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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
Posted on: 15/11/2024

Weekly News - Friday 15th November 2024

Remembrance Pupils across the school came together to mark Remembrance on Monday in age appropriate ways. At Upper School, pupils lined up in the playground just before 11 a.m. to hear poems and prayers read by senior pupils, before Old Helenian Leo N (who is currently working with us as a gap student) played The Last Post. Leo also played The Last Post for us while he was a pupil here at St. Helen's College, so it was very poignant for him to play for us again. As the guns sounded from RAF Northolt, we observed a traditional two minutes of silence. At Lower School the children marked the occasion in a similar fashion by gathering together to hold a respectful two minute silence in the playground. At Ducklings, the children were involved in a range of poppy related activities including creating and colouring in poppies and icing poppy biscuits. They too joined together outside to pay their respects at 11 a.m. Thank you to everyone who bought poppies to support the Royal British Legion and to our Charity Representatives for selling them.  BBC Children in Need  The school has been a vibrant array of yellow and multi coloured spots today as the children all dressed up to support BBC Children in Need fundraising. At Lower School the children have enjoyed lots of themed activities including an outdoor Pudsey bear hunt, icing biscuits, colouring in and more.  Thank you to everyone who has donated already. There is still time to donate if you would like to via the school fundraising page here.      Mrs. Joan Evans Remembered An online tribute page has been set up to remember Mrs. Evans, former Head at St. Helen's College, who recently passed away. Please feel free to add any special memories or thoughts, or to make a donation to the St. Helen's College Charitable Trust in her memory. The funeral for Mrs. Evans is on Monday 25th November at 11.15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, Denham. All are welcome and the family have requested those attending should wear bright colours or florals to celebrate her colourful life.      4C Class Assembly  4C presented a thought-provoking assembly this morning all about well known inspirational figures. The children have delved into the lives of influential characters from across the spectrum. Artists, politicians, musicians, royalty, campaigners and religious figures all demonstrate how our actions can have a legacy long after our lifetime. The children each delivered their lines clearly and with confidence and invited the audience to reflect on how we can all make our mark in the world with big or small actions. Well done 4C, the world is your oyster!     House News Our programme of House events is in full swing!  In the House cross country competition, Windsor finished first in each Year category winning a total of 50 House points, followed by Hibernia (40 points), Caledonia (30 points) and Cambria (20 points). The running totals so far are very close, as follows: Cambria  - 1046 Windsor - 1031 Hibernia - 1027 Caledonia - 908 There has been a terrific response to the House art competition. Entries are of an extremely high standard and each one has earned valuable House points. Ms. Drummond will be judging Middle School and Upper School winners in assembly next week, when the winning entry and runner up for each will be awarded 20 and 10 points respectively. Good luck everyone! Sports News It's been a busy week for the Upper School football team. On Monday they played against St. Martin's School at home but were unfortunately defeated 3-0. The team rallied however on Thursday when they faced stiff opposition in the Reddiford Challenge Cup Tournament playing against other local independent schools. St. Helen's College won two of their matches, drew two and lost one, finishing fourth overall. Well done to Mark D in 6H, our player of the tournament, who scored 5 goals.  Congratulations to 3B for completing their week of intensive swimming lessons at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. It will be the turn of 3M next week.  Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening  Thank you to all of the parents who attended parents' evening at Upper School this week. It was good to see you all and we hope that you found the conversations helpful. Speed Awareness Poster Competition Calling all budding artists! St. Helen’s College are working with Hillingdon Council to make the roads around the school safer and are launching an exciting new initiative. Pupils are invited to enter a 'Design a Sign' competition to create new 20mph signage on Parkway to encourage vehicles to slow down. 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. Children should hand in designs to their class teacher by Friday 29th November. The winning design will be chosen by the council and made into a formal 20mph sign for all to see!  Switch Off Fortnight The St. Helen's College Eco Team are hard at work facilitating the school's efforts for Switch Off Fortnight. This green initiative encourages everyone to switch off lights and electrical devices when not in use in order to save energy.  Our dedicated Eco Warriors are patrolling the school during this week and next to ensure that we all remember to switch off. So far, so good!        Flu Vaccinations A final reminder to please complete consent forms for the seasonal 'flu vaccinations which will take place in school on Tuesday 19th November (Reception - Y6). The consent form can be found here and should be completed whether or not you intend for your child to be vaccinated.  Parkway Roadworks Cadent, who manage the gas pipes in our area, will be replacing pipework in Parkway from 18th November 2024 for approximately 5 weeks. We do not yet know exactly how this might impact traffic along Parkway but the work, which is essential, is likely to cause some disruption and you may like to allow some extra time for your journey to/from school as a result. We would like to thank parents in advance for being patient during any disruption, and mindful of the school's relationships and reputation with neighbours and the local community. Next Week Monday 18th - Friday 22nd November - 3M Swimming Lessons  Tuesday 19th November - Flu Vaccinations Reception - Year 6 Wednesday 20th November - Football v. Cowley St. Lawrence (A) Friday 22nd November - Year 5 Football and Netball v. Highgate School (H)
Posted on: 8/11/2024

Weekly News - Friday 8th November 2024

Mrs. Joan Evans It is with great sadness that we share the news that Mrs. Joan Evans, much-loved former Head of St. Helen's College, passed away on Wednesday 30th October, aged 95. Mrs. Evans was a hugely well respected part of the St. Helen's College story and history, and known to generations of pupils and staff. Mrs. Evans was Head for seventeen years, from 1970 - 1987, and in particular she brought to the school a great passion for theatre and the performing arts, writing and producing many successful shows. She inspired countless pupils during her career and left a wonderful legacy here at St. Helen's College, where every child is encouraged to shine in annual productions and creative performances.  Her funeral will be held at St. Mary's Church in Denham at 11.00 a.m. on Monday 25th November and all are welcome to attend. Year 1 Visit To Roald Dahl Gallery On Tuesday Year 1 had a phizz-whizzing day at the Roald Dahl Gallery in Aylesbury. The children enjoyed listening to a revolting re-enactment from the 'The Twits' and took part in a role play from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. They visited the 'Giant' peach and Mr Fox's underground tunnel, and had a great time exploring the amazing exhibits in the museum. They were fascinated to learn about Roald Dahl's life and the real people Roald Dahl knew who inspired characters such as the BFG and Miss Trunchbull. A highlight was making their own dream bottles, using the museum as the inspiration for all of their dreams. Everyone had a wonderful day!  2C Class Assembly 2C have been discovering all about the Isle of Coll in geography this year and today they shared their work in a very polished class assembly. The children have been busy researching this Hebridean island and shared lots of fascinating facts, jaunty songs and wonderful artwork inspired by the distinctive landscape. The island was once home to Mairi Hedderwick, author of the Katie Morag series, whose fictional island of Struay is inspired by the Isle of Coll. The children put on a charming performance of one of her stories, which delivered an important message about never being afraid to ask for help when you need it. You can see a short clip of the children singing here.  Sports News On Monday Year 5 and 6 visited Highgate School for a series of friendly football and netball matches. Excitement levels were high and the competition was stiff. The pupils displayed brilliant character skills and resilience against strong opposition and made lots of positive progress along the way. Well done to all of the children for great teamwork and for being such positive ambassadors for St. Helen's College. Many thanks to Highgate School for hosting this fun event.  The St. Helen's College football team played a competitive match against St. Catherine's School on Thursday. Despite showing improvement and playing well, particularly in the second half, in the end they lost the match 4-1. This was a great effort from the team who are showing consistent progress. Nursery Trip to Playtrain On Thursday the Nursery children had a fun packed visit to Playtrain in High Wycombe for their first 'school trip' experience. The children had a super time at this thrilling soft play activity centre. They loved climbing, swinging, jumping, sliding and so much more!  All the children were extremely well behaved and a credit to the school.        Music News Half Term String Workshop Over the half term break, three of our young violinists, Simar C, Aria M and Alicia Z, attended the Leading Notes Chamber Music Course held at Merchant Taylor’s School.  The three day course offers high quality tuition from experienced professional tutors for talented young musicians as they develop their chamber music experience. The girls thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the course and their enthusiasm was noted. Well done girls for representing St. Helen’s College so well.      Charity Flute Performance Congratulations to Zoe in Year 4 who has raised £154 for BBC Children in Need by performing a recital on the flute in Uxbridge over the half term break. Zoe took to the town centre for her street performance, where she collected donations from passers by. Well done to Zoe for using her creative talents to fundraise for such an important children's charity.        Karate Club Success Two talented St. Helen's College pupils achieved success last weekend competing at the Dutch Youth Open Karate Championships in Almere. Huge congratulations to Rania Q and Naiya L in Year 5 who performed extremely well against challenging opponents in a very tough competition.  Naiya performed exceptionally well, reaching the bronze medal match. Although in the end she didn’t win, she gave it her all, demonstrating technical skill and maximum effort.  Rania was also very determined and faced some challenging opponents, making it all the way to the final against a club mate. The final was intense but in the end Rania earned a silver medal, proving that she is a top international karate athlete. Well done to both girls for their amazing achievement and for representing their club so confidently at an international level. BBC Children In Need St. Helen's College will be raising money for BBC Children In Need on Friday 15th November. All children are invited to wear yellow and/or spots or to wear a Children In Need top, to raise money and awareness. We are asking for each child to donate online (suggested minimum £2 but all donations gratefully received). Please donate via the Just Giving page here, thank you in advance for your support.  Flu Vaccination  Please be reminded the seasonal 'flu vaccinations will take place in school on Tuesday 19th November. Please ensure that you have completed the consent form which can be found here.  Parents' Evening  Thank you to all of the Year 2 - 6 parents who attended Parents' Evening on Thursday evening. This is a valuable meeting to update and share information on the individual progress of your child and to set future goals. We look forward to seeing parents at the next Parents' Evening on Tuesday 12th November.  Resilient Families Summit Parenting coach Elaine Halligan from The Parent Practice, who recently held a popular webinar for St. Helen's College parents, is a featured speaker at the Resilient Families Summit, an online parenting event to support parents to help their children thrive. The event consists of a series of free events from 18th - 22nd November, and parents can register free here.  Next Week Monday 11th - Friday 15th November - 3B Swimming Lessons  Monday 11th November - Football v. St. Martin's (H) Tuesday 12th November - Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening  Wednesday 13th November - Football v. St. Mary's (H) Thursday 14th - Friday 15th - Reddiford Challenge Cup Football Friday 15th November - 4C Class Assembly  Friday 15th November - Children in Need - Wear Yellow/Spots/Children In Need clothing
Posted on: 18/10/2024

Weekly News - Friday 18th October 2024

It has been a typically busy half term at St. Helen's College and the children have worked very hard, adapting to their new year groups and environments, learning new routines, establishing new relationships and having a go at new activities and learning both inside and outside the classroom. We have been very impressed with their commitment and determination to get involved and to do their best. We hope that they will have an enjoyable half term break and will make the most of time with family and friends, staying active and curious about the world around them. Please note that all pupils should return in full, smart winter uniform after the half term break. Lower School Harvest Assemblies  This week Lower School celebrated Harvest Festival, inviting parents into school for two special class assemblies.  On Tuesday Year 1 presented an accomplished assembly explaining where our food comes from and giving thanks for the abundance of food we are lucky to enjoy. It was wonderful to hear the children speak their remembered lines to parents so confidently and sing Harvest songs with gusto. They finished the assembly with a recital of a Harvest poem which you can listen to here.        On Wednesday it was the turn of Reception who delivered a very upbeat assembly, reciting their lines from memory and singing popular Harvest songs. They celebrated the array of colourful food we receive at Harvest time and sang in appreciation for the vibrant autumn season.  Thank you to the Revd. Ken Kingston from the North Hillingdon Methodist Church for sharing an important message of gratitude with the children at both assemblies. Many thanks also to everyone who sent in donations of food for our Harvest appeal. These will be distributed by the Salvation Army to those in need in Hillingdon.    Year 6 Visit The Houses of Parliament On Tuesday, Year 6 travelled to Westminster on the tube to visit the Houses of Parliament and learn about our country's systems of democracy. They were guided on a tour of the historic buildings, which included sitting in the House of Lords and observing a fierce debate around health care in the House of Commons.  The group were warmly greeted by Conservative MP and former PM Rishi Sunak in the famous Westminster Hall. He answered questions about his career, his life and his time at Downing Street with great humour.  After this, the children went back to the education centre for a workshop exploring how laws are made and the parliamentary process of bills.  At the end of the tour, the children also met local Labour MP Danny Beales. He took questions from the children about his journey to becoming MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and gave the children some insight into the day-to-day working life of an MP. Year 3 Visit To St. Albans Year 3 visited St. Albans Cathedral on Thursday for a busy day of workshops to support their work on the Romans. The children toured the impressive Cathedral discovering all about its history, and enjoyed taking part in an exciting drama workshop where they dressed up in Roman clothes and even encountered a Roman soldier!  They also had the opportunity to express themselves creatively by delving into mosaic design and creating beautiful pieces of mosaic art of their own.      Sports News On Wednesday the Upper School football team played a confident match against St. Matthew's Primary School drawing 1-1 at home. They boys played well as a team and are steadily building on their skills. Congratulations to Maicen M who scored from a free kick in the boys' best game so far this season.  Well done to Year 5 for completing their intensive swimming programme this week at Hillingdon Sport & Leisure Complex.  Upper School Parents' Evening  Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evenings will be held on Thursday 7th and Tuesday 12th November. Booking is now open; parents can book a time slot here.  PA Christmas Card Project Once again the Parents' Association are organising the school Christmas card project, whereby parents can order personalised cards featuring their child's individual artwork. The Upper School children have been sent forms and artwork sheets which must be completed at home. Please ensure the name of the child and class are clearly written on the sheet. All completed artwork must be returned to the class teacher or the Upper School office by Tuesday 5 November 2024 at the very latest. The Lower School children will be completing their artwork in school. Once submitted the artwork will be uploaded to an online portal. When login details for the portal are available these will be shared with parents who will be able to view their child's artwork and place an order directly. PA Quiz Night On Tuesday the Parents' Association hosted a lively Quiz Night at the White Bear in Ruislip. Eight teams were put through their paces during rounds of trivia covering everything from history to pop culture. The evening was not just about testing knowledge - laughter and the spirit of fun and friendly competition filled the room and kept everyone on their toes!  Congratulations to the winning team, "Brainy Bustards", who won a £10 White Bear voucher each! The event raised vital funds for the PA, thank you to all the parents who supported this event. And a big thank you to the PA for organising such an enjoyable evening, the next Quiz Night is already eagerly anticipated! Dr. Zob's Monster Academy Show  Popular children's entertainer 'Captain Fantastic' will be presenting his Halloween Show 'Dr Zob's Monster Academy' in the Lower School Hall on Thursday 31st October at 3.00 - 4.00 p.m. The show, which is suitable for children aged 5 - 11, promises to be great fun including magically flying objects, mysterious potions, eerie science experiments and a friendly Frankenstein! More information and booking details can be found here.  Boys' & Girls' Brigade The 1st Hillingdon Boys' Brigade and Girls' Association run weekly groups at North Hillingdon Methodist Church on Long Lane and welcome new members. The organisation is a Christian youth group which offers boys and girls aged 5 - 18 the opportunity to learn, grow and discover in a safe and fun environment. Boys meet every Tuesday during term time at various times depending on age group, and the girls meet on Friday evenings. More information can be found here.  After Half Term Monday 4th November - Y5/6 Football and Netball at Highgate School Tuesday 5th November - Y1 Visit to Roald Dahl Museum Wednesday 6th November - Football v's St. Catherine's School  Thursday 7th November - Nursery Trip to Playtrain Thursday 7th November - Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening  Friday 8th November - 2C Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Saturday 9th November - Packham Cup Football Tournament

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