Weekly News - Friday 30th June 2023

PA Summer Fete

Wow! What a wonderful day it was last Saturday when the St. Helen's College community came together in the sunshine for the PA Summer Fete. The children clearly enjoyed showing off their talents on the stage and visiting all of the stalls, and there was a real buzz as parents and staff spent time together too. Many, many thanks to the PA Committee and all of the parents, staff and pupils who gave up their time and made generous donations to support the event.

The PA Committee have sent this message to be shared with the community:

We extend our sincerest thanks for your contributions to the success of the summer fete. Your support, efforts and participation made the event truly remarkable. From setting up stalls and organising activities to performances and creating a lively atmosphere, your dedication was instrumental in creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. 

We are delighted to hear that you had a fantastic time at the summer fete. It was a pleasure to witness the strong sense of community as families, teachers, and children came together to celebrate and enjoy the festivities. Your enthusiasm and positive energy made the event truly memorable. 

Furthermore, we would like to express our appreciation for the funds raised during the summer fete. Your generous contributions will have a significant impact on supporting the enhancement of the learning environment and providing valuable opportunities for our children. We are grateful for your continued support and the positive difference you are making in the lives of our students. 

Once again, a heartfelt thank you to all the teachers, parents, and children who made the summer fete an exceptional success. Your dedication, hard work and support have left a lasting impression and we are excited about the future events and collaborations that await us. Together, we have created cherished memories and strengthened our community bonds. 

Prep Sports Day

Thank you to all of the parents and other spectators who came along to Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex today to support the children in Years 3 - 6 at their Sports Day. As always, it was a wonderful occasion. We will share further details and pictures when we have them!

Chess Club News

This week the chess players in Year 4/5/6 participated in a fun chess tournament . The winner was Ayush. There were three runners up: Mustafa, Zak and Jacob.

On Sunday we wish the following students good luck as they will be participating in the Hillingdon chess tournament.

Avyuday
Kamran
Leonard
Parth
Rayhan
Verity

Reception Trip To Whipsnade

On Thursday our Reception classes enjoyed an outing to Whipsnade Zoo where they very excited to meet and learn about many different animals!

Ducklings And Nursery Parents' Evenings

Thank you to those parents who came into school on Tuesday for the Ducklings and Nursery parents' evenings. We hope that you found the conversations useful. 

Charity Week - Cancer Research UK

Next week, the St. Helen's College community will be raising money for Cancer Research UK. There will be various activities going on around school to raise money for this most important cause, which is close to our hearts.

On Tuesday in Upper School, there will be a cake sale run by Year 5. Charlee and Sienna will also be selling handmade bracelets again this year. Upper School children may bring money into school in order to buy cakes and bracelets.

On Thursday the children at all three sites may wear their own clothes with the CRUK colours of pink and blue. On this day, Upper School children will be taking part in a walk around Court Park while the Lower School and Ducklings children will be involved in a Danceathon. There is a suggested minimum donation of £3 for the tog day and activities, but all contributions will be most be gratefully received for Cancer Research UK. You may donate online by following this link:
​https://www.justgiving.com/page/st-helens-college-1688112386262

Year 6 Musical - Honk! Jr.

Our Year 6 classes have been working very hard to prepare their grand summer musical production, Honk! Jr, which they will be performing at The Compass Theatre on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th July. Tickets are now on sale and must be booked directly with The Compass Theatre's box office. 

There is a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Thursday 13th July and if you are able to do so, we encourage parents to take child(ren) to see this show. You will be permitted to collect them early from school on that day in order to do so. It will be particularly valuable for the children in Years 4 and 5 to see the production as it will be their turn to stage their own Year 6 musical soon!

There are also performances at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th July.

The link for ordering tickets is here: Honk! | Hillingdon Theatres.

Summer Holiday Club

Holiday Club bookings for the summer holiday will go live at 6 p.m. today. Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings. Bookings must be made by Wednesday 12th July to allow us to organise Holiday Club staffing.

Uniform & Equipment

The Uniform & Equipment list for the 2023-2024 academic year has been posted to the School Documents page of the website. There are a few changes to required uniform which have been made to reduce the costs for parents and to reduce the weight of school bags for the children at Upper School. The changes are summarised below. In all cases, existing uniform may be used during a transition period so that nothing has to be replaced unnecessarily.

At Upper School, the green 3-in-1 coat is no longer a compulsory item; the black SHC rain mac may be worn over school uniform from September. It is fine for Upper School children to continue wearing the green coat if they still have one. The green coat remains a compulsory item for Lower School children.

The senior tracksuit is being introduced from Year 2 so that all Upper School children wear the senior tracksuit. If your child has a green junior tracksuit in good condition they may continue to wear this until they have grown out of it.

A new portrait style book bag is being introduced for children in Years 2-6. If your child already has a rucksack that is in good condition they may continue to use this, but the rucksacks will no longer be sold by the uniform suppliers. We would like to urge parents to check your child's school bag and ensure that they are not carrying unnecessary items into school, as they should not be carrying unnecessary weight. In particular, please refer to the uniform & equipment list and ensure that pencil cases contain only the items listed.

Calendar Reminders

Here are some reminders of upcoming events next week:

Monday 3rd July - Year 1-5 'Move Up Morning'
Tuesday 4th July - Nursery and Reception 'Move Up Morning'
Tuesday 4th July - Upper School cake sale and bracelet sale for CRUK (please allow Upper School pupils to bring in some money if they would like to buy cakes or bracelets)
Wednesday 5th July - Year 1 trip to Mad Bess Woods
Wednesday 5th July - Year 6 coffee morning and project exhibition
Wednesday 5th July - Year 6 v. Staff rounders match at Court Park (p.m.)
Thursday 6th July - Ducklings and Nursery Parents' Evenings from 3.45 p.m.
Thursday 6th July - Year 6 Prizegiving Evening from 6.15 p.m. 
Friday 7th July - Year 6 'Teacher For A Day'
Friday 7th July - Ducklings Sports Day from 2 p.m.