Saint Nicholas School
Newsletter Friday 20th October, 2023
From the Headmaster's desk 'Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will say either, 'I wish I had' or 'I'm glad I did.' - Zig Ziglar
Dates for your Diary 1st November Rocking Horse Parents’ Coffee Morning 7th November Year 8 trip to Stratfordupon-Avon parents’ information evening 8th November Lower School Parents’ Evening 9th November Year 5 WWII Evacuee Enrichment Day
Dear Parents and Pupils, An Open Morning, a visit from a previous Headmaster and Chair of Governors, Halloween and Dough Discos, a trip to Hatters Farm, a Polar Explorer Day, and a Year 11 Parents Evening, alongside success in numerous sporting fixtures, have all added to the rich tapestry of a busy final week before half-term. During the Year 11 Parents Evening on Wednesday evening, I was delighted to hear from so many parents about their child's successful journey through the school and how quickly the time has passed. Having known some of our 'Lifers' since they were four years old, I couldn't help but agree and feel incredibly proud of the young men and women they are becoming. I often refer to this as the Saint Nicholas difference, a difference that was commented upon numerous times at our busy Open Morning on Saturday. I received incredible feedback about our pupils from numerous, prospective parents who praised their impeccable manners, confidence, eloquence, knowledge and humour; well done all!
9th November Year 7-11 ISA Regional Swimming Competition, Ipswich 10th November Bonfire Night 13th November Odd Socks Day 13th November Anti-bullying week 14th November Individual school photos 15th November 2 Johns E-Safety Workshop
From the Headmaster’s desk
As aforementioned, an incredibly busy last week before the half-term break and I hope that you have set aside some time for yourselves and with your families; as the heading quotation suggests, we should all make room for 'I'm glad I did.' in our increasingly busy lives. When the pupils return, the countdown to Advent will begin and it is always an exciting half-term in the life of a school. However, for many in the UK, the countdown to Christmas is one that holds deep anxiety, with more families than ever predicted to be depending on foodbanks to feed their families over the holiday. It is for that reason, that I was delighted that our Head Boy and Girl launched the Reverse Advent Calendar to raise food donations for local foodbanks. Jack and Lottie led assemblies last week to promote the idea and asked pupils across the school to bring in one item every day, throughout November, which will then be delivered to foodbanks in Harlow and the surrounding villages. We will also be supporting another local charity, Bump to Five, with brand new (unwrapped) toys and gifts for children of all ages, and these items can also form part of your Reverse Advent Calendar. You can learn more about creating your own Reverse Advent Calendar by clicking this link and further information about the two charities is contained within this newsletter: As we move into the weekend, it may interest you to learn that tomorrow is National Apple Day. October the 21st is a day to celebrate all things apple and since its inception has grown in popularity. From Adam and Eve to Sir Isaac Newton, the humble apple has a rich cultural and historical significance, and tomorrow provides an opportunity to celebrate the many varieties in all their glory. With downpours predicted for the majority of tomorrow, it may prove the perfect opportunity to enjoy a slice of hot apple pie or crumble whilst cheering England on in the Rugby World Cup semifinal. My best wishes for a relaxing and enjoyable weekend and half-term break.
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16th -17th November Dates for your Diary Year 8 trip to Stratfordupon-Avon 20th November-1st December
Year 11 Mock GCSE Examinations 20th November Year 2 trip to Colchester Castle 20th November Year 3 & 4 trip to the Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra Concert 21st November Year 9 trip to Harry Potter Studios 22nd November Year 6 Parents’ Evening 23rd November Year 5 trip to Duxford 23rd November Pre School trip to Audley End 24th November Reception registration deadline 28th November Friends Christmas Gift Sale 29th November Year 10 Parents’ Evening 7th December KS1 Nativity 7th December Middle School theatre trip to see Back to The Future 8th December Lower School Pantomime To keep up to date with events on the school calendar CLICK HERE
Lower School News
Little Saints In Pre-School this week we have been exploring autumn. We have been on walks spotting signs of autumn, and collected leaves and sticks on our way. We have investigated the items we have found and used them in our artwork and maths activities. We made fat balls to feed the birds and worked together to create a scarecrow!
Reception Class Reception visited Hatters farm where they enjoyed pumpkin picking and the maize maze.
Forest School
Pupils in Forest School have been making stick towers this week, to help with problem solving and team building skills. Perseverance and resilience were also needed, as the towers were prone to falling and pupils had to start all over again.
Lower School News
Mrs Whittaker Last Friday Lower School said goodbye to Mrs Whittaker, and thanked her for her contribution to Saint Nicholas School. We wish her all the very best.
Halloween On Tuesday, Halloween came early for Lower School pupils, with fun activities in class, a Halloween themed lunch of ant & carrot soup, sour ghastly pork pond & sludge quorn stew, fermented vegetables, horrid rotten worms and blood & guts mini muffins. Lunch was followed by a fabulous disco. Thank you to all staff and The Friends for making it such a fun day for all!
Middle and Upper School News
Year 8 Pupils in Year 8 enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time in the Library this week, for DEAR time. DEAR stands for drop everything and read. Pupils in Middle School have been visiting the Library during form time every Wednesday, when they are encouraged to bring their own books to read for pleasure. This has academic benefits, as it helps to improve vocabulary and recall, and also has social and emotional benefits, as it helps to develop empathy and inclusivity. It also improves mental health, as it helps to reduce stress.
Food Science This week, pupils in Middle and Upper School, created a fantastic array of themed dishes as part of the 'Cook with a Theme' task. Themes included Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and autumn. Take a look at some of the fabulous results!
Middle and Upper School News
Year 10 & Year 11 Drama On Monday, Year 10 and Year 11 GCSE drama pupils had a whole day of activities with two actors who have performed in the West End’s Blood Brothers, playing the parts of Sammy and Mickey. Throughout the day, Steve and Mike helped us to perfect our Liverpool accents and they went through different scenes in the play in depth and detail, which will help us in the future to break down the scenes and tell the examiner about how we would use our vocal and physical skills in a particular scene. The whole workshop was a great experience and I feel that I learnt a lot, I would love to do it again. Thank you Miss Agrotis and Stage_ed. Sophie Year 10
On Monday, Year 10 and Year 11 took part in a Blood Brothers workshop as part of our drama course. When Steve and Mike (Mickey and Sammy in the West End show) arrived, we went through an overview of the play and then we moved on to bouncing around like 7 year olds. We explored the games that 7 year olds would play, and then when Year 9 arrived for an hour, we explored how to master the Liverpudlian accent. After break, we started blocking our first scene of the day. It was really great fun. Mike directed us, and it was fantastic fun being able to take on that energetic 7 year old we needed to portray in order for this scene to work. After this, we started to explore the history of Liverpool, and Willy Russell’s (the playwright) backstory. Once we did this, a group of us were picked to act out one of the poems in the play. We got a verse each, and were given directions on what to do on certain lines and how to block our verse. This one-on-one advice and time we received from professionals was absolutely amazing. We continued to explore the very beginning of the play, and started to block our second scene. The scene was brilliant, and in my opinion, was the best one we did. The lighting was deep red and moody, and everyone was so concentrated on what they were doing it could have passed for a professional set. Overall it was a great day and we all had a really great time. It was a privilege to have Steve and Mike’s professional advice. Lucy Year 10
Saint Nicholas School News
ISA Eastern Region Art Competition CATS Cambridge held this year's ISA Eastern Regional Art Competition last Saturday, and, once again, there was a fantastic display of artwork. It really demonstrates the skill and imagination of all the young artists involved and highlights some exceptional talent to look out for in the future. Congratulations to all our entries this year and thank you to all the staff in Lower School, and senior teachers, Mr Beasley, Mr Smith and Mr Keenleyside for their hard work and the creativity they constantly instill in our pupils. Take a look at this years winners. It was great to see so many past and present pupils attend the event.
2D2a Key Stage 2a Annalise 1st
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G0/1 EYFS & Key Stage 1 Robyn , Alex , Leo 1st
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2D1 Key Stage 1 Leo 2nd
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T2 Key Stage 2 Bethany 2nd
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S2 Key Stage 2 Octavia 2nd
P0/2 EYFS, Key Stage 1 & 2 Scarlett 1st
D0/1 EYFS, Key Stage 1 Oliver 2nd
3DG2 Key Stage 2 Pip , Elliot , Pumpkin , Kaila 1st
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EYFS 3d Art group Connie & Clara 1st
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S0/1 EYFS, Key Stage 1 Harrison 1st
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F0/2 EYFS - Key Stage 2 Phoebe 1st
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Drawing KS3 Isabella 1st
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Saint Nicholas School News
F3/4 Key Stage 3 & 4 Daniella 2nd
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D4 Key Stage 4 Phoebe HIGHLY COMMENDED
3D3 Key Stage 3 Alistair 2nd
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Attending the ISA Eastern Region Art Competition in Cambridge was great. I loved walking around and looking at all the amazing art from different schools. My turtle won first place in the KS1 Textiles category, and when they called my name, I felt so proud! Ivy Year 3
We are delighted to introduce Mrs Simpson, our new Lamda tutor, to Saint Nicholas School. LAMDA has huge value in nurturing life skills, not just performance skills Mrs Simpson will be running 1:1 lessons from Year 1 upwards every Wednesday to Friday. Lessons will focus on: Fostering a love of literature and story-telling Inspiring creativity in an engaging and focused setting Focusing on individual performance and vocal skills Building self confidence Developing memorising and recital skills Improving communication and conversational skills Pupils have the opportunity to gain UCAS points in Level 3: grades 6 to 8.
Please contact Mrs Simpson directly to book your child’s place: petrova@seizetheplay.co.uk
Saint Nicholas School News
Eco Club As you know, we were visited last week by Rt Hon Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow. We are delighted that Mr Halfon has since written to the Speaker of the House of Commons to celebrate the commitment and enthusiasm of our Eco Club pupils.
Saint Nicholas School News
Reverse Advent
As we approach the festive season, we would like to enlist your help to support two local charities: Harlow Foodbank and Bump to Five. Last week in our school assemblies, we launched the idea of our school community Reverse Advent. The pupils learned what a Reverse Advent is, and how we will be using the concept to make donations to Harlow Foodbank and Bump to Five, to boost their supplies for Christmas time. There are currently more than 300 children in Harlow who rely on the Foodbank each month, and we would like to help support the extra pressure that is placed on the Foodbank over the next few months, plus bring some festive cheer to children with gifts of toys, games and books (please note that gift items must be new). Throughout November, pupils have been asked, if they would like to participate, to bring food, toiletries and children’s gifts to follow the idea of the twenty-four days of Christmas, with twenty-four items being donated (of course, any number of items will be very much appreciated). Below is a list of food items that are required by the Foodbank. Please remember that food needs to have a long shelf-life and, therefore, fresh fruit and vegetables should not be donated. Bump to Five would be very grateful to receive children’s toys, games and books. Donations can be suitable for children of any age; they must be brand new and unwrapped as they will be wrapped up by the volunteers at Bump to Five and passed on to families with appropriately aged children. Pupils were shown an example of a Christmas tree planner that they could use to help organise their twenty-four items. A copy follows for printing at home, or you can collect one from the school office.
The deadline to make your donations is Monday 4th December. Lower School pupils can leave their food and gift items in the basket in the coffee shop, and Middle and Upper School pupils can put their items in the basket in the main entrance of Hillingdon House. Thank you so much for your support. Mrs Oakley PE Department
Saint Nicholas School News
Saint Nicholas School News
Annual Bonfire Party We are delighted to invite parents and pupils to our annual bonfire party, on Friday 10th November. This is always a fantastic, very well attended family evening and we hope you will be able to join us. There is no charge for the event and tickets are not required. It is essential that parents accompany pupils to the event, and normal collection arrangements will apply. The event commences at 4.00pm with refreshments and attractions from 4.15pm. The bonfire will be lit at around 5.30pm and the firework display will commence at approximately 6.00pm. House Captains are organising a house Guy competition. If you have old newspapers and magazines they can use for stuffing, please bring them to Hillingdon House foyer by the end of the day on Thursday 9th November. Thank you.
New Appointment We are delighted to announce the return of Mrs Marseille-Dutton to Saint Nicholas School as teacher of mathematics; I am Mrs Marseille-Dutton and I am so thrilled to be returning to Saint Nicholas School. Having taught in a variety of settings since I became a teacher twelve years ago, I have found that Saint Nicholas is the one school that has a community feel like no other. Since leaving the school two years ago, I embarked on a journey of professional growth and development. I completed a postgraduate certificate in special educational needs, which has allowed me to gain valuable insights and skills in catering to the diverse needs of pupils. During my time away from Saint Nicholas, I had the opportunity to collaborate closely with two consultants, focusing on enhancing teaching and learning practices and overall educational quality. This experience has truly enriched my understanding of effective teaching strategies and has further fuelled my passion for education. Now, as I return to Saint Nicholas, I am delighted to be teaching mathematics, a subject that I am passionate about and have taught up to GCSE. I am eager to share my knowledge and engage pupils in the exciting world of numbers, equations, and problem-solving. Together, we can continue to cultivate an environment where every child thrives and reaches their full potential.
Sports News
Netball On Wednesday 11th October the Year 10 and Year 11 netball team went to St Marks school, for a Harlow Schools Netball Tournament. We won three games: against Passmores (4-3), Burnt Mill (3-0), and Stewards (6-0), drew one against Mark Hall (1-1), and lost two against St Marks (2-7) and SFG (3-4). Our defence has massively improved over the past few tournaments with the other teams scoring far fewer goals. The play from centre into the shooting D was very quick and our opponents turned over very few centre passes. Overall it was a very good tournament for us with some very good play. We placed 3rd overall. Well done to Desiree, Phoebe, Tiffany, Becky, Polly, Delilah and Rhian. Rhian Year 11 On Monday 16th October, the U14 netball squad played against St Clere’s in the Essex Cup. This is the first time Saint Nicholas has taken part in this competition. We had an amazing game and played a really strong defence with Fleur, Emily and Holly and got ahead with a number of goals. Eve, Frankie, Scarlett and I attacked well from the front making sure we had a good flow through the court. The third quarter we found quite difficult but we held on to have a brilliant 4th quarter and ended up winning with 7 goals difference: 21-14! Thank you again to Scarlett, Frankie and Holly for playing up for us. We cant wait for the next round on 7th November, away against Chelmsford High School. Annabel U14 Captain On Wednesday 18th October the Year 8 netball girls, Ella, Niamh, Grace, Fran, Holly, Scarlett, Frankie and Alana travelled to Burnt Mill for a netball tournament against Mark Hall and Burnt Mill. We played extremely well against Mark Hall and defended really well, which resulted in us winning 9-0. Next, we played Burnt Mill which was tougher, but again we did amazingly well and won 5-2. We played strongly and everybody performed exceptionally well. Our player of the match was Frankie Pushkin who played Centre. Ella, Captain of the matches.
Sports News
On Wednesday 18th of October, the Year 7s played a netball tournament against Burnt Mill and Mark Hall. We all had great fun and played our hardest. Jemima and I received joint player of the match from the opposition. Well done to the team: Kayla, Casta, Dotty, Jemima, Clementine, Tia and Isabelle. We are really looking forward to playing in the Essex Cup after half term. Dotty Year 7
Football The Saint Nicholas girls remain unbeaten at the Harlow Schools Festivals this year. Following the Year 5 and Year 6 girls the previous week, the Year 3 and Year 4 girls attended the Girls’ Football Festival at Mark Hall Academy on Friday morning. The junior girls in attendance this week really enjoyed themselves and there was plenty of football in between lots of high-fives and smiles. The sportsmanship remains a strength of this event and all the children had a fantastic time. The Saint Nicholas team topped the group after goal difference due to the final game being drawn, this after scoring very early in the game and expecting more as the game progressed.
Sports News
Rugby On Monday 9th October the Saint Nicholas boys from Year 10 and Year 11 went to play rugby at Old Brentwood RUFC, for the Essex Festival. It was a tough day due to the heat and we played games against the best rugby schools. In our first game against Newport School, we lost 35-7 and it was a tough defeat. However, we worked off the pitch and played well in a 36-5 win in our second game against West Hatch, with Tom scoring four tries and Oliver collecting two, with amazing defence from the team. Unfortunately, we lost the final game 170 against Bancroft, a game we wanted more from and could have turned around. Well done to Jude for amazing defence even when we were on the back foot. Though we didn’t come away with any silverware, we were all very pleased with our performance and will work even harder in future fixtures. Zachary Year 11 This week, the Year 9 rugby team faced Stoke College’s Year 10s in a rugby match, where they were unlucky to lose by only 2 tries. Our boys still performed very well and scored some excellent tries. Our scorers were Theo and Billy, who also made amazing tackles. The boys were great in both aspects of the game and should be happy with the result. The team really showed off their skill and abilities against bigger, older boys and showed that size doesn’t matter! Theo Year 9
On Tuesday 17th October the Year 8 rugby team participated in a rugby fixture against Stoke College. We had to play with seven players and in the first quarter we were winning 10-5. In the final quarter, we had a strong start scoring three early tries. There were some fantastic tackles on display and some great team tactics. The final score was 25-5 to Saint Nicholas. Oliver Year 8 On Friday 13th October, Year 6 boys played a rugby match against Loyola Prep School. It was an enjoyable match. Ollie played very well in our team and made it much easier by taking down their biggest players. Lucas and Harrison made excellent runs through their players which led us to victory by seven tries. A fantastic result in which each team member played their part and progressed as the game continued. Well done to all the players. Angus Year 6