School News and Head's Blog

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Posted on: 17/01/2025

Weekly News - Friday 17th January 2025

Co-Curricular Clubs The busy spring term programme of co-curricular clubs began this week and it has been super to see the children enjoying all of the activities on offer. These include our language clubs, gardening and nature clubs, arts/crafts clubs, sports clubs, music clubs and more. Education is about much more than classroom learning; developing wider talents and interests can often provide the key to a happy and fulfilling life, so thank you for encouraging your children to try new activities and find the joy in them. Year 5 Transfer Meetings It was good to see the Year 5 parents who came for individual senior school transfer meetings with Ms Drummond this week. We hope you found these helpful. There will be a further round of individual meetings next Tuesday and next Saturday. Salvation Army Collection In December the St. Helen's College community generously donated gifts for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal and we have received a message of thanks from the organisation; 'Please accept our sincere gratitude for the amazing amount of gifts donated by St. Helen’s College this year. The quantity and quality of gifts received never ceases to amaze us, and that people are so willing to help others less fortunate than themselves is both humbling and heart-warming.' Thank you to everyone who contributed to the collection and to the Charity Team for co-ordinating this initiative.    Speech Competition One of the highlights of the spring term each year is our annual Speech Competition (for Years 1 - 6) and our Poetry Recital (Nursery and Reception). Your children will receive their poems from their teachers during the course of the term; please do help them to learn their pieces and allow them plenty of opportunity to practise when they bring their poems home. The children's oracy and communication skills were highlighted as a 'significant strength' of St. Helen's College in our recent ISI inspection, and the Speech Competition, a long-standing tradition at the school, is one of many contributing factors to this. Not every child will win their year group or be presented with the overall winner's shield, of course - but each and every pupil who participates will experience the joy of learning a poem by heart, the pleasure of putting expression into their words and the benefit of developing clear, well-projected speech. Library Reading Challenges  Super library habits abound in Year 2, with the children learning how to use the library independently and how to enjoy exploring books and reading with each other, and by themselves. Last term saw books issued over 900 times to Year 2 alone! The children are learning how to keep their books safely, to take them home and to return them, all valuable library skills which need to be learnt and practised at this young age. Thank you very much for your support with fostering these independent skills. January sees the start of Reading Challenges in Year Two. These optional activities are a lovely way to guide the children to read and talk about different kinds of stories, and they delight in ticking off their progress and achieving their certificates and House Points! The children have been really excited to start. All children are welcome to take part if they would like, with small groups of children taking part at a time so that each child has enough time to discuss their stories, and often share recommendations with their classmates. We predict a great deal of reading ahead! Emotional Support Everyone experiences worries from time to time and for children in particular they can become scary and overwhelming. With this in mind 'How My Worry Works' by Big Life Journal is a useful selection of strategies which parents can help implement to support children to identify and manage worries before they reach this stage. School Open Events St. Helen's College will be welcoming prospective parents to a 'School At Work' Open Morning across all sites on Wednesday 26th February from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. to showcase our busy and hard working school. On this day, pupil guides will show prospective parents around the school and there will be an opportunity for visiting families to meet with the Head, the Director of Admissions and the Head of Lower School. All visitors must register to attend in advance here.  We are also looking forward to hosting a free Year 3 Taster Day, on Tuesday 4th March from 8.30 to 11.30 a.m. for children eligible for entry into this year group in September 2025.  At this event parents will have a chance to meet the Head before leaving children with our teaching staff for an exciting and fun morning of learning, playing and making new friends. The children will have an opportunity to explore the school site, including the Science Lab, Art Studio, Year 3 classrooms and playground equipment, and will enjoy age-appropriate specialist teaching sessions in English, art and science, a Spanish taster session with our specialist Spanish teacher, and play time with their new friends. Please do share this with any parents with appropriately aged children who might wish to attend, spaces must be booked in advance here.  Next Week Wednesday 22nd January - Year 4 Trip to Amersham Field Centre Wednesday 22nd January - Year 2 Great Fire of London Theatre Company Visit Wednesday 22nd January - Netball v. Orley Farm School (H) Wednesday 22nd January - Football v. Heathrow Primary School (H) Thursday 23rd January - Netball v. St. Catherine's Primary School (H) Friday 24th January - 6H Coffee Morning and Class Assembly  Friday 24th January - Year 3 Pedestrian Training
Posted on: 10/01/2025

Emotional Intelligence by Mr. McLaughlin

Emotional Intelligence: The Secret to Your Child’s Future Success? As parents, we all want our children to grow into happy, successful adults. While academic achievements and extracurricular activities often take centre stage, research highlights a vital predictor of future success: emotional intelligence (EI).   A recent study tracked 1,000 children over 40 years to uncover the key factors behind financial and professional success in adulthood. Surprisingly, it wasn’t IQ, grades, or socioeconomic status that stood out. Instead, emotional intelligence - skills like empathy, self regulation, and interpersonal awareness - proved to be the most significant determinant.   So, what is emotional intelligence, and why is it so important? At its core, EI refers to the ability to recognise, understand, and manage one’s emotions while also navigating social relationships effectively. It encompasses self-awareness, empathy, and communication skills, which help children build meaningful relationships, solve conflicts, and adapt to challenges.   The study found that children who demonstrated high levels of emotional intelligence early in life were better equipped to collaborate with others, manage stress, and persevere through setbacks. These qualities laid the foundation for not only their financial stability but also their overall well-being.   How Can We Cultivate Emotional Intelligence in Children?   While some aspects of emotional intelligence may come naturally, the good news is that these skills can be nurtured over time. Here are a few practical strategies for fostering EI in your child:   Encourage Emotional Expression Create a safe space where your child feels comfortable expressing their feelings. Encourage them to name their emotions - whether they’re feeling excited, sad, or frustrated. This practice builds self-awareness and helps children understand that all emotions are valid.   Model Empathy   Children often learn by observing the adults around them. Show empathy in your daily interactions by listening attentively, validating others' feelings, and demonstrating kindness. Your behaviour sets a powerful example.   Teach Problem-Solving Skills   When conflicts arise, guide your child in finding constructive solutions. Instead of immediately stepping in, ask questions like, “How do you think we can fix this?” This helps them build confidence in navigating challenges.   Promote Teamwork   Activities like group projects, team sports, or family chores are excellent opportunities for children to practice collaboration and communication. Praise their efforts to cooperate and resolve differences.   Focus on Resilience   Life is full of ups and downs, and resilience is key to managing them. Encourage a growth mindset by emphasising effort over results and framing setbacks as learning opportunities.   Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in School   In our school community, we prioritise not just academic excellence but also the development of well-rounded, emotionally intelligent individuals. Through our curriculum and pastoral care, we aim to nurture qualities like empathy, communication, and resilience - equipping your child with tools for success beyond the classroom.   As this study reminds us, investing in emotional intelligence is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. By teaching them to understand themselves and connect with others, we’re helping them build a strong foundation for a thriving future, both personally and professionally.   In this new year, together, let’s continue to support our children’s emotional growth, ensuring they have the skills they need to navigate life with confidence and compassion.  You can read more here.  
Posted on: 10/01/2025

Weekly News - Friday 10th January 2025

It has been wonderful to welcome all of our families back to St. Helen's College this week for a cold and snowy start of term! We hope that you are all well-rested and ready for the busy times ahead. Please be sure to mark your diaries now for Exhibition Day on Saturday 22nd March, which is always a highlight of the school year and a super celebration of your children and all of their hard work. Communications We are moving to a new database and communications system here at school. Every parent should have received a 'Test' email sent through the new system this week. If you did not receive a 'Test' email to your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder and, if the message was received there, please mark it as 'not junk/spam' and/or add the sender address to your trusted sender list. If you have not received a 'Test' message to your inbox or junk/spam folder, please contact Mrs. Smith at susmith@sthelenscollege.com so that we can ensure that we have the correct contact details on file for you. As always, your class teacher is your primary point of contact for all matters concerning your child. Teachers can be reached by email and are usually available for a quick chat at the beginning and end of each school day. If you require a longer conversation, please do make an appointment to meet with your class teacher. Code Club Oak Farm Library are running a Code Club (For Beginners) event for children aged 7 to 11 which may be of interest to Upper School children. Held every Monday (term-time only) at 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m., this is a six week introduction course to coding using exciting, fun & immersive Lego Spike kits. Code Club is totally FREE and booking is essential which can be made at the following link: https://discover.hillingdon.gov.uk/code-club-oak-farm. Christmas Tree Donated to Hillingdon Ambulance Service The Upper School Christmas tree took on a new lease of life at the end of last term when it found a worthy home for the remainder of December at the Hillingdon Ambulance Service. We were delighted to donate the tree to the hard working team to provide a little festive joy at a busy time of year.          Absence And Late Arrivals We would like to remind you of the procedures for pupil absence and late arrival at Upper School and Lower School. If you need to request absence for any reason, or to inform us of absence due to illness on a particular day, you should email absence@sthelenscollege.com and cc their class teacher. This is also the address to use, cc'ing the class teacher, if you know that your child will be arriving late to school on a particular day; in this instance, please also include your child's lunch order for that day. Please do NOT call the school office to report absence, or rely on children to pass on absence messages. Please allow plenty of time for your journey to school, especially during inclement weather, so that your child arrives by 8.25 a.m. and can enjoy a calm, ordered registration period with their class. Registration begins at 8.30 a.m. and is completed by 8.40 a.m. and lunch orders are taken during this time. Late arrivals are difficult for your child and can also disrupt the rest of the class. If you are unexpectedly delayed in the morning and do arrive late to school, you must accompany your child to the entrance at Lower School or to the Cambria front door at Upper School, sign them in as directed and ensure that you/they have noted their lunch selection on the late sign in book. Your child's arrival will be recorded as late and their lunch order will be sent to the kitchen to ensure that we are catering appropriately.  Please also note that, if your child is well enough to attend school then we expect them to be well enough to participate in all lessons, including PE/Games. If they have a serious injury or doctor's note requiring them to miss their PE/Games lessons, please email Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com. We will then organise a non-physical activity for them during the lesson. Welfare Miss Gilbey is now no longer working as the Upper School Welfare Assistant but remains in role as our Upper School Funtasia Supervisor. Please ensure any medical information or queries are emailed directly to welfare at welfare@sthelenscollege.com.   Mrs Gayle Oatshott based at Lower School is our overall Welfare and Attendance Officer and we will be welcoming our new Welfare Assistant, who will be based at Upper School, in the coming weeks.  Easter Mini-Me Camp Mr. Harrington will once again be running a Mini-Me Camp at PACCAR Scout Camp over the Easter holidays. These are very popular and include lots of exciting activities such as zip wires, laser tag, giant swing, archery, climbing, abseiling and caving which help to build and enhance friendships, improve fitness and foster a love of activity and outdoor fun! Full details and bookings are available here. Next Week Monday 13th January - Co-curricular Clubs Begin  Wednesday 15th January - Reception 2025 Entry Meetings Wednesday 15th January - Football v. Ryefield Thursday 16th January - Reception Storytime Taster Session (External Applicants Only)    
Posted on: 13/12/2024

Weekly News - Friday 13th December 2024

We would like to thank you for your support this term and wish you all a peaceful, joyous Christmas break. Your children have been enormously busy at school this term and have achieved so much; please help them to relax and enjoy some 'down time' before the next jam-packed term begins.  Christmas Carol Service Thank you to everyone who joined us at All Saints' Church this morning to share in our very special Christmas Carol Service. It was, as ever, a magical occasion, with traditional bible readings and prayers delivered by our Year 6 children and musical performances from our orchestra, string quartet, Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Chamber Choir. Particular thanks and congratulations to Zinnia M, who performed the solo verse of Once In Royal David's City with grace, precision and wonderful timing.   Year 1 Christmas Assemblies On Monday and Tuesday our Year 1 classes presented their Christmas-themed assemblies to their parents (and to an eager audience of Nursery children!) in the Methodist Church. The children re-told the story of Christmas, looked at Christmas traditions and reflected on the meaning of this very special time. They also donned Santa hats and sang some upbeat numbers to reflect the joy of this time of year! Very well done to all of the children involved; they spoke with great clarity, expression and projection and sang with tunefulness and gusto.    Year 4, 5 and 6 Theatre Visit  On Tuesday Years 4, 5 and 6 visited the Rose Theatre in Kingston to watch a fun musical production of Robin Hood & The Christmas Heist. The children had a terrific time getting into the spirit of things by clapping and singing along to some rewritten, familiar Christmas tunes. It was a hugely entertaining show but it also carried an important moral message about sharing and generosity at Christmas time.     ABRSM Music Achievments Congratulations to all of the children who took ABRSM examinations this term. We are pleased to share another set of terrific results: Name Class Instrument Grade Results Anika S 3B Piano Grade 1 Pass Melissa D R 3B Piano Initial Distinction Shayla R 5G Piano Initial Merit Zoe F 4T Flute Grade 3 Merit Liberty Y 4T Piano Grade 2 Merit Mark D R 6H Piano Grade 3 Pass Avaani H 4C Flute Grade 1 Merit Aaria M 4C Piano Grade 1 Pass Emily K 4C Piano Grade 1 Pass Mona C 5R Piano Grade 2 Pass           Santa Dash in Court Park Wednesday saw Upper School children enjoy what has now become our annual 'Santa Dash' in Court Park. Around 130 pupils took part, donning Christmas-themed hats or jackets and running a course through the park at lunchtime. It was great fun even in the cold!     Christmas Jumper Day, Christmas Lunch And Father Christmas! On Thursday it was Christmas party day for Ducklings and the children at Lower School. The children wore Christmas jumpers and enjoyed an exciting day of Christmas games and activities, a delicious festive lunch and even had a special visit from Father Christmas! He paid a visit to Ducklings first and then dropped into the Lower School library which was transformed into a sparkly grotto. The children had the opportunity to share their wishes with Father Christmas and sing a Christmas song, and each child received a gift to take home.   Meanwhile at Upper School, the children were also dressed in Christmas jumpers on Thursday and tucking into the special festive lunch prepared by Soula and her team for everyone from Nursery to Year 6. It was a very joyous lunchtime service, accompanied by seasonal music and plenty of good cheer! For more photographs of the children please visit the Galleries page of the school website. JTA Festive Footsteps On Thursday it was Festive Footsteps, a popular annual event organised by the JTA (Junior Travel Ambassador) team to promote the fitness and eco benefits of walking, scooting or cycling to school. It was marvellous to see so many festive hats and decorated scooters and bikes! Well done to the JTAs who were out and about rewarding pupils with special stickers for taking part.        Christmas Tree Decorations Well done to all of the children who put their creativity into practice by designing beautiful Christmas tree decorations for our Upper School competition. The theme took as eco twist this year and the children rose to the challenge using a variety of recycled and upcycled materials. Congratulations to all the winners who each won a special Christmas prize: Year 2 - Tanavya B (2C) and  Anika K (2S) Year 3 - Ari P (3B) and Nihal B (3M) Year 4 - Amber L (4C) Year 5 - Yuvraj R (5G) and Jana A (5R) Year 6 - Shanaiya K (6H) and Sofia S (6L)   IAPS iArt 2025 Competition St. Helen's College has a strong record of achievement in the national IAPS iArt Competition, and we are hoping to build upon this in 2025 as we invite children to prepare their entries. The theme for the 2025 iArt competition is “Reflect” or “Reflection”. Children are encouraged to consider this theme broadly; examples include, but are not limited to:   A reflection in a mirror or shiny surface.  A reflection on water.  Reflecting on the past year or a significant event.  Reflecting on a current global issue.  Categories are:  1. Years 1 & 2 2. Years 3 & 4  3. Years 5 & 6 The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday 21st February 2025 and submissions must be sent to Mrs. Pruce via email only, at npruce@sthelenscollege.com. Each entry must include the pupil's name and surname initial, age and year group, what the piece is called and what the pupil used. A Budding Author Among Us! Aaria M (Year 4) has a passion for reading and writing, and this summer she crafted a short story which has now been made into a proper book! With some help, Aaria transformed hand-drawn illustrations into digital artwork to bring her story to life and A Tale Of Two Kingdoms is now published and available for purchase! Aaria has kindly donated a few copies to the Upper School and Lower School libraries at St. Helen's College. If you would like to buy a copy as a stocking filler you can find it on Amazon here. Charity Team Achievements Many thanks to everyone who donated a new toy for the Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal this year. We received a huge number of donations which were very gratefully collected from our charity representatives on Wednesday. The gifts will be distributed to local families and children in the Hillingdon area who may not otherwise receive a Christmas present.  The Charity Team have been working very hard this term leading a programme of charitable events to raise funds for important organisations. These have included collections of clothing and essential items for the Red Cross, Harvest donations for local food banks, selling poppies for the Royal British Legion, and raising £935 at a non-uniform day for BBC Children in Need. Our dedicated team rounded off a busy term with a collection for Great Ormond Street Hospital at the Carol Service on Friday. Fantastic work, well done to the whole team! Spring Term Reminders The spring term will begin on Wednesday 8th January and co-curricular clubs will begin from Monday 13th January. Please take the opportunity to check and refresh your child's uniform and equipment over the holidays, to ensure that they have everything that they need and that it is all in good order. The spring term lunch menu has now been published to the school website and is available here.  
Posted on: 13/12/2024

Christmas Books by Mrs. Emanuel

Translated as "Yuletide Book Flood" the Icelandic tradition of Jolablokaflod sees a list of the year's new books delivered to every Icelander, so that they may carefully choose a Christmas Eve gift for each of their family and friends. Rather than a flood, in this short blog I will do my best to dip a toe into the waters of some of my own favourites and new reading that I hope will appeal to the children of St. Helen’s College! I urge you also to support your local independent bookshop if you can; booksellers have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share. Chiltern Bookshops has a gorgeous array of books and gifts, and you can order online at bookshop.org.  For the youngest readers, Mrs. Mann of Robins is a big fan of the legend that is Julia Donaldson. The super rhymes and repeated refrains in all of her stories give the youngest a joyful part in telling the story. Donaldson's festive Stick Man is my firm family favourite - the drama! The tension! Will he EVER get back to the family tree? Jonty Gentoo is Donaldson's latest lovely book about a little penguin searching for home.  Other charmers include The Empty Stocking by Richard Curtis and There's a Tiger on the Train by Mariesa Dulak, in which an everyday train journey is packed with exotic creatures - all missed by Dad who is glued to his phone screen! It's a gentle reminder to us all to be present in the moment. Niji’s Dream is the delightful story of a brave and kind little alien, created by our own Mr Roche, Head of Literacy. The very youngest Ducklings will enjoy these stories and will also love a sturdy board book with bold images like Dear Santa by Rod Campbell or The Christmas Bear by Ian Whybrow.  A Whale of a Time can be had with this wonderful large format poem anthology of the same name, one for every day of the year. Who Let the Words Out? by the poet Joshua Siegal and Bright Bursts of Colour by Matt Goodfellow pack a poetic punch in a paperback. Entertaining reads for confident readers include Pamela Butchart (think The Great Crisp Robbery), the new Kevin the Vampire series by Matt Brown, Clara Vulliamy's The Dog Squad and the Rabbit & Bear series by Julian Gough. A story anthology such as Puffin Stories is a good idea. Turning to the older reader, mystery and murder have ruled the shelves for a long time - Robin Stevens' Murder Most Unladylike series is the very best. The Most Unladylike Puzzle Book is a MUST this year for fans and is already beneath my tree (ssh). Secrets of the Snakestone by Piu DasGupta; Birdie by JP Rose and To Be A Cat by Matt Haig and I Am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm are all super reads. Skander and the Unicorn Thief and Katie and Kevin Tsang's Dragon Force series are excellent introductions to fantasy.  For the curious minded I suggest the hardback question and answer book There's No Such Thing as a Silly Question. Excellent for the holidays! The Information Book Awards have just awarded prizes to Darwin's Super Pooping-Worm Spectacular by Polly Owen and Human 2.0: A Celebration of Human Bionics by Patrick Kane; the latter looks at the success of medical engineering and what humans might be capable of in the future. FlyingEyeBooks.com publish extraordinary non-fiction titles; Nosy Crow is excellent all round.  Lastly, the book to provoke the most laughter from all ages in the library has been The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak. Check it out! It's a hilarious book which demands to be read aloud. Back to snowy Iceland. Book gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve so that everyone curls up quietly to explore their new book and a mug of cocoa. I hope you too can find a moment of relaxation with your book choices! Happy Bookmas!      
Posted on: 6/12/2024

Weekly News - Friday 6th December 2024

Christmas Assemblies It has been feeling very festive at school this week! The Nursery and Reception children presented charming Christmas nativity performances for parents and their Lower School peers at the North Hillingdon Methodist Church on Long Lane.  On Tuesday and Wednesday the Nursery Robins and Wrens took to the stage and delighted parents by singing a collection of fun Christmas songs in fabulous nativity costumes. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the children perform so confidently and truly shine! You can see more photographs of the children on our Christmas gallery page on the school website.    On Thursday and Friday it was the turn of Reception Owls and Kingfishers to perform. The children delivered a fantastic retelling of the nativity story in full costume, including solo speaking parts and beautiful singing. Well done to all of the children for learning their lines so brilliantly and delivering such polished performances.  Thank you to the Revd. Ken Kingston for joining the assemblies and sharing important lessons and reflections with the children about gratitude and selflessness at this festive time of year.     Pets As Therapy Charity Visit On Monday we welcomed two very special furry visitors to Upper School assemblies; therapy dogs Buddy and Bobby! Following suggestions from our school council, we have made an exciting new link with national charity Pets as Therapy who will be making weekly visits to school next term to run reading and play sessions with the children. The charity volunteers explained how the therapy dogs are specially selected for their calm temperament and are carefully trained to work with children and vulnerable people in different locations including schools, care homes and hospices.  We look forward to welcoming Buddy, a gorgeous cavapoochon, to St. Helen's College in the spring term!  Year 2 and 3 Snow White Theatre Trip On Friday morning Year 2 and 3 enjoyed an exciting trip to the Compass Theatre in Ickenham to watch Snow White a Christmas pantomime. The children had a wonderful time participating with the songs, laughing along with the jokes and soaking up the fun atmosphere.  Carols Around The Christmas Tree Thank you to all of the families who joined us for festive Carols Around The Christmas Tree this afternoon. It was wonderful to gather together at this joyous seasonal event, led by our brilliant school choirs.            End of Term Church Service We look forward to welcoming all parents to the Upper School end of term Christmas Service at All Saints' Church, Long Lane on Friday 13th December at 11.00 a.m. This will be a lovely opportunity for the St. Helen's College community to give thanks at the end of a busy term and to enjoy readings from the pupils, music from the school orchestra and carols from our accomplished school choirs.  Co-curricular Clubs Next Week Please note only the following co-curricular clubs will be taking place next week; string quartet; recorder club, junior choir, senior choir, percussion and punjabi speaking for beginners. Allocations for spring term co-curricular clubs will be sent out to parents next week.  Parents' Association Christmas Plate Many thanks to the PA for funding and organising personalised Santa plates for every child as a special Christmas gift. We hope the children will enjoy using the plates to leave out a customary mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph on Christmas Eve for many years to come as a reminder of St. Helen's College.          Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal St. Helen’s College are supporting the Hillingdon Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal this year and invite families to donate a gift for a local child who may not receive a Christmas present.  If you would like to contribute please donate a brand new toy/game for ages 3-11 with a value of approximately £12. Gift suggestions include teddy bears, puzzles, colouring sets, dolls, cars, books and Amazon vouchers. The item should not be gift wrapped and should fit inside a shopping plastic bag.  Please can all donations be sent into school on Wednesday 11th December only, when they will be collected by the Salvation Army to be distributed.  Uxbridge Junior Chess Championship Entries are open for the Hillingdon & Ealing Schools Junior Chess Championship which takes place on Saturday 18th January 2025 at St. Catherine's School, West Drayton. This is a great opportunity for members of the Middle and Upper School chess clubs to play competively against other local children of a similar age. Registration forms have been handed to the children and can also be found  here with more information. Places are limited so please register as soon as possible.        Oak Farm Library Events Oak Farm Library will be running free family activities over the Christmas break, including craft events, festive story times, board game sessions, computer coding and more. If you would like to make a light up Christmas card, a New Year wreath or join a 'Book Bunch'  you can book via the Discover Hillingdon website. Details of the activites can be found here and all events are free.       Methodist Church Christingle Service The Methodist Church will be holding two special services for families in the lead up to Christmas. There will be a Christingle celebration on Sunday 15th December at 6.00 p.m. and a Great Carol Countdown on Sunday 22nd December at 4.00 p.m. where attendees are invited to nominate three favourite carols. Both events are suitable for all ages and everyone is welcome.  Next Week Monday 9th December - 1C Coffee Morning And Class Assembly  Tuesday 10th December - 1O Coffee Morning And Class Assembly Tuesday 10th December - Y4/5/6 Robin Hood At Rose Theatre, Kingston Wednesday 11th December - US Santa Dash in Court Park Thursday 12th December - JTA Festive Footsteps Thursday 12th December - Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day  Friday 13th December - US Carol Service at All Saints' Church Friday 13th December - Term Ends (11.50 a.m. Ducklings; 12.00 Reception; 12.10 p.m. Y1/2; 12.20 p.m. Y3/4 and 12.30 p.m. Y5/6)  
Posted on: 6/12/2024

Mantras by Mrs. Hunt

Many of you know that I am an advocate of Elaine Halligan, so much so that I am currently participating in her intensive parent educator course. I have found the experience to be fulfilling, reaffirming and gruelling in equal measures. There is so much of an overlap between how we teach at school and how you parent at home. This is why I always say to parents when showing them around St. Helen's College that if school and home have similar shared values the child will experience maximum benefit. Children need us, the grown ups, to have clear shared values. They need us to be understanding, calm and consistent. They need to feel safe and know that we are in charge in a fair and reasonable way. They need to have fun with us and have opportunities to connect with us on a daily basis. I am approaching 25 years at St. Helen's College and as a result I am known for some well used mantras. Two of my favourites are “all behaviour is communication” and “win their hearts and you’ll win their minds.” These mantras have been my strongly held beliefs for many years and my recent training has only reaffirmed them in my mind. By taking time to understand our children we connect with them on a deeper level and help them feel valued and worthwhile - and let's face it, we all want that, however old we are! Teachers and parents alike should look for opportunities to build children’s self-reliance so that they are able to move forward into the world with confidence, perseverance and courage. Having a true understanding of self is key. Helping to build our children’s self esteem is simply our job. If I had my child to raise all over again I’d build self esteem first, and the house later. I’d finger paint more, and point the finger less I would do less correcting and more connecting I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes, I would care to know less, and know to care more. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites. I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging. I would be firm less often, and affirm much more. I’d teach less about the love of power, And more about the power of love. It matters not whether my child is big or small, From this day forth, I’ll cherish it all. I wish I could claim credit for these profound words but sadly they are not mine; they are from Diane Loomans’ book '100 Ways To Build Self Esteem And Teach Values'.  To conclude, thank you for taking the time to read my musings. I encourage you to continue to take the time to connect with your children. You will certainly reap what you sow. There is a reason why I’ve been at St. Helen's College for so long - your children. Learning about each and every one of them and trying to understand what makes them tick is fascinating and unbelievably worthwhile. I’ll leave you with another one of my mantras; “Children may well forget what you teach them but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Amen to that. 
Posted on: 29/11/2024

Weekly News - Friday 29th November 2024

2S Coffee Morning And Class Assembly On Friday 2S took us on a happy journey around the world to see how Christmas is celebrated in different countries. The children shared traditional Christmas customs from far flung places such as China, India and the Philippines. Well done to all of the children for speaking their lines with attention to expression and projection and for singing so beautifully. The assembly ended with important messages about gratitude at this festive time of year and about sharing kindness and respect for others. You can listen to the children singing here.      Month End Music Recital Today we enjoyed a super Month End Music Recital with performances from children in Years 1-6 on a range of different instruments. The audience enjoyed some wonderful vocal performances and accomplished solos on the violin, flute, piano, clarinet and even a guitar ensemble piece. Thank you to our team of top specialist music teachers who run a busy timetable of music lessons to promote and develop the children's musical abilities. Many thanks also to the parents and other family members who facilitate the children's musical development by encouraging daily practice. You can see some of the performers rehearsing here.    Sports News Last Friday our Year 5 netball players took part in a series of friendly but competitive matches against Highgate School at home. All of the pupils played extremely well and showed great versatility when changing positions throughout the games. St. Helen's College won overall with a final score of 4-2. The pupils displayed how much they have progressed this term with their movement and understanding of the game.  This week the Year 6 netball team faced two tough matches. On Tuesday they played against Hermitage Primary School at home. They fought hard throughout the game and created lots of good chances to score but unfortunately in the end lost the match to Hermitage 4-1. On Thursday they faced St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. Again the girls had some great chances to score in the first half, but only managed one goal. They demonstrated fantastic play in the second half bringing the ball down the court to the shooters. The final score was 5-4 to St Mary’s. Well done to all the girls involved.  Free Story Time Taster Sessions For Reception Applicants We will be running some free Story Time Taster Sessions in the spring term for children who are eligible by age for entry to the St. Helen's College Reception class in September 2025, and who do not currently attend the St. Helen's College Nursery. Reception Entry - Story Time Taster Sessions Thursday 16th January @ 3.30 p.m. Thursday 27th February @ 3.30 p.m. At these sessions, our Reception teachers will entertain children with some stories and rhymes and there will be refreshments on offer too. The sessions will take place in the classrooms at the St. Helen's College Lower School site (260a Long Lane, Hillingdon, UB10 9PB) and each session will last around an hour. Families are welcome to attend one or both sessions, and should book in by completing the very short form below or via the St. Helen's College website. If you know of any families with eligible children, please do let them know. Their child does not have to be registered with St. Helen's College and the sessions are completely free. Reception Taster Sessions - Booking Form   Chamber Choir Barnardo's Competition This week the Chamber Choir recorded the two songs which they have entered for this year's Barnado's National Choral Competition. St. Helen's College has a strong track record in this competition and we wish our elite singers the best of luck this year! Christmas Post Box The Christmas post boxes will be open from Monday at both Upper and Lower School. If your child would like to post cards for others in their class or other classes across the school, they may pop them into the post boxes and our Year 6 pupils will sort and deliver them. Please do not put chocolate or other edible treats or gifts into the cards.         Carols Around The Christmas Tree  We warmly invite families to join us for our seasonal Carols Around The Christmas Tree at Upper School on Friday 6th December from 3.30 - 4.00 p.m. Our talented choir will be leading the singing, including lots of festive favourites, and refreshments will be served.          Christmas Lunch Menu The annual St. Helen's College Christmas lunch will be on Thursday 12th December which is also Christmas Jumper Day. The catering team will be preparing a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings and creating a special vegan offering. The full menu is available to view here.   To celebrate the humble yet seasonal brussels sprout, the catering team have been getting creative in the kitchen! To encourage children to give them a try, they have each been given a special card and receive a stamp each time they choose sprouts. All the children who receive eight stamps by the end of term will be entered into a draw to win a festive prize!  If you would like some recipe inspiration to try at home you will find some ideas here.  Christmas Tree Decoration Competition This year the Christmas Tree Decoration Competition is taking an eco-friendly twist! Upper School children are invited to create decorations for the school Christmas tree using recycled or upcycled materials. Pupils may be as creative and inventive as they please to make their designs stand out from the crowd. Please bring the completed decorations into school from Monday 2nd December to be displayed and then judged on Thursday 12th December. All entries will receive a small gift and the winners from each class will receive a special prize.      Festive Footsteps Festive Footsteps is popular annual event organised by the JTA (Junior Travel Ambassador) team and will be held on Thursday 12th December. Parents and children are encouraged to walk, scoot or cycle for either part or all of the journey to school using our park and stride map. Our JTA team will be out and about marshalling on the route through Court Park. We look forward to seeing lots of Santa hats and tinsel adorned bikes and scooters!  Spring Term Co-curricular Clubs  Booking for the spring term co-curricular clubs will go live on SchoolsBuddy today at 4 p.m. There are plenty of fun and exciting clubs for the children to get involved with, from sports and games to art, music and languages. The timetable can be found here. Please log into SchoolsBuddy for more information and to make your selection by midnight on Monday 2nd December, when bookings will close.  Holiday Club Christmas Holiday Club will run from Monday 16th - Friday 20th December, and bookings will open today at 4 p.m. Please log into SchoolsBuddy to make your booking. Places must be booked in advance in order to arrange staffing rotas. Please note that bookings will close on Wednesday 11th December at 4.00 p.m., and any bookings made after this date cannot be cancelled or amended for any reason.  Next Week Tuesday 3rd December - Robins Coffee Morning And Class Assembly Wednesday 4th December - Wrens Coffee Morning And Class Assembly Thursday 5th December - Owls Coffee Morning And Class Assembly Friday 6th December - Kingfishers Coffee Morning And Class Assembly Friday 6th December - Y2/3 Snow White At Compass Theatre, Ickenham Friday 6th December - Carols Around The Christmas Tree Monday 9th December - 1C Coffee Morning And Class Assembly  Tuesday 10th December - 1O Coffee Morning And Class Assembly Tuesday 10th December - Y4/5/6 Robin Hood At Rose Theatre, Kingston Wednesday 11th December - US Santa Dash in Court Park Thursday 12th December - Festive Footsteps Thursday 12th December - Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day  Friday 13th December - US Carol Service at All Saints' Church Friday 13th December - Term Ends (11.50 a.m. Ducklings; 12.00 Reception; 12.10 p.m. Y1/2; 12.20 p.m. Y3/4 and 12.30 p.m. Y5/6)  
Posted on: 22/11/2024

Weekly News - Friday 22nd November 2024

ISI Inspection Results In September we welcomed the Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) into School and we are delighted to share their superb report which recognises the enormous passion, expertise and commitment of our staff to ensure superb outcomes for our pupils.  In particular, we are extremely proud that inspectors recognised the exceptional oral communication skills of our pupils by awarding St. Helen's College an 'area of significant strength'. Commenting on the oracy skills of your children, inspectors said,  'Leaders have high aspirations for pupils. The decision to prioritise oracy skills and to provide opportunities for pupils to use them, results in highly articulate, confident individuals. Pupils readily express their thoughts and opinions. This is a significant strength of the school. Pupils use verbal reasoning skills to explain their independent thinking. They are empowered to be dynamic individuals who lead initiatives that make a positive and impactful contribution to the school and wider community.' A full copy of the 2024 report is available on Inspection Results page of the school website here. Primary Maths Challenge Over the past fortnight Years 4-6 have successfully completed the Primary Maths Challenge. This is a fun and exciting mathematical challenge organised by The Mathematical Association which aims to build children’s enthusiasm and resilience in maths. The children have participated in online problem solving puzzles and will each receive an individual score in due course. Once the results are published, bronze, silver or gold certificates will be awarded. This is a terrific exercise to develop competency and boost confidence in maths. Very well done to all of the children who took part! House Art Competition On Monday the winners of the House Art Competition were announced. The children were tasked with recreating a famous work of art and the standard of entries was extremely high. Ms. Drummond had the difficult task of judging the finalists and finally reached a conclusion. The winners were: Upper School winner - Sammy H (Y6 Cambria) and highly commended Evie J (Y6 Windsor).  Middle School winner - Zoravar D (Y2 Hibernia) and highly commended Naseeb D (Y2 Cambria). All entries were awarded valuable House points, so well done to everyone for the effort that went into their submission. The winners earned 20 points for their House and the runners up 10 points. Sports News On Tuesday St. Helen's College U9 A and B teams participated in the Reddiford Football Festival. Both teams played four games in total against other local independent schools with neither team conceding any goals. Both the A and B team won two of their matches and drew the other two matches. Well done to all the players for demonstrating great progress and teamwork.  Staff News Sadly we will be bidding farewell to Miss Linton (6L) at the end of this term. Miss Linton has been at St. Helen's College for the past four years and has had a significant impact on the education of many pupils.  However, having moved house recently, her long daily commute is becoming unsustainable and thus she is seeking a position closer to home.  It is also with sadness that we say goodbye to Mrs. Gallagher who will be leaving on the 29th November. Mrs. Gallagher has been with us at Lower School since 2022 and is a most valued member of the Nursery team. However, she too has a long commute and as such, she has made the difficult decision to leave. We wish both Miss Linton and Mrs Gallagher well for the future and thank them for making a valuable contribution to the school.  We look forward to welcoming two new members of staff to the team at St. Helen's College. Mr Reilly will join as the new Year 6 form teacher and Head of Maths in January 2024. Mrs. Odeniyi will be joining as a Teaching and Learning Assistant in Robins on the 18th November.  Music News Congratulations to Zinnia M in Y6 who has been selected to sing the solo part in 'Once In Royal David's City' at the end of term Christmas church service. There was a very high standard in auditions this year, so well done to everyone who took part.  PA Christmas Cards & Gifts Personalised Christmas cards and gifts featuring the children's individual artwork are now available to order online. To place an order please use the login details provided here and to use the early bird discount please place your order in the next two weeks. Every child in Lower School has artwork ready to order, however in Upper School designs will only be available for the children who participated. Thank you to the PA for organising this for the school.  Children in Need Fundraising Last Friday the children enjoyed a fun day marking BBC Children in Need and came into school in bright yellow or spotty clothes in exchange for a charity donation. We are thrilled to have raised an incredible £935 towards this important fundraiser. Many thanks to everyone who kindly donated and to the school Charity Reps for supporting this.           Speed Awareness Poster Competition Please be reminded that the deadline for children to submit artwork for the speed awareness poster competition is next Friday 29th November. St. Helen’s College are working with Hillingdon Council to make the roads around the school safer and pupils are invited to enter a 'Design a Sign' competition to create new 20mph signage on Parkway. Children should use the template application form here to enter their design in the competition and should follow these guidelines:   Designs should be drawn (no computers or images) Designs must be bright and to the point The theme is 20mph, to encourage drivers to slow down Please assist and support your children with their designs where you can; however, please refrain from drawing the designs yourself. The guidelines and an example design can be found here. The winning design will be chosen by the council and made into a formal 20mph sign for all to see!  Black Friday Uniform Discount Pullens (www.uniform4kids.com) are having a Black Friday online sale offering a 20% discount. The offer is valid for one day only on Friday 29th November 2024. The 20% discount applies to all products including school wear, sportswear, footwear and accessories.  Please note this offer is available online only using discount code BLACKFRIDAY20 at the checkout. Please note a discount cannot be added retrospectively to an order already placed. Click & collect or delivery to school during this event will not be available; orders will be dispatched via courier and may take up to one week to process. Next Week Monday 25th November - Ducklings Individual Photographs Monday 25th November - Nursery and Reception Nativity Photographs Tuesday 26th November - Chamber Choir Barnardo's Recording  Tuesday 26th November - Year 6 Netball v. Hermitage (H) Thursday 28th November - Year 6 Netball v. St. Mary's  Friday 29th November - 2S Coffee Morning & Class Assembly Friday 29th November - Month End Music Recital

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