Newsletter March 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

This newsletter has all of our March highlights. At the end of term, all of the children prepared for Easter with our weekly Lenten assemblies and the very special Easter Productions. Click here to see some highlights.

Please do remember to keep a check on your School PING daily to make sure you receive all messages from School. This term we will be moving over to communicating via the Arbor App, please make sure you have downloaded the app from the app store and set this up.

Remember to also look on the School calendar to look our for upcoming events in school. We will send you regular updates and reminders of events taking place and they can also be found here -

Website Calendar

Assembly & Mass Rota

Click here to see the Calendar of Events - Summer Term

Click here to see our planned Workshops for Parents

Arbor App - you will have received a letter and PING about the Arbor App. We will gradually be moving over to this App for all communications, payments and updating data. We will begin to trial this in June & July, and fully move to it in September. Please make sure you have downloaded the App, follow the instructions and set up. We will continue to use PING until the end of the school year - July 2025. Here is a copy of the letter for you - Arbor Letter

With best wishes

Miss Doherty

Religion

Keep up to date with the themes and lessons being taught in RE this month by reading the Ten:Ten Newsletters.

April Parent Newsletter - Religion

Our Daily Prayers

The Angelus (said daily at midday)

Holiday & Out of Hours Information (we offer Breakfast Club & 6 o'clock Club Daily term time - call the office for more details)

Newham Holiday Club Information

Click here to see Newham's information

Useful Information from Newham - Child Care

New and improved Childcare Choices website

The Childcare Choices website helps parents to find out what they might be eligible for, now and in the future, and when to apply. Please encourage parents to visit: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to find out more.

From the website:

• parents can read about the different entitlements and support available

• parents can use the eligibility checker to find out what support they’re entitled to

• can sign up to the Childcare Choices newsletter to receive updates including more information about the support coming from September.

The latest childcare choices newsletter can be found here - please feel free to share the link with your parent networks.

Holiday Clubs - Holiday Club Information

Out of Hours Information (we offer Breakfast Club & 6 o'clock Club Daily term time - call the office for more details) Click here to see Newham's information

Chess Success!

We have some thrilling news to share about three dedicated chess players from St Helen’s: Maxwell (Year 6), Daniel (Year 4), and Atkins (Year 5). A few weeks ago they competed in the EPSCA National Finals in Bolton, proudly representing their counties and showcasing St Helen’s spirit on a national stage.

Maxwell played on a higher-ranked table for the Essex U11 team, while Daniel took on a lower-ranked table for the same team—both going undefeated! Their efforts helped Essex secure a brilliant 4th-place finish, matching the best ranking the county has seen since Maxwell’s participation last year, which was Essex’s highest since 2003. Meanwhile, Atkins represented Kent on a lower-ranked board, proving his own skill and adding to the excitement of the event.

Though the Essex U11 team missed out on an official trophy, their resilience and camaraderie truly shone. We’re also incredibly proud that Maxwell, Daniel, and Atkins were the only participants from the Newham Borough, underscoring the rising level of chess talent at St Helen’s.

As our Head Boy, Maxwell will soon be moving on, but his dedication and leadership—both on and off the chessboard—remain an inspiration to all. Looking ahead, Maxwell, Daniel, and Atkins have qualified for the upcoming school semi-finals led by Mr. Dybowski, where they’ll once again represent St Helen’s, along with 9 other pupils, with determination and skill.

Congratulations to our remarkable chess trio, and may their achievements inspire even more students to discover the joys of chess!

Charity Sale

One of our thoughtful Year 4 pupils, Rebekah, came up with a brilliant idea to raise money for the our Parish, by making and selling slime! With the help of a few dedicated friends, Rebekah worked hard to mix, package and sell the colourful creations. Thanks to their fantastic efforts, and some extra fundraising from Rebekah’s family, they raised an impressive £129.61. Well done to Rebekah and her team for showing such creativity, teamwork and generosity!

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Reminders

Timings - please remember that school starts at 8:50am each day. Gates will close at 8:55am. The school day finishes at 3:20pm each day. Session times for Nursery are 8:30-11:30am and 12:20-3:20pm. The Pre-school session is 8:30-11:30am .
Uniform - children are able to wear light blue polo shirts that do not have the school logo. We encourage pupils to have a jumper with the school logo. We have a stock of jumpers that are in very good condition that have been donated from past pupils. If you would like a recycled school jumper, please see the office staff. Pupils can wear any brand of grey trousers, shorts or skirts. Girls can also wear trousers if they prefer. Any brand of Summer dress can also be worn in the warmer weather -these need to be blue & white. Black shoes must be worn each day.
PE Kits - children can wear any dark shorts or bottoms for PE. They can wear a plain white top or a t-shirt with the school logo. Any brand of plimsolls or trainers can be worn for PE. Football kits are not allowed for PE lessons.
Online Safety - it is essential that you monitor your child's use of the internet including apps on their phones. There are times when children are on platforms such as Snapchat, WhatsApp and others, when children can be exposed to inappropriate language and behaviour. You should ensure that your child knows who they are talking to/communicating with. Our advice would be to not use apps that are not age appropriate.
Click here to access some useful information about online safety.
Smart Watches are not permitted in school. Some watches have the facility to take photos and videos. We are unable to check all watches, but we need to ensure that all pupils and staff are kept safe. The easiest way to ensure the safety of all, is to not allow any smart watches in school so that inappropriate recording can't take place. This includes Fitbits and other devices.
Road Safety - Please do not park on the zig-zag lines at the zebra crossings, or on the double yellow lines around the entrances to the school. These parking restrictions are in place to keep everyone safe. Please also be mindful or parking on the curbs/pavements. The pavement is very narrow and these need to be kept clear for those who are walking.
Wrap Around Care - If you would like details of our Breakfast Club (7:45am until start of school day) or 6 O'Clock Club (3:20-6pm) please contact the school office between 8am and 4pm for prices and information.
Family Hub Website - a useful website for families https://families.newham.gov.uk/kb5/newham/directory/family.page?familychannel=1

Our Parish - St Margaret's and All Saints

Here is a link to St Margaret's and All Saints Parish Website where you will find the latest copies of the Parish Newsletter and other information such as Mass times and events. There is a Live Stream for all Masses at the Main Church, and if you would like to watch School Masses at the Convent Chapel they are also Live Streamed. Here are the links -

St Margaret's Church Live Stream Convent Chapel Live Stream (School Masses - Friday am)

EYFS

Key Stage 1

Lower Key Stage 2

Upper Key Stage 2

Easter

SEND at St Helen's

We have a new SEND Team at St Helen's this year. Miss Bullock is still in the team and working alongside

Mrs Orwell - SENCo, Mrs Cook & Mrs Tisi - Assistant SENCo

Here is our Padlet for useful information and forms. If you have any questions, please see one of the team.

Click here - Information for Parents - SEND Padlet

Online Safety - please make sure you are checking and monitoring what your child is viewing online as well as what platforms / social media they are using. Often in WhatsApp Group Chats or on Snap Chat, children are exposed to or sharing indecent images - please make sure your child is only accessing sites/platforms suitable to their age group and monitor at all times. Here are some useful links for you -

https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/jessie-and-friends-videos/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers

https://www.internetmatters.org/