Weekly News - Friday 28th June 2024

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Wow, wow, wow! Anyone who has seen a performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at The Compass Theatre so far this week will have been blown away by the talent, confidence and commitment of our Year 6 pupils. Every single one of them has a part in the play and the performances on Thursday evening and Friday morning showcased their extraordinary vocal and dramatic skills. There were amazing whole cast ensemble pieces, small group numbers and astonishingly accomplished solo singing. The scenery and staging was superb and the choreography and dramatic performances of the children were truly awesome.

Once the final performance is over, we will be adding lots of photographs of the children in their Chitty Chitty Bang Bang costumes onto our Galleries page here, so do keep a look out.

Well done, Year 6, and best of luck for your sold-out final performance tonight! 

PA Summer Fete

A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in organising the Centenary Summer Fete last Saturday, and to all those who attended. It was wonderful to see the whole community come together for fun and sunshine, and to welcome so many Old Helenians back to visit too. What a super day!

We were also thrilled to reveal a specially commissioned sculpture by Jessica Wetherly to mark the Centenary. This beautiful statue, representing two St. Helen's College children holding the globe, is the perfect symbol of our pupils' vital role in shaping the future of the world. 

You can see more photographs of the Fete on the Galleries page here. There is also a gallery showing the creative process of the statue's development.

Farm Visit to Ducklings

Ducklings enjoyed a very exciting morning on Wednesday when Ark Farm paid them a visit. Animal pens were set up in the garden where the children had the opportunity to come into close contact with sheep, a donkey, goats, rabbits, chickens and ducks. The children had great fun petting the animals and learning some interesting facts about them too. The visit was a valuable experience, bringing to life their current topic work all about the farm. 

 

 

 

Reception Visit Whipsnade Zoo

On Thursday, our Kingfishers and Owls Reception classes had a magnificent outing to Whipsnade Zoo. The day began with a fascinating workshop all about African and Asian animals, where the children were especially impressed to see the skull of a lion! They had a terrific time exploring the zoo and were lucky enough to see several very young animals, including a ten day old baby giraffe, a baby elephant, baby rhino and meerkats. The day was rounded off with a fun train ride in the sunshine.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was a fantastic learning opportunity to support their classroom topic work. You can hear from some of the children here. 

 

Nursery Visit To Campbell Dentist

Today it was the turn of our Robins and Wrens Nursery classes to enjoy a summer outing. They visited Campbell Dentist where they learnt how important it is to look after our teeth by brushing them thoroughly twice a day. The children had a chance to explore the dental surgery and find out all about the instruments, such as mirrors and special glasses, used in the clinic room. They left with an important message: don't eat too many sweets and brush your teeth carefully to keep them healthy. 

 

Reminder - Centenary Concert/Art Exhibition

If you have not already done so, please don't forget to buy your tickets for the Centenary Concert and Art Exhibition at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Thursday 11th July. This should be a super end to our centenary year, and is an opportunity for you to see the amazing standards the Year 2 - 6 children have reached in their art, music and public speaking this year. The art exhibition will be open and we will be serving refreshments from 3 - 5 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets should be booked through your SchoolsBuddy account.

Sports News

Our Year 2 classes have enjoyed their intensive week of swimming this week at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex.

Library Books

As we near the end of term please note that all library books on loan should be returned on or by Monday 8th July. Please take this opportunity to search your shelves over the weekend for any overdue books. Any overdue books outstanding past Monday 1st July will be presumed lost and, as per our policy, may require a replacement at the parents' expense. 

Holiday Club

Bookings for our summer Holiday Club open today at 4 p.m. Holiday Club will run from Monday 15th July - Friday 30th August (excluding Bank Holiday Monday 26th August). Parents must provide a packed lunch, water bottle, two snacks and a change of clothes for Nursery and Reception children.

Places for Holiday Club must be booked in advance as we need to arrange staffing rotas. Bookings will close on Wednesday 10th July at 4 p.m. 

(Please note that, once booked, sessions cannot be cancelled or refunded for any reason, including illness. By booking and paying for sessions you confirm that you understand and will abide by these terms and conditions.) 

Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings.

Upcoming Events

Monday 1st July - Year 1 - 5 'Move Up Morning'
Tuesday 2nd July - Nursery and Reception 'Move Up Morning'
Tuesday 2nd July - Year 2 trip to Iver Environment Centre
Wednesday 3rd July - Ducklings parents' evening
Thursday 4th July - Year 6 Prizegiving (6.15 p.m.)
Friday 5th July - Lower School Art Exhibition (3.00 to 5.00 p.m.)
Saturday 6th July - ABRSM examinations at Upper School