School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 24/03/2023End of Term News - Friday 24th March 2023
Our Easter service at All Saints Church this morning was a fitting and meaningful way to end what has been a busy and mindful spring term. Thank you to all of the parents who came, to the choirs who performed so beautifully and to our Year 6 readers who read the lessons to us all with mature understanding and great clarity.
Happy Easter to you all.
Speech Recitations and Competitions
On Monday our Nursery and Reception children recited the poems they had learnt to a willing audience of their parents. It is always quite astonishing to see children so young prepared to stand up individually (or in some cases with a friend) to speak in public. The pupils did well and we are very proud of them all.
Thursday saw the grand finals of our annual Speech Competition at Upper School. In the morning, the finalists for Years 1 to 3 performed for parents and their peers and in the afternoon it was the turn of the finalists in Years 4 to 6. Our visiting judge, actress Genevieve Allenbury, was extremely impressed at the standard of the competition and chose the following children as winners:
1C: Phoebe A-C, 1R: Sikhya R
Year 1 Winner: Sikhya R
2H: Eleanor G, 2R: Ivaan M
Year 2 Winner: Eleanor G
3B: Armaan V, 3M: Gurdaya J
Year 3 Winner: Gurdaya J
Overall Junior Speech Competition Champion: Eleanor G
4L: Avar D, 4T: Aarav C
Year 4 Winner: Aarav C
5A: Verity S, 5G Sienna D
Year 5 Winner: Sienna D
6B: Lavanya B, 6R: Ayla A
Year 6 Winner: Lavanya B
Overall Senior Speech Competition Champion: Aarav C
Many, many congratulations to our finalists and our winners. This is the culmination of a competition in which every child from Year 1 to Year 6 has taken part and, as ever, it has been a most valuable experience for all. Thank you to the parents who came to watch the finals and a big thank you to Genevieve Allenbury for visiting us to take on the extremely tricky job of judging the competition.
Singing Competition
The final of our annual Singing Competition will take place on 19th May. You can find full details and a form to register your child's entry here.
Reception Planetarium Visit
The children in Reception were treated to a visit from a travelling Planetarium on Thursday to enhance their learning for their Space topic. They were able to enter a world of planets and fully immerse themselves in what it would be like to travel through space!
Year 5 Bletchley Park Trip
Year 5 visited Bletchley Park this week, where they learnt about the development of electronic computers and the importance of code breaking in bringing World War 2 to an end. They learnt that the work carried out was kept secret for many years after the war and saw where now famous people such as Alan Turing worked, helped by still unknown code breakers. The children saw Enigma machines from the war and were able to engage with simulations of them and the Bombe code breaking machine. This was a valuable, enriching educational experience for the pupils and much enjoyed by all.
Sports News
Our cross country team took part in the UDPSSA inter schools cross country event on Monday. The children performed excellently in the wet and windy conditions. Thank you to all of the parents who came to support the teams and a particular well done to Anna K who came 4th out of the girls, just missing out on the bronze medal.
On Tuesday the Year 5/6 netball team played Laurel Lane School in their last league netball match of the season. The team had a bit of a slow start scoring goals but finished up with a 10-1 win. The girls demonstrated all of the skills they have been working on during training: marking their players, changing direction, accurate passing and some fantastic shooting!
A significant number of children from St. Helen’s College attended the UK Shito Ryu karate tournament with KML Karate Club over the weekend and did exceptionally well. These competitions provide an excellent platform for the children to get selected for the national team and ultimately represent GB at the future Olympics.
The following children competed and placed.
Myla K - Gold kickmaster
Inaya S- Bronze
Poppy H - Bronze Kata
Myla K, Inaya S, Nya O-A - Gold team fighting
Aleya S, Freya K - Gold team fighting
Freya K - Gold Kickmaster
Aleya S - Silver fighting
Naiya L - Bronze fighting
Nya O-A - Gold fighting
Several others attended and did exceptionally well. Overall the club won 20 titles and came 4th out of 25 teams overall. Myla, Inaya, Freya and Aleya are also attending the British national karate championships next week in Glasgow. We wish them well!
PA Easter Egg Raffles
Thank you to the Parents' Association for the donation of eggs and 'Duckling' which were excitedly raffled in assemblies today. We hope the winners enjoy their prizes!
Comic Relief Fundraising
We would like to thank all of the parents, pupils and staff who pulled together to support Comic Relief both inside and outside of school. St. Helen's College raised £676.00 in total for Comic Relief this year.
Residential Trip Meetings
As we look ahead to a busy summer term, we have held information evenings this week for our Year 3 and Year 5 parents ahead of the residential trips to PACCAR Scout Camp (Year 3) and The Isle of Wight (Year 5). Information evenings for the Year 4 and Year 6 residential trips will take place early in the summer term.
Summer Term Reminders
Please check the school calendar to make note of dates relevant to your child for next term. There are plays, assemblies, Sports Days and more!
The menu for the summer term is now available on the website here.
Children should return to school for the summer term in their summer uniform: girls should wear their summer dress with white socks (never with tights). Please take the opportunity over the holidays to check that your child has all the correct uniform and equipment and that it is all in good condition and named. The PA will be holding a second hand uniform sale outside the school entrance on Parkway on 31st March.
Co-curricular allocations for the summer term were sent to parents this week. If you have not already done so, please make any payments due promptly.
Free Basketball Tickets
The Thames Valley Cavaliers basketball team will play host to Loughborough Riders this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Uxbridge College and then Reading Rockets next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Once again, St. Helen's College pupils are invited to attend these games for free. You can find information about both games here.
Posted on: 17/03/2023Weekly News - Friday 17th March 2023
Exhibition Day
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you all to our Exhibition Day tomorrow, from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. Children should all attend in full, smart school uniform and will be proud to show you around the school and let you see their work. Please take the opportunity to visit (or re-visit) other parts of the school to see the excellent work going on throughout! Your children will love to look forward to what to expect as they move up through the school, and will also enjoy reminiscing by visiting their previous year groups.
Parking can be tricky for whole school events and so we encourage parents to walk from home or to park away from the school and walk the last part of your journey if possible. Please be sure to follow the school parking regulations and, in particular, do not park in the church car parks outside Ducklings or Lower School and do not park across neighbours' driveways.
When walking between the school sites on Exhibition Day with your children, please set the right example by using the designated pedestrian crossings on Long Lane.
At Upper School, there will be an 'eco trail', as part of which our Junior Travel Ambassadors will be promoting the Parent Parking Pledge. Please be sure to visit them and sign up. The Maxwell Garden will also be open for you to visit. There is a pond in the Maxwell Garden and children must not enter this area without an adult supervising them closely.
We look forward to gathering the whole community together for this special day.
Online Safety Workshops (Pupils and Parents)
On Monday we welcomed ECP (Education Child Protection) into St. Helen's College to run workshops with all children from Reception to Year 6. They covered a wide range of important topics around the 4 Cs of online risk: content, contact, conduct and commerce. The children learnt about how to stay safe online at an age-appropriate level and where to go if they have any problems. This followed on from a staff training session in January and was followed by an online evening session for our parents to run through the parental responsibilities to be aware of in our connected world.
House Talent Show
Congratulations to all of the children who performed in our House Talent Show this week in Thursday morning's house assemblies. The final of the show will take place next term so the chosen finalists should keep practising those talents!
Chess Club Tournament
This week we reached the conclusion of our school Chess Club tournament. As usual, it was a fun and exciting process and it has resulted in a new champion: Zakariya Mi (Year 5). Zakariya won all his games but one and is now the proud holder of our Chess Trophy!
Congratulations to Zakariya and to all of the Year 5/6 Chess Club pupils who participated.
Year 6 Junior Citizenship Visit
Monday saw our Year 6 pupils visit Brunel University for the annual Hillingdon Junior Citizens event. They participated in short, informative workshops from the RNLI, Bikeabilility, TfL, the NHS, the London Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan Police and more. All of the sessions were aimed at helping to make the transition to senior schools as smooth as possible and equipping the children with extra knowledge to be confident in how to keep safe as they embrace greater independence.
General Knowledge
On Tuesday, four teams of children took part in the Quiz Club Online General Knowledge Quiz.
The teams enjoyed themselves and did very well, competing against 75 other teams from all across the UK. The St. Helen's College teams finished at places 14, 18, 31 and 39 and this means that two of our teams will be competing in the semi-finals.
Well done to the children who took part:
Aadhya M, Aakash B, Armaan V, Shayna C, Mona C, Parisa S (Year 3)
Aaryav K, Ayush A, Rohan F (Year 4)
Anika C, Eva J, Roha K, Tiya T (Year 5)
Yousra M, Annabelle S, Arshvir S (Year 6)
Congratulations are also due to Jacob N (Year 6) who ranked 34th in the SATIPS national general knowledge competition.
Comic Relief Day
Today we all wore red to school and spent the morning supporting Comic Relief. Children in classes from Reception to Year 6 took part in a quiz designed by our charity representatives and many jokes were also shared throughout the school! Thank you so much to parents, pupils and staff for embracing the day and for the many generous donations to Comic Relief. It is not too late to donate via our JustGiving page:
St. Helen's College Comic Relief JustGiving Page.
Sports News
Our Year 5/6 netball team took part in a tournament at Reddiford School on Thursday afternoon. The girls had a super time and finished second overall after winning two of their matches and losing two. Well done to those who played.
The football team drew 0-0 on Wednesday in a tricky game against Laurel Lane.
Charity Work
Well done to Amara B (3M), who took the brave step of having her long hair cut off this week in order to donate it to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides wigs made from real hair to children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment or other illnesses. Amara has also raised a significant amount of money for the cause by asking friends and family to donate to support the charity's work. Every penny raised will go towards providing wigs for children and young people helping to boost their self-confidence and make a positive difference in their lives.
It is always super to see members of the St. Helen's College community putting school values into action in the wider world. We are very proud of you Amara!
Big Spring Clean
Today is the launch of the Big Spring Clean 2023. India and Shriya have written this piece to explain:
Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean
Pledge to pick up a bag of litter - or more - from Friday 17th March till Friday 2nd April.
It's been eight years since the first Great British Spring Clean! And this year it is taking place from the 17th of March to the 2nd of April.This is the nation's biggest mass-action environmental campaign. They took a survey of people who took part last year, and the results are: 85% felt more pride in their local area and 74% said it improved their mood too.
If you want to protect our environment our school is letting all of the students of St. Helen's College help to keep our school clean.
Equipment:
Litter Picker
Gloves
Bin Bag
Hand Sanitiser (optional)
REPORTING YOUR RESULTS:
When you join the Great British Spring Clean, you become one of hundreds of thousands of #LitterHeroes on a collective mission to improve the environment. We need everyone who takes part to tell us how much they collected, what kind of litter is out there, and how it felt to take part. This will help us tell the story of the scale of the challenge and advocate for change.
Become a #LitterHero today!
Poetry Recital - Nursery and Reception
The Nursery and Reception children will be reciting their poems for parents on Monday morning (20th March). You are warmly invited to hear your child(ren) perform. Coffee will be served in the Lower School Hall from 8.15 a.m. and parents will then be escorted to classrooms to hear the recitals.
Speech Competition - Years 1 to 6
Parents of finalists have been invited to attend our Speech Competition on Thursday 23rd March. The Year 1 - 3 final will take place at 9.00 a.m. and the Year 4 - 6 final at 2.00 p.m.
End of Term and Easter Service
All parents of children in Year 2 to Year 6 are invited to join us for our Easter Service on Friday 24th March at All Saints Church at 11.00 a.m.
Please note the dismissal times on the last day of term:
Ducklings and Nursery 11.50 a.m.
Reception 12.00 p.m.
Year 1 and Year 2 12.10 p.m.
Year 3 and Year 4 12.20 p.m.
Year 5 and Year 6 12.30 p.m.
Funtasia will be running on the last day of term and can be booked through SchoolsBuddy as usual if required.
Co-Curriculum: Summer Term
Allocations of co-curriculum clubs will be sent to parents during the final week of term. Please make any payments due promptly to confirm your child's place.
Easter Holiday Club
Our Easter Holiday Club will run from Monday 27th March until Friday 14th April, excluding Good Friday (7th April) and Easter Monday (10th April). Bookings are now open. Please login to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings.
PA Quiz Night
The PA hosted a quiz night at The White Bear in Ruislip on Tuesday evening which was well attended and great fun! Congratulations to the winning team.
Second Hand Uniform Sale
The PA will be selling second hand school uniform on Friday 31st March outside the school entrance on Parkway. Please donate any items you no longer need which are still in good condition - donation bins will be placed outside the Upper and Lower School entrances for the last two weeks of term. Thank you for your support.
Posted on: 17/03/2023Talent Versus Skill
Talent is God gifted ability, whereas skill is an ability in which you put your time and efforts to develop.
It is with this interesting definition of ‘talent’ that I reflect on this week at St. Helen’s College. Many of you with pupils in the Upper School will be aware that the children have been participating in the inaugural House Talent Competition. We have been thoroughly impressed and entertained by all of the pupils who have entered an act to represent their Houses: Caledonia, Cambria, Hibernia or Windsor.
The entries were very varied and as I moved between each house assembly I was fortunate enough to enjoy many superb performances. From Grade 6 pianists to our Grade 1 violinists, singers galore, magic acts, ventriloquism, gymnasts, a church bell ringer, comedy acts, poetry, naming world flags,pieces of artwork…I could continue! What is apparent is that there is such a passion for the children to share their interests, hobbies, skills and talents.
This leads me on to tomorrow when we will host the school’s first Exhibition Day since pre-covid days. We are very excited to showcase our pupils’ work tomorrow and look forward to you all touring the school with your children, reflecting on their accomplishments and looking forward to what lies ahead as you visit the other classrooms and school sites.
Your children have worked so hard all year to develop their skills and talents, not only across the curriculum but in the enriched co-curriculum which we offer. We pride ourselves in both nurturing talent and supporting the development of skill.
The debate surrounding talent versus skill and which might be most important will undoubtedly continue and much has already been written on this topic. However, I believe that there are some key differences between talent and skill:
The term talent refers to an inborn, special ability of a person to do something. A skill is an expertise which is acquired by the person by learning.
Talent is God gifted ability, whereas skill is an ability in which you put your time and efforts to develop.
Talent is often possessed by a limited number of people. On the other hand, any person can learn a particular skill, if (s)he has the capacity, capability, and willingness.
Talent can be hidden which is why it needs recognition. As opposed to Skill, it requires development, which can only be possible through practice.
Coaching may prove helpful in getting the best out of someone i.e. talent. Conversely, training is necessary for acquiring a skill, to put your best into something useful.
You may have your own views and opinions on this and I am linking to an article for those of you who wish to read more on the talent v. skill debate:
Talent Vs Skill:Which Matters More in the Pursuit of Mastery?
You have invested for your child to attend St. Helen’s College and I do hope that one day when they have left school they will look back and remember their school days as the happiest and most memorable days of their lives. The children will not remember ‘how’ they made progress but it is with such a sense of pride and privilege that we are able to support your children to nurture and strengthen their ‘talents’ and assist them in developing their ‘skills’ to enable them to thrive and flourish. Let us celebrate their journey and support them with the high and lows!
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow to celebrate our wonderful community!
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 10/03/2023Weekly News - Friday 10th March 2023
Year 3 Visit Kew Gardens
The Year 3 children went to Kew Gardens on Monday as part of their science topic 'Plants'. They had the opportunity to take part in a workshop which involved looking at plants under a microscope, sketching different types of leaves, sorting seeds according to the way they are dispersed and matching seeds to their plants. The pupils then took their learning outdoors and were able to identify and collect different parts of a flower.
The children thoroughly enjoyed these activities before having a well earned lunch break and play in the Children's Garden. They then took a trip to the Beehive where they were able to hear what it would be like to be a bee busy at work, followed by a walk around the Palm Glasshouse where they saw many plants from around the world including the 'Smelly Foot Plant'. All of the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were able to bring their learning back to school on Tuesday for the Year 3 Science Day. Thank you to the parent helpers who supported us on the day.
Speech Competition Semi-Finals Complete
All of the finalists have now been chosen for this year's Speech Competitions which are to take place on Thursday 23rd March at the following times:
9.00 a.m. Years 1-3
2.00 p.m. Years 4-6
Parents of the selected finalists will be contacted directly to be invited to attend the finals. Our guest judge for this year's competition is the actress Genevieve Allenbury.
Parents of children in Nursery and Reception will also be invited to watch our Early Years children perform their poems at their Speech Recitation on the morning of Monday 20th March. Further details will be sent by class teachers.
House Talent Show
The first round of our House Talent Show took place on Monday, with children from Caledonia, Cambria, Hibernia and Windsor performing their talents to the other children in their house. We enjoyed gymastic displays, singing, artwork, magic tricks and more!
The next round will take place on 16th March and the final is on 20th March, so do encourage your children to keep practising their talents!
1R Class Assembly
We were so proud of the children of 1R on Thursday morning when they presented their class assembly all about the St. Helen's College values. They talked to us about friendliness, patience, perseverance and kindness and explained how we can all show these qualities in our everyday lives. They also told us all about Walt Disney and how he had to persevere in order to get his animated films to the screen and make such a difference to so many lives. Every child spoke clearly, with understanding, great projection and expression and the three upbeat songs were meaningful and fun and beautifully performed by all. This was a super assembly which left the audience smiling and warm inside despite the cold, rainy weather outdoors! Well done, 1R.
5G Class Assembly
5G presented an informative and lively assembly today in which they told us all about the history of dance. They performed several dances for us and there was even a 'Strictly Come Dancing' style dance off. We were all encouraged to think about how dance can be good for our well-being.
Ballet Opportunity
Mrs. Nash, our peripatetic violin teacher, will be playing in the orchestra for Cinderella at The Royal Albert Hall. This is wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy dance. Tickets are available on the link below
https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2023/cinderella/
Comic Relief Day and Exhibition Day
On Friday 17th March the school will be taking part in Comic Relief Day.
The children should come to school on Friday 17th wearing something red. They may wear a red nose if they have one (although please note that these are NOT being sold at school). Pupils can either bring in a suggested £2 donation or contribute through the St. Helen's College Comic Relief JustGiving Page.
During the day there will be a general knowledge quiz for children in Reception to Year 6, designed by pupil Charity Reps, and children will be invited to share funny jokes with their class.
Friday 17th March is a half day to allow the school to prepare for Exhibition Day which takes place on Saturday 18th March. On Friday 17th, there is no Funtasia and children should be collected at the following times:
Ducklings and Nursery 11.50 a.m.
Reception 12.00 p.m.
Year 1 and Year 2 12.10 p.m.
Year 3 and Year 4 12.20 p.m.
Year 5 and Year 6 12.30 p.m.
Children (in full, smart school uniform) and parents should attend Exhibition Day between 10.00 a.m. and 12.00 p.m. on Saturday 18th March. Additional family members are welcome to join us to see the school and the children's work.
Sports News
Last Friday the Year 5 girls took part in a netball fixture v Highgate at home. All of the pupils displayed excellent character skills from start to finish and it was great to see them play some excellent netball and display a fantastic sporting attitude towards the opposing team. Most importantly it was lovely to see the smiles on their faces and witness them making significant progress.
Sadly the fixtures on Wednesday and Thursday this week were cancelled due to the inclement weather.
Today St. Helen's College took part in a seven-a-side football tournament at John Lyon School in Harrow. This was a very enjoyable event which gave our pupils the chance to test themselves against some very good opposition and enhance their skills and team play.
Co-Curricular Bookings Reminder
The co-curricular programme for the summer term was published last week and the deadline for submitting your child's selections is midnight on Sunday 12th March. If you have not already done so, please discuss the programme with your child and then login to your SchoolsBuddy account to state their preferences. Please only select clubs in which your child has a genuine interest.
PA Quiz Night
The Parents' Association are hosting a quiz night on Tuesday 14th March at The White Bear in Ruislip. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the quizzing starting at 7.45 p.m.
There will be a prize for each person in the winning team. Raffle tickets will also be available to buy on the night so even if you don't win the quiz, you might still be able to win a prize.
Parents, school staff, friends and relatives are all welcome to put a team together (as long as they're over 18).
End of Term Arrangements
All parents of children in Year 2 to Year 6 are invited to join us for our Easter Service on Friday 24th March at All Saints Church at 11.00 a.m.
Please note the dismissal times on the last day of term:
Ducklings and Nursery 11.50 a.m.
Reception 12.00 p.m.
Year 1 and Year 2 12.10 p.m.
Year 3 and Year 4 12.20 p.m.
Year 5 and Year 6 12.30 p.m.
Funtasia will be running on the last day of term and can be booked through SchoolsBuddy as usual if required.
Easter Holiday Club
Our Easter Holiday Club will run from Monday 27th March until Friday 14th April, excluding Good Friday (7th April) and Easter Monday (10th April). Bookings are now open. Please login to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings.
Thames Valley Cavaliers - Free Tickets
Once again, Thames Valley Cavaliers are offering free tickets to St. Helen's College pupils for their double header game this weekend at Uxbridge College. You can find full details here.
TVC are also offering a basketball holiday camp at Uxbridge College over the Easter holidays, from 3rd to 6th April. Details are here.
Rainbow Recipe Cards - March
For those parents who enjoy cooking with your children, you can find our red-themed 'Eat The Rainbow' recipe cards for March here.
Easter Holiday Swimming Courses
Hillingdon Leisure Complex are running swimming courses over the Easter holidays. If you are interested in these for your child you can find details here.
Posted on: 3/03/2023Weekly News - Friday 3rd March 2023
Year 3 Play - Oh What A Knight!
The children of Year 3 really demonstrated how to put on a show this week with their performance of Oh What A Knight! at The Compass Theatre in Ickenham.
This was an accomplished production, filled with humour and music and some wonderful acting. There were impressive solo and small group songs as well as large ensemble numbers and the children's stagecraft was quite something with choreographed dancing, magic tricks and even some sword fighting.
The Year 1 and Year 2 children enjoyed watching the dress rehearsal on Thursday morning and the play was performed for parents on Thursday evening. Both audiences were thoroughly entertained and very impressed! It was clear to see how very much the Year 3 children enjoyed performing the show and it was obvious how much their acting, singing and public speaking skills have been enhanced by working towards this performance.
Very, very well done Year 3. What a night it was!
World Book Day
Today we celebrated World Book Day throughout the school with a 'bedtime stories' theme. Pupils and staff dressed in bedtime clothing and we enjoyed sharing our favourite stories with each other. There was a special World of Books theme to the lunch service and classes enjoyed a 'bedtime story' at the end of the day.
6R presented a World Book Day assembly all about the joys and benefits associated with reading. They included a song themed for World Book Day and their confidence and musicality was wonderful to behold!
Activities ran in the library to encourage children to visit and discover or re-discover the wonders of this special place. There was a special cosy reading corner and a scavenger hunt themed around reading at bedtime.
Our Key Stage 2 children also visited Ducklings and Lower School to share stories with the younger children, which was a very special and enjoyable experience for all involved.
There are some World Book Day photographs on our Galleries page.
Happy reading!
Kingfishers Class Assembly
What a super assembly the children of our Kingfishers Reception class treated us to on Wednesday morning! They marked St. David's Day by reminding us of St. David's plea that we should all 'do the little things in life.'
The children presented and explained the St. Helen's College values, building a literal wall of 'the little things' as they did so by placing a brick each. They also helped us all to consider the importance of 'reducing, reusing, recycling' in order to look after our world. Their singing and speaking was confident and well-delivered.
The Head's Blog this week takes 'Do The Little Things In Life' as its theme. You can read it here.
Language Competition Success!
The UK Primary Language Competition finished on Wednesday and St. Helen's College children have put in a huge effort, competing in Spanish and/or French activities online against pupils from other schools across the United Kingdom.
Pupils are ranked based on the number of points they score. This competition is such an exciting and fun way for pupils to improve their language skills and win prizes.
Overall 143,000 students from 1,684 schools have taken part, with 105 entrants from St. Helen's College. Verity S finished as our top performing pupil, ranking 24th out of 143,000! Avneet D and Joleen Z also finished on the final leader board and all three girls will be rewarded with Amazon vouchers and certificates. A huge well done to everyone who has taken part.
Staff Leaver
We are very sad to say farewell to Mr. Rizzo, who had his final day at St. Helen's College today before he returns to his homeland in Italy to spend time with his family. Mr. Rizzo has been at the school for the past nine years and has assisted in instilling a passion for horticulture around the school. He has maintained our grounds beautifully over the years. Pupils and staff have all benefited from his passion and expertise and he will be very much missed from the premises team. The photo shows Mr. Rizzo saying farewell to the children of Gardening and Growth Club today.
We wish Mr. Rizzo well. We know that he will always be a member of our community and we look forward to him visiting in the future.
Co-Curricular Bookings Open Today
The co-curricular programme for the summer term will be published at 5 p.m. today. Please make your selections by midnight on Sunday 12th March.
It is very important that you discuss the programme with your child and only select clubs in which your child has a genuine interest.
Please login to your SchoolsBuddy account to choose your preferences.
Parents' Association Vacancy
The St. Helen's College Parents' Association will have a vacancy for a Treasurer from September. Please send expressions of interest to pa@sthelenscollege.com as soon as possible, so that interested candidates may become involved over the next term or so to find out more about the role before the election is held.
PA Quiz Night - Tuesday 14th March, 7 p.m.
The PA has arranged a quiz night on Tuesday 14th March 2023 at The White Bear in Ruislip. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the quizzing starting at 7.45 p.m. Teams should comprise 4-6 adults and places are limited so get your booking and payment made as soon as you can to avoid disappointment (one team member will need to make the booking and one single payment for their whole team).
There will be a prize for each person in the winning team. Raffle tickets will also be available to buy on the night so even if you don't win the quiz, you might still be able to win a prize.
Parents, school staff, friends and relatives are all welcome to put a team together (as long as they're over 18). Booking details have been sent out via class reps.
Exhibition Day
Our annual Exhibition Day will take place on Saturday 18th March. All parents are warmly invited to join us on this day between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. to view your children's work and to visit every part of the school to reminisce or look forward!
Summer Term Events
The school calendar has now been populated with the events for the summer term. Please do check it and make a note of the various trips, music concerts, plays, Sports Days and so on. It promises to be another very busy term and we hope that parents will be able to join us for the major events as usual.
Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal
We are so proud to report that the St. Helen's College community has together raised £2,105 for the Turkey/Syria Earthquake appeal so far. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated.
Sick Child/Life Support Sessions
Thank you to those parents who attended the recent Sick Child and/or Life Support training sessions runs by Dr. Dharsi. We hope that you found these useful and we are delighted to say that St. Helen's College parents made donations totalling £345 to the Brompton Fountain charity.
Sports News
Under 9 Football Festival
Boys from Year 4 and Year 3 very much enjoyed taking part in an U9 football festival at HABS last Saturday morning. On a bright, chilly day, the ten teams in attendance were divided into two groups to play four group games. The first St. Helen's College game was against HABS and our team began the event seemingly a little overexcited by the occasion! They were obviously very happy to be playing together and their beaming smiles were quite something to behold, even though the team went 3-0 down inside one minute! The team rallied well, though, and kept the score in their first game down to 6-0.
The team re-grouped for the second game against Radlett Prep and were unfortunate to lose 1-0. After a rest period, St. Helen's College took on St. John's and achieved a 1-0 win through a goal from Maicen M. In the fourth group game against Highgate Reds, the team seemed a little tired and unfortunately lost 2-0.
After coming fourth in the group, St. Helen's College played against the fourth place team from the other group, Highgate B, and two goals from Mikail O (one a coolly taken penalty followed by The Macarena!) saw the team end up seventh overall. It was a wonderful morning of football and the boys clearly enjoyed it immensely. Mr. Dyson had to award 'player of the tournament' to one of the St. Helen's College boys. It was very close but Jack K's performance in goal was outstanding. Many thanks to the parents for transporting and supporting the team!
Year 4/5/6 Football
Our Year 4/5/6 football team took on Cowley St. Lawrence away on Wednesday on a very difficult and bumpy pitch. With the ball bouncing all over the place, the standard of play was somewhat compromised. Maicen M opened the scoring with a well-taken goal before a penalty decision against St. Helen's College made it 1-1. The SHC team persisted in trying to play their best football and were probably the better team on the day but there were no further goals so the match ended in a draw.
Netball Tournament
Also in the wind and cold of last Saturday morning the U11 netball team played in the UDPSSA borough netball tournament at Ryefield School. The first game was tough and the girls lost 6-1, but they quickly regrouped and went on to win the next two games. In the final game of the group stages they were winning 1-0 and were very close to going through to the quarter finals. Unfortunately, though, two late goals knocked us out. All of the girls were a testament to the school and deservedly received their runner up league medals. Many thanks to the parents who came to support on such a blustery day.
Thames Valley Cavaliers - Free Tickets
Thames Valley Cavaliers are once again offering free tickets for St. Helen's College pupils for their matches this weekend at Uxbridge College Sports Hall. There are games on Saturday and Sunday. Full details are here.
Blaze Netball Club
Blaze Netball Club has a new 'minis' section which is growing weekly. If you have a child in Years 1-6 who is interested in developing their netball skills and matchplay further outside of school, you can find details of their Saturday morning sessions here.
Ickenham Library
Given the huge importance of reading for primary aged children, we are very sad to hear the news that the council is proposing to close Ickenham Library on one day each week. If you would like to have a say please complete the consultation at the link below and enter your comments under 27. If you have any comments about the tiered approach, please include these. If every adult in each household fills in the consultation it will have a bigger impact.
https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/10688/Library-strategy-consultation
Posted on: 3/03/2023Do The Little Things In Life
This week our Kingfishers Reception Class delighted us with their class assembly and it really moved me as our four and five year olds delivered such an important message:
“Do the little things in life.”
The children were celebrating the life of St. David, the Patron Saint of Wales. His last words to his followers came from a sermon he gave before he died on 1st March: 'Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.’
This is such a simple message and our young pupils at St. Helen’s College simply reminded us of our school values and how it is by doing the little things in life that we can really impact change together.
If everyone lived their daily lives upholding the values which we at St. Helen’s College try so hard to strive for, we would have such a happier world! Your children certainly have strong foundations to enable them to thrive and flourish with the values we as a school and you as families instil: helpfulness, caring, co-operation, courage, kindness, perseverance, friendliness, patience, respect, forgiveness, determination, gratitude and honesty.
The children of Kingfishers also reminded us of our responsibility as global citizens and our eco warriors revisited the simple task of reuse, reduce, recycle.
This weekend as you spend time with your families and friends I hope you will take time to reflect on your life and the little things that give you joy and a sense of well-being. Perhaps go for a walk, notice that spring is in the air and the blossoms are starting to bloom. The crocus bulbs and snowdrops are peeping through. The daffodils are here!
Perhaps put down devices, phones, tablets and instead play a game, read a book, listen to some music….laugh, dance, be joyful!
Let us all do the little things in life!
Happy Weekend!
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 24/02/2023Weekly News - Friday 24th February 2023
UKMT Intermediate Challenge
Many congratulations to those pupils who took part in the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Intermediate Challenge. This challenge is for pupils in Year 11 and below, so our children were competing against GCSE students from across the country. There were very impressive performances from several St. Helen's College children and particular congratulations go to those awarded bronze, silver and gold awards:
Zakariya Mo - Gold
Malek C - Silver
Jacob N - Bronze
Arshvir S - Bronze
Zakariya's exceptional performance means that he will be progressing to the next round of the challenge on Thursday 16th March and we wish him lots of luck.
Artist Visit
Year 2 were very lucky to be visited by artist Emma Collins this week. Emma offers workshops in her studio in Hertford and also travels to deliver them within schools having been a teacher herself for 20 years. She linked her workshop to Year 2's science work to help the children to produce giant botanical lanterns using paper lanterns, decoupage and ribbons. Their beautiful artwork is now on display in the Upper School Hall.
Year 1 Visit Windsor Castle
Thursday saw our Year 1 pupils enjoy a day out at Windsor Castle to enrich their history learning about 'Kings and Queens'. They enjoyed taking part in a practical workshop learning all about King Charles III, especially the costumes and role play activities! 1C then had the opportunity to look around the State Apartments while 1R saw Queen Mary's doll's house. The children were mature and sensitive when they walked through St. George's Chapel and saw the resting place of Queen Elizabeth II.
Year 1 had a wonderful day and behaved impeccably, especially given the number of other members of the public visiting to pay their respects.
Wrens Class Assembly
The children of Wrens Nursery performed an assembly to their parents and staff on Thursday morning all about weather. They took us through the seasons with some beautiful songs about the cold, snowdrops and rain, spoke a choral poem and led us in a prayer to be thankful for the beautiful world we live in before rounding off with a wonderful rainbow song with colourful actions! We all reflected on how lucky we are to live in a country with such diverse weather. Very well done, Wrens, on a confident and very enjoyable presentation.
Month End Music Recital
Our February Month End Music Recital was very well attended this afternoon in the Evans Hall. As ever, many young musicians performed on a wide variety of instruments and they did so with courage and talent. This was a super way to round off another busy week at St. Helen's College!
Sports News
This Tuesday all girls in Year 3 and 4 travelled to Orley Farm School to play lots of small sided netball matches. The matches were competitive and the girls were able to put into practice everything they have worked on since September. The focus for all the girls was on participation, enjoyment and progression and they represented St. Helen's College fantastically.
On Wednesday the Year 5/6 girls had a netball match against Hermitage Primary School. Unfortunately they lost 10-2,but the girls worked hard throughout a very fast paced game and it was good for the girls to be challenged. After reflecting on the match the girls know which areas they could improve on when playing Hermitage in the future.
Also on Wednesday, the boys' football team resumed their league campaign with a game away against St. Andrew's School. After some late changes to the team due to injury and illness, the boys set off hoping to return to winning ways. The pitch there is always a bit of a leveller as it is fairly small with a significant slope. St. Helen's College took the lead through a goal from Malek C and St. Andrew's equalised with a breakaway goal. Maicen M then restored our lead with a nice close finish after a very good passing move but unfortunately a deflected shot brought St. Andrew's level again. The boys tried to play as well as they could on a difficult surface but were unable to find the winner. Many thanks to Viren C and Aaron B for stepping into the team at short notice and a big thank you to the parents who helped with transport and provided great support on the touchline.
On Thursday, the boys' football team had an incredibly exciting cup match against Rabbs Farm School which ended 1-1 and went to extra time and then penalties. Viren C managed to save two penalties to help St. Helen's College come out the winners! So we are through to the next round.
We also wish our St. Helen's College teams the very best of luck for the tournaments in which they will be taking part tomorrow: the U11 netball tournament at Ryefield School and the U9 football tournament at HABS.
CPR Training For Parents
Following the Sick Child Training in the first half of term, a group of St. Helen's College parents attended CPR Training with Dr. Dharsi in the Evans Hall on Monday evening. They learnt how to administer emergency first aid and CPR to an infant or child in need. We are grateful to Dr. Dharsi for offering her time to provide this training. Another session will be taking place on Wednesday 1st March.
iArt Competition 2023
Once again this year, St. Helen's College pupils are invited to take part in the iArt Competition. We have a very good track record in the competition and are hoping that this year will see further St. Helen's College success.
The competition’s theme this year is The Environment.
We know that our pupils feel passionately about the environment and sustainability. Their competition entries might show what motivates them to feel like this and which projects and individuals they admire. The subject of their artwork can be anything to do with the environment, for example:
An environmental concern, e.g. pollution, litter, mining, electricity generation, traffic, warming of the oceans etc.
A simple landscape the pupil loves and which could be severely affected or disappear altogether if global warming is not tackled.
A project the pupil admires, e.g. litter-picking, beach cleaning, animal rescue, wind farms, tidal defences etc.
A person the pupil admires, e.g. environmentalist, famous person passionate about environmental matters etc.
Anything else they feel fits the theme!
Pupils can paint, draw, make a collage, create a model – anything that stimulates and interests them, as long as it relates in some way to the theme.
The school is permitted to submit its best four entries for the competition and all entries must be handed into form teachers or to Mrs. Pruce by April 24th at the absolute latest. Entries will also be displayed around the school.
Shortlisted entrants will not only receive vouchers to use at local independent bookshops but will also have their entry pitched as a story to local newspapers, with the chance that the entry and a photo of the entrant will be published.
We wish the children happy creating!
World Book Day
St. Helen's College will be celebrating World Book Day on Friday 3rd March.
This year's theme is 'Bedtime Stories.' In keeping with the theme, we would love for the children to come to school wearing bedtime clothing. As it is likely to be cold, pyjamas and a dressing gown would probably make for the most comfortable option. To celebrate the joy of bedtime stories, children are also encouraged to bring their favourite ‘bedtime’ story into school.
Prior to the event, all children are invited to take a photograph of themselves reading in a cosy place before bedtime (NOT in bed); form teachers will create an area on Google Classroom for these to be uploaded. In class, the children will be sharing and discussing their nighttime reading routine with their classmates. Sharing stories really is a special experience, so this year’s theme celebrates reading as a way to relax and send us happily into sleep.
During World Book Day, pupils will take part in a number of activities including a World Book Day assembly, reading activities in the library and a class story at the end of the school day.
Thank you for your support in celebrating the world of books and reading.
Westminster Abbey Performance
Congratulations to Anika C (5G) who performed at Westminster Abbey over half term as part of the Commonwealth celebrations. Ms Gilham and Mr. Lewis, who attended to see Anika dance, were very impressed by her bravery and the sophistication of her performance. You can see some of her performance here.
Posted on: 10/02/2023Weekly News - Friday 10th February 2023
One World Day
It has been an amazing day of culture at St. Helen's College today as we have celebrated our 'One World Day'. Children, staff and parents across the school arrived dressed in clothes representing their culture and/or heritage and we have spent the day learning about each other's cultures and traditions.
There have been music and dance workshops, arts and crafts from around the world, food stations, chances to try sports from across the globe and taster language sessions. Many parents came into school to run workshops alongside staff and we are very grateful to those who did so. The smiles everywhere have said it all - we are extremely happy and proud to belong to such a multi-cultural community and to have made time and space to share our knowledge, interests and customs with each other. You can see a few photographs of the day on our Galleries page.
Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal
The St. Helen's College school community is supporting the people in Turkey and Syria affected by the recent earthquake. Over 21,000 people have lost their lives with countless more displaced, injured, bereaved and in urgent need of assistance.
Heartfelt thanks to those parents, staff and pupils who have already made donations to the appeal. The total raised so far by our community stands at over £1000.
You can continue to donate online for this appeal via our St. Helen's College Just Giving Page. All money raised by our community will be donated to The Red Cross who are working to assist those in desperate need.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to go to all of those affected by this terrible disaster and we thank you for your generous support at this difficult time.
6B Class Assembly
On Monday the children of 6B gave us an accomplished performance as they presented their assembly themed around Diversity, at the start of 'One World Week'.
The class celebrated the diversity of our school community and shared many of the traditions of their cultures, including some Bhangra dancing from some of the boys! Arshia led us all in a wonderful meditation session and the class also joined together in singing and sharing some words from various different cultures too. This was a lovely way to start the week and left us all feeling very grateful for our diverse, interesting and inclusive school community.
Owls Class Assembly
On Thursday our Owls Reception class performed an assembly all about Love and Valentine's Day to an enthusiastic (and rather emotional) audience of parents and staff. They told us the story of St. Valentine, who married Romans in secret when the Emperor declared that men could not marry and must fight in the army instead. St. Valentine was imprisoned but could not be deterred from his belief in love. The children also told us some interesting facts about our hearts and sang two beautiful songs for us. This was a heartfelt, moving, confident and educational performance and an absolutely super way to start the day. Thank you, Owls.
Football v Heathrow
The football team were defeated 5-1 by a strong Heathrow team on Wednesday. Despite the disappointing final scoreline, the St. Helen's College boys played well and they have learnt much from coming up against such strong and organised opposition. We look forward to resuming the league campaign after a well-deserved half term break!
Speech Competition
Our annual Speech Competition will take place in the last week of term as usual. Between now and then, children in Years 1 to 6 will each learn a poem to recite and there will be preliminary rounds in the classrooms, judged by school staff. The finals for Years 1-3 and Years 4-6 will, as usual, be judged by an external adjudicator who will give the children feedback on their performance. Parents of finalists will be invited to attend.
Each child in Nursery and Reception will also learn a poem to recite and all Nursery and Reception parents will be invited to hear the recital towards the end of term.
We thank you for your support in helping your children to learn their poems and perform them with understanding, expression, clarity and projection.
World Book Day - Bedtime Stories!
On Friday 3rd March, we will be celebrating World Book Day. This year's theme is 'Bedtime Stories.' In keeping with the theme, we would love for the children to come to school wearing bedtime clothing. As it is likely to be cold, pyjamas and a dressing gown would probably make for the most comfortable option. To celebrate the joy of bedtime stories, children are also encouraged to bring their favourite ‘bedtime’ story into school.
Prior to the event, all children are invited to take a photograph of themselves reading in a cosy place before bedtime (NOT in bed); form teachers will create an area on Google Classroom for these to be uploaded. In class, the children will be sharing and discussing their nighttime reading routine with their classmates. Sharing stories really is a special experience, so this year’s theme celebrates reading as a way to relax and send us happily into sleep.
During World Book Day, pupils will take part in a number of activities including a World Book Day assembly, reading activities in the library and a class story at the end of the school day.
Thank you for your support in celebrating the world of books and reading.
PA Quiz Night - Tuesday 14th March, 7 p.m.
Do you fancy a fun packed evening where you can test your grey matter? The PA has arranged a quiz night on Tuesday 14th March 2023 at The White Bear in Ruislip. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the quizzing starting at 7.45 p.m. Teams should comprise 4-6 adults and places are limited so get your booking and payment made as soon as you can to avoid disappointment (one team member will need to make the booking and one single payment for their whole team).
There will be a prize for each person in the winning team (who will also win the associated bragging rights). Raffle tickets will also be available to buy on the night so even if you don't win the quiz, you might still be able to win a prize.
Parents, school staff, friends and relatives are all welcome to put a team together (as long as they're over 18). Watch out for the link to the booking form which will be circulated via your class rep and don't miss out!
Posted on: 3/02/2023Weekly News - Friday 3rd February 2023
Robins Class Assembly
On Thursday, the children of Robins presented their assembly all about the four seasons to an eager audience of parents and staff in the Lower School Hall. The pupils sang several songs and spoke a poem in unison to tell us the story of the four seasons, before leading us in a prayer of thanks for our beautiful world. It was delightful to see them remember their words, sing and speak with confidence and enjoy being on 'stage' in front of their parents. Well done Robins!
4T Class Assembly
What a fun and informative assembly 4T gave us this morning. They shared all that they have been learning about electricity by presenting a performance which included a game show named Dosh! The children were so confident and knowledgeable and it was clear to see that they have had a great time finding out all about circuits, electrical safety and alternative forms of power. Congratulations to all those who took part.
Nursery Visit from Natural History Museum
The Nursery had the most amazing experience this morning. Many dinosaur models had set up camp in the classroom.
Dinogirl explained all about them, discussing their size, their food and even how the apatosaurus digested its food.
The children got to touch the models, explore sand-digs hunting for fossils and try out dinosaur stompers.
This was a truly wonderful experience, finished off with a meteorite explosion to show why the dinosaurs may be all extinct!
Year 2 Great Fire of London Workshop
On Wednesday, Year 2 enjoyed an exciting performance about The Great Fire of London from the Trunk Theatre Company. The show was performed out of a trunk and it led the children through the story of the characters and events of The Great Fire of London. The children laughed and cheered as the story was brought to life with songs, dance, games and water! The workshop ended with the children drawing a new version of London together. This was an exciting experience for Year 2 and it really enhanced their history learning.
Sports News
Our football team restarted their league campaign after the winter break on Wednesday, in inclement weather, with a match against St. Matthew's School. The boys started brightly, passing the ball around and showing confidence in their dribbling skills. We did not capitalise on early chances and unfortunately went 1-0 down from a corner which we were unable to clear. In the second half the team again started brightly with good possession and increased confidence on the ball. St. Matthew's unfortunately broke away and went 2-0 up with a very good cross and header. Despite the loss, Mr. Dyson was very encouraged by the St. Helen's College team performance; the boys showed great determination despite the disparity in height and strength between the two teams. We look forward to our next fixture at home this coming Wednesday against Heathrow Primary School.
This Wednesday the Year 5/6 Netball team won 8-0 against St. Andrew's Primary School. The girls showed off their shooting skills and were consistently making great interceptions and maintaining possession throughout the match. Well done!
One World Day
Our One World Day on Friday February 10th is fast approaching. The children will be off timetable for the day and will have a wide ranging variety of activities during the day. We have a special menu for the day for the children in Nursery to Year 6, which the children helped to devise.
We would like the children to come to school in clothes that represent their culture on this day. If this is not possible, they can wear the colours of the flag of their chosen country. Some of the activities planned are active and the children MUST wear comfortable shoes, ideally trainers, and bring a coat.
If you are volunteering over lunchtime on One World Day and you have not yet responded to Mrs. Briggs's message about lunch, please let her know by Tuesday so that the catering team can ensure we have the correct amount of food for Friday.
Early Years Parents' Evenings
It was lovely to see so many parents at our Ducklings, Nursery and Reception parents' evenings earlier on this week and we hope that you found the conversations useful.
Eat The Rainbow - Purple Recipes
Accent Catering's colour for February is Purple and they have shared these recipe cards, themed around purple, for you to try at home with your children. Have fun cooking!
Uxbridge Rock Show
The Uxbridge Rock Show is returning to Uxbridge Library from 6th to 23rd February. This is a chance for children to get hands on and discover more about rocks and geology so we hope that many of you will enjoy taking part.
Perform Drama Classes - Discount for St. Helen's College Parents
We were very pleased to receive a visit from Perform a few weeks ago. The Lower School children had a wonderfully energetic time exploring the theme of Circus Adventure and using drama, dance and singing to help develop their confidence, concentration and social skills.
Perform run regular weekly classes in the local area and they are offering a special introductory discount to all parents of St. Helen's College. This offer expires on Friday 10th February so please do sign up now if you are interested.
To claim your discount, just call Perform on 020 7255 9120 quoting SHLE100223 or visit perform.org.uk to find out more.
Flu Vaccination
The flu virus can spread easily, especially amongst younger children in enclosed spaces like the classroom. For children with existing health conditions there is a higher risk of serious illness that could lead to hospitalisation.
As temperatures fall again in the coming weeks, getting vaccinated against flu gives your child extra protection from this dangerous virus which spreads more easily in colder weather when we spend more time with friends and family indoors. All primary school children (from Reception up to Year 6) are eligible for a free flu nasal spray. The nasal spray is quick and painless and most children will be able to get it at their school. If you missed the vaccination here at St. Helen's College, it is not too late – you can still get a flu vaccine from your GP if your child has a long term health condition and is in the ‘at risk’ category or your local School Aged Immunisation Service.
Visit www.nhs.uk/wintervaccinations or search ‘NHS child flu vaccine’ for more
information. You can also contact the Hillingdon immunisation team directly at cnw-tr.ImmunisationTeam@nhs.net.
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