Barrow Hills Bulletin, Friday 31 January 2025Spring Term, Week 4

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Message From the Head

Dear Parents,

Well done to all our Year 6 children who attended the challenging VEX Robotics Competition, hosted at Charterhouse School on Thursday. They showcased their engineering, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. There was strong competition with all schools entering two teams, but our children aptly demonstrated impressive creativity—from precision programming to sharp manoeuvring. Their determination delivered results, with one of our teams securing a strong 2nd place and the other receiving a special mention for their outstanding teamwork. It was a valuable lesson in collaboration, perseverance, and STEM innovation! We’ll be back next year to smash it.

More importantly, the experience provided valuable lessons in collaboration, perseverance, and STEM innovation. We’re incredibly proud of how our students represented our school and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in future competitions! Well done, Year 6!

This week, we were lucky to see some blue sky just in time for our competitive hockey fixtures on Thursday. Parent events included the sobering online safety seminar on Monday and a far jollier workshop on phonics and reading on Thursday. Thank you for your support with all of that.

Keeping the energy high into Friday, we had the boys up very early, travelling to compete in the IAPS Hockey tournament. We also had a swimming gala, once again at Charterhouse.

Looking ahead to Monday, if your child would like to come to school wearing a hat (of any sort), we are celebrating mental health awareness with a small fundraiser for Place2Be. Any small donation (£2.00) will be collected and donated to this mental health charity. We will enjoy a fancy hat competition alongside our chapel assembly to start the week.

Have a great weekend 

Mr Towers, Head

 

News from Upper Prep 

January is nearly at an end – and hopefully we will be able to enjoy some warmer and drier weather as February approaches. I have been proud of the sensible way the children in Year 7 and Year 8 have supported our younger ones during wet break times this week, by playing games or just chatting with them.

With exams starting in the hall on Tuesday, the children in Upper Prep have been working hard in class to revise topics or complete past papers. Many have made detailed flashcards or notes which will help them revise key facts over the weekend. All children also have access to a Revision Google Classroom where teachers have uploaded papers and materials for extra practice. The work in Google Classroom is not compulsory, but is meant to support the children as they revise different topics.

Please encourage your child to check the stationery in their pencil case this weekend too, so they are fully prepared for next week. They need:

Two blue ink pens (that work)
Two pencils
A sharpener and a rubber
A highlighter
A ruler
A calculator
A protractor

If possible, these stationery items should be in a clear pencil case or a plastic wallet.

All children will also need a reading book.

A date for your diary:

As part of Children’s Mental Health Week (Monday 3rd – Sunday 9th February), we will be supporting the amazing charity Place2Be. This charity provides mental health training and support to schools. On Monday 3rd February, we invite all children to wear a funky hat to school for the day. Hats can be homemade or your child can wear any fun hat you already have at home. We would also be grateful for a donation of £2.00 to help support Place2Be’s work.  

Thank you for your support.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Mason, Head of Upper Prep

 

News from Prep

Dear Parents,

After what has felt like an endless stretch of wintry weather, we finally saw some sunshine on Thursday—an uplifting moment for everyone!

A group of our Year 6 pupils had the fantastic opportunity to attend a Robotics Competition at Charterhouse School. I am delighted to hear from staff that the children not only demonstrated great problem-solving skills and teamwork but also represented our school beautifully with their excellent behaviour and enthusiasm. These events provide a great platform for the children to apply their STEM learning in a hands-on, competitive setting, and I look forward to seeing how their skills continue to develop.

On Thursday morning, we enjoyed a class assembly from 4G, who delivered a thoughtful and engaging presentation on the importance of telling the truth. The children spoke with clarity and confidence, and their message about honesty and integrity resonated with us all. The assembly ended on a joyful note with some fantastic singing, —well done, all!

The Year 4 girls took part in a ‘Girls on Board’ session this week, a valuable initiative designed to help girls understand and navigate friendships in a supportive and empathetic way. The session encouraged them to reflect on their social interactions, consider different perspectives, and learn strategies for maintaining positive and healthy friendships.

We ended the week on an exciting note as our U11 boys set off to compete in the IAPS Hockey Tournament. They have been training hard, and I look forward to hearing all about their performances and experiences later on. No matter the results, their dedication and sportsmanship are something to be proud of.

Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you all have a lovely and restful weekend.

Warm regards,

Miss Tyrell, Head of Prep

 

News from Pre-Prep

If you have visited any of our Early Years classrooms this week, you would have found it difficult to ignore that it is Chinese Lunar New Year. Pre-Prep Assembly hosted a fantastic performance by our Reception children who retold the fascinating tale of the competition between a dozen different animals to decide their spot in the order of the 12-year lunar cycle. Each of the children had painted their own mask of an animal and performed the story together, complete with water up the aisle of the chapel, represented by lots of blue material. On Thursday lunchtime we all enjoyed a Chinese themed feast including noodles and spring rolls, and Reception and Year 2 made Chinese lanterns. In Kindy, the children make their own stir fry and red money envelopes, while Year 1 made beautifully elaborate Chinese dragons in Art.

It was lovely to host our second parent workshop of the term yesterday morning. This was a Phonics Workshop which explained how we deliver phonics teaching across the Pre-Prep, beyond the introduction and the initial steps involved in learning single letter sounds. The slides will be available on the portal at the beginning of next week, alongside the slides from the Maths Workshop a couple of weeks again if you were unable to attend.

Congratulations to the children who received ‘Work of the week’ certificates this morning in assembly. Indy and Hugo (Rec) were presented with their certificates by Mr Towers, as was Holly (Year 1) and Otis (Year 2). There have been visits to the Science Lab in recent weeks for Reception and Year 2, and for Year 1 this morning, and one of the Work of the Week certificates highlighted super investigation work into absorbency over in the lab. Back in the classroom, there’s been some wonderful artwork in Reception and excellent recall of facts in Year 1.

Well done everyone!

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Barnett, Head of Pre-Prep 

BHCC

Bacon Butties brightened up the morning once again, raising £106.56. Thanks to our amazing team and the community for your support!

School Notices

All parents and alumni working in Law, or with an interest in legal careers, are warmly invited to join us for an evening of drinks and nibbles to connect and expand your professional network.

The event will take place at the Old Bank of England on Fleet Street, London, on Thursday, 27th February 2025, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

To register, please click here.

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