School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 9/09/2022Weekly News - Friday 9th September 2022
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
We have held special assemblies across the school today to commemorate the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Our Union Jack flags are flying at half mast and will continue to do so throughout the ten days of mourning. During this time, school events are postponed and new dates for these will be sent to parents in due course.
Sorrow and grief affect all of us in different ways. Please be assured that, if your children have any questions or are feeling sad, we are here to listen and support them. A valuable resource to help children deal with bereavement can be found here and more resources for supporting children's mental health are available here.
St. Helen's College Winners in National Handwriting Contest
Many congratulations to the four St. Helen's College pupils who were awarded prizes in the Satips national handwriting contest, and particularly to Tiffany and Abir who are NATIONAL CHAMPIONS in their age groups!
1st Place: Tiffany T (Year 3)
1st Place: Abir G (Year 2)
2nd Place: Avleen P(Year 3)
2nd Place: Amariah O-A (Year 2)
Well done to all of the children who entered the competition.
Junior Olympiad Maths Award
Zakariya M (Year 5) received a distinction in the UKMT Junior Olympiad with a score of 44. He will receive a silver medal and book prize for this outstanding achievement.
Trinity Arts Award
Congratulations to our Year 5 pupils, who have been awarded the Trinity Arts Award which they worked towards last year in their music lessons.
Commonwealth Karate Competition
Good luck to the Year 6 St. Helen's College pupils who will be competing in a Commonwealth Karate Competition this weekend: Myla K, Inaya S and Dylan C and to Kylah O-A, who left us in July at the end of her Year 6 and will also be part of the team.
Music Lessons
If your child is interested in learning a musical instrument, please use this form to register their interest and to be added to the waiting list. Mrs. Fawbert will contact you directly once a space is available.
London Mini-Marathon - 1st October
All pupils from Reception to Year 6 will this year be able to take part in the NEW TCS Mini London Marathon, taking place in Westminster on Saturday 1st October.
This is a one mile event for children the day before the world-famous TCS London Marathon. It’s a chance for your children to run, jog, walk or wheel by Buckingham Palace and cross the very same finish line as the world’s best athletes. Every child who finishes will receive a special TCS Mini London Marathon medal and our school will receive £10 per finisher to spend on PE or IT equipment too.
Thank you to all of those parents who have already signed up. It is not too late to do so - simply complete the Google form which was emailed to you recently. The deadline for responses has been extended to Friday 16th September. Provisional timings for the event are 11 a.m. - 1.20 p.m. although these are yet to be confirmed. We will let parents know as soon as we have confirmation of exact timings.
Autumn Term Co-Curricular Activities
We would like to remind parents that the deadline for submitting your child's preferences for this term's co-curricular activities is this Sunday, 11th September. Club allocations will be sent out to parents at the end of next week.
PA Class Representatives 2022-2023
The St. Helen's College Parents' Association is made up of parent volunteers and does a wonderful job of arranging social events to draw the community together. The PA Committee and class representatives work hard all year and we are very grateful for their time and input. Here is the list of class representatives for this year.
Ducklings: Shirel Amin
Robins: Fatima Al-Ruhaimi & Simmie Gill
Wrens: Atiyeh Ardakanian
Owls: Lisa Patel
Kingfishers: Tayiba Qureshi
1C: Reena Patel
1R: Nipa Patel
2H: Zoya Sadiq
2R: Ciara Banerji
3B: Rajni Gupta
3M: Misba Malik
4L: Sejal Patel
4T: Sima Sandal
5A: Suchita Patel & Nikkie O'Halloran
5G: Indy Lachhar
6B: Zoya Sadiq
6R: Vacant
If any parent from 6R would like to volunteer to act as class rep this year, please contact pa@sthelenscollege.com.
The committee and representatives meet with Ms Drummond and other senior leaders at school once a term to discuss matters of whole school relevance. If you do have any comments or suggestions about matters which affect pupils/parents throughout the school, please feel free to send them to your class representative for discussion at the next meeting. Matters relevant to specific class or year groups should be directed to the class teacher.
Pakistan Floods Appeal
As parents will know, devastating floods have hit Pakistan, submerging vast areas of land and leaving 6 million people in need of urgent help. According to the government of Pakistan, a third of the country - equivalent to an area the size of the UK - is underwater, in what the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called a "climate catastrophe". Whole villages have been cut off, with rescuers struggling to reach them. At least 1,200 people have been killed and 12,577 injured.
Aid agencies are scrambling to respond to meet people’s basic needs such as food, clean water and shelter, and the government of Pakistan has called for international assistance to provide humanitarian aid.
Huge areas of agricultural land have been affected, with crops swept away and three quarters of a million livestock killed, which will mean many people going hungry in the longer term. There is also a high risk from water-borne diseases spreading in affected areas.
DEC charities are providing life-saving aid either directly or through local partners. But they urgently need more funds to reach more people.
£10 could provide essential hygiene supplies for two people
£50 could provide emergency shelter for two families
£100 could provide emergency food for two families for a month
If you would like to make a donation, you can do so via the DEC website appeal at:
https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/pakistan-floods-appeal.
We will be educating the children at school about this catastrophe and the urgent need to support those affected.
Roblox - Online Safety Information
National Online Safety have issued this useful guide for parents and carers, which covers online safety for the popular video game Roblox.
Uniform/Hair Reminders
We would like to remind parents that blazers are a required part of both the winter and summer uniform for all children from Reception to Year 6. Please ensure that your child has a clean, smart blazer with them every day. Games/PE kits should only be worn on PE days.
Long hair must be tied back neatly and hair cuts should be appropriate, with no obvious shaving or gelling.
ISI Consultation
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is currently consulting on proposals for its new inspection framework. This will be introduced in September 2023, at the start of the next inspection cycle. The proposed framework builds on the strengths of ISI’s current framework, while providing the opportunity to review and develop inspection practice.
The consultation closes on Friday 16th September 2022 and ISI are keen to hear parents' views. Please visit www.framework.isi.net to read about their proposals and complete the survey. You do not have to answer every question or complete the free text boxes, but please make sure to click on the ‘submit’ button once you have finished.
Posted on: 9/09/2022New Beginnings
The first week of any school year is all about ‘new beginnings’ but up until yesterday, prior to the sad news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her Sovereign Majesty, we had not imagined what we would all be experiencing as a nation today.
This morning in school we commemorated the life of Her Majesty in special assemblies and I was proud to observe how our pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 engaged and reflected during the assemblies.
We discussed the St. Helen’s College motto:
Strive for excellence
Help others achieve
Care for each other
We reflected on how Queen Elizabeth II embodied these values, serving her country right up until three days ago when she invited Elizabeth Truss to be our new Prime Minister. I am sure that we may all have special memories of occasions or events that stand out in our minds when Queen Elizabeth made an impact on the lives of others as she carried out her duties with such selfless service.
I have my own very special memory of when I met the Queen in 1986, when I volunteered at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh as a VIP Hostess looking after dignitaries and guests. I was honoured to be selected to be on Royal Box duty for several days at the Meadowbank Athletics Stadium and greeted the Royal Family as a guard of honour on their entrance one day. We curtsied to the Queen and she congratulated us on the role we were playing for the Games and told us to keep up the good work! The fun side of the Queen came out that day as the audience cheered on the athletes and a Mexican wave started to make its way around the stadium. Despite the security announcements begging the people in the stands not to participate in the Mexican wave, the younger Royal (Prince Edward) wholeheartedly took to his feet and waved his arms in the air. Of course as VIP hostesses we followed instructions and remained calm and composed (or I thought I had - but this photo may tell a different story!). The photo shows the fun of the moment and the Queen had that twinkle in her eye as she saw her son being the young royal rebel! I was then privileged to join the Royal Party for afternoon tea - despite my shaking hands and my naive awkwardness as a 19 year old I still hold those memories fondly.
Your children will experience great changes in their lives and this is such a monumental historical time for us all as we transition to having a King on the throne.
Please speak with your children and share your memories, listen to their feelings and embrace this period of change. Queen Elizabeth II’s death on September 8th 2022 marks the beginning of a new era for the House of Windsor.
I leave you with the prayer we shared today.
God, Our Father, all through our country we are sad at this time, because our Queen is no longer with us. She will be missed by so very many, but we know that you are looking after her. Bless those close to her. May they know they are remembered by us. And bless our country at this time of change. May we all work together as one family, and be ready to serve others as our Queen served us. In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen.
May Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace. God Bless.
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 2/09/2022Beginning of Term News - Friday 2nd September 2022
We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to a new academic year, both to those returning to us and to the many new pupils and families embarking on their St. Helen's College journey. We look forward to a busy and exciting year of learning, love, fun, enrichment and mutually supportive relationships.
It has been a busy summer at school. Our Holiday Club and Summer School were well attended and enjoyed by many pupils and much work has taken place at school to improve the environment.
In addition to our new pupils, we welcome the following new staff at the start of term:
Mrs. Webb - Netball Coach
Mrs. Gallacher - EYFS Assistant (Reception)
Mrs. Sonigra - EYFS Assistant (Ducklings)
Miss Hilliard - EYFS Assistant (Nursery)
Mrs. Cosgrove - SMSA (Reception)
Miss Kharoti - Funtasia/Holiday Club
New House System
We are delighted to announce that we will be extending our House System this year and have created two additional houses, 'Caledonia' and 'Hibernia'. Children from Nursery to Year 6 will draw their new houses next week and the house system will be enriched by many activities including regular 'House Assemblies' throughout the school year. We are looking forward to raising the house spirit both in school and at home! Our House Leaders this year will be:
Cambria - Mrs. Hunt
Windsor - Mr. Harrington
Caledonia - Mr. Lewis
Hibernia - Mr. McLaughlin
London Mini-Marathon - 1st October
All pupils from Reception to Year 6 will this year be able to take part in the NEW TCS Mini London Marathon, taking place in Westminster on Saturday 1st October.
This is a one mile event for children the day before the world-famous TCS London Marathon. It’s a chance for your children to run, jog, walk or wheel by Buckingham Palace and cross the very same finish line as the world’s best athletes. Every child who finishes will receive a special TCS Mini London Marathon medal and our school will receive £10 per finisher to spend on PE or IT equipment too.
We will be promoting this event to children in school and sending further details about how to sign up... so please save the date now and watch this space.
Important Dates/Information
Please check the School Calendar here and make a note of relevant dates for your child(ren) for the term.
There is a lot of useful information, including lunch menus, term dates, uniform and equipment lists, on the School Documents page of the website.
Healthy Snacks
We would like to remind parents that each child should bring a named, refillable water bottle and a named snack for break time each day. We are a healthy eating school and there are several children with severe allergies throughout the school. Suitable snacks are fruit and vegetables, sliced appropriately. Please DO NOT send any products containing nuts or other allergens. Please remember that chocolate, sweets, crisps or other sugar-filled snacks are not permitted. We are also an eco-friendly school and therefore urge parents to put snacks in a named, reusable container and to avoid sending packaging into school if possible.
Asthma Reminder
If your child has asthma and uses a preventative inhaler (Beige/ Brown/Orange/Red/ Purple/Pink) please make sure it is being taken regularly EVERY DAY even if your child is well as we are heading towards the most troublesome time of year for children with asthma.
Uniform and Equipment
Please ensure that every item of your child's uniform and equipment is clearly labelled with their name. We make every effort to remind the children in school to keep their belongings with them, but inevitably there is some lost property and it is almost impossible to reunite children with lost items that are unnamed. Unnamed, unclaimed items will be disposed of by the school at the end of each half term.
Welfare News
The autumn term welfare newsletter is available here.
Posted on: 13/07/2022End of Term News - Wednesday 13th July 2022
New Pupil Leadership Team
We are delighted to announce our new Pupil Leadership Team for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Our Head Girl will be Arshia S.
Our Head Boy will be Xavier B.
Our Deputy Head Girl will be Avneet D.
Our Depuy Head Boy will be Arjan S.
Tennis Champions
Congratulations to the winners of our tennis championships! As usual, the competitions were fiercely contested and there was some super tennis and sportsmanship on display.
Year 6 winners: Luka K, Aanya B
Year 5 winners: Arshia S, Xavier B
Year 4 winners: Aiden T, Hana H
Year 3 winners: Simar C, Avar D
Sports Personality of the Term
Congratulations to Arshia S, who was today named Sports Personality of the Term. Arshia always upholds sporting values on and off the pitch or court, showing respect to team mates, opposition, coaches and referees. She shows determination whether winning or losing, always tries her best and is an inspiration to her fellow pupils. She is focused on improving in all areas and her attitude is impeccable. Very well done, Arshia.
Musician of the Term
Nya P was awarded Musician of the Term today for consistently showing a keen interest in all aspects of music lessons and the music department as a whole. Nya is an excellent role model within the music department and is always offering a helping hand to her peers as well as performing regularly in assemblies and music recitals. She is a member of the Senior Choir, Chamber Choir and the Orchestra. As well as playing the ukulele, she has also reached an impressive Grade 5 on the flute. Congratulations, Nya.
Music Examination Results
Many congratulations to all of the children who have recently taken music examinations. Those results we know about so far are listed below. If your child has recently taken an examination and is not included in this list, please do let us know their result!
Singing - Musical Theatre
Inaaya S
Grade 1
Pass
Hana H
Grade 1
Distinction
Anaiya B
Grade 2
Pass
Samara P
Grade 2
Distinction
Natalia C
Grade 3
Pass
Eshanvi A
Grade 3
Distinction
Siyana M
Grade 4
Merit
Minaya W
Grade 4
Distinction
Singing - Classical
Ria M
Grade 3
Merit
Shruthi T
Grade 5
Merit
Flute
Hana H
Grade 1
Merit
Ruby L
Grade 1
Distinction
Piano
Leo J
Grade 2
Pass
Malek C
Grade 3
Pass
Amelia L
Grade 3
Pass
Viren C
Grade 4
Pass
Guitar
Aiden T
Grade 1
Pass
Aaryav K
Grade 1
Pass
Arjun C
Grade 1
Pass
Luca H
Grade 1
Pass
Aman B
Grade 2
Pass
Luka K
Grade 3
Awaiting result
Cello
Karter P
Initial
Merit
Sahib N
Grade 1
Merit
Diyan C
Grade 2
Merit
Devan S
Grade 3
Merit
Music lessons
If you wish to request music lessons for your child or add them to the waiting list for music lessons, please complete this form to register.
Lesson spaces are currently available for September 2022 in singing, trumpet and flute for students who are not currently learning another instrument in school.
Farewells to Pupil And Staff Leavers
As another academic year draws to a close, we wish a fond farewell to our pupil and staff leavers. You have all played a big part in the life of St. Helen's College and you will be greatly missed. We wish you every success and happiness in the future and hope that you will keep in touch and come back to visit us often.
Nursery Visit
Our Nursery classes visited Campbell Dentist on Friday 8th July.
Dr. Taank explained the importance of cleaning our teeth twice a day. We each had the opportunity to sit in the special chair while Dr. Taank checked our teeth with a special mirror. Whilst she checked we wore 'special glasses' so the light was not in our eyes. We promised Dr. Taank we would continue to look after our teeth and not eat too many sweet things.
Summer Reading Challenge
The theme for the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge is 'Gadgeteers'. We hope that you will encourage your children to take part in the challenge via your local library.
CRUK Relay for Life - This Saturday
Thank you to all parents, pupils and staff for your support with the CRUK fundraising events which have been taking place at school, including everyone dressing in pink and blue on Monday in support of Cancer Research.
At Upper School, Charlee G and Sienna D (Y4) made and sold bracelets and raised £53.70. The Year 5 children also held a very successful cake sale last week!
At Lower School, the children had the chance to 'soak the teacher' among other activities.
Our running total for CRUK fundraising is well over £2000, with more still to be collected and added from events within school.
We hope that many families will join us at the Relay for Life itself on Saturday 16th July at Harrow School. As well as raising vital funds for Cancer Research UK, the day is an opportunity to spend meaningful time with family and other members of the St. Helen's College community. You could sign up to join our team and/or just come along on 16th July. If you would like to sign up, simply follow THIS LINK, click on JOIN A TEAM and sign up using the details below. There is no fee to register.
Team Name : St Helen's College
Team password: SHC2022
It would be most helpful if those planning to attend could let Mrs. Stark know roughly what time of day you hope to arrive/leave the event. You can reach Mrs. Stark at tstark@sthelenscollege.com.
Snowdon Summit!
Congratulations to Yuvraj R (Year 2) and Sikhya R (Reception), who made it to the top of Snowdon on Saturday 9th July!
Over 600 fundraisers participated in the event, with Sikhya being one of the youngest.
They set off just before 8 a.m. to walk 17km up and down Mount Snowdon.
Yuvraj and Sikhya finished the hike by receiving medals which they proudly wore for the rest of the afternoon. Team Raikmo have raised around £2,550 for KhalsaAid so far - a tremendous achievement.
Posted on: 8/07/2022Weekly News - Friday 8th July 2022
National Maths Quiz Finals
On Monday, three pupils from Year 6 and one pupil from Year 4 went up to the Light Auditorium in central London to take part in the National Maths Quiz Finals. With only 10 questions left, they were sitting at the top of the leader board, but after a difficult following round they ended up finishing 4th overall. This was a fantastic achievement as they were competing against schools from all over the country. Huge congratulations to our team members: Aryan B, Zach F, Shruthi T and Zakariya M.
Ducklings Sports Day
On Friday afternoon, our Ducklings enjoyed their first ever Sports Day in the garden of All Saints Church. Cheered on by enthusiastic parents and staff, they demonstrated their fine and gross motor skills in a carousel of activities including aiming, throwing, jumping and running. The children were all rewarded with a certificate and rosette and we were rewarded with beautiful handshakes, thank yous and smiles! Congratulations to everyone for great effort and special congratulations to the Daddies for winning the ball over and under relay race.
CRUK Fundraising Events
This morning, all of the pupils in Upper School took part in a cross country run in Court Park to raise money for CRUK. They also enjoyed 'soak the teacher' and 'beat the goalie' and were especially delighted to be given an ice pop each at the end of the lunch break!
At Lower School, there has been a successful book sale this week and there are other charity events planned for Ducklings and Lower School on Monday.
Pupil v Staff Rounders
On Wednesday, our Year 6 pupils took on a staff team in a thrilling game of rounders at Court Park.
After two intensely competitive innings, pupils and staff were drawn with one win each. However, in the final game the staff managed to hold off the competition and the staff team once again left the field victorious. Congratulations to our Year 6 pupils who gave the staff three very enjoyable and fun games.
Thank you to all of the younger pupils who came along to support the teams!
Reception Trip to Whipsnade Zoo
Our Reception classes enjoyed a fantastic trip to Whipsnade Zoo at the end of last week. It was exciting to see so many African and Asian animals and learn all about what happens at waterholes in the African savanna. The train ride around the park on the Jumbo Express was lots of fun, as was the coach ride!
Year 1 Trip to Mad Bess Woods
Year 1 celebrated the end of the year in style at Mad Bess Woods. They thoroughly enjoyed the open space, where numerous activities such as cricket, skipping, football and bubble play took place. They then had fun exploring in the woods and visiting Albert and Rolo at the farm- Mrs. Hunt very nearly accidentally fell into Albert's water bucket- which made everyone laugh and gave her a very wet foot! A picnic lunch was relished in the garden and then a visit from the ice cream van.
We all agreed that it was a very exciting day. You can see more photographs of this trip on our Galleries page.
End of Term Arrangements
As we enter our final few days of term, here are a few reminders of arrangements.
Monday 11th July - Tog Day in aid of Cancer Research UK. Children should wear blue or pink and bring a donation for CRUK on the day.
Tuesday 12th July - Year 6 'Teacher for a Day'.
Tuesday 12th July - Year 6 Prizegiving and Drinks Reception (evening).
Wednesday 13th July - End of term (half day).
Collection times are:
11.50 a.m. Ducklings/Nursery
12.00 p.m. Reception
12.10 p.m. Year 1 and Year 2
12.20 p.m. Year 3 and Year 4
12.30 p.m. Year 5 and Year 6
Transition
Pupils from Nursery to Year 5 enjoyed visiting next year's classroom this week and meeting their teacher for next year. We have also now completed our programme of evening transition meetings for parents of children in Ducklings to Year 2. As usual, 'Meet The Teacher' evenings for parents of children in Years 3-6 will take place early in the autumn term on the following dates:
Thursday 8th September - Year 3 and Year 4
Tuesday 13th September - Year 5 and Year 6
Music: School Orchestra and Hillingdon Music School
The St. Helen's College Orchestra rehearses on Friday lunchtimes and is open to students in Years 4, 5 and 6. Students must be of Grade 1 standard and above on a string, woodwind or brass instrument. If your child is interested in joining the school orchestra next academic year please email Mrs. Fawbert at
cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com
Hillingdon Music School offers a variety of ensembles and bands for children to join which take place on a Saturday morning. Please find more information by following this link:
https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/7853/Music-School-and-Ensembles-programme
Uniform & Equipment
The uniform & equipment list for 2022-2023 is available on the School Documents page of the website.
The Parents' Association will be running a uniform stall in the staff car park outside Holiday Club on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st August from 12 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Grace O'H will also run a cake stall on these two days to raise money for charity.
Uniform donation bins will be left outside Holiday Club from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd July. If you have any unwanted uniform to pass on to the PA this would be very gratefully received.
Subscriptions
Just a reminder to all parents that the following publications for children are highly recommended if you do not already subscribe to them:
For ages 6 - 12:
National Geographic Kids
First News
The Week Junior
Brilliant Brainz
Britannica Magazine
For ages 2- 6:
Okido
Storybox
Art Over The Summer
Mrs. Pruce, our Head of Art, recommends the following art-based activities or day trips for families over the summer.
https://vangoghexpo.com/london/
https://mexicangeniuses.com/london/
Emma Collins art workshops for 6-13 year olds. Details are here.
Summer Tennis Camps
Once again, Wayfarers Tennis Club in Ickenham will be running their popular summer tennis camps. Mr. Stidder, who runs tennis clubs at St. Helen's College, runs these camps. Full details including dates and costs are here.
Autumn Term Menu and Co-Curricular Activities
The menu for the autumn term has been published to the School Documents page of the website.
Co-curricular activities for the autumn term will begin after the children have settled into their new year groups. Details will be sent out at the start of the autumn term, when you will be able to select your children's club preferences.
Posted on: 8/07/2022Slowing Down At The Campfire
Yesterday I had one of my final Mindfulness sessions with the Year 6 pupils and we discussed the importance of having ‘campfire time' to deal with the stresses of modern day living. Back in the days when humans had to go out hunting for food, our bodies were programmed for survival and that fight, flight or freeze reaction was a lifesaver - it enabled us to ‘act smart' without having to 'think smart' (which takes longer). Campfire time gave the hunters time to rest, relax and recover from a stressful day of hunting.
Modern stressors trigger mental activity rather than physical activity. Because of this, we do not tend to spend and burn up our stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Instead, these may end up getting stored in our bodies. They can accumulate over time and increase our baseline levels of stress, so that we may end up living our lives in a perpetual state of stress! This in turn may lead to more over-thinking and rumination. If this sounds familiar, you are definitely not alone.
As I discussed these ideas with the Year 6 pupils, there was a lot of nodding and agreement and they shared their thoughts with each other. They articulated where they wear their ‘stress signatures’ or how they feel ‘stress’ in their bodies, minds and actions. Our pupils are so astute and tuned into their minds and bodies that some of their responses in this session were incredibly moving.
Adults and children alike need that campfire time. As adults, we need to model healthy behaviours to our children, including being able to slow down and allow ourselves to rest, relax and recover.
I have been following Carl Honore for some time now and he is such an advocate of ‘slow’. His latest book, Bolder, certainly hits a note for me. In this, he attempts to eradicate the negativity surrounding ageing and argues for recognition of the positive aspects of ageing. I am now happily embracing my mid-fifties!
The last few weeks in any school are incredibly busy but here at St. Helen’s College our last few weeks have really packed a punch. Tonight I felt quite overwhelmed at what I still have to achieve in such a short space of time. I recognised this in my body as I reached for paracetamol for the headache I had been ignoring! But instead of popping the paracetamol I picked up a magazine which has been sitting on my desk for several weeks, flicked through it and chuckled as I savoured the Kids National Geographic! I slowed down and did something enjoyable, rested and read a short snippet about how music matters. Grooving along to funky music, singing, chilling and listening to music improves your mental wellbeing (we all know this but do we all do this enough?). I now admit to you all that the weekend before last I had a ‘Glastonbury’ weekend! No, I was not at Worthy Farm - but I danced around my living room on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and had the time of my life, so that by the time Monday came I felt rested, refreshed and ready for the week ahead!
So, what are you going to do for your campfire time - how will you slow down this weekend? Whatever you are doing, however you rest and recharge, value this time - it could be a lifesaver!
Happy weekend!
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 1/07/2022Weekly News - Friday 1st July 2022
Year 6 Musical Production - Singin' In The Rain Jr.
What an incredible evening last night, as our Year 6 leavers presented the first performance of their musical, Singin' In The Rain Jr., at The Compass Theatre in Ickenham, having spent this week at the theatre rehearsing on the stage there with their professional sound and lighting.
It is always magical to see the Year 6 children reach such heights of performance and musicality in their grand summer production, but it is true to say that we felt prouder than ever last night to see the strength of St. Helen's College drama following a disruptive two years of Covid lockdowns. The children's confidence and skill was truly astonishing!
Drama has always played a huge part in life at St. Helen's College and these children have performed regularly on stage since Nursery, including class assemblies, speech and singing competitions, music concerts and, of course, major productions in several year groups. So it is no surprise that there was some very accomplished acting, singing and dancing on display and the audience were very appreciative of the children's efforts. The pupils are performing a Friday matinee and another evening show tonight too, before they enjoy their after-play party to celebrate their achievements.
Well done, Year 6, you have worked so hard on this show and you have created memories to last a lifetime. We would like, also, to thank all of the staff and ex-pupils who have helped in so many ways to prepare for and stage this production.
Cancer Research UK Fundraising
We would like to remind parents that Monday 11th July will be a tog day in aid of Cancer Research UK. Children may wear blue or pink, the Cancer Research colours, and are asked to bring a donation on the day.
There will be several fundraising events for different year groups as we near the end of term and children will be permitted to bring money to school in order to take part in these. Class teachers will be sending out details of these.
We hope that many families will join us at the Relay for Life itself on Saturday 16th July at Harrow School. As well as raising vital funds for Cancer Research UK, the day is an opportunity to spend meaningful time with family and other members of the St. Helen's College community. Please do sign up to join our team and come along on 16th July. Simply follow THIS LINK, click on JOIN A TEAM and sign up using the details below. There is no fee to register.
Team Name : St Helen's College
Team password: SHC2022
iArt
Mrs. Pruce, our Head of Art, was delighted to be invited to attend the IAPS iArt awards ceremony on Monday evening in her capacity as Subject Leader for IAPS. Families travelled from as far away as Kenya to attend the occasion, which was set in the beautiful St. Ethelburga's centre in Bishopsgate.
The standard of artwork entered this year was incredible as you can see from these pieces, produced by prep school students in Years 5-8.
We have such wonderful artists at St. Helen's College so we are hopeful that next year we may be winners too!
RSPCA Young Photographer Awards
Budding young photographers might be interested in entering the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, which are open for entry until 16th August for anyone aged 18 or under. Further details are available here.
.begin Mindfulness Course for Adults
The Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) will soon be running another eight week course for adults, to increase understanding of Mindfulness and wellbeing. Benefits include reducing stress, an improved ability to manage thoughts and behaviour, an increase in coping skills and motivation and an increase in self-compassion.
The course, called .begin, is delivered via Zoom in 90 minute sessions over eight weeks, and is led by a highly experience MiSP instructor. If you are interested in this course, you can find full details at the link below.
https://mindfulnessinschools.org/begin-eight-week-mindfulness-course/?mc_cid=7846ab6f46&mc_eid=dc4c85d2ac
Online Safety
As the school year draws to a close, we would like to remind you once again of the importance of keeping your children safe when they are online. Some may feel that their child is too young for them to be concerned with such issues. However, in our technology-filled world, it is becoming increasingly necessary to equip both yourself and your child with the skills needed to enjoy age appropriate online activity and stay safe whilst doing so.
As a school we have a long association with Paul Hay, who regularly provides sessions for pupils, staff and parents. His informative presentation can be accessed via this link. In addition, we are members of National Online Safety and, as part of our parent body, you have free access to this. Please take another look at their site or join up if you have yet to do so. We feel certain that you will find the site very useful.
Below are some specific links that you may find particularly helpful.
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/hub/view/webinar/understanding-age-ratings
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/hub/view/course/os-for-parents-3-7
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/hub/view/course/os-for-parents-7-11
Please do not hesitate to contact the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads, Mrs. Hunt or Mr. McLaughlin if you have any questions.
Uniform/Equipment List 2022-2023
The updated uniform/equipment list for 2022-2023 has been posted to the website and is available here. Please note one significant change: the introduction of a new, improved senior tracksuit which is to be worn by children in Years 3-6.
As usual, we ask that you check your child's uniform and equipment over the summer holidays and ensure that everything fits and is clean and in good repair before the start of the new academic year.
Registrations for Ducklings or Nursery Entry in September 2023
Although September 2023 seems a long way off, our admissions processes begin approximately one year in advance of entry. Therefore, if you have a child born after 1st September 2019 and you would like them to join Ducklings or Nursery in September 2023 or September 2024, please ensure that you register them as soon as possible. Siblings get priority for places but we do need them to be registered in order for them to be included in the admissions process. The registration form is here.
In addition, if you have friends or family with children in these age groups, please urge them not to leave it too late to apply! Every year we have disappointed families who have left it too late and to whom we are unable to offer a place for Early Years entry. Many thanks for your support with this.
Our next Open Morning for prospective parents will be in mid-October. We will advertise this when we return to school in September.
PlayDay at Hillingdon Athletics Track
Hillingdon Council will be running a Playday Event at Hillingdon Athletics Track on 3rd August from 10.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m. This is a free event for children aged 0-10 years old and there will be a range of activities including:
- soft play, bouncy castle, arts and crafts, story time, a puppet show and much more for the under 5s and
- inflatable slide, bouncy castle, BMX, football shootout and much more for children from 5 to 10 years.
Parents are welcome to bring a picnic or food and refreshments will be available to purchase at the leisure centre too. There is information on the flyer here.
Posted on: 24/06/2022Weekly News - Friday 24th June 2022
Year 1 and 2 Summer Plays
Wow! We were treated to first class performances at The Compass Theatre this week when our Year 1 and Year 2 classes took to the stage to perform their summer plays to parents, pupils and friends.
Year 1 performed 'Stella The Starfish', a colourful production in which they took us on a tour of the ocean, sharing some very interesting facts about our seas and acting their parts beautifully. There were clownfish, rainbow fish, seaweed characters, a shark and a snapping turtle as well as the human characters and, of course, the starfish. The Year 1 children sang their songs beautifully and with meaning, and there were even some solos. From children so young, this was a very impressive production indeed.
Year 2's play was 'The Emerald Crown', all about the destruction of the rainforest. The children presented their important message with skill and tunefulness, performing solo and small group numbers as well as the whole cast song performances. There was some accomplished acting and beautifully clear speaking and it was obvious that they relished the opportunity to perform on stage in a real theatre.
Very well done to all those involved.
Mrs. Belvoir was joined by her family at her last St. Helen’s College production yesterday as Year 2 performed.
Mrs. Belvoir’s contributions to the drama and musicality of the school will be sorely missed after her 22 years of commitment. Both her children Alice and Harry attended St. Helen’s College and the family were very proud to support Mrs. Belvoir yesterday.
PA Summer Fete
The summer fete last Saturday was such a wonderful community event and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the PA for all of their hard work in organising it, and to all of the parents, pupils and staff who attended, ran stalls and performed on the day.
There was a charity fundraising aspect to some of the stalls at the fete and the following funds were raised on the day.
Ukraine appeal: £146.60
GOSH stall: £132.69
CRUK donations: £77.04.
Year 6 Play - 'Singin' In The Rain Jr.'
Next week, our Year 6 leavers will perform their grand musical production, Singin' In The Rain Jr., at The Compass Theatre. Performances will take place on:
Thursday 30th June (7.30 p.m.)
Friday 1st July (2.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.)
If you would like to buy tickets, the booking link is here. Parents will be permitted to take children out of school for the Friday matinee performance if they would like to do so.
Year 4 Swimming Week
Our Year 4 children have enjoyed an intensive week of swimming at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex this week and it has been super to see the development of their technique and confidence in the water.
Morning Meditation
Arshia in 5A led the Upper School in a beautiful meditation practice called 'Be the Pond' this morning. You may wish to try the practice yourself - see below.
First let's be comfortable. You can sit on the floor with crossed legs or if you prefer you can sit on a chair. If you are sitting on a chair, sit tall with your feet on the floor and your shoulders relaxed. If you want you can close your eyes.
Take deep breaths in from your nose and out from your mouth. We will do this three times. After these nice deep breaths you should feel calm and relaxed.
I would like you to imagine that you and your mind is a big pond. In the pond there are many fish which are your feelings, all swimming around together. There is a happy fish, a sad fish, a sleepy fish, an excited fish, an angry fish, a worried fish, a playful fish, a calm fish, a kind fish and a selfish fish. There are so many fish which are your feelings.
All of them are swimming around the pond. We are here to observe our feelings and be the pond. It is wonderful being the pond. You be the pond and let the fish be the fish.
Sometimes you can become the fish, the angry fish and you will hurt somebody. Stop and convert your mind back to being the pond. You do not need to do anything else but just be the pond.
See if you can let the fishes, your feelings pass by without you losing your focus.
Just be the pond.
Slowly we open our eyes and come back to the here and now.
Marvellous Moneyboxes!
Thank you to all of the parents who have helped children to create their marvellous money boxes and collect spare coins for Cancer Research UK. You can see some of their creations here.
The total raised so far through the money box scheme across all three sites is almost £1900! Thank you to you all for these generous donations.
We would like to remind you all that the St. Helen's College community is supporting Cancer Research's Relay For Life. We encourage pupils, parents and staff to join our team and to attend the Relay itself which will take place on Saturday 16th July at Harrow School. This is a 24 hour event but you can come for as long or short a time as suits you. Our team and others will walk the track in relay throughout this time to show that cancer never sleeps, and nor does the fight against it.
We encourage you also to dedicate a candle of hope. Details are here. It is one of the most poignant moments at the Relay for Life when lit candles are placed around the track as night begins to fall. Everyone is invited to dedicate a candle to someone no longer with us, a friend or family member living with cancer, a loved one who has survived, or perhaps as hope for the future - a world where all cancers are cured.
There is also a link here if you would like to make a donation to the St. Helen's College team.
There will be a tog day at school on Monday 11th July in support of CRUK. Children are encouraged to wear the Cancer Research UK colours of pink and blue, and to make a donation. Further details will be provided nearer the time.
We thank you all for your support.
Cookery Club
The children of the Upper School Cookery Club had a great time in their last session yesterday when they made spring rolls. They have certainly become budding young chefs during the course of the term!
Reverend Sarah Smith
We are sending Rev. Smith (Mrs. Smith, 3B) our best wishes this weekend as today is her last day as a Deacon. Tomorrow she will be ordained as a Priest at St. Mary's Church, Aylesbury. As Rev. Smith prepares for this major event in her life she has been listening to Andre Rieu - I Will Follow Him - such a beautiful composition and one which reflects Rev. Smith's strong faith.
Sparks Summer Shoots
Some of the St. Helen's College children have enjoyed workshops from Sparks this year. The company is running summer camps this summer, where children produce their own movie production in a five day workshop. Children devise an original storyline, direct their scenes, shoot their shots, crew their set, star in their movie and edit it too. At the end of the week, they share their work with family in a special presentation and later celebrate with a red carpet premiere event too. There are spaces for ages 5-18.
Further information can be found here:
https://www.sparksarts.co.uk/product/summer-shoots-2020/
Sports Summer Camps
Thames Valley Cavaliers Basketball Club and Blaze Netball Club are also running summer camps. Details can be found here:
Thames Valley Cavaliers Basketball Club
Blaze Netball Club 1
Blaze Netball Club 2
Posted on: 21/06/2022Tradition by Mrs. Crehan
Mr Crehan and I attended a very successful Sports Day on Friday. At the final ceremony Mrs Drummond unexpectedly asked if I would like to say something to the gathering. Observant parents will have noticed the slight tussle between Mr Crehan and myself - he is always so good at the on-the-spot speeches whereas I would rather think it through beforehand and this is why I will frequently sing my speeches at weddings/ events and also at the end of term to the leaving teachers - I prefer to have time to think it all through and consider my words (often rhyming!)
I woke up in the early hours of the morning and realised that I did have something I'd like to say on the subject of this year's Prep Sports Day but I wasn't ready to say it on the day, so here it is in a blog! ( Not a song on this occasion.)
I go back a long way in St.Helen's history. I was 11 years old when we moved in to Cambria to live when my mother, Mrs Evans, took over the school from Mrs Hempstead, who was the 2nd head teacher in its history. I have been associated with St. Helen's for 52 years of its 98 years. ( Any ideas for how to celebrate our centenary in 2 years time gratefully appreciated!)
So 52 years ago St.Helen's Sports Day took place in the grounds of Oak Farm, exactly where our Lower School buildings stand today. We had 60 metre tracks painted out and the races were sprints, slow bicycle ( where you try to be last to cross the line by wobbling slowly on your bicycle), egg and spoon, sack race and dressing up race where you put on various items of clothing and then race to the finish. I don't think there were any field events.
Going back as far as I do, I am aware of tradition and not losing some of the things from the past that we have valued at St. Helen's, perhaps for sentimental reasons, while obviously embracing things that are clearly beneficial to the children and the school.
This Sports Day was very different under the sports leadership of Mr. Harrington; it was a great improvement on the distant past and even on the more recent past. It was fantastic that every child got the opportunity to try every field event, as well as timing each child individually in their sprints so that the finals were fairly raced against the fastest children in the afternoon. The all day format and the huge help offered by the Year 9 ex-St.Helen's children meant that the day was reasonably relaxed for the staff, and hopefully the parents enjoyed the opportunity to follow their children around the stadium followed by a picnic lunch with their family.
There were many other changes; the most memorable was the whole school relay with every child running in short bursts, governed by a flag being waved Grand Prix style by a staff member.
So this was clearly a great improvement on the Sports Days of 50 years ago but there is something that hasn't changed underlying the day; mainly the strong values demonstrated, but also the attention to detail and the meticulous organization.
There is something special about the essence of St.Helen's which has been handed down through the generations and is still very tangible today - the DNA that also brought so many ex- pupils back to our school fete.
A unique factor from St. Helen's history is that there have been only 5 sets of heads ( sets in that two sisters founded the school and then Mr Crehan and I led the school together) in almost a century and each head has chosen their own successor according to their values and the direction they want for the school. This will have led to a strong unison of purpose over the years, which is still imbued by every teacher and pupil.
Just as the baton is passed on in a school relay each pupil needs to hold on to the core essence of St. Helen's and then pass it on to the next generation of pupils to preserve for hopefully our next few hundred years!
Our unique DNA is our firm foundation on which we build the future, and St.Helen's is very forward- thinking in every area of the curriculum.
Aren't you glad I didn't say or sing all this at the end of a baking hot Sports Day?
'It ain't what we do, it's the way that we do it!'
Mrs Crehan
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