult. Finally a decision was reached...huge congratulations to the winners for their outstanding performance: Year 2: Amina H Year 3: Alicia Z MS group: Eleanor, Alicia and Sanaya Year 4: Gurdaya J (with Leo A highly commended) Year 5: Rohan F Year 6: Samara P US group: Anna, Grace, Hana and Samara A huge thank you to Jessica for not only taking on the difficult task of judging the competition but also for singing for us. To hear opera sung here at St. Helen's College was absolutely beautiful and so inspiring for the children.  Kingfishers Class Assembly Kingfishers took parents on a whistle-stop tour around the world at their class assembly on Wednesday. The children presented their own 'St. Helen's College News', reporting on the art, music and culture from Africa, Asia and Europe, all in the spirit of celebrating world harmony. Parents were treated to beautiful Korean dress, traditional Morris dancing and a fun retelling of the famous Aesop's fable 'The Hare And The Tortoise'. It was also a lovely opportunity to wish St. Helen’s College a very happy 100th birthday! It was wonderful to see how the confidence and poise of Reception has grown throughout the year and we look forward to seeing even greater things in Year 1! Year 2 and 3 First Maths Challenge This week children in Years 2 and 3, and selected children from Reception and Year 1, have put their maths knowledge to the test by taking part in the First Maths Challenge. This 45 minute online quiz, consisting of twenty multiple choice questions, has been specifically created for children aged 7-9 years. The challenge offers children the opportunity to demonstrate their maths knowledge, application and aptitude for problem solving. All participants will receive a certificate once the papers are marked and are banded into bronze, silver and gold categories. Well done to everyone who took part!      School Handwriting Competition On Monday the Year 1 and 2 winners of the in-house handwriting competition were announced. The standard was very high and the competition stiff so congratulations to Amayra C in Year 1, and to Harleen P and Sikhya R who were joint winners in Year 2. Each winner received a certificate and special framed copy of their handwritten submitted poem.  Cricket News Our U11 A team played in the The Uxbridge and District Primary School Sports Association (UDPSSA) best cricket tournament on Wednesday 12th June. The boys played extremely well and were just beaten in the final to a very strong Newnham School team. They should all be extremely proud of finishing as runners up.         Year 6 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tickets are now on sale for the eagerly anticipated Year 6 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Compass Theatre on 27th and 28th June. The children have been working hard on rehearsals before they take to the stage for their final performance at St. Helen's College. Tickets are available here.  Centenary Concert and Art Exhibition  Don't forget to buy your tickets for the art exhibition on Thursday 11th July. Every child in the class will have at least one piece of work in the exhibition and we have been working hard to mount and package the art beautifully to send home with your child the following day. Tickets are £5 per family and include refreshments. The exhibition is open from 3.00 - 5.00 p.m. on that day.  Concert tickets for the evening concert (starting at 7 p.m.) are also now on sale to parents of performers. These are £15 each and include refreshments and entry to the art exhibition, which will re-open at 6 p.m.  This should be a really special afternoon/evening so we hope you will support your child's artistic and/or musical efforts by coming along to celebrate their creativity! Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to book your tickets. Lower School Art Exhibition Parents of children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 are warmly invited to our Lower School Art Exhibition on Friday 5th July 2024, which is being hosted by MiniMasterworks. Refreshments will be served from 2.30 p.m. in the Lower School playground, weather permitting, and the exhibition will be open in the Lower School Hall from 3.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m. on this day. Each child has created a masterpiece that has been professionally mounted and framed. Your child’s piece of art will be available to purchase and take away with you on the day for the bargain price of £20. You will also be able to order extra prints and postcard sets featuring your child's artwork if you wish. We would love you all to attend with your child; however, if you are not able to do so, pre-order forms are available from Mrs. Rooney. We are looking forward to celebrating all our future Monets and really hope you are able to attend to enjoy the occasion with your child! Centenary Teddy Bear Naming Competition! Thank you very much to all who allowed their children to pay £1 to enter the raffle to name our centenary teddy bear. We had lots of entries and today we drew the class winners, to great excitement. Each winner was awarded their own centenary bear to keep! The overall winner will be drawn from the winning class entries on Monday and the centenary teddy bear's name will be revealed!  We raised a wonderful £205.80 to be donated to the Four Paws animal preservation charity to support their important work.    Staff News We will be bidding a fond farewell to some staff at the end of this academic year, and extending a warm welcome to some new colleagues. After four years at St. Helen's College, Mrs. Briggs is leaving us to relocate with her family.   Mrs. Hussein has had a long association (eleven years) with St. Helen's College as a teacher and parent. She will be taking a well-deserved rest when she leaves us at the end of this term.   Miss Joiner has been a valued member of our Lower School team for six years and is leaving us to spend more time looking after her young family.   Mrs. Stark's St. Helen's College journey stretches back over 25 years, as a part-time teacher, full-time teacher, Deputy Head and, most recently, part time French teacher. She has been a huge part of the school.  We know that you will join us in wishing our staff leavers well on the next stage of their journey. They will be greatly missed by us all at St. Helen's College; they have each had a huge impact on so many young lives. Uniform & Equipment Lists The Uniform & Equipment lists for 2024-2025 have been posted to the School Documents page of the website. There are no changes to required items for the forthcoming year but please check the lists carefully and ensure that your child has all that they need by September for their next year group. Next Week Tuesday 18th June - Year 1 and 2 rehearsal at Compass Theatre Wednesday 19th June - Year 1 and 2 rehearsal at Compass Theatre Wednesday 19th June - Parents' evening for Ducklings, Nursery and Reception Thursday 20th June - Year 1 and 2 performance for parents at Compass Theatre  Thursday 20th June - Chess match v St. Bernadette's Primary School Friday 21st June - Prep Sports Day   Saturday 22nd June - Centenary PA Summer Fete
Posted on: 7/06/2024

Weekly News - Friday 7th June 2024

Centenary Celebrations As we begin the final half term of our Centenary year we have some very special events coming up, so please make sure you have the following dates in your diary. Saturday 22nd June - PA Centenary Summer Fete (please see below) Friday 5th July - Lower School Art Exhibition Tuesday 9th July - Centenary Fun Day for Pupils Thursday 11th July - Upper School Centenary Concert and Art Exhibition (please see below) TfL Top Schools Award and STARS Gold Accreditation We are delighted to receive a TfL Travel for Life ‘Top Schools Award 2024’. St. Helen's College has been highly commended for ‘Creativity and Innovation' in support of active and safer travel initiatives. We have also received renewed Gold Level accreditation until 2026. This recognises the vital work of the passionate and committed STARS Junior Travel Ambassadors who have been instrumental in promoting the importance of this. Keep up the good work!      SATIPS Art Exhibition 'People's Choice' Winner  Artwork submitted by Pavan S (Year 6) has been awarded 'The People's Choice' at the SATIPS Art Exhibition hosted by Moreton Hall in Shropshire in April. This is a terrific achievement as the standard of entries from other prep schools across the country was extremely high this year. Pavan has been awarded a beautiful sketchbook and certificate to mark her success, and we hope she will enjoy creating many more beautiful pieces of art.        SATIPS Handwriting Competition Pupils from Year 1 to 6 have submitted entries to the annual SATIPS handwriting competition. The children are required to write out a set poem for their age category, in pencil, in their very best handwriting to be judged against entries from other Prep schools from across the country. Winners will be announced at the beginning of the autumn term and receive a prize and certificate. Meanwhile we are celebrating the talents of our students with our own St. Helen's College in-house handwriting competition. A winner from each year group has been selected, each of whom has received a special framed copy of their submitted handwritten poem. Year 4, 5 and 6 winners have been announced; congratulations to Amara B, Arya A and Pavan S. The winners for Year 1, 2 and 3 will be announced in assembly on Monday. Huge congratulations to the overall school winner, Amara B, who has been awarded a very smart fountain pen in recognition of her hard work.  Singing Competition Finalists  The finalists for the Singing Competition have been announced! We had a terrific response and would like to say well done to everyone who submitted an entry. The standard was very high. Congratulations to all of the pupils who have made it through to the final on Friday 14th June, when they will perform the song of their choice for their parents, peers and our guest judge Jessica Bergman (soprana and music teacher) . The finalists are: Year 2: Amina H, Sikhya R, Anika S Year 3: Alicia Z, Tansy M, Anoushka B MS groups: Eleanor, Alicia and Sanaya; Arahya and Anika Year 4: Avleen P, Alyssa P, Leo A, Gurdaya J Year 5: Rohan F, Alexander A, Diya B, Zinnia M Year 6: Hana H, Pavan S, Samara P, Senna G US groups: Anna, Grace, Hana and Samara; Pavan and Zarifa; Avleen & Gurdaya Author Caroline Boxall Visits Year 6 It was a great pleasure to welcome author Caroline Boxall to school on Monday. The author of 'The Secret Children of Mumbai' and 'The Runaway Children of Chennai', Caroline ran workshops for our two Year 6 classes and certainly inspired the children by telling them all about how she became an author, how she gets the ideas for her books and how the children could themselves become published writers! She also introduced her International Creative Writing Competition for children to have the opportunity to write their own story and win copies of her books. Signed and personalised books are available to order here. The link will remain open for another week or so; please order asap if you would like a signed copy delivered to school.   Upper School Centenary Concert And Art Exhibition - Thursday 11th July We are delighted to invite Upper School parents to join us for our Centenary Art Exhibition and Centenary Concert at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Thursday 11th July. This special event will celebrate the arts at St. Helen's College. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece on show at the art exhibition and all three school choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. Our string group and guitar ensemble will be performing in the foyer before the concert, so parents of children who are performing only in these two groups will not necessarily need to book tickets for the concert (although are welcome to do so). Please read the following information carefully and book your tickets soon! Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 11th July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork.  Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family (not per person) and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. Displayed work from the exhibition, which is being mounted and packaged appropriately, will be sent home with your child on the final day of the summer term. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert in the evening on Thursday 11th July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Parents will need to buy tickets for this event, and these will be made available first to parents of performers. If any remain unsold after a fortnight, these will then be made available to other families.  Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert, which will begin at 7 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m. for visits to the art exhibition). Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy. We hope that you will support this exciting event, which we are sure will provide a fitting end to our Centenary year! New Reading Scheme Books Reading is the key to success and we are huge champions here at St. Helen's College. Year 2 were excited today to discover some of the hundreds of new reading scheme books recently added to our extensive collection. The updated selection includes children's classics alongside titles exploring more current topics such as Black History Month, neurodiversity and wellbeing. We are lucky to have so many avid readers in the school, we hope parents will enjoy listening to children reading the new books at home too.    Sports News On Thursday it was our Pre-Prep Sports Day at Court Park. Children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 had a wonderful day taking part in a variety of sports and games in the sunshine. It was a great day to see the children enjoying all the activities and the children were delighted with the rosettes they achieved. You can see some photographs of them having fun on the Galleries page here.   On Monday our cricket A team travelled to Highgate while the B team played a fixture against Highgate at home. The A team played confidently and won by a comfortable 30 runs (56 - 86). The boys bowled and batted extremely well, taking 5 wickets in a 12 over game.  The B team had a lovely afternoon producing some excellent cricket, especially with the ball, and winning 58 - 9. The game finished quite quickly, so we played a second, shorter game and we were again victorious, 32 - 19. It was super to see the boys all enjoying their cricket so much. They have all clearly improved over the season so far. Name The Bear Competition To celebrate our centenary year we are running a 'name the bear' competition for all pupils to have the opportunity to christen our new St. Helen's College special centenary teddy bear. Entry is £1 which should be brought into school by Wednesday 12th June. All funds raised will be donated to the Four Paws animal preservation charity. The winning entry in each class will receive a centenary teddy bear and will be entered into the final draw for the overall winner. Pupils can be as imaginative and fun as they please with their names for the bear, you can hear more about the competition here. We look forward to hearing their suggestions! Month End Music Recital Our Month End Music Recital today was, as always, very well attended by families, staff and pupils. It was a joy to hear the children's pieces on piano, recorder, trombone, violin, flute, cello and trumpet, as well as some beautiful vocal performances. Very well done to all those who took part and good luck to everyone who will be practising hard for ABRSM exams over the next month or so! LAMDA Exams We would like to wish our LAMDA pupils the best for tomorrow, when they will be taking a range of drama and public speaking LAMDA examinations here at St. Helen's College. Good luck! Summer Fete, Father's Day And Sports Day - Messages From The PA Only two weeks to go until the summer fete! The summer fete will be extra special this year as we will be celebrating the school's centenary year. The event is open to all SHC families, friends and the wider community. Please note that it is a cash only event. The success of the much anticipated fete relies on the support of all families to give time and donations where they can. This year we are short on volunteers and donations, so please contact your class rep as soon as possible to see where you can help on your allocated stall. There will be barrels out for donations of any toys, teddies and uniforms at both Upper and Lower School entrances from this Monday onwards. The PA has two other events coming up, as follows. A Father's Day stall will run on Friday 14th June for children to buy a gift for a cherished male figure in their life: - Upper School: Before school, at break time and after school (cash only) - Lower School: Before and after school (cash and card accepted). The PA will also have a refreshments stall running at the Upper School Sports Day on Friday 21st June and we are in need of parents to volunteer some time on this stall; please contact your class rep if you are able to spare some time on the day. Summer School 2024 Summer School will be running at PACCAR Scout camp from 5th - 9th August for Years 3 - 6. This will be a fun-packed week of thrilling outdoor activities including climbing, archery and a day of water sports at nearby Taplow lake. Full details have been sent directly to parents and there are now just a few places left. If you would like to book a space for your child, you can do so through your SchoolsBuddy account. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The St. Helen’s College Holiday Club will run at school for children in Nursery - Year 2 as usual during this week.  Reminders All children from Reception to Year 6 should arrive at school in their summer uniform and wearing a blazer, unless it is a PE kit day. School hats (felt cap, summer boater) may be worn if children have them; sun hats must always be with your child.  Please ensure that you have applied sun cream to your child's skin on hot days. Next Week Tuesday 11th June - Friday 14th June - Y2 and 3 First Maths Challenge Wednesday 12th June - Y2 and 3 First Maths Challenge Wednesday 12th June - Kingfishers Coffee Morning and Class Assembly  Friday 14th June - Singing Competition Friday 14th June - PA Father's Day Stalls  
Posted on: 24/05/2024

Weekly News - Friday 24th May 2024

Year 6 Residential Trip To France Our Year 6 children return today exhausted but elated after an extremely busy, successful and enjoyable week-long residential trip at the Chateau de la Baudonniere in Normandy, France. While there, they immersed themselves in French language and culture, taking part in a wide range of educational and fun activities. They visited a goat farm, made bread, tried out various French foods, visited Mont St. Michel, had a go at a muddy obstacle course, made some purchases at a French market and much more! One of the many highlights of the week was meeting their French pen pals, with whom they have been corresponding during the year.  It is always astonishing to see our oldest pupils' self-development, and this Year 6 group have been exceptional. Their maturity, excellent behaviour, independence and willingness to try new things and support each other away from home has been a joy to behold. Year 4 Residential Trip to Flatford Mill Despite some rather unkind weather, the Year 4 pupils and accompanying staff set off with excitement on Wednesday morning for their three day residential trip to the beautiful Flatford Mill in John Constable country in Suffolk. While there, they spent their time pond dipping and working with microscopes, investigating the times of John Constable and laying traps to investigate small mammals. They also enjoyed shelter building, creating videos, painting and a twilight walk. Every child threw themselves whole-heartedly into the experience and activities with enthusiasm and joy. There is no doubt that they have all increased in confidence and independence over the past three days, as well as learning the importance of resilience and perseverance during the more challenging tasks. The staff particularly enjoyed observing the strong friendships amongst this group of children, who consistently showed a determination to make the trip the most enjoyable it could be for every person present. Photos And Videos There are a few ways for parents and families to see photographs and short videos of the children taking part in daily activities here at school. The St. Helen's College Instagram and St. Helen's College Facebook feeds are updated every day during term time and feature a range of ages and activities from all across the school. We do not name or 'tag' children or families, so please follow the feeds if you would like to keep up to date with what is going on daily at school. We have been delighted to hear from so many parents how much you appreciate the feeds. We also regularly post a selection of photographs to the Galleries page of the school website, particularly of major events like play performances, Sports Days and residential trips. Do check there regularly if you are keen to see photographs of the children's experiences.  Sports News An elite team of runners from Years 4 and 5 took part in the inter-school District Cross Country this week, competing against other local schools at Viners playing fields. The girls were up first and showed tremendous spirit and desire to get around the undulating course. All of the girls crossed the line without stopping with Inaaya S coming in first for the school and 33rd in the competition. The boys were up next, on the same course, showing impressive pace with Jack K finishing 13th overall. A special mention for our two Year 4 boy runners Thomas R and William B who ran a great race. It was a brilliant afternoon for the whole team who gained vital experience for the competition next year.  It was a rather wet afternoon on Tuesday for our U9 A and B cricket fixtures against Buckingham Prep School. The A team took part in a twelve-a-side paired cricket match and did really well winning by nine runs and our B team had a ten-a-side paired match but unfortunately lost by seven runs. The boys played very well, especially showing huge improvement in their bowling.  Wrens Class Assembly The children of Wrens Nursery performed a beautiful assembly on Thursday to an eager audience of parents and staff. They acted out a story about a bumble bee called Billy. The other bees are unkind to Billy because he is different from them and unable to make a buzzing sound. Eventually, however, they realise that it is good to be different; they apologise for being unkind and all the animals become friends. The assembly has formed part of the Nursery topic of learning about how important mini-beasts are and how we should all respect them.  The acting was accompanied by some lovely singing. The children all made a great effort to speak their lines clearly, sing their songs loudly and stand with poise and confidence in front of a large audience. We were very impressed with them! Pre-Prep Sports Day Sports Day for the pre-prep classes will take place on Thursday 6th June in Court Park.  There will be two separate events, one for Year 1 and Year 2 in the morning from 8.45 a.m. – 11.45 a.m. and one for Foundation Stage (Nursery & Reception) in the afternoon from 12.30 – 3.00 p.m.   All children will take part in a variety of sporting events. There will be six activity stations and the children will move from station to station in groups, followed by some races on the track. All children should come to school in their PE kit and sun hat and, if the weather dictates, rain macs. All children will need a named, refillable water bottle.  Year 1 & 2 children Morning snacks should be brought in as usual. The children will return to school after their Sports Day and complete their day as normal. Nursery & Reception children At the end of Sports Day the children should be collected from their teachers on the sports field and taken home.  Please note: There is no seating available in the park, so parents may wish to bring fold-up chairs. Parents are asked to keep a respectful distance from the multi skills station, not to cross the barrier tape or to cross to the children's side of the track, and to keep the area behind and to the side of the finish line clear. Please do not give your child ice cream, snacks or drinks during the event.  Refreshments Parents will be able to purchase refreshments, provided by the Parents’ Association, in Court Park during both the morning and afternoon events.  If you are able to assist the PA with this, please speak to a member of the committee as soon as possible. Parking To prevent congestion and chaos it is most important that you follow these instructions: Do not park in Parkway Do not block other cars in the car park If the car park is full, then drive away and park elsewhere e.g. Court Drive (very convenient for the park) or Long Lane. If you do park in the car park, then please do so in such a way as not to cause congestion.  It should be a fantastic event, and we look forward to seeing you on the day! Year 6 Author Visit St. Helen's College will be hosting a visit from children's author Caroline Boxall on Monday 3rd June for Year 6 pupils. The author of 'The Secret Children of Mumbai' and 'The Runaway Children of Chennai' will be here to talk about her experience as an author and how to become a published writer. She will also be introducing her International Creative Writing Competition for children to have the opportunity to write their own story and win copies of her books. Signed and personalised books are available to order in advance here.   Please could we also take this opportunity to remind pupils to be sure to return any borrowed or overdue library books to the library after the half term break to enable them to be available for other children to enjoy.  Singing Competition A reminder that the final deadline for video entries for the singing competition is Friday 31st May. Late entries will not be considered so please submit entries as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Entries should be recorded at home and uploaded using this form. Backing tracks must not contain the main vocal line. Singing from memory is preferred and will be required for the live final. The finalists will be announced on Friday 7th June. Good luck!  Competition: Design A Healthy City If you are looking for a half term activity for your child, Healthy Cities, Eco-Schools and The Bupa Foundation have teamed up to run a competition for children to create a picture showing what they think a 'healthy city' could look like. Children could create a cityscape, a map, a new invention that might make a city healthy or anything else they can imagine. Full guidelines and an A3 template which must be used are available here. Good luck and please do let us know if you enter. You will need to submit your own entry electronically by 10th June, including our school name and postcode on your entry form. Winners will be announced in the week beginning 26th June, the start of World Wellbeing Week, and will win £1500 for their school to spend on outdoor learning equipment! PA News The summer term is packed with fun activities for the children and a busy time for the PA who are always looking for volunteers to help make each event a success. Please make a note of the forthcoming dates and get in touch if you are able to help, all contributions are much appreciated: Tuesday 4th June 7pm - PA meeting in the Evans Hall. Everyone is welcome to discuss upcoming events and share ideas.  Friday 14th June - PA Father's Day stall for children to purchase a gift to celebrate significant male figures in their lives. The Upper School stall will run before and after school and during breaktime. Children should have no more than £5 to spend. The Lower School stall will be available for parents to attend, with their child, before and after school. Friday 21st June - Upper School Sports Day at Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Centre. Volunteers needed for sports day stalls, please get in touch if you can help. Donations of refreshments would be much appreciated. Saturday 22nd June - The much anticipated centenary Summer Fete. You will have been contacted by class reps with your allocated stall rota and request for specific donations. The success of this fun packed event relies on a whole class effort to run their allocated stall; please review your rota to see where you can get involved. External stall holders: This year we have invited Year 6 students to apply to hold stalls. Please contact your class rep if your child is interested. If you know of a business that would like to hold a stall at the school, please check the announcement on Classlist where there is a form to sign up for stalls. Upcoming Dates Monday 27th May - Friday 31st May - Half term.  Monday 3rd June - Year 6 author visit. Monday 3rd June - U11 A (H) and U11 B (A) cricket v. Highgate School. Tuesday 4th June - Class photographs (Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School). Wednesday 5th June - Year 1, 2 and 6 costume photographs. Thursday 6th June - Pre-Prep Sports Day. Friday 7th June - Whole school centenary photo. Friday 7th June - Month End Music Recital in Evans Hall (from 3.30 p.m.)

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