School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 11/12/2020Hope, Peace, Joy, Love
As we have approached the end of this exceptional school term, I personally have drawn much strength from the four key themes of Advent, which we have been sharing in Upper School assemblies this week. Advent is a significant time in the Christian calendar, when Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth, of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
However, regardless of religion I feel that as a community we can all take some time over this holiday to reflect on these four key themes, to look back on the impact and outcomes of 2020 but also to look forward with optimism to the opportunities which lie ahead in 2021.
HOPE
We have all hoped that, as a school community, we would remain safe and healthy and it is due to the diligence and support of everyone that we have been remarkably successful in the children continuing with their education. For those year groups who have been affected by Covid-19, the commitment of the staff enabled the children at home to stay connected with school life and the teamwork at Lower School enabled us to remain open some weeks ago, even with 10 staff members down! We now have renewed hope with the Covid vaccination programme that hopefully we may have less restrictions at school and we can resume school life as we once knew it!
PEACE
Life for everyone has been more intense than ever before and it has been somewhat difficult for adults to find ‘peace’ with the daily updates from the government, the news, media coverage and, in school, the constant updates from the Department for Education! Finding time each day for some ‘peace’ is crucial for us all, whether that comes in the form of a mindfulness practice, a hot bath or a cup of tea. The children may also have found it difficult to find that ‘peace’ which is so important for our mental wellbeing - our school assemblies have hopefully given the children time to find calm and peace. Do allow yourselves and your family to enjoy some peaceful time over the holidays - that time where you can be free from disturbance and benefit from the effects of tranquillity.
JOY
I thank the Lord that I work in such an amazing place - your children give us all JOY each and every day. We have the privilege of working with your loved ones who bring such cheer and joy in their daily interactions. As I write this Blog I can hear the jovial interactions from the Upper School pupils as they react to the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime traditions of ‘He’s behind you!’ and ‘Oh no it’s not!’ I have already played musical statues in 1C today and been thoroughly entertained by the pure voices of our youngest pupils in Ducklings singing ‘When Santa got stuck up the chimney’. Thank you, parents, for the JOY your children bring!
LOVE
There certainly is a lot of ‘love’ within our St. Helen’s College community - through this turbulent time we have supported each other in so many different ways. This morning I commented to a parent about the love that their child has of school; every morning she skips up the path to greet the staff and her peers. Children demonstrate their love in such simple ways - by the time we become adults we demonstrate our love in perhaps more subtle ways! Many of you are already familiar with the ‘Action for Happiness’ calendars which we use at school and I encourage you to share your love on a daily basis and attempt to follow the acts of kindness prompts in this month's calendar here.
I wish you all a wonderful festive holiday which I pray will bring you Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
Merry Christmas and Best Wishes
Mrs. Drummond
Posted on: 4/12/2020Weekly News - Friday 4th December
11+ Results
We are delighted to announce that our Year 6 pupils have excelled themselves, with a very high number having passed the Buckinghamshire and/or the Berkshire 11+ examinations. Many of the Year 6 children are now working towards Independent School entrance examinations and interviews. We are very proud of all their achievements so far.
Eco Schools Green Flag Award
We were thrilled to hear today that St. Helen's College has been awarded the Green Flag Award by Eco Schools. This award recognises the school's eco-friendly nature and systematic, sustained commitment to working in an eco-friendly way and to educating children about how and why we must care for our environment. The Eco-Schools Team were particularly keen to thank St. Helen's College for continuing to work on the Eco-Schools Green Flag during such a demanding year, noting that this is a true reflection of our school's determination to make a real difference. A big thank you to all of the staff and children, particularly the Eco Reps.
2B Assembly
The children of 2B presented an extremely creative and resourceful nativity 'premiere' this morning which was much enjoyed by pupils, parents and staff alike! The 2020 retelling of the traditional story, based in and around St. Helen's College Upper School, included some wonderful acting and singing too. We are sure that the children will never forget their 2020 Christmas class assembly! Very well done to all of the children and staff involved.
Year 1 'Zoom' Into Antarctica!
Today Year 1 ‘Zoomed’ into Antarctica! Caitlin’s Uncle Pat is currently working at Scott Base in Antarctica and Year 1 were able to talk to him via video link and see where he works. It was incredible! Uncle Pat explained that at the moment the sun never goes down in Antarctica, so there are 24 hours of daylight each day. He showed Year 1 some incredible animals and explained that he gets to see them every day. The children saw what he has to wear to keep warm and were very interested in what he has to eat - who knew that there were chefs in Antarctica! They were also very interested to know what Uncle Pat studied at school and how he got the opportunity to work in such an incredible place. He said that he worked very hard at school and that he particularly enjoyed maths and science.
This was a perfect end to Year 1's science topic all about animals, including humans. The children have certainly deepened their knowledge about Antarctica and they feel inspired to do something to help the environment. They are now planning to raise some money for the World Wildlife Fund and adopt their very own Year 1 penguin. Please remember that you can do your bit too by turning off lights and keeping doors closed whenever possible. Many thanks indeed, Uncle Pat!
Carols Around The Tree
Our Upper School children enjoyed singing carols in their class bubble groups around the tree in the playground today. Mr. and Mrs. Crehan joined us for the event which, although different to usual, was no less festive and enjoyable! The school is looking so festive with decorations and lights everywhere. A big thank you to Mr. Smith, Mr. Rizzo and Mr. Neil for all their hard work. We are all looking forward to a very Christmassy final week of term.
Year 3 Roman Day
Our Year 3 children enjoyed a super Roman-themed day on Thursday, to bring their History topic to life. They dressed as Romans, investigated Roman life, made mosaics and Roman numeral clocks and even tasted Roman food! They also took part in road building activities. You can see photographs of the day on our Galleries page here.
Year 5 Study Water Pollution
The children in Year 5 have been investigating water pollution and its impact on the environment through the use of case studies. Miss Walker has been delighted with the work produced by all of the children as they researched the BP Deepwater Horizon. Using a variety of sources, they created timelines and event mindmaps, which they then used to write some fantastic newspaper reports. A selection of the children's reports can be found on our Galleries page here.
Art Throughout The School
Mrs. Pruce, our new Head of Art, reports that she has had an amazing first art filled term at St. Helen's College. The talent is high and as families are unable to come in to see all the lovely work, she has made a short video to share with you, showcasing wonderful artistic creations across the school. A truly busy, fun filled term! We hope you will enjoy exploring the children's work here.
Christmas Reminders
Monday 7th December - Christmas Present Appeal
St. Helen's College children develop core values and an appreciation of how fortunate they are in their own lives and of how important it is to support those of others who are less fortunate. This year, following a suggestion from a parent, we are encouraging our pupils to support the Hillingdon Salvation Army's Christmas Present Appeal. We are inviting parents and children to choose a brand new toy/game, up to a maximum value of £12 and which will fit into a plastic shopping bag. These gifts should be delivered, unwrapped, to school on Monday 7th December. We will quarantine the gifts and then pass them onto the Salvation Army, who will arrange for their safe distribution to families in need over the festive period. Thank you so much in advance for your kindness and generosity.
Christmas Tree Decoration Competition
Don't forget to encourage your child to enter the Christmas Tree Decoration Competition. Children are invited to design their own decoration to be hung on our Christmas trees at Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School. Decorations should be of a sensible size but may take whatever format the pupils choose! There will be a small gift for every child who enters and a winner will be chosen from each class to receive a prize too. The last day for bringing in a completed decoration is Wednesday 9th December. Decorations should be clearly named and handed to form teachers on arrival at school. Judging will take place on Thursday 10th December and prizes will be awarded on the final day of term. We look forward very much to seeing the children's entries this year!
Thursday 10th December - Panto Day/Christmas Lunch
On Thursday 10th December, children from Nursery to Year 6 will be treated to a traditional pantomime, which will be streamed live into their classrooms! They will also enjoy our traditional school Christmas dinner, which is always a very popular and joyous occasion! The adapted menu for the day is available here. Please note that there will be a dairy-free alternative for the dessert option. Children at Upper School are invited to wear a Christmas jumper over their school uniform on this day and children at Lower School may wear their own Christmas party clothes.
Friday 11th December - End of Term
Term will end on Friday 11th December, which is a half day. Please collect your children at the times shown below:
Ducklings and Nursery: 11.40 a.m.
Reception: 11.50 a.m.
Year 1: 12.00 p.m.
Year 2: 12.00 p.m.
Year 3: 12.10 p.m.
Year 4: 12.20 p.m.
Year 5: 12.30 p.m.
Year 6: 12.40 p.m.
Nativity Trail
Some of the churches in Long Lane are organising a nativity trail for children. Many of the usual Christmas activities have had to be changed or even cancelled, and the churches wanted to offer something fun over Christmas.
The idea is that 6-inch knitted nativity figures will be placed in the windows of some of the shops/businesses at Hillingdon Circus, Ryefield Avenue and Sutton Court Road by the middles of next week.
Using a leaflet with the names of the figures, children (with a parent or responsible adult) need to find them and write down where they found them. Once they have found all the figures then they can return the leaflet to North Hillingdon Methodist Church where they will be entered into a prize draw.
We have sent home the leaflets with children today and we hope that you will enjoy this activity with your children over the weekend or over the holidays in the run up to Christmas.
Spring Term Co-Curricular Activities
We will be re-introducing some more co-curricular activities next term, with a limited programme of clubs for Years 3-6, using only internal St. Helen's College staff. Unfortunately we continue to be very limited on the number of staff and locations available for clubs, whilst maintaining our COVID-secure protocols. We thank parents of the younger children for your patience during this gradual re-introduction of clubs. We will continue to monitor the situation and will endeavour to make more clubs available during the summer term, if we are able to do so. For now, parents of children in Years 3-6 should log on to SchoolsBuddy from 3 p.m. today to make their club selections for next term.
Posted on: 4/12/2020Motherhood by Mrs. McLaughlin
I have been privileged to have frequent updates and photos from Mr. McLaughlin on the joys of fatherhood and I commend him on how he has coped with stepping up to Deputy Headship, moving home, working through a pandemic and being able to enjoy those wonderful first few months that a new baby brings to a family.
I invited Mrs. McLaughlin to reflect on motherhood and am delighted that she has shared her journey with Remi so far with us. I am sure that her blog will resonate with us and serve as a reminder of what a privilege it is to be parents.
Thank you Mrs. McLaughlin for sharing this with the community.
Mrs. Drummond
When I was asked by Mrs. Drummond to write a blog about being a new mum, I was in two minds. I have never written a blog before and I had no idea where to start. As I love new challenges and trying new things (something I have always tried to instil in the children in my class) - I’m going to give it a go.
Remi was born in June, in the midst of a pandemic. I think that the hypnobirthing course I took some months prior and a slice of good fortune combined to make the labour quite straightforward (thank goodness!).
No one ever knows what to expect when you have your first child, or subsequent children for that matter, as they are all so different and unique. So Mr. McLaughlin and I were delighted to come home six hours after delivery with a healthy and happy baby boy.
We knew that having a baby would change our lives forever, but we didn’t quite know what effect having a baby during the pandemic would have. It wasn’t easy!
Not being able to see family and friends is difficult at the best of times. After paternity leave, Mr. McLaughlin returned to work. Being a new mum with a newborn baby to look after, whilst looking after your own health and not being able to freely see family and friends, is tough.
Luckily, my sister, brother in law and 3-year-old nephew are our next door neighbours and our parents live close by, so help was at hand if needed.
There are so many stories you hear about babies: some good, some not so much, and so Mr. McLaughlin and I just had to wait and see what joys Remi would bring.
After a few tough weeks of finding my feet as a new mum, understanding Remi and his little ways of communicating, I wholeheartedly embraced motherhood and I haven’t looked back since.
I was talking to my mum a few weeks ago, and she asked me what my one stand out moment as a mother was so far. I don’t have one moment in particular as Remi has passed so many little milestones, but the smile on his face when he wakes up and sees me in the morning, along with morning hugs and snuggles, is just priceless.
My ethos as a teacher of 15 years has always been: ‘Treat the children you teach with the same love and care as if they are your own.’ Having now had Remi, I can see more than ever, the importance of this ethos.
Being a mother has helped me to learn more about myself. Remi has taught me so much about unconditional love. He has taught me about strengths I didn’t know I had and fears I didn’t know existed.
Being a teacher gives me the bonus of being very organised. I always have my Christmas gifts bought and wrapped months in advance. I always love to see the look of surprise on my husband's face on Christmas day when he sees what we got everyone! Being ahead of the game gave me a bit of time during my maternity leave to think about the prospect of Remi going to nursery, and eventually to school.
The first day I stepped foot into St. Helen’s College, there was no doubt in my mind that if we had children they would attend the school and be part of the St. Helen’s College family. All parents look for different things in a school, but for Mr. McLaughlin and I, it was always for our child to be part of a school that showed love in abundance, let them feel like they were part of the family and nurtured their talents (whatever they may be). I feel that St. Helen’s College has all of these traits.
Keeping my organised hat on, we have already enrolled Remi into Ducklings and cannot wait for him to come along with us in his little green uniform.
As I think about Remi’s future and the aspirations I have for him, I try to remind myself of a quote a friend of mine once told me: “We often worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that they are someone today.”
The small day to day things that Remi does that make him the baby he is are etched in my mind and where possible, I try to capture them on camera to look back on in the future.
Have I been able to write my heart in words and tell you how much I love being a mum? Perhaps not, but if there is one thought I can leave you with, it is this: I used to think being a teacher was the best job in the world, but I was wrong. It’s the second best. The best job in the world is being a mum.
Mrs. McLaughlin
Posted on: 27/11/2020Weekly News - Friday 27th November 2020
3M Class Assembly
Well done to 3M, whose class assembly was presented to parents and the Upper School this morning. We were treated to individual musical performances from Samara and Arjun and the class performed a group song all about Roman numerals as they shared with us all that they have been working on in their various subjects. They have been studying the Romans in history, learning about different types of settlements in Geography, exploring inverse operations in maths and investigating forces in science. In the art studio, they have worked so hard on their skills that the whole class were awarded 'artist of the week'! In English, they have been developing their imaginative and creative writing skills following our online visit from author Cressida Cowell and in RE they have been thinking about choices, including what feels right and what feels wrong. They also shared with us a video excerpt of a music lesson in which they were learning about and practising African drumming. What busy lives they lead here at school! Very well done to them for their confident and enjoyable presentation of all that they have been engaged in during this half term so far.
Chamber Choir
We are delighted to share a recording made in a socially distanced 'bubble group' format by the Chamber Choir during this half term. We hope that you enjoy hearing the children sing once more. You can see the video here.
Kindness
Last week was national 'Anti-Bullying Week' and in Monday's Upper School assembly Mrs. Drummond shared a video message to the children at St. Helen's College from West End actress Wendi Peters (who has also been our Senior School Speech judge). The children were introduced to a little boy, 'Charlie', who was badly bullied at school by other children who did not accept him for who he was and mocked his love of the theatre, acting, dancing and singing. Wendi and a multitude of West End stars have come together to produce a charity single in support of the anti-bullying campaign from the Diana Award. Do take a look at the single here. Please also see the link here for more information for parents.
We are very fortunate at St. Helen's College that our pupils work hard to uphold the school values and the children have been encouraged to share acts of kindness this week and to be good friends to each other. Of course they might not always get it right but that is the journey of childhood: learning about social relationships which, as adults, we can support the children to cultivate.
This festive season might feel a little bit different than normal for many young people. That’s why we’re encouraging you to join The Week Junior’s 12 Days of Kindness challenge – a fun way for children to help spread joy to their family, friends, community – and more importantly themselves – this December. Taking part is easy: simply visit theweekjunior.co.uk/12daysofkindness and download their special, free poster that features 12 ways to show kindness as well as some handy ideas from The Week Junior team to help you complete each day. There is something for every family to enjoy – from making thank you cards and baking Christmas treats, to donating toys and helping wildlife, all in support of Action for Children and their Secret Santa campaign, it’s the perfect feel-good way to end the year.
Christmas
Carols Around The Tree
Our Christmas trees are now up at all three sites. We would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Lall, who have recently opened a florist in Hillingdon, for their kind donation of a tree for the Lower School Hall. We are looking forward to enjoying our usual Carols Around The Tree with pupils, albeit in a slightly different format to usual! We are very sorry that we cannot invite parents into school to join us this year, but the classes will each spend some time in school singing around the tree and this will no doubt help to get the pupils into a festive mood.
Don't forget to encourage your child to enter the Christmas Tree Decoration Competition. Children are invited to design their own decoration to be hung on our Christmas trees at Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School. Decorations should be of a sensible size but may take whatever format the pupils choose! There will be a small gift for every child who enters and a winner will be chosen from each class to receive a prize too.
Children may bring their decorations to school from Monday 30th November and the last day for bringing in a completed decoration is Wednesday 9th December. Decorations should be clearly named and handed to form teachers on arrival at school. Judging will take place on Thursday 10th December and prizes will be awarded on the final day of term. We look forward very much to seeing the children's entries this year!
Monday 7th December - Christmas Present Appeal
St. Helen's College children develop core values and an appreciation of how fortunate they are in their own lives and of how important it is to support those of others who are less fortunate. This year, following a suggestion from a parent, we are encouraging our pupils to support the Hillingdon Salvation Army's Christmas Present Appeal. We are inviting parents and children to choose a brand new toy/game, up to a maximum value of £12 and which will fit into a plastic shopping bag. These gifts should be delivered, unwrapped, to school on Monday 7th December. We will quarantine this gifts and then pass them onto the Salvation Army, who will arrange for their safe distribution to families in need over the festive period.
The appeal is being launched in assemblies at school and we do hope that it is something you will feel able to support. Thank you so much in advance for your kindness and generosity.
Thursday 10th December - Panto Day/Christmas Lunch
On Thursday 10th December, children from Nursery to Year 6 will be treated to a traditional pantomime, which will be streamed live into their classrooms! They will also enjoy our traditional school Christmas dinner, which is always a very popular and joyous occasion! The adapted menu for the day is available here. Please note that there will be a dairy-free alternative for the dessert option. Children are invited to wear a Christmas jumper over their school uniform on this day.
Friday 11th December - End of Term
Term will end on Friday 11th December, which is a half day. Please collect your children at the times shown below:
Ducklings and Nursery: 11.40 a.m.
Reception: 11.50 a.m.
Year 1: 12.00 p.m.
Year 2: 12.00 p.m.
Year 3: 12.10 p.m.
Year 4: 12.20 p.m.
Year 5: 12.30 p.m.
Year 6: 12.40 p.m.
Online Safety - An Important Reminder
There is no doubt that we have needed the digital world recently and it will continue to be a major part of our children’s lives. However, as parents and teachers we have a duty to be aware of what our children are able to access and how it influences them.
It is never too early to teach your child how to be safe online, so we would like to remind parents to follow these steps to promote online safety with your child:
limit and monitor screen time
install parental controls
only allow age appropriate apps & games
set privacy settings
listen to what your child knows, or what they think they know, and then review, reflect and respond
For more information please log on to National Online Safety where there is a wealth of information to support you.
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/st-helen-s-college
Please do contact our Designated Safeguarding Leads, Mrs. Hunt (Lower School) or Mr. McLaughlin (Upper School) if you have any questions.
lhunt@sthelenscollege.com
amclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com
Posted on: 27/11/2020Gurpurb
This week I would like to share with you a wonderful message from one of our parents, Mrs. Raikmo, who will be celebrating with her family this weekend.
This year on the 30th November, Sikhs from around the world will celebrate the 551st birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was a humanitarian who spread the message of living honestly, meditating and sharing. These values resonate with us all, perhaps more than ever in these uncertain times that we live in. This pandemic has allowed us, as a family, to reflect on what it means to be an honest and kind person, sharing and looking after others as well as paying special attention to our own body and mind through mindfulness.
As we have adapted to a different way of living in these uncertain times we are reminded that we can all still care for one another. From checking in on an elderly neighbour to going for a socially distanced walk with a friend, or taking time out as a family to focus on mindfulness and to be thankful for what we have and to think of those who we can help.
St. Helen’s College’s values resonate with those of the Sikh faith and can be seen in the charitable work the school undertakes every year.
Sikhs across the world have continued to keep Langar (free food for all) open during this pandemic so no one goes hungry and continue to perform Sewa (selfless service) by distributing food and other assistance to those in need.
As we celebrate this special occasion, let’s be reminded to help those less fortunate, enjoy the time and love we have with friends and families. For within us all is the same Divine light; we are all one.
A very happy Gurpurb to you all.
Mrs. Raikmo
Posted on: 20/11/2020Weekly News - Friday 20th November 2020
A Day In The Life of 2H
We were treated to a super pre-recorded class assembly this morning, during which the children of 2H took us through a day in the life of their class. They explained how they must arrive at school, organise themselves and their belongings and make sure they are ready for their busy day of learning.
We were introduced to the class School Council, Charity and Eco Reps and were then taken through all the learning that is going on in 2H at present, from 'ecstatic' English lessons with super creative writing to rhythmic music lessons and Power Maths lessons. The children explained how they are learning about the importance of healthy eating in their science lessons, investigating the Great Fire of London in History (Topic) and Drama lessons, painting in Art lessons and enjoying movement and music in PE lessons. Play times and lunch times are clearly extremely enjoyable and 2H have also been discussing some big issues through Philosophy for Children in their PSHCE lessons, asking whether rich people are happier than poor people and whether we would rather be friends with a rich person or a poor person.
It was super for us all to see just how busy and purposeful the children's lives are here at school. It may help to explain for parents why the children are usually rather tired and rather hungry by the end of the school day! Mr. McLaughlin has written a very interesting blog this week about how to support your child (and yourself!) after a busy day at school, so please do take a look at that too: you can read it here.
Very well done, 2H!
Year 6 Morning Tea
Our Year 6 pupils were treated to morning tea with Mrs. Drummond and Mr. McLaughlin this week to celebrate the great start they have had to their final year at St. Helen's College. They have coped admirably with preparing for examinations, returning to school after such a long time and taking on leadership roles within the school. Thank you to Soula and her team for the amazing cakes and hot chocolate! You can see more photos on the Galleries page.
Parents' Evenings
All classes from Ducklings to Year 6 have now had their Autumn parents' evenings using the new remote platform. We will shortly be sending out a parent survey to gather feedback on how the system worked for you and whether it will be an option for some parents for the future.
Music Examinations
Many of the children have now received certificates from the recent music examinations which have been taking place. We will publish a full list of achievements at the end of term. Congratulations to all those involved.
Christmas Card Competition Winner
Thank you to all the pupils who submitted an entry for this competition. The overall winner was Alexander A in 2H and highly commended was Aanya D in 5A. You can see the winning and the highly commended entries here.
Alexander's design
Aanya's design
Gurpurab
We will be celebrating Gurpurab in Upper School assembly on Monday 30th November. If any pupils will be marking Gurpurab in special ways over the preceding weekend and on the day itself, and would like to share their celebration with the school community, please encourage them to speak with Mrs. Drummond next week.
Christmas Bauble Competition
As usual, we will be running our Christmas tree decoration competition this year. Children are invited to design their own decoration to be hung on our Christmas trees at Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School. Decorations should be of a sensible size but may take whatever format the pupils choose! There will be a small gift for every child who enters and a winner will be chosen from each class to receive a prize too.
Children may bring their decorations to school by Monday 30th November and the last day for bringing in a completed decoration is Wednesday 9th December. Decorations should be handed to form teachers on arrival at school. Judging will take place on Thursday 10th December and prizes will be awarded on the final day of term. We look forward very much to seeing the children's entries this year!
Flu Vaccinations
Parents are reminded that the cut-off date for forms to be returned for the flu vaccination is Monday 23rd November. Once the figures have been passed to the nurse team it will not be possible to add children to the vaccination programme in school, so please double check and ensure that you have returned your forms by Monday.
Christmas Gift Ideas
Big Life Journal https://biglifejournal-uk.co.uk/
A wonderful book for children 6-11, this book would make a superb gift for the whole family. The book focuses on many of our school core values of respect, courage and gratitude. There is also a 'teen' version of the book for those of you with older children.
Posted on: 20/11/2020After School Restraint Collapse
Nearly every teacher, at one point or another, has had the experience of speaking to parents at the school gates, or at a parents’ evening, waxing lyrical about how fantastic and enthusiastic their child is in class, only to be met with a wry smile. Some cannot believe that the demanding infants or sulky pre-adolescents that return home on some days can be the same child receiving glowing praise for their consistent diligence and participation in lessons. They are bursting with pride, but also wondering why such model behaviour does not always occur at home.
The school day undoubtedly takes a lot of effort for children. Hours spent having fun, learning new things, managing relationships, following instructions and remembering equipment can be mentally and physically draining. It is no surprise then that some children get home and allow their bubble to burst from time to time. This year in particular, children will be adjusting to several small differences in many of their usual routines at school and at home. For them, using a lot of energy to maintain self control for long periods of time can temporarily decrease their ability to self regulate.
Canadian teacher and psychotherapist Andrea Loewen Nair coined the term ‘after school restraint collapse’ in response to hearing these stories so regularly from parents. We are living in an age where everything seems to come with a label and people may argue that this is simply a bit of good old-fashioned defiance or misbehaviour. I am certainly no expert in the field of psychotherapy but I have encountered some anecdotal evidence in my years as a teacher, enough to believe there is at least a modicum of truth in the idea. At the very least, some families out there are affected by this pattern of behaviour.
While it can happen with any child, those with additional needs will feel the strain more acutely. Imagine the will power necessary for a child with dyslexia to work with words for several hours a day? Or for a child with ADHD to sit still for large periods? Tiredness and hunger can lead any child to frustration (and, I have observed, any adult too, me included!). So, if you have noticed this occurring with your child, I have managed - whilst researching the ideas behind ‘after school restraint collapse’ - to compile a list of advice from parents across the world wide web on how to provide the sort of environment conducive to a peaceful transition from school to home.
No matter how your day has gone, or how your child’s day has gone, greet them with a hug and a smile.
Avoid bombarding your child with questions about their day. They may need some time and space to settle, so save the conversations about school until later.
Address basic needs, such as tiredness and hunger.
While some children need a quiet, still space directly after school, others may benefit from physical activity. Try walking, scooting or cycling home or rhythmic activities like swinging or bouncing on a trampoline.
If you travel by car, try playing some music or an audiobook on your journey to create a calm space and allow your child time to decompress.
Leave homework until a little later if you can – after several hours at school, your child will likely need a brain break before starting on more work.
Try to maintain a predictable routine around home time.
Make sure you are taking care of yourself. If post-school difficulties have been a feature in your home for some time, it is likely that you feel your own anxiety and tension levels rising as home time approaches, so make sure you are doing what it takes to look after yourself before you welcome your child home.
Finally, if a meltdown does happen, understanding and support will help a child to feel secure. One tactic that has perhaps never succeeded in the history of trying to calm people down, is telling them to calm down!
These tips are entirely stolen from others but I do endorse them. I am not yet six months into my own personal parenting journey and I am only just beginning to understand the very complex, difficult, but ultimately very rewarding job of being a parent. If this issue does resonate with you, I would love to hear your views and I hope that the ideas gathered will prove helpful in easing transitions on those difficult days.
Mr. McLaughlin
https://www.andrealoewennair.com/articles/7-ways-to-help-your-child-handle-their-after-school-restraint-collapse
Posted on: 13/11/2020Weekly News - Friday 13th November 2020
The highlight of this week for our pupils in Year 1 to Year 6 was undoubtedly our online author visit from Cressida Cowell, the author of the amazing 'How To Train Your Dragon' series and of a new book series entitled 'The Wizard of Once'. Cressida is also currently the Children's Laureate.
From her home, Cressida spoke to the children about the inspiration behind her books, the importance of research, how to write creatively by using ideas born in the real world and much more.
Her enthusiasm, expertise and friendliness made her an absolute inspiration for the children and we are so grateful to her for sharing her time and her boundless energy with us. It was clear from the children's questions to Cressida how engaged they were in the event and Cressida answered their questions with real understanding and empathy.
Many children have ordered signed copies of Cressida's books and we hope that they will enjoy reading them. Ordering is still open - signed books can be ordered using the following link: https://chilternbookshops.co.uk/product-category/cressidacowell-sthelenscollege/ Please ignore all shipping options as you go through the checkout process. Just note down your child's name and class in the 'order notes' box to ensure they receive it promptly.
Cressida also suggested that the children might like to start their own special scrapbooks for ideas, drawings and creative writing and we hope that parents will support children in buying scrapbooks and reminding them to record their ideas.
Children in Need
The school was a riot of colour and spots today as staff and pupils joined together to dress in fluorescent colours and wear spots/stripes to show support for Children in Need.
Thank you to all who have so far donated to the St. Helen's College fundraiser for this most worthy of causes; the current total stands at £1057. The donation link will remain active until Sunday, so if you have not yet made a donation and would like to do so, please follow this link:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sthelenscollege-BBCChildrenInNeed2020utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_launched&utm_content=bac5394f-7efe-42ce-9956a54faf62bc03&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postoffice&utm_term=1599656370830
You can see more photographs of our Children in Need day on our Galleries page.
Assembly/ Music Recital
The children at Upper School were treated to an array of performers who sang, played piano pieces and performed on the clarinet and saxophone in our first remote mini-recital during our Friday commendations assembly. Well done to Arshia (4L), Anjika (5G), Georgia (6R), Jessica (6R), Riya (6M) and Vidhit (6M).
Remembrance
On Wednesday (11th November), our school community joined together to pay tribute to those members of our armed services who have given their lives in the line of duty, and all those who still serve today. Our morning assembly focussed solely on Remembrance, the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and the role of our armed forces, and at 11 a.m. pupils came together for a two minute silence. At Upper School, Mrs. Fawbert performed The Last Post for us as we lined up in our bubble groups in the playground. It was a meaningful occasion indeed.
Many thanks to all parents, pupils and staff who have donated to our Fundraising page for the Poppy Appeal. The school community has raised a total of £208 so far. The page will remain open until Sunday 15th November so if you would like to make a donation there is still time to do so. The donation link is here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sthelenscollege-TheRoyalBritishLegion?utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_launched&utm_content=8aa41a46-0298-4a41-88b9-88c3288b2c7c&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postoffice&utm_term=1599656771013
Happy Diwali!
We would like to wish everybody a happy Diwali and we hope that all families celebrating manage to find a way to connect with friends and relatives this weekend.
If you have any photos, videos or stories that you would like to share from this year's very different Diwali celebrations, please share these with Mrs. Drummond to be shown or discussed in assembly on Wednesday morning (18th November).
Co-Curriculum: Virtual After School Club and December Science Camp
Youth Sport Trust After School Club
The Youth Sport Trust have taken the step to deliver a free virtual after school club as part of a national response to the second lockdown. The 30 minute club will take place at 5 p.m. each weekday and will be led by a different member of the YST’s athlete mentor network, starting on Thursday 12 November with world no.1 female inline skater and 10-time British Champion Jenna Downing. Aimed mainly at primary-aged children, a different theme has been assigned for each day of the club: Adventure Monday, Tuesday Play, Wild Wednesday, Thinking Thursday and Fun Friday.
Here is the link to the information for parents - we hope that many of your children will want to take part.
Mother Nature Holiday Activities
Early Bird booking is now available for the Mother Nature December Christmas Science Activity Holiday Camp - Santa’s Workshop! (14th -18th Dec 2020). To book Science Activity Camps for your child click here.
Use special Parent Discount Code ‘coolschool’ for an extra £10-off list price for full-week places and £5-off day places.
Switch Off Fortnight
Next week will see St. Helen's College, led by the Eco Team, take part in Switch-Off Fortnight. Switch off Fortnight is a campaign that will encourage everyone at school to become interested in saving energy and cutting their carbon footprint. We would also like to encourage everyone to take the switch-off challenge home, where we hope to inspire our families to take part in saving energy too. The more people involved, the greater the energy savings will be, which in turn will help our environment.
The Eco Team will kick start Switch Off Fortnight during Monday's assembly and it will last from Monday 16th November until Friday 27th November. Throughout the fortnight, the Eco Team will carry out several audits to see how many lights and appliances have been left on in their classrooms. The team will also be running an awareness campaign by designing posters which will be displayed in their classrooms, encouraging everyone to save energy. At the end of the second week, the team will monitor the results they have collected and will look to see if the campaign has been successful in persuading people to use electricity more carefully. Certificates will be awarded to the classes that perform the best. One small click can make a big difference, so happy energy saving everyone!
Heath Robinson Museum Competition
Although the Heath Robinson Museum (Pinner) are in lockdown and their doors are temporarily shut, they still want to spread some creativity and fun! They are inviting children aged 6-16 to take part in the #kidsinmuseums #digitaltakeoverday on Friday 20th November by submitting photographs of artwork to an online art competition.
The events of this year have really highlighted the importance of our home and our loved ones. Heath Robinson often got his inspiration from his family, his home and the town he lived in, so the museum wants children to use the theme of 'home' to get creative. They may use any material and make their artwork big or small and as literal or metaphorical as they like! If your child would like to enter, they must submit a photograph of their artwork to their class teacher by Tuesday 17th November. This will allow Mrs. Pruce time to submit the school's entries by the museum deadline. The runners up entries will be published on the Heath Robinson Museum website in the news section and there will be a prize for the winning entry.
COVID and Car Sharing
Please see the link here for updated guidance for parents from the Department of Education. This update provides information on the national restrictions that came into force on 5th November, the latest advice for clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people and advice on the use of face coverings in education settings.
The school has advocated car sharing for many years in an effort to reduce congestion and pollution in the local area. During the current COVID-19 restrictions, we urge parents who are car sharing to ensure that all drivers and passengers wear masks or visors, and to travel with windows open where possible for ventilation, to mitigate against the risks of transmitting the virus. Parents should also inform school formally now of car sharing arrangements, please, so that we have a record of potential contacts. This will enable us to triage quickly and effectively in the case of a positive case of COVID coming to light in the pupil community. Please see the government guidance for safer guidance for passengers here.
Holiday Club
Once again, we have had to take the decision not to offer Holiday Club over the Christmas holidays. We are so disappointed not to be able to offer our full wraparound care provision as we would in normal times, but we are sure that parents appreciate that the current in-school bubble group restrictions make staffing Holiday Club unsustainable.
Pupil to Pupil Christmas Cards
As usual, we will run a pupil postbox system for Christmas cards this year, so that pupils may post cards to their friends. However, please note that pupils may only send cards through this school system to friends in their own class bubble group. They must not send cards to children in other classes as these cannot be delivered.
Christmas Gift Ideas
If you have a budding artist in the household, or would like to inspire your child(ren)'s artistic interest, Mrs. Pruce recommends these items as Christmas gifts or stocking fillers. The links shown are to Amazon but you should be able to find these paints/brushes at most retailers which sell art supplies - particularly during these times, it would be good to support local businesses where possible.
Major Brushes Artist Watercolour Paint Tin - 36 Blocks Red Metal Lid
£5.95
Winsor & Newton Foundation Water Colour Short Handle 6 Pack Brush, Multicoloured, 7 x 1 x 4.3 cm
£6.95
EasyFundraising
If you are embarking on Christmas shopping, we would like to remind you that you can raise money for the St. Helen's College Development Fund, at absolutely no cost to yourself, whenever you shop online at a huge number of retailers, by signing up to our EasyFundraising cause. Retailers include Amazon, Ebay, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Asos, Argos, Selfridges, Harrods, House of Fraser, Booking.com, Just Eat and many, many more.
We launched our EasyFundraising cause last year and it is proving successful so far, but we have only a few supporters. We would really love to increase the number of supporters so that we can establish a meaningful fund, with the eventual aim to use this fund both for development projects at St. Helen's College and to support educational development projects in developing countries. The power of schemes like this one is in the number of people who use the scheme, and in making it a habit to use it for every purchase - each individual donation may seem small, but every penny counts.
Until 17th November, the fund will receive a free £5 donation for every new member who signs up to support our EasyFundraising cause and makes a qualifying purchase, if you do so using this link:
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/sthelencoldevfund/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=refmailshare
The easiest way to make this fundraising a regular part of your shopping is to download the EasyFundraising app onto your phone or tablet and open this every time you want to shop online, following the links to your retailer of choice. If you shop using a desktop computer, you can add the Easyfundraising extension onto your desktop computer browser and you will then receive an automatic reminder every time you shop.
If you would like to support the cause but are not sure how, please do contact Mrs. Smith who will be pleased to help.
Thank you very much indeed for your support.
Posted on: 13/11/2020Nurturing A Love Of Science
It seems very fitting that Wednesday 10th November was ‘World Science Day for Peace and Development’. This day is celebrated to highlight the important role that science has in society and to promote the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.
Since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, more than 170 teams of researchers have been racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Reports this week have been encouraging with Pfizer and the German company BioNTech announcing that they had encouraging results from a phase 3 clinical trial for their vaccine.
While we all await further results from the world’s top class researchers working on the Covid vaccine, I have been inspired closer to home by what is actually happening with your children at St. Helen’s College and the passion that they have as our future scientists, who will in time take responsibility for the world’s emerging scientific issues.
There are key skills that young scientists need to develop:
Observing - by far one of the most important skills and one which children need to learn and develop.
Inferring/predicting/taking an educated guess
Measuring - maths is the language of science and is a key skill, underpinning scientific inquiry and investigation
Communication - demonstrating their understanding and using scientific vocabulary.
These skills are being developed in your children each and every day, from the Early Years through to Year 6, as our staff encourage your children to ‘notice’ what is around them. Staff utilise their questioning skills to encourage children’s awe and wonder from an early age, and to help move children towards using more advanced critical thinking skills to help predict the outcomes of investigations as they grow older.
This week alone I have been so impressed at the learning I have observed. In Reception, children have been investigating their bodies using the stimulus of the wonderful book ‘Funny Bones’. They have also enjoyed outdoor maths where shape, space and number come to life and experienced intrigue as they grow their own cress.
Year 1 pupils have enjoyed a Noticing Nature walk with Mrs. Hunt as they explored our school grounds, discovering evergreen and deciduous trees and discussing the differences in our natural environment in the autumn term. Questions, questions galore!
In Year 5 I was proud to observe the children working together throughout the week to investigate thermal insulators and independently set up their experiments, then later in the week they utilised a range of skills in IT, maths and English to explain the results of their findings using high level scientific vocabulary.
Year 6 have been researching other known viruses, building models and information leaflets using well-established skills they have gained throughout their time at St. Helen’s College.
Our great outdoors is such a wonderful vehicle for you as parents to engage your children with the building blocks for scientific enquiry. Not only is being in the outdoors good for mental wellbeing but it opens up so many opportunities for learning.
It is no surprise that the recent results from the Children and Nature Survey to understand how the Covid-19 Pandemic impacted on children’s experience with nature has highlighted the following:
“The positive role of nature in supporting well-being has also been revealed, with eight in ten children agreeing that being in nature made them very happy, while 70% said that they want to spend more time outdoors with friends post-pandemic. These findings build on Natural England’s latest People and Nature Survey, which reveals that the nation’s gardens, parks, woodlands and rivers have played a huge part in helping with mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, with almost nine in ten adults in England reporting that being in nature makes them very happy.”
A happy child is a child who will learn. So please embrace those outdoor activities and those ‘Why?’ questions, get your children to make predictions, test things out and allow them to try out simple investigations (see this wonderful website here for 40+ backyard experiments). Enrich their vocabulary with appropriate but challenging scientific vocabulary - (you may find some of the lists here which are recommended for 5- 7, 7-9 and 9- 11 year olds useful).
Science is so exciting. It surrounds us and it is fundamental for our next generation to be well equipped and skilled for what lies ahead. As I engage with the children every day at St. Helen’s College, I see future scientists and researchers who will influence the way forward. I am sure you are excited as I am to be a part of their journey!
Mrs, Drummond
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