School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 20/05/2022Weekly News - Friday 20th May 2022
Wellbeing Day
On Wednesday, we enjoyed our annual Wellbeing Day, during which children across the school took part in interesting, educational and fun activities to support their mental and physical wellbeing.
At Upper School, the day started off with an assembly in which staff showcased their 'talents'. The children were very entertained!
The day continued with parent helpers supporting sessions and Mrs. Patel leading activities in sign language to some year groups. If you would like to reinforce sign language learning with your children at home, the information used is here and here.
Activities throughout the day included a disco, mini-beast hunt, sports, meditation, mindful art and music, spiritual prayer activities, games for the brain, health and safety workshops and a PSHCE workshop led by Ms Lim, to name a few.
We are very grateful to all of the parent helpers and staff who contributed to make Wellbeing Day a memorable event for the children.
We have made a video showing some of the events and activities in which pupils take part regularly at school, and which support their wellbeing. The children enjoyed watching this in assemblies this week, and we are sure you will enjoy watching it too. The video is available here.
You can also see photographs from Wellbeing Day on our Galleries page here.
Musicians' Concert
On Tuesday evening, parents, staff and pupils gathered at All Saints Church for our annual Musicians' Concert.
It was wonderful to be able to hold this event again for the first time since Covid struck and what a celebration it was! There were stunning solo, group and orchestral performances with all types of instrument represented.
Very well done to all of the musicians who entertained and moved the audience so beautifully. You can see more photographs of the concert on our Galleries page here.
4T Assembly
The children of 4T presented a class assembly in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee this morning. They told us lots of interesting and important information about Queen Elizabeth II, from her birth right through to today, including acting out her coronation. There were some jubilee songs and a rousing rendition of the national anthem, as well as a quiz at the end to check on what the audience had learnt! Very well done, 4T, on your confident presentation of such an educational and entertaining assembly.
Singing Competition
Our annual Singing Competition took place at Upper School this afternoon and, as ever, this was a thoroughly enjoyable event. Our guest judge Yvonne Fawbert, Director of Music at Sherborne Prep School, was very impressed by the standard of the entries and the children performed their solo and group performances with super musicality and feeling. The winners were:
Year 2 Solo: Gurdaya J
Year 3 Solo: Inaaya S
Year 2/3 Group: Aaryav K, Ayush A, Rohan F
Middle School Overall Winner: Gurdaya J
Year 4 Solo: Samara P
Year 5 Solo: Anaya S
Year 6 Solo: Shruthi T
Year 4/5/6 Group: Layla O, Siyana M, Anokhi B, Kylah O-A
Upper School Overall Winners: Layla O, Siyana M, Anikhi B, Kylah O-A
Very well done to our winners, and a special mention too to Alyssa P, Diyan C and Kylah O-A, who were all highly commended by our guest judge for their performances.
We now look forward to our Singers' Concert on Monday 13th June, to which parents are warmly invited.
Junior Roadwatch
Our Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTAs) took part in the Junior Roadwatch scheme this week, working in partnership with the Metropolitan Police on this road danger reduction education scheme which aims to reduce speeding near schools.
As part of the scheme, primary school children take part in speed awareness sessions with the Metropolitan Police Service's Roads and Transport Policing Command in order to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding near their school.
Drivers caught speeding are pulled over by police officers and given the option of receiving a fixed penalty fine and points on their licence or attending a speed awareness course or, if drivers are deemed suitable, speaking to the children. If they take this option, the driver will receive an educational message from the children and the council staff member.
The primary school pupils ask drivers questions such as "Why do you think the speed limit is 20mph on this road?" and "Are you aware of the consequences of speeding?" The aim is to encourage the driver to reconsider their speed.
Bushcraft Club
Children at Upper School have been enjoying Bushcraft Club.
This week, the children were learning how to tie different knots and mastered a reef knot, clove hitch and bowline. This is in preparation for shelter building which they will soon be undertaking.
Cancer Research UK Marvellous Moneyboxes
Next half term, we will be fundraising for Cancer Research UK's Relay for Life. Please help your child to choose an empty container at home to turn into a Marvellous Moneybox. This can be an empty box or carton. Suitable examples include a small plastic bottle, take away tub, Innocent veg pot or small plastic Pringles tub. Children at Ducklings and Lower School should bring their containers into school where they will decorate them with their teachers, and Upper School children should decorate their containers at home. Your child can decorate them in any way that they like and then make a slot for coins or notes in the top of the container.
Please could you then encourage your child to fill their Marvellous Moneybox with coins or even notes.
On June 20th we will ask your child to bring their Marvellous Moneybox back to school. The moneyboxes will be displayed before they are emptied and all of the money collected will go to the St. Helen’s College RELAY FOR LIFE fundraising initiative.
We can’t wait to see what the children will make with their containers! Thank you very much for your support.
Scout Fun Day
Perseverance Scout Group are looking for new members and are holding a free fun day on Saturday 21st May in Sweetcroft Lane. If you would like to go along and try out some scouting activities, full details are here.
Lacrosse
Chiswick Lacrosse will once again be running summer camps to give a taster of lacrosse, which might be of interest to those with children transferring to senior school this year or next. Details are here.
Posted on: 20/05/2022Wellbeing
During our Wellbeing Day this week, we spoke with pupils about the five pillars of wellbeing, which are:
To give
To connect
To take notice
To be active
To keep learning
The children here at St. Helen’s College are encouraged daily (not just on Wellbeing Day!) to live their lives according to these five pillars. I have been reflecting today on how, as a school, we do this.
There is great joy in giving. We teach the children about performing acts of selfless service, raising money for those less fortunate and the importance of giving time to friends or those who are struggling.
Connecting with others is one of the most important things in life. Through our values programme, we explore friendship, co-operation, determination, love, kindness and more. In class, on the playing field and in music and drama productions, children learn to work collaboratively with others. But it is in our Mindfulness, Philosophy for Children and Positive Psychology programmes that connectedness really comes alive. We help the children to develop positive, enriching listening skills and to connect not just with others, but with their own thoughts and feelings.
Taking notice can mean many things, from stopping to appreciate the beauty of the world around us, to thinking about how other people are feeling and the reasons for their behaviour, to concentrating on something new, to developing self-awareness by noticing our own emotions and thoughts. We encourage our pupils to take notice of themselves, their community and their world. So often, taking notice is the first step in taking responsibility.
We all know that being active is important for both physical and mental health. You only have to look at the playgrounds here at school to see the joy that simply running and climbing can bring. Through active playtimes and a well-planned and expertly-delivered PE and Games programme and co-curricular programme, we ensure that the children have plenty of physical activity during their time at school.
And so to the fifth pillar, learning. It is no surprise to hear from a Headteacher that this is one of the most important things in life. Every day here is a school day, and every day really should be a school day for all of us. Certainly the children at St. Helen’s College are learning daily, but so too are the adults. We are engaged in professional, creative and personal development through formal channels, of course, but we also take every opportunity to learn from your children who, so often, have something new to teach us.
I hope that parents, too, will embrace the five pillars of wellbeing to support your own physical and mental health and to model healthy living to your children. It can be hard to prioritise yourself, but your own wellbeing is the most important thing, so please do!
You might also like to take a look at the wellbeing homework that has been shared with your children - maybe you could have a go too. You can see it here.
Have a wonderful weekend of wellbeing!
Mrs. Drummond
Posted on: 13/05/2022Weekly News - Friday 13th May
UKMT Maths Challenge Success
The Year 6 children and Zakariya M participated in the UK Mathematics Trust Junior Mathematical Challenge for students in Year 8 and below. We had some fantastic results.
With only one missing answer, Zakariya M won a gold certificate and automatic entry to the Junior Olympiad. Aryan B also won gold and entry to the Junior Kangaroo round. A further nine children won silver and ten won bronze.
Owls Class Assembly
The children of our Owls Reception class performed their class assembly to parents and staff at Lower School on Thursday morning. They re-told the story of Little Red Riding Hood, with a twist, and considered the value of Forgiveness: what this means and how we can demonstrate it in our lives. There was much confident individual and group speaking and some excellent singing, including an accomplished solo performance! Very well done to the children of Owls for this super presentation which was much enjoyed by all.
Trips & Visits
On Monday, the Year 1 classes enjoyed a visit to Windsor Castle to support and bring alive their understanding of their History topic of 'Kings and Queens'.
On Tuesday, our Year 6 children took part in an online 'visit' to the Houses of Parliament, during which they were able to put questions to parliamentary representatives and learn about the parliamentary system.
Summer School - Bookings Open Today
Our Summer School will run this year from Monday 15th to Friday 19th August at PACCAR Scout Camp for children in Years 3 - 6. Details are here and have been emailed directly to parents.
Bookings go live at 4.00 p.m. today and are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please book your place(s) through your SchoolsBuddy account.
Singing Competition
Well done to everyone who entered this year's Singing Competition. We received so many high quality entries and it has been a very difficult task to select finalists this year. The following pupils have been selected to perform in the live final on Friday 20th May to our guest judge Sarah Hughes. Please can finalists also send an mp3 copy or a link to the backing track they will be using for the final to Mrs. Fawbert before Wednesday 18th May (cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com).
Year 2 Solo
Alyssa P
Armaan V
Gurdaya J
Year 3 Solo
Mia O
Zinnia M
Inaaya S
Middle School Groups
Alyssa, Shayla & Alana
Ashvika & Inaaya
Aaryav, Ayush & Rohan
Year 4 Solo
Ruby L
Samara P
Hana H
Year 5 Solo
Minaya W
Inaya S
Eshanvi A
Anaya S
Year 6 Solo
Kylah O-A
Shruthi T
Diyan C
Upper School Groups
Charlotte & Shruthi
Layla, Siyana, Anokhi & Kylah
Anokhi & Siyana
Maxwell Garden
We have had visitors this week to our ever developing Maxwell Garden and we know that the pupils will be delighted to welcome the addition of ducks to the Upper School grounds!
Wellbeing Day
As part of our Wellbeing Day on Wednesday 18th May, we will have Lisa from 'Mrs. Melts' coming in to school to sell her handmade candles and wax melts to the parents and staff. She will be based at the Lower School from 8.00 - 9.00 a.m. and at the Upper School from 3.00 - 4.00 p.m.
We have a slightly altered lunch menu for Wellbeing Day, which you can access here.
Sports News
Sports Days
Our Sports Days this year are scheduled for:
Ducklings - Friday 8th July
Pre-Prep (Nursery/Reception/Year 1/Year 2) - Thursday 9th June
Prep (Years 3 - 6) - Friday 17th June
Details for the Pre-Prep and Prep Sports Days have been sent to parents this week and are available at the links below. Parents are warmly invited to attend these events.
Pre-Prep Sports Day (Nursery/Reception/Year 1/Year 2)
Prep Sports Day (Years 3 - 6)
Cricket
Middlesex Cricket are offering free youth membership to children aged 0-8, and low-cost memberships for those aged 9-17. If your child is interested in cricket (or if you are, and would like to introduce them to the sport), you can find details here.
News from the PA
There will be a PA meeting on the 18th May at 7.30 p.m. at the Vine Inn in Hillingdon. All parents are most welcome to attend.
Hillingdon Guided Family Bike Rides
Hillingdon Council offer free guided cycle rides to encourage families to get out and about on bikes. The idea is for you to enjoy an easy, family-orientated, guided cycle ride with Hillingdon cycle instructors, with a stop for refreshments and a chance to enjoy the sights of Hillingdon.
None of the rides are a race so you can take them at your own pace. All routes will be fun, safe and interesting with the distance, duration and terrain of the ride varying according to the type of ride.
Ride leaders are passionate and keen cyclists, who have been trained to guide groups of people and are employees of Hillingdon Council. They also have been trained in first aid.
Upcoming family rides:
Northala Fields ride - Sunday 22 May
Starting from Hillingdon Leisure Centre at 10 a.m. and returning at 2 p.m.
Summer Reading Challenge-themed ride - Tuesday 26 July
Starting from Uxbridge Library at 9.30 a.m., going to Oak Farm Library and returning at 12.30 p.m.
Summer Reading Challenge-themed ride - Wednesday 27 July
Starting from Botwell Green Library at 9.30 a.m., going to Yeading Library and returning at 12.30 p.m.
Summer Reading Challenge-themed ride - Thursday 28 July
Starting from Ickenham Library at 9.30 a.m., going to South Ruislip Library and returning at 12.30 p.m.
Queen's Jubilee Celebration and Art Exhibition
Hayes End Methodist Church will be holding a Jubilee Celebration on Friday 3rd June from 2.00 to 5.00 p.m. There will be activities and entertainment for the family, a jubilee tea and barbecue. As part of the celebration, children from the local area are encouraged to produce a piece of Jubilee-themed artwork, which will be exhibited at the event. This is not a competition; every child who takes part will receive a Jubilee gift/memento and will have the joy of seeing their work exhibited! Details of the celebration are available here and details of the art exhibition are available here.
SparksArts Free Workshop Vouchers and Summer Shoots
SparksArts are offering St. Helen's College children vouchers for two free filmmaking workshops. These take place at Bishop Ramsey School in Ruislip on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can download your voucher here.
SparksArts also run Summer Shoots, filmmaking summer camps where children aged 5-18 produce their own movie production in a five day workshop. The young filmmakers work in small, peer age film crews to produce their own movie masterpiece. They devise an original storyline, direct their scenes, shoot their shots, crew their set, star in their movie and edit it too. At the end of the week, they proudly share their work with family in a special presentation and later celebrate with a red carpet premiere event too (in peer age 'studio' groups). Further information and booking is available here: https://www.sparksarts.co.uk/product/summer-shoots-2020/.
Posted on: 6/05/2022Weekly News - Friday 6th May
Year 3 Residential Trip
On Thursday our Year 3 children headed off on their first residential trip, to PACCAR scout camp. They have been blessed with gorgeous May weather and it is clear that Year 3 and their accompanying staff have delighted in the vast open air space that is PACCAR. They have shown admirable team spirit and resilience when tackling the exciting activities and fun and laughter has abounded. They return home today rejuvenated and exhausted in equal measure!
There are more photographs of the Year 3 children enjoying themselves on our Galleries page.
Kingfishers Class Assembly - May Day
Our Kingfishers Reception class presented a wonderful assembly all about May Day on Thursday to a very appreciative audience of family and staff at Lower School. They told us about - and even demonstrated - morris dancing, maypole dancing and the choosing of a May Queen. There was some really super singing and movement, and every child spoke lines with confidence, grace and real understanding of their words. Outside the hall, the sun was shining too! It was an uplifting and joyful start to our day and we are very proud of the children and their efforts. Well done, Kingfishers.
The Owls Reception class will be presenting their assembly to parents next Thursday, 12th May, at 8.45 a.m. There will be coffee served in the Lower School Hall from 8.15 a.m. and we look forward to seeing Owls parents then.
Music News
We are looking forward to the Musicians' Concert on 17th May at 7.00 p.m. All parents are warmly invited to attend and Mrs. Fawbert will be sending out further details to the parents of the pupils involved next week.
The Singing Competition entry deadline has been extended to 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 7th May, to allow more time for groups to rehearse and send their entries in. We would also like to encourage students to submit a solo performance as well as their group performance. Please note that entries submitted after 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 7th May will not be accepted.
Chess Team
Our chess team very much enjoyed their match against St. Bernadette's School this week. Each player received 1 point for a win, 0.5 point for a draw and 0 for a loss. At half time the score was tied at four points each, but in the end St. Bernadette's won by 9 points to 7. The score was close, reflecting how evenly matched the players were.
Well done to all of those who took part: Jacob N, Raiden B, Anna K, Eva J, Ruby L, Kamran-Cyrus A, Zakariya M, Verity S, Rian M and Jeena H.
Special congratulations to team captains Jacob and Kamran-Cyrus, who each won both their matches. They are in Year 5 and led by example for the other players, who are all in Year 4.
Cookery Club
Our Upper School Cookery Club had a great time this week making brownies and smoothies! There are certainly some budding chefs among the group.
Parents' Evenings: Years 1 - 6
Thank you to all of the parents who attended the in-school parent consultations this week. The teachers very much enjoyed talking to you about your children's work, activities and wellbeing. The next parents' evening for Years 1-6 will take place on Thursday 12th May from 5.00 to 8.00 p.m. Appointments on that evening will be held remotely.
Residential Trip Meeting: Year 6
It was great to see so many parents and pupils at the Year 6 French Residential meeting on Wednesday evening this week. It is clear that the children are very much looking forward to this exciting trip and we were delighted by the high levels of trust from parents too.
Year 5 Transfer Meeting
We will be holding a Year 5 Transfer Meeting (to discuss senior school applications/processes) on Tuesday 10th May at 7.00 p.m. in the Evans Hall. We look forward to seeing Year 5 parents there.
Sports Days
We are busy planning our Sports Days for later this term and will shortly be sending out information to parents about these.
If your child has a Sports Day trophy at home from 2019, or if you know of any family who does, please could these be returned to school as soon as possible now, so that we have time to collate them and prepare them for this year's Sports Days.
School Uniform
The current warm weather is set to continue, so please send your children to school now in their summer uniforms.
Holiday Club - May Half Term
Bookings for our May half term Holiday Club will open on Friday 13th May at 4.00 p.m. Due to the Jubilee bank holidays, the Holiday Club will run for three days only: Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st May, and Wednesday 1st June. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis so please book your child(ren)'s place(s) early.
Posted on: 29/04/2022Weekly News - Friday 29th April 2022
Year 5 Residential Trip - Isle of Wight
Our Year 5 children return from the Isle of Wight today where they have spent five days on a residential trip. They have taken part in many exciting activities including climbing and high roping, taken a trip to learn all about the Mary Rose and undertaken coastal studies to enrich their geography learning. Five days and nights away from home has also enhanced their independence and cemented already very strong friendships. They return tired but happy!
Maths Quiz Club
The school entered two teams into the Quiz Clubs Inter School Maths competition this week, and our teams performed brilliantly, finishing 2nd and 5th. Both teams have qualified for the semi-finals which will take place on 14th June, and we wish them luck as they prepare for these!
Sports News
The pupils of Year 2 have enjoyed their intensive swimming week this week at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Centre.
The football team lost their quarter final 2-0 to Heathrow Primary School in a tough game on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Harrington was pleased with the team's resilience and determination to keep going against tough opposition!
On Thursday, the U11 netball team played in a tournament at Newnham Junior School, progressing through the first round, which gave them some great experience and was very enjoyable too.
School at Work Open Morning
We ran a very successful Open Morning this week, during which our confident Year 6 guides enjoyed showing prospective families around the school. The families who came to look around were, as always, very impressed with our articulate, confident and enthusiastic pupils throughout the school.
Singing Competition
Our very exciting Singing Competition final will take place on Friday 20th May 2022 this year.
The semi-finals will take place like last year with video entries for solos, duets and groups, with finalists being selected to perform live on 20th May, to our guest judge Sarah Hughes.
Only one solo entry per child is permitted (one additional group or duet entry may be made) and submitted by only one email, please.
Please submit your video entry by no later than Friday 6th May 2022.
For Middle School entries please submit to all of the following:
cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com
sbelvoir@sthelenscollege.com
mgarnes@sthelenscollege.com
hhawkes@sthelenscollege.com
For Upper School entries please submit to all of the following:
cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com
mgarnes@sthelenscollege.com
hhawkes@sthelenscollege.com
The subject of the email should be clear, e.g. "Singing Competition: name of child, form group, name of song and composer" and it may be easiest to submit using your school Google drive (don’t forget to share the file).
The categories this year are as follows:
Middle School Competition: Year 2 Solo, Year 3 Solo, MS duet, MS group and Best Overall Performance.
Upper School Competition: Year 4 Solo, Year 5 Solo, Year 6 Solo, US duet, US group and Best Overall Performance.
Finalists will be chosen and announced by Friday 13th May 2022 on the school newsletter.
The following rules apply:
There is no set theme this year and we would like to hear songs from all different genres and eras. Singing in other languages is permitted, however we request a translation to be submitted with your entry.
All songs must be age appropriate, melodic and have appropriate lyrics and themes. If you are unsure whether your choice is appropriate, please check with Mrs. Belvoir, Mrs. Fawbert, Mrs. Garnes or Mrs. Hawkes.
We would like to see only simple gestures and appropriate movements relevant to the performance - no dance moves please.
A backing track is required (without words) for the performance. A child may play the piano/guitar etc as part of their performance.
'Harmony at Home' Parent Practice Course
Some parents may remember Elaine Halligan from The Parent Practice, who ran a parent workshop here at St. Helen's College a few years back. Elaine is commencing her next 'Harmony at Home' course on Tuesday 3rd May and some of you may be interested in signing up for this. The course runs remotely from 8.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. for 6 weeks.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/WhctKKXXFsDmcPFThVKFMccKwphRcHzGmHfBFcgpvxHZPqlgGHXpvMHsVTCTBmGVCXHLnsB
Free Parent Asthma Workshop
The Hilllingdon asthma nurses are offering another free parent workshop on May 13th from 4 to 5 p.m. We hope that many of you will take advantage of this opportunity to hear about asthma and its management. Full details are here.
Posted on: 22/04/202221st Century Education
At the beginning of our summer term I felt that it was an ideal opportunity to remind us of the St. Helen’s College aims:
Love of Learning
We aim to inspire a lifelong thirst for creative, stimulating and rewarding learning, leading to the full development of every child’s academic potential.
Personal Growth
We aim to instil core moral values, inspiring virtue, responsibility, resilience, independence, mindful self-awareness and a desire for continuing self-development.
Involvement and Challenge
We aim to inspire an ongoing desire to develop talents, nurture the widest possible range of interests, and contribute to society as confident, compassionate and responsible citizens and leaders of the future.
These aims also extend to our staff and many of you may be aware that as a staff we are also committed to be lifelong learners and it is by continuing on this path of professional learning that we can continue to inspire and challenge your children.
On Tuesday we welcomed a guest speaker to St. Helen’s College - Professor Guy Claxton. Guy is a world-renowned cognitive scientist and emeritus Professor of the Learning Sciences at the University of Winchester. He has influenced educational theory and practice across the world and I was delighted that he was able to attend our staff training day to share his views on education for the 21st Century. I do not intend to reiterate what Guy shared with us but I highly recommend that you read one of his blogs here.
Here is an extract from his blog:
“A few days ago I had a very thought-provoking and productive lunch with my friends Becky Carlzon and Adrian Bethune. Becky is the guiding spirit behind Learning Pioneers and co-author, with me, of Powering Up Children: The Learning Power Approach to Primary Teaching. Adrian is founder of Teachappy (“Happier Teachers, Happier Children”), and a great ambassador for mindfulness in education.
I came away fired up about how important it is to build education around a clear specification of the kinds of young people we are aiming to develop: what do they really need to know; be able to do; and be like in their attitudes and mindsets? And saddened, yet again, at the astonishing level of intellectual lethargy displayed by society at large. Where are the urgent debates about what an education fit for the 21st century should be like? Almost nowhere. (Even Radio 4 only dips a superficial toe into this shark-infested water every now and again.)
So on the train back to Sussex I bashed out the following. What do you think?
What we need is a shared vision of education as empowering young people with the knowledge, values, capabilities and character strengths to be a force for good in the world, and thus find the continuing fulfilment of a life well lived. This means:
Giving young people opportunities to explore many different potential avenues of excellence (both within 'school' and beyond),and discover the interests and occupations that may give their lives purpose, meaning and the kind of quiet happiness with themselves that is so different from complacency.
Giving them a diet of escalating challenges that will engage their energy and effort, the exercise of which will naturally lead them to develop a background 'mindset' of generalisable character strengths (aka 'positive learning dispositions' or 'qualities of mind') such as these "12 Pillars of Fulfilment":
presence - being alive to all the features and complexities of significant situations
discernment - having a reliable moral 'nose' for that which is fulfilling, nurturing and 'wholesome'
self-care - creating their own social and physical ecology - habits of rest and recreation, sources of nurturance, support and advice - so that they can bring their full energy and intelligence to the pursuit of their passions
critical thinking and ‘fake news’ detection - discerning and calling out that which is sham, shallow, specious or seductive (a la Greta Thunberg)
self-awareness - an honesty and vigilance about the habits, beliefs and insecurities that might be their Achilles Heels or lead them astray
craftmanship - being dissatisfied with anything but their best; willing to practise, draft, revise and respond to feedback
adaptability - having the awareness and resourcefulness to change tack and adjust as they go along
collegiality - having a friendly and open attitude that makes it easy for them to find and join teams and communities that support their core purposes
buoyance and resilience – being able to bounce back from frustration and setbacks and recommit to their goals
self-discipline - prioritising and devoting energy and perseverance to that which is truly important to them
curiosity - a judicious keenness to engage with and investigate novelties, challenges and uncertainties that bear on their values and projects
imagination - the ingenuity to create fresh possibilities of thought and action that further their purposes
I see these as constituting the trunk – the ‘common core’ of a viable character - out of which can grow all the varied branches – the interests, passions and idiosyncrasies that make everyone unique and special.
Seeing mindfulness-like practices as on-going practical supports for developing all these qualities of mind – as the evidence indeed suggests it is. Organisations like the Mindfulness in Schools Project need to present mindfulness as much more deeply valuable than just helping to reduce stress. It is an all-purpose fertiliser for the growth of a strong and supple mind.
Equipping youngsters with the starter kits of knowledge and skill that will enable them to make progress as both actors and learners. This is hard but vital. Why Trigonometry rather than Neuroscience? Why the Tudors rather than the critical analysis of Fake News?
Enabling teachers to embrace their role as coaches and guides, and to develop their own resources and sensibilities, in the service of their students' journeys. An army of teachers who were keen to grow and extend their skill and insight day-by-day would transform children’s experience of school.
Enabling teachers and school leaders to harness (and if necessary resist or subvert) external pressures and requirements on them and their students that threaten to derail this vision. Innovation will come from brave and ingenious school principals and their staff, not from Whitehall.”
Don’t you think that the pillars of fulfilment sound very similar to what we here at St. Helen’s College aspire to achieve with your children? Much of what Guy discussed with us enabled us to reflect on our pedagogical practices and as a teaching team we will be continuing to review our curricula and practices in order to prepare our children for their futures.
Last night we held a meeting for parents of our current Year 3 and Year 4 pupils as they begin to think about the next step in their child’s educational journey. The aim of the evening was to lay out what we do at school to prepare your children for senior school transition and assessments. Pupil wellbeing is crucial to their ability to learn and flourish and we hope that the information shared has been food for thought for all who attended.
It is so important that we do not compare children with each other but allow them to develop their interests and talents and recognise that they all make progress at different rates but also may need different input to enable them to unlock understanding and hone their skills.
I will leave you with a wonderful analogy I heard in the staffroom this morning:
For a plant to flourish to its magnificent best, it needs to be nurtured and grown in the right conditions. All need light, water and nutrients but some need shade and clay soil whilst others need sun and sandy soil. People, too, thrive in different conditions. We need to provide the conditions in which children will flourish. The type of school that best suits one child may be entirely wrong for another. The route to finding a place where a child will grow and excel is not to look for the most prestigious school and expect the child to adapt to that school but to find the school that best fits a child.
You may wish to watch this video here where Guy discusses the concept of ‘Learning being Learnable’. I have been inspired by how the St. Helen’s College staff embrace every opportunity to connect with your children and how committed they are to the continuous learning process for not only your children but for themselves too! What an amazing community we have!
Here’s to a wonderful summer term ahead!
Mrs. Drummond
Posted on: 22/04/2022Weekly News - Friday 22nd April 2022
Earth Day
Today is 'Earth Day', a day during which we are all encouraged to celebrate our Earth and explore how we can look after our Earth. Children have thought about this at school today and we hope that you will encourage them to keep exploring at home.
You can find out more about Earth Day by following these links:
https://www.earthday.org/
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/celebrations/article/earth-day
To celebrate Earth Day, our Nursery children children planted beans which they had grown from the bean.
They have also each created their own 'handprint' earth and made a pledge of something they are going to do to help look after Earth.
Plastic Free Schools - Objective Met!
We are pleased to announce that, in our quest to become a Plastic Free School, St. Helen's College has now successfully completed Objective 2: TRASH MOB!
Picking up plastic pollution from playgrounds, parks and streets stops it from getting into rivers and eventually into our oceans. With 12 million tonnes of plastic entering oceans each year, it is great that our Trash Mob has prevented even more from getting there.
We will now move onto Objective 3, which is Challenging the Government. Pupils will write and send letters to the local politician outlining their campaign, their findings in the school and asking the politician for help to tackle the issue.
Red Nose Day Fundraising
The final total raised by the St. Helen's College community in support of Comic Relief/Red Nose Day was a fantastic £1196.02! Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising effort for this very worthy cause.
Our pupil Charity Reps were excellent in their work driving this initiative. They worked hard on making an exciting sports quiz for everyone and selling wristbands. A special well done to:
Year 2 - Shayna, Aakash, Shaylen, Avleen
Year 3 - Amelia, Isaac, Reet, Mufaddal
Year 4 - Roha, Arjun, Jeena, Nya
Year 5 - Matthew, Dylan, Albert, Anaiya
Year 6 - Ryan, Sahib, Avaani, Diyan
Year 4 Music
In music lessons, last term, Year 4 created artistic and poetic responses to a piece of music. They listened to "Storm" from Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes" opera, and created a stormy picture and a descriptive poem in response to the music.
You can watch and listen to their work here:
4L
4T
Year 5 Residential Trip to Isle of Wight
We wish our Year 5 children well for their trip to the Isle of Wight next week. They will be taking part in many exciting activities and we will report on their experiences when they return!
Co-Curriculum and PE/Games
There are spaces available in Karate Club on Mondays after school for Year 5 and 6 from 3.50 p.m. to 4.50 p.m. We are now also opening this club up to Year 4 as well.
We also have spaces in the Year 3 Taekwondo Club on a Tuesday lunchtime from 12.20 to 1 p.m.
Both clubs are run by fantastic experts in their field and provide lots of benefits for your children.
Please get in touch with Mr. Harrington if you are interested in your child attending either of these clubs. Remaining spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. lharrington@sthelenscollege.com.
Year 6 Bikeability is starting this weekend and details have been sent separately to Year 6 parents. Please ensure that your Year 6 child is there, on time with the correct equipment.
Our Year 2 classes will undertake their intensive swimming programme next week.
For the summer term, please remember that your child should have the correct summer PE and Games kit (white PE technical polo shirt, no green shirts or socks to be worn this term).
Jubilee Flag Competition
With the Queen's Platinum Jubilee approaching, we have an exciting opportunity for three pupils to leave a lasting legacy here at St. Helen's College.
We would like pupils to design a flag in honour of the Jubilee. Flag designs may be themed around all things royal such as crowns, the Queen's portrait, corgi dogs, horses or a combination of The Queen and our school.
The only element that each flag must include is the fact that it is the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, or celebration of 70 years on the throne.
The winning designs (one for Ducklings, one for Lower School and one for Upper School will be made into a real flag and be raised above our three school sites!
Entries should be made on A4 landscape paper and be given to your form teacher or directly to Mrs. Pruce by Friday 20th May. Mrs. Drummond and Mrs. Hunt will judge the winning designs.
Good luck!
Pupil Fundraising
Congratulations to Grace O'H and Verity S (Y4) who held a bake sale on the day of our second hand uniform sale and raised £48. The money is going to an organisation in Kerala that promotes elephant welfare to prevent their torture and abuse. It is always wonderful to see our pupils embracing social responsibility.
Alumni News
We are delighted to share the news that Abhay K, who was Head Boy at St. Helen's College several years ago, has been named the new Head Boy of Royal Grammar School Wycombe. Congratulations to Abhay!
Posted on: 25/03/2022Weekly News - Friday 25th March 2022
Speech Recitals and Competitions
This week has seen another of the highlights of the St. Helen's College annual programme, with the school once again able to hold our poetry recitals and competitions in person.
On Monday, our Reception children recited their poems to an eager audience of parents and staff in the Lower School Hall. The Nursery children recited theirs on Tuesday in the same format. The children showed such confidence and bravery as they mounted the steps to the stage for their first solo recital performance (as the Reception children had been unable to do this in person due to the Covid lockdown last year). It was heartwarming to hear them and to see their obvious support for each other. Very well done, Nursery and Reception.
On Thursday we held the finals of the Junior Speech Competition for Years 1-3 and then the Senior Speech Competition for Years 4-6. Our guest judge, Nicola Isherwood, was hugely impressed by the very high standard of recitals. The children were extremely well-rehearsed and they spoke with wonderful clarity, projection and expression; these were the three criteria for judging. Their understanding of the meanings of their poems was clear for all to see and Nicola had an unenviably difficult job as judge. The winners were:
1C Class Winner - Eleanor G
1R Class Winner - Emerald S
2B Class Winner - Shayna C
2H Class Winner - Gurdaya J
3B Class Winner - Samuel H
3MB Class Winner - Rohaym U
Overall Junior Speech Competition Winner - Shayna C (2B)
4L Class Winner - Dylan C
4T Class Winner - Rian M
5A Class Winner - Lavanya B
5G Class Winner - Xavier B
6H Class Winner - Rivan K
6R Class Winner - Diyan C
Overall Senior Speech Competition Winner - Dylan C (4L)
We are so proud of every single pupil in the school for taking part in the recitals and competitions. Congratulations to our overall winners and a special thank you to Nicola Isherwood, who was a sensitive and educational judge for the children.
Y3 visit to Kew Gardens
On Monday, our Year 3 children enjoyed a day in the sunshine at Kew Gardens, where they had the chance to look at plants close up. They took part in a wonderful workshop where they had the opportunity to sketch plants, look at them under a microscope and do a seed sorting activity. Outdoors, they acted like plant scientists dissecting plants. The children thoroughly enjoyed looking at the plants in the Palm House and other areas in Kew Gardens.
Y5 visit to Bletchley Park
On Tuesday, Year 5 took a trip to Bletchley Park, where they learnt how code breaking helped to shorten WW2. They saw where code breakers such as Alan Turing worked and learnt about the Enigma code, the development of computers and computer science and the heroic efforts of men and women to bring the war to an end.
Planetarium visit to Reception
On Thursday, the children in Reception were treated to a visit from a planetarium as an exciting end to their topic 'We Are Space Explorers!'. Astronomer Zee presented a stargazing session, where he explained all about the Hillingdon sky at night as the children searched for the North Star, explored the stories behind the constellations and learned all about the craters of the moon. They were also treated to a wonderful interactive 'Sunshine' show with fun, games, colours and counting. It was out of this world!
Barnardo's Chamber Choir Competition
Our Chamber Choir has submitted their digital entry to the final of the Barnardo's National Choral Competition. You can view their entry here. We await with anticipation the results of this prestigious competition, which was sadly moved to a digital event due to the City of London's covid protocols.
Sports & Music Personalities of the Term
Well done to Natalia C, who was today named Sports Personality of the Term.
Congratulations also to Aanya B, who was named Music Personality of the Term.
PE Tracksuit
Years 3 to 6 will have a new PE/Games tracksuit from September. We will have a lead in period for the new tracksuit, so if your child's tracksuit still fits by September then you will not need to replace it. Pullens are planning to attend the PA Summer Fete on June 18th, so that parents may view the new tracksuit and place orders.
News from the PA
Second Hand Uniform Sale and Charity Bake Sale
Thank you to all of the parents who have donated uniform recently. The PA will be opening a uniform stall from 12 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. on Friday 1st April and Tuesday 12th April in the school car park on Parkway.
Grace O'H and Verity S from 4L will be running a bake sale in the car park outside the Parkway entrance to the school on Tuesday 12th April alongside the secondhand uniform stall. They will be selling all sorts of delicious treats including homemade cupcakes, macaroons, tiffin, rocky road, flapjacks and cookies. All money raised will be donated to support work that is being undertaken to protect elephants by battling the current surge in ivory poaching, thwarting traffickers and ending the demand for ivory.
If you're coming along to the uniform stall or picking up from Holiday Club, why not treat yourself on the run up to Easter whilst also supporting such a worthwhile charity.
Ukraine
We are fortunate in the UK to be looking forward to an Easter break and the onset of spring. But as the war continues, the situation in Ukraine remains desperate. More than 2.5 million people have already left Ukraine, while countless more are still trapped underground, taking cover from the shelling, and desperate for a safe escape. Hundreds of thousands of people still have no food, no water, no medical care, and no heat or electricity.
Red Cross teams are working around the clock to get critical care to those who need it most, both in Ukraine and its bordering countries. With recent freezing temperatures, and ongoing violence, an enormous number of people urgently need help right now. If you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross, you can do so by following this link.
Mrs. Smith is awaiting the arrival of a Ukrainian guest through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. She has written a blog this week about her experience of the process so far. If you are interested in reading this, you can do so here.
Minaya W (Year 5) has been putting her viola talents to good use. Last weekend she played in a charity concert at the Barbican to help raise funds for Ukraine. There is another concert this Saturday evening at St. Bartholomew's the Great in the city, which some parents/families may like to attend - information is here.
Well done, Minaya.
Tiya T (Year 4) has made a poster in support of Ukraine as part of a competition being run by The Week Jr.
This is excellent, Tiya, well done! We hope that others will be inspired to enter the competition too, or to find other ways to support Ukraine in these terrible times for the country.
Great Big School Clean
Back for its seventh year, our 2022 Great Big School Clean takes place 25 March – 10 April. From today, we have pledged as a whole school community to pick up one bag (or more) of litter over the Easter holidays as part of the Great Big School Clean. We would like everyone to pick up some litter in their homes and communities as it is hurting our environment and it is increasing climate change.
As you know we have had Cop26 and if we don’t try to stop plastic pollution and climate change then the world will be at risk. If we stop littering and start throwing our rubbish into the recycling bin it would make a big difference. Please start doing this now! Schools nationwide are actively encouraging this too, and we want everyone in this school to play their part. Join our #BigBagChallenge because your participation in the Big Clean over the three week Easter holiday will be a massive help to our ecosystem and communities. Thank you!
By Eshan N on behalf of the Eco team
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean/pledge-to-pick/school
Annual SATIPS Art Exhibition
Several members of our school community from Years 1 - 6 have had pieces of artwork selected to be exhibited at this annual independent school art exhibition. Invitations have been sent home with the children and we hope that many of you will be able to attend the exhibition at the Royal Masonic School in April.
IAPS iArt Competition - Final Reminder
After the success of iArt 2021, in which Arya A at St. Helen's College was a winner, IAPS will be running the competition again in 2022 and hopes to receive more submissions than ever. Shortlisted entrants will receive prizes of vouchers for local independent bookshops.
This year, the competition will have a theme and all submissions must in some way relate to this theme. The theme is my role model.
This theme has been chosen because IAPS is interested to see who inspires pupils, who motivates them, who they admire and who they would like to be like when they grow up. The role models can be anyone:
someone personal e.g. a family member, friend, teacher, coach, librarian, a member of the local community;
someone “in general” e.g. nurses, doctors, train drivers, farmers;
someone public e.g. a famous person, such as a sportsperson, environmentalist, singer
While IAPS encourages pupils to attempt a portrait of their role model, pupils – and particularly, younger pupils – should feel free to just paint / draw / create something which reminds them of their role model instead. For example, if a pupil’s role model is David Attenborough, they might choose to paint trees and animals, or if their role model is a parent, they might choose to draw a picture of their house.
Each pupil must write a maximum of 100 words in a sentence or two to accompany their piece of work, saying 'My role model is...because...'.
Entries will be judged on a) interpretation of the theme; b) creativity around the theme; c) overall design; d) and that ‘certain something’ that just draws you to the artwork! There is no set format for entries and artwork can be submitted in any medium. Submissions can be paintings, drawings, or models, any size, and use any art supplies.
There are five categories for the iArt competition: Years 1 & 2, Years 3 & 4, Years 5 & 6, Years 7 & 8 and Years 9 & 10. Each school may enter one piece of art for each category. For example, one piece of artwork representing the Years 5 & 6 category, not one artwork from Year 5 and one from Year 6.
Pupils who would like to enter this competition should submit their pieces of art and accompanying sentences directly to Mrs. Pruce or via their class teacher. The latest time to submit these will be in the first week of the summer term. Mrs. Drummond and Mrs. Pruce will judge which entries to put forward from St. Helen's College.
Good luck everyone and happy creating!
Cavaliers Basketball Easter Camp
Thames Valley Cavaliers are running a basketball Easter Camp at Uxbridge College for children aged 7-17. You can find details here.
Summer Term Menu
The summer term menu is now being finalised and will soon be published to the school website here.
Summer Term Co-Curricular Allocations
Co-curricular allocations were sent to parents yesterday.
Clubs will begin the week beginning 25th April.
If you have any queries over the co-curricular programme or would like to check whether there are still spaces available in any club, you may contact Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com.
Uniform & Equipment Reminders
Girls should return to school in full summer uniform from the start of the summer term. Please take the opportunity over the Easter break to check your child's equipment and uniform and ensure that everything fits and is clearly named.
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