School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 12/01/2018Weekly News - Friday 12th January 2018
We were reminded today of the hardships of life during the Second World War as 6D presented an excellent assembly about family, sacrifice, evacuation and the Blitz spirit. With a focus on the fictional Jones family, 6D used poetry, wartime songs and an emotional script to tell us all about the pressures facing families during wartime, and about how the Great British spirit was maintained and developed through hard times. Parents, pupils and staff were all inspired not only to remember those who fought for freedom, but to ensure that their fighting spirit and family values live on in our world today. Well done, 6D, for a well-written and well-presented show. You can see photographs of the performance on the Galleries page.
Summer School
This year's Summer School will take place from 20th - 24th August. Please add the date to your diaries now. Further details and booking forms will be published in due course.
Lower School Parents' Evening
The next Parents' Evenings for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 will take place on Thursday 1st February (5.00 - 8.00 p.m.) and Tuesday 6th February (4.00 - 7.00 p.m.).
As usual, we are operating an online booking system and appointments will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. You can access the online system here. Do bookmark the link for future use. Bookings for these two evenings will close on Friday 26th January.
Author Visit - Christian O'Connell
The Upper School will be visited next Wednesday by Christian O'Connell, well-known radio DJ and children's author. Christian has written the Radio Boy books and he will be speaking to children about his career and his life. We are sure he will be very inspiring!
School Garden Produce
It is wonderful that produce grown by our Gardening Club is now being used in the school kitchen. Ms Gilham and her gardeners have produced a good crop of beans, which we have enjoyed this week in a lovely bean salad on the salad bar at Upper School.
Forthcoming Events
As ever, we have a busy term ahead. Please don't forget to check the school calendar regularly and to take note of significant dates. We would like to remind parents now that there will be no Funtasia on the afternoon of Friday 16th March and that our annual Exhibition Day will take place on Saturday 17th March from 10.00 a.m. All parents and pupils are expected to attend Exhibition Day, which gives a wonderful chance for pupils to share their school and their work with family.
Posted on: 5/01/2018Weekly News - Friday 5th January 2018
Welcome back and a Happy New Year to you all! I trust you have all had a lovely holiday and are ready to embark upon Joyous January! To start the new year off on good footing, please can you continue to support your children in the following areas.
Pupils should return to school in full winter uniform and well equipped for all lessons and activities (a bag check might be helpful!).
Please arrive promptly at the beginning of the day. Ducklings should be dropped off at 8.30 a.m. ready for registration followed by their first morning activity. All Upper and Lower School children should be ready to line up in their playground at 8.30 a.m. As you know, traffic is often heavy, so please allow plenty of time for your journey to school and to find a suitable, safe parking space. Please do follow the school's drop and go/parking regulations and, in particular, do not block neighbours' driveways.
With the big government drive on healthy eating for children and reducing plastic packaging, please remember that the school asks you to provide a healthy snack for your child each morning in a named, reusable container. The snack should be fruit, vegetables, plain biscuits/crackers or a small sandwich. Please do not send your child into school with crisps, chocolate or high-sugar snacks. Please beware - many snacks claiming to be fruit based are actually very high in sugar and are not recommended.
Staff News
We are thrilled to announce some wonderful baby news. Miss Shepherd, one of our Lower School Lunchtime Supervisors/Teaching and Learning Assistants, gave birth to a healthy baby girl just before Christmas. Mum and baby are enjoying their first few weeks together.
Miss Wallis, one of our Year 5 teachers, is expecting her first baby in the summer. We are sure you would all like to join us in congratulating her and we wish her well as her pregnancy and wedding plans progress. 2018 will be a busy year for her! We will announce staffing arrangements for all year groups for the next academic year in due course.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to Helen Collier, who will be joining us on Monday as our new peripatetic violin teacher.
Music News
We are looking forward to a very musical term ahead, with some exciting choral events including the performance at St. John's Smith Square on Sunday 4th February. We are also delighted to announce that the Chamber Choir have once again got through to the finals of the Barnado's Choir Competition on Monday 12th March! More information to follow on both of these events. We will also enjoy the music at our first Easter service at All Saints Church at the end of term.
If your child has individual instrumental or vocal tuition, please remember that fees are now due. We would also like to remind parents that, as per the terms and conditions, a half term's notice or payment in lieu is required when terminating individual tuition.
Music timetables will be published to the website shortly; please do check these.
Posted on: 15/12/2017Weekly News - Friday 15th December
As another term draws to a close, we wish you a very happy festive season and a well deserved rest.
Please note that, if your children will be attending Holiday Club over the holidays, you should use the Evans Hall entrance on Long Lane, rather than the Parkway entrance, for both dropping off and collecting your children. This is because some refurbishment works will be taking place in classrooms in the main Upper School block.
We look forward to seeing all pupils back at school, well-rested and ready to learn, on January 8th!
Lower School Nativity Plays and Christmas Assemblies
This week we have been privileged to watch the most wonderful performances from our Nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes. The beautiful nativity stories were retold in the children's individual and unique way and the acting was complemented by outstanding singing. I am sure that everyone in the audiences was truly moved by the magical joy that the children exuded during their time on the stage. It is a testament to the school staff and to the excellent parental support our pupils receive that the children reach such amazing heights at such a tender age. Thank you to everyone involved. You can see photographs of the Lower School performances on our Galleries page.
Christmas Lunch
Soula and the Accent team provided a delectable Christmas lunch for the school yesterday. Ian and Amanda from Accent Catering's head office were in attendance and were overwhelmed by the children's manners and by the positive feedback which they gave to the catering staff. It was wonderful to see our pupils appreciating home cooked festive food! You can see some photos on our Galleries page.
School Games - Platinum Award
We are thrilled that St. Helen's College has become one of the first schools in England to win a new national award for making a commitment to develop its students to be the best they can be in competitive school sport.
We are one of only 104 schools in the country to receive the special School Games Platinum Award. The Award is part of the School Games Mark, a government-led awards scheme launched in 2012 and administered by national charity the Youth Sport Trust, which had close to 9,000 applicants this year. Its aim is to reward schools for a commitment to the development of competition across schools and into the community.
Participating in this process allows schools to evaluate their PE provision, grading them either bronze, silver or gold, and assists schools in developing an action plan for future progress. The Platinum Award is the new fourth level of the award scheme, introduced earlier this year to celebrate schools who had shown consistently high levels of enthusiasm and commitment to school sport. Applications were only open to those schools who had achieved five successive gold awards.
To achieve the gold award a school must meet a certain set of criteria, which includes engaging a high percentage of young people in both curricular and extracurricular activities, participating in a minimum number of competitions across different sports, and reaching out to target groups including young leaders, volunteers, and those previously identified as the school’s least-active pupils.
We are really delighted to have been recognised with this award. As an independent school, we have a creative and exciting PE/Games curriculum, as well as a quite unique co-curricular programme with over 70 clubs. Our pupils reach very high standards in core sports such as football, rugby, netball, hockey, tennis and athletics but, perhaps as importantly, they are also able to ‘have a go’ at sports as diverse as lacrosse, badminton, taekwondo, yoga, tri-golf, gymnastics, handball and many more. This exposure to the widest possible range of activities leads pupils to uncover real talents or interests in the sporting world, and to go on and compete at high levels in their chosen sport(s).
Competitive sport develops a healthy drive to succeed, pride and humility in victory, grace and resilience in the face of defeat, and the ability in pupils to pull together as a team for a common purpose. These traits can be seen in every St. Helen’s College pupil and we are enormously proud of the way in which our sporting and co-curricular programmes contribute to our pupils’ personal development.
Chess Team
Well done to the St. Helen's College chess team, who played a friendly tournament against St. Bernadette's last night. Although unsuccessful in an overall team win, the pupils demonstrated superb perseverance and resilience in their playing. Thank you to Mr Foale for arranging such great opportunities for our children. You can see photographs of the competition on the Galleries page.
Sports Personality of the Term
Congratulations to Eli V-B in Year 4, who has been awarded the Sports Personality Of The Term cup. Eli has made an excellent contribution to school sport this term, representing the school in the football team and the Sports Hall Athletics team. In PE lessons or school teams, he has been a real impact player who helps the team to be successful whenever he plays. He is a regular in the school senior football team, despite only being in Year 4, and is the joint leading goal scorer in the football team this term. He also scored with a fantastically memorable bicycle kick in the Packham Cup final! Eli's football excellence has been recognised outside of school as well; he has been selected to train and play for Chelsea football club. Well done to Eli!
The following pupils were also high commended for their sporting achievements this term:
Jasmine B - for showing excellence in trampolining when taking part in the British Gymnastic Trampolining London regional league and winning a gold medal.
Abigail Y - for a significant contribution to school sport this term in several teams and for representing Hillingdon in the London Youth Games cross country event.
Musician of the Term
The Musician of the Term trophy is awarded for outstanding effort, commitment, dedication and achievement within the music department. The winner this term is someone who has always worked conscientiously and demonstrated enormous enthusiasm over several years in all aspects of music at St. Helen’s College. She has excellent music skills; she applies and shares creative ideas successfully in class work; she is impeccably behaved and an excellent role model; she is a reliable music monitor; she enjoys and sings in the Senior Choir; she plays the recorder fluently in class and at Recorder Club; she has been learning the violin for several years and, having recently passed Grade 4, is working towards Grade 5. She is also the lead violinist in the school orchestra.
A tremendous well done to Amishi K!
Music Results
We are thrilled to announce the following music exam results so far. More will follow in due course, as they are received. Very well done to all of the children who sat exams and have achieved such excellent results!
Shreya 6M - Grade 5 singing DISTINCTION
Anish 4A - Grade 2 violin DISTINCTION
Mia 5G - Grade 2 violin MERIT
Nidhi 5G - Grade 1 singing MERIT
Dhiya 4A - Prep Test flute
Tanishka 4T - Prep Test singing
Kimaya 3V - Prep Test singing
Guitar Vacancy
A vacancy has arisen for individual guitar tuition. If you have a son or daughter at Upper School who is interested in learning the guitar, please email Mrs. Allery at rallery@sthelenscollege.com. The place will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
School Magazine
The latest issue of St. Helen's College Voice, containing your children's written work and art work, has been sent home with your child. It is also available online here. Enjoy!
Co-Curricular Clubs - Spring Term
There are still a few spaces in the following clubs for next term. If your child would like to try any of these clubs, please email mlang@sthelenscollege.com as soon as possible. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis:
Wed - Y6 Debate Club
Thurs - Y4/5 French Drama
Fri - Y5/6 Pastel Drawing
Pennies For Clean Water
The children in Year 5 have been searching down the backs of sofas and raiding the wells of their parents cars over the past few weeks on a penny drive to raise money for WaterAid. Inspired by what they had learnt in geography about the risks of drinking dirty water in some parts of the world, they each aimed to fill an old water bottle up with pennies. This money would then be used to buy a very special Christmas gift to help people have access to clean water for a healthy life.
5G raised £84.14 and decided to purchase a water tank and handwashing stations and 5W raised £165.84 and decided to purchase two hand pumps, two sets of taps and a water tank.
All money raised will be doubled by the UK government.
Pictures of the children doing the count and purchasing their gifts can be seen on our Galleries page.
Well done to Year 5 for raising so much and making such a difference to people in need. If your family would also like to buy a gift of water for life please use the link below. https://shop.wateraid.org/collections/charity-gift-cards
Posted on: 8/12/2017Weekly News - Friday 8th December
Year 3/4 Production
The Year 3 and Year 4 children truly declared our festive season officially open as we were taken on an incredible journey with Sasha and her orphan friends up onto the rooftops of London and to the North Pole, meeting the most extraordinary characters en route! I am sure that everyone who attended either of the productions would agree that the play was truly outstanding. The performance was executed exceptionally well, with the children's talents in singing and dancing on full display and their comedic timing wonderful! Congratulations to all involved. You can see photographs of the production on our Galleries page.
PA Christmas Fair
Last Sunday we had our very first PA Christmas Fair in the Winston Churchill Hall. There were such festivities as the children were entertained throughout the day, the highlight being their visit with Santa! Thank you to the PA committee and the amazing army of helpers who made the day possible - such community spirit and fun for all! The PA have sent this message:
We held a Christmas Fair for the first time this year and it was a mammoth event! Thank you to everyone who offered their time, helped with the poster design, came early to set up and stayed late to set down, wrapped presents, made donations, manned stalls, baked cakes, carried things in their cars, attended the event etc. The Christmas Fair would not have been possible without your support so we are truly grateful. Thank you also for the feedback that we have already received. We hope that those of you who attended enjoyed yourselves and that the event got you into the festive spirit. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Carols Around The Tree
Thank you also to all parents, staff, pupils and friends who joined us for our Carols Around The Tree on Friday afternoon in the Upper School playground. It was a very festive occasion and we all enjoyed singing carols together so much! Well done to all of the lucky winners of the Christmas hampers, and thank you again to everyone who made a donation for their class hampers and/or bought raffle tickets. We're sure you agree that they looked amazing and made lovely raffle prizes.
Infant Choir Carols
Our amazing Infant Choir have been singing Christmas songs in the playground at Lower School this morning, and will be doing so again on Monday morning. Their grasp of lyrics and music is really exceptional for children so young and we hope that parents have enjoyed hearing them sing. Very well done to all involved! There are some photos of the choir singing on the Galleries page.
Reminder of Arrangements for Last Week of Term
Mon 11th Dec - Robins and Wrens Nativity Play at Lower School at 8.45 a.m. All Nursery parents welcome - no tickets needed.
Mon 11th Dec - Year 1 Christmas Assembly at Lower School at 9.15 a.m. All Year 1 parents welcome – no tickets needed.
Parents will be able to wait in the Methodist Hall for their child’s performance to start. Coffee and mince pies will be served from 8.30 a.m.
Tues 12th Dec - Kingfishers & Owls Nativity Play at Lower School at 8.45 a.m. All Reception parents welcome - no tickets needed.
Wed 13th Dec - Upper School Pantomime trip to 'Sleeping Beauty' at Theatre Royal, Windsor Children in Years 2 – 6 should come to school in their full school uniform, bringing a substantial drink/snack for the pantomime. Pupils will have a late lunch back at school after the show. Children should be collected at normal time and Funtasia will run as usual.
Thurs 14th Dec - Christmas Lunch (Nursery - Year 6)
PLEASE SEE THE CHRISTMAS LUNCH MENU ON THE SCHOOL DOCUMENTS PAGE.
Thurs 14th Dec - Lower School Children’s Party & Show Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children should come to school in their party clothes. It is hoped that all Nursery children will stay all day due to the show in the afternoon. All children should bring a morning snack as usual. No reading books or school bags. Normal school times.
Fri 15th Dec - Carol Service Children in Years 2 to 6 will take part in the Carol Service at All Saints Church at 11:00 a.m. All parents are warmly invited to attend the service.
Fri 15th Dec - End of term Term will end at 11:50 for Ducklings & Nursery; 12:00 for Reception; 12:10 for Years 1 & 2; 12:20 for Year 3 & 4; and 12:30 for Years 5 & 6. Older siblings may be collected at the same time as their younger brothers and sisters.
Mon 8th Jan - Spring Term commences.
Staff News
We will be bidding Miss Bentley, our peripatetic violin teacher, a fond farewell at the end of this term as she embarks on a new life up north in Yorkshire. So many of our pupils have benefited from Miss Bentley's expert tuition over the years and we are all very grateful for her contribution to the musicality of St. Helen's College. In January we will welcome our new violin teacher, Mrs. Collier, to the music staff and some of the pupils may have already met her this week during her visit. Mrs. Collier is very established in the local area, having previously been Head of Music at another local school, and I am sure that her strong connections with the Hillingdon Music School Orchestra will be a great addition to the opportunities and experiences of our pupils.
Mrs. Dilworth has been with us at Lower School as a Teaching and Learning Assistant for the last year, but she will be leaving us at the end of this term as she pursues a new career. We are pleased that she will also remain as a member of our bank staff. Mrs. O' Mahoney will be returning to us as a Teaching and Learning Assistant in January and we are delighted that she will be rejoining the St. Helen's College family!
Next term, Miss Davies will also be returning to Lower School on a part-time basis after her maternity leave. Mrs. Meeran will remain with us on a part-time basis.
Mrs. Sue Blackstone, who has been the matriarch of our Holiday Club provision, will be retiring from her duties after this December's Holiday Club. We cannot thank Mrs. Blackstone enough for her many years of dedication and care to our pupils. We will not be saying goodbye to Mrs. Blackstone just yet, as she will still be running our Breakfast Club provision until the end of this academic year.
Miss Carmichael, our Wrens Nursery class teacher, will be stepping into the role as Holiday Club manager, ensuring that our well established and popular Holiday Club will continue in the same vein.
Co-Curricular Clubs
Thank you to all parents who have returned their co-curriculum booking forms for clubs next term. We carefully monitor the amount of extra curricular activity the children do, ensuring that they are involved but also maintaining a healthy balance so that they can cope with the rigour of the academic day. In rare cases it may be necessary to limit the number of activities a pupil is doing for their well being. Similarly, we look for opportunities to encourage those who are not involved to experience new things. Club confirmations will be sent home next week.
Clubs have now finished for the term, except for the following catch up sessions which will run next week:
Tuesday 12/12 Y3 tennis, Y4/5/6 tri-golf, Y2 football.
Thursday 14/12 Y2 tennis, Y4/5/6 tennis.
Spring Term Programme and Menu
The Term Programme for the Spring Term has now been published to the School Documents page of the website, and dates have been added to the School Calendar. As usual, it will be a busy term and there are several dates for parents to note! Please note, in particular, that Funtasia will be closed on the Friday before Exhibition Day.
The Lunch Menu for the Spring Term has also been published to the School Documents page. You might like to review this with your child before next term begins.
Posted on: 1/12/2017Weekly News - Friday 1st December
As Christmas approaches, there are many events planned. Please read through the following carefully and make a note of anything that is relevant for your child/ren!
Sun 3rd Dec - PA Christmas Fair at The Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip, from 11.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
The Y3/4 Christmas Play will be performed on Wednesday 6th December at 7.00 p.m. at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip. Please note the change of date. Tickets are now on sale and you should book early to avoid disappointment by following this link. There is also a link to the booking system on the school diary entry for the event.
Wed 6th Dec - Rehearsal for Y3 & 4 all day at the Winston Churchill Hall. Children (Years 3 & 4 only) will travel to and from the theatre by coach, leaving after registration. Packed lunches will be provided by school.
Weds 6th Dec - 'When Sasha Got Swept Up The Chimney' performance at the Winston Churchill Hall at 7 p.m. Children who are performing should arrive by 6:45 p.m.
Thurs 7th Dec - All children (Nursery - Y6) will watch another performance of the play. We would like parents to drop children at the Winston Churchill Hall (Pinn Way, Ruislip) between 8:00 and 8:40 a.m. on this day, as there will not be time to ferry them by coach from school. Children in Years 3 & 4 will have costume photographs taken by Tempest after the show. All children will return to school by coach in time for lunch, and school will finish at the normal time.
Fri 8th Dec & Mon 11th Dec - Infant Choir singing carols in the playground (8.15 a.m.) All are welcome to hear our carols!
Fri 8th Dec - Carols Around The Tree (Upper School playground, 3.45 p.m.) All are warmly invited to join us in singing carols around the Christmas tree. Mulled wine will be served from 3.15 p.m. and the PA Christmas Hamper Raffle will be drawn.
Mon 11th Dec - Robins and Wrens Nativity Play at Lower School at 8.45 a.m. All Nursery parents welcome - no tickets needed.
Mon 11th Dec - Year 1 Christmas Assembly at Lower School at 9.15 a.m. All Year 1 parents welcome – no tickets needed.
Parents will be able to wait in the Methodist Hall for their child’s performance to start. Coffee and mince pies will be served from 8.30 a.m.
Tues 12th Dec - Kingfishers & Owls Nativity Play at Lower School at 8.45 a.m. All Reception parents welcome - no tickets needed.
Wed 13th Dec - Upper School Pantomime trip to 'Sleeping Beauty' at Theatre Royal, Windsor Children in Years 2 – 6 should come to school in their full school uniform, bringing a substantial drink/snack for the pantomime. Pupils will have a late lunch back at school after the show. Children should be collected at normal time and Funtasia will run as usual.
Thurs 14th Dec - Christmas Lunch (Nursery - Year 6)
Thurs 14th Dec - Lower School Children’s Party & Show Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children should come to school in their party clothes. It is hoped that all Nursery children will stay all day due to the show in the afternoon. All children should bring a morning snack as usual. No reading books or school bags. Normal school times.
Fri 15th Dec - Carol Service Children in Years 2 to 6 will take part in the Carol Service at All Saints Church at 11:00 a.m. Parents are warmly invited to attend the service.
Fri 15th Dec - End of term Term will end at 11:50 for Nursery; 12:00 for Reception; 12:10 for Years 1 & 2; 12:20 for Year 3 & 4; and 12:30 for Years 5 & 6. Older siblings may be collected at the same time as their younger brothers and sisters.
Mon 8th Jan - Spring Term commences.
Staff News
We say farewell to Mrs. Diana Hamilton today, one of our long-serving lunchtime supervisors at Lower School. We wish her well in her new career as Activity Leader in a care home.
Mrs. Jannie Fong will replace Mrs. Hamilton and I am sure the pupils will make her very welcome next week.
Switch-Off Fortnight
Our Eco Reps have been very busy around the school recently, checking that as a community we are looking after our environment. They have reminded us all in their assembly presentations of the importance of saving energy. Many children took up the challenge to solve the Switch-Off quiz and there was a hive of activity around school throughout the week as they found clues, answered questions and became more eco-friendly and energy saving! Well done everyone and congratulations to all staff who refrained from using their interactive whiteboards as challenged by our eco team!
Christmas Holiday Club & Co-Curricular Bookings
The booking form for the Christmas Holiday Club has now been posted to the School Documents page of the website. Please note that completed forms must be returned to the school office by Friday 8th December at the latest, and that places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The Co-Curriculum Programmes for the Spring Term have also been posted to the School Documents page of the website. Please return booking forms promptly and by Wednesday 6th December at the latest.
Mini Monet Art Classes
If your son or daughter is a budding young artist and you would like to give them even more opportunities to indulge their creativity, you might be interested in the spring term Saturday art classes run by Mini Monets. Full details are available on their website at http://www.minimonetsuk.com/book-classes.
Posted on: 24/11/2017Weekly News - Friday 24th November
Many congratulations to Abigail Y in Year 6, who represented the London Borough of Hillingdon last weekend at the London Youth Games cross country competition. The event took place around Parliament Hill, with teams from all 32 London Boroughs taking part. Abigail did very well in the event, running against over 200 girls, some from secondary schools. The event has over the years produced many future champions, including Sir Mo Farah! So who knows where this could lead for Abigail if she continues to pursue her athletic ambitions?
Huge congratulations also to the team who represented St. Helen's College at the Packham Cup Football tournament last week. They reached the final and finished as runners up to Oak Farm in an enthralling final. After a slow start, the team scraped two wins in their first two matches and then started to improve with a 1-1 draw against Hermitage to progress to the quarter finals. The quarter final match was one of the best performances Mr. Dyson has seen from a St. Helen's College team, ending in a 6-0 win over Colham Manor. In the semi-final, a superb flicked header from Amrit gave St, Helen's College a 1-0 win which saw the team through to the final. After going 1-0 down in the final, Eli produced a moment of magic with an overhead kick to level the match, but unfortunately St. Helen's College ended up on the wrong side of the result. Well done to the team and a big thank you to the parents who came and braved the weather!
Team members were: Max E, Lincoln B, Jed H, Amrit R, Ryeesa S, Ethan V-B, Eli V-B and Timi O.
Last Friday, eight of our hockey squad took part in the annual Kwik Sticks tournament at Eastcote Hockey Club. Thirty-six teams took part in the tournament, divided into six groups of six. Our A and B teams produced some good hockey, scoring goals and defending well while putting in a lot of effort on the night. Unfortunately neither team progressed through to the knockout stages, but a very enjoyable evening was had by all.
Team members were: Abhi R, Jed H, Hebe E, Sena A, Rajdeep B, Luke J, Mya S, Tamara A.
On Wednesday, nine boys and nine girls took part in the Sports Hall Athletics Borough competition, at Barnhill Community Centre. Each child participated in two track and two field events, earning points collectively for the team. There were some great performances over the evening, but a special mention must go to Abigail Y and Zoe K, who came first in the 2+2 lap relay. Throughout the competition, the St. Helen's College team was very vocal in their support and encouragement for their team members, which was great to see. We came fourth so did not qualify for the next round, but our Year 4 and 5 pupils gained some valuable experience which they can take forward to next year's tournament.
Team: Timi O, Lincoln B, Ethan V-B, Max E, Veer B, Daniel G-J, Alex C, Feranmi G, Abigail Y, Ryeesa S, Grace R, Lily F, Hebe E, Jada P, Rhea A-V, Zoe K, Chloe W.
There are photos of this week's sports on our Galleries page.
End of Month Music Recital
We were treated to another super Month End Music Recital this afternoon, during which many children had the opportunity to perform to peers, parents and staff. It really is super to see the children making the most of their chance to enhance their performance skills, and growing in confidence each time they step in front of an audience. Congratulations to all who took part and many thanks to the music staff involved.
Assemblies This Week
Middle School and Upper School pupils welcomed three Metropolitan Police officers to assemblies this week. Figo (father of Paniz in Year 2), Jason and Peter all took time out of their busy schedules to share with the pupils what they do in their jobs. The children had the opportunity to try on some items of police uniform and to understand how the police help us in our lives, including the importance of e-safety for the older pupils. Yogi, the German Shepherd police dog, was a highlight but sadly he was called away on an urgent call with his handler Pete midway through the Upper School assembly! Mrs. Drummond and Mr. Tovell had their first and hopefully last experience of being handcuffed, much to the amusement of the children! I am sure that the children have enjoyed the activity books provided and hopefully they will all greet the police with a friendly hello next time they meet.
What a superb assembly this week from 2H as they took us on a journey to the west coast of Scotland and to the Isle of Coll to re-enact the story of 'Katie Morag and Tiresome Ted'. The children have learnt so much about island life and the patron saints of the United Kingdom. Mrs. Drummond, who was unable to attend on Friday, had a private sitting with 2H on Wednesday and was so moved at the children's rendition of 'The Dark Island', which reminded her of her favourite song to sing when she was in her school choir. Congratulations 2H.
Christmas Events - Arrangements - Please Read Carefully!
As Christmas approaches, there are many events planned. Please read through the following carefully and make a note of anything that is relevant for your child/ren!
Sun 3rd Dec - PA Christmas Fair at The Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip, from 11.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
The Y3/4 Christmas Play will be performed on Wednesday 6th December at 7.00 p.m. at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip. Please note the change of date. Tickets are now on sale and you should book early to avoid disappointment by following this link. There is also a link to the booking system on the school diary entry for the event.
Wed 6th Dec - Rehearsal for Y3 & 4 all day at the Winston Churchill Hall. Children (Years 3 & 4 only) will travel to and from the theatre by coach, leaving after registration. Packed lunches will be provided by school.
Weds 6th Dec - 'When Sasha Got Swept Up The Chimney' performance at the Winston Churchill Hall at 7 p.m. Children who are performing should arrive by 6:45 p.m.
Thurs 7th Dec - All children (Nursery - Y6) will watch another performance of the play. We would like parents to drop children at the Winston Churchill Hall (Pinn Way, Ruislip) between 8:00 and 8:40 a.m. on this day, as there will not be time to ferry them by coach from school. Children in Years 3 & 4 will have costume photographs taken by Tempest after the show. All children will return to school by coach in time for lunch, and school will finish at the normal time.
Fri 8th Dec & Mon 11th Dec - Infant Choir singing carols in the playground (8.15 a.m.) All are welcome to hear our carols!
Fri 8th Dec - Carols Around The Tree (Upper School playground, 3.45 p.m.) All are warmly invited to join us in singing carols around the Christmas tree. Mulled wine will be served from 3.15 p.m. and the PA Christmas Hamper Raffle will be drawn.
Mon 11th Dec - Robins and Wrens Nativity Play at Lower School at 8.45 a.m. All Nursery parents welcome - no tickets needed.
Mon 11th Dec - Year 1 Christmas Assembly at Lower School at 9.15 a.m. All Year 1 parents welcome – no tickets needed.
Parents will be able to wait in the Methodist Hall for their child’s performance to start. Coffee and mince pies will be served from 8.30 a.m.
Tues 12th Dec - Kingfishers & Owls Nativity Play at Lower School at 8.45 a.m. All Reception parents welcome - no tickets needed.
Wed 13th Dec - Upper School Pantomime trip to 'Sleeping Beauty' at Theatre Royal, Windsor Children in Years 2 – 6 should come to school in their full school uniform, bringing a substantial drink/snack for the pantomime. Pupils will have a late lunch back at school after the show. Children should be collected at normal time and Funtasia will run as usual.
Thurs 14th Dec - Christmas Lunch (Nursery - Year 6)
Thurs 14th Dec - Lower School Children’s Party & Show Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children should come to school in their party clothes. It is hoped that all Nursery children will stay all day due to the show in the afternoon. All children should bring a morning snack as usual. No reading books or school bags. Normal school times.
Fri 15th Dec - Carol Service Children in Years 2 to 6 will take part in the Carol Service at All Saints Church at 11:00 a.m. Parents are warmly invited to attend the service.
Fri 15th Dec - End of term Term will end at 11:50 for Nursery; 12:00 for Reception; 12:10 for Years 1 & 2; 12:20 for Year 3 & 4; and 12:30 for Years 5 & 6. Older siblings may be collected at the same time as their younger brothers and sisters.
Mon 8th Jan - Spring Term commences.
PA Christmas Fair - Sunday 3rd December 2017
There’s just over one week to go until the PA Christmas Fair and around four weeks until Christmas. The Fair will take place at Winston Churchill Hall is Ruislip, and is an exciting mixture of entertainment, games, food and shopping. It will be an ideal opportunity to buy some Christmas gifts (anything from books to soap, candles to SHC Christmas baubles).
To help us make this the best Christmas event ever, we really need your help. If you can donate any Christmas decorations, cakes, cupcakes, bottled water (small), drinks cans or small juice cartons, please do let us know - non perishables can be dropped off at the school office by Thursday 30 November 2017 at the latest and perishables should be brought to Winston Churchill Hall from 9.30 a.m. on the day of the event. Likewise, if you are able to volunteer to help on the day (even if it’s just an hour), please email us at pa@sthelenscollege.com. Thank you so much for your support.
Parking Reminder
We would like to remind parents picking up from clubs or Funtasia that normal parking regulations remain in place. Please do park in Court Park car park, not in the staff car park or across from school blocking neighbours' driveways. Mrs. Drummond is working hard to continue to build relationships with the neighbours, but seems to be meeting them in increasingly difficult circumstances apologising for the small number of parents who are not upholding school parking regulations. Please help us to maintain positive relationships with the local community.
Posted on: 17/11/2017News - Friday 17th November 2017
The school has been a riot of yellow and spots today as we have raised money for Children in Need.
The children of 6D presented a most thought-provoking and moving assembly to tell us all about the charity and to thank the St. Helen's College community for their fundraising efforts. With 'live' reports from the BBC, an entertaining mime performance from Pudsey himself, a very moving video clip about a family living with disability and a super whole-class rendition of 'The Climb', the assembly served as a reminder of how lucky we are and how important it is that we show kindness and compassion towards those less fortunate.
Raffles were held at Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School and we thank all parents who allowed their children to buy raffle tickets. The winners were absolutely delighted to be presented with a selection of prizes including Pudsey and Blush bears and ears and the much sought-after Giant Pudseys. Congratulations, winners!
We are delighted to announce that, at the latest count, the school community has raised £1155.95 for the charity. These funds go directly to helping children in need.
You can see photos of the day's colourful fun on our Galleries page.
Senior Prefect Team Morning Tea
Our Senior Prefect Team enjoyed morning tea with Mrs. Drummond and Mrs. Stark on Thursday in the Evans Hall. Soula had baked some delightful goodies for the children to enjoy, and Mrs. Drummond and Mrs. Stark very much enjoyed spending time with the senior team. You can see photos of the event on our Galleries page.
Old Helenian Success
Old Helenian Elsie G-J, who now attends Haberdasher's Aske Girls' School, has just won her first poetry recitation competition at senior school! Elsie's parents sent in a lovely note to let us know of Elsie's success, and added, 'We would like to thank St. Helen's College for helping Elsie to build a solid foundation in developing her public speaking skills. From growth mindset classes to poetry recitals and amazing assemblies, all of which have given Elsie the courage, confidence and enthusiasm to grow and enjoy presenting'.
Congratulations, Elsie!
Pupil Photos - Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th November
Individual and sibling photographs will be taken next week, as follows:
Thursday 23rd November - Upper School pupil photographs and optional sibling photographs
Friday 24th November - Lower School pupil photographs and optional sibling photographs
Monday 27th November - Ducklings pupil photographs
Individual pupil photographs will be taken during the school day. In addition, if you have two or more children at the school and would like to have a photograph taken of the siblings together, please bring them to either the Upper School hall from 7.45 a.m. on Thursday or the Lower School hall from 7.45 a.m. on Friday. You should stay with your children while you wait for your sibling photograph to be taken, and then deliver them to their school site as usual for registration. Please do encourage your children to wait patiently for their sibling photograph and to be ready when called, so that we may get through the sibling photographs as efficiently as possible.
Please ensure that all children wear full, correct winter school uniform on the day(s) of their photograph(s). PE/Games/Sports Club kits, if needed, should be brought into school and the children will be able to change after their photographs have been taken.
Switch Off Fortnight
Switch Off Fortnight runs this year from Monday 20th November to Sunday 3rd December.
Class eco rep's will be making posters to promote 'switching off', which will be displayed around the school. Children at Lower School and Upper School will hear assemblies launching the idea of 'switching off' to save energy, and there will be a focus on trying to find the most 'Eco friendly class of the week'. Pupil Eco Reps will be checking throughout the week to see whether doors are closed when classrooms are not in use (to save heat), lights are off (when appropriate), whiteboards are switched off when not in use etc. We will also be attempting to reduce our electricity use by not using interactive whiteboards at all on the morning of Wednesday 29th November. The winner of the most Eco-friendly class competition will be announced in assembly on Friday 31st November.
There will also be ten facts hidden around the Upper School playground, and Upper School children will have until Thursday 30th to find the facts and fill out their form. Completed forms should be handed to class teachers and children will be rewarded with a sticker. At Lower School and Ducklings, facts will be displayed for children, parents and staff to read. We look forward to working together to be Eco-friendly and to educate our pupils about how to reduce energy waste in their day to day lives.
Y3/4 Christmas Play - Important Arrangements for All Year Groups
The Y3/4 Christmas Play will be performed on Wednesday 6th December at 7.00 p.m. at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip. Please note the change of date. Tickets are now on sale and you should book early to avoid disappointment by following this link. There is also a link to the booking system on the school diary entry for the event.
Wed 6th Dec - Rehearsal for Y3 & 4 all day at the Winston Churchill Hall. Children (Years 3 & 4 only) will travel to and from the theatre by coach, leaving after registration. Packed lunches will be provided by school.
Weds 6th Dec - 'When Sasha Got Swept Up The Chimney' performance at the Winston Churchill Hall at 7 p.m. Children who are performing should arrive by 6:45 p.m.
Thurs 7th Dec - All children (Nursery - Y6) will watch another performance of the play. We would like parents to drop children at the Winston Churchill Hall (Pinn Way, Ruislip) between 8:00 and 8:40 a.m. on this day, as there will not be time to ferry them by coach from school. Children in Years 3 & 4 will have costume photographs taken by Tempest after the show. All children will return to school by coach in time for lunch, and school will finish at the normal time.
Uniform Reminder
In order to maintain the lovely high standards for which St. Helen's College is known, please ensure that your children arrive at school in full school uniform. If wearing normal school winter uniform, they should always wear their felt cap or black velour hat to arrive at school. Woolly hats may be brought into school for wearing at break/lunch times and with PE kits. If wearing PE kit to school, tracksuits should be worn over the PE top/shorts.
Whatever they are wearing, children should make every effort to look as smart as possible at all times. Shirts should be tucked in, shoes shined, collars and ties straightened, hair brushed and hats worn straight and with pride please! Thank you, as always, for your support in helping your children to represent their school with pride.
Friday 15th December - Funtasia Arrangements
Term ends on Friday 15th December. We would like to give parents early warning that Holiday Club will be running on this day up to 4.45 p.m. only.
Posted on: 10/11/2017News - Friday 10th November 2017
The school has had a day of reflection and gratitude, remembering those who gave their lives in conflict to ensure the safety and freedom which we so often take for granted today. We joined together for a silence at 11 o'clock to remember the fallen, and we have all been wearing our poppies with pride.
Oak Farm Librarian Visits Nursery
Earlier in the week, a librarian from the Oak Farm Library visited our Nursery classes to talk to the children about the many different books that they can borrow from the library. She explained how to look after books and talked to the children about how we should behave inside a library. The librarian sang songs and read two wonderful stories to Nursery, which are still being talked about by the children now!
Chamber Choir Recording
Our Chamber Choir made a recording yesterday as their entry for the national Barnado's competition, which the school enters each year. We have reached the final twice in recent years and are hoping to repeat this success! This year's pieces are the beautiful 'Can You Hear Me?' by Bob Chilcott and 'Thank You For The Music' by ABBA. Should we reach the final again, the Chamber Choir will be signing along to the 'Can You Hear Me?' piece. The finals, as usual, will take place at the Royal Festival Hall in March. We will find out in January if the Chamber Choir has made it through. Do wish us luck!
Girls' Football Tournament
Our girls' football team took part in the School Games District Schools football tournament held at Hillingdon Leisure Complex this week. Fourteen teams from our local area took part and the St. Helen's College team drew girls from Years 4, 5 and 6. Games were very short - lasting only 6 minutes - so our girls had to get off to a flying start and they did just that!
In their first match again Cowley St Laurence they won 3 - 0 and in their second match against St. Bernadette's they won 4 - 0. In their final match they faced Oak Farm in a very competitive match. The St. Helen's College team had lots of shots on goal, but it was Oak Farm who scored to win the game 1 - 0. Well done to all the girls who took part in the tournament: Ryeesa, Kyra, Hebe, Ionie, Aaria, Rhea A-V, Lily, Maya S and Abigail.
You can see a photo of the girls on the Galleries page.
Upper School Parents' Evening
Thank you to those parents who attended the Upper School parents' evenings this week. It was a pleasure to see so many of you and we hope that you found your consultations useful.
Children in Need Tog Day and Raffle
As usual, the school will be supporting Children in Need this year and hoping to raise some money for this most worthwhile of charities. The children of 6D are taking responsibility for running the fundraising for this event and have been making posters to display throughout the school.
Next Friday, 17th November, all children and staff are invited to wear 'spoctacular spots' and/or yellow clothes to school. There is a suggested donation of £2 per child for this tog day, but any donations will be most gratefully received.
There will Children in Need raffles running at all sites, with prizes as follows:
Upper/Middle School: 1 large Pudsey Bear and 1 small Blush Bear
Lower School: 1 large Pudsey Bear and 1 small Blush Bear
Ducklings: 2 small Blush Bears
There will be also be several runner up prizes including small bears, Pudsey/Blush ears and pens.
Tickets will be sold next week, from Monday 13th November, and will be priced at £1 each. Please do encourage your children to bring in some money to buy raffle tickets, either from the school office or from our Year 6 children at break times.
Many thanks, as always, for your support for those less fortunate.
PA Christmas Fair 2017
11.30am - 4.30pm, Sunday 3 December 2017
Can you believe that Christmas is just 6 weeks away and it's just 3 weeks until the PA Christmas Fair? This year, instead of year group parties, the PA has organised a fete where the children will have an entertainer and some food and will be able to meet Father Christmas. The added bonus this year is that there will be a huge range of stalls selling items that the parents can buy - so you can get a bit of Christmas shopping done while you're there.
To make this event the best day out for all of our children, the PA is looking for some volunteers who would be willing to help out on the day for varying times between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. This could involve anything from setting up/clearing up the hall to a shift as Santa:
9 x Santa’s Helpers for a 1½ hour shift each (uniform provided).
Helpers to run stalls.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact us at pa@sthelenscollege.com with your name, contact details, what you would like to do and the times that you are available. All help will be welcome.
Finally, if you have any good quality Christmas decorations or Christmas trees that you would be prepared to let us borrow for the day, please contact us at pa@sthelenscollege.com. Thank you.
Old Uniform
If any parents have any school uniform items which are no longer being used, we would be grateful if you would consider donating them either to raise funds for the PA or to charity.
Parents are asked to bring items to the school office. Branded items in good repair will be sold by the PA in second hand uniform sales, which will hopefully take place at school once a term from now on - please keep an eye out for news of when these will take place.
We also now have a system for sending uniform directly to a school in India, where it will help to clothe children who need it, so unbranded items and any branded items which do not sell will be sent off to India. St. Helen's College children will, in due course, be able to see pictures of their uniform being worn in the Indian school. The cost of shipping uniform will be £3.50 per kilo, so if any parent would like to donate towards this, please hand contributions in to the school office, in an envelope labelled Uniform Charity.
We hope you will agree that it will be useful for St. Helen's College parents to have access to regular second hand uniform sales, and that donating clothes to an Indian school is a very worthwhile venture. We also hope that you will be able to dig out plenty of old uniform as the months and years go by, and that this will help you to declutter! Thank you very much, in advance, for your support in this endeavour.
Posted on: 3/11/2017News - Friday 3rd November 2017
Yesterday at the Houses of Parliament, our Year 6 children had a fantastic day exploring the home of British politics. They sat in on exciting debates in the House of Commons which sparked interesting opinions around the EU and Catalan independence. The children then had the opportunity to put their own manifestos together and hold a live vote in the parliament education centre. A representative of our local MP, Boris Johnson, came to see us and we were given some insight into the plans for Heathrow airport, HS2 and Hillingdon Hospital. There was also time for a tour of Westminster Abbey, exploring the lives of its famous inhabitants such as Michael Faraday, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens and several past kings and queens of England before returning back to school. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and the staff at the centre were amazed by the knowledge the children displayed. Perhaps we have some future politicians among us!
Meanwhile, our Year 1 pupils had a 'whizzpopping' time at the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery. The 'snapper whippers' loved exploring the exhibits in the gallery. They even got to travel in the glass elevator and got shrunk so small that they could fit inside the television just like Mike TV!! Everybody made their own dream jars - imaginations really ran wild. It was a 'phizz-whizzing' day out!
This morning, our Robins and Wrens Nursery pupils enjoyed a trip to Playtrain, where they had great fun climbing, swiming, jumping and riding on the wide variety of soft play equipment. The children thoroughly enjoyed their first school outing; riding on a coach with all of your friends is an amazing experience.
All three year groups did a marvellous job of representing St. Helen's College in the wider community; accompanying staff received lots of lovely comments about how smartly the children were dressed, how beautifully they behaved and how intelligently and enthusiastically they engaged with the activities on offer.
You can see photographs of the trips on our Galleries page.
Remembrance
As usual at this time of year, we are now selling poppies ahead of the Remembrance events next weekend. Next Friday, pupils at all sites will join for a minute's silence at 11 a.m. and will hear in assemblies about the great sacrifices made by those who gave their lives in the World Wars to secure the freedom and opportunities which we enjoy today. We hope that all children, parents and staff will wear their poppies with pride.
Upper School Parents' Evenings
Thank you to all of the parents who attended parents' evening on Thursday this week. It was lovely to see you all and we hope that you found the evening informative and enjoyable. The next parents' evening will take place on Tuesday 7th November and we look forward to seeing many more of you then.
PA Christmas Fair
Please note that the PA Christmas Fair will take place on Sunday 3rd December (NOT Saturday 2nd December). Further details will follow in due course.
Cold Weather Reminder
With the cold weather now approaching, please ensure that your children have enough layers/warm clothing with them daily. In particular, please ensure that pupils wear tracksuits over PE/Games kits.
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