School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 5/01/2024Weekly News - Friday 5th January 2024
Happy New Year to the St. Helen's College Community! We hope that you have all had a good break.
We have been busy in school for the past two days with staff training and preparations for the new term, and are looking forward very much to welcoming the pupils back on Monday. Please ensure that your child arrives at school in good time each morning, by 8.25 a.m., so that all pupils may enjoy a calm, purposeful start to the day.
Buy Nothing New Month
St. Helen's College is taking part in Buy Nothing New Month during January. This initiative, run by Keep Britain Tidy, is about moving beyond simply recycling to reduce the amount of new 'stuff' that we buy, and by extension, the amount of waste that we create. It is about cherishing the things we already have, repairing things rather than sending them to landfill, and finding new homes for the things we no longer need.
It is sobering to think that, if everyone in the world lived like people in the UK, we would need over two and a half planets to regenerate and absorb our waste. As a society, we need to move to a circular economy that wastes less and puts more value on the things we already have.
The 'Buy Nothing New' initiative is not just good for the planet; it is an opportunity to save money too. Last year, 65% of those who took part bought nothing new for a whole month, and an additional 31% bought less than they usually would.
We hope that you will join us in trying to buy nothing new this month.
Uniform And Equipment
Please double check that your children have the correct uniform and equipment and that everything is clearly named. It is essential that every child brings a waterproof St. Helen's College coat/raincoat with them each day.
Travel And Parking Reminders
We urge parents and children to travel to school by foot (or bicycle/scooter) wherever possible. Doing so is environmentally friendly and good for physical and mental health.
For those who must drive, we would like to remind all parents that it is your responsibility to adhere to the school's travel and parking regulations, and to ensure that anyone delivering or collecting your child to school does the same. The regulations are permanently published to the school website and are available here.
It is inevitable that there will be some congestion at school run times, and those who drive should allow for this when planning journeys. As a school, we work hard to maintain good relationships with neighbours, promote sustainable travel, ease congestion for parents and make the drop-off and pick-up as easy as possible. The measures we take include the following.
An optional Breakfast Club daily during term time, so that your children may be dropped off at 7.30 a.m.
Staggered arrival times between 8.00 and 8.30 a.m. (with school staff providing supervision of children during these times).
A 'drop and go' system in the mornings, overseen by school staff, so that children may be dropped off without adults needing to park and exit their car.
Staggered departure times at end of day, between 3.00 and 3.50 p.m.
An optional After School Club daily during term time, so that children may stay at school up until 6 p.m. if needed.
A variety of after school co-curricular activities which further disperse departure times at the end of day.
Promotion of 'walk to school' initiatives and safe bicycle/scooter storage at school for children's bicycles and scooters.
Requiring parents to adhere to our school travel and parking regulations.
We are always interested to hear if you have any further ideas for easing congestion and promoting safe and sustainable travel.
Next Week - Reminders
Monday 8th - Friday 12th January - 5G swimming all week
Wednesday 10th January - Nursery entry meetings (for 2024 entry)
Wednesday 10th January - Year 5 transfer meetings with Ms Drummond
Thursday 11th January - Nursery entry meetings (for 2024 entry)
Posted on: 13/12/2023Weekly News - Wednesday 13th December 2023
Christmas Wishes
We would like to send our heartfelt best wishes to you all for a peaceful, joyful Christmas.
It was magical to join together this morning for our annual Upper School Carol Service at All Saints Church. We reflected on the importance of the Christmas story and message, listening to Year 6 children deliver bible readings and prayers. The orchestra played beautifully and the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Chamber Choir all sang for us, followed by a massed choir performance, for which several members of staff joined in. Special congratulations and thanks to Hana H (Year 6) for her exquisite Once In Royal David's City solo performance. This was a meaningful, fitting way to end the first term of the year.
Chamber Choir Reaches Final Of National Choral Competition!
We are absolutely delighted to report that the St. Helen's College Chamber Choir has made it through to the finals of the Barnado's National Choral Competition on Tuesday 5th March! This is such a wonderful achievement for our elite singers, who recorded two songs for the competition: John Rutter's 'Colours of Christmas' and Linn Marsh's 'Believe'. They will be learning new songs to perform at the final in March and we will all be rooting for them! If you would like to hear the songs which secured their place in the final, you can do so here.
ABRSM Exam Results
Congratulations to all of our musicians who have recently passed ABRSM examinations. It is, once again, an impressive list of achievements.
Mark D
5G
Piano
Grade 2
Pass
Pavan S
6L
Singing
Grade 2
Distinction
Verity S
6H
Singing
Grade 2
Pass
Karter P
5G
Piano
Initial
Merit
Aran P
4T
Piano
Grade 3
Pass
Aanya P
5G
Piano
Grade 4
Pass
Zoe F
3B
Piano
Grade 2
Pass
Carols Around The Christmas Tree
We were thrilled to see so many of you at the Carols Around The Tree event on Monday, and it was truly joyful to hear children, staff and parents sing with such gusto. When the St. Helen's College community comes together it is always a very special time and this was no exception. Thank you to Soula for the hot chocolate and mulled wine, and to the parents who brought sweet treats to sell for the PA. If you would like to see a video of the singing, you can do so here.
Father Christmas Visits!
Monday was an extremely exciting day for our Ducklings and Lower School children: Christmas party day! The children wore their own clothes and played games, and the day was topped off with a visit from Father Christmas, who brought along a gift for every child. He visited Ducklings first and then, at Lower School, the new library was transformed into Santa's Grotto and each class visited him to share their Christmas wishes and receive their present. You can see more photographs of the Lower School children enjoying the run-up to Christmas on our Galleries page here.
Santa Dash
Also on Monday, many of the children at Upper School chose to take part in a Santa Dash in Court Park. Wearing Santa hats, antlers, elf hats or - in some cases - entire Santa outfits, pupils and staff ran around the perimeter of the park. It was an enjoyable half hour of fresh air fun!
Christmas Tree Decoration Competition
So many children throughout the school brought in home made decorations for our Christmas trees this year that it was extremely hard to choose winners! In the end, the honours went to:
Robins - Mayilan P
Wrens - Nishay A
Owls - Cameron G
Kingfishers - Oliver N
1C - Callum B
1R - Annalivia B
2R - Aarlen J
2H - Adam H
3B - Tansy M
3M - Emerald S
4B - Alyssa P
4T - Mahi B
5G - Shanaya P
5R - Inaaya S
6H - Arjun C
6L - Tiya T
Well done to all our budding artists!
Year 3 & 4 Trip to Peter Pan
On Tuesday our final Christmas trip of the term saw the Year 3 and 4 children travel to The Rose Theatre in Kingston-Upon-Thames to see a production of Peter Pan. They thoroughly enjoyed the outing!
Roman Day
Year 3 had great fun during their themed Roman Day on Monday (pictured here ready for battle!) They took part in three workshops throughout the day, designing shields, making Roman coins using clay, and finally a Lego building workshop where they created aqueducts, villas and even the Colosseum!
Ducklings And Nursery Entry - September 2024
If you have a child who is eligible for entry into Ducklings or Nursery in September 2024, and you have not yet registered them with us, please do so as soon as possible by completing our online registration form. Places will be allocated in early/mid January for both entry points.
Looking Ahead
As always, please take the opportunity over the holidays to check your child's uniform and equipment and to repair or replace anything as necessary, to ensure that they have all they need for next term. You can check the uniform and equipment list here. Please, please, please make sure that all items of uniform and equipment are clearly named!
It is often very cold during January, February and even March, so please help the children to remember their coats, woolly hats, gloves and scarves.
The spring term menu has been posted to the website and can be seen here.
First Week Of Term
Monday 8th - Friday 12th January - 5G swimming all week
Wednesday 10th January - Nursery entry meetings (for 2024 entry)
Wednesday 10th January - Year 5 transfer meetings with Ms Drummond
Thursday 11th January - Nursery entry meetings (for 2024 entry)
Posted on: 8/12/2023Weekly News - Friday 8th December 2023
Christmas Christmas Christmas!
There have been so many exciting Christmas celebrations, trips and activities going on across the school this week.
Our 1R children entertained and informed us on Monday morning with their Christmas assembly at the Methodist Church. Their speaking and singing was first class, with every child contributing confidently and tunefully. It was very interesting to learn of different Christmas celebrations from around the world, and everyone enjoyed hearing the children tell the traditional Christmas story and sing both traditional religious and upbeat modern songs. Well done, 1R!
On Tuesday and Wednesday it was the turn of our Reception classes, Kingfishers and Owls, to present their Nativity assemblies. The children shared a confident re-telling of the traditional Nativity story in fabulous costumes, every child speaking and singing beautifully. These two performances even included solo singers which is an incredible achievement for such a young year group! Thank you to all our Reception performers for your fantastic work.
On Thursday and Friday our Nursery classes, Robins (pictured here) and Wrens, took to the stage for delightful Nativity assemblies. We were treated to sparkling singing and lots of smiles at these joyous and uplifting performances.
It was wonderful to see pupils taking part so confidently in their first public performance at St. Helen's College. We are sure there will be many more to come!
To see more Christmas photographs visit the gallery on the St. Helen's College website.
We were delighted that, as usual, Reverend Ken Kingston spoke to each of the Lower School classes following their Christmas assemblies. This year, he had a special twist up his sleeve: a donkey costume which Ms Drummond bought for him last year, after he had admired the donkey costumes in the St. Helen's College 2022 nativities! The Methodist Church will be holding a special family 'Carols and Christingle' Christmas celebration on Sunday 17th December at 6.00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
At Ducklings, our youngest children have been very busy creating festive decorations and cards, learning about the story of Christmas and exploring the traditional Nativity scene.
On Thursday, everyone wore Christmas jumpers to school and enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch. A huge thank you to all the Accent staff for their hard work. We were disappointed to have to postpone Carols Around The Tree, but hope to see you all on Monday afternoon for the re-arranged event, weather permitting.
We also held Festive Footsteps on Thursday. This was our JTA (Junior Travel Ambassador) team's latest incentive to encourage parents and children to walk, scoot or cycle for either part or all of the journey to school using our park and stride map. Our JTA team, in their green Santa hats, marshalled the route through Court Park, admiring some lovely Christmas jumpers and decorated bikes and scooters along the way! Well done to all of those who participated.
Hana H, Grace O'H and Anna K (Year 6) were very pleased with the outcome of their raffle this week. They raised a total of £145 for Cancer Research UK. Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket.
We were delighted with the efforts of all of our pupil artists who submitted designs for the Centenary Christmas Card competition. The standard of entries was incredibly high. There were two winning designs, from twins Zoravar and Naseeb D in Year 1, whose outstanding artwork will be adorning the official school digital Christmas card this year. Congratulations!
Theatre Trips
The first two of our Upper School class Christmas trips took place this week too. On Wednesday, Year 5 and 6 visited London's Peacock Theatre to watch a very special Sadler's Wells performance of The Snowman.
Parents might like to take children of any age to The Snowman Walking Trail in the Fleet Street area of London over the Christmas break. You can see details here:
https://wildinart.co.uk/events/walking-with-the-snowman-at-fleet-street-quarter/
On Friday, Year 2 enjoyed an entertaining trip to Dick Whittington, the seasonal pantomime at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham. The pupils relished the opportunity to travel to the theatre by tube and, once there, delighted in the songs, dancing and jokes. Everyone certainly entered into the fun spirit of the occasion.
Online Safety
As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our pupils safe online, we would like to remind parents that we are members of National Online Safety, a platform that we use for our online safety curriculum and for training staff. Parents can also access the resources, including courses and webinars around online safety, using the following link: https://nationalcollege.com/enrol/st-helen-s-college
We also have a date for your diaries. Mrs. Hunt and Mr. McLaughlin will be hosting an online evening to discuss specific, topical online safety concerns for primary-aged children on Wednesday, February 28th at 7 p.m. We will send the joining link nearer the time.
Chamber Choir Visit to Chalfont Lodge Care Home
On Friday our talented Chamber Choir visited Chalfont Lodge Care Home to spread some Christmas cheer to the elderly residents. The choir enchanted the audience with their beautiful performance of Believe (Lin Marsh), The Colours of Christmas (John Rutter) and Believe (Glen Ballard & Alan Silvestri). They were then joined by the residents to sing a selection of festive feel-good numbers including Jingle Bells, Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. It was a special moment for St. Helen's College Headmistresses present and past, as Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Crehan and Ms Drummond were together for the first time.
Recipe Pack
Chef Soula has shared this lovely December recipe pack for you to try with your children at home. We hope that you will have fun cooking together over the holidays!
Oak Farm Library
Oak Farm Library will be running some lovely events for children over the Christmas holidays. You can find details here.
Dance School
The Lynne Chilver School of Dance has been popular with St. Helen's College pupils for many years. They run lessons on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Methodist Church on Long Lane. Please click here for more information.
Free Basketball Tickets!
Once again St. Helen's College pupils have access to free tickets for this weekend's Thames Valley Cavaliers basketball fixtures at Uxbridge College Sports Centre. Full details are here.
Next Week
Monday 11th December - Lower School Party Day (children should wear party clothes)
Monday 11th December - Year 3 Roman Day
Monday 11th December - Carols Around The Tree 3.00 p.m.
Tuesday 12th December - Year 3 & 4 trip to Peter Pan
Wednesday 13th December - Year 2-6 Carol Service at All Saints' Church, 11.15 a.m.
Wednesday 13th December - End of Term.
Half Day Finish Times - 11.50 a.m. (Ducklings & N); 12.00 p.m. (R); 12.10 p.m. (Y1,2); 12.20 (Y3,4); 12.30 (Y5,6)
Posted on: 1/12/2023Weekly News - Friday 1st December
House Songs
We will rock you! The children - and staff - were in full voice on Thursday morning for our House Song event.
Ramping up the team spirit, each House delivered a hearty rendition of their chosen piece. The songs were Queen's 'We Will Rock You' (Hibernia) and 'Don't Stop Us Now' (Cambria), Katy Perry's 'Roar' (Caledonia) and 'Believer' by Imagine Dragons (Windsor).
Class Assemblies
On Friday Class 1C shared a beautiful assembly explaining why Christmas is such an important time of year for Christians. They retold the Christmas Story and shared various ways in which Christmas is celebrated around the world.
They sang a mixture of traditional and modern upbeat songs to entertain us too! Super work 1C, we were incredibly proud of your performance!
2R also treated us to a very festive assembly this week, sharing unusual Christmas customs and traditions from around the world. We learnt about hidden gifts on the Christmas tree in Germany and eating Christmas caterpillars in South Africa!
The assembly was topped off with the pupils' own fun and energetic take on 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', which proved a big hit with the audiences who watched this excellent assembly!
Middle East Conflict
We know that there are many in our community affected by the conflict in the Middle East. We have spoken to the staff about this at school over recent weeks and they have been dealing sensitively and individually with the topic where pupils have expressed concern. We continue to focus on our school values in assemblies and our daily school life. Our thoughts and prayers go to all those suffering. We are all praying for peace.
Social Media
Thank you to all of those who responded to the recent social media survey. We have taken note of your preferences and have now launched/re-launched the school's social media channels.
The school will never post essential information via social media so there is no obligation to follow us, but we hope that you will choose to do so in order to celebrate all that the St. Helen's College community is up to!
Instagram - @StHelensCollege_Hillingdon
Facebook - @StHelensCollege_Hillingdon
Twitter (X) - @StHelenCollege
You might also like to follow Ms Drummond on Twitter (X).
Twitter (X) - @shirleydrummon5
Chess News
Congratulations to the winners of our recent in-school chess tournament and to all of the Year 4, 5 and 6 Chess Club players who participated.
1st - Gold medal
Emily S (6L) 12 points
2nd - Silver medal
Aaron B (6H) 11 points
3rd - Bronze medal
Aakash B (4B) 10 points
The school will once again be taking part in the 2024 Delancey School Chess Tournament next term, so look out for more chess news then!
Uxbridge Junior Chess Club will be hosting a Junior Chess Tournament on Sunday 21 January 2024. This is an individual competition but if a school has five or more pupils in the tournament then the school is automatically entered in the school tournament. Further details can be found here.
Sports News
Last Friday our Year 6 footballers joined an exciting tournament at Goals Hayes, which was organised by Queen's Park Rangers Football Club. Players were Ryley J, Luca H, Kal-El M, Marco K, Rian M, Jeevan P, Viren C and Anand V. The boys won the first match 3-0 and narrowly lost the final two matches. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all and the children were a testament to St. Helen's College, demonstrating exemplary sportsmanship. Well done boys!
The football team's match against St. Catherine's School on Wednesday ended in a 1-0 loss. The boys were absolutely outstanding and only conceded in the last minute of the game. Team members were Jack K, Giuseppe D, Rian M, Sean R, Joe T, Daynan C, Aaron B, Maicen M and Mikail O.
Switch Off Fortnight
Looking after the environment is important to everyone at St. Helen's College and recently pupils have been on a real mission to save energy! Taking part in Switch Off Fortnight has galvanised everyone to put into action simple ways to save energy at school and at home.
Sofia S and Roshni J (5R) have written this to explain:
This year's Switch Off Fortnight has been amazing! All the classes have been doing so well, and the electric metre scores are a lot better than last year. We know that everyone has been trying very hard. Even when it’s not Switch Off Fortnight please do turn off the lights, turn off the board and more. We really want you as the parents/guardians to encourage your children and for your children to encourage you to switch off at home.
Switch Off Fortnight went on for two weeks from Monday 13th of November until Friday 24th of November. Well done to everyone for doing Switch Off Fortnight and not forgetting!
Class winners for week one were 2H (Middle School) and 5R (Upper School) and for week two were 2H (Middle School) and 6H (Upper School). The winners enjoyed five minutes of extra play. Well done everyone and keep up the great work!
Hillingdon Food Bank
The St. Helen's College community has generously donated a second large box of supplies to the Hillingdon Food Bank, proudly displayed here by Rohan V and Annalivia B (Year 1).
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to this important initiative. You can find collection boxes at Lower and Upper School entrance areas, and any contributions are gratefully received.
Staff News
We will, sadly, be saying goodbye to Miss Rackham, our 1R class teacher, at the end of this term, as she has now moved away from the area. We all wish Miss Rackham well as she pursues her next adventures, and we thank her for being a wonderful colleague.
Miss Rackham's position will be filled, from January, by Mrs. Ashley Coker. Mrs. Coker is no stranger to St. Helen's College, having worked at Lower School as a Teaching And Learning Assistant some years ago before pursuing her teacher training. We are delighted to be welcoming her back into the St. Helen's College fold!
Ms Furniss has recently joined the administrative team based at Upper School to assist with admissions, marketing, communications and more. We know that you will join with us in extending her a warm St. Helen's College welcome.
Atom Prime training
A big thank you to all of the Year 3, 4 and 5 parents who joined the Atom Prime online training webinar on Thursday evening. Atom is a terrific online platform and a great way to engage with and support your child's learning at home.
Christmas Tree Decoration Competition
As usual we will be running our Christmas Tree Decoration Competition this year. Children should bring in their home-made decorations from Monday 4th December until Friday 8th December. This year, children in Nursery to Year 6 should make decorations themed in their house colour. These are:
Caledonia - Blue
Cambria - Red
Hibernia - Green
Windsor - Yellow/Gold
Ducklings may make decorations in any colour/style!
Each decoration entry will receive two house points and there will also be a prize for the winner in each class from Ducklings through to Year 6.
Christmas Post Box
Our Christmas post boxes will be in operation 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 into the cards.
Thursday 7th December
On Thursday 7th December, children should wear their Christmas jumpers to school over their usual uniform.
We are promoting 'Festive Footsteps' on this day, encouraging parents and children to walk (or use bicycles or scooters) for either part or all of the journey to school. Children might like to decorate their bicycles or scooters on this day to add to the festive feel! There will be school staff and JTAs (in green Santa hats) marshalling the route through Court Park from Court Drive to Parkway, so why not park a little distance from school that day and travel on foot the rest of the way? Our 'park and stride' map can be found here.
Families taking part in 'Festive Footsteps' will also be helping to ease congestion at the end of the day, when the whole school will be gathering together for Carols Around The Tree in the Upper School playground. You are all warmly invited to join us for this event. Refreshments will be served from 3 p.m. outside the Evans Hall, and singing will begin around the tree at approximately 3.30 p.m.
Year 6 children will be running a raffle in aid of Cancer Research UK on Thursday too, so please allow your child to bring £1 into school if they would like to buy a raffle ticket. This is entirely optional.
Co-Curricular Bookings and Holiday Club Bookings Open Today
Bookings for spring term co-curricular activities will open at 4 p.m. today. Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to submit your child's preferences. As ever, please discuss choices with your child in advance so that you know you are requesting clubs that your child really wants to attend. Preferences must be submitted by midnight on Sunday (3rd December).
Bookings for the Christmas Holiday Club will also open at 4 p.m. today and should be made through your SchoolsBuddy account.
Next Week/End of Term
Monday 4th December - 1R coffee morning/Christmas assembly 8.15 a.m.
Tuesday 5th December - Kingfishers coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Wednesday 6th December - Owls coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Wednesday 6th December - Year 5 & 6 trip to The Snowman
Thursday 7th December - Robins coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Thursday 7th December - Carols Around The Tree from 3.00 p.m.
Thursday 7th December - Christmas lunch - menu available here
Thursday 7th December - Christmas jumper day (Christmas jumpers may be worn throughout the school on top of whichever uniform/kit your child would usually wear on this day)
Friday 8th December - Wrens coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Friday 8th December - Year 2 trip to Dick Whittington
Friday 8th December - Chamber Choir visit to Chalfont Lodge Care Home
Tuesday 12th December - Year 3 & 4 trip to Peter Pan
Wednesday 13th December - Years 2 - 6 Carol Service at All Saints Church 11.15 a.m.
Wednesday 13th December - End of term 11.50 a.m. (Ducklings & N); 12.00 p.m. (R); 12.10 p.m. (Y1,2); 12.20 p.m. (Y3,4); 12.30 p.m. (Y5,6)
Posted on: 24/11/2023Weekly News - Friday 24th November 2023
Primary Maths Challenge
The results are now in for the Year 4 - 6 Primary Maths Challenge - a fun and exciting mathematical challenge which has taken place over the past few weeks. We had a number of children who secured gold, silver and bronze awards.
Special mentions go to these Year 4 children who performed incredibly well for their age bracket:
4T - William B (silver award), Shaylen P, Mahi B, Aran P, Gurdaya J and Parth K (bronze awards)
4B - Aaran T, Yuvraj R, Ella K, Tiffany T and Armaan V (bronze awards)
Additionally, very well done to Tiya T (6L) and Aryan L (6L) for achieving the highest (joint) scores in the whole school. All of the Year 4 - 6 pupils should be very proud of themselves for showing such perseverance and enthusiasm during the challenge.
4T Class Assembly
Class 4T presented a super assembly this morning all about 'Preparation'. By performing and narrating a short play about a squirrel who failed to prepare for winter, they taught us that preparation is a crucial part of life. They reminded us of the many things we all prepare for on a daily basis, and took a humorous look at preparations for the new school year, performing poems from a pupil, teacher and parent point of views. They also reminded us that advent is the season of preparation for Christmas, and of how we may prepare for this special time of year by performing acts of kindness and service, as well as by buying presents, writing cards and hanging decorations. The children had each made an advent calendar with doors which opened to show the acts of kindness which they intend to perform. Great work, 4T! This was a very meaningful and enjoyable assembly.
Month End Music Recital
Our November Month End Music Recital provided a wonderful opportunity for many of our instrumentalists and vocalists to perform to their parents, staff and peers. These occasions are always informal and allow the children to take to the 'stage' in a supportive and friendly environment, sometimes for their first ever public performance! Today, as well as vocal performances, children shared pieces on flute, piano and clarinet. Very well done to all of those children who stepped up to perform; it was a lovely way to start the weekend.
Chamber Choir Record For Barnado's National Choral Competition
On Tuesday, 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!
Library - Mystery Readers
Year 2 are loving their 'Mystery Reader' sessions in the library at the end of each week! The children never know who is going to turn up to read to them - it might be a parent, a member of staff or someone else!
Here is Mr. McLaughlin, who was last week's Mystery Reader, entertaining a Year 2 class.
The Mystery Reader season started in style with Mrs. Christodoulou sharing a family favourite read. We would love to hear from other parents or grandparents who would enjoy the opportunity to entertain Year 2 with a story! If you are interested please contact Mrs. Emanuel at semanuel@sthelenscollege.com. Story time is currently 3 p.m. on Friday afternoons.
Chef Soula Nominated For Award!
We are so proud of our school chef, Soula, who has been nominated for a very special award by Accent! Soula was recognised as one of Accent's most valued employees, for her professionalism and achievements. She runs a wonderful team of staff here at St. Helen's College and we are delighted that her work has been recognised in this way.
Food Bank Donations
Thank you so much to those who have made donations to our new, ongoing Food Bank collection. Mrs. Bickle, a St. Helen's College parent, took the first donation to the Hillingdon Food Bank today where it was gratefully received. Donation boxes are now permanently available at Upper School, Lower School and Ducklings.
Sports News
3M have enjoyed a week of swimming this week.
On Tuesday, Year 4 girls travelled to Alpha Prep to play two competitive netball matches. The girls have made some strong progress with their knowledge of the rules and positions so far this term and demonstrated this during the games. Well done to everyone involved!
The Year 6 netballers took part in a fixture against Alpha Prep at home on Thursday. It was a well matched competitive game, with the pupils displaying some fantastic shooting and making lots of interceptions which we worked on this week during their lesson time. They won 11-9. Well done to all of the pupils!
All of the Year 3 and 4 footballers played against Alpha Prep on Tuesday. There were seven matches played. St. Helen's College won 5, drew 1 and lost 1. The children thoroughly enjoyed the friendly fixture and there was lots to celebrate.
On Thursday our Year 6 footballers took on Alpha Prep at Court Park. They put on a convincing display, losing only one of the six games played.
Goalscorers were: Jeevan P (2), Kal-el M (3), Aidan T (1), Joe T(1), Aaron B (3), Riya S (1), Marco K (1), Mylo D'O (2), Rian M (1), Zaki M (1), Anand V (2)
The Year 6 footballers also took part in a competition at Goals Hayes on Friday. A report and pictures will follow next week.
Thames Valley Cavaliers are playing again this weekend, against Hemel Storm. Details are available here.
Message From The PA
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday 26th November at the PA Christmas Party. The response has been great and we cannot wait to see you all there. Tickets are now sold out and will not be available at the door. Thank you for your enthusiasm, and let's make this Sunday a memorable one!
Centenary Christmas Card Competition
We would like pupils to have a go at designing the cover of a special Centenary Christmas Card for us this year. The card should include mention of the St. Helen's College Centenary. Pupils may draw, colour and paint the card but should not use glue or glitter.
The winning card, chosen by Ms Drummond, will be sent out digitally by the school to many recipients!
Pupils should hand their designs in to their class teacher (Ducklings/Lower School) or to the school office (Upper School). The deadline for submitting entries is next Friday, 1st December.
Next Week
Monday 27th November - Nursery/Reception nativity photographs
Wednesday 29th November - Football v. St. Catherine's (A)
Thursday 30th November - Flu vaccinations (Reception to Year 6)
Thursday 30th November - Atom Prime Parent Webinar (Years 3 to 5) 6.00 pm.
Friday 1st December - 1C coffee morning/Christmas assembly 8.15 a.m.
Friday 1st December - 2R coffee morning/Christmas assembly 8.15 a.m.
Friday 1st December - Holiday Club bookings open 4 p.m.
Christmas Arrangements
Monday 4th December - 1R coffee morning/Christmas assembly 8.15 a.m.
Tuesday 5th December - Kingfishers coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Wednesday 6th December - Owls coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Wednesday 6th December - Year 5 & 6 trip to The Snowman
Thursday 7th December - Robins coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Thursday 7th December - Carols Around The Tree and PA Christmas Fair 3.00 p.m.
Thursday 7th December - Christmas lunch - menu available here
Thursday 7th December - Christmas jumper day (Christmas jumpers may be worn throughout the school on top of whichever uniform/kit your child would usually wear on this day)
Friday 8th December - Wrens coffee morning/Nativity 8.15 a.m.
Friday 8th December - Year 2 trip to Dick Whittington
Monday 11th December - Lower School party day
Monday 11th December - Upper School carol service rehearsal
Wednesday 13th December - Upper School carol service
Wednesday 13th December - End of term 11.50 a.m. (Ducklings & N); 12.00 p.m. (R); 12.10 p.m. (Y1,2); 12.20 p.m. (Y3, 4); 12.30 p.m. (Y5,6)
Holiday Club
Holiday Club bookings will go live on Friday 1st December at 4 p.m. Please book your places promptly to enable us to staff the club appropriately.
Posted on: 17/11/2023Weekly News - Friday 17th November 2023
Centenary Party - Tickets Now Available!
We will be rounding off the 2023-2024 academic year with a grand St. Helen's College Centenary Party at the end of the summer term, when the SHC community will join together to celebrate the school's 100th year in style. The party will take place on the evening of Friday 12th July at The Manor Barn in Ruislip and we hope to see many parents there.
There are a limited number of tables (seating ten) available for purchase on a first come, first served basis. These are now available to buy via SchoolsBuddy. One parent will need to buy a table on behalf of ten guests, so please plan your group and buy your table now! Tickets will include dinner, some drinks and entertainment. Tickets are priced at £55 per person (£550 per table). Guests must be over 18 years of age.
We very much hope that you will join us to celebrate the end of the 2023-2024 centenary year with a bang!
Maths News
The pupils have had a blast this week, taking part in Maths Week England, a nationwide celebration of maths in which all schools in England may participate.
St. Helen's College children have been diving into investigations, puzzles and quizzes. There has been collaboration and competition across the year groups, bringing maths to life, and children have showcased their numeracy skills as well as problem solving and reasoning.
There were some online events and talks too. Year 6 joined a webinar to learn about ‘Green Careers’ from three people working in environmental jobs. We met an exploration geologist based in the Arctic Circle, a data scientist working for the Met Office and an architect who designs healthcare settings for the NHS. They talked about how maths is used in their day to day work.
Well done to all for engaging so well with some challenging and thought provoking problems!
There has also been a buzz about school as children from Years 2 - 6 have been engaging with Times Tables Rock Stars and taking part in a nationwide online competition, ‘England Rocks’.
Well done to all of our pupils for working as a team and collecting points for St. Helen’s College! We were up against some tough competition from across the country. Despite this, our pupils persevered until the end, never giving up and helped move SHC up the ladder, finishing in 1057th place overall, which is no mean feat.
Special mentions go to Tiya T, Eva J and Rohan F for finishing in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place (respectively) within our school. What an incredible effort!
Over the past fortnight, the Primary Maths Challenge - a fun and exciting mathematical challenge - has also been taking place. Years 4-6 joined in and took the challenge this year. It is run by The Mathematical Association and aims to build children’s enthusiasm and resilience in maths. Results are yet to be published and announced, so watch this space!
Children In Need
The school community joined together today to focus on Children In Need, thinking about those less fortunate and how we can help them. At all three sites, children and staff wore spots and stripes and took part in activities to help raise money for this most worthy charity.
Here you can see our Wrens Nursery class enjoying their Children in Need day!
2H presented a super assembly to educate parents, pupils and staff at Upper School about 'Peace'. They taught us how to say the word peace in many different languages, and about what peace means to them and to us all at St. Helen's College. The children also acted out a beautiful story, 'The Peaceful Pond', during which the animals in a very peaceful pond were disrupted by the arrival of a snappy, unfriendly crocodile. In trying to find a peaceful solution to the problem, the animals discovered that the crocodile had been driven out of his previous home and was really quite sad. Having understood the reasons for his behaviour, and having explained their desire to live peacefully, they welcomed him into their community and peace was restored. Well done, 2H, for helping us all to reflect on the importance of peace and kindness, and for reminding us how lucky we are to have peace within our community.
The winners of the Children In Need raffles were:
Ducklings - Meeshal K
Lower School - Jovun B
Middle School - Ajooni G
Upper School - Mahi D
Thank you very much to everyone who has supported our Children In Need fundraising efforts.
Sports News
3B have enjoyed a week of swimming lessons at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex this week.
The Year 6 netball team had another great win this Wednesday against St. Mary's. It was a fast paced game and the girls worked hard to keep possession. They won 4-1.
On Thursday the netball team attended the Reddiford School netball tournament. The girls showed great resilience and motivation on the cold and slightly damp afternoon. They played five matches in total and finished in a very impressive 2nd position. Well done to all involved.
Next week, on Tuesday 21st November all of the boys who normally do football will be playing a competitive match against Alpha Prep at Court Park. The girls who normally play football for Games will play an inter-school match against each other. Matches will kick off at 2 p.m. and parents are very welcome to come and watch.
On Thursday 23rd November all of Year 6 will play in competitive matches for football or netball against Alpha Prep at home during their PE times. Matches will kick off at 2 p.m. Parents are more than welcome to come and watch.
The next Thames Valley Cavaliers home game will take place this Saturday at Uxbridge College at 7.00 p.m. Once again, free tickets are available for St. Helen's College pupils. Information is here.
Junior Travel Ambassadors Present To Hillingdon Councillors
On Tuesday evening, Charlee G and Raiden B (Year 6) represented our Junior Travel Ambassadors at the Highways and Transport Select Committee at the Civic Centre, Uxbridge.
They both spoke with confidence and authority to explain to the Councillors the work that our JTAs have been doing, what initiatives our new JTAs have planned and the impact that being part of the STARS programme is having. Their most recent survey showed a 35% decrease in car use since 2018 and 17% increase in active travel.
St. Helen's College has been working with the STARS team for around fifteen years to encourage pupils and parents to travel to school actively wherever possible, sending out maps highlighting safe walking and cycling routes, and promoting 'park and stride' to parents who do come by car. Pupils have taken part in many activities over the years including pedestrian and Bikeability training, Junior Citizens, Eco Schools, Parent Parking Pledge, Air Quality projects, The Big Pedal and Theatre in Education.
In 2018 the JTAs successfully applied for funding for new scooter parking at the Lower School. At the last two 'Dragons Den' events in 2019 and 2020, they successfully bid for funding from the council to go towards road safety and active travel initiatives at the school, including the walking loyalty scheme. In 2021, another successful bid was made to the council. Following some incidents on the zebra crossing on Long Lane outside the school, the JTAs started a petition and sent this to the council, who acted very quickly to install ‘zeebrite’ halos on the lights of the crossing to make the crossing more visible to drivers. Most recently, the JTAs won a Top Influencer Award in West London from TfL for their achievements in active and safer travel initiatives and attended an awards ceremony at the Oval, Kennington.
Many congratulations to Charlee and Raiden for their super presentation and to the whole JTA team for their enthusiasm and dedicated work to promote road safety and active travel.
STARS Competition Winner!
The LBH STARS team ran a competition in October as part of their Walk to School month. They were overwhelmed with the response and there were some fantastic entries from children across the Borough. We are delighted to announce that Yuvraj R - 4B was selected as a 3rd place winner for the Key Stage 2 Road Safety Invention Competition!
The judges felt that Yuvraj's invention - flashing street lamps to alert drivers that there are pedestrians walking too close to the curb edge - was a very clever yet simple, effective and original idea that could work in a real life setting.
Well done Yuvraj!
Diwali Lunch
Thank you to Soula and her team for the wonderful Diwali lunch on Tuesday, which was enjoyed by all! Here are some photographs of the delicious dishes they prepared.
Pullens Black Friday Sale
Pullens (Uniform4Kids) are having a Black Friday Sale next Friday. The offer is valid for one day only, online, and exclusively on Friday 24th November 2023. There will be a 20% discount on all products including school wear, sportswear, footwear and accessories. This offer is available online only via www.uniform4kids.com.
Discount code BLACKFRIDAY20 must be entered at checkout. A discount cannot be added retrospectively to an order already placed.
There will be no Click & Collect or delivery to school available during this event. Orders will be dispatched via courier. Orders may take up to one week to process.
Food Bank
Through our Harvest Festival collections, we recently donated non-perishable food items to Hillingdon Salvation Army. A Lower School parent has suggested making this an ongoing commitment and has volunteered to support the school in getting this initiative off the ground.
We would like to be able to donate to the Hillingdon Food Bank on a weekly basis and will provide drop boxes at Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School. Donations must be non-perishable items such as tinned meat, fish and vegetables, formula milk, jams and honey.
We hope you are able to support us in this ongoing endeavour as we are certain it will make a difference to those in our community who are less fortunate than us.
Wet Bags
As a community we are always eager to look for new ways to reduce waste and damage to the environment. A parent has recommended reusable wet bags, which may be used instead of single use plastic bags for wet children's clothes. If you are interested in purchasing one for your child, you can see an example at the link below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ledoo-Reusable-Waterproof-Zipper-Pockets/dp/B0BL9CMBBL/ref=sr_1_14_sspa?crid=2IEGWYCEA5SDD&keywords=reusable+wet+bag&qid=1699600378&sprefix=reuseable+wet+%2Caps%2C384&sr=8-14-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Next Week
3M swimming all week
Tuesday 21st November - U9 (Year 4) netball v. Alpha Prep School (A)
Tuesday 21st November - Boys' football v. Alpha Prep and girls' inter-school matches
Thursday 23rd November - U11 (Year 6) boys' football v. Alpha Prep School (H)
Thursday 23rd November - U11 (Year 6) girls' netball v. Alpha Prep School (H)
Friday 24th November - 4T coffee morning and class assembly (from 8.15 a.m.)
Friday 24th November - Month End Music Recital in Evans Hall (from 3.45 p.m.)
Friday 24th November - Pullens (Uniform4Kids) Black Friday Sale
Textile Bank
We would like to remind you that you can support the environment, help those in need and raise funds for the St. Helen's College Trust, at no cost to yourself, by donating used clothing, shoes, bedding, bags etc. to the textile bank situated outside 227 Long Lane. Wherever possible, these textile items are distributed to those in need. Any that are not suitable for distribution are recycled into industrial cleaning cloths, so that nothing ends up as landfill. The St. Helen's College Trust receives a small payment for each kilo of textiles donated.
If you are not familiar with the work of the St. Helen's College Trust, please do take a look at the website. The charity is young but growing, and has made a positive difference to many children's lives in the local area over the last two years. If you know of any organisation, group or individual who may benefit from a grant, please let them know that the Trust welcomes applications. The criteria are that the grant must be used to advance the education and/or all-round development of children aged 0-11 in Hillingdon and the surrounding areas.
Multi Sports & Swimming Fun Week
There will be a multi sports fun week at Hillingdon Leisure Centre over the Christmas break, offering various activities including swimming for children in Years 1-7. You can find details here.
Posted on: 10/11/2023Weekly News - Friday 10th November 2023
Happy Diwali!
For those celebrating this weekend, we wish you a Happy Diwali, filled with light, love and laughter.
Remembrance At SHC
Today we took the opportunity at school to talk about why we wear poppies as a mark of respect and remembrance for all those who so bravely gave their lives in war to secure our freedom. We observed silences and, at Upper School, heard Year 6 children read a poem and a prayer and Mrs. Fawbert perform The Last Post beautifully.
Thank you to parents for allowing the children to bring in money to buy poppies, and thank you to the Year 6 Charity Representatives who sold them.
Children in Need
On Friday 17th November, we will be raising money for Children In Need here at school. All children are invited to wear spots and stripes and they will have the chance to take part in some fun, age-appropriate activities during the day. Every child will also be entered into a raffle with the chance of winning their own Pudsey Bear. We are asking for each child to bring in a donation (suggested minimum £2 but all donations gratefully received), which they can hand in to their class teacher on the day. Thank you in advance for your support.
Year 1 Trip To Road Dahl Gallery
The Year 1 trip to The Roald Dahl Gallery in Aylesbury was a wonderful experience for all involved on Tuesday! The children were able to explore the Bucks Museum to get inspiration for their very own dream bottles. They were fascinated to learn about Roald Dahl's life and the real people Roald knew who inspired characters such as the BFG and Miss Trunchbull. The Gallery itself was full of amazing exhibits and the children all had the most fantastic time interacting with them all. Everyone enjoyed the day and would thoroughly recommend it.
Sports News
On Tuesday the Year 4 girls took part in the Reddiford netball tournament. They displayed great focus and versatility when playing their first 7-a-side netball matches. They placed 4th overall. Well done to all the girls.
The Year 6 netball team had a league netball match against Cowley St. Lawrence on Wednesday. The girls dominated the game throughout, displaying great timing and accuracy. They scored an impressive 12 goals, winning 12-0.
The football team lost 5-1 to Oak Farm on Wednesday in the Borough Cup Competition, in a tough game which certainly taught them much about perseverance.
Thursday then saw the U11 football team travel to Reddiford School for the Reddiford Cup Tournament, contested between six teams. They played five games in total, winning the first 2-1, the second 2-0 and the third 2-0. The fourth game saw the boys win convincingly 5-0, leaving them needing just a draw in the final game to secure the trophy. They showed nerves of steel to keep a clean sheet and draw 0-0, making them the overall tournament winners. Aaron B was the top scorer but every boy played with determination and skill. Well done to all involved!
Parents' Evenings
Thank you to all of the parents who came to the Year 2 - 6 parents' evening on Tuesday. This was the last of the formal parents' evenings for this term but, as ever, we urge parents to keep in touch with class teachers regularly.
Centenary Christmas Card Competition
We would like pupils to have a go at designing the cover of a special Centenary Christmas Card for us this year. The card should include mention of the St. Helen's College Centenary. Pupils may draw, colour and paint the card but should not use glue or glitter.
The winning card, chosen by Ms Drummond, will be sent out digitally by the school to many recipients!
Pupils should hand their designs in to their class teacher (Ducklings/Lower School) or to the school office (Upper School).
Switch Off Fortnight
Switch Off Fortnight starts next week and this year there is an opportunity for pupils to design the Switch Off Fortnight campaign t-shirt. Winners will receive 10 Teemill t-shirts with their own design and an optional visit to the Teemill factory to meet the team and see how the t-shirts are made. All information about the competition can be found here. Please do let the school know if your child enters the competition!
Next Week
All week - 3B swimming
Tuesday 14th November - Diwali special lunch menu
Thursday 16th November - U11 girls' netball at Reddiford School (1.30 - 3.30 p.m.)
Friday 17th November - Children In Need
Friday 17th November - 2H coffee morning and class assembly (8.15 a.m.)
Posted on: 3/11/2023Weekly News - Friday 3rd November 2023
3B Class Assembly
Thank you to all of the parents who attended the 3B coffee morning and class assembly today. We all very much enjoyed watching the children present their informative and enjoyable assembly about their history topic of the Romans. They told us how the Romans came to Britain and the impact they had. The pupils also described their recent Year 3 trip to St. Albans, including what they learnt about the Roman town of Verulamium and mosaics, and the drama workshop in which they acted out the life of St. Alban himself. The assembly also included four wonderful musical performances: vocal, piano, trombone and violin. The children's delivery was confident and engaging and there was plenty of humour too. Well done, 3B!
Orchestra Enjoy Northwood College Event
The school orchestra visited Northwood College for Girls on Wednesday, for a joint orchestra day. The two orchestras joined together to rehearse pieces of music by Vivaldi, Verdi and Beethoven, and showcased their hard work in a performance to parents at the end of the day. They also very much enjoyed making new friends and enjoying play time with the Northwood College children.
The pupils made us all very proud with their high level of engagement and their beautiful behaviour and manners throughout the trip. The final performance was of a very high quality and we are sure that the children have benefited hugely from the experience. Thank you to the many parents who attended too!
Sports News
Netball
On Monday our Year 5 and 6 netball players travelled to Highgate School to play in a highly competitive fixture. The pupils worked well as a team and demonstrated great resilience and determination throughout.
The Year 6 netball team built on Monday's experience, playing an excellent match against St. Andrew's on Wednesday. St. Helen's College won 7-2, and the pupils continue to display excellent character skills and make significant progress. Well done to everyone.
Football
The football teams thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon at Highgate School on Monday; some of the teams won and some of them lost. The real winner was football though. All of the games were played in good spirit and it was a great opportunity for everyone to represent the school in a sports fixture. Well done to everyone for upholding the school values and for their fantastic efforts.
The U11 first team played Laurel Lane on Wednesday 1st November. It was their first league fixture and they played extremely well. The game finished 6-0. The scorers were Aaron B (3), Joe T (2) and Daynan C (1) and it was a superb display by all.
The Packham Cup competition which was due to take place tomorrow has been CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.
Basketball
Thames Valley Cavaliers are once again offering free tickets to St. Helen's College children for their game this weekend against the Nottingham Hoods. You can find details here.
Pedestrian Training
Our Year 3 and Year 5 pupils have undertaken Pedestrian Training this week, delivered by the London Borough of Hillingdon. They learnt and practised how to keep safe on foot in the local area, including crossing roads with parked cars and being vigilant around driveways.
Nursery Trip To Playtrain
On Friday our Nursery classes enjoyed a trip to Playtrain. Great fun was had by all!
Parents' Evenings
Thank you to the parents who attended the Owls and the Year 2 - Year 6 parents' evenings last night. As always, it was lovely to see so many of you and we hope that you found the conversations useful. Please do keep in touch regularly with your class teacher if you have any concerns or questions about your child's well-being or progress. The next parents' evening for Year 2 - Year 6 will take place on Tuesday 7th November.
PA Coffee Morning
On Thursday, we held a coffee morning for the Parents' Association committee and class representatives in the Evans Hall. It was a great opportunity for everyone to get together and very well-attended. Thank you to those who came along. Ms Drummond particularly enjoyed talking to parents about parental well-being and has written a blog about this topic this week, which you can read here.
Attendance Policy
We would like to draw parents' attention to our Attendance Policy. It is crucial that all children arrive at school promptly and attend each school day from start to finish, in order to take full advantage of the education and opportunities we offer. The Attendance Policy and some other school policies are published on the school website here.
Messages from the PA
PA Christmas Parties
The PA has organised two Christmas parties for St. Helen's College children on Sunday 26th November. Your child/children can attend either time slot together, despite being in different year groups. We are not holding parties for specific year groups on this occasion. As spaces are limited they will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Each party will consist of party food and soft drink, a disco and a gift from Father Christmas.
PARTY OPTIONS: Sunday 26 November 2023
PARTY 1: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
PARTY 2: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Please complete your booking here: https://forms.gle/JUQpUgR8J5z4vnWg9
PRICES:
£15.00 per child
£5.00 per adult
Please make payment of £15 per child and £5 per adult using the Child 1 Name and Class as your reference. Please note that payment must be made within 24 hours and is only accepted by bank transfer to:
Account Name: SHC Parents Association
Bank: Natwest
Sort Code: 60-02-60
Account No: 10315152
VENUE:
Yiewsley and West Drayton Community Centre, 228 Harmondsworth Road, West Drayton UB7 9JL
Some parking available on site.
Please ensure that you include all the information on the form as requested and make payment within 24 hours of booking. BOOKINGS WILL BE OPEN UNTIL THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER. Book early to avoid disappointment.
If there are any queries, please email pa@sthelenscollege.com.
PA Christmas Fair Stalls - Expressions of Interest
The PA will be running a Christmas Fair in the Evans Hall at Upper School from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on 7th December to complement the Carols Round The Tree event being held in the school playground that afternoon.
If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in holding a stall at the Christmas Fair to sell items, raise awareness, or to promote a business, please complete and submit this Google Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYeBvdIhNelDvL2MrUF4aWtLbJfL7Kdo_rXtZ1D4LBsgFF_Q/viewform?usp=pp_url
Uniform Stall
Thank you for all your generous donations of uniform. The uniform stall held over half term was successful and we would like to extend our appreciation to all those who helped to make it happen.
Comedy Night
Please take a look at this flyer for the PA comedy night at The Comedy Bunker, Uxbridge Golf Club, on Friday 8th March at 7.45 p.m. Do save the date! Tickets will go on sale in January and are £18.50 per person.
Next Week
Our charity representatives will be selling poppies at school from Monday 6th November for pupils to wear ahead of and on Remembrance Day. Please allow your child to bring a donation into school if they would like to buy a poppy.
Here is a reminder of upcoming events next week.
Monday 6th November - Year 1 trip to The Roald Dahl Gallery
Tuesday 7th November - Year 4 girls' netball tournament at Reddiford School
Tuesday 7th November - Year 2 to 6 parents' evening
Wednesday 8th November - Netball match (H) and football match (A at Oak Farm)
Thursday 9th November - Football tournament at Reddiford School
Friday 10th November - Remembrance at St. Helen's College
Diwali Special Menu
We will have a special lunch menu at school on Tuesday 14th November to celebrate Diwali. You can see the menu here.
Flu Vaccinations
Flu vaccinations will take place at school on 30th November. Parents of children in Reception to Year 6 will be sent a link approximately two weeks before this date. In order for your child to have the vaccination at school you must follow the link to register them. Unregistered children will not be vaccinated.
100 Things To Do In Our Centenary Year
We hope you are enjoying working your way through the list of '100 Things To Do In Our Centenary Year'!
For the school magazine, we would like to collate photographs of pupils/families doing these activities. Mrs. Smith would be grateful if you would share photographs of your children/family enjoying some of the activities with her. There are two ways to do this.
1. Upload the photos to this shared folder on Google Drive (preferred option).
2. Email photos directly to susmith@sthelenscollege.com.
With so many families in the school, to keep things manageable please limit the number of photographs you send to one per activity! Please feel free to send photographs throughout the year as you complete each activity.
Art Workshops
Parents of budding young artists might be interested in some new art workshops which will be running on Saturday mornings in Rickmansworth. These will be run by a well-qualified ex-colleague of Ms Drummond. You can find details here.
Posted on: 13/10/2023Weekly News - Friday 13th October 2023
As we reach the end of a very busy first half term of the academic year, we are feeling very grateful to the whole St. Helen's College community and very proud of all that has been achieved so far! We wish you all a happy, restful half term.
Reception and Year 1 Harvest Assemblies
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Lower School classes helped us to reflect on the importance of gratitude and sharing.
Year 1 performed a super assembly on Tuesday, telling us about harvest time around the world. The children described how different cultures and countries celebrate and give thanks for the food they are able to produce and eat. We were also reminded of the importance of sharing with those less fortunate. The pupils sang with gusto and spoke individual lines with confidence. There was some wonderful dancing too!
The following day, our Owls and Kingfishers Reception classes presented their harvest assembly, themed around colours. Through song, choral verse and individual lines, the children explained how farmers use combine harvesters and other machinery to help grow, gather and prepare crops, before considering the 'rainbow' of produce we can eat. We remembered together that we are lucky to have plenty and to be able to help those who do not have enough.
After each performance, Reverend Ken Kingston told the children a short story to demonstrate how even the smallest contribution can make the biggest difference.
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed food for our harvest collections during this half term. As usual, the St. Helen's College community has been hugely generous in supporting those in need, of whom there are many in our local community. All donations are being distributed to people in Hillingdon.
3M Class Assembly
The 3M class assembly on Friday looked at all of the connections between people: in our immediate and extended families, in our school and wider community, and around the world. The children reminded us all how important it is to nurture and enjoy these connections, and how we can all make a difference to others' lives by being mindful of the world that connects us. They took us to Antarctica, the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rainforest, educating us on how important it is to protect these endangered places. We were asked to remember that it is possible for every single person to make a difference and that no difference is too small, because 'the greatest threat to our planet is believing someone else will save it.' Well done, 3M. You spoke your lines with great confidence, projection and clarity and gave us all plenty to reflect upon.
Sports News
Tuesday saw our U11 girls' football team take part in a tournament at Radlett Prep alongside five other schools. The girls really enjoyed the experience and made the most of the opportunity to compete and develop their matchplay against some tough opposition. The team lost their first game 2-0 to Radlett Prep, won the second 1-0 against Monksmead, with Alexia C the goal scorer, lost 6-0 to Manor Lodge, lost 1-0 to Quainton Hall and lost 1-0 to Cowley Hill. This put the team fifth in the league table which meant a fifth/sixth place play-off against Monksmead. The girls were excited to put their boots back on for the final game and they had saved their best performance until last, winning 3-0 with goals from Eva J, Riya S and Alexia C. Thank you to the parents who came along, both for the amazing support and with the help in transporting the girls to and from the competition.
On Wednesday, the U11 boys' football team travelled to Manor Lodge to take part in a tournament. The team produced a mixed set of results, losing their first game 2-1, then winning 3-0, losing 2-0 and losing the last game 3-1. They finished fifth out of seven teams. This was good preparation for the team as the league season is starting very soon. At times the team played very well and they certainly have a strong foundation upon which to build. Many thanks to those who came along to support them.
The netball team was also in action on Wednesday with a home match against St. Bernadette's, their second league match of the season. It was an exciting game from start to finish, with the teams being very well matched.
Unfortunately St. Helen's College lost 3-4 to St. Bernadette’s, but the girls all played brilliantly and made improvements on their match last week. Nya was awarded player of the match for her fantastic interceptions throughout.
Congratulations to Hana H (Year 6) and her brother Samir H (an Old Helenian), who were recently runners up in their tennis club finals at Dukes Wood Tennis Club in Gerrards Cross. Hana entered the U10 mixed competition and Samir was in the U14 boys' competition. They were both beaten by county players but enjoyed the challenge.
News From The PA
Quiz night: Thank you to all of the parents and teachers who participated in Quiz Night. The event was a lot of fun with lots of new parents joining in. These events play a valuable role in fostering a sense of community and collaboration within the school. We appreciate everyone who attended.
Uniform Stall: The uniform stall will be held during the half term on Tuesday 24th October from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Upper School car park, via Parkway.
Christmas Party: The PA has organised two Christmas parties for St. Helen's College children on Sunday 26th November. Your child/children can attend either time slot together, despite being in different year groups. We are not holding parties for specific year groups on this occasion.
As spaces are limited, they will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Each party will consist of party food and soft drink, a disco and a gift from Father Christmas.
PARTY OPTIONS: Sunday 26 November 2023
PARTY 1: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
PARTY 2: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Please complete your booking here: PA Christmas Party 2023 (google.com)
PRICES:
£15.00 per child
£5.00 per adult
PAYMENT
Please make payment of £15 per child and £5 per adult using the Child 1 Name and Class as your reference.
Please note that payment must be made within 24 hours and is only accepted by bank transfer to:
Account Name: SHC Parents Association
Bank: Natwest
Sort Code: 60-02-60
Account No: 10315152
VENUE:
Yiewsley and West Drayton Community Centre, 228 Harmondsworth Road, West Drayton UB7 9JL
PARKING FACILITIES:
Some parking available on site.
Please ensure that you include all the information on the form as requested and make payment within 24 hours of booking. BOOKINGS WILL BE OPEN UNTIL THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER. Book early to avoid disappointment. If there are any queries, please email pa@sthelenscollege.com.
Parents' Evenings
It was good to see so many parents of our Lower School children at the second round of Ducklings, Nursery, Reception and Year 1 parents' evenings this week. We hope that you found the conversations useful. Please keep communicating with your child's class teacher regularly in order to support their progress.
Parents' Evenings for Years 2 to 6 will take place on:
Thursday 2nd November (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
Tuesday 7th November (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
To book appointment(s), please use the following link.
https://sthelens.schoolcloud.co.uk/
Road Safety And Sustainability
Gold Kitemark
We are delighted to report that St. Helen's College has once again been awarded a gold kite mark by Transport for London to reflect the school's excellent work concerning road safety and sustainability. As usual, our JTAs (Junior Travel Ambassadors) have been instrumental in gaining this accolade. This keen and responsible group of pupils meets regularly to come up with new and inventive ways to reduce pollution and congestion in the area, as well as to promote the safety of all road users. Well done all!
Hillingdon's Active Travel Movement
This year the Hillingdon STARS team are offering Hillingdon schools the chance to be involved with their Active Travel Movement 2023 campaign. By being part of the movement, school communities can participate in active travel activities, reduce car use, improve air quality and improve the overall physical and mental well-being of everyone involved. There has never been a more important time for the young minds of today to help shape the fate of our environment and travel behaviours for the future. Watch the 2-minute video to get a sense of what it's all about!
October Walk to School Month Competitions
The STARS Team will be running an October Walk to school month competition. There are different competitions for children up to Year 2 and children in Years 3 - 6. All entries must be handed into school by Tuesday 31st October. Winners will be announced and contacted in November. Winners will be chosen from each key stage and will have their design digitally recreated and framed as well as receiving an Amazon gift card!
EYFS/KS1 Active Travel Art Competition (Early Years and Years 1 & 2)
Children are asked to create a piece of art to show a safe and sustainable way to travel to school. This could be walking, scooting, cycling etc. They should show in their drawing how they keep safe when travelling to school actively.
KS2/KS3 Road Safety Invention Design Competition (Years 3 - 6)
Children are asked to come up with a new "Road Safety Invention Design" which could make roads safer. They should draw the design as well as explain how the road safety invention would work and how it makes roads safer.
Thames Valley Cavaliers - Free Tickets
Thames Valley Cavaliers will be playing a home match against Loughborough Riders this Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. at Uxbridge College. All St. Helen's College pupils are welcome to attend free of charge! You can find details here.
Music Spaces
We currently have spaces available for flute, trumpet/trombone and singing lessons for children in Years 2-6. Please use this Google Form to register interest. Please note that there are currently no spaces available for piano lessons; however, the form can be used to add your child's name to a waiting list for any instrument.
Upcoming Dates
The second half term promises to be as busy as the first, if not more so! Here is a reminder of upcoming dates/events for the first week back:
Monday 30th October - Year 5 pedestrian training (during school hours)
Monday 30th October - Year 5 and Year 6 netball v. Highgate (A)
Tuesday 31st October - Year 3 pedestrian training (during school hours)
Wednesday 1st November - Orchestra trip to Northwood College
Wednesday 1st November - Football match v. Laurel Lane (H)
Thursday 2nd November - PA coffee morning in Evans Hall (8.15 a.m.)
Thursday 2nd November - Year 2 - 6 parents' evenings (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
Friday 3rd November - 3B coffee morning/class assembly (8.15 a.m.)
Friday 3rd November - Nursery trip to The Play Train
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