Habs Weekly Junior School edition
Friday 4 November 2022 Autumn Term
Head of Junior School’s Message Mrs L Flynn
Welcome back, I do hope that you were able to enjoy some welldeserved family time over the half term break. This time of year always feels magical within the Junior School; the scripts for the Rainbow and KS1 nativity have been handed out to Year 2 pupils, the Year 4 and 5 entries for the carol service poems have been received and the surprise visitors for the penultimate day of term have been booked in anticipation! Term began full steam ahead with the first of our parents’ evenings on Monday. We were overwhelmed with the warmth and positivity of feedback from parents, the atmosphere in the Prevett Hall was testament to the strong partnerships and community that is so valued here at Habs. Looking ahead to next week, we have our Remembrance assembly on Monday morning, followed on Thursday by our first joint Remembrance service for Years 2 to 6 with their counterparts from the Prep School. On Sunday 13 November, Year 6 students are also warmly invited to represent the school in the Radlett Remembrance Parade. This provides our students with the
opportunity to pause and reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of members of the armed forces in the past and presently as they act in service for the country. Service to others is embedded within our community value and forms a core tenet of our charity strategy here in the Junior School. As a school, we are very much looking forward to the events in both the week and half term ahead which we know will inform and enrich our pupils in many and varied ways.
Looking ahead
Whole school Remembrance Day poppies
W E E K C O M M E N C I N G M O N D AY 7 N O V E M B E R Poppies will be available for sale next week at morning break each day. Suggested donation of 50p per poppy.
Flu vaccinations M O N D AY 2 1 N O V E M B E R Please note we have planned flu vaccinations for your child on Monday 21 November. Consent letter from school nurses will be sent out shortly.
Rainbow Tapestry
I N F O R M AT I O N We invite parents to join our digital platform, Tapestry, which we will be utilising from this half term to share some of your child’s progress and achievements during the school week. Please look out for an activation email from Tapestry, which should be with you in the coming days, to link you to your child’s account and enable you to receive updates and snapshots of some of the wonderful learning that your child is engaging in at school.
Y3
Class assemblies
D AT E S We are excited to invite Year 3 parents to their child’s class assembly. 3A will be delivering their class assembly on Monday 28 November at 8.45am to 9.15am in the Performance Space, to which parents and guardians are warmly invited. Please follow the signage towards the DT doors. 3 Alpha will be delivering their class assembly on Monday 5 December at 8.45am to 9.15am in the Lecture Theatre, to which parents and guardians are warmly invited. Please follow the signage towards the DT doors.
Y3 to 6
Carol Service drawing competition
I N F O R M AT I O N We would like to invite all KS2 students to enter a competition to design a cover for the order of service for our carol concert. If your child would like to enter, she should complete a drawing of any size, using pens, pencils, pastels or paint. There is no need to include any text. The theme of the drawing is ‘The Nativity.’ Entries should be named (on the back of the paper) and handed to Mrs Walsh by Monday 21 November.
Looking ahead
Y3 to 6
After School Clubs collection arrangements
I M P O R TA N T N O T I C E Having reviewed some of our collection arrangements, there will be the following changes for students in Years 3 to 6 after their clubs, from Monday 7 November. After their club has finished, at either 4.45pm or 5pm, all KS2 students will be brought to the Junior School playground by the member of staff running the Club, and will be dismissed from the playground. Pupils will not be dismissed to the car park, so parents will be required to come up to collect them. If you child has a Club which takes place in the Boys School (Senior or Junior buildings) they will be taken by the member of staff to the Prep School Reception, and should be picked up in person from there. If parents are running late, please contact the Junior School Reception. Any students not collected from the playground within five minutes of the finish time of a club will return to the Junior School reception. They will then attend after school care at Habs Boys’ Prep, which is chargeable. On these occasions, parents will be telephoned so they are aware that collection will be from the Boys Prep school. A member of the Junior School reception team will also ring ahead to the Boys’ Prep School so they know to expect the child. Collection arrangements for sports fixtures remain the same, and will be communicated through fixture letters.
Junior School
Christmas Disco Date: Sunday 27 November 2022 Time: Rainbow to Year 2: 1pm to 2.30pm Year 3 to Year 6: 3.30pm to 5pm Location: Performance Space
Click here for more information.
Reminders
Whole school Lunch Menu
W E E K C O M M E N C I N G M O N D AY 7 N O V E M B E R Please click here to view our EYFS and KS1 menu. Please click here to view our KS2 menu.
Wraparound Care I N F O R M AT I O N Information about our Wraparound Care provision can be found in the resources section on Firefly and in the Parent Handbook. Please use this link for quick booking access.
Snacks I N F O R M AT I O N Our snacks list remains the same as last year and as published in the Parent Handbook. Please note that we are a nut and sesame free school; it is imperative no food containing nuts or sesame seeds is brought on site. Student Voice will be surveying our whole community regarding snacks in the coming weeks, and any changes will be published accordingly.
Reminders House Poetry One of the school’s key areas of focus is to develop pupils’ mastery of oracy and the spoken word. Later this term, we will be holding our first poetry forum at the Junior School. We would like to invite all pupils to have a go at learning one poem. This is an opportunity for the pupils to have some fun as well as challenging themselves at the same time! Pupils are at liberty to choose any published poem, but we ask that it takes a maximum of two minutes to perform. Click this link for some suggestions. During half term, pupils are being asked to learn their chosen poem off by heart. Please can you listen to your child performing their poem and encourage them to bring it to life, making it their own. As part of St Catherine’s Day, on Friday 25 November, the pupils will be split into their House families and will have an opportunity to perform their poems to each other. House captains and leaders will then choose one pupil from each house to perform their poem in front of the Junior School as part of the celebrations. We are sure that this will be a very exciting and enriching learning experience for everyone. Good luck and have fun!
Autumn 2 Curriculum documents A new half term brings exciting new learning across the whole of the Junior School and we look forward to everything in store in the second half of the Autumn term. The curriculum overviews for Years 1 to 6, linked below, outline the topics that will be covered in class when we return after the holidays. Learning in Rainbow will continue to be led by the children’s interests and key events. Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Reminders
Odd Socks Day M O N D AY 1 4 N O V E M B E R Every November schools throughout the United Kingdom take part in AntiBullying Week. This is an opportunity to spotlight bullying and consider the steps we can take together to stop it. Anti-Bullying Week 2022 will be taking place from Monday 14 to Friday 18 November, with the theme ‘Reach Out’. Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But if we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out. Our vision is for all children to grow up in supportive communities safe from bullying and harm. We want to spread a positive message that it’s always possible to reach out and ask for help if you’re worried about bullying and celebrate what makes us all unique. Odd Socks Day is an opportunity to have fun, be yourself and spread awareness of the core values Anti-Bullying Week promotes. We are all unique and that should be viewed as a wonderful thing and never be a reason for someone to be bullied. In school, we will be helping the children to identify, prevent and respond to negative and harmful behaviour. We will continue to teach about the dangers online and how they can keep themselves safe. We will also be celebrating our individual differences and to support this, we invite all children, staff and parents to wear odd socks on Monday 14 November.
Reminders
Clare Balding, CBE visit M O N D AY 2 1 N O V E M B E R We are very excited to announce that the Junior School will be hosting a visit from Clare Balding, CBE on Monday 21 November 2022. Writer, broadcaster, animal lover and sports fan, Clare is also the best-selling, award-winning author of numerous books and children’s novels and an ardent campaigner for better coverage of women’s sport. During the visit Clare will talk about her passion for books, animals and sport, and share her experiences of being a writer. You can read more about Clare and her books on her website Clare Balding Books. Clare will also conduct a book signing whilst she is with us. The titles available are: • The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance: £6.40 (RRP £7.99) • The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop: £5.60 (RRP £6.99) • The Racehorse Who Disappeared: £5.60 (RRP £6.99) • Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going: 10 ways to be at the top of your game: £8 (RRP £9.99) To order, fill in this form by 9am Friday 11 November indicating which titles you would like to buy. This cost will be added to your end of term bill. If you already have any of Clare’s books and you would like her to sign them, please bring them in on the morning of the visit and leave them with the class teacher. Ensure the books are clearly labelled with your child’s name and class. We are very much looking forward to hosting Clare, and hope that the pupils will have a very enjoyable day.
Reminders
Y1 to 6
Parents’ Evening
B O O K I N G I N F O R M AT I O N We look forward to welcoming parents of students in Years 1 to 6 into school for parents’ evenings Wednesday 9 November. Booking appointments has now closed however if you need to amend your appointment time, please contact Mrs Karaolou in the Junior School office on 0208 266 2425.
Y2
Year 2 Great Fire of London workshop
T H U R S D AY 1 7 N O V E M B E R On Thursday 17 November, Year 2 will be taking part in a Great Fire of London workshop, to enhance their enjoyment and understanding of the topic. The workshop will take place at school, within the normal school day. It will be delivered by an external company who specialise in providing practical, hands-on living history workshops for primary schools. Using a combination of practical activities, role-play and drama, the pupils will learn about the past by experiencing it first-hand. As part of the day, children are invited to come into school dressed in costume as a Stuart child. Suggested costume ideas can be found here. Costumes really help the children to immerse themselves in the fun of the day, but they do not need to be expensive or elaborate. The cost of the workshop will be approximately £14.25. Please refer to the Evolve invite you received, to make payment and to give consent to your child to take part in this activity.
Reminders
Y4 Assembly 4 A L E P H - M O N D AY 2 1 N O V E M B E R 4 Aleph: Class assembly will take place on Monday 21 November, 8.45am to 9.15am, in the Performance Space; attending parents please enter via the DT doors.
Y5&6
Junior School and Prep School ice breaker sessions
T U E S D AY 8 N O V E M B E R On Tuesday 8 November, all pupils in Years 5 and 6 across both the Junior School and the Prep School will be taking part in a joint half day session, where they will be able to work collaboratively with their counterparts and get to know them better, picking up on the momentum generated at the very successful Mini Marathon and lunch event before half term. All pupils should wear their House t-shirt with PE kit for the entire day of their session.
Reminders
Y6
Year 6 Remembrance Day
S U N D AY 1 3 N O V E M B E R On Remembrance Sunday we will be taking part in the Radlett Remembrance Parade. This is a wonderful opportunity for Year 6 pupils from both schools to march alongside other people in the community, in remembrance of the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life. Together the two schools will lay a wreath at the Radlett memorial. Year 6 parents - if your child is able to join us to represent the school at the parade, please complete the consent form sent via Evolve. Participating pupils will need to wear full winter uniform; school coats are permitted but hats and scarves may not be worn. Your child should also wear a poppy. Pupils should meet staff at 10.10am on Sunday13 November outside Radlett Library, from where they will march to the war memorial, for a 10.45am start. Collection of pupils will be from outside of Radlett Library at the end of the service.
Year 6 Parental Information Evening Dr Aric Sigman T U E S D AY 1 5 N O V E M B E R Please click here to read a letter regarding a Parental Information Evening with Dr Aric Sigman on Tuesday 15 November at 7pm.
Reminders
Y6
Year 6 Mini Police Assembly to parents and pupils
W E D N E S D AY 1 6 N O V E M B E R As part of our PSHE curriculum, Year 6 pupils have been involved in the Hertfordshire Police Force’s Mini Police Programme. This programme aims to help young people establish an interest and understanding in policing and community safety. Each week the programme involves discussing and finding out about different aspects of the role of the police force and emergency services. In celebration of the pupils completing and passing the Mini Police programme, we would like to invite Year 6 parents to an assembly taking place on Wednesday 16 November, at 9.45am, where the Year 6 pupils will present some of what they have learned to the rest of the Junior School community. We very much hope you will be able to join us.
Tooled Up In her assembly on Monday morning, Mrs Flynn talked about nature, and the important role it has for all of us; for our health and physical and mental wellbeing. As the evenings draw in, we are increasingly grateful for all the opportunities we have to be outside in our incredible grounds within the school day. This week particularly, there are many ways in which we can reflect on the advantages that engaging with nature brings. Light celebrations are a key feature of this point in autumn, and we have enjoyed sharing about Divali in Phase Assemblies, and look forward to our school Fireworks Extravaganza, put on by our Parent Guild. Click here for tickets. COP27 starts this weekend, and many in our community feel very strongly about what can be changed as a result of these summits. COP27: What is it and what do you need to know? - CBBC Newsround. Whether through a quiz about fire, a new app to help engage further with nature, or a podcast about nature-based learning, I hope there is something below that inspires you and your family’s outdoor endeavours! • Science of Fire Quiz - Tooled Up Education • Ten Top Facts about Autumn - Tooled Up Education • Learning Through Intrigue - Tooled Up Education • 20 Questions for the Car: Learning About the World Around Us Tooled Up Education • Born to Be Wild: Can Contact with Nature Improve Children’s Self-Regulation? Tooled Up Education • Promoting Wellbeing in Autistic Children Through Nature-Based Learning - Tooled Up Education • Apps to Help Children Engage with Nature - Tooled Up Education
Cornflower Assembly Friday 14 October
Friday afternoon assemblies are always a time of joy and celebration in the Junior School. Our weekly Cornflower Assembly celebrates individuals who have particularly demonstrated ways in which they have embodied our school values: Courage, Curiosity, Community and Ambition. Without fail, the pupils in our school community celebrate the successes of their peers, as well as take time to reflect on the ways in which they have, themselves, taken risks, wondered why, supported others and aimed high. We cherish our Cornflower Assemblies, and hope that you enjoy celebrating weekly with us too.
Ambition Lily (Rainbow Blue) Amalia (Rainbow Red) Kamila (Rainbow Red) Eva (1 Purple) Khyati (2 Alpha)
Diya (4 Aesc) Henrietta (5 Aleph) Nikita (5 Aleph)
Community Alba (Rainbow Blue) Leyla (1 Orange) Soha (1 Purple) Noor (2A)
Courage Yauvani (1 Green) Stella (1 Orange) Rosie (2A) Maya (3 Alpha) Shanaya (3 Alpha)
Eloisa (4 Aesc) Sadie (4 Aleph) Alma (6 Aesc) Milli (6 Aesc) Anvi (6 Aleph)
Vrinda (4 Aleph) Sylvie (5 Aesc)
Curiosity Thea (1 Green) Emily (3A) Hana (3A)
Myra (4 Aleph) Amber (6 Aesc)
Other celebrations in Cornflower Assembly Congratulations to Nikita in Year 5 who had success in a competition to get a short story published and to Eloisa in Year 4 who won medals in an athletics competition which she took part in.
ACE Focus Year 6 Netball Lunchtime netball is a fun opportunity to develop netball skills, work on throwing and catching skills, play games, and develop match tactics. Every session begins with fitness in a variety of forms, from running around the court to high-knee skipping, before the captains lead on the stretches. There are lots of opportunities to develop new skills and play in minimatches in preparation for tournaments against other schools. Practising shooting is a highlight and the teachers have shared a technique for getting the ball in nearly every time! One pupil said: I love playing netball and I find the sessions at lunchtime exciting, fun and they help me improve my netball skills ready for playing matches. Another commented: The reason I love this club is I absolutely love netball and the teachers help us in every way they can. In this club I have learnt the order of passing, how to shoot, good defending/attacking, space in netball and how to work as a team in netball. As well as that, we do netball games and tournaments against other schools and they are really fun! Another pupil told us: We have learnt chest passes, shoulder passes, feint dodge, sprint dodge, stack and many other things. I love lunchtime netball because not only is it very fun, it is a great way of spending a full 40 minutes on a Wednesday lunchtime! Every week, I always look forward to lunch time netball as it improves the way I play in matches.
Values in Action
Curiosity is best demonstrated when we genuinely don’t know what an outcome or end result will be. This was most certainly the case in STEM club this week, where the Year 5 scientists were extremely curious to know if an inverted, water-filled swimming hat could actually self settle onto a swimmer’s head when dropped from above said head. They discussed the forces at work and made their own predictions, whilst all fervently hoping that the outcome would be one of utter success! In STEM club, we were curious to find out if something we had been told was actually true! By filling an inside out swimming hat with water and dropping it from height onto someone’s head, we explored the force of gravity and to see if it could work in unexpected ways. We found out that the higher the hat was dropped from, the more likely it was for the hat to remain on the head of the pupil and when the water used was warmer, the hat tended to go on better because it became more stretchy We really enjoyed learning about forces and how when you change things in experiments, the result can change too. We also had a LOT of fun!
News stories
Ne w s s t o r i e s
Certificate of Gratitude from TAPF UK We are honoured to have received a Certificate of Gratitude from The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF UK) after our Harvest Festival collection before half term. Here is what Radhika Iyer, Director of TAPF UK, said: I am delighted to confirm that through your school’s harvest initiative, we received a van load of food items including 190 kilograms of pasta, 30 kgs of rice and over 100 kgs of flour. We are pleased to confirm that our stateof-the-art community kitchen can cook upto 1500 hot meals with your kind donation of food stuff. Such a wonderful and generous gesture, collectively by all at your respected institution. Huge thank you to our entire school community who made this possible!
Ne w s s t o r i e s
Year 2 visit Heath Care Home As part of our whole school charity focus this year, and to make links with the local community, Year 2 have visited Heath House Care Home in Bushey. 2A visited before the half term holiday, on Wednesday 12 October, and 2Alpha did the same this Wednesday 2 November. Year 2 were very excited about this trip, and the feeling was very much reciprocated by the residents and staff at Heath House. The children read picture books to the residents, sang harvest songs and recited some of the poems they have been learning for St. Catherine’s Day later this term. Overall, a very rewarding and enriching trip! We hope to continue the links later in the academic year.
Ne w s s t o r i e s
Year 3 Light and Dark workshop Before half term, Year 3 ended their Science topic with an enlightening workshop! They enthusiastically made their own colour wheels and investigated shadows and coloured light.
Collaboration Workshops with Prep School On Tuesday afternoon, Year 3 avoided the heavy downpour and walked over to the Boys’ School. After introductions and some ice breaker games, they created amazing 3D structures using just wooden sticks and rubber bands. Great friendships were formed and lots of fun was had! Year 4 pupils had a fantastic collaboration morning with the pupils from the Boys’ Prep School. After some icebreakers, the pupils made structures and created eco-friendly outfits out of newspaper. This allowed them to get to know each other, develop teamwork and master creativity skills. The pupils had a marvellous time and began forming friendships across the two schools. We look forward to more events together.
Ne w s s t o r i e s
Year 4 digestion workshop Year 4 took part in a hands-on workshop all about digestion. They explored how the digestive system works and used Weetabix, milk and beans to recreate the journey food takes through the digestive system. The digestion workshop was both fascinating and a little disgusting! - Tammy 4 Aleph I learnt a lot of interesting facts and new words such as, bile, gall bladder and amylase. - Tiah 4 Aleph
Ne w s s t o r i e s
Year 5 planetarium On Friday 14 October, Year 5 welcomed Dave Buttery from Auriga Astronomy who brought a planetarium along. We were immersed in space and learned a huge amount. Later in the day, pupils from the Boys’ Prep School came to use it too. The planetarium experience was great fun and Dave Buttery spoke clearly and answered a lot of our questions. I learned a lot of things; one which springs to mind was that a Russian astronaut nearly floated away in space! Thuvaraka, 5 Aleph I really enjoyed learning about our solar system and think that the planets are amazing! Dave Buttery was really good at telling us facts and I learnt about NASA and their mission to the moon. - Anaiya, 5 Aleph
Years 4 to 6 welcome June Angelides As part of the academic enrichment programme, Junior School students in Years 4 to 6 were treated to an inspiring talk by June Angelides at the start of this week about women in STEM, taking risks and being brave. Born into a family of entrepreneurs, June is passionate about getting people from all backgrounds into careers in tech and helping more underrepresented founders gain access to funding. Her values mirror ours at Habs and June spoke about having the courage to make a change if you feel passionate about something and doing so in a confident and positive manner. June is a role model for working mothers, a huge advocate for mentoring and supportive communities. Having recently launched her podcase Believe It, Achieve It, June hopes to inspire women all over the world to live limitlessly. June has been awarded an MBE for services to Women in Technology. We found June’s words very inspiring and see her as a role model for our futures. Her talk was very interesting and we learnt that she played a very important role in empowering women on maternity leave at work. She was the most important and determined woman we have ever met. Alexa and Eva, Student Voice Prefects.
JUNIOR SCHOOL CALENDAR DATES
JUNIOR SCHOOL CALENDAR DATES
S U N D AY 6 N O V E M B E R Parents’ Guild Fireworks
T H U R S D AY 1 7 N O V E M B E R Year 2 Great Fire of London Workshop
T U E S D AY 8 N O V E M B E R Year 5 and 6 Junior and Prep School ice breaker session Year 6 Arts Award Radlett Centre Trip
F R I D AY 1 8 N O V E M B E R Rainbow, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 Family Friday Rainbow to Year 6 Parent Talks
W E D N E S D AY 9 N O V E M B E R Years 1 to 6 Parents’ Evening 2 T H U R S D AY 1 0 N O V E M B E R Junior and Prep Remembrance Service F R I D AY 1 1 N O V E M B E R Rainbow Family Friday S U N D AY 1 3 N O V E M B E R Year 6 Remembrance Sunday Service in Radlett T U E S D AY 1 5 N O V E M B E R PSHCE Parent Information Evening – Dr Aric Sigman W E D N E S D AY 1 6 N O V E M B E R Year 6 Mini Police Assembly
For further dates and timings, please refer to the school calendar on Firefly.